The captain was also disappointed that his players could not take advantage of playing at home

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-20194:28

Thought we had enough runs on that surface – Fleming

Chennai Super Kings had a lot of things in their favour in Qualifier 1. They were at home. They won the toss. And they had a strong core of experienced players that has been there and done that in the backend of the IPL. But a problem that’s followed them all through the 2019 season hit them once again – top-order frailty. MS Dhoni laid the blame for the defeat to Mumbai Indians squarely on his batsmen, who failed to utilise all the advantages at their disposal.”It didn’t really go our way,” he said at the presentation. “Especially the batting. Especially when you know home conditions. You have to assess very quickly how the wicket is playing. That’s the bonus of playing at home, you’ve already played six games or seven games, so you know how the wicket has played, whether it is a bit tacky, whether it is coming on or not coming on. What is a good score that we should put on the board. Those are the things I felt we didn’t do well in this game because of which we were not able to put something that would have been good to defend. I think the batting needs to get slightly better.”The pitch at Chepaulk was a turner and there was a high degree of risk in hitting against the spin. Yet two veterans – Suresh Raina and Shane Watson – tried to do just that and lost their wickets, leaving CSK 33 for 3 at the end of the Powerplay. Still, Dhoni continued to defend his misfiring batting line-up, but was disappointed with some of the shot selection on show.”Yes, they’re the best that we’ve got. On and off, they’ve done well. If you look at [them] when they bat, they’ve done well, But on and off, in some game, they’ve pulled out a shot that’s really not on in that particular game or in that situation or in that condition. So, those are things that you need to assess. Especially, when you have experienced players in the side, that’s what you bank upon them. You’re not banking on them for extraordinary fielding. It’s just that they have to use their experience slightly more. Hopefully we’ll crack the code.”MS Dhoni warms up ahead of the toss•BCCI

CSK’s defence of 131 began well, but they couldn’t stem the runs well enough to put pressure on Mumbai’s long batting-line up.”I feel once you don’t have enough runs on the board, every boundary, it actually hurts you,” Dhoni said. “I feel we got off to a good start, Rohit [Sharma]’s wicket early was good, after that we kept giving boundaries, which you can’t really afford to do. It was an off game for us and it’s bad to have this kind of a game at this stage of the tournament but still the good thing is you’re top two so you get another chance. So rather than going over the wicket now you have to round the wicket. The journey becomes slightly long.”

With Jofra Archer and Mark Wood engaging in a ‘pace off’, England suddenly have the quickest attack on show

George Dobell09-Jun-2019We live in momentous times. Times which make us question things we thought as indubitable. So the Moon, we’re told, is part of Mars; Dwayne Leverock, we now know, has the build of a heavyweight champion; and members of the Rolling Stones could be forgiven for reading about Tory leadership candidates and murmuring “those lads should take it easy”.But, most surprisingly of all, England have the fastest bowling attack at the World Cup. That’s England, whose typical answer to the heavy artillery aimed at them on Ashes tours is to pick several fast-medium seamers; the equivalent of tutting a little when confronted by muggers in the street. And then handing over your wallet.ALSO READ: Roy leads the way as England find their mojoThis is the 12th World Cup but surely the first in which England have had the two fastest bowlers. In the last few days, four England seamers – Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes – have registered 90mph/145kph and two (Archer and Wood) have hit 95mph/153kph. And while there was much to encourage England in Cardiff, perhaps the most eye-catching moment came from one of those fast bowlers.When Archer bowled Soumya Sarkar, so much pace did the ball have on it that, having clipped the top of the stumps, it carried over the boundary before bouncing again. It wasn’t the longest boundary – perhaps 55-60 metres – but it was an unusual and compelling sight that underlined the impression: England have a gem in Archer.The man himself admitted he had not seen such an incident before. “It’s probably the first,” he said. “I’ve seen it go for six off a helmet before. But this is the first time I’ve seen it go off the stumps.”That reference to a batsman’s helmet – a not especially subtle reminder of his pace and hostility – is fast becoming typical. This is, after all, the man who was tweeting way back in 2013 that batsmen would require two helmets when playing against him. So even while he insists that bowling well is more important to him than bowling fast, he makes the point about how fast he’s bowling; note the way he says “just 90” mph.Jofra Archer celebrates bowling out Bangladesh’s Soumya Sarkar•Getty Images

“It’s nice to see [high speeds],” he said, “but I’m much more concerned about bowling well. If I bowl at just 90 and I’m bowling well, I’d be much happier than bowling fast and going for six or seven an over.”Equally, when asked if he felt batsmen didn’t like facing him, he made the point that he posed physical danger, or at least discomfort, as much as cricketing challenge. “I think you saw someone got hit twice on Saturday,” he said. “If I get hit once I don’t want to be there anymore really. Imagine getting hit twice…” The (largely) unspoken implication? He’s quick. And we’d better not forget it.His reaction to a question suggesting Wood’s pace might be pushing him on was intriguing. “I’m a little bit quicker than him,” he said, politely but firmly. And when it was pointed out that Wood actually bowled the quickest delivery against Bangladesh, he simply denied it. “No, he didn’t,” Archer said, dismissing the idea as if it was preposterous. Eventually he conceded: “It’s good competition to have someone at the other end. It pushes you to do a bit better.”It does appear to be working that way. At present, Wood and Archer are trading records like schoolboys might exchange boasts. Moments after Archer set a new mark for the quickest ball of the tournament (95.09mph/153kph), Wood set another one (95.69/154kph). And moments after Archer set a record for the quickest average pace (90.68mph) in an opening spell for England in ODI cricket, since such records began in 2006, Wood set one for the fastest average speed for a bowler in the tournament (86.79mph, versus Archer’s 86.75mph). All figures, provided by CricViz, exclude slower balls.”Only Woody’s speed came up [on the scoreboard],” Archer complained with tongue only partially in cheek. “So it was a bit… well, a bit biased really.”Archer has one significant advantage over Wood. For while Wood appears to be permanently on the edge of injury, Archer looks able to generate a similar pace without forcing his body to the brink. He makes the desperately tough task of fast bowling appear relatively easy.”I feel niggles here and there,” he said. “But nothing to stop me from playing. I’ll just keep going.”He is certainly not going to want to miss England’s next match. While he insisted “it’s just another game”, the fact it is against West Indies – and we surely don’t need to go into Archer’s backstory again here – does add piquancy. And his knowledge of the opposition could provide some useful insight for England.”It’s just another game of cricket; same as the last game,” he said. “I know them pretty good. I played with a few of the guys at Under-19 level, so it will be good to actually play against them this time.”I’ll be able to share some knowledge, but I do that whenever we play. I played against and with some of the Bangladeshi guys in the BPL and I guess I’ll share some knowledge when we play India and Australia. It’s not just the West Indies: I’ve got a pretty good knowledge of most of the prominent batters.”Some of my family are over right now, too, so they will go to that game. They will just want me to do well.”The game will only serve to increase interest in Archer. So will the Ashes that follow. His life has changed radically over the last few weeks and, you suspect, we’re just at the start. One week you can nip to Tesco in your pyjamas, the next you’re sharing a sofa with Pauline Quirke on breakfast TV and the papers want to know whose shirts you wear. And despite one underwhelming game against Pakistan – Archer conceded 79 in his 10 overs and was fined for dissent – he seems to be taking it all in his stride. He knows there will be some poor days among the good but he trusts the latter will significantly outnumber the former.”I never doubted myself,” he said. “If you’re doubting yourself I don’t think you’re ready. You probably shouldn’t be here if you’re doubting yourself.”I didn’t really notice the step up [to international cricket]. I’ve been playing competitive cricket for the last few years against the same guys, really, so it doesn’t really change anything. The only thing that changes is your uniform.”I don’t think I did anything different [on Saturday] than at Trent Bridge. I wasn’t cross, I was a bit emotional. Every game I play I’m very emotional. I take my cricket very seriously.”The wickets change, the batters change, conditions change. You know that sometimes you won’t have a good day and the good balls might go for boundaries. You just keep a level head and keep bouncing back.”That attitude, that pace, that hostility: it all bodes well for England.

Lancashire pair score half-centuries against Durham

Paul Edwards30-Jun-2019
It is tempting when watching cricket on grounds like Sedbergh to toy with the notion that life might always be like this: that one’s days might be spent in the stern, benevolent shadow of the Howgill Fells while batsmen like Dane Vilas face bowlers such as Chris Rushworth under typically Cumbrian, cloud-tossed skies. School years are not always the best of one’s life but Lancashire and Durham supporters may eventually reflect on their days watching this match and judge them among the richest of their summer.That it might be so is partly explained by the discipline of Cameron Bancroft’s bowlers, who enjoyed success when they pitched the ball up rather than digging it in on a wicket offering bounce and carry. It might also find account in the bells of St Andrew’s which summoned us joyously to our cricket in the morning; or in the sun which raced across Baugh Fell in the evening. It also has something to do with the generosity of the school and its staff, who cannot do too much to make this great event memorable.Yet this day’s cricket was only given proper shape after tea once Liam Livingstone was leg before to Nathan Rimmington for 35 and Vilas began his fifth-wicket partnership with Rob Jones. Lancashire were 141 for 4 when Livingstone played across the line; Jones was at that point unbeaten on 27. The 23-year-old had displayed patience beyond his years yet the arrival of his captain seemed to imbue his batting with fresh urgency. It is often so with inspirational captains like Vilas, who himself showed more intent than his team’s top order had managed, albeit when the ball was newer.Dane Vilas of Lancashire batting•Getty Images

Rather than waiting to receive deliveries, Vilas looked to meet them, thus eliminating some movement. There were the usual powerful drives and clips through midwicket and they somewhat disconcerted a Durham attack who had hitherto set the day’s agenda. A Lancashire innings which had burned slowly and been filled with honest labour – only 65 runs came in 32 overs during the afternoon – suddenly acquired fresh life as Vilas demanded that Jones be ready to run quick singles.The partnership had yielded 87 runs when Jones was pinned on the back foot for 52 by Rushworth, who had earlier bowled Keaton Jennings for 11 with one that kept low. But Rushworth was the only Durham bowler to take more than one wicket on this first day. He had Steven Croft dropped by Alex Lees before he had scored and the reprieved batsman was unbeaten on 29 when play ended in a gentle evensong of defensive strokes and watchfulness. It has been Lancashire’s day and it has also been Sedbergh’sThe only problem in the whole day was certainly not of Sedbergh’s making; nor indeed, it is fair to argue, was it of Lancashire’s, whose enterprise in taking a game to an area in the north-west from which it recruits many players should be commended. No, the stramash occurred when a charabanc hired to give home supporters free transport to the game arrived at the ground with well over an hour to spare but missed its turning and found nowhere to park. The driver, instead of letting his passengers get off, gave them a tour of Cumbrian byways for around 50 minutes, at one stage even returning south down the M6. One wonders what Francis Thompson, that great poet of Lancastrian cricket, might have made of it.

Fortunately, when the Old Trafford Forty-Nine were allowed to escape their incarceration, they could at least enjoy some resilient Lancastrian batting in a couple of sessions during which both sides engaged in the reconnaissance so characteristic of cricketers on fresh fields.Having progressed, not with hazard, to 71 for 1 at lunch, Lancashire lost Alex Davies for 38 in the over after the resumption when he could only glove a fine lifting ball from Brydon Carse to wicketkeeper Ned Eckersley. And Lancastrian problems deepened when Haseeb Hameed, after making 24 with his customary diligence, was drawn forward by a fine ball from Ben Raine and edged a catch to Bancroft at second slip.Livingstone settled into one of his more patient innings, yet more evidence of his determination to develop his red-ball game. Jones joined him and the pair plainly steeled themselves to rebuild the innings from 81 for 3 on a pitch which is a credit to the school’s groundsman, Martin South. The crowd at Sedbergh, some of whom had queued for 45 minutes before the gates opened, gave themselves to their cricket. For all the racket of modernity there remains a sense of timelessness at a venue which saw its first cricket deep in Victorian England and whose famous Knowles pavilion has celebrated its 106th birthday.Winder and Crook, the two fells closest to the ground, remained clear. Both had been shrouded in cloud on Saturday evening. Eventually even Baugh Fell doffed its cap of mist in honour of the occasion. And we are to have three days more of this stuff.

The destructive finisher who also bowls both medium pace and offspin has been off the radar from major competitive cricket since 2017

Peter Della Penna13-Aug-2019Former Jamaica Tallawahs allrounder Timroy Allen, who has not played for USA since the 2017 World Cricket League Division Three tournament, has been recalled as one of four changes in USA’s T20I squad that will head to Bermuda for the T20 World Cup Qualifier Americas Regional Final from August 18-25.Allen, a destructive finisher who also bowls both medium pace and offspin, has been off the radar from major competitive cricket since leaving the Tallawahs squad midway through the 2017 season to focus on his family-run pest control and landscaping business. However, a three-month central contract from USA has brought him back to the game with the possibility that he might get a long-term extension based on performance.The 32-year-old did enough to impress newly-hired USA director of cricket Kiran More at USA’s recent intra-squad selection camp at Woodley Park in Los Angeles, finishing as the joint-leading wicket-taker with five wickets in three trial matches. Former South African international Rusty Theron also claimed five wickets at the squad camp but according to sources he was left out of the team traveling to Bermuda due to complications with his US residency status.Sources have stated that Theron, who moved to Florida in 2015, is in the midst of applying for permanent residency. This includes submitting his current passport, which may not be back in his possession by the time USA’s squad is supposed to depart for Bermuda, leaving him unable to travel. Theron is now looking at the ODI tri-series series against Papua New Guinea and Namibia in September to make his USA debut.Cameron Gannon picked up four wickets•Getty Images

Allen is one of four changes to USA’s maiden T20I squad that played a pair of matches against UAE in March. The other notable incoming player is Cameron Gannon, the 30-year-old pace bowler from Queensland who represented Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and has 22 first-class matches to his name. Sources have stated Gannon, a US passport holder, was invited to USA’s squad camp by David Saker, the former Australian bowling coach, who was brought on board as a USA consultant coach in July.The other two arrivals into the USA T20 squad are left-arm spinning allrounders Nisarg Patel and Karima Gore. The 31-year-old Nisarg was in USA’s squad for WCL Division Three in Oman last November but never made it into the starting XI and hasn’t played for USA since February 2018. The 21-year-old Gore made his USA debut on the tour of UAE in March and played a key role helping the team secure ODI status at WCL Division Two in Namibia a month later.The players to make way from USA’s T20I squad are Jannisar Khan and Roy Silva, who were not invited to the LA camp, Elmore Hutchinson, who turned 37 on this past Sunday and has seen his opportunities steadily dwindle and Nosthush Kenjige who, despite being USA’s highest wicket-taker in the last round of T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifying, has fallen behind in an increasingly strong spin-bowling line-up.USA play Bermuda, Canada and Cayman Islands in the double round-robin event. The top two teams advance to the 14-team T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE beginning October 11.USA squad: Timroy Allen, Cameron Gannon, Karima Gore, Aaron Jones, Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra (wk), Xavier Marshall, Saurabh Netravalkar (capt.), Monank Patel, Nisarg Patel, Timil Patel, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Trego has scored more than 18,000 runs for the club in all formats, but lost his place in the T20 side this season

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2019Peter Trego will leave Somerset at the end of the season, after the club decided not to renew his contract.Trego signed a white-ball-only deal for the 2019 season, after losing his regular place in the Championship side. He scored 389 runs at 35.36 in the club’s victorious Royal London Cup campaign, but was dropped from the T20 side after struggling against Rashid Khan in a defeat against Sussex.Trego, 38, has not retired from the game, and a club statement said he would “consider other opportunities”.He leaves Somerset having scored over 18,000 runs for the club in all formats and having taken more than 500 wickets since his debut in 2000.Trego originally broke into the side as a bowling allrounder, and had spells at Kent and Middlesex before re-joining Somerset in 2006. It briefly looked as though he would give up the game for a career in football, after he spent the 2004-05 season playing in goal for Margate.A prolific run-scorer in one-day cricket, he was perhaps unfortunate never to get a run in England’s limited-overs sides, having played for the Lions in 2010 before scoring over 1,000 white-ball runs across List A and T20 cricket in 2013.He took 50 Championship wickets once, in the 2012 season, but as his career progressed he began to bowl less and take his red-ball batting more seriously, making 1047 Championship runs in 2016.He was a regular in the early days of the T20 franchise circuit, spending winters in Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and New Zealand, and scored a match-winning 70 in Somerset’s win against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011 which took them through to the group stage of the Champions League T20.He lifted a trophy for the club for the first time in May, having previously played in five final defeats, making 29 as Somerset beat Hampshire in the Royal London Cup.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said that Trego would be “remembered as one of Somerset cricket’s great characters”.”This year we have seen the emergence of several young players and this has meant that Pete’s opportunities in the first XI have been limited,” Hurry said. “He obviously wants to be playing first-team cricket, which is not something that we can guarantee him here at the moment, and therefore we feel that it is in both the club’s and Pete’s best interests for him to consider other opportunities.”Trego said: “I understand the Club’s desire to give younger players an opportunity, and whilst I’m no longer going to be a Somerset player, I will always be a Somerset fan.”It’s been a long and fantastic journey. I’ve got so many wonderful memories, but that final one-day game at Lord’s has to stand out. Walking around the ground with the trophy and long-standing teammates such as Hildy [James Hildreth] was the icing on the cake of what’s been a great time in my life.”

Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner also made half-centuries after captain Meg Lanning withdrew pre-game due to back spasms

The Report by Alex Malcolm09-Sep-2019A gritty century from Ellyse Perry in the stifling Antigua heat helped Australia secure the three-match ODI series against West Indies 2-0 with a crushing 151-run win.The simplicity of the scoreline concealed a day of drama. Australia captain Meg Lanning was withdrawn from the match moments before the toss following back spasms, forcing a hasty cap presentation to debutant Erin Burns, while Beth Mooney was forced to retire hurt late in Australia’s innings due to heat exhaustion.But despite Rachael Haynes, the designated vice-captain, taking over the reins, normal service resumed after Australia won the toss. Alyssa Healy continued her sparkling form, clubbing a 33-ball half-century as she put on a 56-run opening stand with Haynes inside the first ten overs before the stand-in captain fell for 13 off the penultimate ball of the Powerplay.Perry, elevated to No. 3, was slow to get going and got a reprieve early before her supreme fitness carried her to an unbeaten 112 from 118 balls, her second ODI century and her fourth for Australia in all formats, to anchor the innings as Australia made their second successive score of 308 [they made 4 for 308 in the first game].”At the start, I was probably a little bit mentally AWOL,” Perry said after the match. “I was probably lucky, to be fair, after getting dropped early, but that seemed to sort of pick me up a little bit.”After Healy holed out off Chinelle Henry for 58, Perry got great support from Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner. Mooney ground out 56 from 81 balls in a 129-run stand with Perry before the heat got the better of her, and she was forced to retire at the end of the 42nd over.It gave Gardner just 48 balls to make an impact and she did more than that, hitting six fours and three sixes in a 23-ball half-century to equal Meg Lanning’s record for the fastest fifty by an Australian woman in ODI cricket. She finished on 57 not out off 25 balls and watched Perry smack the last ball of the innings to the cover-point fence. The pair made 86 runs in the last eight overs of the innings.”Obviously it was a real shame with Meg going down just before the game but I guess that sort of gave other people an opportunity and everyone slid up,” Perry said. “I really enjoyed my time out in the middle today but I think there was some great contributions, Midge (Healy) at the start and for Ash to do what she did, that’s what she’s capable of and what we know she’s capable of, so that really got us up over 300 to get a great total on the board.”Perry took the new ball and made the early breakthrough trapping Stacy-Ann King plumb in the fourth over. West Indies’ under-strength line-up then made virtually no attempt to chase down the total. After being bowled out for 130 inside 38 overs in the first ODI in Coolidge, the home side managed to bat out their 50 overs in the chase on Sunday, but crawled to 8 for 157. Kyshona Knight top-scored with 32 but took an excruciating 81 deliveries to compile them. Sheneta Grimmond was the only batter to strike at better than 54, making a 31 not out from 37 late in the game, at No. 8. Australia used eight bowlers with six of them claiming wickets. Georgia Wareham had the best figures of 2 for 29 although her two wickets came from what were among the worst deliveries of the day.”It’s an interesting situation at the moment,” Perry said. “Obviously they [West Indies] have got a number of their key players missing. I think from a confidence point of view, and match awareness and knowing how to take the game – I think it’s a real challenge. From that point of view, it’s up to us to make them play but also be really meticulous on our standards.”In the first game we bowled way too many extras and probably today we bowled a few too many but all in all I think it’s been great to challenge ourselves to try things to try and execute things.”

Hamish Rutherford leads Worcestershire as Moeen ‘takes break’ from red-ball game, while Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on rain-hit day

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2019Moeen Ali began his break from red-ball cricket as he sat out of Worcestershire’s game at Hove, as half-centuries by Stiaan van Zyl and Delray Rawlins helped Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on a rain-shortened first day.Moeen told ESPNcricinfo he was “not ruling out playing Test cricket in the future” on the eve of T20 Finals Day after he missed out on a red-ball central contract, but was not involved at Hove, as Hamish Rutherford captained in his absence.ALSO READ: Moeen Ali ‘takes break’ from red-ball cricketIn a dead rubber – that both sides might have expected to be a promotion shoot-out at the start of the season – Sussex had been 32 for 3 following an uncontested toss with openers Luke Wells and Tom Haines both dismissed for ducks.But van Zyl and Rawlins led the recovery before both departed in an afternoon session cut short by bad light.Rain arrived shortly afterwards and umpires Jerry Lloyds and Paul Baldwin abandoned play at 4pm with only 50.4 overs possible.Worcestershire’s decision to bowl first was no surprise and they struck with the third ball when Wells, playing well away from his body, was caught behind off Ed Barnard.After a short stoppage for a shower, Haines’ leading edge ended up in the hands of mid-off and Sussex were 32 for 3 when wicketkeeper Ben Cox took a superb catch diving in front of slip to remove Will Beer for seven and reward Barnard for a lively new-ball spell.But gradually conditions eased and van Zyl and Rawlins began their rebuilding job. Rawlins reigned in his attacking instincts and took Sussex past 50 with successive boundaries down the ground off Charlie Morris, while van Zyl passed 50 for the sixth time this season off 91 balls with seven boundaries.They had put on 94 for the fourth wicket when van Zyl was superbly caught diving forward at mid-on by Rutherford to give Charlie Morris his second wicket. He had faced 119 balls and hit eight fours.Rawlins was struck on the shoulder by Morris and needed more treatment a few minutes later when he pulled a ball from Brett D’Oliveira into his midriff. Rawlins drove the next ball he faced from Adam Finch for his eighth boundary but then slashed outside off stump and Daryl Mitchell clung onto a sharp chance at second slip. It was the left-hander’s third half-century of the season but, like van Zyl, he was frustrated to get out when seemingly well set.”It was nice to get some runs today and I was disappointed to get out when I did because Delray and I had put together a good partnership,” van Zyl said.”From a personal point of view, it’s been an OK season, but extremely frustrating from a team point of view. We haven’t put together enough complete batting performances as a batting unit and hopefully the guys can go into their off-season, reflect on what they need to do and be better than we were this year.”England under-19 batsman Tom Clark, who has been in Sussex’s system since he was 10 years old only had time to face one ball from Finch on his debut, a bumper which he only just evaded, before the teams came off.Moeen isn’t the only big name not involved in a game where only pride is at stake. Sussex have rested both Phil Salt, who has been carrying a finger injury for much of the second half of the season, and Chris Jordan.

A bad start for the defending champions, the Jozi Stars, got worse as they lost their second match of the tournament to the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants

The Report by Firdose Moonda10-Nov-2019A bad start for the defending champions, the Jozi Stars, got worse as they lost their second match of the tournament to the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants. A typically windy afternoon in Port Elizabeth threatened to derail the home side, who dropped four catches in defense of their score of 167, but the experience of Chris Morris and Imran Tahir ensured the Giants opened their account with a 24-run win.Hello England batsmen, it’s KG The leader of South Africa’s attack has the opportunity to warm up for events later this summer when he came up against Jason Roy and needed only two balls to make an impression. Kagiso Rababa had Roy caught at fine leg with the second ball of the match and though it was not a particularly menacing ball – angling down leg – or a particularly poor shot – a flick that went wrong – it may start to plant a seed of doubt for what could take place ahead of England’s tour. Rabada has already dismissed Roy three times in nine ODIs and showed he still has an edge with white ball in hand.Old hands, young legs The Giants lost early wickets and were 49 for 4 in the seventh over, needing a repair job, when two of their most experienced players came together to provide the mid-innings impetus. Heino Kuhn and Farhaan Behardien, who played together at the Titans franchise and Northerns province before that, shared an 85-run fourth-wicket stand off 62 balls. They hit eight fours and a six in their partnership which means they ran the other 47 runs, often pushing for two when taking fielders on the long boundary on the leg-side. Stars’ captain Temba Bavuma acknowledged that the team’s fielding, against two of the quickest players between the wickets, let them down.Another half-century for Hendricks His team may not be in the best form but Reeza Hendricks certainly is and scored a second half-century in as many matches to set the Stars’ chase up strongly and soar to the top of the run-charts. Hendricks was dropped on 3 by Onke Nyaku backward-point and on 7 by Behardien at deep square leg. Hendricks lost his opening partner Chris Gayle four balls after the Powerplay ended but surged on regardless. His cover drive remains his signature stroke and it came out twice in his 70-run second-wicket stand with captain Bavuma.Chris Morris, the death bowler But even with Hendricks at the crease, the Stars were scoring a touch too slowly and needed 57 runs off the last five overs. Bavuma was caught at deep mid-wicket which punctured their efforts but then Chris Morris, who opened the bowling with two overs for eight runs, gave away just two runs off the 17th over to peg the Stars back.Hendricks was under pressure to make something happen and tried to clear long-on off Imran Tahir but was caught on the rope and the squeeze was on. Tahir gave away just six runs in his final over and took the crucial wicket of Hendricks to finish with figures of 4-0-24-1 but Morris was the hero of the last passage of play. He also bowled the 19th over, in which he dismissed Dan Christian and conceded nine runs, leaving Junior Dala to defend 31 runs off the final over.Overall, the Stars managed just 32 runs for the loss of four wickets in the final quarter of their innings, which was too little to take them over the line.

Marcus Stoinis has also been left out while Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott are among those brought back

Alex Malcolm17-Dec-2019The Australia selectors have dropped Glenn Maxwell from the ODI squad to tour India in January despite him being available to play following a mental-health break.Marnus Labuschagne has been called up to his first ODI squad following his outstanding form in Test cricket and an impressive Marsh Cup where he was the joint Player of the Tournament alongside Queensland team-mate Usman Khawaja, who has also been left out. There are recalls for Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar.Maxwell will make his return to cricket via the BBL this week where he will captain the Melbourne Stars and has declared he is available play for Australia. However, national selector Trevor Hohns said they will monitor his form in the BBL after Maxwell only managed 177 runs at 22.12 during the World Cup.ALSO READ: Peter Siddle recalled for Boxing Day as Australia opt for local knowledge“It is great to see Glenn Maxwell returning to the game in the Big Bash League,” Hohns said. “We will closely monitor his form after what would have been disappointing 12 months in the one-day game by his standards.”Justin Langer, who will skip the tour to rest with Andrew McDonald taking charge, added: “We love what [Maxwell] can bring, but the truth is he hasn’t performed very well over the last 12 months. We had to take that into account. We are sure he’ll get back to his best and we look forward to that.”Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis have also been dropped after being part of the World Cup. Langer said that Khawaja and Marsh were especially unlucky to be left out. “They have played such great cricket. In a three-game series, you have David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steve Smith; it squeezes those two guys out who have been so important to the one-day side.”Australia’s ODI team has not played since the semi-final loss to England at Edgbaston and the selectors have opted to reward the players who were part of the two T20I series wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan as they start the next four-year cycle towards the 2023 World Cup.Nathan Lyon has also been overlooked despite being the second spinner in England and playing in Australia’s tour on India in February, with Adam Zampa and Agar being preferred.Turner, who underwent shoulder surgery after being omitted from the World Cup, returns while Peter Handscomb, who scored his maiden ODI hundred in India earlier this year and whose skills against spin were underscored by Langer, has been retained following his late call-up to the World Cup. Turner will also provide wicketkeeping cover.Nathan Coulter-Nile, the leading wicket-taker in this year’s Marsh Cup, misses out with Hazlewood recalled and Abbott, who played his only previous ODI in 2014, claiming the fifth fast-bowling spot. Jason Behrendorff is unavailable following his back surgery.”The performance of our white-ball squads has been strong, and we are hoping to build the momentum towards the T20 World Cup at home at the end of the year and ultimately build towards the 2023 World Cup in India,” Hohns said.”The performance of the top order at home through the T20 series was very strong so we look for that to continue in the Indian ODI series. We also believe Marnus Labuschagne is ready for his international white-ball debut after his strong form for Queensland in this form of the game.”Ashton Turner has proven himself in India with his ability to adapt to local conditions as did Peter Handscomb who joined the squad at the most recent World Cup. Peter also doubles as a back-up keeper if required while Ashton Agar adds to the squad with his all-round abilities.”In terms of the bowling group we are sticking with combination that are performing well. Sean Abbott and Kane Richardson are in the squad following the successful T20 campaign.”Adam Zampa and his growing combination with Agar is also something the selectors want to see more of while Nathan Lyon remains in the one-day squad selection frame.”The squad will be coached by McDonald, who was recently appointed as senior assistant coach, with Langer staying in Australia after being involved in all forms over the last 18 months.”As one of the leadership group it’s important to show that not only are we focussed on getting the balance right for the players but equally the coaches and staff, head coach included,” Langer said. “Macca (McDonald) is an exceptional coach in all forms of the game and has been fantastic since coming on board. He will do a great job with this squad. We are in very, very good hands.”Australia squad for the ODI tour of India Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vice-capt), Pat Cummins (vice-capt), Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India head coach believes Dhoni remains in the race with Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2020Experience, consistency, adapting to Australian conditions, explosive power, flamboyance. These are the criteria India head coach Ravi Shastri feels MS Dhoni can convert into currency to buy himself a ticket to the T20 World Cup, which will be held in October in Australia.Even as the MSK Prasad-led selection panel has been clear about moving on from Dhoni, questions about his future in the Indian side have not died down. Dhoni, who will turn 39 in July, has not played any cricket since he took a break after India’s semi-final exit at the ODI World Cup last July. Dhoni added to the intrigue recently when he asked to wait till January without revealing exactly what for.As far as Shastri is concerned, Dhoni remains in the race and will be fighting for the same spot as Rishabh Pant and possibly Sanju Samson. In a chat with Indian TV channel CNN-News18, Shastri said: “You will have to see who will do the job at what number, what role, who is the best guy. You will take experience into account. You will take youth into account. You will take flamboyance into account. And who fits into that number the best whether it is X, Y or Z. Plus we are playing in Australia (so) who will adapt to those conditions the best.”According to Shastri all three keeping options – Dhoni, Pant and Samson – possess the “explosive power” necessary to marshal the lower order.”They will all bat round [number] 5, 6… you will need power at the back, explosive power. All the three names you took, they all have that explosive power. (So) you will have to see consistency, experience, conditions – all that will come into play when the selectors look at it.”Recently Shastri had said that one can’t “fool around” with Dhoni, if he put himself in “contention” by having a good IPL later this summer. Shastri reiterated that point once again.”Good IPL, then he puts himself into contention. Then it is the selectors’ job to see what they want to do, but if he has a great IPL then he puts himself into contention.”But what if Pant and Samson also matched Dhoni with good numbers in the IPL? Shastri said experience and playing in Australian conditions would key determining factors in that case. “Then you will have to see: conditions come into play, experience comes into play, who will adapt best in those conditions.”Shastri also compared Dhoni to former India captain Kapil Dev, who continued playing international cricket into his late 30s, remaining fit till the end. “Would you put it beyond anyone if a guy is performing and the guy who has never had fitness problems in his entire career? For me, he (Dhoni) is like Kapil Dev. Kaps never had a problem right through his career.”