All posts by csb10.top

Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach, has asked for more discipline from his attack, who he admitted will have to “box smart” on a tricky Dunedin pitch. Although Langeveldt believes New Zealand probably got the best of the surface on the first morning, when there was variable bounce, he believes South Africa could still tighten up and take control of the match.”If you’re going to have attacking fields, you are going to leak runs. In hindsight, we went for too many fours,” Langeveldt said. “Kane (Williamson) put us under pressure, especially against the spinner. He didn’t let the spinner settle down. Just blocking up one end would have been ideal. But Kane was on fire. Jeetan put us under pressure as well.”Not only did Williamson score freely off Keshav Maharaj, but he also took runs off Kagiso Rabada, who struggled with a slight stomach bug. Rabada’s illness was not serious enough to prevent him from taking the field, and Langeveldt is confident he will return with more venom on the third morning, but has invested most of his hopes in the team’s ability to strike early and find reverse-swing.”This is like a Port Elizabeth wicket. At the end there was a hint of reverse, so hopefully that will work in our favour,” Langeveldt said. “We have to box smart and try and contain Kane Williamson. He’s the key. I’m not sure whether Ross Taylor is going to come back but he’s a good batsman and they’ve got a few allrounders coming in. So we still have to bowl well to get them out. Tomorrow morning I feel we’ll have that opportunity, and then we need to box smart after that.”Taylor left the field with a calf injury and had scans at the university hospital. There is no definitive call on his availability for the rest of the match. Whether or not he returns, South Africa still have some big hitters and quick run-scorers to contend with, including Jimmy Neesham. Langeveldt would like to see his bowlers emulate New Zealand and squeeze a first-innings lead. “They bowled brilliantly and built pressure from both ends,” he said.Almost a third (32%) of the 122.4 overs New Zealand bowled were maidens, and they kept South Africa’s scoring rate to 2.51, as part of a plan to frustrate the opposition’s powerful line-up. “We were just looking to grip the ball and ask tough questions and not let them get too far ahead,” Trent Boult explained. “Everyone applied pressure in different stages, so it was easy for Kane to move between bowlers and not let that foot up. Stepping up maidens and dot balls was a big part of our plan, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”By comparison, South Africa’s maidens efficiency was only 23%, and allowed New Zealand to score at 3.21. Still, Langeveldt believes the bowlers can make something happen, especially because Morne Morkel, who made a return after 14 months on the sidelines nursing a back injury, seems to be making a strong comeback. “His pace was up, he bowled a good amount of overs, he bowled really well and he got the ball in good areas. But the key thing was that Morne Morkel’s pace was up and he was bowling at 100%,” Langeveldt said.

Bangladesh’s manager Khaled Mahmud has said that Mushfiqur Rahim has been informed he will play the upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka as a specialist batsman, and has to give up his position as the designated wicketkeeper. This means Liton Das, the other specialist wicketkeeper in the Test squad, will take over the role.Mushfiqur’s wicketkeeping came under focus after he missed plenty of chances during the Afghanistan series last year. In Bangladesh’s last Test, against India in Hyderabad last month, his missed stumping of Wriddhiman Saha cost the team and highlighted his frailties behind the stumps. During the interim, the BCB had said that the matter will be discussed with Mushfiqur, which is what the team management has done ahead of the Test series in Sri Lanka.”The coach [Chandika Hathurusingha] and I have informed Mushfiqur officially [that he will play only as a batsman],” Mahmud told the Bengali daily . “He is the best batsman in the team. He is in such form that we believe he will be able to give more to the team, which is why he will bat at No. 4 and will not be keeping wickets. Mushfiqur has taken the decision positively, which is the best part.”We gave him examples of Kumar Sangakkara and Brendan Taylor whose batting improved as soon as they gave up wicketkeeping in Tests. It is hard to play as wicketkeeper, captain and batsman.”Liton kept wickets in the three Tests he played in 2015, against India and South Africa. The last time Mushfiqur was told to play as a batsman was during the 2016 Asia Cup T20s when he shared the duty with Nurul Hasan during the tournament at home.With Mushfiqur now slated to bat at No. 4 and Liton being confirmed a place in the XI, the team management will now have to decide between Mahmudullah and Sabbir Rahman in the middle order. While Mahmudullah has just struck his first Test fifty after a long gap, Sabbir hasn’t got a big Test score despite a promising start to his career.

Sri Lanka were forced to train indoors at the Wanderers Stadium on Monday, after weekend rains had seeped through the covers and made the outdoor practice pitches unusable.Though there was no rain, overcast conditions did little to aid the drying of the surfaces on Monday, and there is a chance both teams’ training will be affected on Tuesday as well. The South Africa squad does not officially convene till Tuesday, and as such, have not trained yet in Johannesburg.”Our guys are working on it,” Greg Fredericks, CEO of the Lions, the franchise based at the Wanderers, told ESPNcricinfo. “We had a lot of rain from Friday and through the weekend but we are doing our best.”Groundstaff did provide a centre track for Sri Lanka’s bowlers to train on – no one batted there – and will also aim to provide one for South Africa on Tuesday. Additionally it is hoped one of the practice pitches will have dried sufficiently to conduct a nets session on.Sri Lanka were briefly dismayed at the prospect of training indoors on surfaces they felt may be slower than the outdoor practice pitches, and indeed the Test-match surface. But after talking to groundstaff they are hopeful facilities will improve in the approach to the game.

Australia captain Steven Smith has challenged his deputy David Warner to do a Karun Nair and go on to make the sort of monumental scores that will be essential if the tourists are to have any hope of besting India at home next month.In a frank interview with ESPNcricinfo, Smith also declared his side’s recent aggressive batting approach in Asian conditions to be “rubbish” and pinpointed the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe as critical to Australia’s chances.Warner, who made his second century in as many matches on his SCG home turf on Sunday, also led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2016 IPL title, but has not reached three figures in an overseas Test for more than two years. Smith said that after both captain and deputy failed to post centuries before last year’s Sri Lanka series had been decided, the team’s senior batsmen had to set their sights on hundreds – big ones.”It’s pretty important that our senior players step up in those conditions,” Smith said. “It’s something we didn’t do overly well in Sri Lanka and we didn’t get the results that we wanted there. I’m going to do it differently to Davey, you don’t want to get rid of someone’s natural flair and the way they play. But if he gets to a hundred it might be about knuckling down again and going big, get 200 or 300, like Karun Nair did a few weeks ago.”Those are the big scores that set your team up, so we are just being hungry and willing to keep going and not let up. I think we’ve been guilty in the past of saying ‘a ball’s going to have your name on it, so get them before one gets you’. To be honest with you, it’s rubbish.”I think if your defence is good and you back that, then the one that’s got your name on it generally spins past the bat or does too much. So get that out of your mind, it’s not going to be said again – it’s going to be about backing your defence and making sure you can bat for long enough. Everyone in our team has got the shots, but get yourself in, things get easier, and then be willing to go big.”Victories overseas are seldom achieved in the barnstorming manner Australia are used to imposing in home conditions – as the victorious 2004 India tourists have often attested. To that end, Smith said he was eager to see his men fight matches out that they are unable to dominate from the start. Too often, he said, Australian batsmen are guilty of simply playing their “natural game” rather than the situation, particularly when trying to scratch out a draw.Steve O’Keefe – who skipped part of the BBL to prepare physically and technically for India – will be crucial to Australia’s hopes of a strong performance in India, says Steven Smith•Getty Images

“Obviously you want to win first and foremost, but a draw’s a much better result than a loss,” Smith said. “If the game’s dead and buried and we can’t win, you want to see the fight and the willingness to put your natural game away and do everything you can to stay out there and get the team a draw.”That’s something we haven’t done overly well in the past. When we’re a long way behind the game and chasing 500 or something in the last innings, guys have still just gone out and played, rather than do what Faf [du Plessis] did in Adelaide a few years ago and just block it until the game’s gone, and give yourself a chance to survive.”Smith also pinpointed O’Keefe as critical to Australia’s campaign, as a bowler of the sort whose consistently pitched, skidding or spinning deliveries are so often successful in Asia. O’Keefe’s spotty injury record was to the visitors’ great cost last year, when he looked highly dangerous in the first Test in Sri Lanka but was then lost to the match and the series with a hamstring strain.”He has had some issues with his body, and I think he has done the right thing taking the BBL off,” Smith said. “I think he’s going to be a big player for us in those conditions. He understands how to bowl in those conditions, he had a bit of success in the A tour in India.”He was a big loss for us in Sri Lanka, he looked like taking a wicket every ball, and he has worked with Sri [bowling consultant Sridharan Sriram] from India who understands how to bowl in those conditions as well, understands the different arm angles, seam positions and paces you have to bowl on those wickets. That’s a big plus. If we’re going to have success on this tour, he’s going to be a big part of it.”The full interview with Steven Smith is here

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIan Bell top scored with 45 as Perth Scorchers put up 177 on the board•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers moved to the top of the Big Bash League table with an emphatic win over Sydney Thunder at the WACA.This was the Scorchers well-worn blueprint down to a tee: bat first – they were invited to do so by Thunder – let the top order accumulate – Michael Klinger and Ian Bell this time – before the allrounders bash them to an intimidating total – Mitchell Marsh took care of that part – then the bowlers squeeze out a comfortable win – Andrew Tye and David Willey were front and centre in that regard.The outcome was a 50-run victory, which left champions Thunder rooted to the bottom of the table with four defeats from four games. Another against Melbourne Stars on Wednesday would end their title defence.

Morgan to be replaced by James Vince

Sydney Thunder batsman Eoin Morgan will be replaced by James Vince when he heads to India to captain England this week, ESPNcricinfo understands.
Morgan will depart after the Thunder’s game against Melbourne Stars on Wednesday, with Vince playing the final three fixtures of a tricky campaign for the BBL champions.
Vince was dropped by England after managing just 53 runs in three ODI innings in Bangladesh in October, while he failed to reach 50 in seven Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan during the English summer.
He has a fine record as a top order batsman in T20, however, with almost 3,000 runs at a strike rate of 128.44, and 20 scores of more than 50.

Thunder’s fielding returns
One of the most memorable aspects of Thunder’s three-wicket defeat to Brisbane Heat last week was their horrific catching as the chase got tight. Jake Doran, Shane Watson and Andre Russell were all guilty, but from the first over in Perth, Thunder were much improved.Ben Rohrer took a wonderful diving catch at cover to set the tone, then Pat Cummins’ tumbling take at mid-on dismissed Michael Klinger and broke an 85-run partnership for the second wicket. The whole performance in the field was raised, with Chris Green notably impressive in the deep and debutant Jay Lenton tidy behind the stumps, even if he did miss a very sharp stumping. Adam Voges, the reprieved batsman, had to go back to the pavilion anyway, twinging his hamstring while attempting a big sweep shot.Thunder’s poor batting meant very little of that mattered on Sunday, but it was a small step in the right direction.Scorchers blazing towards final
Like their female counterparts, the Scorchers look the strongest side in the BBL. They have a settled combination, and their additions slot perfectly into their plans. Bell builds a platform at the top of the batting order while Mitchell Johnson is a wicket-taking threat in the middle overs. In the absence of Brad Hogg, their spin bowling reserves seem weak, but Ashton Turner continues to impress as a resourceful and intelligent cricketer. He added a handy 20 runs in the slog overs, took an important wicket – Eoin Morgan’s – and three good catches, too.…And are set to be unfazed by further absentees
Given they are missing bowlers of the quality of Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Joel Paris, the Scorchers’ depth and excellence is remarkable. They did not have Ashton Agar today and it will be interesting to see how they handle the absence of the injured Voges and the outstanding David Willey – who again picked up wickets by swinging the white ball in the Powerplay. He dismissed both Thunder openers, with Ryan Gibson, bowled, and Kurtis Patterson, caught behind. Willey will be replaced in the squad by Tim Bresnan.Thunder’s batting woes
Nothing sums up Thunder’s slide like the fact that their top scorer was Cummins, a bowler unlikely to describe himself as an allrounder. He has more runs than any of his team-mates this summer.They may have lost the experience of Michael Hussey and Jacques Kallis to retirement, and the excellence of Usman Khawaja to international duty, but the fact is their senior batsmen have not performed. Watson, Russell, and to a lesser extent Morgan are struggling for form – all three fell very softly in Perth – failing to shape games and leaving the lower order too much to do.The debutant Lenton, Chris Green and Cummins, until he was brilliantly run out by wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman with a direct hit from square leg, battled gamely, but it was too late. The same may be true of their season as a whole.The weakness of Thunder’s batting makes it even stranger that Watson, upon winning the toss, chose to bowl – although that is the current trend, with 11 of 13 captains opting to chase so far in the tournament. Scorchers, with their excellent record defending modest totals, must have been licking their lips.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:52

Compton: It’s a shame for England that Root isn’t unbeaten overnight

At every critical juncture of this typically subcontinental Test match, England’s cricketers have inadvertently been telegraphing their sense of impending doom. It was visible in Alastair Cook’s body language after losing a vital toss; it resurfaced on the first afternoon when Virat Kohli was dropped at fine leg by Adil Rashid, and there were tremors again this morning, when Moeen Ali’s offbreaks began to find the purchase necessary to check India’s innings before it could run away.But it wasn’t until the second afternoon at Visakhapatnam that their deep-seated pessimism began gushing to the surface like an Andhra Pradesh oil strike. By the close of a gripping and debilitating third session, with India’s trio of spinners tormenting both sides of a succession of stick-or-twist blades, the destiny of this contest was all but pre-ordained.England limped to the close on 103 for 5, in reply to India’s 455, having contributed massively to their own downfall with a succession of hare-brained departures, but equally, having had their minds and techniques scrambled by the dripping-tap accuracy of, in particular, the offspinners R Ashwin and debutant Jayant Yadav.Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin played its part as well, darting the ball in flat and fast to challenge the front pad and leave England’s batsmen no time to gather their thoughts between deliveries. But it was Ashwin who applied the surgical strikes, his 12 overs yielding 15 runs and two wickets, including the crowning scalp of Joe Root for 53 and the hapless Ben Duckett for 5.Meanwhile Jayant, shrewdly handed a debut in response to England’s selection of a record seven left-handers, showcased a tall and tidy technique, and accounted of one of that number as his maiden Test wicket. Moeen Ali, one of England’s four centurions at Rajkot, was struck on the shin as he pressed forward to another wicket-to-wicket delivery, and sent on his way lbw for 1 after Virat Kohli made a correct call for the DRS.Soon afterwards, Jayant should have had a second when he bounced an offbreak off the top of Ben Stokes’ off stump and into the keeper’s gloves without dislodging it. It was a memorably bizarre footnote to a fine first day of Test action from the new boy, that had earlier included a key role – once again in tandem with Ashwin – in a 64-run stand for India’s eighth wicket, but was perhaps most notable for the athletic slide and throw from deep square leg that ran out Haseeb Hameed for 13 and wrecked what little poise England’s innings had managed to generate.It hadn’t looked too promising in the early moments of England’s innings either, and Cook in particular had lived dangerously in his 11-ball stay. He all but popped a leading edge back to the bowler in Mohammad Shami’s opening over, but could do nothing about the beauty that bowled him in his second. After being lined up by two deliveries that curled away to the slips, Cook was beaten by a sensational nipbacker that smashed the off stump in two as it nipped back through the gate.R Ashwin is stoked after taking a wicket•AFP

But despite such a seismic shock to England’s system, there had been a glimmer of hope, in the form of a 47-run stand for the second wicket between Hameed and Root, that England might somehow extract enough runs from a still serviceable wicket to haul themselves close to first-innings parity. Root, in particular, had been responding impressively to the challenge of a skiddy low surface, and at one stage during a probing new-ball spell from India’s seamers had advanced on Shami to clip him aggressively through midwicket for four.But he was entirely culpable in the moment of madness that sold his younger partner down the river. Chivvying for the second run as he clipped Jadeja off the pads, he hurtled halfway down the track only to turn abruptly on his heels as Jayant’s throw fizzed in from the deep. Wriddhiman Saha did brilliantly in front of the stumps to gather and flick backwards in one moment, clipping the bails as Hameed tumbled for the crease in vain.At 51 for 2, the door was ajar and India’s spinners did not require a second invitation to bring out the battering ram. Duckett, whose stroke-laden technique had been an asset when counterattacking against Bangladesh, proved as a leaky as a fisherman’s net when facing the best spin bowler in the world, and having consistently exposed his stumps in a bid to attack Ashwin out of the rough, it was to nobody’s great surprise when they duly were splattered for 5.Two overs later, and Ashwin had the big one. Root had been playing a blinder in the circumstances, galvanised by his own supreme form and the knowledge of his role in Hameed’s demise. But, against Ashwin, even his free-scoring methods had been tempered, until Kohli tempted him fatally by removing his long-on and inviting a hoick over the top. He took the bait but failed to get to the pitch, and Umesh was on hand at long-off to cue India’s delirium.The familiar failings with the bat made England’s determined efforts with the ball earlier in the day somewhat redundant. Moeen, who had been underused on the opening day of the match, claimed three quick wickets in the second hour of the morning before Rashid and Stokes mopped up the resistance after lunch.Ashwin, India’s main source of runs on the day, was lucky to benefit from a drop at slip by Stokes when he had made 17, but the unlikely let-off had a spin-off benefit for England. India ran a single as the ball ricocheted off Stokes’ knee at slip, and one ball later, Stokes made amends by snaffling a faster, lower edge to his right to see off India’s main man, Kohli, for 167 instead.Kohli’s early dismissal enabled England to keep India’s innings closer to 450 than 550, but by the close, in spite of a spirited 15-overs of resistance from Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, it was looking like more than enough.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Indore starting October 8 due to a “very minor fracture” on his left thumb that could take at least 15 days to heal. As a result Gautam Gambhir, who had been drafted into the squad after KL Rahul was injured during the Kanpur Test, is in line to play in the XI after a gap of two years.Karun Nair, the middle order batsman, has been drafted into the squad as a reinforcement.Dhawan, who made 1 and 17 in Kolkata, injured himself while batting on the third day, when he was struck twice on the thumb by Trent Boult. “Shikhar has a very minor fracture on his hand. He is under observations, and he has been advised 15 days’ rest,” India’s media manager Nishant Arora said. “So he is ruled out for the next Test match. The selectors have been informed.”Nair, Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy, made his international debut during the limited-overs series in Zimbabwe in June. He was more recently part of the India A squad that toured Australia for a tri-series and two first-class matches. However, it is likely that Gambhir could return following a good showing in the Duleep Trophy, in which he made 356 runs in five innings with four half-centuries.Gambhir’s last Test was during India’s 1-3 series loss in England in 2014, when he aggregated 25 runs in four innings. That series, too, was a comeback for him, as he was dropped in 2012 and missed all India’s Tests in 2013 due to a sharp decline in form.Gambhir, 34, has 4046 Test runs at 42.58 with nine centuries and 21 half-centuries. The last of Gambhir’s nine Test tons came against Bangladesh in Chittagong in January 2010, when he made 116.

Zimbabwe Cricket is ready to submit its 2015 audit to the ICC, almost four months later than it was due. In accordance with ICC rules all Full Members must file an unqualified audit within six months of the end of its financial year. That was the end of June for ZC, but it has taken them until the end of October to finalise the audit.In a statement, ZC said it “was satisfied with the audit process and subsequently recommended the adoption of the audited accounts to the Special General Meeting (SGM). Delegates to the SGM, after considering the financial records, adopted the audited accounts.”The ICC confirmed they were aware of delays in ZC’s audit and that they were in regular communication with the board. However, the ICC did not immediately comment on the news of ZC’s finalised accounts.Three weeks ago, ESPNcricinfo reported that some members of the board had raised concerns about the figures in an initial audit, with particular scrutiny on US$5.2 million in tour expenses. The amount was thought to be inflated because most of Zimbabwe’s incoming tours were paid for in other ways.The accounts were rejected by ZC, and its auditors, HLB Zimbabwe, distanced themselves from the report saying they were still waiting for information from the board in order to complete the audit.ZC now claim to have “worked closely with its auditors who satisfactorily concluded the exercise.”

ScorecardSteve Magoffin claimed the final wicket to secure victory•Getty Images

Captain Luke Wright has said Sussex are keen for out-of-contract Ireland batsman Ed Joyce to stay with the county but his future will be decided at the end of the season.”It’s dependent on Joycey,” Wright said after his side wrapped up an innings victory over Gloucestershire. “He has huge ambitions with Ireland, and wants to achieve Test status with them. I think he is going to wait until the end of the season and see how he feels.”Joyce has scored 955 Championship runs at 73 this season, including three tons, and his departure would leave a huge hole in Sussex’s top order. Joyce’s young family have moved back to Ireland, but he remains five short of his stated ambition of 50 first-class centuries, which may play a part in his decision.”In my mind he’s still the best batsman in county cricket and I’d have him as long as he’s playing the game. A lot will come down to how he feels, whether he wants to continue playing county cricket, but I’ll be keeping on having a word in his ear trying to get him to stay.”Sussex wasted no time completing their second win of the season in the Specsavers County Championship, requiring just 17 balls on the final day to take the last of the nine Gloucestershire wickets they needed to win by an innings and two runs.Sussex had taken total control of the game on the second and third days, as centuries from Luke Wells and Ben Brown built a 160-run lead on first innings. With Liam Norwell absent with a head injury sustained while batting on the second morning, Sussex only required nine second innings wicket and, either side of tea on Monday, they picked up eight of them for just 112.In their way stood the Taylor brothers, Jack and Matt, who – even with an extra eight overs taken on the third day – made it to stumps just 11 runs behind, with the former smiting three sixes in his 52 not out.On the final morning, their resistance briefly continued, with Matt punching Steve Magoffin through the covers for four in the first over, and Jack – who looked to farm the strike – hitting Chris Jordan down the ground for four more.But in Magoffin’s second over, Jack Taylor looked to clear the infield and smash Gloucestershire into the lead, but was bowled for 56 to become the Australian’s seventh wicket of the match. Jordan finished with 4 for 36 in the second innings to go with his 52 runs.Sussex gained the maximum 24 points from the match, while Gloucestershire took six. Both teams have five games left in the season, and Sussex remain unbeaten, although nine of their matches have ended in draws.

R Ashwin’s returns of 7 for 83 in the second innings of the Antigua Test against West Indies lifted him back to No. 1 in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, displacing Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah. Yasir, who had assumed top spot after his ten-wicket match haul in Pakistan’s victorious first Test against England at Lord’s, dropped four places to No. 5 after disappointing match figures of 1 for 266 in the second Test at Old Trafford.

Top five Test bowlers

• R Ashwin (India)

• James Anderson (England)

• Stuart Broad (England)

• Dale Steyn (South Africa)

• Yasir Shah (Pakistan)

Other notable movers included Chris Woakes, who surged up ten places to No. 23 after his match figures of 7 for 108 at Old Trafford contributed to England’s 330-run win. Umesh Yadav, who took five wickets in India’s innings victory in Antigua, jumped up six places to No. 24.In the Test batsmen’s rankings, England’s batting heroes at Old Trafford, Joe Root and Alastair Cook, both moved up. Root scored 254 in the first innings and 71 not out in the second to move up two places to No. 2, behind Steven Smith. Cook’s first-innings century and second-innings 76 not out were enough to propel him four places up, to No. 9.Virat Kohli, who scored his maiden first-class double-century in the Antigua Test, also moved up the rankings, by two spots to No. 12. Ashwin’s century in the same match helped him move three places up to No. 45 and, in conjunction with his bowling feats, also consolidated his position as the top-ranked Test allrounder.