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Brendon McCullum has strongly resisted claims that New Zealand have gone into the series against England with a mindset of trying to avoid defeat rather than aiming for victory

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington18-Mar-2013Brendon McCullum has strongly resisted claims that New Zealand have gone into the series against England with a mindset of trying to avoid defeat rather than aiming for victory. Their previous Test series had been a torrid affair in South Africa, where the top order understandably failed to cope with the No. 1 bowling attack in the world, but he insisted there was no hangover from that contest.The nature of the two Tests support McCullum’s stance; they set the pace in Dunedin, scoring at nearly four-an-over in their innings as they tried to make up for lost time and never stopped trying to dismiss England for a second time over the final two days. Their approach to this Test in Wellington was dictated by a poor first day, which left them trying to make up ground and they fought back on the second, but once England reached 465 they had to set their stall out to save the match.”If you’ve seen the way we’ve played in the last two Tests we’ve been reasonably proactive,” McCullum said. “We go into every game trying to win, it’s not about hanging on for a draw. We see it as a great opportunity to clinch a series win against England, which is something we’d all hold very fondly.”McCullum also defended the Test pitches and hopes the surface in Auckland is similar to those served up during the series so far. He is adamant that it has been the weather, rather than the nature of the 22 yards, which has led to two stalemates and set up a deciding match later in the week.It has been hard work for the bowlers on both sides during the series, but there has been success for some to enjoy notably Neil Wagner in Dunedin and Stuart Broad in Wellington. McCullum made a pointed reference to David Saker’s comments about the pitches not being ideal for Test cricket on Sunday, but is more than pleased with the conditions he has been given.”I’ve read and heard a lot about our pitches being too flat. It seems to be bowling coaches who have an issue with them. It’s always going to be the way,” he said. “If you look at the first Test we lost a whole day to rain and there would have been a result in that game and in this Test as well we’ve lost a day and a half to rain and it would have been interestingly poised. There would probably have been a result, too.”It’s not three or four-day Tests, it’s five-day grinding wickets were you have to work incredible hard for your fruits but I don’t see anything wrong with our wickets and they have certainly allowed both teams periods of dominance. For me, I’d like a wicket similar to these last two [in Auckland].”Alastair Cook maintained England’s view they would like more bounce from the pitches. “In an ideal world, we would,” he said. “It makes for slightly more exciting cricket certainly. Whichever wicket we get, we’ve got to try to find the best way of winning the game.”Even if there is more life on offer at Eden Park – which will use a drop-in surface and will host a Test just days after the latest rugby game at the ground – McCullum has seen enough of his batsmen that he is convinced they can adapt to the challenge.”If it is a bit bouncier than we’ve seen in this one, and especially in Dunedin, we’ll have to come up with a strategy to overcome it and I’m confident that the guys are treading in the right direction. We’ll see how we respond,” he said. “It’s been a good series for us so far, we are learning a bit about ourselves and were we are at. We have made some improvements from previous series but we know the third Test is what we will be decided on.”He also backed his decision to bowl by saying, as Tim Southee did during the match, that the bowlers did not make the most of conditions. “Certainly no regrets in this game,” he said. “If you do that you won’t be able to get out of bed each morning. It was about the best way to win this Test, which was to get some favourable conditions on day one. Even though the Test didn’t last five days we didn’t see the wicket breaking up. I don’t think it’s too bad a strategy for playing Test cricket in New Zealand.”McCullum suggested that he favours an unchanged team for the final Test – his pace bowlers have had a decent break after England enforced the follow-on followed by the rain – although he will wait to see how Doug Bracewell comes through his domestic one-day outing on Wednesday, where he will test his injured foot, before making a clearer plan over how he will attack the final Test.

MS Dhoni has defended the rotation policy between the three senior India openers in the triangular series, which may suggest that Gautam Gambhir might be rested for the next game despite consecutive scores in the 90s from him

Sidharth Monga15-Feb-2012MS Dhoni has defended the rotation policy between the three senior India openers in the triangular series, which may suggest that Gautam Gambhir might be rested for the next game despite consecutive scores in the 90s from him. After India tied their fourth match of the tournament, against Sri Lanka, Dhoni was asked if it made a lot of sense resting a batsman who had hit form. Dhoni’s argument remained that the youngsters should keep getting more chances.”What we want is, all the players should be fit by the time we come into the finals,” Dhoni said. “All of them should be scoring runs by that time. It’s a good exposure. Rohit [Sharma] is a very talented guy. Manoj Tiwary is on the bench. He scored in the last series that he played, so we are giving ample chances to them because these are players who, for sure, will come back to Australia once we play the next World Cup. There is no surety that some of us who are playing [will return], Sachin [Tendulkar] or Viru [Virender Sehwag] or even Gautam, all of us are 30-plus, and it’s big out-fields out here. So it’s about giving the youngsters a fair exposure as to how difficult it is or how easy it is, or how different it is to play here.”How difficult is it to rest a batsman who has scored 92 and 91 in his previous two outings? “As I said, what’s important is to get everybody going,” Dhoni said. “What may also happen is the guy who is playing all the games may get injured by the finals, and you will find someone coming in his place who has not played many games and not scored runs.”It’s a long tournament. It’s four games against each opposition before the finals. The first series that I played was three games against Bangladesh, so this is equivalent to three series and then the finals. It’s a very demanding tournament, in the sense that the out-fields are very big, the batsmen put pressure on you, you can get injured at any time. If you are looking to save that one run and you are in a bad position to throw, you may get injured. We want all the guys to be fit, and at the same time for the youngsters to get exposure by the start of the finals… if we reach the finals.”Moreover, Dhoni said, India could afford to experiment a bit now that they have had a decent start to the tournament, winning two and tying one of their first four matches. “The interest of the team comes first,” he said. “This is the time when we can really look to do that [experiment], because if were in a bad shape by the end of the fourth game, it would have been fair to say we wouldn’t really be in a position to give that chance to the other players. And we would have had to be careful.”Now we are in a position where we can do that. It’s good to see Gautam scoring runs. We want to see Viru get runs and Sachin also to get runs so that the best XI comes and plays the finals.”Dhoni was full of praise for Gambhir. “It [his coming into form] is really good because once he gets going he comes out with a big score, and he looks to play more than 35 to 40 overs, it allows the other batsmen to come in and play a bit freely. Of course the difficulty is, we have been chasing so you can’t always express yourself.”It’s good to have someone like Gautam in the side. Plays the spinners really well, and he runs well between the wickets well. It gives the team a chance to come back just in case a couple of batsmen make mistakes in the middle of the innings, because you have someone who is on one side going through with his innings.”After the previous game against Australia, though, which India won in the 50th over, Gambhir had said that India should have finished it off around the 48th over. It was Dhoni who had delayed the final assault, cutting it too tight before finishing it off in typical style. At the toss of the next game, against Sri Lanka, Dhoni said that if a batsman scores about 50 he should make sure he finishes the game off. Dhoni was asked if everything was fine between him and Gambhir.”There is nothing [uneasy between us],” Dhoni said. “It’s different when you are playing in the middle. If you see his innings today, he also found it difficult to rotate the strike consistently, and once you are in that situation it is very difficult to play a big shot. You can easily play big shots, but the difference is it always has to pay off. If it doesn’t, what do you say?”So I am never in a hurry to finish it in the 48th over or 47th over. Even if it goes to the 49th or 50th over, I am quite happy. [Since I bat down the order] I don’t have the luxury of batsmen behind me. If I go in to bat, I like to finish the job. It’s different with different people. Some people like to finish the game early, take a bit more risk in the middle and finish off the game, but I have a different perspective about it.”It’s a very individual thing. There’s nothing wrong. If you ask Viru [Sehwag], he would have said ‘why not 25 overs?'”

Australia were given further injury headaches ahead of the World Cup after Nathan Hauritz suffered a dislocated shoulder and Shaun Tait limped out of the attack

Andrew McGlashan at Bellerive Oval21-Jan-2011Australia were given further injury headaches ahead of the World Cup after Nathan Hauritz suffered a dislocated shoulder and Shaun Tait limped out of the attack during the second one-day international against England at Hobart.Hauritz’s injury is the more serious of the two and he went straight to hospital after being helped off the outfield in clear pain following a dive to stop the ball. He will have further scans in the morning and is unlikely to take any further part in the one-day series so it could mean a hasty reprieve for Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner, who missed out on the World Cup squad.Tait, meanwhile, went off five balls into his sixth over with a thigh strain that will be scanned on Saturday before any further decisions are made. The injuries add to the problems surrounding the Australia squad despite them now being 2-0 up against England after their 46-run victory. Mike Hussey is recovering from a serious hamstring injury which required surgery earlier this week and Ricky Ponting is yet to return from the broken finger he collected during the Ashes.However, with the start of the tournament on the subcontinent still a month away Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, was hopeful that both Hauritz and Tait would be fit to take their place in the 15-man unit.”We’re confident that they’ll both be alright for the World Cup,” Clarke said. “It is a setback though because you want to keep playing as much cricket as you can and get as much form under your belt as possible. Anytime anyone gets injured it’s a loss. They are disappointed personally, especially someone like Haury who has had to go back to first-class cricket where he’s been playing really well.”For this to happen now, I feel for him. Hopefully he’ll be right for the World Cup – he’ll play a big part in that.”Despite the injury blows this match continued Australia’s upward curve since the end of the Ashes. They took a share of a closely fought Twenty20 series and have now taken a significant early advantage in this seven-match contest, despite twice being in trouble with the bat on 4 for 33 and 8 for 142.They were led to a defendable total by Shaun Marsh’s 110 in his first innings as cover for Hussey, having been left out of the World Cup squad. He added an Australian-record 88 for the ninth wicket with renowned tail-end rabbit Doug Bollinger, who then made up for the late absence of Hauritz and Tait with 4 for 28.Given the batting woes the hosts have suffered this season Marsh can consider himself unfortunate not be a regular selection. “It shows we’ve got a lot of talent,” Clarke said. “What’s most pleasing for me is when you see someone come in like Shaun and get hold of his opportunity. That continues to show the depth in first-class cricket in Australia.”I know that’s been questioned this summer but I have 100 per cent belief that there is a lot of talent and good players out there. They’re just looking for an opportunity and Shaun showed that tonight. We gave him his chance and he’s grabbed it with both hands. He continues to do it at the international level,” Clarke added. “He’s performed opening the batting for Australia and he’s had success down the bottom of the order.”He’s come into this game in good form, scoring runs for Western Australia and it’s as good an innings as I’ve seen, under pressure and losing wickets around him. He really stood up today.”

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendan McCullum for his amazing century

The Bulletin by Peter English28-Feb-2010New Zealand 214 for 6 (McCullum 116*) tied with Australia 214 for 4 (Clarke 67, White 64*). New Zealand won after Super Over

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
McScoop Master: Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 116 included bouts of brave brilliance•Getty Images

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendon McCullum for his amazing century. McCullum became the second-highest scorer in a Twenty20 international with an unbeaten 116, but after Michael Clarke and Cameron White exploded in the reply the scores were tied at 214 after 40 overs.A six-ball tiebreaker was required and the calm Tim Southee delivered another tight over to allow only six runs for White, David Warner and Brad Haddin. Shaun Tait’s waywardness, including two wides, assisted the locals and Martin Guptill finished the game with a four over point from the third legitimate delivery.The hosts were upset by a meek performance in Friday’s one-sided defeat, but McCullum showed his might with an unforgettable 56-ball demolition on a small ground that was rocking at the start and the end. Things were much quieter as Clarke organised the chase with 67 from 45 and White provided some much-needed muscle with 64 off 26 in a pursuit that was almost perfectly timed. However, Clarke and White could only scurry two from the final ball when three were required, with Clarke run out well short of his ground.Needing two off almost every delivery throughout the second innings, the Australians managed to stay on track after Warner departed for a McCullum-style 20 off 10. Haddin (47 off 37) and Clarke, who was travelling much quicker than his usual pace, were able to stay close to the rate so they required 125 from the final 60 balls.James Franklin slowed things down briefly with the wickets of Haddin and David Hussey (10) before White’s brute force arrived. White warmed up with a six over cover off Daniel Vettori, then caressed an inside-out clearance in the same area and was dropped on the boundary attempting a third.He then powered two fours and a six off Franklin before flicking Shane Bond into the spectators at square leg. The 13 that came from Bond’s final over left Australia wanting 36 off 18 deliveries, but the first of three magically controlled Southee efforts made it 30 from 12.White survived a run-out and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee’s final over the bowler showed the maturity of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.And he proved it wasn’t a fluke by doing it again in the Super Over. The result levelled the series and delivered Australia their first loss of their summer while setting up an intriguing five-match one-day contest beginning on Wednesday.Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum’s fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche. They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side’s highest total.His hundred came up in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. It was achieved with a single to deep cover, at which point the batsman ripped off his helmet to take in the applause, but he was not finished and carried his bat. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs on an afternoon that stunned everyone.The big crowd of 26,148 was sprinkled by McCullum’s eight sixes and he backed up with a dozen fours during the barrage. Four of the boundaries came with “McScoops” past or over the wicketkeeper, but that was nothing compared to the two sixes he managed to shovel behind himself off Tait. It was brave and brutal – one of the clearances off Tait came from a 155kph thunderbolt.McCullum proved he wouldn’t be intimidated by Australia’s quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait (2 for 40) and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the out-classed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.In the second over McCullum planted a six through cover off Dirk Nannes’ opening delivery, was almost caught next ball top edging a pull, and quickly flicked him to fine leg for a boundary. The new-ball bowlers couldn’t match Friday’s performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.McCullum ended up on his back after his first attempt to scoop Nannes over the wicketkeeper, but he managed it the second time, with the ball just missing Haddin on the way to the boundary. He followed up by unleashing a huge six to midwicket to show he could mix the unorthodox and the traditional. Nannes returned for the 16th over and McCullum enjoyed swinging him twice into the stands on the legside as the bowler went for 51 off four.After losing the strike in the middle stages when some of his team-mates disappeared, McCullum focused by blasting a fierce straight four off Steven Smith and brought up his half-century in the same over when he pulled to midwicket. He dusted off the scoop to surprise Daniel Christian and then pulled him for six behind square – 57 of his runs came in that segment.Gareth Hopkins (36 off 17) was the perfect ally for McCullum as they put on 68 in five overs to regain their explosive momentum. McCullum kept going till the end and had a chance to seal the game in the Super Over, but he was as happy as every other local when Guptill squared the series.

Sussex prevail thanks to Clark 82 as elimination creeps up on hosts

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Sussex 277 for 9 (Clark 82, Hannon-Dalby 3-53) beat Warwickshire 258 (Barnard 82, Davies 74, Lenham 5-48) by 21 runs (D/L)Warwickshire suffered Metro Bank One-Day Cup heartbreak after a 21-run (D/L) home defeat to Sussex caused qualification to slip through their fingers.In a match reduced to 48 overs per side, Sussex totalled 277 for nine with only Tom Clark (82 from 77 balls) building an innings beyond the cameo stage. Olly Hannon-Dalby’s three for 53 was well-supported by the spinners who shared five wickets.Warwickshire’s D/L target was adjusted to 280 from 48 overs and they were bowled out for 258 in 45.1 overs. Ed Barnard struck 82 (75) and Alex Davies (74, 90) but Archie Lenham took his maiden List A five-for – five for 48 – as the middle and lower order imploded.That left Warwickshire’s players clinging to the hope of Middlesex losing to Lancashire – but half an hour later those hopes were extinguished as Middlesex snuck home by one wicket at Old Trafford.Sussex chose to bat and soon lost Henry Rogers, caught by a diving Hamza Shaikh at extra cover off Hannon-Dalby, but Clark sped to a 45-ball half-century. After a short rain break, Daniel Ibrahim tickled a potential leg side wide from Rob Yates to wicketkeeper Kai Smith.The fluent Clark was 18 short of emulating his championship century at Edgbaston in April when he lifted Tazeem Ali to deep mid-wicket. Batters throughout the tournament have learned that you attack the young leg-spinner at your peril – Tom Alsop joined the list when his top-edged slog landed in the hands of mid on.John Simpson fell lbw, sweeping at Jake Lintott and as the innings stalled against the spinners, it needed late impetus. Danny Lamb provided some with a run-a-ball 42 before reverse-sweeping Lintott to deep point. Bertie Foreman (30, 33) lifted the total over 250 but, on a good batting pitch, Sussex appeared around 27 under par.Warwickshire quickly lost Yates, who sliced a wide Sean Hunt half-volley to point. Zen Malik assured a brisk start with 27 from 25 balls but then hoisted Clark to long leg.Barnard and Davies shifted the game their side’s way with a stand of 107 in 99 balls. Barnard was imperious, deploying sparkling footwork to the spinners, but his departure, caught at extra cover off Troy Henry, triggered a collapse.Although out of the qualification picture, Sussex back fought back with great heart. Foreman ousted Shaikh, who reverse-swept to short third, and Lenham removed Davies, caught at extra, and Vansh Jani, bowled cutting, with successive balls.Lintott swept Lenham to deep mid-wicket, Kai Smith played on and when Adam Sylvester edged to slip, Vaughan had his five for. When Hannon-Dalby swung and missed at Henry Crocombe, the Bears were left hoping for a Middlesex defeat. They hoped in vain.

The Australia captain says he’s never seen Smith as energetic as he has been since his opening role was confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2024Australia captain Pat Cummins has been in contact with Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris to reassure them that they remain firmly in Test consideration despite being overlooked following David Warner’s retirement.With Steven Smith promoted to open, Cameron Green returning at No. 4 against West Indies in Adelaide, and Matt Renshaw selected as the reserve batter, the other two specialist openers remain on the outer.Bancroft was the leading Sheffield Shield run-scorer last season and is in the same spot midway through the latest campaign, while Harris holds a central contract and was the reserve batter on the Ashes tour last year.Related

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“Obviously private phone calls, but no real surprises,” Cummins said in Adelaide. “We love what they both are doing in first-class cricket. We love what they bring to any side they’re playing in. They’re doing all the right things. Unfortunately, they both just missed out on this one. So [the] message was ‘don’t change’.”In international cricket, there’s always injuries or these guys [the incumbents] aren’t going to be around forever. Marcus and Cam are still relatively young, as is Renners. So once that opening comes up at some point, any one of them we’re confident can jump straight in and do a really good job.”When Cummins was asked after the Sydney Test about replacing Warner, he appeared lukewarm to the idea of a batting-order reshuffle but has now said that once the option of Smith had been seriously considered, it made a lot of sense by allowing Green back at a more natural position for him.Smith has spoken of not enjoying the wait to bat from No. 4 and while he hasn’t specifically addressed whether the move will lengthen his Test career, he has committed to the shift not being a short-term solution. At training, Cummins has already noticed a difference.”Seeing someone who’s basically achieved everything in the game get really excited for a new challenge, you’ve got to entertain that,” he said. “You can already see his mind whirring about how he’s maybe going to go about it a bit differently.”I’ve never seen him as happy and as energetic as I’ve seen him around the nets the last couple of days. He can’t wait to get out there. Also think the new ball, maybe [there will be] a few more scoring options. It’s something that excites him. So that makes sense and getting Greeny a spot where we think he is set up to succeed.”The retirement of Warner and Green’s return will also see a reshuffle in the cordon with Usman Khawaja taking up first slip, followed by Smith and Mitchell Marsh, with Green in the gully where he has already made a considerable impression with a string of spectacular catches.Green also provides Cummins with another frontline bowling option, meaning he effectively has a six-man attack plus the offspin of Travis Head.

Lewis Goldsworthy may scarcely rest easier on 93 not out with Somerset nine down

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Sep-2022Would you rather be waiting overnight on a hat-trick or a hundred?The answer here at Canterbury was surely the former. Because Nathan Gilchrist, previously of Somerset, already has five wickets against his old team. In doing so, he has helped reduce them to 195 for 9. In Kent’s battle against relegation, the three bowling points go some way to preserving their Division One status for 2023.Confirming that is more important than the feats of an individual, even if this was Gilchrist’s first five-wicket haul of the season – and second overall in a first-class career that only began after making the shift across the south in 2020. One imagines the 22-year-old won’t mind all that much if Jack Brooks keeps him out first thing on Tuesday morning provided he’s seen off sharpish.Lewis Goldsworthy, 93 not out, is the other side of this hypothetical coin. The standout piece of resistance in a Somerset line-up who were undone by a relentlessly straight approach, with all nine dismissals hitting stumps, front pads or hands behind the wicket. The 21-year-old was not totally immune, edging behind but surviving with just five to his name. But this was an innings of learning from that misstep rather than riding luck. On another surface he might have been tested with some short stuff, but he answered all further questions posed to him, and few would begrudge a second career century. The county’s young player of the year in 2021 has grown into a reliable presence with red and white ball in 2022.Somerset had guaranteed their safety with victory over Northamptonshire last week. Kent, even after their surprise victory over Hampshire, still had that little bit more to do. A 14-point gap between them and ninth-placed Warwickshire meant a degree of comfort coming into a fixture that a month ago looked like being a “48-pointer”. Kent were also reinforced by Zak Crawley, returning to competitive action following a match- and series-winning 69 not out against South Africa at the Oval, along with Joe Denly who missed the Hampshire win to attend the birth of his third child. A freak injury to Ben Compton, who fell at home fetching a glass of water and hurt his side, ruled him out and means his season ends on an impressive 1,193 runs, four hundreds and an average of 54.22.Overnight and early rain meant play only began at 12pm in Canterbury – an hour and a half late. It was greeted with more apathy than up at Edgbaston where the hosts, needing to force a full-points win, only began their day one at 2:15pm.The maths was straightforward: 11 points would guarantee safety even if Warwickshire managed the unlikely, which equates to a draw and three bonus points. The latter was achieved with what turned out to be the final ball of the day when Gilchrist removed Sajid Khan lbw. They had their first within 28 minutes of play.Skipper Jack Leaning, who lost the toss with counterpart Tom Abell choosing to bat first, was involved in the opening dismissals. Sharp catches at second slip helped dismiss Tom Lammonby from the fourth ball of the match – delivered by Matthew Quinn – and then Abell himself off Gilchrist. When Andrew Umeed, making his first class debut for Somerset after Pakistan international Imam-Ul-Haq returned home, was trapped in front by Quinn, Somerset were reeling on 9 for 3.A fourth should have come sooner, but Ollie Robinson, off to Durham at the end of the summer, shelled a tough low chance to give Goldsworthy his life. When it did arrive – George Bartlett, six balls after the lunch break – Robinson claimed a simpler chance to make it up to Gilchrist. By then, however, Barlett had given a bit back with an engaging 28 from 30 deliveries: proactive beyond four boundaries, walking at bowlers early on, including when pulling Joey Evison for a six into the light blue seats under one of the floodlights at midwicket.Goldsworthy, who was 12 off 24 at the time, was clearly roused by his partner’s pluck, driving imperiously in the middle session as further inroads were made at the other end. Connor McKerr, on loan from Surrey, had left-hander James Rew caught smartly by Daniel Bell-Drummond tumbling to his right at third slip before Quinn nipped one through Ben Green to make it 116 for 6.Then, finally, Goldsworthy had some meaningful support in the form of Craig Overton. Quite apart from the ball being older than 40 overs old – the point when this Dukes stops playing ball – their 112-ball partnership for the seventh wicket brought 79 runs with minimal fuss. There was diligence ensuring the score was ticking over without missing out on anything slightly awry, particularly as Goldsworthy’s area for driving expanded with his confidence.The half-century came from 97 deliveries and featured seven fours, and that boundary count doubled in the space of 38 before finishing with 149 balls to his name after playing out a maiden in the penultimate over of the day and watching the late carnage from the sanctity of the nonstriker’s end.Kasey Aldridge, who played out six dots from Gilchrist, was caught behind before Khan came and went for a first-ball duck. No. 11 Brooks did make the fateful walk out to the middle to face the hat-trick ball only to be spared any immediate blushes when drops of rain fell from those clouds that had created a gloom that would have brought out the light meters.Brooks will have to do the walk again tomorrow, with Goldsworthy at the other end perhaps focusing more on his partner seeing out the over than the seven runs he has left to get.

New structure diminishes representation and power of Members’ Council, body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2021CSA has ushered in a new, majority independent board to bring an end to the tenure of the ministerially appointed interim board, which has been in charge since November last year. The new board comprises eight independent directors and five non-independents – who were chosen from the provincial presidents that sit on the members’ council – but a chair has yet to be confirmed.The other independent directors are former CSA president Norman Arendse, former convener of selectors Andrew Hudson, advocate Steven Budlender SC, Lawson Naidoo, the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Dugmore Lushaba, who has experience on several boards, marketing and communications expert Andisa Ntsubane, former Multichoice (sub-Saharan African video entertainment company) CEO Mark Rayner, and Muditambi Ravele, a sports administrator previously involved in boxing, netball and tennis. Daniel Govender of Kwa-Zulu Natal, John Mogodi of Limpopo Province, Craig Nel of the Mpumalanga Cricket Union, Tebogo Siko of Northerns and Simphiwe Ndzundzu of Border make up the non-independent directors. CSA’s acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki and acting CFO Christelle Janse van Rensburg make up the last two positions on the 14-member board, which will serve till September, when CSA is due to hold its scheduled AGM.The new structure diminishes the representation and power of the members’ council, the 14-member body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade. However, the CSA president and vice-president, largely ceremonial roles and individuals who will not sit on the new board, were chosen from the members’ council. Rihan Richards, who has been acting president of the council throughout the interim board’s tenure, was elected president and Donovan May, from Eastern Province, his deputy.CSA also reported a loss of Rand 250 million (US$ 17.8 million) in the 2020-2021 financial year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and tour cancellations. England left South Africa last December after playing three T20Is but the three ODIs did not go ahead as scheduled after breaches of the bio-secure environment. Australia, who were scheduled to play two Tests in South Africa in March, did not tour at all. South Africa were also hopeful of hosting India for three T20Is last August, which did not happen. Those matches are due to take place in India in September this year, ahead of the T20 World Cup, but that might depend on the schedule for the resumption of the IPL. However, CSA is hopeful of a full summer schedule this year, which should see India visit for three Tests over the festive period.Perhaps more importantly, CSA can look forward to a more stable period of governance with the new board adopting a memorandum of incorporation, which guarantees the independent component of the board and chair.”It is highly appropriate that we have reached this historic moment in the transformation of our governance model as we prepared to celebrate the 30th birthday of Cricket South Africa (CSA) or the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) as it was originally known in just over two weeks’ time,” outgoing interim board chair Stavros Nicolaou said. “Our new Memorandum of Incorporation is a document we can all embrace with pride as it puts us in a position to execute the best governance practices that will make CSA able to stand comparison with any other sporting organisation around the globe. It is a world-class document.”Among the new board’s most pressing tasks will be to oversee the conclusion of former acting CEO Kugandrie Govender’s disciplinary proceedings and to advertise for and appoint a permanent CEO. CSA have not had a permanent CEO since Thabang Moroe was suspended in December 2019. They are on their third acting CEO since.

Team set to unleash both wristspinners – Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan – on West Indies

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Feb-2020On Wednesday, ahead of his first ODI series as Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur spoke about players being handed down well-defined roles within the team. On Friday, on the eve of the first one-dayer against West Indies, he went into a little more detail about what those roles were.Unsurprisingly, the two wristspinners in the squad – legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga and left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan – will be expected to make breakthroughs through the middle overs. Sri Lanka were one of the few teams without a reliable wristspinner during last year’s ODI World Cup. With a T20 World Cup later this year, the team is looking to fill that void.”The key to the wristspiners, and to playing both of them together, is genuine wicket-taking options for us through the middle,” Arthur said. “That is the key, and that’s what wins you white-ball cricket games now. We want to play that brand of cricket. We are looking to attack and looking to take wickets. I think that’s the future for this team. I think in terms of our preparation, that’s been the message. The message has been around attacking. We don’t want to play defensive cricket anymore. That will be reflected in our selection. If the two wristspinners can do the job for us tomorrow, that will be fantastic, because they will take wickets.”Wanindu is a fantastic cricketer. The way he bowls – the control of his length has been amazing. I’ve really marveled at watching him go about his business. That, coupled with his batting ability, and his fielding, he’s making a real name for himself. Sandakan, obviously, has been around the system a lot longer.”Wanindu Hasaranga is overjoyed after picking a wicket•BCCI

On the batting front, Sri Lanka have a clear idea who their top six is. Each of those players has a specific job.”The thing about our batting is that there is a license at the top of the order,” Arthur said. “You’ve got Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando at the top of the order – dynamic. Kusal Perera will bat three. Avishka will open with Dimuth Karunaratne. They will have a licence to get us away in that Powerplay period. And 4, 5, 6 is Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva. Those are the guys who we want to control those overs 11-40. And then hopefully, we’ll have the likes of one of them, a Thisara Perera and a Wanindu, to finish it. If we script the perfect game, that’s how it would work out. We know it doesn’t always happen.”Where fitness and fielding have been major areas of concern for Sri Lanka over the past two years, Arthur also suggested there has been substantial improvement on both fronts.”I was watching us go through our fielding yesterday. Our fielding has improved massively. That’s testimony to the players and their attitudes. They’ve bought into where we want to go. And the coaching from Shane McDermott around that has been fantastic. We’ve been big on the split step. We’ve been big on trigger movements on the field, just to trigger the guys into action. To see the whole field moving is a massive improvement on where we were when we went to India with that T20 side [in January].”If you are fitter you can field better and move better. Your ability and speed to get to the ball is much better.”

Hurricanes survived a late cameo from Ben Cutting to start their campaign in style

The Report by Tristan Lavalette22-Dec-2018Thanks to a disciplined bowling effort, Hobart Hurricanes survived late heroics from Ben Cutting to start their campaign in style against winless Brisbane Heat in the first-ever BBL match at Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast. Earlier, D’Arcy Short smashed a 52-ball 67, laden with four fours and four sixes, to take Hurricanes to 159 for 6.In a rain-abbreviated 19 overs-a-side contest, last year’s runners-up overcame a flurry from Cutting, who smashed a 32-ball 58 to almost single-handedly deliver Heat’s first victory after their opening loss to Adelaide Strikers. But James Faulkner and Jofra Archer’s tight bowling in the last two overs – where four Heat wickets fell – made sure Short’s efforts didn’t go in vain.Chasing 160, Heat lost Brendon McCullum early to a run-out, and were 5 for 93 when Chris Lynn fell for 29, before Cutting counterattacked to ensure a tight finish.It was a disappointing result for Heat after offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman endorsed Lynn’s decision to bowl with early wickets of Matthew Wade and Alex Doolan, but Short’s heroics ensured Hurricanes recovered with a competitive total.Inclement weather strikes Gold Coast againA hailstorm lashed the ground just an hour before play and there were fears of a washout. Wise locals, however, predicted it would pass over and that proved accurate with the match starting only 15 minutes past schedule, as the ground’s lauded draining system ensured the outfield dried sufficiently.There was much excitement when it was announced Gold Coast would host elite cricket this season, but it has been a rain-marred initiation with the T20I between Australia and South Africa last month reduced to a 10 overs-a-side encounter.It has been a contrast to Gold Coast’s sunny connotations, but perhaps a more accurate snapshot of Queensland’s fickle pre-Christmas weather.Mysterious Mujeeb showcases his bag of tricks There has been much intrigue over 17-year-old offspinner Mujeeb, who has already played all three formats for Afghanistan and showcased his precocious talent in the Indian Premier League.In his BBL debut against Strikers, Mujeeb surprisingly dazzled with the bat but was wicketless with the ball. Against Hurricanes, Mujeeb quickly found the mark after coming into bowl in the second over and immediately troubled Wade with quick deliveries zipping off the pitch.He got his man in the fourth over with a carrom ball that cramped Wade to pick up his first BBL wicket. Mujeeb did not have to wait long for his second with a cracker of a delivery to snare Doolan in the sixth over.After being hit for a boundary, Mujeeb impressively struck back with a slower delivery to bamboozle Doolan with a wrong ‘un that crashed into the stumps. He finished with figures of 2 for 23 – including 13 dot balls – from 4 overs, and possessed the variety and control befitting a veteran.Big-hitting Short’s controlled aggression Much of Hurricanes’ success last season was attributed to Short, who was the deserved Player-of-the-Tournament with 572 runs to leapfrog into Australia’s limited-overs teams. He continued his BBL love affair with a knock that included trademark belligerence but in a notably more measured manner.On a sluggish pitch, Short was watchful early and endured the ignominy of being struck in the groin area by a sharp Josh Lalor delivery. Shortly after, he came alive by crunching a Lalor slower ball over mid-on for six, elegantly holding his shape, followed by smashing a boundary through the leg-side.His most visceral blow was a baseball-style club over mid-on and into the crowd off Mark Steketee to make the most of Powerplay by scoring 30 runs off 19 runs. Short took a liking to legspinner Mitchell Swepson with consecutive sixes in the 13th over but it was his controlled aggression that spoke of a more mature approach, which should please the national selectors.His brisk 59-run partnership with Ben McDermott dominated Hurricanes’ innings, with late hitting from George Bailey and Simon Milenko giving them a boost after Short’s dismissal in the 15th over.Cutting’s heroics in vainThere has been much hype over Heat’s firepower but once again the batting order failed to deliver. They endured a disastrous start when McCullum and Max Bryant were involved in a mix-up resulting in the former captain being run-out in the first ball of the second over.Bryant shrugged off the calamity by smashing 18 runs off the next five balls with an array of clean striking to underline his innate power. His brisk 15-ball 30 ended through a spectacular diving catch from Riley Meredith leaving the pressure on Lynn and Cutting.Lynn played against type in a determined bid to bat through the innings but was unable to get going against accurate Hurricanes bowling. He fell for a sedate 29 off 37 balls in the 14th over to effectively crash the home side’s hopes despite the best efforts of Cutting, who posted his first BBL half-century.