Abbott follows first-innings 9-40 with 8-46 to deliver Hampshire a 136-run win over Somerset

Matt Roller at the Ageas Bowl18-Sep-2019Hampshire 196 (Dawson 103) and 226 (Vince 142) beat Somerset 142 (Abbott 9-40) and 144 (Davies 51, Abbott 8-46) by 136 runsFor the second day in a row, Kyle Abbott caused a major dent in Somerset’s title ambitions by running through their top, middle, and lower order to finish with 17 wickets in the match.Abbott’s 17 for 86 amounted to the best first-class match figures since Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in the fourth Test of the 1956 Ashes.After a wicketless five-over opening burst, Abbott ripped the heart out of Somerset’s side in his second spell, getting the ball to reverse as he took six wickets in as many overs, pegging them back from 86 without loss to 100 for 7 in pursuit of 281. He returned to take two more wickets in his third spell, finishing the game by rearranging last man Josh Davey’s stumps to end with the fourth-best analysis in County Championship history, and the best-ever by a Hampshire bowler in any game.For Somerset, it means that with Essex winning at Chelmsford against Surrey, they must beat the division’s new leaders at Taunton next week if they are to seal a maiden Championship title.Also read: Surrey can’t stay out of Harmer’s wayClutching as many bottles of beer as he could fit in his hands, Abbott sat out in the middle with his team-mates as the sun set over the Ageas Bowl and tweeted: “@EssexCricket You Welcome….”Abbott had suggested on the game’s second evening that the chance to “spoil Somerset’s party” had acted as a source of motivation, and that much was evident in his fiery spells.”Especially once the captain and Hildreth went, we put a lot of pressure on that middle order,” he told ESPNcricinfo today. “There were a couple of youngsters in there, and even a couple of the senior players – we let them know that if they mess up, it’s gone. There’s a lot of pressure on winning this Championship.”And if he needed a further carrot, it was clear that the sight of them lifting the Royal London Cup at Lord’s in May had offered one. “They celebrated against us at that final,” he said, “so we wanted to give them some hard work for next week against Essex.”There are one or two teams around the country that set up for the way I like to bowl. I suppose they’re one.” It was quite the understatement; Abbott now has 35 wickets in his past six innings against Somerset, with a staggering average of 8.51. His career average in first-class cricket has dipped under 21 after his latest effort.Kyle Abbott celebrates the wicket of Craig Overton•Getty Images

Signing a Kolpak deal in 2017 made plenty of sense for him and his family, but it should be a source of regret for the wider cricketing community that this great bowler will never again play internationally.”From the first innings, with the new ball nipping, to now when it got flat – it was two different skillsets, with the reverse-swinging ball. I’m pretty happy to know that my skills are up to scratch, and whatever the conditions, I can take some wickets,” he reflected.It had briefly seemed as though Somerset had a reasonable chance of chasing their target, with the pitch flattening out and drying under the baking sun, and their 86 was comfortably the highest opening partnership of the match.But the procession started in tame fashion after lunch, as Murali Vijay skewed a pull shot to wide mid-on. As the ball began to reverse, their middle-order’s shortcomings were exposed. Tom Abell was taken by surprise by a ball that got up well off the pitch, before Tom Banton and George Bartlett were lbw playing across the line to successive inswingers.Steven Davies – who held the key after starting brightly on his way to 51 – edged behind to one that nipped away, before Dom Bess was trapped leg-before to effectively finish the game as a contest.Craig Overton summoned the spirit of Old Trafford to hang around as Lewis Gregory’s partner for a gritty stand of 40 in 14.2 overs, but fended a catch to slip from a back-of-a-length ball, before Davey was bowled to seal the game.All told, 10 of Abbott’s 17 wickets were bowled or lbw, with four caught behind, and one held at slip, short leg and mid-on respectively. It was a relentless performance, and one that proved too good for Somerset.Kyle Abbott walks off after taking nine wickets•Getty Images

Picking his players up from this disappointment will be the biggest test of Abell’s captaincy to date, but it is a task that he thinks he is up to.”It’s a balance,” he said. “Obviously it’s not good enough, how we’ve performed, and today in particular. I think it was a relatively good wicket, and we haven’t put up enough of a fight.”Equally, we want to be in as positive a frame of mind as we can be for next week. We all know we need to be better. I don’t think we’ll need too much picking up – there’s so much on the line and we’re all aware of what’s at stake. Ultimately, we’ve got to perform, and we’ve got to beat Essex.”The elephant in the room for the Championship decider is that the forecast is poor for the first few days of the game, meaning that Somerset may have to force a result in double-quick time.Outgoing groundsman Simon Lee – who ironically takes over at the Ageas Bowl next season – has always been willing to sacrifice his own reputation for the good of the side when necessary. While they will be conscious of the fact Essex have Simon Harmer in their ranks, the return of Jack Leach from England duty may tempt them to prepare a turning track.”We’ll look at our squad and try and produce a wicket that best fits that,” said Abell. “Leachy’s had a fantastic summer, and he’s a world-class spin bowler, so hopefully he’ll have a big role to play.”For the time being, though, it will feel like a long bus ride home to Taunton, with the lingering memories of Abbott’s remarkable haul to consider.

These changes in the rankings come following Australia’s stellar performances against Sri Lanka in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2019Australia left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen is back at the top of the ODI bowling rankings, replacing her team-mate Megan Schutt, while opener Alyssa Healy has moved one place up to achieve her career-best ranking of No. 3 among the batters. These changes in the ICC rankings come following Australia’s stellar performances against Sri Lanka in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series.Australia’s dominance in ODIs continued with them having won a record 18 consecutive matches as well as 17 of their 18 games in the ICC women’s championship, where they are 10 points ahead of the second-placed England.ALSO READ: Australia’s record streak: Meg Lanning basks in glow of ‘very special’ achievementBoth Jonassen and Healy played an important role in Australia’s whitewash of Sri Lanka in Brisbane. Jonassen picked up six wickets in the series, including a four-wicket haul in the second ODI, which had helped achieve her career-best rating of 758 points. Healy, who scored 189 runs in the series, including an unbeaten 112 in the third ODI also reached a career-best tally of 738 points, having reached the top three for the first time. Rachael Haynes, who scored her maiden ODI century in the series, jumped seven places up to 21st.Sri Lanka’s Chamari Atapattu moved two spots up to No. 12 after her 124-ball 103, which went in vain in the third ODI.

Sledging gave batsman ‘extra personal motivation’ in heroic series-squaring innings

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2019Ben Stokes says that the extraordinary unbeaten hundred with which he carried England to a one-wicket win over Australia at Headingley this summer was inspired by David Warner’s incessant goading from the slip cordon.In a new book, On Fire, which chronicles his remarkable performances throughout the 2019 season, Stokes recalls how Warner set out to distract him during his unbeaten 135 in the third Test, particularly in the early part of the innings on the third evening of the match, when his only objective was to reach stumps with his wicket intact.With England 1-0 down in the series after their opening defeat at Edgbaston, their hopes of regaining the Ashes appeared to be over when they were bowled out for 67 in their first innings at Headingley, before eventually being set a target of 359 to square the series with two to play.And after arriving at the crease in the final hour of the third day, Stokes ground his way to the close on 2 not out from 50 balls in partnership with Joe Root, as England sought to keep their hopes alive.In a book extract published in the Daily Mirror, Stokes noted how Warner had given the impression of being a reformed character after completing his year-long ban for ball-tampering.However, with Warner in the midst of a terrible run of form that would result in him making 95 runs in ten innings, the lowest return by any opener in a five-Test series, Stokes also suggested that he had reverted to type in a bid to bring out the best in himself.”I had extra personal motivation due to some things that were said to me out on the field on the evening of day three when I was trying to get through to stumps,” Stokes wrote. “A few of the Aussies were being quite chirpy, but in particular David Warner seemed to have his heart set on disrupting me.”He just wouldn’t shut up for most of my time out there. I could accept it from just about any other opponent. Truly. Not from him, though.”The changed man he was adamant he’d become, the one that hardly said boo to a goose and even went as far as claiming he had been re-nicknamed ‘Humble’ by his Australia teammates, had disappeared. Maybe his lack of form in his new guise had persuaded him that he needed to get the bull back?”Warner’s solitary Ashes half-century came in the first innings at Headingley, but second-time around, he was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad for a second-ball duck, one of a record-equalling seven dismissals by Broad in the course of the series.”Although he’d enjoyed a prolific World Cup campaign, he had struggled with the bat at the start of the Ashes and was perhaps turning to his old ways to try to get the best out of himself,” Stokes wrote. “The nice-guy act had done nothing for his runs column.”I muttered ‘Bloody Warner’ a few times as I was getting changed. The more time passed, the more it spurred me on. All kinds of ideas of what I might say to him at the end of the game went through my head. In the end, I vowed to do nothing other than shake his hand and say ‘Well done’ if I could manufacture the situation.”You always shake the hands of every member of the opposing team at the end of a match. But this one would give me the greatest sense of satisfaction.”Stokes went on to square the series in remarkable fashion, adding 76 runs for England’s tenth wicket with Jack Leach, who finished on 1 not out. Australia then won the subsequent Test at Old Trafford to retain the Ashes, but England’s win in the final Test at The Oval ensured the first drawn Ashes series since 1972.

‘He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well’

Firdose Moonda14-Dec-2019Graeme Smith, South Africa’s acting director of cricket, has chosen “hardened, experienced” former team-mate Mark Boucher as coach of the men’s national side until the 2023 World Cup. Enoch Nkwe, the interim team director (a term that has now been scrapped), has been appointed Boucher’s assistant for the same period while former convenor of selectors Linda Zondi has been brought back until April 2020 and Ashwell Prince will coach the South African A side.Boucher, Zondi, Nkwe and Test captain Faf du Plessis make up the selection panel for now, whose first task is to choose the squad that will face England in a home series starting on Boxing Day. The squad for the first two Tests will be announced on Monday, before the Mzansi Super League final. A batting and bowling consultant will also be finalised in the coming week.The radical changes to the South African national structure were made in the last four days after Smith accepted the director of cricket position in a temporary capacity on Wednesday. Smith has signed a three-month contract after which he has a commentary stint at the Indian Premier League and confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he would then consider a more permanent deal with CSA.Smith’s appointment comes after more than three months of negotiation, during which time he withdrew his interest before being re-engaged following the suspension of CSA CEO Thabang Moroe. While Smith confirmed he still has “no relationship,” with the under-pressure CSA Board, he explained that the changes in the CSA executive administration played a major part in his accepting the role.”I didn’t have a lot of confidence in the leadership of CSA,” Smith said. “With such an extensive job description, I didn’t feel I could achieve in the role with the leadership that was there at the time. You need a robust CSA to be able to challenge each other, you need trust and you need to have an environment that was ready for that, and I didn’t feel the environment was ready before I took this job.”If I am going to come in, I want to be able to do the best that I can do. I feel that is slightly better now. The opportunity is there. I have got a lot of confidence in Jacques [Faul] as the CEO.”Faul has also been appointed in an interim capacity for the next six months while Moroe undergoes a disciplinary process. With Smith making clear his allegiance, it would appear his future involvement with CSA is tied to Faul’s and will be decided as the summer ends. Similarly, the position of Zondi, whose short-term contract was a result of what Smith called “a budget thing”, will also be up for discussion when the 2019-20 season is over.However, the positions of Boucher and Nkwe are confirmed until after the 2023 World Cup, a decision that aims to provide both expertise and continuity for the national side. “I felt at this stage, the Proteas needed a really hardened, experienced international guy,” Smith said. “I feel that Mark, from a cricket perspective, is very knowledgeable. He is tactically very knowledgeable. We all know what qualities he has as a man as well. I felt those were the decisions best needed for the current Proteas set up.”Smith indicated the long-term plan would be to prepare Nkwe to take over from Boucher in the future. “We have had a couple of chats with Enoch in terms of his pathway going forward and developing him as a high-standing international coach. We feel he has got a lot of qualities that will be very useful to Mark and that will help him progress in international cricket.”Asked whether the demotion of Nkwe, South Africa’s first black African coach, and the appointment of Boucher above him could be seen as a whitewash, Smith disagreed. “My job is to create cricket excellence. I feel I have made the right decision for the Proteas. I think for Enoch’s future as well it is the right appointment. We need to think about managing people sometimes and not just a number,” Smith said. “I am very aware of transformation. I led my the country for 11 years and I had to be very much a part of managing those processes. A number of discussions need to happen behind the scenes but I disagree with the statement [that it’s a whitewash].”Ashwell Prince ‘is full of opinions which we love’ – Graeme Smith•Getty Images

Smith is also still in discussions with CSA around the transformation targets and the policy going forward but for now wants to focus on getting the South Africa team back on stable ground following a rocky 2019. South Africa lost five successive Tests, including a home series in Sri Lanka and a 0-3 defeat in India, where Smith indicated off-field problems appeared to bleed onto the field. “The disappointing thing has been how South African cricket has been run of late. That has been the most challenging aspect. That’s filtered into the environment and made life difficult for the guys that have been in that position. Hopefully in the short term we can turn it around.”For Smith, it is key to “bring leadership back into the game”, which can be provided by former internationals. Smith singled out Prince’s involvement with the A side as particularly important. “I am very happy that we have Ashwell involved. He has got a lot of international experience, he is a hardened international cricketer. He is full of opinions which we love,” Smith said. “The A side needs to be the second-best men’s team in the country.”If Smith takes on the role post the IPL next year, his job will include developing a strategy that will include the A side, looking at the domestic structures, the Under-19 side, the women’s game, and even cricket at grassroots level. For now, Smith’s sole focus is the national men’s team and the England series and creating the blueprint that will put South Africa on a path to success.”We want the Proteas to play well and start winning again. Faf is happy that there is a bit of leadership around. Both him and Enoch have had very frustrating times over the last period. There has been almost no communication with them [from CSA] for a lengthy period of time. I’m glad we were able to come in and provide some direction for them,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can take away some of the drama from them and Faf and the team that is selected can focus on playing cricket and doing the job well. That’s what’s expected of them. It’s going to be our responsibility to clean up the rest.”

West Indies played their part in a classic in Cuttack as the decider went down to the wire

The Report by Sidharth Monga22-Dec-2019West Indies’ tour of India ended the way it began: denied by the bat of Virat Kohli after they had put in a fight despite losing the toss. Only, the master of chases fell with 30 runs still required and it was left to Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur to calm India’s nerves and they did that in style.India were chasing 316 because of a stunning counterattack by Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard that lifted them from 144 for 4 in the 32nd over, but it was still a relatively easy chase on a ground that India had to fight hard to defend 381 in its last ODI. The chase became difficult despite fifties from the openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul because once the partnership broke, West Indies kept finding a way to keep taking wickets, bringing India’s dodgy lower order into the picture. Except they couldn’t go past Kohli, who didn’t make the kind of mistakes his team-mates did.As it had become apparent towards the end of the first innings, the little grip in the pitch that had tied the West Indies batsmen down had now given way to skiddy evening conditions. Sharma and Rahul had got India off to a fluent start with a 122-run stand in 21.2 overs. The dew had begun to play its part. Then Sharma fell driving Jason Holder on the up, Rahul got surprised by extra bounce from Alzarri Joseph, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant played slightly casual shots to Delhi Capitals team-mate Keemo Paul, and Sheldon Cottrell came back to clean Kedar Jadhav up.Virat Kohli drives through the off side•BCCI

India were 228 for 5, needed 88 off 67, which should be straightforward on most Indian evenings, but Kohli’s mannerisms told a different story. When Iyer and Pant fell, he turned away and put his head down, visibly disappointed with the junior partners. He asked Jadhav to stand in front of the stumps because Cottrell was unlikely to bring a ball back in for the lbw. Cottrell somehow snuck one back in through the gate. Kohli didn’t have West Indies fielders chirping him this time, but he was pumped up just as he was in the chase in the first T20 international.Now was the time for Jadeja, back in the limited-overs set-up because of the batting depth he provides, to repay all the faith. This was the beginning of a partnership between India’s last recognised pair. Kohli was so excited he was probably taking runs that were not on. One such occasion brought West Indies a freakish opportunity, a chance that perhaps wouldn’t even have existed for other teams. Jadeja defended one just off the pitch, Kohli called him for what has become a regulation single these days, but Cottrell, the bowler, unleashed a right footer that surprised everyone and would have sent Kohli back had it not missed by inches.Had Kohli been run out then, India would have needed 73 with four bowlers and Jadeja standing. That West Indies needed such extraordinary efforts to even have a chance against Kohli spoke of the mastery of the charged-up batsman. In the next few overs, Kohli and Jadeja calmly steered India towards safety, getting boundaries without taking risks.Kieron Pollard whips one into the leg side•BCCI

The pivotal moment was the gamble with Khary Pierre, who didn’t need to bowl in the last 10 as the fifth bowler’s quota had been exhausted. Pollard, though, offered him to Jadeja in the 43rd over. Jadeja refused to take the bait, took just one run off the first two balls, but Kohli dissected Pierre’s non-turners with precision. Boundaries through a late-cut and a flick through midwicket brought him the fours to bring the task down to 53 off seven overs.At the start of the 47th over, India needed 30, and Kohli exactly half of those for a century, but he chased a wide length ball and ended up playing on. This was only the fourth time he had been dismissed after the 45th over of a chase. This was only the first time in the last five years that he had crossed 80 in a chase and not converted it into a hundred. The crowd at Barabati Stadium didn’t know these stats, but they knew India had left it for their unfancied bowlers to get 30 runs. There was a loud hush around the stadium.Thakur, though, came out batting in a positive manner. He drove the first ball he faced on the up and got four through extra cover. With 22 required off the last three overs, West Indies went to Cottrell’s last over. He began with a wide, bowled another bouncer too high, and when he got the bouncer right, Thakur obliged with a top edge on the hook. However, he had swung hard enough for the edge to sail over the fence. He followed it up with a flamboyant Ajit Agarkar-like bat swing to a full ball to beat long-on and all but kill the game. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 39 off 31.Nicholas Pooran plays the pull•BCCI

Having come so close, West Indies might have some questions of the approach taken by Evin Lewis at the start of the innings when they were put in. They would have known they would need every single run if they were to perform the improbable task of denying India in a home chase with dew around. Lewis, though, faced 50 balls for 21 runs, his first shot in anger bringing his downfall. In Lewis’ defence, this was probably the time when the ball was not coming onto the bat.Kohli wasn’t satisfied with the wicket of Lewis. Even though Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were keeping the batsmen quiet, he went to his quicks in the middle overs. The return of Mohammed Shami brought the wicket of West Indies’ anchor man Shai Hope. Debutant Navdeep Saini, who was driven first ball for a four, came back to get rid of Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase with pace.At that time, it seemed India were looking at a facile chase, but Pooran and Pollard had other ideas. Pollard hit seven sixes in his 51-ball 74, and Pooran batted beautifully to end up with 89 off 64. Thanks to them, West Indies added 105 in the last eight overs, leaving India stunned and frustrated. Kohli’s displeasure was apparent then, but he ended up with a smile of satisfaction.

Pollard and Bravo picked up three wickets each before Simmons made short work of the chase with a six-laden 91 not out

The Report by Hemant Brar20-Jan-2020Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo picked up three wickets each before Lendl Simmons’ scintillating knock made short work of their 139 chase as West Indies romped home by nine wickets against Ireland to finish the three-match series 1-1.After being asked to bat, Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien gave Ireland another breezy start and took them to 50 in just 3.2 overs but just like in the second T20I, Pollard pegged them back with his variations. Bravo, too, joined in as Ireland were all out for 138 in 19.1 overs.Simmons attacked right from the start, hitting ten sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 40-ball 91 and powered West Indies home with nine overs to spare.O’Brien gives Ireland flying startAfter being dismissed off a full-toss in the second T20I, O’Brien ensured he didn’t disappoint this time around and gave Ireland a flying start. In the second over, O’Brien hit Romario Shepherd for a four and six on back-to-back deliveries before Stirling finished it off with another six. Sheldon Cottrell found some movement in the opening over but soon it all went awry for him as O’Brien smashed the first five balls of his next over for fours. Ireland had stormed to 48 for no loss after three overs.Pollard, Bravo strike backAfter registering his career-best figures in the last game, Pollard once again did the rescue act for his team. He struck with his fourth delivery after bringing himself on in the fourth over. While trying to launch one over long-on, O’Brien miscued and Shimron Hetmyer made no mistake. With the drizzle getting heavier, the umpires asked the players to walk off.When play resumed after 45 minutes, Bravo trapped Stirling lbw from around the wicket. The opener asked for a review in the false hope that the ball might have pitched outside the leg stump but it had pitched in line. The wicket made Bravo West Indies’ highest-wicket taker in T20Is as he surpassed Samuel Badree’s tally of 54.Andrew Balbirnie and Gareth Delany kept the scoring rate up for a while, helping Ireland to 73 for 2 at the end of seven overs. But wickets soon fell in clusters. Pollard dismissed Delany and Harry Tector in the eighth over, and in the 11th, Gary Wilson fell to Shepherd followed by Balbirnie’s run-out. While Ireland crossed 100 in the 12th over, they had lost six wickets by then. Two more wickets fell in the 14th over, including another run-out, before Bravo wrapped up the innings by picking up the last two.Simmons’ onslaught powers West Indies homeA target of 139 was well below-par and the way Simmons and Evin Lewis started, they made it look like even paltry. Simmons carted Barry McCarthy for a six and two fours in the second over of the chase. However, he offered an opportunity when he mistimed Mark Adair in the fifth over but Balbirnie dropped the chance at mid-off. Simmons was on 23 off 17 at that time and then there was no looking back. He struck at least one six in every over for the rest of the chase, and after being dropped, he struck nine sixes and two fours in the 23 deliveries he faced. He was also helped by some undisciplined bowling as the Ireland bowlers struggled to find the right length.Such was Simmons’ onslaught that it made Lewis’ 25-ball 46 look pedestrian. Lewis fell to Simi Singh when West Indies were one hit away from victory, and fittingly, Simmons did that with yet another six.

There is no spot in either the T20I or ODI squad for the BBL top-scorer Marcus Stoinis

Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2020Glenn Maxwell will return to Australian colours for the first time since he took mental health leave at the start of the summer, having enjoyed a dominant Big Bash as captain of the Melbourne Stars, as part of the limited-overs squad to tour South Africa later this month.However, there was no room for Maxwell’s Stars team-mate and the BBL’s leading run-maker Marcus Stoinis, who has been recast by his club as a top-order batsman who seldom bowls and is thus stuck behind the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch and Steven Smith in the order of preference for places. Stoinis is a standby player in the event of any injuries to squad members before the tour.Instead, the selection panel including its newest member George Bailey, recalled his Hobart Hurricanes team-mate Matthew Wade in the T20 squad, deeming him more flexible as someone who could take on either a middle-order role or serve as a back-up player for the top three. Mitchell Marsh has been recalled to both squads as an allrounder, his first outing in Australian colours since he fractured his hand when punching a wall after his dismissal in an early season Sheffield Shield match.From the one-day squad that toured India, Ashton Turner and Peter Handscomb have lost their spots. Turner struggled in the two innings he had while Handscomb did not get a game but Marnus Labuschagne’s emergence in the middle order has put a squeeze on places. D’Arcy Short, who was called up as a replacement for Sean Abbott, misses out on both squads.

Australia squads to South Africa

T20I Aaron Finch (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (vc), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

ODI Aaron Finch (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

“It is fantastic to have Glenn back in both squads given his brilliant form in the middle order for the Stars along with his results with the ball,” national selector Trevor Hohns said. “Glenn was one of the first picked in the most recent T20 team at the start of the summer, prior to his break from the game.”The same can be said for Mitch. He has been in tremendous touch with the bat for the Scorchers since his return from injury and is now back bowling well. His performances warranted inclusion in the area he operates as a powerful middle order batsman and handy bowler.”Matthew Wade is also in red hot form with the bat. He is a very strong fielder; and a great person to have in any team. He can also substitute as wicketkeeper if required. Marcus Stoinis is a standby player for each squad and was unlucky to miss out due to the makeup of the current top order. It is terrific to have a backup player of his calibre in such good form.”For a tour of three ODIs and three T20Is that will see Warner and Smith return to South Africa for the first time since the Newlands ball tampering scandal in 2018, Maxwell has been named in the squads for both formats, as an acknowledgement of the shotmaking snap that was missing from the 50-over team in their 2-1 series loss in India last month.Jhye Richardson, who had looked to be on the cusp of international selection when the summer began, also returns to the T20 squad after a strong BBL in what was overall a failed campaign by the Perth Scorchers. Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have been retained as spin bowlers in the squad.”Jhye Richardson also returns to the T20 side from injury with his performances demanding inclusion,” Hohns said. “He is a terrific young player who has been sensational in all forms of the game; and is an extremely strong fieldsman.”

The South Africa head coach mentioned that the lockdown in the country hasn’t “really disrupted our plans”

Firdose Moonda08-Apr-2020Mark Boucher has called South Africa’s win over Australia in the ODI series in March the “light at the end of the tunnel” after a difficult first season in charge of the men’s national side. Boucher took over in December and oversaw South Africa lose a Test and T20 series to England, draw a rain-affected ODI series, lose a T20 rubber to Australia and finally win the ODI series 3-nil, which gave Boucher hope that South Africa are progressing, albeit mostly in shorter formats.With back-to-back T20 World Cups in the next two years and the 2023 fifty-over tournament marking the end of Boucher’s contract period, that’s no bad thing and is so far allowing for the talent pool to deepen.”The exciting thing was in white-ball cricket, to see the guys grow a bit. We gave quite a lot of opportunities to youngsters and they started to gel as a team and not allow one particular guy to carry them through,” Boucher said. “Our performance against Australia was the light at the end of the tunnel but it’s not that it’s the finished product.”To get there, Boucher wants to continue up-skilling his players and is hopeful he will still be able to make use of the expertise of batting consultant Jacques Kallis and spin-bowling consultant Paul Harris, whose short stints with the national side have come to an end. The duo were brought in on a temporary basis for the 2019-20 summer to supplement the coaching staff made up of Boucher, assistant Enoch Nkwe, bowling coach Charl Langeveldt and fielding coach Justin Ontong.”I’m not too sure what will happen with Jacques Kallis and Paul Harris, but hopefully can sort something out contractually because we would be stupid not to make use of their experience,” Boucher said.ALSO READ: Cricket South Africa to advertise for selection convener, national coachesExpanding the support staff would likely be dependent on Cricket South Africa’s budget, which will be squeezed following the departure of Standard Bank as a sponsor at the end of this month. The organisation has indicated they are in talks with a new corporate backer but remain cautious about their financial position, as is the case with many entities worldwide.CSA have been slightly less affected than most, with the shutdown coinciding with the end of the summer. As a result, they will not suffer losses from postponed tours and may even save some money if their scheduled visit to West Indies for the A side and both the men’s and women’s national teams, scheduled between June and August do not go ahead.Despite those uncertainties, the rest of South African cricket has been largely unaffected by the current situation, having lost only two ODIs in India and the women’s home series against Australia so far. “I don’t think it has really disrupted our plans. We were always going to be having a break at this time,” Boucher said. “The plan was to give the guys some off time, to travel a bit, spend some time with the families, they are certainly spending some time with the families now but not traveling and there’s time to get rid of a few niggles their bodies have picked up.”But it’s not all rest and relaxation. South Africa’s players will all go through fitness tests as when the country’s lockdown ends – at the moment this is due to happen on April 16 – and will be expected to have maintained their conditioning. “We have put in some programs with regards to keeping fit and strong around your household,” Boucher said. “We are putting new fitness clauses in contracts so you need to be fit.”

Outcast England batsman should be allowed to prove he’s changed, says team-mate

Andrew Miller22-May-2020Chris Woakes believes that Alex Hales would be welcomed back into the England set-up this summer, assuming he has learnt his lessons following the drugs ban that caused his axing from last summer’s World Cup squad.Speaking in anticipation of next week’s squad announcements, for which England are likely to choose up to 45 players to accommodate both red- and white-ball needs, Woakes acknowledged that Hales remains a “world-class player” despite not having been selected for England since March 2019, and admitted that a part of him felt sorry for his former team-mate, after missing out on what ought to have been the highlight of his career last summer.”I don’t 100% know what will happen but I’d be happy to see Alex back in England colours,” said Woakes. “I would imagine the majority would have the kind of views I have given. People deserve a second chance, as long as they’ve gone away and worked on a few things. I don’t know why anyone would see that any differently.”The ultimate decision remains in the hands of the England white-ball captain, Eoin Morgan, who took a hard line on Hales in the immediate aftermath of his drugs ban, describing his actions as a “complete disregard” for the team’s values.And though Morgan conceded earlier this month that “the door is still open” for Hales to return to the white-ball set-up, he also put no timeframe on how long he would need to “regain that trust”.Nevertheless, Woakes’ endorsement is significant seeing as he was one of the group of senior players – alongside Morgan, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali – who initiated the removal of Hales from England’s World Cup plans last May.”I don’t know 100 percent if it’s the right decision, it’s not my call,” Woakes said. “[But] I’m a believer that people serve their time so to speak – he’s gone through a tough time, being left out of the World Cup, and going on to see that team lift the trophy must have been difficult for him.”Though Hales has yet to make a public apology for his actions, which overshadowed England’s final preparations for their most important campaign in a generation, he recently told the Daily Mail that he had matured as a character since his fall from grace, and hoped that the England management would find it in themselves to “forgive and forget”.ALSO READ: Is it now or never for Alex Hales’ England recall?Hales has certainly demonstrated a renewed focus with his on-field performances. In 22 innings for Sydney Thunder and Karachi Kings since December, he has amassed 815 runs at 42.89, including eight fifties, and believes he has been in the “form of his life”. With back-to-back T20 World Cups looming – albeit October’s event in Australia may be facing postponement – the statistical case for his England recall is self-evident.Alex Hales gets low to slog-sweep•Getty Images

And Woakes, who has played with and against Hales throughout their rise through age-group cricket, including two Under-19 Tests against New Zealand in 2008, said that he would be willing to take Hales’ commitment to self-improvement at face value.”I think if people have gone away for a time and worked on their weaknesses, they should be allowed a second chance,” Woakes said. “Alex is a world-class player. I have played a lot of cricket with him from a young age actually. In a way I felt sorry for him but I understand the decision from the management, captain and rest of the team.”We have a culture and an environment in the England squad that we all try and pull in the right direction. If Alex is willing to do that then I imagine everyone would be happy to see him back playing for England.”

The batsman and offspinner played 14 Tests between 1953 and 1956

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2020Matt Poore, the New Zealand right-hand batsman and offspinner from the 1950s, died in Auckland on Thursday, ten days after completing his 90th birthday.A batsman who bowled a bit, Poore played most of his cricket in Christchurch in a first-class career that ran from 1950-51 to 1961-62. He played 14 Tests in a three-year span from 1953 to 1956 but never ended on a winning side. New Zealand lost nine of those 14 Tests and the remaining five were draws.He made his Test debut against South Africa at Eden Park in Auckland, scoring 45 and 8 not out, while also picking up two wickets in each innings. That was to remain his best performance at the highest level as he never scored more in an innings and picked up just five more wickets overall in the format. His Test career ended with 355 runs at an average of 15.43 and nine wickets at 40.77. Among non-wicketkeepers, Poore’s 14 Tests remain the most for anyone who never scored a half-century or took a three-wicket haul.Writing in ESPNcricinfo, Martin Williamson noted: “His best returns came on the 1953-54 tour of South Africa where he scored 170 runs in the five Tests, and 550 at 22.91 on the tour as a whole. On his only other trip overseas – to India and Pakistan in 1955-56 – he was less successful, amassing only 132 runs in seven Tests. He was a better player than the figures suggest – his first-class best was 142 for Central Districts. He retired after a wretched season in 1956-57 when he scored 90 runs at 12.85, although his form with the ball improved and he enjoyed his best year with 16 wickets at 17.50. He made a brief comeback four seasons later where in three matches his performances were distinctly mediocre.”