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Stokes faces both offspinners in floodlit nets session as England consider change to all-pace strategy

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Dec-2025Around 20 punters watched England’s first evening net at the Gabba ahead of the day-night Ashes Test starting on Thursday.The outdoor facilities at this historic but ageing colosseum are the most amenable in the world for observers, offering a behind-the-batter view of what it’s like to face the fiercest bowlers going. There were plenty of eyes on the lane closest to Main Street, as Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson steamed in with the pink Kookaburra ball.But it was the net furthest away that had the most immediate interest ahead of the second Test. Both Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks were bowling their offspin to England captain Ben Stokes, duking it out for what seems, at this juncture, the last available spot in the XI.Related

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Mark Wood has been ruled out – England are optimistic his heavily strapped left knee will get adequate rest to ensure he is back in the mix for Adelaide – but the other 10 starters from the defeat in Perth are likely to be rolled out again.Josh Tongue is the most like-for-like replacement if the tourists want to repeat their all-pace attack from Perth. But they are understood to be trending more towards spin in their bid to come back from 1-0 down, with the expectation that the pink Kookaburra will soften earlier than the red one.The pair have had very different routes to these Ashes. Bashir has been the captain’s go-to spinner since a shock call-up to the India tour at the start of 2024, with 68 wickets in 19 caps to date. His traits – a high release-point, revs coming from over the top of the ball – were deemed better suited to Test pitches (particularly Australian ones) compared to traditional English, doorknob-turning finger spinners.Jacks, an allrounder, was the first conventional offspinner picked by Stokes, drafted on the tour of Pakistan in the winter of 2022 for his only two Test caps after developing as Surrey’s primary spin option. He took 6 for 161 in his first go on debut – the first Test at Rawalpindi – and showed his dexterity as a batter by slotting in at No. 3 in the second innings of the next Test in Multan to give Ollie Pope extra rest after keeping. That he is on this tour owes as much to his batting – destructive qualities, and comfort filling in any top six position – and his tall action and ambition with the ball.Bashir is understood to be the one in pole position, though it was Jacks who seemed to have the better of it on Monday night, before padding up. Nets can only tell you so much, of course. Stokes and the rest of England’s batters were focused on getting attuned to the shift from day to night, and then how the floodlights transformed the grass beneath their feet. They will have one more hit in similar conditions on Wednesday before they get going in their attempts to square the series.Visiting spinners have had very little success with the pink ball over here, collectively managing just 28 wickets at 64.03. Joe Root’s three in the Adelaide Test on the 2021-22 tour has him joint-second on that list (with Yasir Shah); Dawid Malan is joint-fourth with two picked up from that same game. R Ashwin sits top with six at 20.66.England would not be wrong to look at Nathan Lyon’s impressive record of 43 dismissals at 25.62 from his 13 day-night home Tests and surmise spin is a must. But they may take more meaningful notes from Kevin Sinclair’s cameo in Australia’s one and only pink ball defeat.That came here at the Gabba last year. Sinclair – also an offspinner – struck a vital 50 and then 14 not out, both from No. 7, in a tight eight-run win. He bowled just eight overs, all in Australia’s first innings which sandwiched his batting efforts, but was able to snare Usman Khawaja for 75. Replicating Sinclair’s impact rather than Lyon’s is a far easier task and would favour Jacks.It will be these cues from day-night affairs in Australia, and England’s own learnings from the seven they have played, that will continue to be disseminated among the group over the coming days. The entire top five played in England’s last pink-ball Test – against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in 2023 – but Jamie Smith, for instance, will be playing his first of any kind.”We’ve spoken with the guys who have played some pink-ball games, and had a look at some of the pink-ball games that have been played in Australia in the past four or five years,” Carse said. His only day-night match happened to be in this country for England Lions against Australia A at Melbourne in January 2020.”On an evening, it does seem to do a little bit more, especially if you have a slightly newer ball, which I’m sure we’ll take into consideration throughout the game. It’s going to be exciting. I’m expecting a massive crowd, a hostile crowd. The guys are really looking forward to it.”I think looking back at a couple of highlights of previous games played in Australia, it’s certainly very admirable how their new-ball bowling goes. You know, they strike early and I think that’s going to be important, whether that’s certain lines we’ll be bowling or maybe bowling a touch fuller to let it swing. They’ve played some really good cricket with a pink ball. So, yeah, I’d like to say that we’ve had a look at some of the stuff that they’ve done over the previous years.”

Fifties to James Rew, Craig Overton only prolong the inevitable for Somerset

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2023Jordan Clark claimed four wickets as Surrey strengthened their position at the top of the First Division table with a comprehensive LV= Insurance County Championship victory over Somerset inside three days at Taunton.The hosts began their second innings at the start of play trailing by 198 runs and were bowled out for 226, Clark taking 4 for 36 to help set up a ten-wicket victory.James Rew contributed 55, becoming the first player in Division One to pass 1,000 runs for the season at the age of 19, while Craig Overton smacked five sixes in a defiant 70 not out. But Surrey were left to make only 29 and reached their target in 8.3 overs.Somerset took only three points from the match after two brittle batting efforts, while their opponents claimed 22 to maintain a healthy lead over nearest challengers Essex.Related

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With only four balls bowled, the morning session was interrupted by rain. When play resumed at 12.10pm, any hope Somerset had of getting back into the game disappeared with some abject top-order batting.Sean Dickson had already survived a chance to third slip when in the same Clark over, the fourth of the innings, he edged to first slip where Dom Sibley made no mistake.Four overs later, Tom Lammonby swished at a wide delivery from Clark, which he might have left and Will Jacks held a low two-handed catch.It was 23 for 3 when George Bartlett shouldered arms to a Clark delivery that crashed into his pads on off stump and fell lbw.With only five runs added, Kohler-Cadmore directed a sharp catch off Dan Worrall to Jamie Overton at backward point.Clark finished his opening spell with figures of 3 for 15 from six overs. But Tom Abell put a blameless pitch in perspective with sound shot selection and by lunch, which was taken at 46 for 4, the Somerset skipper had struck four boundaries in moving to 27.Rew, who had taken 32 balls to get off the mark in the first innings, again displayed a patience lacking in more experienced team-mates and had yet to open his account, having faced ten deliveries.The afternoon session saw Rew and Abell progress their partnership to 64 with few alarms, the prolific teenager reaching a four-figure run tally for the summer when moving to 21 with a single to cover off Worrall.But Clark returned at the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End to pin Abell leg before for 46 with a yorker and at 92 for 5 Somerset still required 106 to make Surrey bat again.Kasey Aldridge edged a short, wide ball from Tom Lawes to third slip where Jacks took an excellent diving catch as his side continued to gift wickets with injudicious strokes.An exception was Rew, content to accumulate quietly without resorting to big shots until, with his score on 31, he effortlessly lifted a ball from Lawes over deep backward square for six.Ben Green was caught behind looking to drive a full-length delivery from Jamie Overton to make it 130 for 7 before Rew went to fifty for the seventh time this season, off 96 balls, with four fours and a six.The unflappable young wicketkeeper, who doesn’t turn 20 until January, had turned five of his previous half-centuries into hundreds, with a top score of 221 against Hampshire at Taunton.At tea, Somerset were 139 for 7, still trailing by 59. They had added just six runs when Rew, perhaps feeling he was running out of partners, top-edged a pull shot off Gus Atkinson and skied a catch to fine leg. He had faced 106 balls in another mature contribution.The end looked nigh as Atkinson quickly followed up by sending back Matt Henry, lbw to a yorker. But Craig Overton had other ideas, launching a savage attack with powerful pulls and drives that saw him take 20 off an Atkinson over and dominate a last wicket stand of 77 in 13 overs with Shoaib Bashir.It merely prevented the inevitable and Surrey wrapped up victory at just before 6.15pm with openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley completing the job.

“I love to play in tough situations and tough conditions,” Thakur says after top-scoring in Mumbai’s first innings in the Ranji Trophy final

PTI10-Mar-2024Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer might have failed to snap their lean runs with the bat in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy final for Mumbai, but Shardul Thakur has placed his trust in them to return to form.Rahane and Iyer scored 7 apiece as Mumbai scored 224 at Wankhede Stadium, with Thakur the top-scorer with 75. Thakur then picked up the first Vidarbha wicket before Dhawal Kulkarni picked up two more to leave Vidarbha at a precarious 31 for 3.”Ajinkya is not scoring runs throughout the season. He is not in the greatest of the forms. We cannot blame him as it is just a phase for him where he is not getting runs,” Thakur said after the day’s play. “It’s just a rough patch for them. That’s what I would say [about] Shreyas [and] Ajinkya. These guys have been absolute match-winners for Mumbai and India.Related

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“Right now, it’s not their time; it’s time to support them rather than criticising them because it’s easy to criticise.”Rahane has so far made just 141 runs in eight Ranji matches at an average of 12.81 with a solitary fifty. Iyer has not been a regular for Mumbai this season, but his return to the domestic circuit has been far from impressive – 58 runs from three games at an average of 19.33 with a highest of 48.”Ajinkya has not scored runs but his attitude on the fielding is top notch,” Thakur said. “A lot of youngsters coming from Under-23 and Under-19 cricket in Mumbai don’t have the attitude that he has. You see him in the slips, even if he is fielded for 80 overs, he will sprint [to] save four runs.”Shreyas moves around the field like a tiger. He absolutely gives everything that he has on the field. Both of them are role models when they are in the dressing room.”While defending the senior pros, Thakur expressed his displeasure at some of the younger batters not grabbing their opportunities in a match as significant as the Ranji final.”The other batters… we collectively felt that they should have shown a better approach,” he said. “Starting from Bhupen Lalwani, because he survived the first two or three balls in that over [from Yash Thakur, in which he was dismissed] and still chasing that wide one on the fourth delivery, is not on.” Lalwani scored 37, while Prithvi Shaw scored 46, but Musheer Khan (6) and Hardik Tamore (5) failed.Dhawal Kulkarni, playing his last game, brought Mumbai back into the contest after a middling batting effort•PTI

“They have to learn quickly because Mumbai dressing room is not about [your] own self. When you play here, you play for the team. You have to keep your individual scores, your own game aside,” Thakur said. “When you score 20-25 or 30 runs, the next runs are for the team. They have to learn about it.”We just need to regroup as a batting unit [in the second innings]. There are going to be tough days as a batting unit. Probably, we will just have a meeting and decide collectively how are you going to put a big score on the board from the first three or four wickets.”On his own innings – Thakur walked out at 111 for 6 and was the last man out – he said, “I love to play in tough situations and tough conditions. The kind of life that I have lived travelling far from Palghar to Mumbai with the kit bag on the train, you know it was not easy. That has toughened me up.”About Kulkarni, who will retire after the final, Thakur said it was emotional to see his old mate turning out for Mumbai for the last time.”Today morning it was confirmed that he is playing. It was going to be his last game. It was an extremely emotional moment for him,” Thakur said. “It’s an emotional moment for me also because I have watched him since childhood. When I did not have money to buy shoes, he gave me a few pairs of shoes.”

Hockley says Cricket Australia has been in discussion with the ACB and hopes to “resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan at some point in the future”

Sruthi Ravindranath03-Jul-2024Cricket Australia (CA) has reiterated that Australia will not play bilateral cricket with Afghanistan because of the Taliban government’s stance regarding the rights of women.CA chief executive Nick Hockley said that there has been “regular dialogue” with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on the matter, and hoped that the sides resume playing each other “sometime in the future”.Australia have withdrawn from playing Afghanistan in a bilateral series thrice, citing “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls”, but have continued to face them at ICC events. In the aftermath of Afghanistan’s famous victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup last month, Usman Khawaja had said that CA’s stance was “a little bit hypocritical”.Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had also commented on the situation after the match, saying he wished “we could do something” to solve the problem.Related

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“They [Afghanistan] had a fantastic tournament with phenomenal players, and they played with great passion and spirit,” Hockley said. “Regarding our bilateral matches, we have consulted extensively with stakeholders, including the Australian government, and chose to postpone our last couple of series with Afghanistan Cricket Board on human-rights grounds.”We maintain a close relationship and regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and want to see cricket thrive worldwide for both men and women. We hope for a level of progress, and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan at some point in the future.”On Monday, 17 Afghanistan women players, contracted by the ACB in 2020 before the Taliban takeover, wrote to the ICC asking for assistance in setting up a refugee team based in Australia. The team wants to be administered by the East Asian Cricket office in Australia, and not play under the ACB banner or be called the Afghanistan national team.”We understand that the Afghanistan women based in Australia have written to the ICC,” Hockley said. “That’s a matter for the ICC to consider. We have meetings coming up in Colombo in July, and I’m sure it will be a topic of conversation. The Afghan women residing in Australia are engaged with the cricketing community, and they’re receiving excellent support from across the community. But it’s not something we were directly involved in.”Bangladesh had last played a bilateral ODI series in Australia in 2008•Getty Images

Exiled Afghanistan women footballers, who have resettled in Melbourne, are being supported by A League club Melbourne Victory to play as a team in Football Victoria’s third division. They even took part in the Hope Cup while awaiting official recognition from FIFA.On being asked if there were plans to integrate Afghanistan women cricketers into the club system in Australia, Hockley said, “My understanding is that several of the players are playing for clubs in the cities in which they reside, so you have to say I think that the community here is very much supporting them.”Any people that move and arrive in Australia are taking up the game, [and] joining cricket clubs – it’s a great way to meet people, great way to build relationships into the community. The broader cricketing fraternity has been offering their support.”

CA ‘looking forward to hosting’ Bangladesh men

Hockley also said that Australia were hopeful of hosting the Bangladesh’s men’s side in the next FTP cycle. Bangladesh last played Tests in Australia in July 2003, and a bilateral ODI series in August-September 2008.”Bangladesh are certainly part of our next FTP cycle, and we’re very much looking forward to hosting Bangladesh,” Hockley said. “We just enjoyed an excellent women’s tour to Bangladesh ahead of the women’s T20 World Cup later this year. We were very appreciative of the excellent hospitality and welcome that the women ‘s team received.”As far as a men’s tour [is concerned], that’s not currently part of the FTP over the next few years. But we will continue to work with all the members, [and] with the Bangladesh Cricket Board about what opportunities there can be for the following FTP.”

Defending 14 in the final over, Sutherland took 2 for 4 to help a hobbled Australia reach the semi-final

Valkerie Baynes14-Oct-2024″How was your heart rate?” Tahlia McGrath asked Annabel Sutherland after an extraordinary final over in which she defended 14 runs, took two wickets and denied India the right to decide their own destiny at the T20 World Cup.A high-stakes game played before a sold-out 14,946-strong crowd at Sharjah Stadium made up almost exclusively of Indian supporters had gone Australia’s way by nine runs after the tightest contest of the tournament so far. And Sutherland was “chill as”.It is testament to Sutherland’s character and why Australia see her as such a bright prospect that, having celebrated her 23rd birthday the day before, she took it all in her stride, claiming 2 for 22 from her four overs after adding a vital 10 runs in six balls from No.8.Related

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“She’s so composed,” McGrath said, standing in as captain for the injured Alyssa Healy. “She knew her plan, she executed beautifully. I said to her after, ‘how was your heart rate?’ and she goes, ‘no I was fine, I was chill as’ so I think that just shows the type of maturity that Belsey has.”She’s been in those big moments and delivered for us time and time again, even at the back end with some handy runs for us. She was huge for us today and very cool under pressure.”And it was testament to this Australian side that they were able to shut out all the noise on the night and the upheaval beforehand to seal their place in the semi-finals.A few hours before the match, it was announced that Tayla Vlaeminck would be replaced in the squad by Heather Graham after dislocating her right – bowling – shoulder just four balls into Friday night’s win against Pakistan. Vlaeminck’s plight hit her team-mates hard given her battles with injury which have restricted her to just 28 appearances for her country since her debut in 2018.Australia are also waiting to hear whether Healy will be fit to take any further part in this World Cup after she injured her foot in the same match and turned up to watch the India clash on crutches and in a moon boot, her condition to be monitored over the coming days.Alyssa Healy was unavailable for India clash due to foot injury•ICC/Getty Images

“There’s been a lot going on,” McGrath said. “Friday night, that was a tough night for us and a lot to process but in tournaments like this it’s move on, you’ve got a job to do.”We’ve been really trying to get around each other as a group, whether it be the injured girls, the girls playing slightly different roles, and just really sticking together as a group and focusing on the job at hand. I thought we did a really good job of that and came out and played really well tonight. I’m really proud of the group.”There were elements of chaos as Australia posted 151 for 8 upon winning the toss and opting to bat first. Georgia Wareham chose not to review an lbw decision which would have saved her and Sophie Molineux was run out walking back to the dugout not realising Jemimah Rodrigues had grassed a catch at backward point.McGrath’s handy innings of 32 off 26 balls had moments of drama after she survived India’s review for lbw, then was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur at cover and finally stumped charging at Radha Yadav, all in the space of six deliveries.But she had kept her cool amid a rejigged middle-order and at the helm while Grace Harris, opening in Healy’s place top-scored with 40 off 41 and Ellyse Perry played a cool 32 off 23.However, it was Megan Schutt’s nerveless over in the 17th, when she conceded just one run and saw Richa Ghosh run out by a superb direct hit from Phoebe Litchfield at short cover, stood out for McGrath.”She bowled outstanding,” McGrath said. “She nailed her plan and that swung the game right back in our favour. That was a really crucial moment in the game for us.”McGrath has now captained Australia three times, twice in T20Is, including a match in India in 2022. Australia also had recent experience of pro-India full houses during their tour there in December and January.”It was very loud,” she said of Sunday in Sharjah. “We’re quite used to that now whenever we play against India. Lots of it was about just making eye contact with bowlers and trying to get everyone to look at me because trying to tell bowlers they’ll bowl the next over or move fielders, is almost impossible with that noise.”But for us it’s almost trying to ignore the crowd at times because they can make you seem like you’re behind the game when you maybe might not be. They’re so passionate, cheer so loud and we love it but at times you can think that the game’s getting away from you just with how loud the crowds cheering so it’s just about staying level-headed, staying focused and getting a good read on the game.”So when Harmanpreet threatened to take the match away from them with her 54 not out, the India captain’s second unbeaten half-century in as many games at this tournament, Australia just had to stay “chill as”. Now, waiting on the result of Monday’s clash between New Zealand and Pakistan, it is India who will have to sweat it out.

Sanjay Govil, US tech entrepreneur, submitted the higher of two sealed bids in a process on Friday evening

Matt Roller31-Jan-2025Sanjay Govil, the US-based tech entrepreneur and owner of Washington Freedom, is set to buy a minority stake in Welsh Fire, the Cardiff-based team in the Hundred. ESPNcricinfo understands that Govil submitted the higher of two sealed bids in a process on Friday evening which was delayed by the three-hour bidding war for London Spirit.ESPNcricinfo understands that the winning bid valued 100% of the Fire at £67.5 million, implying Govil will pay just over £33m for his minority share in the team.He will now enter a period of exclusivity with Glamorgan, the Fire’s host county. The two parties will negotiate contractual details with the help of the ECB and their advisors over the next eight weeks. Glamorgan told their members earlier this month that they intend to retain their 51% controlling stake in Welsh Fire.Related

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Govil is the chairman of two tech companies in the US: Infinite Computer Solutions, a leading technology services company, and Zyter, a health technology services company. Two years ago, he made his first substantial cricketing investment by buying Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket and the franchise won the title in their second season, with Ricky Ponting serving as head coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that Govil outbid one other contender in the final round. Capri Global, the Indian loans company who own UP Warriorz and Sharjah Warriorz in the WPL and ILT20 respectively, were understood to be the losing bidder. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Hollywood actors and Wrexham AFC co-owners, held talks with Glamorgan but dropped out before the final round of bidding.The Freedom’s bid is understood to have impressed Glamorgan from early in the process, with chief executive Dan Cherry telling ESPNcricinfo last year that the club valued the idea of identifying a “true partner” rather than simply an investor. “We are keen to build a partnership where people can add value to us as a club,” Cherry said.Washington Freedom were MLC champions in 2024•MLC

The Fire have failed to reach the play-offs in the first four editions of the men’s Hundred, but their women’s team have been more successful and were losing finalists last year. They are expected to be the team with the lowest valuation of the eight, having attracted relatively small crowds to date.The valuation means that the ECB has brought around £278 million into the English game with the sale of 49% stakes in four Hundred teams over the past two days. The revenue will be split between the 18 first-class counties, MCC and the recreational game in England and Wales, and is designed to “future-proof” the county game for at least the next two decades.The ECB declined to comment, while Glamorgan were also contacted for comment.

Superchargers’ prospects of qualifying increase substantially after inflicting Spirit’s second defeat of the season

ECB Media20-Aug-2025Northern Superchargers 93 for 2 (Litchfield 55*, Sutherland 29*) beat London Spirit 90 for 8 (Redmayne 29, Sutherland 3-20) by eight wicketsNorthern Superchargers earned a crucial win at Lord’s to leapfrog hosts London Spirit and take themselves to second in the table in the Hundred women’s competition.It wasn’t quite a must-win game for Hollie Armitage’s side but, having lost to Manchester Originals last time out, their prospects of qualifying have increased substantially after inflicting upon Spirit their second defeat of the season.Superchargers started well with the ball, with both Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross bowling their first 10 deliveries through to take a wicket apiece. When Nicola Carey dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls, all the wind was taken out of Spirit’s sails and they never threatened to post an overly imposing total.As it was the team in purple made light work of the chase, knocking it off two wickets down with 34 balls to spare.Spirit will want to prove that they’re not reliant on Grace Harris’s runs for success, while for Superchargers they’ll be heartened by the up-turn in form of Phoebe Litchfield – awarded Meerkat Match Hero here for her 38-ball 55 with her customary array of switch-hits dotted throughout.On a day that Southern Brave secured their qualification with their sixth successive win, the fight for the next two qualification spots – and a place in at least the Eliminator – looks set to go down to the wire between today’s two combatants and Manchester Originals (all tied on 16 points), who take on Trent Rockets tomorrow.Litchfield said: “I think losing to Manchester Originals stung for our group. I think we got ourselves in a winning position and it was heartbreaking to not come over the other side. We made a conscious effort to rectify that situation and come out here and win.”We weren’t far off in that last game. We were in a winning position. We’ve just got be ruthless in that moment, and I think we did that today with the ball. The way the girls set it up with the ball, pretty much won us the game in that first innings and then made it really easy for us batters to go out and play with freedom.”The switch hits are fully premeditated, and then I just have to adjust on the length and the line when I switch, but also I have to know how to bail out. So that’s probably the most important thing that I learnt is to bail out, but then if it’s in the area, swing.”

Having played a holding role on grassy surfaces in NZ, Santner has made adjustments to be successful in India

Shashank Kishore09-Oct-20231:51

What made Santner effective against Netherlands?

You thought it was a dream night out with the ball for Mitchell Santner. He picked up only his second ODI five-for to floor Netherlands, his spell of 5 for 59 along with his cameo 17-ball 36 at No. 8 earned him the Player of the Match.But in all honestly, Santner revealed he’d bowled much better against England in Ahmedabad for lesser reward. It told you why numbers can’t sometimes be a reflection of a performance. It wasn’t in Santner’s case.Related

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“Yeah, it was obviously nice to get the rewards,” he said after New Zealand made it two wins in two. “I don’t think I bowled as well as I did in Ahmedabad. Probably missed a little bit more, but it was nice to keep trying to be aggressive and get wickets. I guess that’s the only way we can kind of slow the batters down in the middle of the ODI innings, by taking wickets.”And I thought, as a bowling unit, we did that very well. Guys coming back, still being aggressive, trying to take wickets, and managed to chip them out along we went. And it was nice to get the win in the end.”Santner prides himself on reading situations and surfaces, and puts into practice his early assessment, even if it may be from watching the opponent bowl. On Monday, Santner took a cue from watching Aryan Dutt and Roelof van der Merwe, the Netherlands spin pair, operate in the middle overs.”Yeah, I think it was, slightly on the slower side,” he assessed. “I thought they bowled, especially their spinners, bowled extremely well. Yeah, it looked like we were kind of setting up a bigger score and they managed to pull it back and get a couple of wickets. So, I guess when I went in, it was still that kind of ‘take it as deep as we can’ and then try have a couple of big overs at the end, which luckily enough we did, to get up to 322.”Santner had a studious demeanor to him as he answered questions but allowed himself a slight chuckle when reminded of New Zealand’s next venue, Chennai, where he’s spent a few seasons at the IPL. He’s had to mostly warm the bench because the dynamics of the Chennai Super Kings haven’t always allowed him and Ravindra Jadeja to feature in the same XI. He was nonetheless excited going to his IPL home ground where New Zealand play Bangladesh on October 13.Mitchell Santner picked up his second ODI five-for•ICC/Getty Images

“We knew that going into the tournament that Chennai has that nature of being a bit spinny and it did, especially first innings the other night [India v Australia],” he said. “And they’re [Bangladesh] obviously good players of spin so it’s going to be a challenge just like every other game is going to be in this World Cup.”I think we’re going to see teams beat teams and have upsets. We’ve got to be prepared for both those next coming games. Obviously first is Bangladesh and if it is something similar to the other night, it could be spinning a little bit in the daytime and then start to skid on a little bit and get a little bit dewy second innings so we’ve got to be prepared for both.”On the topic of spinning wickets, Santner also underlined the bowling adjustments he’s had to make. From playing a holding role on grassy surfaces that leaves little bowling time back home, he is now an aggressor looking for wickets in the subcontinent.”It’s obviously nice to come over here and see some spinning wickets because they’re few and far between back in New Zealand,” he said. “I guess the role in New Zealand is slightly different to here. You want to be a little bit more aggressive. You keep your slips in for longer. I try to operate with that mid-on up most of the time, only having three back, trying to make them play big shots.”And if it is spinning, yeah, the role is kind of more aggressive. And then I think we’ll see at times throughout this tournament if it’s pretty flat, it might be that defensive role for a little bit, try to get wickets through pressure. And then if it is, like tonight, if there is a little bit of spin, it might be, all right, let’s be more aggressive. let’s throw it up, leave the slip in. And so that was nice. I think Rachin [Ravindra] bowled extremely well as well, that kind of same mentality of always trying to get wickets through the middle.”So two wins, and a couple of days off in a long tournament. They should be flying high, right?”Yes, obviously a nice start. We knew that turning up today after the highs of beating England, we couldn’t get too complacent. We know the Netherlands are a good team and they almost touched up Pakistan the other day, so it was obviously nice to get the W tonight. It’s another two points, but you got to move on pretty quickly in this tournament.”

A round-up of the Abu Dhabi T10 matches on December 7, 2023

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2023Impactful cameos from Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis boosted Bangla Tigers to a huge total of 126 paving the way for a 27-run win against Chennai Braves. The victory sealed a playoff spot for Tigers, who will face Deccan Gladiators in the eliminator on Friday.Charith Asalanka slammed a half-century in response, but only two batters reached double figures for Braves, with Asalanka smashing 55 out of their total of 99 during the run chase.At 61 for 5 in the eighth over, they had little chance of eclipsing Tigers, who were shown the way by Shanaka’s 34 off 15 balls, and Mendis’ 32 from 15. They combined to add 55 for the fourth wicket after Tigers were 44 for 3, but it was Benny Howell’s defining contribution that made a difference. He faced three balls, two of which went for sixes and the other for four, ending unbeaten on 16.Tigers’ win made them No. 4 on the points table, behind third-placed Deccan Gladiators only on net run rate.Team Abu Dhabi finally signed off the tournament with a win, as their last-ball victory also dashed Delhi Bulls’ hopes of making the playoffs.Chasing 98, Abu Dhabi got off to a flyer as Kyle Mayers and Tom Banton added 52 in just 4.2 overs, with Mayers doing the bulk of the scoring, including four sixes off an over from Richard Gleeson. Banton came off retired hurt, but such was Mayers’ carnage, that Abu Dhabi had the chase fully in control. With just six needed off the last over, the win seemed to be a formality, but UAE pacer Wasim Akram conceded just three runs off the first four deliveries, and most importantly, dismissed the red-hot Mayers for a 30-ball 61. The game went down to the final ball, with Abu Dhabi needing two runs to end their losing streak, and Colin Ingram would do the needful, flicking a low full-toss off the legs for four.Bulls, who needed a win to qualify for the playoffs, had earlier made 97 for 3, on the back of a 71-run stand for the third wicket between Adam Lyth and their captain Rovman Powell. While Powell was dismissed for a 20-ball 31, Lyth remained unbeaten on 39, smashing smashing two fours and three sixes, though it ultimately came in a losing cause.In a dress rehearsal for Friday’s qualifier featuring the top two teams, Samp Army eased to a six-wicket win against New York strikers and sealed the No.1 spot on the table.Strikers, batting first, failed to put together any meaningful partnerships, as Bas de Leede (3 for 13), Jake Lintott (2 for 16) and Qais Ahmad (2 for 12) struck at regular intervals to peg the team back. Niroshan Dickwella, with 18, was the team’s top scorer, as Strikers managed just four fours and two sixes in their entire innings, being bowled out for 70.Samp Army were rocked in the chase by the early dismissals of Ibrahim Zadran for a duck, and Monank Patel for 4, but Dewald Brevis wrested the advantage with an unbeaten 18-ball 31. Strikers kept chipping away, but Brevis and Moeen Ali eventually finished the chase at a canter by taking 24 runs off an over from Odean Smith, to win with 18 deliveries remaining.

It is unclear as of now if Ebadot will be fit for the World Cup

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2023Bangladesh fast bowler Ebadot Hossain has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup because of the knee injury he sustained in the ODI series against Afghanistan last month. Ebadot was named in the 17-member squad 10 days ago, but he hasn’t recovered through the rehab programme on time. He will be replaced by the uncapped 20-year-old fast bowler Tanzim Hasan, and it is unclear as of now if Ebadot will be fit for the World Cup.Ebadot has taken wickets in all but one of the 12 ODIs he has played since making his debut last August. He has been in good form in white-ball cricket although he was picked for just one game against Afghanistan last month. BCB’s chief sports physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury said that Ebadot’s recovery for the World Cup is being prioritised. For this, they could also seek overseas consultation.”Ebadot had undergone six weeks of rehab following the injury,” Dr Chowdhury said. “We have had multiple MRIs done during this time and the reports suggest that his ACL is still a concern and requires further management. Therefore, he misses out on the Asia Cup. Considering the importance of the Bangladesh team’s next major event, which is the ICC World Cup in October, the BCB is committed to exploring every safe medical option available for getting Ebadot back to full fitness and playing as early as possible, including consultation and treatment overseas.”Related

• Tanzid and Naim step up as Bangladesh look to the future with Asia Cup squad

Tanzim, uncapped at the international level in all three formats, has 57 List A wickets from 37 games, including nine from three matches in the just-concluded ACC Emerging Men’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. He also took 17 wickets to help Abahani Limited win the Dhaka Premier League last season.Tanzim is the ninth member of the 2020 Under-19 World Cup winning side to get into the senior side. Of them, Towhid Hridoy, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Parvez Hossain, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shamim Hossain and Shoriful Islam have made their international debuts.Bangladesh squad for Asia Cup: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Naim, Shamim Hossain, Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan