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In the stands for England’s 2010 triumph, the opener is now integral to their World Cup defence 14 years on

Andrew Miller03-Jun-2024Fourteen years ago, in May 2010, Phil Salt was a kid in the stands at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, watching England’s cricketers parading their first piece of global silverware, after victory over Australia in the final of that year’s World T20. Now he’s back as an England star in his own right, seeking to launch his team’s defence of the same trophy at the same venue, when they take on Scotland in Bridgetown on Tuesday morning.By his own admission, Salt’s is not a homecoming to rival that of Jofra Archer or Chris Jordan, the two born-and-bred Bajans in England’s anticipated starting XI. Even so, having spent six formative years in Barbados – honing his love of cricket from the age of nine to 15, while his father Chris was working as a property developer – he acknowledges it’s an extraordinary turn of events.”To be back here and have the opportunity to play for England in a World Cup isn’t something I ever thought I’d be doing, but it’s certainly very special,” Salt said. “Everything about the place suits me. Pretty laid-back, a lot of cricket, a lot of sport, still got a lot of friends on the island. I don’t think there’s too many people that disagree that living in Barbados is a touch. But yeah, I loved it.”Salt played a small part in England’s T20 World Cup victory in Australia two years ago. After coming into the starting XI as a replacement for the injured Dawid Malan, he did not bat in the semi-final against India as Jos Buttler and Alex Hales romped to a ten-wicket victory, then made 10 from 9 balls at No.3 in a low-scoring final against Pakistan.Now, however, is very much his moment. Six months ago, he nailed his audition to be Buttler’s regular opening partner with back-to-back centuries against West Indies in Grenada and Trinidad, then ran hot at a crucial juncture of Kolkata Knight Riders’ recent IPL triumph, with a run of 290 runs from 144 balls in five innings, including 89 not out from 47 balls against Lucknow Super Giants.Salt had always had the ability to start an innings strongly – two years ago, he marked his T20I debut (coincidentally, also at Bridgetown) with 57 from 24 balls. And yet, he recognises his game has gone to a new level in recent months, to the extent that he enters this tournament as one of the most dangerous batters on display.”It’s been a combination of things,” he said. “The opportunity to gain more experience in international cricket has definitely been the biggest part of it in my own head. I’ve also had a look at where I’m strong, where I’m not, used the analysis, learnt from the coaches, to make those movements in my game.”I can’t put my finger on any one thing, but it’s maybe a mindset shift, that I want to be the person winning more games for England. You like to think [that people fear you] as an opening batter, but the moment you recognise that and you start thinking, ‘I’m the big guy I am’, the game’s always going to bite you. I try not to think about anything like that and keep it one ball at a time.”Salt’s form was integral to KKR’s third IPL title•BCCI

Another key facet of his growth, he says, has been the opportunity to bat alongside his England captain in the Hundred – an alliance that has been instrumental in Manchester Originals reaching the final for two years running. In 2022, Salt’s tally of 353 runs in ten innings was second only to Malan (377), while his 232 the following year may have been dwarfed by Buttler’s haul of 391, but they came at a blistering strike-rate of 194.95.The pair reprised their antics in an opening stand of 82 in 6.2 overs against Pakistan at The Oval on Thursday – England’s final warm-up ahead of the Scotland encounter. Though Salt admitted their partnership had taken a while to click, he felt the dynamic was now similar to the one he had enjoyed in the Vitality Blast with his former Sussex captain, and now England selector, Luke Wright.”[Luke] liked to take a few balls. So, my role at the time was just to get us off to a flyer,” Salt said. “That probably stood me in good stead for batting with someone like Jos.”We do have different styles. In my career I’ve always been the aggressor and I suppose I am the aggressor early on in this partnership. I feel like we both showcased it pretty well at The Oval the other night. I didn’t get a flyer, but we sort of hung in and then Jos went and then we dovetailed nicely.”It’s good because we both communicate a lot out there and we realise that when one goes, we feed the strike to the other person, so there’s no ego about it. It’s whoever goes first. We just communicate and it sounds really simple, but I’ve batted with a lot of people and it’s not always the case. So, it’s nice when you have that connection with your partner.”It remains to be seen whether it’s a partnership that can carry England all the way to their third T20 World Cup title. But, auspiciously for Salt, when they won the first of those back in 2010, it was once again the opening partnership that laid the foundations for everything that followed. As the impressionable youngster in the stands remembers well.Related

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• England and Scotland grudge match set to break new ground

• England have 'no preconceived ideas' about used Barbados pitch

“Craig Kieswetter was definitely one [role-model],” Salt said, recalling the Somerset opener who burst to prominence alongside Michael Lumb, after the pair were hastily thrown together on the eve of the tournament, and contributed a match-winning half-century in the final.”He was a bit of an unknown at the time and then he came out, and I was in awe of him. I thought he was brilliant, he took some incredible catches and the way he played, he was certainly someone I tried to model myself on at the time. I watched a lot of good cricket here. People like Chris Gayle … when I was a kid, anybody who hit the ball hard or kept, I’d watch them on YouTube and just try and try and emulate them.”And though he played down any similarities between the class of 2010 and the team he’s fronting up for now, Salt did recall the highlight of his day out at that original final. If he gets to emulate it this time around, he really will have fulfilled his childhood dream.”Colly [Paul Collingwood] came past up this stand here – the Hall and Griffith where I was sat upstairs watching the final – with the trophy and said, ‘here, touch it while you can’. So, I got a touch of the trophy that day. That’s the thing that always sticks with me when I think about that day.”

Gets to the landmark in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Khettarama

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Aug-2024Ranjan Madugalle has become the first match referee to officiate 400 ODIs, with his taking charge of the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Khettarama.Madugalle has been a match referee since 1993 and in that time has also officiated more than 200 Tests, also a record. He had, in addition, served as the ICC’s chief match referee until that position was removed.Simon Taufel, former elite-panel umpire and the former umpires performance and training manager for the ICC, paid tribute to Madugalle.”Ranjan’s longevity is remarkable,” Taufel said. “He was there at the beginning of my international umpiring career and the end. He has served Sri Lanka, the ICC and game of cricket with distinction and integrity. This milestone highlights his commitment and dedication to the sport he loves.”Madugalle, in a statement put out by the ICC, said getting to this landmark was “dreamlike”. “It has been a great honour and privilege to have officiated in international cricket for so many years and it’s almost dreamlike to be reaching this milestone.”I was pleased when I got the opportunity to be associated with the game after my time as a cricketer but never thought that it would stretch to over three decades!”During this period, I have had the chance to officiate all over the world and in several World Cups, relishing every moment.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, Sri Lanka Cricket and my colleagues with whom I have worked over the years for their support and friendship, as well as my family and friends, without whose support it would not have been possible to have come this far.”Before turning his attentions towards officiating games, Madugalle had played 21 Tests and 63 ODIs for Sri Lanka as a batter.

Samiullah Shenwari is back after being rested for the ODIs against Ireland, while Hamid Hassan, who last played international cricket in July 2016, makes a comeback to the T20I squad

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2018Mohammad Shahzad is back in Afghanistan’s ODI and T20I squads for their series against Zimbabwe in the UAE in February. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s retrospective one-year doping ban ends on January 17.The allrounder Samiullah Shenwari is also back in both squads, having been rested during Afghanistan’s ODI series against Ireland in December. Among the fast bowlers, Hamid Hassan, who last played an international match in July 2016, has made a comeback to the T20I squad, while Dawlat Zadran is part of the ODI squad but has missed out on T20I selection.The series against Zimbabwe will be the newly appointed head coach Phil Simmons’ first in charge of Afghanistan.ODI squad: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Javed Ahmadi, Ihsanullah Janat, Najibullah Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Nasir Jamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran. Reserves: Noor Ali Zadran, Karim Janat, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Afsar Zazai.T20I squad: Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Usman Ghani, Karim Sadiq, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah, Samiullah Shenwari, Aftab Alam, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.

The threat of a final-day defeat at Kia Oval, plus signs of a Somerset revival in the west, have put Yorkshire’s top-flight status in jeopardy

Alan Gardner at The Kia Oval14-Sep-20171:31

County Championship Round-up: Yorkshire in strife

Yorkshire were left facing a battle to avoid defeat after three days at The Oval, with their Division One status becoming increasingly imperilled. They were made to follow on for the third time this season after being dismissed for 396 by Surrey, for whom Gareth Batty and Freddie van den Bergh shared six wickets, and reached the close still 139 in arrears.On a surface that has worn slowly but steadily, Surrey’s pair of spinners likely hold the key to victory. Batty soon brought himself on again and, although he could not add to Sam Curran’s initial breakthrough, Yorkshire have a job on their hands if they are to emulate their escape against Hampshire earlier this season, when Gary Ballance’s unbeaten double-hundred secured a draw after following on at the Ageas Bowl.They did at least begin steadily, losing just the wicket of Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the 23 overs remaining of the evening session, as Shaun Marsh and Alex Lees reached stumps unbeaten. With Somerset closing in on victory over Lancashire and Middlesex seeking bonus points from their severely rain-affected fixture at Uxbridge, defeat here would likely leave Yorkshire in the bottom two.Kohler-Cadmore had described the pitch as one he would “love to bat on every week” after play on the second evening and he was quickly given another chance as Yorkshire failed to reach the 443 they required to avert the follow-on. He could only manage 11 this time around before falling lbw and it remains to be seen whether he will keep his place in the side for the visit of bottom club Warwickshire to Headingley next week, with Adam Lyth likely to return and West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite set for a debut.For a Yorkshire side that claimed the Championship trophy in 2014 and 2015, before narrowly missing out on three in a row this time last year, this has been a difficult campaign – the first under Andrew Gale as coach. Depleted by England call-ups (they are currently missing Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and David Willey due to the limited-overs series with West Indies), they must now summon some of the grit Gale was famous for as a player if they are to see out the final day.The morning began with van den Bergh, on his Championship debut, picking up where he left off – his spell from the Pavilion End eventually lasting 32 overs before the arrival of the second new ball allowed him a break. Aged 25, van den Burgh has played nine games of senior cricket going back to 2011, but a muscle injury for Amir Virdi meant he won a chance against Yorkshire. He should expect plenty more opportunities to impress on the final day.Van den Bergh certainly made an impact, as he had a hand in each of the first four wickets to fall. Kohler-Cadmore had spooned a catch to point in the final overs of the second day, after an opening stand of 162, and Marsh also failed to go on, stumped for an identical 78 after being lured forward by the slow left-armer.That was in the sixth over of the day, enough to send the first shiver through Yorkshire supporters. The captain, Ballance, then joined Lees, whose unproductive season has seen him drop down to No. 3, in a stand worth 53 but van den Bergh struck again an hour into the session. Lees had accumulated steadily but on 46 connected with a firm sweep that Ryan Patel, at square leg, dived to snatch up one-handed.The loss of Ballance, who had been averaging 91.89 in the Championship coming into this match, was a more debilitating blow. He set off for an ambitious single having pushed towards cover and then could not get back in time as the bowler hared after it and relayed the throw to Ben Foakes behind the stumps. At 243 for 4, the good ship Yorkshire had struck an ice (van den) Bergh.Although the rest of the innings fell away in slow motion, there was a sense of inevitability about it. Jack Leaning helped add another 59 with Andrew Hodd before edging a Curran delivery with the second new ball to Foakes; Hodd and Tim Bresnan then buckled down for 18 overs to put on 41. But with Yorkshire still 100 from the follow-on target, Batty crowbarred out two more: Bresnan taken at slip, then Azeem Rafiq lbw for a three-ball duck.Hodd went on to a fourth fifty of the season but he could not carry Yorkshire as far as they needed. Stuart Meaker made a mess of Steve Patterson’s stumps and Foakes claimed a fourth victim with an excellent diving grab as Curran found Jack Brooks’ outside edge, before Hodd was last out trying to swing Batty into the stands and only finding cover.

Wolvaardt is expected to be unveiled ahead of South Africa’s assignment against Bangladesh at home next month

Firdose Moonda11-Nov-2023Laura Wolvaardt is set to be confirmed as South Africa’s permanent captain after taking on the job in a temporary capacity for the series against Pakistan and New Zealand earlier this year.At the time of accepting the job on an interim basis, Wolvaardt had said she wanted to assess whether the leadership would impact her batting, but ESPNcricinfo understands that after topping the run-chart in the T20 series against Pakistan and finishing second on the list for in the ODIs against New Zealand, she has decided she wants the job full-time.Wolvaardt is expected to be unveiled in the role ahead of South Africa’s next assignment, against Bangladesh at home in December. That series will also be the final one for the current coaching staff, led by Hilton Moreeng, who has been in charge of the side since 2012 and oversaw their progression to the T20 World Cup final earlier in this year. Moreeng’s contract ended at the conclusion of that tournament but CSA dragged its heels in advertising for the post and, in August, his tenure was extended to the end of 2023 despite player grievances.Moreeng’s post has since been advertised and interviewed for and a new coach is set to be announced before South Africa tour Australia earlier next year.”We had interviews last week and we are still finalising a couple of things. As soon as we are done with the post-interview process, we will be able to make an announcement,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said in Ahmedabad, where he is attending the men’s ODI World Cup. “The current coaching team will carry on until the end of December, but we want to give clarity as soon as possible because it will impact the Australian tour.”CSA is also set to put in place a head of women’s cricket, who will report to Nkwe. Applications for that post closed on July 14 but Nkwe indicated that the appointee is yet to be decided on.”The head of women’s cricket [role] has taken a while [to finalise]. We want to make sure the person that is going to take that position is not short-term,” Nkwe said. “We’ve just professionalised the domestic structure and there are plans within the high performance to get a South Africa A women’s side over the next 12 months, so we have the same structure as the men’s. The women’s structure is really growing nicely and we are really excited about it.”As part of the legacy of hosting the T20 World Cup, South Africa have taken significant steps to professionalise the women’s game. Their top-six domestic teams can now contract up to 11 players each and the national women’s players now get equal match fees as the men.

Neither team will read too much into how individuals have fared, but there are broad, team-level issues they may want to look into

Karthik Krishnaswamy12-Nov-2024

Big picture – both teams have issues to address

This series is a bit of an oddity, with two sides at below full strength, with a number of big names rested for more pressing engagements, facing off in a format that’s taken a bit of a back seat in terms of wider relevance, with no immediate world event to build towards. It’s also an oddity in that it’s four matches long, rather than three or five.For all that, it’s been extremely competitive, and at 1-1 could be shaping up for a blockbuster second half. After sharing honours on the coast, South Africa and India now move to the pace, true bounce and high altitude of the Highveld with all to play for.Given that both sides are testing out young players and new combinations, neither team will read too much into how individuals have fared so far. But there are broad, team-level issues they may want to look into.Related

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South Africa have faced 16 overs from India’s two wristspinners, and scored 91 while losing 12 wickets. The format is different, but Ravi Bishnoi and, in particular, Varun Chakravarthy seem to be exerting the same sort of influence that Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal did on the ODI leg of India’s tour of this country in 2017-18, when they shared 35 wickets in five games.India’s issue is structural, and one that’s cropped up from time to time over recent years: their batting in the first two T20Is seemed to stop at No. 7. They only scored 40 runs in the last six overs of the first match, and failed to turn Sanju Samson’s storming century into a truly awe-inspiring total. In the second, they lost early wickets, and never recovered thanks in part to this lack of depth.How the two teams sort out or work around these issues could well determine how this series finishes.

Form guide

South Africa WLLWL
India LWWWW

In the spotlight – David Miller and Abhishek Sharma

In this series so far, David Miller has been out twice to Varun – the second off a peach that turned past his outside edge and bowled him for a golden duck – in 13 balls, while scoring 14 runs off them. Miller prides himself on his spin game, which he has transformed over the last three years, and will undoubtedly be working extra-hard on picking Varun’s variations and getting on top of him.He announced himself with an audacious 47-ball 100 against Zimbabwe in only his second appearance, but his eight other T20I innings have brought Abhishek Sharma only 70 runs, with only two of them going past the ten-ball mark. Abhishek’s no-holds-barred approach, which is exactly what earned him his international call-up, comes with the in-built risk of early failure, and getting the best out of him will require India’s team management to ensure they judge him on processes and not outcomes, helping him become a more rounded player while backing his attacking instincts.Lutho Sipamla has been brought in for the last two T20Is, and he has form behind him•Getty Images

Team news

Lutho Sipamla has joined South Africa’s squad for the third and fourth T20Is, and the fast bowler comes into the series with form behind him. He picked up the Player-of-the-Match award for his four-wicket haul in the final of the CSA T20 Challenge in late October, and followed it up with another match-winning contribution for Lions against Titans, a first-innings four-wicket haul in the CSA 4-Day Series. If South Africa bring him into their XI, either Andile Simelane or the legspinner Nqaba Peter may have to make way.South Africa (possible): 1 Ryan Rickelton, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Andile Simelane/Lutho Sipamla, 9 Gerald Coetzee, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Nqabayomzi PeterThere is no quick-fix for India’s batting depth issue within their squad, but they could try and mix things up nonetheless. Three players in their squad are still awaiting their first T20I caps: fast bowlers Vijaykumar Vyshak and Yash Dayal and the explosive lower-middle-order hitter Ramandeep Singh.India (possible): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Arshdeep Singh, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Pitch and conditions

Centurion hosted two incredibly high-scoring T20Is in the space of two days last year. First, South Africa clattered their way to 131 in a rain-shortened, 11-overs-a-side contest, only for West Indies to haul down their target with three balls to spare. Then the hosts exacted a spectacular revenge, with Quinton de Kock’s 44-ball 100 helping them haul down 259 in just 18.5 overs and set a new record for the highest T20I chase. Expect plenty of runs, then, though the steep bounce at the venue could also bring fast bowlers into play if there’s a little bit of help from the surface. A clear and pleasant day is expected.3:33

2nd T20I takeaways – Varun, Stubbs, Coetzee show how good they can be

Stats and trivia

• Of the six South African grounds that have hosted at least three T20Is since the start of the decade, Centurion has been the highest-scoring, with batting teams going at 10.90 per over and averaging 33.25 runs per wicket.
• Miller (81) has the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in all T20Is.
• Varun already has eight wickets in this series, and has a great chance, with two matches remaining, of going past the Indian record of most wickets in a bilateral T20I series of nine, held jointly by R Ashwin and Bishnoi.
• Since his debut in July 2022, no Full Member player has taken more wickets than Arshdeep’s 89 in T20Is. Arshdeep is well on course to take over as India’s highest wicket-taker in the format, needing just eight more to go past Chahal’s tally of 96.

Quotes

“Everyone on the team hates losing. In the first game, we didn’t play at our best, if we can call it as it is. And then the second game, the whole focus was just to try and give us the best chance to win. In the second game, we were a lot more focused on winning those small battles because in T20 two or three overs is actually [significant], there’s a lot that can happen. So for us, it was just a focus point in terms of just trying to win those small battles. And I think we won most of the small battles, even though it was a low-scoring game.”
“I’ve had a really good bowling partner in Jassi . He has helped me enormously in taking a lot of wickets by creating pressure from the other end. So a lot of credit goes to him as well. But the main thing is how well I can adapt to the conditions and the situations of the game, how I can attack the batsman early on and take some early wickets. And even at the death how I can outsmart them and bring the game back into our hands.

Titans looked on track in the chase at a point but then lost eight wickets for just 48 runs

Alan Gardner07-Apr-20242:21

Why Stoinis came in to bat before Pooran

Lucknow Super Giants claimed their third win in a row, and first over Gujarat Titans in five attempts, with a fighting defence of 163 in Lucknow. Marcus Stoinis’ first half-century of the season provided the ballast after the home side had chosen to bat first and, although Titans started well in their run chase, Yash Thakur claimed a maiden five-for to help demolish the innings.The LSG batting effort was rarely fluent, captain KL Rahul and Stoinis opting for accumulation after Umesh Yadav had struck twice with the new ball. Both fell when looking to up the ante and it needed flashes of power from Nicholas Pooran plus a cameo from Ayush Badoni to get them up to a respectable score.Related

• Mayank 'seemed okay, which was quite a relief' – Krunal

In their favour was the fact LSG had never been beaten defending a target of 160-plus. Titans looked set to threaten that record after racing to 54 without loss inside the powerplay, only for a stunning collapse of 8 for 48 to make it 13 from 13 for LSG. After Yash skidded one through Shubman Gill, Ravi Bishnoi’s spectacular caught-and-bowled dismissal of Kane Williamson provided the spark, while Krunal Pandya raced through his four-over allocation for figures of 3 for 11 as Titans imploded.That they managed such a comfortable defence was even more remarkable given LSG lost the services of their new pace sensation, Mayank Yadav, after just a single over due to a side strain – the one sour note as Rahul’s team moved to six points and third in the table.Titans start strong then stumble
Chasing what seemed a middling target, Titans eased out of the blocks with a fifty opening stand inside the powerplay. Sai Sudharsan was all poise and wrists, hitting four early boundaries – including two off Mayank in his only over, during which the LSG fast man barely breached 140kph – while Shubman Gill looked to play himself in. With Mayank having to leave the field and M Siddharth struggling with front-foot no-balls, Titans looked to be cruising.Krunal Pandya finished with three wickets•BCCI

However, the dismissal of Gill from the final ball of the sixth over sparked an extraordinary collapse. Krunal whizzed through a tidy over, before Ravi Bishnoi struck with his second ball, leaping to hold a brilliant one-handed return catch off Kane Williamson, Titans’ impact sub. Sudharsan then holed out to deep square leg from the first ball of Krunal’s second over, which was followed by BR Sharath top-edging a sweep to deep backward square. Titans had shipped four wickets for seven runs in the space of 18 balls and suddenly had it all to do.Yash we can!Titans’ chase never recovered. Krunal claimed a third wicket as the asking rate rose towards 12 an over, with the canny Yash returning to dismiss Vijay Shankar and Rashid Khan in the space of four balls to leave the score 93 for 7. Rahul Tewatia presented the only danger of an upset, twice clearing the ropes in 30 off 25 balls, but he picked out deep square leg before Yash wrapped up the innings for career-best T20 figures.Rahul’s slow-and-steady rebuild
LSG were after a fast start against the new ball, with Quinton de Kock marking his 100th IPL appearance by clattering Umesh Yadav into the stands second ball. He didn’t survive the over, however, an attempted repeat resulting in a big top edge to deep third. With Devdutt Padikkal notching a fourth single-figure score in a row for his new franchise, Lucknow were 18 for 2 in the third over and looking vulnerable.Marcus Stoinis and KL Rahul rebuilt after two early blows•AFP/Getty Images

Rahul is the perfect man for a rebuild, though, and he helped resurrect the innings in the company of Stoinis. After taking three boundaries off Spencer Johnson’s second over, the pair batted watchfully through the middle of the innings, until what almost appeared to be Rahul’s first shot in anger, in the 13th over, as the LSG captain attempted to hit Darshan Nalkande over long-on only to hole out. The partnership was worth 73 from 62 balls but ended just when LSG were hoping to push on.Spinners squeeze but Pooran finishes
Stonis should have been dismissed in the following over, mishitting Noor Ahmed straight up only for Rashid to grass the chance running in from long-off. Noor bowled his four overs off the reel for just 22 runs – conceding a single boundary – and although Stoinis broke the shackles to pump Nalkande twice over long-on for a 40-ball half-century, he fell trying to target the same bowler, top-edging a skier to the keeper.With two new batters at the crease going into the death overs, and Rashid still with two up his sleeve, LSG were facing an uphill struggle. Rashid conceded five singles off the 17th, but Pooran and Ayush Badoni released some pressure by taking Mohit Shah for three boundaries in the next. Although Badoni holed out looking to take on Rashid, Pooran carted the legspinner over midwicket for the only boundary of his allocation, with another six in the final over – in which Johnson conceded just eight – taking LSG beyond the magic 160-mark.

Stunning all-round performance against Ireland at home has lifted Hayley Matthews in all three tables

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2023Suzie Bates has moved up three spots to No. 5 in the women’s T20I batting rankings following scores of 44 and 52 in the first two games in Sri Lanka, while Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr have both closed in on Ashleigh Gardner at the top of the allrounders’ table.Chamari Athapaththu batted New Zealand out of the ODI series that preceded the T20Is, totalling 248 runs while being dismissed just once in three innings to give her side a 2-1 win, but New Zealand hit back in the T20Is, winning the first two to pocket the series. Their star performers in the two T20Is were Bates and Kerr with the bat and Lea Tahuhu with the ball, and that reflected in the ICC rankings.Bates went up to 677 rating points, behind Tahlia McGrath (784), Beth Mooney (777), Smriti Mandhana (728) and team-mate Sophie Devine (683), and another good performance could take her higher before she leaves Sri Lanka.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

Kerr has scored 34 and 33 not out in Sri Lanka so far and the two wickets she picked up in the two games took her closer to the top of the allrounders’ chart, placing her at No. 3.The standout all-round performance of the week came from Matthews, the West Indies captain, who scored 135 runs and picked up eight wickets, including a hat-trick in the final game, to script a 3-0 sweep of Ireland at home. She is at No. 2 among allrounders, up two spots to No. 17 among batters, and up three spots to seventh among bowlers.Tahuhu also moved up within the top ten among bowlers, her four-for in the second T20I against Sri Lanka lifting her two places to sixth.On to Bangladesh vs India, where Harmanpreet Kaur was the Player of the Match with her 35-ball 54 not out to lead India to a comfortable win in the first T20I. That took her up four places to joint tenth.At the end of the T20I leg of the Ashes, which got over on July 8 with England winning 2-1 and bouncing right back in the contest after conceding the one-off Test, Mooney, who scored 115 runs, closed in on McGrath at the top of the batters’ table, just seven points separating the two.

Franchise leagues are attracting all the top talent so cricket boards are having to adjust their parameters for selection

Firdose Moonda08-Dec-2023Welcome to the future of South African bilateral cricket.This is a place where players who don’t feature in international series will still remain available for the national side at major tournaments. And where players who grind it out in the bilaterals might just be placeholders for the superstars.Does this sound revolutionary? It might not, because it’s been done before. Kind of. West Indies have long selected from their T20 franchise superstars for World Cups, even if they had not played for the national side. Trent Boult gave up his New Zealand central contract in 2022 but was part of the 50-over ODI World Cup this year. And Jofra Archer last played international cricket in March and was ruled out for the entire summer but remained a traveling reserve for this World Cup.Related

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• Bavuma, Rabada rested for white-ball games against India; Stubbs gets maiden Test call-up

• Ngidi ruled out of India T20Is with ankle sprain, also doubtful for Tests

Now, having conceded defeat to the financial clout of T20 leagues, that’s how South Africa will treat Quinton de Kock (and maybe even Faf du Plessis), who are currently playing cricket – just not for them. They’re both at the Abu Dhabi T10, where de Kock is opening the batting for the Delhi Bulls, which clashes with his other commitment to play for the Melbourne Renegades at the BBL, which also clashes with South Africa’s white-ball series against India. In that order, that’s his priority list.That means de Kock will not play any international cricket for at least six months but he remains nationally contracted and is still expected to be named in the T20 World Cup squad. Du Plessis’ name has popped up again after white-ball coach Rob Walter mentioned him in a press conference earlier in the week and he subsequently confirmed his interest in a World Cup comeback. In the meantime, the show must go on.It will from this weekend, where South Africa’s short international summer begins with an all-format visit from India in what would normally be a headline series. Instead, the white-ball games – three T20Is and three ODIs – will be played without several frontline players on both sides as workloads are managed, a fifty-over World Cup cycle ends, and the priorities of the global game shift.The upshot of all this is that there is opportunity for players to establish themselves in the national side, whether or not they are able to sustain that through to a World Cup spot.Take Matthew Breetzke. He made his debut in the third T20 against Australia in September – a series South Africa lost 0-3 – and scored five runs batting at No. 3. Given that de Kock and David Miller had been given a break for that series, and both are certainties in South Africa’s T20 XI, that could have been that for Breetzke and he knew it. “I only got one shot at it, in the last game of that series,” he said from Durban, where the series starts on Sunday. “This time, hopefully I will get all the shots. It frees me up to be the best that I can be.”He doesn’t have to hope. Walter named Breetkze as the designated opener alongside Reeza Hendricks, after Breetkze impressed him with his work ethic and temperament against Australia. While it is only a sample size of one, Walter said Breetke’s approach in the innings, where he made room and tried and to hit Marcus Stoinis over the mid-on early in the innings showed “the courage to make a play in that situation is sometimes worth more than the actual result.”And Breetkze intends to continue in that vein. “I like to play positive cricket,” he said. “I will be looking to play the conditions but if it’s a good wicket, I will be out there trying to put the first foot forward.”Donovan Ferreira is another experimental pick in the South African side•Gallo Images/Getty Images

So far this summer, Breetzke has not managed to do that. He has played five List A games with a total of 57 runs and a top-score of 36 and two first-class matches, while only crossing 40 once. “The runs haven’t been where I’ve wanted them to be and I have been getting out in silly ways,” he said. “But I have been hitting the ball really nicely. In terms of form I have been feeling good.”He also has the pedigree to back that up. After finishing the 2018 Under-19 World Cup as South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer, Breetzke was also the second-highest run-scorer in the 2021 domestic T20 Cup and the highest run-scorer in the 2022-23 first-class competition and is regularly in the conversation when it comes to the next crop of South Africa’s batters. So much so that he was picked up by Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20, where he batted as a floater and rubbed shoulders with some of the game’s greats, including the player he is now replacing, de Kock. He described the experience as “awesome,” because of the “crowds and the way we got treated on and off the field. It gets you used to international cricket in terms of media and crowds. I feel a bit more relaxed than if I had come in two or three years ago.”And that’s really what sums up the way South Africa (and likely other countries) aim to develop their T20 game going forward: through their own league structure and then by having more high-profile players like de Kock in overseas leagues. Like most others, their schedule of international T20 fixtures is limited – South Africa play these matches and a three-match series in West Indies just before next year’s World Cup – so choosing a squad is based as much on performances in bilaterals as on league stats.Another example is allrounder Donovan Ferreira, who earned an international call-up on the back of his SA20 performances and will also have the three-match series against India to make a case for future selections. South Africa’s other experimental picks are Ottniel Baartman, a medium-pacer who has been playing professionally for almost a decade and earns a call-up as Kagiso Rabada is rested, and Nandre Burger, a left-arm quick who is seen as a replacement for Anrich Nortje in this squad. Those are shoes for both to fill, as are Breetzke’s in de Kock’s spot and it will be important for the players to remember that’s not really the point.As Breetzke said, facing India is a “special opportunity,” and even though the sparkle of bilateral white-ball games has been dimmed by leagues, there’s still a lot to play for.

England World Cup winner attracts no interest, as Pooran, Pollard, Powell, Russell, Hetmyer earn top deals

Matt Roller20-Mar-2024Jason Roy will not feature in the Hundred this summer after going unselected in Wednesday night’s draft at the Shard in London, leaving him without a team for the 2024 season following his release by defending men’s champions Oval Invincibles.Roy played every game for the Invincibles last summer but failed to make an impact, with more ducks (three) than half-centuries (one) and was released by their coach Tom Moody last month. He entered the draft with a reserve price of £100,000, but the eight men’s teams prioritised overseas players in the early rounds.Mark Wood, who also entered with a £100,000 reserve price, also went unpicked, but his non-selection was less notable given that he had pulled out of the first three seasons of the Hundred through injury or to manage his workload. England’s red-ball players will miss the start of the competition, which begins on July 23 this year, due to a clash with the third Test against West Indies.Roy would have been unavailable for the first few days of the Hundred due to his commitments with LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket – which is expected to run until July 28 – and is also set to miss some of Surrey’s T20 Blast group games for the same reason. He could yet feature in the Hundred this summer as a replacement but his snub highlights a swift decline in Roy’s standing in the four-and-a-half years since England’s 2019 World Cup win.Andre Russell will feature for London Spirit after turning out for Manchester Originals in 2022•ECB/Getty Images

Five of the seven players signed on top-bracket £125,000 contracts in the men’s draft were West Indies power-hitters, with the new Northern Superchargers coach Andrew Flintoff choosing Nicholas Pooran as the first signing of the draft. Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer will play for London Spirit, Kieron Pollard has joined Southern Brave and Rovman Powell was a top pick at Trent Rockets.While some West Indians may miss the first game or two due to their involvement in MLC, they are expected to be available for the majority of the season and may skip a T20I series against South Africa. The ECB held talks with the Caribbean Premier League’s organisers earlier this year to avoid a clash with the Hundred, which appears to have been vindicated.Tom Kohler-Cadmore will again be a top earner, joining Welsh Fire on a £125,000 deal. He will play alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was brought back after his success last summer, while Shaheen’s Pakistan team-mate Naseem Shah was a top-bracket pick by Birmingham Phoenix.Ash Gardner was one of the big-money earners in the Women’s draft•Getty Images

Laurie Evans has moved to Southern Brave after two seasons at Manchester Originals, while Dawid Malan – the leading run-scorer in the Rockets’ 2022 title – was a £50,000 signing by the Invincibles. Ollie Pope and Richard Gleeson have both joined London Spirit, while the Originals have brought in Sikandar Raza and Fazalhaq Farooqi.The ECB’s decision to raise the top salaries in the women’s Hundred was vindicated by the number of leading Australian players who entered the draft, with Beth Mooney (Manchester Originals), Meg Lanning (London Spirit), Ash Gardner (Trent Rockets) and Annabel Sutherland (Northern Superchargers) all picking up £50,000 contracts.Amy Jones was a surprise first pick of the draft, returning to Birmingham Phoenix after failing to agree a retention last month, while Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu was the first pick for the Invincibles. Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave) and Richa Ghosh (Birmingham Phoenix) were the two India internationals picked up.Each team will add a further two players to both their men’s and women’s squads ahead of the start of the season in July, who will be offered ‘wildcard’ contracts based on their performances in domestic T20 cricket. These will be worth £30,000 in the men’s competition and £8,000 in the women’s.

How the squads stack up

Birmingham Phoenix

Men’s squad: Chris Woakes, Naseem Shah, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Jamie Smith, Will Smeed, Sean Abbott, Tom Helm, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Jacob BethellWomen’s squad: Amy Jones, Sophie Devine, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Katie Levick, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Hannah Baker, Seren Smale, Alisa Lister, Chloe Brewer, Sterre Kalis, Charis PavelyAdam Milne will return to Birmingham Phoenix•PA Images via Getty Images

London Spirit

Men’s squad: Zak Crawley, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Nathan Ellis, Dan Lawrence, Liam Dawson, Dan Worrall, Olly Stone, Adam Rossington, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matthew Critchley, Michael PepperWomen’s squad: Meg Lanning, Heather Knight, Grace Harris, Danielle Gibson, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, Cordelia Griffith, Georgia Redmayne, Eva Gray, Sophie Munro, Hannah Jones, Tara Norris, Niamh HollandMeg Lanning will join London Spirit•Getty Images

Manchester Originals

Men’s squad: Jos Buttler, Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Sikandar Raza, Paul Walter, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tom Hartley, Usama Mir, Wayne Madsen, Josh Tongue, Max Holden, Josh Hull, Fred Klaassen, Mitchell StanleyWomen’s squad: Beth Mooney, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Molineux, Laura Wolvaardt, Lauren Filer, Eve Jones, Emma Lamb, Mahika Gaur, Fi Morris, Kathryn Bryce, Phoebe Graham, Ellie Threlkeld, Liberty HeapSikandar Raza will play in the Hundred for the first time•PSL

Northern Superchargers

Men’s squad: Ben Stokes, Nicholas Pooran, Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Reece Topley, Daniel Sams, Matthew Short, Brydon Carse, Adam Hose, Tom Lawes, Matthew Potts, Graham Clark, Callum Parkinson, Ollie RobinsonWomen’s squad: Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Bess Heath, Linsey Smith, Alice Davidson-Richards, Hollie Armitage, Grace Ballinger, Marie Kelly, Lucy Higham, Ella Claridge, Devina PerrinNicholas Pooran was the top pick in the men’s draft•CPL T20/Getty Images

Oval Invincibles

Men’s squad: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Adam Zampa, Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson, Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood, Spencer Johnson, Dawid Malan, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira, Tom Lammonby, Tawanda MuyeyeWomen’s squad: Chamari Athapaththu, Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers, Paige Scholfield, Sophia Smale, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Jo Gardner, Lizzie Scott, Georgie BoyceChamari Athapaththu will play for Oval Invincibles•Getty Images

Southern Brave

Men’s squad: Jofra Archer, Kieron Pollard, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Laurie Evans, Leus du Plooy, Akeal Hosein, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Finn Allen, Danny Briggs, George Garton, Alex DaviesWomen’s squad: Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt, Chloe Tryon, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp, Naomi Dattani, Georgia Adams, Lauren Cheatle, Kalea Moore, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Rhianna Southby, Mary TaylorSmriti Mandhana will return to the Utilita Bowl•Getty Images for ECB

Trent Rockets

Men’s squad: Joe Root, Rovman Powell, Rashid Khan, Imad Wasim, Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Hain, Sam Cook, Calvin Harrison, Jordan Thompson, Adam LythWomen’s squad: Ash Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Grace Scrivens, Alana King, Heather Graham, Bryony Smith, Katie George, Kirstie Gordon, Grace Potts, Alexa Stonehouse, Josie Groves, Kira Chathli, Cassidy McCarthyRovman Powell is joining Trent Rockets•Pakistan Super League

Welsh Fire

Men’s squad: Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Willey, Shaheen Afridi, Joe Clarke, Haris Rauf, Tom Abell, Glenn Phillips, David Payne, Luke Wells, Roelof van der Merwe, Jake Ball, Stevie Eskinazi, Chris CookeWomen’s squad: Hayley Matthews, Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail, Tammy Beaumont, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Elwiss, Sarah Bryce, Freya Davies, Phoebe Franklin, Emily Windsor, Ella McCaughan, Claire Nicholas, Alex Griffiths