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A number of factors are weighing the visitors down in New Zealand, and not all of them are cricketing

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2022South Africa’s support staff are struggling to put a finger on why the team’s form has swung so dramatically from their victories against India to staring at an innings defeat after two days in New Zealand. “The energies are way below par,” head coach Mark Boucher said on Friday, but not solid explanation has been forthcoming. It could be a combination of factors: the experience of a ten-day hard quarantine for the first time; an unfamiliar venue – South Africa have never played a Test at Hagley Oval before; off-field issues, with Boucher’s disciplinary hearing pending; and a lack of clarity around selection. Not to mention New Zealand’s outstanding command of their own conditions.Related

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Boucher obliquely addressed all of them in his press conference on the second day, which ended with South Africa 34 for 3 in their second innings, trailing New Zealand by 353 runs. “It’s extremely disappointing, especially after the series we just had against India. There was high expectation from everyone,” he said. “We just haven’t come out and given the energy that’s expected of us. I can see the energies are way below par.”Asked if South Africa’s history of being slow starters may have been taken to a new level, Boucher was unsure but said the preparation for the series had been as thorough as always. “We haven’t started well here at all and it’s not the first time it’s happened. It’s something that’s been happening for quite some time. We are trying to find out the reasons for that,” he said. “We do a lot of talking and planning throughout the series and the plans are right, but we haven’t been able to execute on those plans. The energies have been low. We can’t put our finger on it. We have to try to find a way to become better at the start of the series.”South Africa came into this series on a high after a come-from-behind Test series win against India, at home, but also on the back of the news that some of the current squad members would be asked to testify at Boucher’s disciplinary hearing in May. The individual players who may appear at the hearing have not yet been named and, with proceedings still ongoing, Boucher could not comment on whether it has been affecting the players. “I can’t answer that for the players,” he said. “What’s happening in my personal stuff stays personal. There’s a process that’s going on and we will leave it at that.”Boucher faces charges of “gross misconduct” over racial issues and CSA is seeking his dismissal over matters, including his handling of the Black Lives Matter movement over the last two years. One of CSA’s accusations is that the changeroom was divided by race and Boucher addressed the white players while team manager Kgomotso Masubelele, who is black, held discussions with players of colour. Both Boucher and Masubelele remain in their roles and it is not known if Masubelele will also appear at the hearing.Even if that alleged incident is not directly affecting the team at the moment, conversations around race are never far away in South African cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands that reserve batter Ryan Rickelton, who was with the squad during the India series and has scored three hundreds in his last five first-class innings and averages 118.25 this summer, was the favourite to be selected as the extra batter at No. 7. But transformation considerations led to Zubayr Hamza, in the squad because Keegan Petersen was ruled out after contracting Covid-19, being picked instead.All Boucher said on the matter was, “There was the seventh-batter option and we decided to go with Zubayr Hamza. That’s just how we felt the line-up needed to be.”On the subject, South Africa’s selection convener Victor Mpitsang told ESPNcricinfo, “it’s not a target issue” and “experience was a factor” in picking Hamza, who has played five Tests and double the number of first-class matches as Rickelton. Hamza has played four first-class matches this season and has scored 253 runs at an average of 36.14, but scored 125* against India A in December.”We will keep going back and looking back at how best we can continue to prepare the players for tours”•Getty Images

As such, South Africa’s targets are not applied per game but on average – six of colour, of which two must be black African – over a season.The other change in the line-up was Sarel Erwee replacing Aiden Markram in the opening spot and Markram moving to No. 3 in Petersen’s absence. Neither have covered themselves in glory – and to be fair to them, no-one else has either – but Erwee has waited long enough to be given a decent run. He has been part of South Africa’s squad over the last 18 months, in which Markram’s form has dwindled. After averaging over 50 in his first ten Tests, Markram averages 25.47 from his next 20 and 9.7 in his last ten innings.Boucher believed a lack of self-belief has had an effect on Markram’s game, as well as on others’. “There’s a lack of confidence and sometimes you go through bad periods in your game,” he said. “The wickets we’ve played on have been tough, especially for opening batters. And certain guys’ personal form is not where they want it to be and that’s added to not only the (struggles) in the opening partnership but in the top order.”South Africa have collapsed in both innings so far, on a green, bouncy track, with New Zealand’s quicks getting enough movement in the air. They were shot out for 95 in their first innings and teetered on 4 for 3 in their second, after New Zealand piled on 482. That’s an indication that the pitch was not unplayable and of the difference in precision and skill in the two attacks. But Boucher said it should not erase the progress South Africa made against India.”The three-match series against India was a long series. A lot of grit was shown in that series,” he said. “To wipe that series out with two really poor days in conditions guys haven’t played in before wouldn’t be fair, but I can see why people are saying it. We haven’t been good enough in all three departments. We will keep going back and looking back at how best we can continue to prepare the players for tours.”

Matt Short also makes his return from injury ahead of Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand

Alex Malcolm16-Sep-2025Despite retiring from ODIs earlier this year Glenn Maxwell will play 50-over cricket for his state side Victoria in the first two Dean Jones Trophy matches of the new summer to help prepare for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.Maxwell, 36, has been named in Victoria’s 14-player squad for their first two matches against Queensland and Tasmania at Allan Border Field on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Maxwell has played just one List A match for Victoria since March 2022, and that was against New South Wales in October last year.Fellow Australian T20I squad member Matt Short has also been named for his first game of cricket in any form since the MLC in July, after he was ruled out of the five-match T20I tour of the Caribbean then both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa at home in August due to a side injury. Like Maxwell, he has not played a 50-over fixture since the Champions Trophy.Related

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Captain Will Sutherland will only play in game one before departing to India to join the Australia A tour ahead of the second four-day game in Lucknow. Peter Handscomb will captain in game two.Young batter Oliver Peake, who is yet to make his Victoria 50-over debut despite making his List A debut for Australia A in July against Sri Lanka A, is unavailable as he is already in Lucknow playing in the first four-day match against India A. Todd Murphy is also playing for Australia A in India.Harry Dixon and Sam Elliott will play both games for Victoria before departing for India to play for Australia A in the 50-over matches in Kanpur that start on September 30.Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland against Victoria on Wednesday and Western Australia on Sunday, also at Allan Border Field. Xavier Bartlett is unavailable due to Australia A duty while Mark Steketee (minor hamstring) and Callum Vidler (stress fracture) are also absent. Test opener Usman Khawaja won’t play either of Queensland’s 50-over matches this week as he continues his preparation for the start of the Sheffield Shield summer ahead of the Ashes.Former New South Wales allrounder Hayden Kerr is in line for a Queensland debut as is former Australian Under-19 World Cup winning captain Hugh Weibgen.Tom Straker and Lachlan Hearne will play both matches against Victoria and WA before departing to India to join the Australia A 50-over squad.Hearne has been called up to his first Australia A squad as an injury replacement for Aaron Hardie. Hearne has only played eight List A matches but the left-hander made an impressive 107 off 91 balls against his former state New South Wales in February.Victoria squad: Will Sutherland, Peter Handscomb, Blake Macdonald, Callum Stow, Cam McClure, David Moody, Glenn Maxwell, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Matt Short, Mitch Perry, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Tom RogersQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Lachlan Hearne, Hayden Kerr, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth

Siddle played 67 Tests taking 221 wickets at 30.66, his last match coming in the final Test of this year’s Ashes series in England

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2019Peter Siddle has announced his retirement from international cricket after a career that spanned 11 years.Siddle, 35, played 67 Tests taking 221 wickets at 30.66, his last match coming in the final Test of this year’s Ashes series in England. He was brought back into the squad for the current Test against New Zealand and told coach Justin Langer on Boxing Day that he was bringing the curtain down on his Australia career before informing his team-mates of his decision before play on the fourth day.In white-ball cricket he played 20 ODIs, earning a surprise recall earlier this year, and two T20Is.”It’s always hard to know what the right time is, it was sort of the Ashes – that was the main goal – to try and get on that touring party and be a part of that series,” Siddle told Fox Cricket. “Once I’d ticked that off, I’d been chatting with JL and Painey throughout that series, I could have done it there, but the chance of maybe getting one last crack if it came up in Australia, do it at home would have been nice. But I can be content, 67 Tests, to think as a young kid that I wouldn’t get a chance I’m very happy and a bit sad.”As a young kid I wasn’t super talented so I had to work hard for it. Just to wear baggy green, walk out with it, represent Australia. Chatting to three fast bowlers who are playing this Test, I played in all their debuts so to see all them go about it now, that’s part of the reason, they are a lot younger than me and you see how good they are. Every time I stepped out was amazing.”Tim Paine, Australia’s Test captain, said: “Sids has been the heart and soul of the team for a long time. I remember coming up through with him through the academies and even back then he was one of the great team men, something he has continued to this day.”He has a massive heart and is a fantastic bowler. He’ll be very much missed around the group. He’s been unbelievably good for our younger fast bowlers over the last 18 months and been a great support for me during that time, as well.”Siddle started out as a tearaway, turning heads in the 2008 Sheffield Shield final for Victoria, hitting Gautam Gambhir on the helmet and dismissing Sachin Tendulkar on his debut at Mohali later that year, and taking his famous birthday hat-trick at the Gabba against England in 2010. Around this time he was one of then captain Ricky Ponting’s go-to men – they were both vocal supporters of the North Melbourne AFL club, too.Peter Siddle celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

But Siddle needed to add subtlety and consistency to his game. Something he did alongside Craig McDermott around the time he also changed his lifestyle, giving up alcohol and meat, in 2011-12. From then until 2014, he was one of the best and most challenging bowlers to face in world cricket, claiming 110 wickets at 27.77 and a strike rate of 57.80 over a 30-match period. During the 2013-14 dual Ashes series, he was consistently successful against Kevin Pietersen.After that season, Siddle was dropped on account of losing pace, and one of the most unfair periods of time for him was being ignored by selectors during 2015 Ashes until it was too late. But not to be deterred by that or subsequent injuries, Siddle took up a deal with Essex, proving himself as a highly effective seamer with the Dukes ball, and when Australia were desperate for experience after the Newlands scandal, he found his way back.And while he did not play every Test, suffered from dropped catches and was injured in the final match at The Oval, Siddle’s expertise and experience were critical to Australia retaining Ashes in England for first time since 2001. His spell on the final day of the first Test at Edgbaston, piling on pressure from one end while Nathan Lyon cut through England at the other, was described by Langer as “the best wicketless spell I’ve ever seen”.After news of Siddle’s retirement was confirmed, Langer said: “The year after I retired from playing, Matty Hayden and Ricky Ponting were raving about this guy called Peter Siddle. If it came from them, you knew it was right and so it proved throughout his brilliant international career.”He is an unbelievable bloke and an extremely good cricketer. He is the everything of what a team player is. He has given his heart and soul to the Australian team and the game of cricket.”We’ll always be thankful to him for what he’s given to the national team, and for the critical role he played in helping us retain the Ashes in England this year. He’s going out when he’s still playing well which, in a perfect world, is something every athlete wants to do.”As for the future, Siddle has already set that up. Often pigeonholed as a red ball specialist, he is now one of the most skilful and effective BBL pacemen, helping the Strikers to the 2018 title and proving an expert closer this season in a tight victory over the Melbourne Stars. He has also indicated he will keep playing for Victoria and Essex.

Shaw had ‘inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups,’ a BCCI release said

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2019India Test opener Prithvi Shaw has been suspended until November 15, 2019 for a doping violation. A BCCI release on Tuesday said the penalty on Shaw had been imposed after he “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”.Not picked in the Test squad for the upcoming West Indies tour because of a hip injury, Shaw will also now miss the home Tests against South Africa in October as well as the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins on November 14.Shaw had provided a urine sample as part of the BCCI’s anti-doping testing programme on the day of Mumbai’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Punjab on February 22 in Indore. His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain . “Terbutaline, a specified substance, is prohibited both In & Out of Competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances,” the BCCI release said. Shaw was then charged on July 16 under the BCCI Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) Article 2.1 and provisionally suspended pending determination of the charge. He admitted to the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) but asserted it was “inadvertent”, caused by using “the over the counter cough syrup he had taken for his cough”.The BCCI was “satisfied” with the explanation that Shaw had not taken terbutaline “as a performance-enhancing drug”, and after considering all the evidence and taking “expert external advice”, agreed that a “period of ineligibility of eight months should apply, together with disqualification of certain results”.”Because Mr. Shaw promptly admitted his ADRV upon being confronted with it by the BCCI, there is discretion under BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 to back-date the start of the period of Ineligibility to the date of sample collection (22nd February 2019),” the statement said. “However, the BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2 also requires Mr. Shaw to actually serve one half of the period of ineligibility. Therefore, further to BCCI ADR Article 10.10.2, the eight-month period of Ineligibility will be deemed to have started to run on 16th March 2019, so that it will end at midnight on 15th November 2019.”However, Shaw can return to train with his state team and/or use the facilities of any club or other member organisation of the BCCI after midnight on September 15, 2019 because of the following provision: “Under BCCI ADR Article 10.11.2 a Cricketer may return to train with a team or to use the facilities of a club or other member organisation of a Signatory’s member organisation during the shorter of:
(i) the last two months of the Cricketer’s period of Ineligibility; or
(ii) the last one-quarter of the period of Ineligibility imposed.”The BCCI also said that all of Shaw’s numbers from February 22 this year, when the urine sample was collected, to July 16, the date when he was provisionally suspended, stand “disqualified”.Shaw made his Test debut against West Indies in October 2018 with a sparkling century, followed by a half-century in the next Test. Then he was picked for the Australia tour, but he injured his ankle in a warm-up match which ruled him out of the series.Dullarwar and Gajraj suspended tooAlong with Shaw, Vidarbha’s Akshay Dullarwar and Rajasthan’s Divya Gajraj were also suspended for doping violations. The two had “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance” for a treatment of an infection and an eye injury respectively.Dullarwar had provided his urine sample during a men’s Under-23 one-day match on March 10, 2019 in Hyderabad, while Gajraj provided his during a Cooch Behar Trophy Under-19 match on February 5, 2019 in Jaipur. Dullarwar’s sample was found to contain , a metabolite of deflazacort, which is a glucocorticoid that is prohibited in-competition in the WADA Prohibited List of Substances, whereas Gajraj’s sample contained , which is a diuretic & masking agent, prohibited at all times in the WADA list.Both players admitted to the ADRV after being charged on June 26, 2019, asserting that it was inadvertent, being caused by their ingestion of the medication that had been prescribed for them by their respective doctors. Like in Shaw’s case, the BCCI was satisfied with the players’ explanation that they were not taken as performance-enhancing drugs.Dullarwar was suspended for eight months, from March 10 to November 9. He can return to train with his state team and/or to use the facilities of any club or other member organisation of the BCCI after midnight on September 9, 2019. Gajraj was suspended for six months, February 5 onwards, but he is required to serve one half of the period of ineligibility, which will begin from March 26 and end on September 25. He will be able to return to train with his state team from August 10.

Sri Lanka are still the favourites, though, and the Hasaranga-Theekshana combine could yet win the day for them

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Oct-20222:34

Fleming: ‘Theekshana has a great attitude to any role he is given’

Big picture

Sri Lanka lost their first match to Namibia, but, after that, they dominated UAE and were in control for much of the fixture against Netherlands. Ireland lost to Zimbabwe, but got past Scotland and, notably, West Indies.Both teams have arrived in the Super 12s with a bit of confidence, but also knowing they must still prove themselves in this phase of the tournament. For Ireland, a victory here would be their second successive giant-killing act – the feather of another former T20 World Cup winner to decorate their cap. They appear to take particular pleasure in chasing, with their middle order having been excellent against Scotland, before the top order thumped West Indies.Sri Lanka are clear favourites going in, but their trip through the qualifiers has taken a heavy toll. Dushmantha Chameera – their premier fast bowler – has been ruled out of the tournament, with other quicks also picking up injuries. Ahead of this match, two top-order batters – Danushka Gunathilaka and Pathum Nissanka – are also carrying injuries. They do have their ace spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga, and Maheesh Theekshana. But in Hobart, perhaps they will not be quite as threatening as they were on sluggish pitches in Geelong.2:56

Dasun Shanaka wants himself and Bhanuka Rajapaksa ‘to kick on’

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka WWLWW
Ireland WWLWL

In the spotlight

Curtis Campher is most well-known for his four wickets in four balls in the World Cup last year, but in this edition, it is his batting that has helped carry Ireland into the Super 12s. He is the team’s top scorer from the qualifying stage, having made 99 runs off 54 for the tournament so far. This is especially impressive because he bats down at No. 5.How do you stop Wanindu Hasaranga? He bowls cheap overs, gets excellent wickets with his googly, fields beautifully, occasionally produces a match-turning innings. He is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the first stage, along with Netherlands’ Bas de Leede, and could be on the way to another top World Cup wicket-taker placing. Ireland might do well to play him out quietly.Wanindu Hasaranga could be on the way to another top World Cup wicket-taker placing•ICC via Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Bellerive Oval in Hobart is one of the smaller grounds used for the Super 12, and has been known to be especially unkind to wristspinners, which may play into Ireland’s hands. Showers are forecast for the afternoon, but there should be enough time to get a game in, even if curtailed.

Team news

Nissanka and Gunathilaka are both ruled out of at least this game, so Ashen Bandara is going to open. There is a question mark over Pramod Madushan’s fitness too.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Ashen Bandara, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Binura Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraIreland are likely to go in with the same XI that beat West Indies.Ireland (possible): 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockerell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Mark Adair, 9 Simi Singh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Josh Little2:56

Balbirnie: Reaching Super 12s is huge for this group

Stats and trivia

• After 11 T20 World Cup games, Hasaranga has some staggering figures – 23 wickets at an average of 9.52 and an economy rate of 5.21.
• Andy Balbirnie has been Ireland’s most prolific T20I batter this year, with 518 runs at a strike rate of 132.
• Sri Lanka have won both previous T20Is between these teams, including at last year’s World Cup, where they won by 70 runs.

  Quotes

  “I’m not surprised that Ireland came into the Super 12s because Ireland was last year playing good cricket. They are getting better and better as a team and even bowling, batting, fielding, all three of the formats they’re doing really well. So I’m not surprised.”

Bowling to Andre Russell in the nets has been of great help, says the Kolkata Knight Riders pacer

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2019There must be something special about a 23-year-old bowler with limited experience if he is asked to bowl the Super Over in a high-stakes IPL game. Dinesh Karthik turned to Prasidh Krishna in Kolkata Knight Riders’ match against Delhi Capitals, and the paceman conceded just ten runs, with just the one four, and sent back Shreyas Iyer. Knight Riders failed to top the mark, but that’s another matter. Prasidh had made a mark in just his tenth IPL appearance.”Initially I was very happy, since the team trusted me to do the job. The result depended on that one over, so I was very happy, I enjoy taking responsibility for the team,” Prasidh, in Bengaluru for Knight Riders’ next game, said. “It was a task given (to me). I think I did pretty well. We ended up on the losing side, but we still have lots of positives to take.”Knight Riders had lost the services of local pacemen Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi to injuries well before the tournament began, and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje also pulled out because of a shoulder injury closer to the start of the action. That left the pace resources in the ranks looking rather thin, and though a few replacements have come in, Prasidh has got a start in all three games his team has played so far, and been impressive.As the numbers below suggest, he is at his most economical in the middle phase of games in the IPL, but at his best in terms of wicket-taking ability at the close. And, really, 9.58 isn’t terribly bad considering the way most end overs go in T20 games.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“They are looking at me to bowl anywhere in the game, because I do bowl (with) the new ball, I do bowl in the middle overs, I do bowl in the death. So yeah, they are depending on me to deliver,” he said.”It feels really nice as a bowler, as a youngster in the team, when you know you have your captain, your team, your coaching staff, everyone trusts in you – what else can you ask for? It’s only going up from there.”This is the era of variations, as many of them as possible, to be successful in the shortest format of the game. As far as Prasidh is concerned, though, it’s more important to stick to the plans. “Consistency is the best weapon any bowler can add to his armoury,” he said. “That’s one thing I have really worked on with Omkar Salvi (bowling coach), Abhishek Nayar (mentor), and all of them. Apart from that, I do work on the variations, I do bowl the slower one, the yorker, be it whatever it is. But it’s been more towards the consistency side, whatever I have been doing.”A bit of speed might be the next thing on the agenda: “A yorker at 130 and a yorker at 140-145 are two completely different parameters. So yeah, I would like to get speed as an aspect because that is something not everyone can do. So when I’m able to do it, I want to do it consistently.”In the Super Over against Delhi Capitals, Prasidh bowled two balls to Iyer and four to Rishabh Pant. Tough opponents of course – “I tried to keep it away from their hitting zone” – but it doesn’t compare to the sort of fear Andre Russell instills; Prasidh hasn’t had a chance to bowl much to Russell in the nets, but has got a taste of the Dre Russ treatment.”As bowlers in KKR, when we are bowling to him, we know we are bowling to the best batsman in the world when it comes to T20, at least in the hitting ability that he has. To be able to bowl to him every day, you still have to learn for yourself,” Prasidh said. “Any wrong ball, you’re going to go for a six. So that does really help us when we’re bowling against someone else.”In one of the practice games I played, I did get hit for a couple of sixes. Other than that, I don’t really get to bowl much to him in the nets, because it’s usually him hitting it out of the park and I do the initial part of the nets and then he usually bats at the last. So by then I am almost done bowling. It’s been challenging.”

Spin was the way to go on the night, and the visitors got it right

Sidharth Monga27-Jan-20231:27

Mitchell: ‘Santner is one of the best white-ball spinners at the moment’

New Zealand were put in on a pitch that turned, and were then expected to bowl in the dew, but they managed to score what turned out to be enough off India’s fast bowlers. Half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway and an early burst from Finn Allen took New Zealand to 176 after which they went to spin straightaway unlike India who didn’t have the headstart of knowing it was turning.While New Zealand got only 56 off the 10 overs bowled by the spinners, they managed 119 off the 10 overs of pace. The sharply cut grass perhaps did the trick for New Zealand as the ball didn’t quite become a bar of soap and kept gripping for their spinners.Captain Mitchell Santner displayed his guile and skill, taking a wicket first ball, bowling a maiden in the powerplay and then coming back to take Deepak Hooda in the 16th over to seal the game. The one big difference in two sides was that pacer Jacob Duffy bowled his first two overs for 10 and a wicket, and once the asking rate started creeping up, this pitch just proved too difficult for Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya.

Finn Allen blazes away

Coming off successive ducks in an ordinary ODI series, Allen enjoyed the freedom this format affords batters. He started off with a mis-hit, but then began smacking the ball around with only two fielders out. In 4.1 overs, New Zealand were 43 for 0 thanks to his 35 off 22.

Washington Sundar applies the brakes

Among those four overs was one bowled by Washington Sundar. The ball gripped for him, and he refused to give the batters anything full. Only three came off that over, and even though Allen managed to slog-sweep him for a six at the start of the next, he ended up dragging the next slog-sweep to deep midwicket, which was placed squarer than usual.

Watch Ind vs NZ on ESPN

You can watch the first T20I between India and New Zealand on ESPN Player in the UK and on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi in the USA.

In the same over, Washington played around with Mark Chapman before taking a spectacular one-handed return-catch diving full length to his right. India quickly went to more spin, bringing on Deepak Hooda even if it meant bowling inside the powerplay. It now became 54 for 2 in seven overs.1:29

Is Devon Conway New Zealand’s best all-format batter?

Devon Conway carries on

Somebody needed to bat well for New Zealand during the middle overs because they were still going to need a big score because of the dew expected. Conway, who hardly got any strike during the Allen fireworks, was just the man. He got going with the reintroduction of pace, taking 16 off the eighth over, bowled by Umran Malik.Conway’s strong wrists and a whole array of sweeps helped him find placement against the spinners. Even as Glenn Phillips, and later Mitchell, struggled to go at a run a ball, Conway kept scoring the runs in the middle overs. In the end, he and Mitchell chose to play out Kuldeep Yadav and Washington to set themselves up for the death overs.

Two good overs, two ordinary ones

That description above will remain the definition no matter which side’s point of view you take. Mitchell took a decent 17th over from Pandya for 16 by hitting the first and the last balls for sixes for down the ground. Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi made excellent comebacks in overs 18 and 19, conceding just ten runs for the wickets of Conway, Michael Bracewell and Santner.In the 20th, though, Arshdeep missed his yorker and even overstepped once. Mitchell took full toll: 23 runs off the first three legal balls. Arshdeep came back with three yorkers, but still New Zealand had got to a good total provided the dew didn’t prove to be a big handicap. Mitchell, 17 off 16 at one stage, ended with 59 off just 30.

India lose early wickets

Bowling in the second innings, the plan was clear: get spinners on early before it becomes difficult with the dew. Bracewell bowled Ishan Kishan with a beauty with the new ball, but Duffy proved to be the bonus. He was difficult to get away, and also took out Rahul Tripathi.When Santner brought himself on, India were 15 for 2 in three overs. India possibly recognised this wasn’t quite a match they could take deep and then rein in the asking rate and finish it off. Shubman Gill didn’t give himself a sighter of Santner. He saw the first ball pitch short of a length, set himself up for the pull, but was defeated by massive turn which resulted in an easy catch off the top edge.Santner’s control of his craft, aided by the gripping pitch, was on full display when he bowled a maiden . India, 33 for 3 after six.

Mitchell Santner swings middle-overs tussle NZ’s way

An array of sweeps from Suryakumar, and Pandya’s hits down the ground, kept India in the hunt. They even took 41 off the nest four overs, but they still needed 103 from the back ten. Santner once again pulled India back with a one-run over. He had conceded just five off 12 to Suryakumar.That over meant risks needed to be taken against Ish Sodhi in the next over. One came off, but then Suryakumar just timed a chip shot too well, sending it too straight for a catch to long-on. With 89 required off the last eight, Pandya tried a big hit off Bracewell, but the ball didn’t turn, took the edge, and India were left needing a miracle.The towel started making more frequent appearances, Hooda and Washington managed to score just enough to keep India alive in the game. With 67 required off the last five, though, Santner played around with Hooda with changes of pace and trajectory before getting him stumped.Washington was defiant in his 50 off 28, but he had too little support left and too much to do.

Imad Wasim was the other hero, cracking a half-century against Peshawar Zalmi

The Report by Peter Della Penna21-Feb-2020In the hunt for what would have been just the fourth successful 200-plus chase in PSL history, Darren Sammy and Liam Livingstone nearly got Peshawar Zalmi over the line. But excellent death bowling from Umaid Asif in the final over ensured that Karachi Kings held on for a thrilling 10-run win at the National Stadium on Friday afternoon.The Kings’ victory was set up by a brilliant 97-run partnership between Babar Azam and Imad Wasim. They got together after Cameron Delport fell in the ninth over to a sharply turning googly from Mohammad Mohsin and supercharged the Kings innings. It took an excellent piece of hustle from Tom Banton to run Azam out and break the stand in the 18th over. But by then, the home side had 170 on the board and Iftikhar Ahmed blasted a four and two sixes off the only three balls he faced to put an even more emphatic stamp on proceedings.Babar Azam turns into the leg side•Associated Press

Chris Jordan struck a pair of early blows in the chase, getting Banton lbw on review and yorking Haider Ali three balls later. But Kamran Akmal led a revival with 43 off 26 balls before handing the keys over to Livingstone in the 10th over. Zalmi already needed to score two runs a ball at that stage, but Livingstone and Sammy somehow kept up with the rate.Then, needing 16 to win off the final over, with Sammy on strike, Zalmi’s boundaries dried up as Asif kept the batsmen off balance with an array of slower balls and cutters bowled into the pitch.Turning pointAsif produced a phenomenal effort in the final over, culminating in a sensational return catch to dismiss Sammy.After a pair of singles and a two brought the equation down to 12 off 3 balls, he banged one in short and outside off. The batsman skied an attempted pull over short midwicket. Asif stopped in his follow-through, changed direction, circled back 20 yards to his right, then lunged forward to complete a very difficult catch.On strike for the penultimate ball, needing a pair of sixes to win, Livingstone flubbed a knee-high full toss tamely into the covers for a single to effectively seal victory for the Kings.Star of the dayAzam played a special knock to lead the Kings’ recovery after they had been sent in to bat. He was especially fluent through the off side, finding a majority of his seven fours and two sixes there, including perhaps the shot of the day, a blistering six over extra cover off Hasan Ali in the 15th over.When Wasim started to accelerate alongside him, Azam was happy to rotate the strike and would almost certainly have carried on to reach three-figures if not for Banton’s excellence.The big missBy umpire Richard Illingworth. Banton has been a rampaging menace on the T20 circuit over the last year. But Jordan had him foxed with a clever offcutter two balls into the fourth over which the batsman swung over the top of to be trapped deep in his crease and in front of middle stump. Jordan flew into an appeal and was borderline apoplectic when Illingworth turned it down. Wasim wasted little time in calling for a review and DRS showed the delivery taking out middle stump three quarters of the way up, allowing the decision to be corrected.Where the teams standKings moved level with Quetta Gladiators at the top of the table on two points after two games. Zalmi joined Islamabad United on zero points, alongside Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars who are set to play their opening games later on Friday.

Bancroft and Hatzoglou both depart two-time reigning champions Perth Scorchers

Alex Malcolm27-Jun-2023Cameron Bancroft has made a bold move in the BBL leaving two-time reigning champions Perth Scorchers to join former Australia Test opening partner David Warner at Sydney Thunder on a three-year deal.Scorchers have also lost legspinner Peter Hatzoglou who has signed with Hobart Hurricanes despite being a key part of the Scorchers squad in their back-to-back titles.Bancroft was a vital cog in the Scorchers’ title last year having begun the season running the drinks after being dropped from the side during their successful 2021-22 campaign.He played the last 11 games of the season and made 357 runs at 51.00, striking at 140, including four half-centuries. He made a career-best 95 not out in the final game of the home and away season before scoring 53 not out in the Qualifier against Sydney Sixers to help Scorchers bank a home final which they won against Brisbane Heat.But despite one of his best-ever BBL seasons, and being third all-time on Scorchers’ career runscorers list, the depth of top-order batting at Scorchers saw Bancroft look elsewhere for more long-term contract security. He was courted by a number of clubs but has landed at Thunder where he looks set to play alongside Warner again despite the pair’s strained relationship dating back to the Sandpaper incident in Cape Town in 2018 when the pair were Test opening partners. They have since opened the batting together for Australia in the 2019 Ashes but the Sandpaper incident and long-term fallout still casts a shadow over the pair.Peter Hatzoglou bowls•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Hatzoglou has also left Scorchers to join Hurricanes for the upcoming BBL season. Hatzoglou joined Scorchers ahead of the 2021-22 season after crossing from Melbourne Renegades. He was a key part of Scorchers’ 2021-22 title where they played almost entirely on the east coast of Australia during the Covid-19-affected season. Scorchers played two spinners for most of that season and Hatzoglou formed a formidable partnership with Ashton Agar in the middle overs, including taking 1 for 13 from three overs in the 2021-22 final against Sydney Sixers. But he played just 10 matches last season and was not in the XI for the winning final as Perth opted for a four-pronged pace attack and a spinning allrounder in Cooper Connolly at No.7 on their fast, bouncy home track at Perth Stadium.Hurricanes look set to use Hatzoglou alongside unusual left-arm orthodox spinner Paddy Dooley who had a breakout season last year.”I’m really excited for my next chapter in the BBL with the Hurricanes,” Hatzoglou said.”I’m one of those players whose career has followed a more non-traditional path to get to the point I’m at now, so I’m just really thankful for every opportunity that comes my way.”Watching from afar over the past couple of seasons, it is obvious that the Hurricanes have pretty much all the right ingredients within their program already. I’m looking forward to coming in, getting to know some of the guys and the staff a bit better, and contributing whatever small part I can to hopefully the ultimate on-field success.”Hatzoglou has been playing in the T20 Blast in England for Glamorgan recently after being drafted in as an overseas replacement for Australia quick Michael Neser.Out of contract West Australian left-arm swing bowler Joel Paris is set to leave Hurricanes and is set to sign with Melbourne Stars. Paris played just 12 matches in two seasons with Hobart after previously playing 25 games with Perth Scorchers.He is likely to be reunited with former WA and Scorchers teammate Nathan Coulter-Nile who is set to sign a one-year contract extension with Stars for BBL 13 after his previous four-year deal expired at the end of last season.Sydney Thunder BBL 13 squad: Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David WarnerHobart Hurricanes BBL 13 squad: Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade

The left-hander re-aggravated his quad injury on the opening day against Tasmania

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2019Kurtis Patterson’s hopes of forcing his way into the selectors’ thoughts for the opening Test of the summer have taken another blow after he re-injured his left quad on the first day against Tasmania.Patterson missed the opening round of Sheffield Shield matches after picking up the original injury playing grade cricket although his absence from the game against Queensland was viewed as precautionary.He replaced Nick Larkin in the New South Wales side to face Tasmania but limped off before lunch after chasing a ball towards the boundary. He was receiving treatment with the hope he would be able to bat later in the match.Patterson made a century in his second Test, against Sri Lanka in Canberra, last February but missed the cut for the Ashes after struggling on the Australia A tour.Of contenders for a middle-order position against Pakistan in Brisbane next month, Mitchell Marsh has already been ruled out after the self-inflicted broken hand from punching the dressing room wall at the WACA.Meanwhile, Aaron Finch has been left out of Victoria’s match against Western Australia a week before the T20I series against Sri Lanka starts following the back spasms he suffered against South Australia.Finch injured his back while running between the wickets during his half-century on the second day at the Junction Oval and did not field for the remainder of the match. He travelled to Perth but was left out of the XI as a precaution although is expected to play the Marsh Cup game against WA at the WACA on Wednesday ahead of leading Australia in six T20Is in the space of 12 days against Sri Lanka and Pakistan from October 27.Matt Short replaced Finch in the middle order. Peter Siddle returned for his first game since injuring his hip flexor in the final Ashes Test.