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New Zealand overseas signing Tom Bruce notches first Championship fifty

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2024Dillon Pennington was Nottinghamshire’s outstanding performer as Lancashire were denied the prosperity they had been hoping for when they opted to bat on day one of their Vitality County Championship match at Trent Bridge.Skipper Keaton Jennings made 91 and overseas batter Tom Bruce 73 but Lancashire let a good position slip, tumbling from 190 for 2 to close on 306 for 8.Pennington inflicted heavy damage by taking 3 for 15 in an excellent five-over spell with the second new ball before seamer Dane Paterson dealt Lancashire a further blow by removing Bruce in the day’s penultimate over.With Australian spinner Nathan Lyon rested for this round, Lancashire have named England pace bowler Saqib Mahmood in their line-up for the first time in 12 months following a stress fracture.It had looked like evolving as Lancashire’s day until the last half-hour of the middle session, when Jennings and George Balderson, who had shared a third-wicket stand worth 107, were both out in quick succession.The morning session had been theirs until Josh Bohannon’s dismissal by Lyndon James from what would have been the penultimate ball before lunch. Bohannon had picked up four boundaries against the Nottinghamshire allrounder, albeit one off an edge, but was struck on the front pad as he looked for a fifth through the on side and was clearly out.Despite pace bowlers Pennington and the fit-again Olly Stone subjecting Lancashire’s openers to a testing opening passage on a used pitch with a decent covering of grass, Nottinghamshire’s only breakthrough prior to that had come in the 10th over, when Paterson found the edge to have Luke Wells caught at second slip.Encouraged by James’ breakthrough, which had ended what had been a threatening partnership between the aggressive Bohannon and a more measured Jennings, Nottinghamshire emerged from lunch with renewed energy. Yet it was Lancashire’s third-wicket pair who dominated for the next couple of hours.Jennings, having built a painstaking 128-ball half-century, which he completed with his 10th boundary, upped the tempo. A paddle sweep for four and a nicely driven straight six off Calvin Harrison’s legspin signalled growing assuredness and he looked well set for a second hundred of the season.But Nottinghamshire’s bowlers never let their effort levels dip and fought back in the half-hour before tea.Jennings will take the blame for his own demise, going for a reverse sweep against Harrison but able only to top-edge it to slip where Tom Moores – back in the Nottinghamshire side for the first time this season but unable to prise the wicketkeeper’s gloves from Joe Clarke – took an easy catch.But the departure of Balderson was purely down to the skill of the bowler, Stone’s impressive contribution deservedly rewarded when the batter was beaten for pace as he tried to flick across the line, squarely in front as the ball collided with the front pad. The two wickets transformed 190 for 2 into 196 for 4.Lancashire’s double setback meant two new batters at the crease, but with Bruce taking the lead, reaching a half-century off 69 balls, it took the second new ball for Nottinghamshire to restore a measure of parity on the day, Pennington striking twice in the space of nine deliveries as George Bell edged to first slip and Matthew Hurst to third.The ex-Worcestershire quick picked up his third scalp when England spinner Tom Hartley found the safe hands of Harrison at second slip, after which Bruce reined himself in noticeably. Lancashire picked up a second batting point but the loss of Bruce, leg before to Paterson, was another big blow.Before play began, players and spectators observed a minute’s silence in respect for Josh Baker, the Worcestershire spin bowler who died last week at the age of just 20. Baker represented his county against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge only last month.It was a particularly poignant moment for Pennington and Jack Haynes, who now wear Nottinghamshire colours but shared the New Road dressing room with Baker before switching counties at the end of last season.

Fast bowler makes rapid 74 to rescue Notts from early strife against Somerset

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2024Nottinghamshire 326 for 8 (Stone 74, Haynes 55, Clarke 51, Aldridge 4-90) vs Somerset Fast bowler Olly Stone’s unbeaten 74 led a Nottinghamshire recovery from 190 for seven to 326 for eight on day one of their Vitality County Championship match against Somerset at Trent Bridge.The England quick, who began this season with only one half-century to his name in 46 first-class matches, now has two in his last three following his 90 against Lancashire last month.He shared an eighth-wicket stand of 112 with Calvin Harrison to give the day a different complexion after Joe Clarke (51) and Jack Haynes (55) had put on 108 for the fourth wicket but been unable to kick on, seamer Kasey Aldridge the main driver of a Nottinghamshire mid-innings collapse that saw four wickets fall for 11 runs.Aldridge, in the Somerset side for the first time since April following an injury to skipper Lewis Gregory, finished the day with four for 90, South African seamer Migael Pretorius taking three for 73.Earlier in the day, a wicket apiece for Aldridge, Craig Overton and Pretorius against 111 runs conceded had made for a reasonably satisfactory morning’s work for Somerset after Nottinghamshire skipper Haseeb Hameed had chosen to bat first on a mottled pitch that in the event offered less help to the bowlers than some might have anticipated.Overton, skippering in the absence of Gregory, should have had a second, but Haynes was dropped at first slip on 19. Earlier he had bowled Hameed with an inswinger of full length, which had been the only breakthrough until Ben Slater and Will Young departed to consecutive deliveries around 20 minutes into the second hour.Pretorius could not take much credit for Slater’s dismissal, a poor ball down the leg side turned into a successful one by wicketkeeper James Rew’s spectacular catch diving to his right to snaffle Slater’s faint glance.Aldridge was more deserving, his inswinger beating Will Young to bring more disappointment for the New Zealander, whose unbeaten 174 against Somerset on his county debut at Taunton in April remains his only notable score.The first 40 minutes after lunch saw the Somerset attack lose their way somewhat. Overton and Jake Ball, back at Trent Bridge in the opposition dressing room for the first time after he was released last autumn, both offered width on which Clarke and Haynes eagerly feasted.Ball gave way to Pretorius but Haynes struck three more boundaries, lifting his tally to nine and taking him to a 52-ball half-century. Clarke completed his own fifty soon afterwards, from 75 balls with his 10th four, but was immediately out, finding Tom Banton at cover as Aldridge gained a second success.As happened in the first session, one wicket prefaced another. Pretorius produced a beauty to have Haynes caught by Overton at slip. And with the Somerset seamers suddenly now in the ascendancy, two more wickets followed, both to Aldridge, who found some bounce from the Stuart Broad End to have Tom Moores caught at gully and Lyndon James behind the stumps as Nottinghamshire, 179 for three before Clarke’s demise, slipped to 190 for seven.Yet, if Somerset thought they were into the tail as Stone emerged from the pavilion, the 30-year-old pace bowler was to disavow them of that notion.On a surface beginning to flatten and, for the next 30 overs, against an increasingly aging ball, he and the leg-spinning all-rounder Harrison constructed an impressive recovery, assembling the biggest partnership of the innings.And it was Stone, confirming his 90 against Lancashire was no fluke, who took on the leading role, again looking like an accomplished batter. His half-century, off 89 balls, arrived with a square drive off Overton against the new ball for his eighth four, which he followed with a couple more tucked away on the leg side off Ball.Harrison made 35 before he was bowled by Pretorius in the 10th over with the new ball, before Dillon Pennington picked up three boundaries of his own to leave Nottinghamshire needing 24 more in 14 overs for a third batting point.

“At the IPL, no one really complained about 270 plays 270. Now the bowlers are getting conditions a little bit more in their favour”

Firdose Moonda06-Jun-20242:03

Flower on New York pitch – ‘Bordering on dangerous’

Batters will have to learn to “suck it up,” and accept the difficulties of run-scoring at Nassau County, according to one of T20s most prolific run-scorers: Heinrich Klaasen. The South African middle-order batter, who is reputed for his six-hitting ability, put aside his personal preferences and stuck to the team line that they “don’t mind,” having a little spice in the surface for bowlers, especially their seamers.After South Africa bowled Sri Lanka out of for their lowest T20I total – 77 – at the first T20 World Cup match played in New York, and took 16.2 overs to chase the score, Anrich Nortje said he didn’t “think there’s anything wrong with the wickets,” and that they are just “different,” to the kinds of surfaces players have become used to in the recent past, especially at the last IPL. Klaasen agrees.”At the IPL, no one really complained about 270 plays 270. Now the bowlers are getting conditions a little bit more in their favour, so I think it’s just getting the balance right,” Klaasen said from New York, where South Africa will play three of their four group matches. “The batters need to suck it up as well. It’s not always going to be a 200 wicket, and you have to play a little bit smarter cricket to get over the line. We don’t mind if the bowlers got something in it; that makes some good entertaining cricket and you have to use your cricket brain a little bit. It’s just getting the balance right, too flat and too bowler-friendly. That’s obviously why the groundsman gets paid the big bucks.”But at this early stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, with two matches played in Nassau County and six to come, the curator has got more criticism than anything else for a surface with inconsistent bounce that Andy Flower told ESPNcricnfo’s Timeout is “bordering on dangerous.”The pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York have been the subject of debate•ICC via Getty Images

Flower, the former Zimbabwe captain and former England coach, was speaking in between innings as India dismissed Ireland for 96 and two of their batters, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, were hit by Irish quick Josh Little in response. “You saw the ball bouncing from a length, both ways, so skidding low occasionally but in the main bouncing unusually high and striking people on the thumb, the gloves and the helmet and making life very, very difficult for any batter,” Flower said.Klaasen conceded that the strip South Africa played Sri Lanka on was “a little bit too much on the bowler’s side,” but regards it “part of the game,” which players have to adapt to. “Sometimes you get the wickets too flat, and now it’s just as bad and you need to suck it up a little bit. Hopefully we get a better wicket in the next game.” The other concern is the outfield. It is heavy and sandy, which meant even balls that were timed well didn’t always travel very far.Related

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There are four drop-in pitches at the ground and it is still unclear whether moving will produce a more even contest. While Klaasen said the pitch used for the India-Bangladesh warm-up match last week facilitated a “decent” score in the first innings (182), it didn’t when India met Ireland on it on Wednesday. Whichever surface they get, Klaasen is convinced South Africa can fare better because they have some idea of what to expect. “We’ve got experience playing in these types of conditions now, so we just need to go back into the memory bank and take some responsibility that it might not be a wicket that we can just tee off and hit boundaries,” he said. “We need to play some clever cricket and need to make peace with that.”All that said, Klaasen still thinks it’s possible to clear the ropes. “You can still hit boundaries. If you play on one side of the field it’s not that big and so you can still hit boundaries.”But not, perhaps, boundaries the size of what the South Africans saw on an excursion to Yankee Stadium. “That’s quite a big hit. We worked it out and it’s 120 metres. It’s a long hit, but we as batters had a nice chat and we reckon we can give it a go. We will find a batting cage somewhere and try to see what we can do.”The upshot from their visit was Klaasen’s conclusion that baseball batters are doing something “completely different to what we do,” and that he thinks “cricket is more entertaining than baseball,” even though those who enjoy higher totals may disagree.South Africa’s next match is against Netherlands – who have beaten them in their previous two World Cup meetings – on Saturday in New York.

“Important that you go on for longer, because the longer you bat, the easier it becomes and it’s important to stay in that plan for as long as possible”

Alan Gardner17-Jul-2024West Indies’ batters will attempt to strike the right balance between defence and attack when they face up to England in the second Test at Trent Bridge, with the captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, saying that they have “to find a way” to put runs on the board.The tourists were bowled out for totals of 121 and 136 to lose by an innings at Lord’s, with no one in the top seven managing more than the 27 by debutant opener Mikyle Louis in the first innings. Brathwaite said that while there had been discussions about what a young batting line-up, four of whom came into the series having played fewer than five Tests, could do differently – such as taking the attack to England’s bowlers – the focus of his message would be on doing the same again, but “for longer”.”It’s pretty simple what we’ve got to do,” he said. “We’ve got to bat a lot better. Obviously we’ve got to find a way, which we’ve had some discussions around different things we can do better as a team. There are still a bit of positives with the bat. With the ball, as I said before, [England scored] 50-60 runs too many but it was a positive to get ten wickets. But with the bat, we’ve just got to put runs on the board. It’s simple.Related

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“A few guys did get in and didn’t go on. It’s just important that you go on for longer, because the longer you bat, the easier it becomes and it’s important to stay in that plan for as long as possible. Obviously you want to put away bad balls, that’s what everybody wants to do. But it’s that hard work that you do for 40 minutes, being able to take that to an hour, two hours. And it is a balance, a mixture of putting away the bad balls, because when you put away the bad balls it gives them confidence. We just got to keep learning. You know, I think a lot of learning would have taken place in the first Test and you’ve just got to believe in our ability and do it and aim to do it for longer periods.”While many of his players are learning on the job, Brathwaite has the experience of 90 Tests to fall back on – and he remains unflustered by a lack of personal form with the bat, which has seen him score one half-century in his last eight Tests going back to February 2023, during which time he has averaged 15.13.”I know what I have to do and it’s obviously important to lead this team and lead the batting, just to build this foundation is obviously what I’m focusing on and obviously that always puts us in a better position to score big runs,” he said. “I enjoy captaining, I enjoy leading. I’ve been opening my whole life, so when I go there to bat, for me, it’s always to see off that new ball, and be there as long as [I] can. That’s always my focus, so I don’t see it as any added pressure. Yes, you know, at times you don’t get runs and it could be a little bit tough but it’s just important to stay mentally tough and keep believing.”On the team’s motivation, he referred to their victory in Brisbane earlier this year, having been beaten heavily by Australia in the first Test, as proof “that we could get it done after a loss”, and said that it was important not to dwell on the lack of preparation time that resulted in such an underwhelming performance at Lord’s.”I think from a belief point of view, it shows that we could get it done after a loss, albeit in different conditions,” Brathwaite said of the Gabba victory, West Indies’ first in Australia since 1997. “It was [a few] months ago. But yes, we could take a bit from that. But the main thing is just having that belief in yourself.”We have a motivation, we got to be better than in the first Test. As you know, the batsmen [have] obviously got to put runs on the board, and that’s our focus. I think once we remain disciplined, session by session, build partnerships that will put us in a good position, you know, and the overall result of the game.”What’s gone is gone. The first defeat is gone. The preparation period is gone. I think the guys are in very good spirits. Mentally it’s really important to believe in yourself. Guys are ready to go.”The two-match series in Australia in January was West Indies’ only Test commitment between July 2023 and the current England series, and Brathwaite reiterated calls by his predecessor, Jason Holder, for administrators to do as much as possible to schedule more games, while also looking forward to home series against South Africa and Bangladesh following the conclusion of their trip to England.”It’s a challenge. I mean, we be longing for more Test cricket. I think the more you play it, the faster you will learn,” he said. “Obviously if it is drawn out over a long period of time, playing two Tests here, two Tests there, you will take longer to learn. The guys are learning, that is the positive, but yes, we need more Tests. It would improve everything about the make-up of playing Test cricket because it’s always going to be tough. You get good periods, you get bad periods, and the more often you play, you pretty much understand it better.”But we have what we have. We have a good period now till December, we have six more Test matches for the year. So we’ve got to make use of that and hopefully, going forward, we can get more because it will benefit the players. The more Test matches you play, the more experience you get. You always learn because I’m pretty much still learning after 90 games. Yeah, we need more Test cricket.”

Maharaj’s three-for and Brathwaite’s run out hurt West Indies on a slow, dry pitch

Firdose Moonda09-Aug-2024Keshav Maharaj bowled 28 overs unchanged from the Media Centre End, albeit with weather-related interruptions, as South Africa frustrated West Indies on the third day of a rain-affected Test. The squeeze only brought four wickets, and with 90 minutes lost in the day and more rain on the way, the chances of victory for either side seems slim, but South Africa will consider themselves as having the upper hand.West Indies are 212 runs behind on a slow, dry pitch, and runs continue to be hard to come by. South Africa only added 13 runs to their overnight score but managed their highest first innings total in nine away Tests since Christchurch 2022 but needed quick wickets to make it count. They were blunted by the West Indies’ line-up and committed a few lapses in the field on a surface unsuited to urgency.Batting has been laboured so far and the early signs on the third morning were that it would become even more difficult. The second ball, from Jayden Seales, kept low and Wiaan Mulder was fortunate that it did not seam back in enough to take out off stump.Still, South Africa seemed to have a clear directive to score quickly and Kagiso Rabada led the charge. He flicked Seales through backward square leg and then attempted a drive but edged wide of second slip in a productive over. His intent did not last long. Rabada faced five more balls before Jomel Warrican found the edge and Joshua Da Silva did the rest. Seales finished off when he bowled Lungi Ngidi six balls later to end South Africa’s innings 20 minutes into the session. They added just 13 runs to their overnight score.West Indies were in the field for 117.4 overs and would have had enough time to know that batting would be tough especially against South Africa’s best. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi shared the new ball and had different but equally testing questions for the openers. Rabada kept it full, Ngidi was more back of a length, and West Indies managed only 23 runs in their first ten overs. Mulder, playing as the third seamer, replaced Ngidi but when Rabada’s spell ended, South Africa were forced to turn to spin early.Maharaj was given the ball in the 13th over and came close to an early breakthrough. In his second over, Maharaj drew Kraigg Brathwaite forward and induced the edge, which lobbed low but carried to Aiden Markram at slip. However, he could not hold on. Brathwaite was on 7 off 43 balls at the time. Brathwaite went on to cut Maharaj through point for his first four but, much like South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma on day two, was content to spend time at the crease and let the runs come from the other end.Mikyle Louis was more proactive, particularly through the covers, with four of his five boundaries coming in that region. He hit the single that took West Indies to fifty which was also the fourth half-century opening stand between him and Brathwaite in three Tests and helped West Indies nearly get through the session unscathed. But, the ball before lunch, Louis played for turn to a Maharaj arm ball and was bowled.Kraigg Brathwaite and Keacy Carty put on 60 for the second wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Play was delayed for 55 minutes after the scheduled second-session restart, but one over later, rain forced another 20-minute break. The interruptions had no effect on Brathwaite’s concentration as he hit Maharaj for six three overs into the second session, but left it to Keacy Carty to do most of the attacking. On debut, Carty impressed with his assuredness and played the shot of the day when he got up on his toes to punch Rabada behind point for four.With their options limited to four frontline bowlers, South Africa had to keep Maharaj at one end – and he kept Brathwaite quiet for a period in which the West Indian captain scored just 6 runs off 37 balls from him – and rotate through the three seamers and matters became pedestrian. None of them looked like taking a wicket but a chance came in the field when Carty, on 28, defended a Mulder ball to point and took off a run but had Ryan Rickelton to contend with. Carty turned back and if Rickelton’s throw was accurate he would have been caught short of his ground but the ball went wide and Carty batted on. Three overs later, Carty was on 32 and hit Maharaj aerially to cover. Tristan Stubbs ran back to take the catch over his shoulder but misjudged and spilled it.Just when South Africa may have become disheartened, a sedate Brathwaite hit Ngidi to Mulder at mid-on and ran for the single but a direct hit found him on the line and out on the stroke of tea. Brathwaite’s 35 runs took 131 balls, and he maintains the lowest strike rate among batters who have scored 5,000 Test runs since 2001. With the interval, came the rain and there was a further 35 minute delay before the start of the last session.Seven balls into the evening, a Maharaj ball ended Carty’s debut innings as it skidded and struck him on the front pad. Aiden Markam, operating as South Africa’s second spinner, could have had another five overs later when Kavem Hodge, on 3, edged but Kyle Verreynne did not react quickly enough to hold on. Instead, Markram was the fielder when Maharaj struck again in the next over. Alick Athanaze edged an arm ball to Markam at slip. Markram and Maharaj bowled out most of the rest of the session, apart from a final late burst by Rabada, who could not remove either Hodge or Jason Holder.

Misson played five Tests for Australia between in 1960-61 and was a pioneer of physical fitness in cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2024Former Australia and New South Wales fast bowler Frank Misson has passed away at the age of 85.Misson played five Tests across the famous 1960-61 home series against the West Indies and the 1961 Ashes tour to England but his Test career was cut short by an Achilles injury. He took 16 wickets at 38.50 including a career best 4 for 58 against West Indies in Melbourne.He played 71 first-class matches, mostly for New South Wales, and finished with 177 first-class wickets at 31.13 in a short career that spanned from 1958 to 1964.Misson was a stellar athlete in his youth, training with legendary Australian athletics middle distance coach Percy Cerutty who famously coached Australia’s Herb Elliott to Olympic gold and a world record in the 1500m in Rome in 1960.Misson carried that fitness and athletics background into his cricket career, bursting onto the scene to take six wickets as a 20-year-old for NSW on Sheffield Shield debut in the last match of the 1958-59 season. At the end of the 1959-60 Shield season Misson was selected in an Australian second XI that toured New Zealand and he took 17 wickets at 12.47.The following summer he made his Test debut against the West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne that followed the famous tied Test in Brisbane.Misson played two more Tests in the five-match series before being selected on the 1961 Ashes tour. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell wrote about Misson’s incredible fitness regime to prepare for the tour.”The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime,” Chappell wrote. “As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.”Misson played the first two Tests of the Ashes series but an Achilles injury caused him issues for the remainder of the tour and he did not play another Test match.Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon paid tribute to Misson following his passing.”We pass on our sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends, especially all of those that played with him as part of the NSW Men’s Team and the Australian Men’s Team,” Germon said.”Frank’s career was cut short by injury, which was ironic considering the focus he had on health, diet and fitness in an era where sports science was not very prevalent.”His five Test caps are recognition of his talent and determination and there is little doubt that if it wasn’t for injury he would have played many more times for his state and country.”Misson’s attitude towards cricket fitness would have a lasting legacy on Australian cricket with his son David Misson becoming the fitness advisor for the Australia men’s team between 1998 and 2000 as well as with Cricket New South Wales in the early 2000s.

Marcus Stoinis returns having missed the England series while Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk could form a new opening pair

Alex Malcolm14-Oct-2024Australia captain Pat Cummins will prepare for the upcoming Test summer by leading the ODI series against Pakistan while Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head will both miss the three-match contest for paternity leave.Cummins has been named captain of Australia’s 14-man squad that was announced on Monday for the series that begins on November 4 at the MCG. The squad is missing Marsh and Head who both have babies due in the coming weeks. Cameron Green who has been ruled out of the summer after opting for back surgery.Cummins is unlikely to play a Sheffield Shield game before the five-Test series against India. He will instead get all his preparation in via 50-over cricket. He will likely play a one-day domestic fixture for New South Wales on October 25 before captaining the first ODI.It remains to be seen whether Cummins will play all three ODIs against Pakistan given there is just a one-day break between the second and the third matches in Adelaide and Perth with a lengthy flight in between. Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have also been named in the ODI squad but it appears likely that the bowling attack will be rotated as both Hazlewood and Starc are hoping to play at least one Shield match before the ODIs.Related

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“This is our last ODI series before the Champions Trophy and the balance of the squad was focussed on that as well as continuing to focus on preparation of individuals for the upcoming Test summer,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “The one-day side had a great result in the UK particularly given illness and injury challenges. We view this is an opportunity to expand on that achievement in preparation for next February in Pakistan.”Marcus Stoinis makes his ODI return having not played since the 2023 World Cup. He was not selected for the ODI portion of the tour of the UK but did play in the T20I series against Scotland and England. Stoinis currently doesn’t have a state or CA contract, although he is close to qualifying for an upgrade, and hasn’t played in any domestic one-day matches for Western Australia at the start of the summer. But he remains in the plans for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, especially now given Green’s injury and will be a key all-round figure alongside the emerging Aaron Hardie if Australia want to play an allrounder-heavy XI.Josh Inglis is the sole wicketkeeper in the squad with the in-form Alex Carey left out for the Pakistan series despite strong performances against England on his ODI return.The absence of Head and Marsh will open the door for a new opening combination with Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk a good chance to combine throughout the series. Short was one of Australia’s shining lights on the tour of the UK while Fraser-McGurk did not get a chance in the ODIs but looks set to play in the upcoming series.Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI debut in England, is the only player named in both the ODI and the Australia A squad for two four-day matches against India A that clash with the ODI series. The first four-day game in Mackay ends on November 3 ahead of the first ODI on November 4 while the second four-day game at the MCG runs from November 7-10 with the second and third ODIs being played on November 8 and 10. Connolly appears likely to play the first Australia A game before joining the ODI squad for the second match.Australia are yet to name the T20I squad for the three-match series that follows the ODIs against Pakistan. None of Australia’s Test players will play in that series which runs from November 14 to 18 as they will rest for the first Test which starts on November 22.That will mean Australia will need a new T20I captain given Marsh, Head and Cummins won’t feature. They will also have a different coaching staff as head coach Andrew McDonald and a number of his assistants will sit out to prepare for India.

Australia ODI squad vs Pakistan

Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Sears, who made his Test debut against Australia earlier this year, is suffering from a knee injury

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2024Ben Sears, one of four frontline fast bowlers in New Zealand’s Test squad for their tour of India, will not be taking part in the three-match series because of a knee injury. Jacob Duffy, uncapped in Tests, has been called up as Sears’ replacement, and will leave for India on Wednesday morning, the first day of the first Test of the series.”Sears experienced pain in his left knee while training during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and underwent scans in New Zealand last week,” a New Zealand Cricket statement on Tuesday morning said. “His departure to India was delayed after scans revealed a tear to his meniscus, and the first available medical consultation was sought in the hope that he might have been cleared.”However, following the medical advice, the decision was made to rule him out of the series. A plan on the best course of treatment and rehabilitation for the injury will be advised in due course.”Related

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In Sears’ absence, and without Duffy reaching India in time for the first Test, New Zealand will have to make up their fast-bowling attack from among Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke. Among frontline spin options, they have Ajaz Patel as their primary bowler, allrounders Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell, and the handy part-time spin of Glenn Phillips. New Zealand can also call upon the pace-bowling services of Daryl Mitchell if required.”We’re obviously disappointed for Ben, who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer, and offers a genuine pace option,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said of Sears, who made his Test debut – his only appearance in the format so far – against Australia in Christchurch in March this year, and picked up five wickets in the game.”It remains to be seen how long we’ll be without him for, but we’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one. It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob, who has been around Test the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us, he has every chance of making his Test debut.”Duffy, 30, has played six ODIs and 14 T20Is so far, and has 299 first-class wickets to his name.”Jacob’s recent experience playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship certainly pushed his place,” Stead said. “His performances in white-ball cricket for the Black Caps have always been impressive, and we’re confident he’ll be able to contribute if called upon.”New Zealand’s tour of India begins with the first Test in Bengaluru, before the series moves on to Pune and Mumbai.

The home side were in danger of defeat midway through the final day but an unbroken sixth-wicket stand came to their aid

AAP18-Nov-2024Queensland held on for a draw on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match against a Tasmania side that dominated from the outset.The hosts were in dire straits on Monday’s final day at Allan Border Field until Ben McDermott and wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson combined for an unbroken 99-run stand for the sixth wicket.The match was called a draw with an hour to play with Queensland 225 for 5 in their second innings, a lead of 55. Queensland have not won any of their past six games in Brisbane, a run comprising four losses and two draws.Related

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Tasmania posted 461 in the first innings but the weather conspired to cruel their hopes of a first win of the season after most of day two was lost to rain.Queensland resumed at 274 for 7 and immediately lost day-three centurion Matthew Renshaw who added just one to his overnight tally.Pace bowlers Riley Meredith and Lawrence Neil-Smith, both with three wickets in the innings, cleaned up the tail and the hosts were quickly bundled out 20 runs short of avoiding the follow on for 291. Tasmania skipper Jordan Silk had no hesitation sending Queensland back in.Mitchell Owen picked up Renshaw and Bryce Street before lunch to brilliant diving catches by first slip Beau Webster and wicketkeeper Jake Doran.Meredith was the destroyer in the hour after the interval and took three wickets to have Queensland teetering at 126 for 5, still 44 runs shy of making the visitors bat again, before McDermott and Pearson knuckled down to ensure there was no embarrassing loss.Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald was named man of the match for his superb 186.Queensland captain Mitchell Swepson conceded Tasmania had dominated the game.”We play Shield cricket to win and unfortunately we haven”t been able to get into positions to win,” he told AAP. “Tassie were driving the game from the first day when we weren’t quite on with the ball. We were lucky to get away with a draw here.”A day-night clash with top of the table Victoria starts on Sunday at the Gabba. Queensland must win to get their season moving in the right direction.”Where we are on the table, we need a few wins and we have great belief in this group,” Swepson said. “The Gabba has been a fortress for us and is somewhere we think we can play an aggressive brand of cricket. The pink ball adds a different element and you’d like to think there would be a result at the Gabba where the wicket is pretty spicy for Shield games.”Tasmania will play NSW away on Sunday as they also look for an elusive first victory of the summer.

He will be accompanied by Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahood, who is currently with the team in Cape Town

Danyal Rasool05-Jan-2025Pakistan opener Saim Ayub will travel to London to have his ankle fracture treated. The PCB, who had earlier said he would stay with the team and fly back to Pakistan at the end of the Newlands Test match, has decided instead to send him to London for specialist treatment straightaway. He will be accompanied by Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahood, who is currently with the team in Cape Town.The PCB has in the past taken criticism for the manner in which player injuries have been handled, and are looking to draw a line under that chapter. In 2022, Shaheen Afridi, who also suffered an on-field injury, travelled with the team initially before ultimately being sent to London, though not before mounting criticism of the decision not to proceed with immediate treatment.PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasised the quality of care he believed Ayub would get, saying he would be treated at the “best hospital in the world”.Related

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“Saim Ayub will be checked up by the sports ortho specialist doctors in England as an immediate appointment has been made by the PCB. All resources will be used for his treatment.”Ayub had to be stretchered off the pitch in just the seventh over of the match, when Ryan Rickelton edged a delivery through the slips, sending Ayub off on a chase to deep third alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal pulled it back in as Ayub stood poised to be the relay fielder, but lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He went down immediately and appeared in anguish holding the lower part of his leg as the physio rushed on.Despite prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was unable to put any weight on his right ankle, and appeared to be in tears as he was placed on to a stretcher and taken off. He was later seen on crutches in the medical boot. The PCB later said he would be ruled out for six weeks, which puts him in a race against time to be fit for the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19.