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Williamson laments his team’s “soft” cricket as they saw another strong position slip away

Andrew McGlashan08-Sep-2022Adam Zampa shifted all the praise onto Australia’s pace bowlers for the pressure they applied in the second ODI, labelling his delivery to remove Kane Williamson “c***”, with the New Zealand captain left to lament his team’s “soft” cricket as they saw another strong position slip away.Australia were 117 for 8 before the last two wickets added 78, with Zampa playing an important role. New Zealand’s top order was then rendered virtually scoreless. They were left 14 for 3 after ten overs by the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott – the latter bowling 28 dot balls, and taking two wickets, on his comeback before conceding a run.Zampa, who claimed his first wicket with a big full toss that Williamson missed, was especially delighted for Abbott. Zampa himself finished with a career-best 5 for 35 but reflected that he felt “a little bit off”.”To be honest, I haven’t seen a run [economy] rate like that in an ODI probably ever,” Zampa said. “Our guys showed some serious discipline. I mean Hazlewood and Starc were both excellent, but in particular Sean Abbott, who has been in and out of the team. Think over five, six, seven years, he has played five or six games. So to take his opportunity now – it’s tough when you are sitting on the pine [being left out] for four or five games, sometimes having only one opportunity to make your mark, it can get the better of you. But he bowled outstandingly today and super proud of Sean.”I bowled terribly. Well, I wouldn’t say terribly…but was one of those days where I felt a little bit off, probably wasn’t quite at my best but there was a lot happening. Sometimes when it’s like that and you are bowling to the tail you can go searching for wickets, which I did, [but] probably felt like we were in position to go searching for some wickets tonight. I think I reaped the rewards of the guys who bowled before me.”I had a bit of luck with the Kane dismissal, then got into my work a bit better from there. They say legspinners can bowl a bit of c*** and get wickets. When that c*** comes out and you see it go down, you start walking back to your mark knowing you’ve got an extra six runs against your name. But that happens.”Williamson, who threw his head back in anguish after missing the full toss and called for a review purely out of hope, said New Zealand’s batting needed to be better at adapting to the conditions – which he termed “very slow and hard to get rhythm” – something they had done successfully on the tour of the West Indies last month where they came from 1-0 down to take the series.”No doubt the conditions are tough but we have to be a little bit smarter,” Williamson said. “Today I thought we were too soft in terms of our dismissals, we did need to try and weather the storm a bit. It was going to be a challenge, but if you could try and stick together. There wasn’t a lot of scoreboard pressure so you try to reverse that momentum later in the game and get through the tough spells.”The new ball was quite challenging and Australia were just outstanding with the lengths they are able to hit, the pressure they built, and they got some early wickets as well. It is almost old-school one-day cricket where you are just trying to get through spells. As we saw, Australia were able to get two partnerships that were able to get them a competitive total, so certainly some lessons to learn.”However, he insisted that New Zealand did not have a psychological barrier to get over as they tried to beat Australia on their soil for the first time since 2011. “It’s cricket, they are a very good side, they’ve played well and adapted to conditions,” he said. “[But] we do need to be better than we were tonight.”The final ODI takes place on Sunday and the two teams will meet again in their opening match of the T20 World Cup at the SCG in October.

Middle-order batter could also play two Championship games; James Harris joins Glamorgan on loan

Matt Roller21-Apr-2021Gloucestershire have announced the signing of Glenn Phillips, the New Zealand batter, for the duration of their T20 Blast campaign.Phillips, 24, dislodged Ross Taylor to become a member of New Zealand’s first-choice T20I side this season, playing all 14 of their home fixtures and hitting 108 off 51 balls against West Indies. He will provide a wicketkeeping option if James Bracey misses some of the Blast due to England duty, and can also bowl occasional offbreaks.A specialist middle-order batter, Phillips has improved his game against spin markedly during four seasons playing for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League, and is understood to have been discussed as a possible back-up option by IPL franchises ahead of February’s auction.He will add further firepower to a squad that reached Finals Day last summer for the first time since 2007, joining Ian Cockbain, Jack Taylor, Benny Howell and Ryan Higgins in the middle-order engine room. Phillips spent the 2016 summer in the UK playing for MCC Young Cricketers and for Brondesbury CC in club cricket, and this will be his first stint in county cricket.Related

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Phillips will also be available for the County Championship fixtures that take place during the Blast, specifically against Middlesex and Hampshire at Cheltenham, by which point Kraigg Brathwaite’s stint at the club will have ended. He has a solid first-class record, averaging 40.18, and made a half-century in his only Test to date – against Australia in early 2020. Having missed out on New Zealand’s squad for the tour of England, he will be available to play throughout the Blast, and could be an attractive option as a short-term replacement playing during the Hundred.Ian Harvey, Gloucestershire’s interim head coach, said: “Glenn is very exciting to watch and he’s going to add a massive amount to what is already a powerful T20 batting line-up. He can bat at the top of the order, in the middle and also add to our firepower at the end. He’s a bit of an allrounder because he bowls and keeps wicket as well so he will give us plenty of options.”To have someone in your side with the ability to do pretty much everything is a huge bonus and his experience of playing around the world in franchise cricket is going to be a massive benefit for our players. He’s played Test match cricket and can keep wicket so he gives us plenty of options if we want to bring him in for red-ball games.”James Harris has signed for Glamorgan on a two-week loan•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Glamorgan have announced the signing of James Harris, the Middlesex seamer, on loan for their next two Championship fixtures. Harris, who is president of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, came through the club’s academy system before joining Middlesex in 2012, and is returning to Wales on loan for the second time after a similar move in 2014.Harris has fallen down the pecking order at Middlesex and was not named in their squads for the first two Championship games of the season. Glamorgan are experiencing an availability crisis within their seam-bowling department with Ruaidhri Smith and Jamie McIlroy suffering injuries, Timm van der Gugten reporting muscle tightness and Michael Neser yet to arrive as an overseas player, giving Harris an opportunity to play in their matches against Northamptonshire and Kent.

Mitchell Starc returns for Australia who look to build on after retaining the Ashes in a drawn series

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan20-Nov-20192:38

From Lower Dir to top tier, the Naseem Shah story

Big Picture

After two one-sided T20I series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, the opening Test of Australia’s home season promises much. Fingers crossed it delivers. Australia are looking to build on after retaining the Ashes in a drawn series while for Pakistan, it is their first assignment of the World Test Championship – in a country where they have never won a series and have not won a Test since 1995.With that record, it’s tempting to suggest it should be a walkover for the home side – and it may yet turn out that way – but it’s the more competitive possibilities that are mouthwatering. Pakistan have brought three teenage quicks, with 16-year-old Naseem Shah set to debut on Thursday, and there has been no shortage of talking them up. The batting also looks strong with new captain Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq having good personal memories of the last tour here in 2016-17 and Babar Azam appearing primed to kick on his Test career.From Australia’s point of view, it’s a summer with most things back to normal compared to the fraught atmosphere of 12 months ago. Steven Smith and David Warner are back, one looking to continue Bradman-esque form and the other hoping to re-establish his Test credentials having been dominated by Stuart Broad in England.However, it has not been a seamless build-up for Australia. The bat-off in Perth turned into more of a collapse-off, the end result is Cameron Bancroft – with a first-class average of 11 this season – is back in the Test squad. Then there was James Pattinson and his obscene language meaning he is out of this match. But quick bowlers is one thing Australia are not short of. In home conditions, the trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc could be the deciding factor.It is an important match for the ground itself, too, with the Gabba coming under increasing pressure for its status as one of the premier Test venues in the country. It has been guaranteed the opening Test of the 2021-22 Ashes but didn’t host India last year and it is yet to be confirmed if it will host a Test next year. There is an investment on the way, but there will be interest in the crowd figures over the next few days.

Form guide

Australia LWLDW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Pakistan LLLLW

In the spotlight

David Warner had an Ashes series to forget – 95 runs in ten innings – but there was never really any doubt that he would retain his place in the side. However, that rope cannot last forever (although the last thing the Australia selectors need at the moment is to find another opening batsman). Warner started the series with a Sheffield Shield century at the Gabba which bodes well and his T20I form was prolific. He enjoys batting in Brisbane and, 21 months after his last Test on home soil, it will be fascinating to see whether he can throw off the shackles.Babar Azam struggled on the 2016-17 tour with 68 runs in six innings but two years on, he returns to Australia carrying the expectation of a batsman on the cusp of greatness. The limited-overs game has gone supremely well, and he showed his class in the T20Is, and now it is time he takes his game up a level in Test cricket and lifts his current average of 35.28. The hundred against Australia A was full of his best shots and promises much for the next couple of weeks.Pakistan haven’t won a Test in Australia since 1995•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Team news

It was pretty simple for Australia after the loss of Pattinson. Michael Neser will hope his chance comes with the pink ball.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Matthew Wade, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodIftikhar Ahmed could slot in at No. 6 with the final decision in the pace attack likely to come down to Mohammad Abbas or Imran Khan, the latter took a five-wicket haul against Australia A.Pakistan (probable) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba is back in its traditional slot of hosting the opening Test of the season – after being pushed down the pecking order last season – and it should be a typical surface which is one of the better ones for Test cricket in the world: pace and carry for quicks, trueness the batsmen can trust and maybe some spin if the game goes deep. There was a tinge of green on match-eve, but that was enhanced by rolling in grass clippings. “I had never heard it described like this before from the curator,” Justin Langer said. “He said that ‘today we’ve got the makeup on’ and I think he meant grass clippings, and tomorrow it will probably look a bit greener than it does today. So a fascinating art and science to producing these great wickets.” The weather is set fair with temperatures in the high 20s throughout.

Stats and Trivia

• Australia have not lost at the Gabba since 1988.
• On the 2016-17 tour, Pakistan came within 40 runs of chasing down 490 as Shafiq scored a fourth-innings 137.
• Smith needs 27 runs for 7000 in Test cricket – he has six innings in hand to break Wally Hammond’s record for the fastest to the mark.

Quotes

“We are very respectful of the Pakistan team. I watched them bat at Optus Stadium last week and they have some very technically correct batsman. I’m not going to single out one; they are a very good batting side.”
“We have come here with a lot of confidence. We have the talent and potential to do well here. We have done well in patches in previous series but we come with a few fresh faces and we are very confident we have huge potential to beat Australia. To do that we have to keep believing, and play with no fear.”

Nottinghamshire’s rush of batting signings have been followed by Riki Wessels leaving the county for pastures new

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2018Worcestershire have completed their second signing in the space of two weeks with Riki Wessels moving from Nottinghamshire.Wessels, 32, has been released from his contract to take up a three-year deal after Nottinghamshire strengthened their batting resources with the signings of Ben Slater, Joe Clarke and Ben Duckett.He leaves after seven seasons at Trent Bridge and follows South African-born seamer Wayne Parnell, who also signed a three year deal, in strengthening the county’s ranks for next summer.It is another sign of Worcestershire’s intent to assemble a squad capable of making an instant return to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship as well as continue the limited-overs form which saw them win the Vitality Blast for the first time this season.Australian born Wessels, who obtained British citizenship in 2016, is particularly known as a destructive hitter in the white ball format.Worcestershire supporters know that only too well: he hit nine sixes in making 55 for Nottinghamshire in the Vitality Blast at Blackfinch New Road this summer.”Leaving Nottinghamshire was a difficult decision to make,” said Wessels. “I’ve spent eight years at Trent Bridge and enjoyed being part of successful teams that challenged for trophies but now is the right time for me to make a change.”Worcestershire will provide a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to starting another chapter of my career at a club that I have a lot of admiration for.”Notts’ director of cricket Mick Newell said: “Both parties feel that now is the right time for a change and for Riki to move on. We wish him luck for the future.”

The minimum retainers for the women’s cricket team surpassed the deals recently unveiled for top tier equivalents in soccer and AFL

Daniel Brettig12-Sep-2017Australia’s cricketers are now comfortably the highest paid female athletes in the country, with minimum retainers for the national team and domestic sides outstripping deals recently unveiled for top-tier contracts in soccer and AFL.While 2017 has been a breakthrough year for female athletes across the country through the inaugural AFLW competition and this week’s announcement of a new pay deal for female footballers with the Football Federation of Australia, the terms granted to cricketers under the MoU completed last week have put them well ahead of the rest.Under figures obtained by ESPNcricinfo, the minimum contract for a Cricket Australia-contracted player (minus match payments, prize money and other performance bonuses) will be A$ 72,076 for 2017-18, as opposed to a “tier-one” representative of the Matildas national soccer team on A$ 41,000 a year. Listed players at AFLW clubs earn between A$ 5,000 and A$ 25,000 each.All domestic contracted players – taking part in the WNCL and the WBBL – are entitled to deals worth A$ 25,659 from playing for their states, and a minimum A$ 10,292 (average of A$ 19,926) for playing in the domestic Twenty20 competition. By contrast, W-League soccer players will be paid wages ranging from A$ 10,000 to A$ 20,000.Average wages for international female cricketers – factoring in match fees and performance bonuses plus WBBL retainers – will be around A$ 180,000 this season, rising to A$ 211,000 in 2021-22, the final year of the recently completed MoU. Average wages for domestic-only players will be around A$ 55,000 this season, rising to A$ 58,000 in 2021-22.These figures, reached after a lengthy and often ugly period of negotiation and then dispute between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association, were always likely to be reached as both sides of the argument believed fundamentally in improving the lot of female players, not only by raising their wages but also by including all players in a single MoU for the first time.However the women were caught in the middle of the dispute as all players were left out of contract after the previous MoU expired on June 30, a deadline that passed in the middle of the World Cup contested in England this year – squad members signed short-term deals to enable to stay employed throughout the tournament. Ironically, the few weeks spent without pay for the women echoed the experiences of many in earlier years of their careers, as the vice-captain Alex Blackwell has said.”Women would have to take massive chunks of leave without pay, if not sacrifice their job, to go on tour to play for Australia,” Blackwell said in the ACA’s Onside magazine. “Over my career I have known team-mates of mine who have lost their jobs from being selected for their country and having to say to their employer, ‘I’m away for five weeks’. What would happen if that player got injured two days into the tour, would be that they lose the financial benefit of the tour and be in a really poor and vulnerable position.”This the first time that a female player group has come under an MoU, and for it to be one MoU combined is a historic event. I didn’t always feel like we were respected as well as we could have been in terms of the part we play in growing the game. So, that’s the first thing that this MoU makes me feel; like there has been a switch, and we are now partners in growing the game into something that is bigger and better.”CA has made a concerted effort to be more inclusive in recent years, and one of the battlegrounds of the pay war was the board’s claims that the players association had shown as much willingness to strive for gender equity – a claim the ACA rejected. Its recent strategy document for the next five years made no secret of CA’s desire to attract more women to the game as both fans and players, with major pay increases for female elite players a key part of their approach. The board’s stated goals include to:”Achieve gender equity across Australian Cricket. Develop and accelerate the opportunities for women in all areas and levels of our game. Sustainably grow women and girls’ participation, and make sure they find cricket clubs welcoming and enjoyable places to be. Cricket becomes a viable professional career for talented female athletes, who will be supported by an expansive and structured female pathway. Grow women’s elite cricket and remain number one in all formats. The WBBL becomes the undisputed leader of women’s sporting leagues in the world.”While the WBBL is currently played concurrently with the BBL, CA has flagged plans to move the tournament to a standalone slot in the calendar in October. The men’s and women’s World T20 tournaments to be hosted by Australia in 2020 will be played in separate slots, the women in February-March and the men in October-November.

India’s four-Test series against hosts West Indies on slow, low pitches will be as much a test of patience as of skill

The Preview by Sidharth Monga20-Jul-2016

Match facts

July 21-25, 2016
Start time 1000 local (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

Ajinkya Rahane has said it will be the key. R Ashwin has said this series will be all about it. West Indies coach Phil Simmons has said his side will harp on the word throughout the series. All signs so far point to a test of “patience” on what have become quintessential slow and low Caribbean pitches.The physicality of winning a Test in the West Indies, no matter how weak the regional Test side might have become, cannot be overstated. The outfields are heavy, which will mean a lot of running. Over the last 10 years, only Zimbabwe and the UAE have produced runs at a slower clip.This is an uneven contest with the best West Indies players not available through problems with the administration and other lucrative options available, the CPL in this case, which will clash with the Test series. As much as for the bowlers and the batsmen, this will be a test for the watching public of the Caribbean islands; many will be choosing between the modern stadiums sans the character of old hosting attritional Test cricket and the CPL matches full of life in the cooler and colourful evenings.If West Indies can manage to make time a factor with good attritional Test cricket, it could be a fascinating series. Make the Indian bowlers earn every wicket, make their batsmen go uneasy in an attempt to give the bowlers enough time, absorb the punches and land one when India leave themselves open in trying too hard. If it works in Antigua, in Jamaica they could even try to blindside India with a green seamer. At a time when West Indies, the World T20 champions, are on the mend in ODIs and have their own T20 party going on, the Test side will need to tell their fans why they should give them their patience.On the other end will be a side looking to break away from its limited ambition of the past. India have claimed they don’t want to win series 1-0 anymore. They want to win every Test. Their captain has said he won’t entertain tired bowlers in the final sessions of long days. Their new coach is an epitome of relentlessness. They won’t be shy of sacrificing a batsman for an allrounder or a bowler in order to claim 20 wickets. From their two warm-up games in St Kitts, they have realised they will have to stretch every sinew to take 20 wickets: batsmen might have to score quicker, and bowlers will have to peg away for long hours.

Form guide

West Indies DLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)


India WWDWW
Can Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo step up?•AFP

In the spotlight

Man of World T20 final. Averages 44.69 in ODIs since 2013. Yet Marlon Samuels, the most experienced player in the squad, can be considered lucky to be in the playing party. He has gone 10 Test innings without reaching 20, has scored only two hundreds in the last three years, and has averaged 25.14 in the period. His career average of 33.53 is hardly justification for either his talent or persistence over 64 Tests. If Kemar Roach’s dropping is anything to go by, West Indies selectors might be running out of patience and Samuels time. On him and Darren Bravo will rest the biggest responsibility for scoring runs.”I’m sure I’ll have to be as boring as possible in terms of trying to plug away all day long.” <b R Ashwin is not used to being boring. He has already bagged five Man-of-the-series awards in Tests, the joint most by an Indian. He takes a wicket every 52 balls – 46 at home, where he has been at his most effective. He takes a five-for every other Test. If West Indies do manage to hold India off, Ashwin will have to show he can be boring and persistent and, every once in a while, magical.

Team news

West Indies will have a new opener, a new wicketkeeper, a new pace attack and a new spinner from the last time they played a Test. Five men from their last Test XI are not even in this 13-man squad. Expect a debut for Miguel Cummins, Rajendra Chandrika to open alongside Kraigg Brathwaite, and Devendra Bishoo and Shannon Gabriel to make comebacks.West Indies (probable) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Rajendra Chandrika, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Jermaine Blackwood/ Leon Johnson/Roston Chase, 6 Carlos Brathwaite, 7 Shane Dowrich (wk), 8 Jason Holder (capt.), 9 Shanon Gabriel, 10 Miguel Cummins, 11 Devendra BishooIndia go in with a more settled side; seven months since they last played a Test in a different continent. Nobody will bat an eyelid if they retain the XI. Kohli admitted it was tough to choose between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, although he hinted Dhawan might retain his place. With the pitch expected to be flat, India are likely to continue with five bowlers, but the decision will be whether that fifth bowler should be a spinner, a pure seamer or an allrounder. Kohli has been known to prefer Stuart Binny in the role outside India. Mohammed Shami, who has taken the new ball on each of the three occasions that India have bowled in the warm-ups, should walk right back into the XI after injury kept him out for most of 2015.India(probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja/Stuart Binny, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammed Shami

Pitch and conditions

There was some grass on the surface, but it seemed dry underneath on the eve of the match. Kohli felt that the grass was only to hold the pitch together, and it would behave like an Indian track. The ball might not bounce much, with conditions favouring the batsmen initially.There have been brief, sharp showers on the days leading up to the Test, and more rain is forecast for days three and four. It’s hurricane season all over the Caribbean, but Antigua is usually one of the drier islands.

Stats and trivia

• India have played 27 limited-overs internationals since their last Test, in December last year. West Indies last played a Test in the first week of 2016, but have played only 13 other international matches since then.
• R Ashwin has 16 five-wicket hauls in his first 32 Tests, level with Clarrie Grimmett among spinners at the end of their 32nd Test.
• The five bowlers in the West Indies squad have a combined experience of 111 wickets. R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma have taken more by themselves.
• The Indian squad has scored 40 Test hundreds to West Indies’ 20.

Quotes

“I’m really happy to be back here. The atmosphere is really good, people like cricket, they support it. I’m really excited to play a Test match here after so long. So is everyone else in the team.”
“It’s the first time I’m involved in a series playing four Tests. I think the name of the game is recovery in between Test matches. There’s not much time either. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be tough for every member of the squad.”

India’s team director Ravi Shastri is set to skip the tour of Zimbabwe next month owing to professional commitments that he had had agreed upon before the BCCI offered him a two-year contract extension

Amol Karhadkar28-Jun-2015India’s team director Ravi Shastri is set to skip the tour of Zimbabwe next month owing to professional commitments that he had had agreed upon before the BCCI offered him a two-year contract extension. India will be managed in Zimbabwe by the three assistant coaches B Arun, Sanjay Bangar and R Sridhar, who have been with the team for almost a year now.Shastri is understood to have agreed for an analyst role during the high-profile Ashes series with Sky, the official broadcaster. According to a BCCI insider, since Shastri had signed the Sky deal before he was offered the role of team director for the tour of Bangladesh, he had made it clear he would not be available for the series in Zimbabwe. The BCCI, though, is confident that Shastri will be available for India’s three-Test series in Sri Lanka starting in August.This would be the second time since taking over as team director during India’s tour to England last year that Shastri will not be with the Indian team. He had also skipped the first half of the tri-series in Australia before the World Cup because of personal reasons.

England will begin the defence of their Women’s World Cup title against Sri Lanka on February 2 at the Wankhede Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2012England will begin the defence of their Women’s World Cup title against Sri Lanka on February 2 at the Wankhede Stadium. The hosts, India, will play on the opening day of the tournament against West Indies at the same venue and the final will be held at the Cricket Club of India ground on February 17.The eight teams that have qualified have been split into two groups of four and the initial stage of the tournament will see one team eliminated from each group with the remaining sides progressing to the Super Six phase. As with the men’s World Twenty20, the teams will retain their seedings from the group stage regardless of the position they finish – so, for example, if England finish third in their group they will still progress as A1.England, Australia, New Zealand and India qualified for the tournament after finishing as the top four in the 2009 competition and will be joined in Mumbai by West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa. West Indies are one of the rapidly improving sides in the women’s game and reached the semi-finals of the recent World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.A total of 25 matches will be played across five venues in Mumbai – Wankhede Stadium, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Cricket Club of India (CCI), Middle Income Group Club Ground (MIG) and DY Patil Stadium. Ten of the matches will be broadcast live.Alan Isaac, the ICC president, said: “This will be the third time that India has staged the Women’s World Cup but this could be by far the most significant. I feel that we are on the verge of a massive sea change in the women’s game and where better for that to take place than in the great city of Mumbai.”Last month the World Cup trophy was detained at Mumbai airport because officials said it had not been brought into India under the correct procedure.For a full fixture list click here

On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against Ne

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane28-Nov-2011On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against New Zealand.Siddle and Arthur spoke at length during the team’s first training session in Brisbane, the Victorian paceman accepting the critical role he must play in a bowling quartet that will feature two debutants alongside himself and Lyon. James Pattinson is favoured to take the third spot, leaving the local man Ben Cutting to duel with Mitchell Starc’s left-arm for the final place. All will get the chance to influence the captain and selector Michael Clarke when he bats in the Gabba nets on Tuesday.Having selected the most callow Australian bowling ensemble since the 1988 Pakistan tour – the last time an XI was chosen with fewer than the 126 wickets this team can boast between its members – Arthur and Clarke must decide on a practical balance.Each of Pattinson, Cutting and Starc have been commonly used as aggressors by their states and are not so familiar with the hard graft of long spells, leaving Siddle to do much of the heavy lifting. Arthur said that Lyon, who has been ushered gently into Test cricket by Clarke over his first five Tests, would now have more to do.”That’s certainly going to be a role we’re going to need,” Arthur said. “I think our spinner can play that role quite effectively, I thought he bowled beautifully today, so I’m hoping he can play that role, and then we can rotate those guys.”Bowling at the Gabba, overs 0-30 is about getting the ball up and making the ball work for you, 30-60 is the hard work, rolling the sleeves up, hitting back of a length and building pressure, and hopefully 60-80 you can get the ball to reverse. I’m hoping that overs 30-60 the young guys can stand up and build that pressure as much as we need the pressure to be built at that time.”There’s going to be four real young bowlers, Pete Siddle is going to have to lead the attack for us, there’s no doubt about that. I had a chat to him about it this morning and he’s ready for that responsibility. But it is going to be interesting, we’ve got to look at what’s going to be the best attack, and who’s bowling the best and gives us the most variation.”Lyon has never bowled at the Gabba, but can expect to profit from the bounce and occasional turn available to a spin bowler with sufficient discipline. Graeme Swann struggled for traction on the ground in last year’s Ashes Test, but later said that was more to do with bowling badly than not finding any comfort in the surface.”At the Gabba if it’s done a little bit it generally starts a little bit soft, which allows a bit of grip,” Arthur said. “And the one thing a spinner does get is bounce, and spinners thrive on bounce. So they do get bounce here. I’m really hoping he can do the job, I reckon he can.”Siddle agreed the task ahead was as daunting as it would be exciting, guiding bowlers as young and unaffected as he was on his debut against India at Mohali in 2008. Since then, Siddle has fought injuries but also refined his body shape, to be the hardiest if not flashiest member of Australia’s pace battery.”A little bit daunting, thinking these blokes are all so young and all haven’t played, so that does make it a little bit daunting, but it does make it exciting as well,” Siddle said. “To get the opportunity to play with some of these guys that obviously can be the future of Australian cricket, to go out there and hopefully lead them and show them some good things.”I’m looking forward to it … it is going to be tough and nervous for them at the start, but I’m looking forward to being a part of it with them, being able to enjoy it with them. Even last week to be involved with Patty [Cummins] and talk to him at mid off or mid on and just see how he goes about it, I’m very excited about these next few weeks.”Given his knack for away swing, Pattinson appears the most likely debutant to share the new ball, a welcome scenario for Siddle having known the younger man since he was “about 10 years old”.”I’ve played with his brother in club cricket for about 11 years now and I’ve known Jimmy since he was about 10, so he’s been like a little brother to me since I’ve moved down to Melbourne,” Siddle said. “I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve got to play with him for Victoria, so hopefully I do get the chance to get out on the park with him and better yet we could open the bowling together in a Test match, that would be quite amazing.”Among the players at Allan Border Field was a ginger-looking Shaun Marsh, who Arthur said was unlikely to be considered before the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.

If Australia needed any convincing about England’s resilience they were given a day-long example as Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook hit magnificent centuries

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan28-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Strauss roars after reaching his century as England put Australia to the sword•Getty Images

If Australia needed any convincing about England’s resilience they were given a day-long example as Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook hit magnificent centuries to give the visitors a golden chance to save the opening Test in Brisbane. The openers added 188 and when Strauss departed for 110, the challenge was taken up by Jonathan Trott, who helped Cook put on a further 121 for the second wicket. Cook ended unbeaten on 132 and England held a lead of 88 when bad light closed in.While few expected England to fold in a heap – they rarely do these days – even fewer would have expected a stumps score of 1 for 309. However, inspired by their captain the tourists set about showing they’d learnt the lessons from their poor first innings and gave Australia a day of toil in the field to match what England had suffered on Saturday. There is still time for the home side to force something on the final day, but nothing in their bowling in this innings has suggested they have the firepower to succeed.Strauss’s 19th Test hundred, and fourth against Australia, arrived from 184 balls when he late cut Xavier Doherty and his aggression against spin was a key part of the innings. He knew England couldn’t block their way to safety, and often used his feet to advance and loft down the ground. Strauss’s century celebration was unusually emotional; it hadn’t been the easiest start to the series after his first-morning failure and this was another example of England’s spirit. The stage was set for him to make it a massive hundred, following Hussey’s lead, but he was beaten in flight by Marcus North and couldn’t regain his ground, stumped by Brad Haddin.Cook reached his landmark with a rasping cut shortly after tea and this match has been an emphatic response from somebody who still had his fair share of doubters coming in to the tour. Shortly afterwards he gave a tough chance to Peter Siddle at fine leg off a top-edged pull, but Siddle couldn’t quite hold on as he dived forward. Trott was also given a reprieve, on 34, when Michael Clarke’s valiant attempt at point failed as the ball slipped out of his finger tips and this time Siddle was the bowler to suffer.England’s opening pair ticked off a few records along their way, including the visitors’ highest stand at the Gabba and the best opening effort by any touring team in Brisbane. They also became England’s most prolific first-wicket duo in Test cricket, although the record was diluted somewhat as they have played more than twice as many innings as the Jack Hobbs-Herbert Sutcliffe pairing they overtook. But that was a minor point in the bigger picture of England trying to claw their way back into the match, which they did with an impressively aggressive approach. The time-runs equation could be vital in the end.

Smart Stats

• The 188-run stand between Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook is the seventh-highest partnership by an England opening pair in Australia. It is also the second-highest after the 203-run stand between Michael Atherton and Graham Gooch at Adelaide in 1991.

• Cook and Strauss became the most prolific opening pair for England in Tests, surpassing the aggregate of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe.

• Strauss’s century was his first in Australia. He made 247 runs in 10 innings on the previous tour.

• Cook’s century was his second against Australia and 14th overall. His previous century came at Perth in 2006.

• Mitchell Johnson has picked up just 24 wickets in eight Tests since January 14, 2010 at an average of more than 41. At home, he has just one wicket in two Tests.

• The century stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott was the tenth for the second wicket for visiting teams in Australia since 2000. It was also the third century stand for the second wicket for England, the highest being 170 between Ian Bell and Cook at Perth in 2006.

Having survived a first-ball review yesterday evening, Strauss gave a commanding display, punctuated with his favourite cuts and drives. However, he was given a significant let-off on 69 when Mitchell Johnson, in the midst of a torrid match, spilled a relatively simple chance at mid-off when Strauss tried to loft Doherty down the ground. There was another moment of alarm when he misjudged a pull on 88 which looped over point then an edge flew between the slips to take him to 96, but Strauss will feel England were owed a little luck.The clearest sign that Strauss’s game was in top order came from his shots through cover, which were a hallmark of his dashing start to Test cricket back in 2004. He latched on to Ben Hilfenhaus and Shane Watson when they over-pitched, while waiting on the back foot for anything short. Though the ball was only 15 overs old when play resumed there was very little assistance for the quick bowlers and Johnson, who was the fourth option used by Ricky Ponting, resorted to trying a bouncer-attack at Strauss, but a slow pitch nullified the threat.Cook showed the same application as he had in the first innings after an early alarm when he sliced a cut between third slip and gully. Most of his other 10 boundaries came out of the middle and he even showed the cover drive, which is rarely seen from him these days. Initially, Cook outscored his captain but normal service was resumed as he dug in but he never became flustered and ticked the scoreboard over. He hacked Doherty through midwicket then cut him for three to move to 97 but had to spend the tea interval sat two short of his hundred, although didn’t have to wait long. It was the first time since 1938 that both England openers had hit Ashes hundreds in the same innings.After Strauss’s aggression towards spin brought his demise, Trott began in positive fashion, which meant the scoring didn’t seize up. He carried England into the lead with an elegant cover-drive off the struggling Johnson and he ensured two set batsmen were ready to face the second new ball when it came at the beginning of the final session.Once again a crucial period loomed but Cook and Trott were equal to the challenge. Hilfenhaus found some swing and there were the two tough chances, yet it wasn’t quite the threat everyone expected. In a sign of desperation Ponting used up his last review when Trott padded up to Hilfenhaus, but the ball was easily missing off stump and Trott’s fifty soon followed as he tucked into Johnson’s wayward offerings. This Test has had too many twists to think the final day will be plain sailing, but if England can hold their nerve it will be another in their recent history of incredible rearguards.