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Injury just 20 days away from New Zealand’s ODI World Cup opener; timeline for recovery yet to be established

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Sep-2023Tim Southee will fly home to New Zealand with his World Cup involvement in doubt, after scans revealed he had dislocated and fractured a bone in his right thumb while dropping a catch during the fourth ODI against England.Southee suffered the injury trying to take a catch off Joe Root (on 8 at the time) while fielding at a wide first slip off the last delivery of the 14th over at Lord’s, bowled by Ben Lister. He signalled his discomfort immediately before being escorted off the field by a member of the touring medical team.After leaving the ground for a scan, he did not play any further part in New Zealand’s 100-run loss – Trent Boult replaced him as a substitute fielder, while he didn’t come out to bat in the latter stages of the innings.With just 20 days before New Zealand begin their World Cup campaign, against England in Ahmedabad in the opening game of the tournament, New Zealand will hope the further assessment can allow Southee to keep his place in the 15-man squad for what will be his fourth ODI World Cup.”It’s not ideal for Timmy,” Tom Latham, New Zealand’s captain, said. “He’s a massive leader amongst the group and obviously he’ll be assessed over the coming days when we get back home to see how bad it is, but we do have a bit of time leading into those first couple of games, so we’ll know more over the next couple of days.”He’s a pretty resilient character, so I’m sure he’ll be doing all he can to be on the plane, ready for that first game. But it’s hard to know at this point what the timeframe will be. Once he gets home and has a few more scans, we’ll know the extent of what’s going on.”Remarkably, Southee was the third of three injuries sustained in New Zealand’s cordon, and their fourth of the match overall. Daryl Mitchell dislocated his ring finger taking a smart low catch to dismiss Jonny Bairstow, before Finn Allen – on for Mitchell – suffered a laceration on the little finger of his right hand when giving Root his first life on 7 after a misjudged late cut, again off Lister. Root was unable to make the most of the two bits of fortune, eventually bowled by Rachin Ravindra for 29. However, Allen was later cleared of any further damage to his finger.Lister’s misery was compounded when he hobbled off with a hamstring issue after bowling six overs, an injury that has now ended his stint with Kent, for whom he was due to play in the remainder of their County Championship campaign. Neither Allen nor Lister, who was drafted into this series as a replacement for Adam Milne, are in the World Cup squad.Mitchell was able to return to the field and cover for the loss of two quicks with seven overs of medium pace. He finished with figures of 2 for 40, removing Jos Buttler for 36 with his fourth delivery, and then snaring David Willey in the final over as England reached 311 for 9. However, he made just 4 from 14 balls with the bat as New Zealand’s series hopes faded.

Buttler called on players to be “braver’ after ‘timid’ defeats in opening two games

Matt Roller11-Jul-2022Jos Buttler implored his England team to be “braver” after “timid” performances with the bat in their first two T20 internationals against India, Matthew Mott has revealed.England were bowled out for 148 and 121 in Buttler’s first two matches as their full-time limited-overs captain on Thursday and Saturday, losing by 50 and 49 runs respectively. Mott, their new white-ball coach, admitted they had been taken aback by the “ferocity” of India’s new attacking gameplan.Buttler addressed his squad after the second defeat in Birmingham on Saturday night and told them they should be “prepared to make some mistakes” rather than batting too cautiously. The response was a total of 215 for 7 batting first at Trent Bridge on Sunday, their highest T20I score since February 2020 and one which they defended by a margin of 17 runs despite Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliant 117.”We learned a lot of lessons in the first two games,” Mott said. “India obviously came out with a really attacking mindset and put us under pressure a lot. We expected that, but the ferocity of it took us by surprise a little bit.”After the second loss and the series loss, I thought he [Buttler] spoke exceptionally well in the group about these being the times where you learn about character. It’s easy when you’re dominating teams but we’re going to learn more about ourselves playing great teams like India and South Africa leading into a World Cup – we’re going to learn more about what we need in Australia when we’re put under pressure.”We talked about just being a bit braver. If anything, we could have been accused of being a bit timid with the bat. [On Sunday] we just went out there and thought, ‘it’s a great wicket, let’s put a score out there and hang on.’ We don’t like losing but I think there is plenty that we’ve taken out of this series already and it sets us up well for the summer.”England were without several first-choice players throughout the series including Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, who have been pencilled in at No. 3 and 4 respectively for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. But, if he is available, Stokes could alternatively be used lower down in a finishing role, with Dawid Malan’s 77 off 39 balls on Sunday serving a reminder of his credentials after an early reprieve when Harshal Patel dropped a caught-and-bowled chance.Malan’s innings was his first T20I half-century in a year and came after a scratchy innings of 19 off 25 on Saturday. His attacking intent early in his innings was a notable departure from his usual template: “Malan was unbelievable,” Mott said. “In the last game he wasn’t that happy with the way he got going and he worked really hard this morning. He played a special innings.”Mott expects to have something approaching a full-strength squad available for the three T20Is against South Africa from July 27-31. They will be the final games England play before naming their T20 World Cup squad in mid-September, immediately before they travel to Pakistan for a seven-match series – though some multi-format players will be rested for that tour.Related

• Buttler's challenge is to find his own voice, and continue England's evolution

• Suryakumar Yadav's pyrotechnics leave Trent Bridge in awe, solidify spot for T20 World Cup

• Reece Topley's hard yards overcome Trent Bridge's bowlers' graveyard

• Virat Kohli's nine-ball buy-in shows India's new way is here to stay

• Attacking mantra, Bhuvneshwar's form and Suryakumar's consistency bode well for India

“I don’t think [the World Cup squad] is all locked in yet,” Mott said. “This far out, you’ve got so many things that could happen – whether it’s injuries or form, or whatever. We’ve got a fair idea of what we think the right make-up is, but you want players to come in and perform and really warrant that spot. It’s still open for a lot of players and that’s why we are having looks at different combinations and trying to learn.”Mott also took positives from England’s death bowling, which has been a problem area over the last two years. “It was an unbelievable experience for some of those bowlers,” he said. “[Reece] Topley was magnificent and [Richard] Gleeson has been a real find for us. All the intel that I’ve had is that it’s definitely been an area that we’re looking to improve, so to be under that sort of pressure and hold our nerve gives us a lot of confidence.”England will welcome Stokes, Bairstow, Joe Root and Craig Overton into their squad for this week’s ODI series against India, which starts on Tuesday at the Kia Oval. “They’re obviously world-class players,” Mott said. “As a coach, it’s a great opportunity to learn from probably some of the best players in this format of all-time.”They’ll bring some energy into the group and they’re really excited to be there. I don’t think they’ll have to change a hell of a lot from the way they’ve been playing but it’s a slightly different format. They come in pretty hot and we’re straight into it: that’s the modern game. We’ll see how everyone pulls up.”

The Victoria government has imposed a strict five-day lockdown due to a Covid outbreak starting on Friday night

Alex Malcolm and Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2021Victoria and New South Wales are planning to push ahead with Monday’s Marsh Cup opener at North Sydney Oval despite difficulties in getting the Victoria side to Sydney following their state government’s decision to impose a strict five-day Covid lockdown starting at midnight on Friday.The Victorian government announced on Friday afternoon that the state would head into its third strict lockdown in 10 months following an outbreak of the new variant of Covid-19 from a quarantine hotel near Melbourne Airport.In response, the NSW government announced that any travellers arriving from Melbourne into NSW would be forced to undergo a five-day stay-at-home order in line with the Victoria lockdown.Related

• Pucovski might require shoulder surgery, could miss rest of domestic season

• Pat Cummins named NSW captain for the rescheduled Marsh Cup

• Restructured Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup to forge ahead

The decision by the Victorian state government forced a flurry of meetings at Cricket Australia and amongst the state cricket associations as the men’s 50-over Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield were due to recommence next week while the women’s 50-over competition, the WNCL, was already in progress with Victoria and New South Wales playing the second of back-to-back matches at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Friday.The NSW women were able to secure a flight out of Melbourne on Friday night prior to the lockdown being imposed at midnight. But Victoria’s men’s team was unable to get on an early flight to Sydney ahead of Monday’s Marsh Cup match.On Friday evening, Cricket Victoria was still working with Cricket New South Wales and the Victoria and NSW state governments on the team’s travel plan to Sydney with the aim for the match to still go ahead. The team first needs government clearance to fly to Sydney and also needs to secure enough seats on a plane as the number of flights available between the two states changed due to the Victorian government’s lockdown. There is an expectation that the Victorian team will get clearance and be able to fly to Sydney on Sunday.The game is due to be Pat Cummins’ captaincy debut for NSW after he was named as the Blues’ Marsh Cup captain for the remainder of the season.Victoria and Australia batsman Will Pucovski is set to miss the Marsh Cup and Shield match that follows as he continues to struggle with his shoulder injury.Earlier this week, Cricket Australia announced a restructured Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup fixture for the remainder of the season despite some state border concerns already existing prior to the Melbourne outbreak.Only Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland were fixtured to play on resumption next week because the majority of Western Australia’s playing squad and coaching staff are stuck in mandatory 14-day home quarantine in Perth. The WA government has imposed a 14-day quarantine on travellers from states that have not been Covid-free for 28 days, meaning that the players and coaches involved with the Perth Scorchers in the BBL final in Sydney had to quarantine on return home.The WA team is due to travel to NSW for a Marsh Cup match on March 14 although the WA government’s quarantine requirements for travellers from NSW will be dropped between now and then should NSW remain Covid-free.Victoria’s women are due to head to WA for a WNCL match on March 18 while the men are due to travel to WA for a Shield match on March 23. The WA government has reinstated a hard border with Victoria meaning no travellers can enter without police clearance, and any exempt travellers with clearance would be required to do 14-days hotel quarantine.Victoria coach Chris Rogers spoke early on Friday morning prior to the announcement of Victoria’s five-day lockdown and expressed concern about whether the season could be completed in full.”We’re worried about the fact that we might not get games in,” Rogers said. “There’s probably an expectation or at least some wriggle room around the fact that we might have some games cancelled.”It’s probably up to me and the coaches to prepare players to play and what will be will be. We just have to roll with the punches as a lot of sports have done and take what comes.”You’d love for every game to go ahead but one of our last games is against Western Australia in Perth so that’s going to be touch and go. We’ll have to see how that plays out.”

Ahead of Pakistan’s first ODI since their World Cup exit, Sarfaraz Ahmed said the new selector-cum-coach instils confidence in youngsters to play their natural game

Danyal Rasool in Karachi26-Sep-2019Ten months before Pakistan won the Champions Trophy in 2017, the death of Pakistan’s limited-overs cricket had been pronounced, and who cared what they did with the ashes? Pakistan had spent the summer prancing about England, getting pummelled ODI after another by a team that had just a year earlier failed to make the final eight at the 2015 World Cup.So how, ten months later, did Pakistan beat that same England side in the semi-final of a Champions Trophy that England were all but nailed on to win?It sure as heck didn’t happen because Pakistan got their domestic act together; the very prospect of that happening, even as the PCB have
launched a fresh initiative to restructure the circuit, feels faintly surreal. Four games before they beat India in a final that left fans in the country more gobsmacked than delirious, they had succumbed to a predictably crushing defeat against the same opponents, the perennial faults in their ODI game on full display in Birmingham almost to the point of caricature.It was supposed to be a turning point, especially when a few months later they whitewashed Sri Lanka to stretch their ODI streak to nine, and Mickey Arthur’s promises to have brought Pakistan – sometimes kicking and screaming – into the modern era seemed somehow to have worked, even if it appeared to have happened a little too quickly to be trusted.That was about as good as it got, though. Pakistan are ranked sixth in the ODI rankings, having failed to qualify for the last four of the recently concluded World Cup and replaced the entire backroom staff as a result. They would win just one ODI against a top eight ODI side in all of 2018, and a 3-2 ODI series loss to South Africa at the start of this year was followed by nine consecutive defeats by Australia and England.ALSO READ: What do Pakistan expect from coach Misbah?Since the start of 2018 until before that improbable four-match winning streak at the tail-end of the World Cup, Pakistan had won 11 of 35 completed games, seven of those coming against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. It was reminiscent of the side that barely sneaked into the final automatic qualification spot for the Champions Trophy, not the one that scorched everyone in their path to win it.The promises that were made, and the ones fans imagined had been made, in those heady days in the summer of 2017, did not come to pass. As such, the tournament became a yardstick to measure performance again, but with no one, not even the coaching staff, having the foggiest idea how they came away with the title, there was no model to replicate. Hasan Ali came into the event almost unknown and walked away as the player of the tournament and the world’s best ODI bowler. Shadab Khan’s star continued to rise, and in Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan believed they had the modern opener they were robbed of when Sharjeel Khan was banned.But an innings like the one Fakhar Zaman played in that final was an outlying freak, not a replicable model, certainly not with the technical deficiencies still obvious in the left-hander’s game. Yet you get the impression Fakhar still goes out to bat every match with that innings in mind, which is hardly ideal preparation for any game. His is, after all, a game that relies heavily on confidence, and Sarfaraz Ahmed believed Misbah, the man who replaces Arthur, was the right man to instil it.”Mickey Arthur and Misbah are two very different kinds of people, obviously,” Sarfaraz said ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka. “He had his own style of coaching while Misbah has his. Misbah is just in so he’ll obviously bring his own philosophy to the role but he’s given players the same message. For example, he’s told Fakhar Zaman to play his natural game, because that’s what he’s in the team for.”Hasan Ali has regressed in the last year, too. After 68 wickets at under 21 in his first 33 matches, he has managed just 14 in his last 20, each
coming at just under 69 runs per scalp. Sarfaraz’s own batting has been under the microscopes, especially with Rizwan breathing down his neck now, while no one is quite sure whether Mohammad Amir, newly retired from Test cricket, will be the spearhead he was at the World Cup, or the struggling journeyman he appeared for the two years prior.There are bright spots if you squint hard enough, though. Imam-ul-Haq has cemented his name at the top of the order, a position Pakistan found a particularly pesky puzzle for several years. Babar Azam is no longer a batsman with great potential – how many of those have there been in Pakistan – but the first name on the team sheet and one of the best batsmen in the world across formats. Now, he is also Sarfaraz Ahmed’s deputy, and Sarfaraz believed he could already rub shoulders with the game’s elite.”Babar Azam can be in that category the [of Smith, Kohli, Root and Williamson] way he is progressing. In truth, he even ranks among them now. If he can keep up his form, he’ll begin to be talked among that list by everyone very quickly.”As for Pakistan’s own outlook towards the format, Sarfaraz chose to take it one step at a time. “We need to bring consistency to our ODI cricket, and for that, there are a few areas of our game we need to work on. We’re going to try to ensure it doesn’t ever get to the point where we actually need to be worried about qualifying for the World Cup again.”Nobody could the team, then, of setting their sights too high, but a reminder of what happened when they last tried that is a memory still
fresh enough for the players to recoil from. Pakistan haven’t become the team they looked like on that heady day at the Oval, but you might want to hold off on the cremation ceremony.

Matt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-20181:13

Somerset silence stubborn Worcestershire

ScorecardMatt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham. The left-arm seamer finished with 4 for 31 from 16 overs to help bowl out the visitors for 298, chasing a victory target of 340.Cameron Steel and Tom Latham gave Durham a promising start, but they wilted against Taylor, Craig Miles and Ryan Higgins on another sweltering afternoon and Mark Wood’s unbeaten 61 proved in vain.Gloucestershire took 23 points from their first Championship win since the opening round of fixtures, while their opponents had to be content with five after four days of tough and competitive cricket.Durham began the day on 35 without loss and enjoyed the better of the morning session. Latham and Steel took their opening stand to 94 against some accurate Gloucestershire bowling before Latham fenced at a ball from Matt Taylor and edged through to Gareth Roderick.Steel was unbeaten on 57 at lunch, with the total 121 for 1, but he when he perished in the second over after the interval, lbw to Miles falling across his stumps, it signalled a transformation in fortunes. Taylor and Higgins settled in to bowl probing spells from the Chapel End and College Lawn End respectively, tying the batsmen down and making vital breakthroughs.Higgins removed Graham Clark and Will Smith during a six-over spell that brought him 2 for 23, Clark falling to a fine full-length diving catch by Roderick and Smith pinned lbw.Taylor was equally impressive and claimed the key wicket of Ben Stokes, who had begun positively, but moved to only 9 before being bowled on the back foot. The same fate befell Stuart Poynter, on 8, and at 201 for 6, Durham still required a further 139.They were given renewed hope by Wood and Michael Richardson, who took the score to 226 for 6 at tea and continued to bat solidly in the final session. Wood was dropped on 18 by Miles Hammond at cover off Kieran Noema-Barnett and responded by hitting four fours in an over from Miles just before the second new ball.Richardson had helped add 59 when falling lbw for 26 looking to work Miles through the leg side. Soon it was 267 for 8 as Matt Salisbury was bowled on the back-foot by Miles for a single.Gloucestershire had their tails up, but while Wood was there Durham had a chance. He began to run out of partners when George Harding chipped a tame catch to midwicket off Taylor and departed for 7.Wood, who was able to bowl only six overs in the match because of a sore heel, moved to a defiant fifty off 74 balls, with nine fours. But when Chris Rushworth was caught behind to give Higgins his third wicket, Gloucestershire had won with 11 overs left in the day’s play.

The hosts have struggled against the concerted discipline of Afghanistan, but if they want to go 2-1 up, they need to attack

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu13-Jun-2017

Match facts

June 14, 2017
Start time 1430 local (1830 GMT)

Big Picture

If there ever was a time to rally round the West Indies, it is now. They are ranked No. 9 – one spot below the bar for direct entry into the 2019 World Cup – and even if they win this series against Afghanistan, they will finish with fewer points (78) than they had prior to its start (79).West Indies have 11 more ODIs before the cut-off date of September 30, but 10 of them are against India and England – both front-runners to win the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy. Considering their inconsistency, it ‘s looking increasingly likely that West Indies, the former two-time world champions, might have to enter a qualification round to even have a chance at winning another title.But before all that, they have to find a way past Afghanistan, or perhaps simply their legspinner Rashid Khan. In the first match, he took 7 for 18 to defend 212, followed by 3 for 26 in the second ODI to keep his side in the game for close to 40 overs, even though the target was only 136.A battery of the hosts’ easy-on-the-eye batsmen can do a lot better. After all, Evin Lewis cleaves the air itself when he cuts the ball, Roston Chase is so good he made Viv Richards chant his name and the first line on Jason Mohammed’s resume is “I led West Indies’ highest successful chase in ODIs”.The irony, though, is that every time the Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai steps up to speak, he says his bowling contingent can defend 200-odd. If West Indies had half of that belief in their strengths, they’d be alright.

Form guide

West Indies WLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWWLL

In the spotlight

A month ago, on a pitch with spiteful variations in bounce, Shai Hope had scored a match-winning, second-innings 90 for West Indies in Test cricket. Then, too, he had to deal with a legspinner, one whose variations are more threatening than his stock ball. But unlike Yasir Shah, Rashid bowls a lot faster and his action is different: somehow, even his legbreaks seem to come from the back of the hand. There’s trouble coming. But West Indies have Hope.Evin Lewis, at the top of the order, with his power-hitting ability, can break games open•WICB Media/Brooks LaTouche Photography Ltd

Afghanistan’s plan, it seems, is to bat first, put up a par score, bowl nice and tight in the early part of the chase and then befuddle the opposition with spin once the run-rate soars high enough. For the tourists to apply that scoreboard pressure on West Indies, Mohammad Nabi will be a key figure in the middle order. An experienced batsman, capable of batting through an innings, he will want to show it takes more than banging the ball halfway into the pitch to rattle his team.

Team news

Having won the last match by taking the insurance of an extra batsman, West Indies would’ve liked to stick with the same XI, but Shannon Gabriel is out of the final ODI courtesy a side strain he suffered during the second ODI. Kesrick Williams has replaced him in the squad. Williams is yet to make his ODI debut.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Rovman Powell, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Kesrick WilliamsAfghanistan bat till No. 9, but they’d want to front up better against the short ball, which claimed nearly all their wickets in their previous game.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Noor Ali Zadran, 2 Javed Ahmadi, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 5 Samiullah Shenwari, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Afsar Zazai (wk), 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Amir Hamza, 11 Dawlat Zadran

Pitch and conditions

This will be the third match of the series at the Darren Sammy stadium in less than a week so there is a likelihood that a used pitch might be furnished. Hitting through the line might, again, not be fun. Weather wise, there is a chance of rain but it shouldn’t linger.

Stats and trivia

• Rashid’s performance in the series – 10 wickets at an average of 4.40, strike-rate of 11.2 and economy rate of 2.35 – has vaulted him 18 places to No. 7 on the ICC rankings for ODI bowlers
• West Indies’ opening partnership has been awful since the 2015 World Cup. They have used six players to average 24.24 – the worst out of 16 teams

Another dominant bowling performance followed by another effortless chase led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third win of the season, a six-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab that took them top of the table

The Report by Nikhil Kalro19-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRobin Uthappa’s first fifty of the season helped Kolkata Knight Riders to their third win•BCCI

Another dominant bowling performance followed by another effortless chase led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third win of the season, a six-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab that took them top of the table. Knight Riders’ bowling depth proved telling as their spinners ripped through Kings XI, who put in a sub-par batting performance, to keep them to 138 for 8. In the chase, Robin Uthappa’s quickfire fifty effectively sealed the game. It was the 12th win by a chasing team in 13 games this season.Put in to bat, Kings XI lost Manan Vohra early when he flicked Morne Morkel to deep square leg but M Vijay looked in rhythm, scything drives and cuts before failing to pick a googly from Piyush Chawla. A slow start was made slower when Wriddhiman Saha, promoted to No. 4, struggled in a 14-ball 8. Shaun Marsh, though, held one end up despite not being at his most fluent.The stage was set for either David Miller or Glenn Maxwell to fire their side back, but Knight Riders’ experienced bowling attack strangled Kings XI’s middle order. With two left-handers batting – Marsh and Miller – Gautam Gambhir turned to Yusuf Pathan for the first time this season. The move reaped rewards when Miller edged Yusuf’s first ball and Uthappa took a sharp catch. Maxwell tried a switch-hit off Sunil Narine soon after walking in, and Kings XI’s season was summed up when he picked out extra cover. Narine’s remodeled action returned two wickets in a frugal spell in which he only conceded 5.50 an over. From 94 for 5 in the 15th over, there was little Kings XI could do but rebuild.Marsh used swift footwork and was particularly effective square of the wicket on both sides. He got to his fifty in the last over with a sweetly-timed lofted drive over long-on. Along with Kyle Abbott, he took Andre Russell’s first over – the last of the innings – for 18 to lift Kings XI to 138.With that total, Kings XI needed early wickets to have any hope, but Uthappa and Gambhir denied them by hitting nine boundaries in a 65-run Powerplay, the most productive this season.The seamers, Sandeep Sharma and Abbott, were inconsistent, but even when they found their lengths, Uthappa cleared the infield with lofted strokes on the up on a pitch offering even bounce.Uthappa eased himself to his first fifty of the season, getting to the landmark in just 24 balls, before getting out to a premeditated sweep, playing around a full delivery from Pardeep Sahu. Gambhir looked set for another fifty before a leading edge was acrobatically taken by Glenn Maxwell, running in from deep midwicket.Axar Patel removed Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan, but Knight Riders were too close to their target by then, and Suryakumar Yadav and Yusuf took them home with 17 balls to spare.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between England and Australia

The Preview by Alan Gardner15-Sep-2013

Match facts

September 16, Ageas Bowl
Start time 2pm (1300 GMT)England’s bowling clicked in the fourth one-dayer•PA Photos

Big Picture

England’s international season, which began with a Test against New Zealand on May 16, will reach its terminus down on the south coast with the deciding ODI of the series. Their opponents, Australia, have been here more than three months themselves (and will return home with a different coach), so there is likely to be an unavoidable sense of ‘school’s out’ come the presentation ceremony at the conclusion of the fifth one-dayer in Southampton.Despite poor weather scrubbing out two rubbers, the series is neatly poised at 1-1 after England’s improved display in Cardiff. An inexperienced attack made good use of the conditions, Eoin Morgan having won a useful toss, and the depth in the batting (plus a little magic from Jos Buttler) bailed them out after Clint McKay’s hat-trick. Some will say that the inclusion of a fourth genuine pace bowler might have kept Australia to an even smaller total but Morgan and Ashley Giles will feel some justification for continuing to back an experimental side.Despite having played some impressive cricket, Australia find themselves facing the possibility of another series defeat. Michael Clarke has only been involved in one international victory on the whole tour and his chances of leading the team to a morale-boosting triumph have been knocked by the news that his back – which prevented him from playing a part in the Champions Trophy – is playing up again. With yet more ODIs on the horizon (in India), ahead of the return Ashes, Australia won’t be taking any chances.Both teams may be a little battle weary but the prospect of an Ageas Bowl belter should perk up the batsmen, at least. If the rain stays away, we can justifiably hope for a carnival atmosphere and some six-hitting saturnalia to sign off the summer. Savour it, because there’s an almost ten-week gap before hostilities resume Down Under.

Form guide

England WLWLW (Completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWLL

Watch out for…

Boyd Rankin was added to England’s ODI squad as cover during the New Zealand series before making his debut in a T20 after the Champions Trophy. The former Ireland quick transferred his allegiance with a view to playing Test cricket – and his limited-overs inclusion was seen in some quarters as a ploy to seal the switch – but he has impressed hugely and his one-day returns could push him up the queue for a berth in England’s Ashes party.Another player who has pressed his Test credentials during the ODI series is Clarke’s vice-captain, George Bailey. His chances of coming into contention for a place in Australia’s Test middle order probably rest more heavily on early season Sheffield Shield form at home, but an ODI average pushing 50 won’t do any harm. Both of his knocks in this series have yielded 80s and he has been central to Australia’s plan to unsettle James Tredwell.

Team news

England have cleaved unwaveringly to this XI through the series and it is a fair bet they will continue to stick rather than twist. Chris Jordan and Jamie Overton have patiently waited for debuts but could find themselves carrying the drinks again.England (possible) 1 Michael Carberry, 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Joe Root, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Ben Stokes, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Steven Finn, 11 Boyd RankinShaun Marsh has been ruled out after straining a hamstring in Cardiff, so Phillip Hughes will come in as a like-for-like replacement at the top of the order. Clarke will be assessed in the morning, with Glenn Maxwell providing cover. Spinners on both sides took a bit of punishment in the T20 in Southampton but Fawad Ahmed could return for Nathan Coulter-Nile, depending on conditions.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Adam Voges, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Coulter-Nile/Fawad Ahmed, 11 Clint McKay

Pitch and conditions

Aaron Finch will have fond memories of the Ageas Bowl pitch, having battered England like a piñata in the first T20 last month, piling up a world-record 156. In recent times, Ian Bell, Hashim Amla and Martin Guptill have all played memorable ODI knocks on the ground, although a mixed forecast for Monday could give the bowlers some encouragement.

Stats and trivia

• If England win the match – and with it the series – they will move above Australia to second in the one-day rankings.
• Only Ian Bell has scored more ODI runs at the Ageas (formerly Rose) Bowl than Eoin Morgan’s 322 at 80.50.
• In his first 14 ODI innings, Joe Root reached double figures on every occasion; in his last four, he has recorded three single-figure scores, including a first duck.
• Josh Hazlewood made his debut against England in Southampton three years ago.

Quotes

“He’s taken a huge amount of responsibility on shoulders for such a young guy and he’s come up trumps. He’s certainly been one of our finds for the series.”
“He’s a huge part of our team and he deserves this. It’s a pretty good hat-trick to have – some good players in there.”

Mushfiqur Rahim knows what he is up against on Tuesday, but held out a brave front

Abhishek Purohit in Pallekele24-Sep-2012You summoned incredible courage once and beat up the school bully back in class five, but it doesn’t help if till then, and thereafter, he has thrashed you every single time. The memory of that one triumph might even start to fade with each successive failure. In 44 meetings, Bangladesh have defeated Pakistan all of once, in the 1999 World Cup. It’s been more than 13 years and 37 losses since that heady Northampton evening. The unfortunate part for Bangladesh is, even a win, unlikely as it seems, may not be enough to keep them in the tournament. Nothing less than a comprehensive victory will do.Mushfiqur Rahim knows what he is up against on Tuesday, but held out a brave front. “It is difficult but not an impossible task,” Mushfiqur said. “It is Twenty20, and England were bowled out last night for 80 [against India]. Who would have thought? Pakistan are good but not unbeatable. If we play our best cricket tomorrow, if everyone puts their hands up and shows guts anything is possible. We know where we have to improve and to how go about it tomorrow.”He also said something which rings true on the other side, considering the kind of rumblings the 1999 loss caused in Pakistan. “There’s pressure in every game. They’d think in the same way. Pakistan don’t want to lose against us, that is for sure. We have to come hard and we will give our best shot.”Bangladesh rely so much on their spinners but the fact that they played on a fresh pitch against New Zealand, and will do the same tomorrow, has forced Mushfiqur to consider playing another quick bowler. “I thought we made a mistake in the first game as the wicket was not that helpful for the left-arm spinners. We thought there would be something in the day. That is why we choose to field. We didn’t bowl well also.”We are looking at a fresh wicket tomorrow and it is also a night game. We have a few seaming all-round and pace bowling options. Probably we will have one more [quick] bowler in place of a spinner. We will come back tomorrow, have a look at the wicket again and see how it goes.”Mushfiqur said Bangladesh are in a tough group, with New Zealand and Pakistan, but said tomorrow was a chance to perform against another top side. “It brings a big challenge for us. They have great strength in their bowling and their batting is also good. It is one more opportunity, a do-or-die game for us. We have nothing to lose. Our boys did not put their hands up in the previous game, hopefully we will learn from our mistakes.”Fresh pitch or not, Mushfiqur knows Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez will be a handful. “He’s [Ajmal] a big factor. He will start bowling in the Powerplay when we have to take some risks. We can’t play all their bowlers normally, but attack some. We have players for that, and we are planning in that way.”Bangladesh have Saqlain Mushtaq, the former Pakistan offspinner, travelling with them as spin-bowling consultant. He’s been giving tips to the spinners in the squad and has also bowled to the Bangladesh batsmen during training. “He is telling us how to read Ajmal, Afridi, [Umar] Gul and Hafeez. But the application of it will depend on us.”The last time these two sides met, Bangladesh came within one stroke of winning the Asia Cup in Mirpur in what was ultimately an emotional loss. Mushfiqur said that was a different format and admitted Bangladesh would not have the same kind of confidence they had that night in Mirpur. A more revealing stat is that after beating West Indies in their opening game of the World Twenty20in 2007, Bangladesh have lost nine successive matches in the event. It is almost as distressing as their record against Pakistan. They are up against a lot of history tomorrow.

The series is less than a week old, but it will be decided by Tuesday night if Australia continue their winning form after comfortably taking the first two matches

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale15-Aug-2011

Match facts

Australia’s one-day record under Michael Clarke is very strong•Associated Press

August 16, Hambantota
Start time 14:30 (9:00 GMT, 19:00 EST)

Big Picture

The series is less than a week old, but it will be decided by Tuesday night if Australia continue their winning form after comfortably taking the first two matches. The eight-wicket victory in Hambantota on Sunday was almost a carbon copy of the opening win in Pallekele: Sri Lanka won the toss and batted poorly, failing to see out their overs, and then couldn’t build any pressure on Australia in the chase. They must find their batting mojo if they are to keep the series alive heading in to the Colombo, where the final two matches will be played.Sri Lanka’s problem has been finding the right tempo. In the opening game, they went too hard and in the second match they were too cautious. Perhaps it will be third time lucky. Kumar Sangakkara looked solid in making a half-century on Sunday but he needs support from the three other key members of the top order: the openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, and the No. 4 Mahela Jayawardene. Maybe when Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga and company have a decent target to defend they can impart some pressure on Australia’s batsmen.For the visitors, all has gone swimmingly, apart from Brad Haddin’s struggle for form at the top of the order. Wickets have come from Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee, and the spinners have done their job of keeping things tight. Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have all been in the runs, and overall the side has been much more switched on than Sri Lanka. The question is, how will they fare if Sri Lanka find their spark?

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLWLL
Australia WWWWW

In the spotlight

A couple of former captains, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara, have already posted half-centuries in this series, but Sri Lanka need some runs from another ex-skipper. Mahela Jayawardene hasn’t looked at his best in the first two games, flashing at a wide ball from Mitchell Johnson and edging behind in the first, and top-edged a sweep in the second. But he is a class act, and it was only a few months ago that he scored a century in a World Cup final. A strong innings from Jayawardene would go a long way to getting Sri Lanka back into the series.Everything has gone right for Michael Clarke so far in this series. In fact, ever since he took over the captaincy full time. He’s led Australia to five wins from five games and his leadership in the field has been confident and well thought-out. The initial signs are positive for the post-Ponting era. Most importantly, he has been scoring runs and now has a pair of half-centuries in Sri Lanka to add to his 101 in Bangladesh in his first match in charge. As a steady presence in the middle order, he’ll be an important player throughout the rest of the tour.

Team news

Angelo Mathews is in doubt for the fixture, reportedly due to the return of the quad trouble that has affected him since the World Cup. Suraj Randiv made way for Rangana Herath in the second match, but Herath had no impact with the ball and could be back on the sidelines for the third game. The batting is Sri Lanka’s major concern, so they need to decide whether to stick with the existing line-up or bring in Chamara Silva, perhaps at the expense of Dinesh Chandimal or Jeevan Mendis.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal / Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith Malinga.Australia’s line-up has worked well in the first two matches, and there is no reason to make any changes while the series remains alive. Steven Smith hasn’t batted and has barely been required to bowl, but the Australians like his versatility and the energy he brings in the field, so he is expected retain his position.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Xavier Doherty, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

The Hambantota pitch was slow and low, and didn’t have much grass on it, and was described by Clarke as a good wicket for batting. The players will be hoping the wind has died down by Tuesday, after Sunday’s match was played in extremely breezy conditions.

Stats and trivia

• Mahela Jayawardene will become the seventh man to play 350 one-day internationals
• Australia have now won 23 of the 29 ODIs they have played under Michael Clarke’s captaincy
• So far in the series, Sri Lanka have lost 20 wickets, while Australia have lost five

Quotes

“We have to work on the batting … work hard, come back strong.”
“There’s still a long way to go but these first two games have been very impressive both with the ball and with the bat.”