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New-ball duo help Yorkshire make most of only 42 overs possible on rainy day at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2023New-ball duo Matthew Fisher and Ben Coad helped Yorkshire make the absolute most of only 42 overs of play possible on a rainy day one at Headingley as they restricted promotion-chasing Sussex to 120 for 6.Sussex, third in Division Two with eight draws and a win, are one of only two unbeaten sides in either division of the LV= Insurance County Championship this season – Glamorgan the other.But they were put under intense early pressure after surprisingly electing to bat first under a cloudy sky and on a green-tinged pitch.Seamers Fisher and Coad shone with 4 for 53 from 13 overs and 2 for 10 from 12 respectively during a day including a pair of two-hour plus rain delays.After electing to bat, Sussex captain Tom Alsop top-scored with 35, while 54 overs were not bowled.One of Yorkshire’s major issues over the past season-and-a-half of four-day cricket – they were relegated last September – has been the lack of matches Coad and Fisher have played. With them fit and firing, the county look a completely different proposition.Yorkshire have only won twice since the start of 2022, and this is only Coad’s 11th Championship appearance and Fisher’s ninth in that time. They have only played together on six occasions in that period but complement each other superbly.While Coad is not blessed with the pace that Fisher has, he will find any ounce of help off the pitch or through the air to trouble batters – and that’s exactly what they did.An all-Tom opening partnership of Clark and Haines was removed as Sussex slipped to 18 for 3 inside six overs, including Fisher’s wickets with successive deliveries.Coad made the initial breakthrough by getting Clark caught at second slip by Adam Lyth, leaving the score at 6 for 1 in the third over.England fringe quick Fisher then had the other left-handed opener Haines caught behind by Jonny Tattersall before bowling James Coles first ball. He played expansively at an in-ducker, leaving the Hove county 18 for 3 in the sixth over.A two-and-a-quarter-hour rain delay, including lunch, then came from 11.55am before Coad and Fisher struck once more apiece prior to the rain returning at 3.20pm, resulting in another two-and-a-half-hour break.Coad forced Oli Carter to inside-edge a drive onto his stumps before Danial Ibrahim feathered a forward defensive shot against Fisher behind as the score fell to 57 for 5 in the 25th over.Sussex captain Alsop batted with a decent slice of fortune in his 96-ball 35, which came to an end late in the day when he edged Fisher shoulder-high to Ryan Rickelton at third slip.The first five of the left-hander’s six boundaries were scored behind the wicket, including his first which was inside-edged just past his off-stump off Fisher.Sussex were at least boosted late in the day by Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Australian overseas seamer Nathan McAndrew, who shared an unbroken 44 for the seventh wicket.Hudson-Prentice looked the most assured Sussex batter on show with 29 not out and McAndrew was strong on the pull and cut in hitting six boundaries in an unbeaten 25.

Dhoni had told Gaikwad to “be ready, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you”

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-20244:52

Is this the right time for Gaikwad the captain?

MS Dhoni had given feelers to Ruturaj Gaikwad about a possible captaincy switch during IPL 2023 itself. Those feelers came alive on the eve of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, when Dhoni officially relinquished his captaincy to Gaikwad.”Last year itself, Mahi bhai had hinted about captaincy at some point of time,” Gaikwad told IPLT20.com. “He just hinted that, ‘be ready, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you’. When we came into the camp, he involved me in some of the match simulation.”Prior to the season, Dhoni stoked fan-sentiment on social media by hinting about a “new role”. At the time, it was believed to be promotional campaign towards a broadcast sponsor. But on Thursday evening, it became evident that may have not been the case entirely.Related

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• Fleming on CSK captaincy change: 'We weren't ready for Dhoni to move aside in 2022, but the timing is right now'

• A season begins, an era ends, and life goes on for MS Dhoni

“I remember him posting about a new role on social media and everybody was pointing towards me and asking me, ‘are you the next captain?’. I was like, ‘maybe it meant something else for social media’. But back of the mind, it was there. He came and said, ‘I’ve decided this and this’, but definitely now that I’m here, I’m looking forward to this.”Gaikwad was first signed at base price [INR 20 lakh] prior to the 2019 season, where he didn’t get a game. In IPL 2020, Gaikwad had a tough initiation as he began with three ducks in a season where he also contracted covid. He returned towards the back end of the season and became the first uncapped Indian to hit three back-to-back half-centuries.Since then, he’s been an integral part of the group. In 2021, he formed a superb opening combination with Faf du Plessis as Super Kings won their fourth title. He ended the tournament with the Orange Cap for most runs [635 in 16 games], with du Plessis second on the list. After that tournament, Gaikwad had glowingly talked about the backing and encouragement he’d received from du Plessis.MS Dhoni with new CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at a training session•PTI

“I just met Faf at the [captains’] meeting and said, ‘who would’ve thought a few years down the line, you are playing and leading RCB and me sharing the stage with you at the toss’,” Gaikwad said. “A lot to look forward to. It [opening game] is one of the most exciting first-day games to look forward to.”Dhoni had done something similar in 2022, when he handed the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja prior to the start of the season. The move backfired, and after Super Kings lost six of their first eight games, Dhoni took over the reins again. Super Kings finished ninth that season.The question of succession planning at Super Kings has been a hot topic of debate ever since, which even head coach Stephen Fleming touched upon at his pre-match press conference. This time around, he felt, the change will be a lot “smoother.””It feels great for two reasons,” Gaikwad said of his new role. “To be part of this wonderful franchise right from when my IPL journey started and then to be trusted by MS Dhoni for a leadership role speaks a lot. The challenge lies ahead and I’m looking forward to it.”I’ve got to know how the franchise works throughout the year, got to know their mantra, the reasons behind their success, what kind of things the franchise goes through, what Mahi bhai or the support staff do. I wouldn’t like to change a single bit of it.”He’s a great backbone to have on the field. I also have Ajju [Ajinkya Rahane] and Jaddu as well, a lot of options to look around. I don’t think I’ll need to change anything. Just give the kind of freedom the players want and everything will be fine.”

Young allrounder Cooper Connolly’s 79 pushed WA, even as Test aspirant Matt Renshaw fell cheaply

Tristan Lavalette09-Oct-2024Test aspirant Matt Renshaw fell cheaply, but captain Marnus Labuschagne led Queensland’s recovery with a half-century against Western Australia at the WACA. Labuschagne was in superb touch, as he hit 77 off 96 balls and looked in total command until falling lbw to offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli late on day two. It was a major blow in Queensland’s rally, but No. 4 Jack Clayton held firm and finished unbeaten on 52.After toiling in the field for 124.2 overs, openers Renshaw and Usman Khawaja were challenged by accurate new-ball bowling from quicks Matt Kelly and Cameron Gannon. The pitch flattened considerably amid sunny conditions, and represented a golden opportunity for Renshaw, who might be in the frame for a Test recall given the uncertainty over Cameron Green’s back injury.Renshaw started with a gorgeous drive down the ground off Kelly in the first over, but was worked over by Gannon, and edged to third slip. He made just 6 off 24 balls.Labuschagne, with his father watching on in the terraces, was cautious early, before counterattacking Rocchiccioli with quick footwork down the pitch. He combined well with Khawaja, who also pounced on an unusually ragged effort from Rocchiccioli.Gannon, playing against his former team, was the standout of WA’s shorthanded attack missing speedsters Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson, with allrounder Mitchell Marsh playing as a specialist batter. Having starred in WA’s Shield triumph against Tasmania last season, Gannon was relentless, and knocked over Khawaja, who on 31, played a short ball on to his stumps.WA debutant Brody Couch, recruited from Victoria and who has played in Major League Cricket, impressed and bowled a lively first spell before tea. He was the fastest out of WA’s trio of quicks, reaching speeds of 140kph while also bowling the occasional fiery short-pitched delivery. Couch tired late in the day, but did deliver a stinging delivery that hit Labuschagne in the stomach and had him on his haunches.Queensland still have considerable work ahead to close in on WA’s massive first-innings total of 465. WA’s recovery continued on day two when allrounder Cooper Connolly and Gannon batted for almost the entire first session. Connolly powered to his half-century off 64 balls, and was matched by Gannon, a useful middle-order batter for his local club team. Labuschagne reverted to funky fields for Queensland, but to no avail, as Gannon notched his second half-century in first-class cricket.After making his international debut during Australia’s tour of the UK, Connolly has been earmarked for a big summer, and might be a smokey for the Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.Justifying his selection ahead of veteran Ashton Turner, Connolly unleashed powerful strokes to reach lunch on 79 not out. Having made 90 in his first-class debut in last season’s Shield final, Connolly’s bid for a maiden ton was cut short when he holed out to Renshaw in the first over after the interval.After a standout performance on day one, fringe Test quick Michael Neser only bowled three overs on day two. He finished with 5 for 68 from 25 overs, and completed a stunning athletic catch on the boundary to wrap WA’s innings up. Part-timers Labuschagne and Renshaw claimed two wickets apiece before having contrasting fortunes with the bat.

Keemo Paul three-for helps limit UAE, who were led by teenager Ali Naseer’s debut fifty

Srinidhi Ramanujam04-Jun-2023A classy 112 from Brandon King and a three wicket-haul from Keemo Paul powered West Indies to a resounding victory as they chased down 203 with 88 balls to spare against UAE, in the first of the three-match ODIs in sultry Sharjah on Sunday. While Paul was playing an ODI after almost a year, King marked his promotion to vice-captaincy with a match-winning performance.Kicking off a new era for West Indies under new captain Shai Hope and new head coach Daren Sammy, the visitors looked untroubled chasing in testing conditions, on a pitch offering turn and uneven bounce. The win comes as a boost to West Indies as they prepare for the ODI World Cup Qualifier later this month in Zimbabwe.King’s maiden ODI hundred came off 107 deliveries and he also stitched a crucial 91-run match-defining stand for the second wicket with Shamarh Brooks to crush UAE. Highlights of his innings included his three clean sixes against legspinner Karthik Meiyyappan in the 34th over of the innings. Overall, he hit 12 fours and four sixes.West Indies started the chase on a brisk note with five runs an over and maintained the run rate throughout their innings. Though it was not a difficult target on paper, West Indies had to play on a tough pitch in humid conditions. After losing Johnson Charles early for 24, Brooks played a supporting role with his 44 off 58 deliveries. Left-arm spinner Aayan Khan was able to keep West Indies at bay for some time, but it wasn’t enough to stop King. With Keacy Carty, he put on 54 runs with 47 of those runs coming off his bat.Hope hit two consecutive sixes off Meiyappan in the 36th over to seal the deal for his side.

Debutant Ali Naseer’s fifty steers UAE to 202

A fighting fifty from teen debutant Ali Naseer helped UAE put 202 on board after a collapse in the middle order.Winning the toss and opting to bat, UAE lost both openers inside the first three overs. Paul struck in his second ball when he bowled the home captain Muhammad Waseem for a duck. Left-arm pace bowler Dominic Drakes, who made his West Indies debut alongside spin allrounder Kavem Hodge on Sunday, then picked up his first ODI wicket by breaking through the defence of Aryansh Sharma in his second over.Vriitya Aravind took his time but stabilised the innings with a 70-ball 40, assembling a partnership of 31 off 54 with Rameez Shahzad for the third wicket. The stand was broken when Rameez had to retire hurt in the 12th over following a blow on his helmet off Odean Smith’s bowling. Aravind hit a few elegant cover drives and put on 44 runs with Asif Khan for the fourth wicket before being dismissed by legspinner Yannic Cariah when he nicked the ball to the wicketkeeper. He also became UAE’s highest run-getter in ODIs with this knock.From 100 for 2, UAE suffered a collapse of four wickets for 29 runs. This included the wicket of Rameez, who returned to bat after retiring hurt. Cariah was tough to score off in the middle overs and conceded just 26 runs in his seven overs. UAE, though, bounced back in the final phase of the innings, courtesy of Naseer.Coming in at No. 7, the left-hand batter provided the late push needed to cross the 200-mark. Naseer, 19, showed determination with little support from the other end and went after the left-arm spinner Hodge, hammering two sixes in the 41st over, one over midwicket and another – a slog sweep over wide long-on en route his half-century. Smith, Drakes and Hodge then kept him quiet for a few overs before Naseer holed out to long-off – Paul’s slow offcutter from outside off stump doing the trick. His 52-ball 58 knock consisted of five fours and two sixes.For West Indies, Drakes, Smith, and Cariah ended with two each and Roston Chase took one.

Shubman Gill has come in for sharp scrutiny following poor returns at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia

Shashank Kishore14-Jan-2025Shubman Gill has confirmed his availability for Punjab for their sixth-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru starting January 23. The squad hasn’t been announced yet.Gill’s possible return to the Punjab fold gives him an opportunity to work with Wasim Jaffer, the highest run-getter in Ranji history who is now the Punjab coach. It comes at a time when his poor returns outside Asia – he averages 17.64 in 18 innings since June 2021 – have come in for sharp scrutiny, especially with India slated to tour England for five Tests in the summer.His return will shore up a squad that will be without senior players Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh, who have both been picked in India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against England starting January 22 in Kolkata.Gill’s last Ranji Trophy appearance for Punjab came in 2022, when he played against Madhya Pradesh in the quarter-finals in Alur. His return coincides with the Indian team management having laid down strict protocols for national players in the wake of India’s 3-1 Test series loss in Australia.1:47

Pujara: Gill’s hard hands and lack of footwork causing trouble in Australia

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have spoken of the need for top players to make themselves available to play for their respective state teams when free of international commitments.Gill was among those who endured a disappointing run in Australia, where he managed a highest of 31 in five innings following a return from a finger injury that kept him out of the series opener in Perth. He averaged 18.60 for the series. He was also left out of India’s XI for the Boxing Day Test, with the team management slotting in KL Rahul at No. 3 after Rohit Sharma reverted to his opening position having initially started the series, in the second Test, in the middle order.At the time, though, the team management said that Gill hadn’t been dropped and was merely “unfortunate” to miss out owing to team combination, as India went in with two spin-bowling allrounders in Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.Punjab’s hopes of qualifying for the Ranji Trophy playoffs hangs by a thread; they are currently fifth in Group A with a solitary win in five games.

Barbados Royals remain winless after two games, while the latest win has lifted Patriots to second spot on the table

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2025Jason Holder was bang in the middle of all good things St Kitts and Nevis Patriots did as they ended a three-match losing streak in CPL 2025 to beat Barbados Royals by 12 runs in Basseterre on Thursday night.Holder first hit a 21-ball 38 to lift an up-and-down Patriots innings that needed a bit of impetus, and then picked up four wickets, including three key strikes at the death when the match got a bit tense.Batting first after Royals opted to field, Patriots were three down quickly, losing Evin Lewis, Rilee Rossouw and Mohammad Rizwan inside the powerplay with just 45 runs on the board. Ramon Simmonds, the left-arm quick did most of the damage, removing Lewis and Rossouw, while Rizwan, in his first match for the franchise, fell to Jomel Warrican.Andre Fletcher had been holding one end up, but he didn’t last too long after the powerplay, falling to Daniel Sams for a 16-ball 25 in the ninth over.Kyle Mayers top-scored for Patriots•CPL T20 via Getty Images

It was then that Kyle Mayers and Holder got together and put up a 49-run stand to bring Patriots back in the game. The two contributed more or less equally to the 30-ball partnership, with Mayers contributing 26 in 16 and Holder 22 in 14. Mayers and Holder fell in the 14th and 16th overs respectively, but quick runs from the Pakistan duo of Abbas Afridi (16 in ten) and Naseem Shah (19 not out in 11) took Patriots to a strong total.It might not have proved enough on another night, though. But Royals, who have now lost both their games this season so far, just couldn’t get a chase going, even though they ended up getting close enough to the target.Unlike Patriots, they got runs from their top order, but the speed of progress wasn’t good enough. Brandon King scored 22 in 17. Quinton de Kock 15 in ten. Kadeem Alleyne, the highest scorer of the innings, hit 42 in 28. Sherfane Rutherford and Kofi James had poor outings, but Rovman Powell, batting at No. 6, chipped in with a 15-ball 21.But there just wasn’t the one big effort that would have made the match close. Wickets fell at regular intervals, Naseem and Navin Bidaisee, the legspinner, picking up two wickets apiece to complement Holder, whose four wickets in 3.2 overs cost him just 14 runs. All of that combined to finish the Royals innings off with ten balls left – enough time to score 12 runs, you’d think, except that they had lost too many wickets too quickly to get to that position.The win, their second in five games, took Patriots to second place on the table behind Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, while Royals are right at the bottom.

Kaverappa, Sarfaraz also part of the squad that’s set to take on Saurashtra beginning October 1 in Rajkot

Shashank Kishore28-Sep-2023Hanuma Vihari has been named captain of Rest of India for the Irani Cup against Ranji champions Saurashtra beginning October 1 in Rajkot.Vihari, who led South Zone to the Duleep Trophy title in July, has three of his team-mates from that squad – batters Mayank Agarwal, B Sai Sudharsan and fast bowler Vidwath Kaverappa – for company. KS Bharat is likely to be the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Dhruv Jurel as a back-up.Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made 798 runs in the Ranji season, misses out as he’s recovering from typhoid. The other surprise miss is Kerala allrounder Jalaj Saxena, who topped the wickets chart with 50 scalps.With several India A players away with the national team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, the selectors have rewarded young batters Yash Dhull and Rohan Kunnummal with berths purely on potential, despite them having endured poor Ranji seasons.Dhull managed just 270 runs in 10 innings at the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy while Kunnummal managed 203 runs in nine innings. Vihari himself had a patchy season, scoring 490 runs in 14 innings for Andhra, but the captaincy is possibly a further sign of him still being in the mix as far as back-ups go for the national team.Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 0, 6, 0 and 48 at the season-opening Duleep Trophy, will also potentially have an opportunity to make amends. He’s expected to occupy one of the middle-order berths.Where Sarfaraz bats in the XI could be a sign of the kind of role the senior selectors see him playing in the near future. At Mumbai, he’s been prolific at No. 5 over the past three seasons. Sai Sudharsan, meanwhile, is set to link up with the squad straight off a maiden county stint with Surrey.ROI’s bowling department will be spearheaded by Navdeep Saini, while Karnataka’s Vidwath Kaverappa, who had an impressive Duleep Trophy to back up his 30 wickets in the Ranji season, is expected share the new ball. Uttar Pradesh’s Saurabh Kumar and Shams Mulani, the second-highest wicket-taker at Ranji Trophy 2022-23 (46 scalps), are the two frontline spinners, with Delhi’s Pulkit Narang also making the cut. Yash Dayal brings in the left-arm pace variety, and could play as the third pacer.Bengal pace spearhead Akash Deep has been listed in the squad, but won’t feature in the match as he’s with the Indian squad at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Initially not picked there, he was named as a late replacement for the injured Shivam Mavi.Hosts Saurashtra too have named a strong squad boasting of all their regulars. Cheteshwar Pujara and Jaydev Unadkat, the captain, are coming off a regular diet of red-ball cricket at the county championship in England. At 37, Sheldon Jackson continues to be a pillar in the middle order alongside Pujara, Arpit Vasavada, the previous Ranji season’s second-highest run-getter.Saurashtra earned the right to play this game after beating Bengal to clinch their second Ranji Trophy crown in Kolkata earlier this year.Rest of India: Hanuma Vihari (captain), K S Bharat, Mayank Agarwal, Yash Dhull, Shams Mulani, Sai Sudarshan, Sarfaraz Khan, Pulkit Narang, Saurabh Kumar, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Akash Deep, Rohan Kunnummal, Dhruv Jurel.Saurashtra: Jaydev Unadkat (captain), Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Arpit Vasavada, Harvik Desai, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Jay Gohil, Parth Bhut, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Samarth Vyas, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya, Kushang Patel, Snell Patel, Devang Karamta.

The allrounder has had a taste of international cricket and on his current form more may not be far away

Alex Malcolm25-Oct-2023Moving house can be a pain. But for Matthew Short it was one of the best life decisions he ever made.The most in-form batter in Australian domestic cricket right now, who made his international T20I and ODI debut recently, and was one negative Travis Head scan result away from being drafted into Australia’s World Cup squad, admits that just 18 months ago he was nearing a cricketing abyss.In the winter of 2022, Short had been a professional cricketer for Victoria for eight years. Aged 26, he had played 62 first-class innings and scored just one hundred. It was against England in a tour game for a Cricket Australia XI in 2017 against an attack featuring Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali, but it was the fourth day of a tame draw where only 24 wickets had fallen in a true warm-up game in Townsville ahead of an Ashes series.Related

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He had zero Sheffield Shield centuries and was averaging just 30.38 in 55 innings. He had zero List A hundreds in 46 innings and zero T20 hundreds and just five fifties in 50 innings.But in 2023, he has scored six centuries across all formats: one in the BBL, two in the Marsh Cup and three in Sheffield Shield cricket. He was the BBL player of the tournament, played in the IPL, the Hundred and for Australia in white-ball cricket, all since moving closer to Victoria’s training facility at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.”I suppose probably 12-18 months ago, I was a little bit nowhere in terms of not putting as much effort into training,” Short said. “So I moved in closer to training and made a few sacrifices over the last few months. Really putting some emphasis on training and doing the extra stuff.”There was a bit more to it than that. But it is incredible that Short, now just shy of turning 28, after being a talented Australia Under-19, playing a youth World Cup, being selected in Cricket Australia development teams and consistently for Victoria, had not had that epiphany sooner.As a tall, powerful ball striker, with wonderful hand-eye coordination, a gifted catcher and very skillful offspin bowler, Short is almost the perfect package for the modern game. It is easy to see why he had so many games invested in him as a younger player without the pressure of having to perform for his place.But natural talent can only take you so far. His Victoria coach Chris Rogers has been a big proponent of asking his talented young players to “take the stairs and not the elevator” to get to the top echelon of Australian cricket. Short has done that through putting in more hours at training, but also coupling that with some better decision-making and mental skills out in the middle with the backing of both Rogers and his Adelaide Strikers coach Jason Gillespie.”Probably a lot of volume [training],” Short said. “Really trying to nail down on my game plan. But it’s more spending the extra time around recovery and stuff in the gym. Just really to get my body okay to play as much as I have over the last six to 12 months.”It’s [also] probably more the mental side of things. Both here at Victoria and the Strikers in Adelaide I’ve been given a lot of freedom from Bucky Rogers and Dizzy Gillespie. Just being able to bat my natural way. It’s pretty aggressive and I seem to be getting away with a bit now.”Extra responsibility has also helped. He has gone from an inconsistent rank-and-file member of both Victoria and Strikers to a senior player who is relied upon in both sides. At Strikers, his runscoring at the top of the order became vital in the absence of Alex Carey and Travis Head while he also had to bowl powerplay overs upfront.For Victoria last summer, Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb’s absence due to Test duties and Nic Maddinson’s injury meant added responsibility. Short thrived with that on his shoulders. He then experienced the new challenge of being an overseas player at the top of the order for Punjab Kings in the IPL and Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.Matthew Short has been around the Australia camp in the last few months•Associated Press

Stepping back into Victoria colours last week after being away with Australia, including clubbing 66 off 30 balls in just his second T20I against South Africa, with his state side struggling early in the season, he was able to stand tall with back-to-back hundreds in Mackay against Queensland.”I think being an international player, albeit they were replacement player gigs, but to be that kind of player that teams rely on for scores or wickets or whatever it is, to have that kind of extra pressure on you, I think that’s been good to bring back to Victoria,” Short said. “I think the last few years we’ve relied heavily on one or two players, whether it be Marcus Harris or Pete Handscomb, Scotty Boland. It’s nice to be able to think of myself as someone that the team relies on to score runs and help set up some victories.”His bowling too has developed with the help of Victoria spin coach Craig Howard, who has been a vital part of Todd Murphy’s development into becoming a Test offspinner. Short suddenly looms as a triple-threat in all three forms.With Australia’s white-ball teams about to hit a transition phase, he is well aware his purple patch could not have come at a better time. But looking beyond that there are subcontinental Test tours that loom for Australia in Sri Lanka in early 2025 and India in early 2027 where Short’s skillset would make him an asset.”You never know,” Short said. “Based off my last six months I think anything can happen. If you keep putting performances on the board at the right time, this sort of time in Australian cricket, there might be a few changes coming up. I think it’s just all about timing. I’m not really thinking about it too much, whether it’s white-ball or red-ball, but if I can keep performing and trying to win games for Victoria then who knows what’ll happen.”His immediate task is to get past New South Wales and a returning Nathan Lyon at the MCG starting on Thursday as Victoria try to rebound after consecutive innings defeats in the Sheffield Shield to start the year. They look set to welcome back Will Pucovski who rested the trip to Queensland.”He seems in good spirits,” Short said. “I’m looking forward to playing with him.”

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad says his half-century “may be something for experts to talk about, with my strike rate”, but he is happy to get the job done on “slightly tricky” track

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2024Chennai Super Kings got back to winning ways after two away defeats and handed Kolkata Knight Riders their first loss of IPL 2024 by slowing them down with spin on a tacky Chepauk surface. Unlike the last two matches where none of the home spinners accounted for a wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, on Monday, Ravindra Jadeja and Co were the architects of the seven-wicket victory on a typical Chepauk track that remained slow, assisted spinners and made it difficult for batters to score.KKR captain Shreyas Iyer deconstructed the loss, saying his team couldn’t assess the conditions quickly enough as they changed “tremendously” after the first six overs.”I personally feel we fell short in terms of assessing the wicket,” Iyer said after the match. “We were phenomenal in the powerplay but after that, we couldn’t capitalise, we lost consecutive wickets. We weren’t able to assess the conditions as quickly as possible. It completely changed after the powerplay and scoring runs off this wicket wasn’t easy.”Obviously, they know conditions pretty well and they bowled according to their plan. It was a bit tacky, especially even when the hard-hitters came in, it wasn’t easy for them to go [big] right from the first ball. It changed tremendously after the powerplay. We were trying to construct our innings, didn’t go to plan. We take those learnings and move forward.”After leaking 56 runs in the powerplay, CSK pulled things back thanks to Jadeja’s 3 for 18. Add Maheesh Theekshana and Rachin Ravindra into the mix, and the spinners combined to bowl nine overs for just 50 runs and four wickets to restrict KKR to a below-par 137 for 9.”We were in a comfortable place at the beginning, we thought 160-170 would be a great score on this wicket. Even when they played against RCB, the conditions were fairly similar. So that was our plan but when you lose consecutive wickets, it’s difficult to carry forward momentum,” Iyer said.CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led the chase with an unbeaten 67 off 58, felt it was a “slightly tricky” wicket and that the onus was on him to bat through to take the team home after the No. 3 Ajinkya Rahane strained his calf. It was also an important knock for Gaikwad personally, who finally contributed definitively after scores of 15, 46, 1, 26 in the previous four games.”Bit of nostalgia for me,” Gaikwad said of batting with MS Dhoni in the final part of the chase. “My first IPL fifty, Mahi was there with me to finish the match. Pretty much the same situation today. I feel with Jinx [Rahane] slightly injured, it was my role to stay till the end on a wicket which was slightly tricky. I didn’t want to put the youngsters in a pressure situation. Overall, a good game for us.”I would still say it was a 150-160 wicket. Didn’t think it was a six-hitting pitch but definitely 160.”I wouldn’t say mine is a slow start [he was on 9 off 11 at one stage], in T20s there are times you nick off one or two balls, sometimes you need a bit of luck to get going. Today it was perfect I could take some time a bit, maybe something for experts to talk about, with my strike rate, but still good to get a win.”With this win, CSK have six points from five games and occupy fourth spot on the points table, while KKR are second with six points from four games. CSK will be on the road for the next couple of games before returning home for the match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 23. KKR, meanwhile, will head back to Eden Gardens for five home games in a row.