Pakistan's worst collapse, and a new Asian high for Australia's quicks

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Pakistan’s bottom six contributed only seven runs as they lost their last four wickets without adding a run

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Mar-20224 Runs added by Pakistan for the loss of their last five wickets in Lahore, the fewest for Pakistan in a Test innings while losing their last five wickets. Their previous fewest was five runs against South Africa in their first innings in Cape Town in 2003.7 Runs contributed by Pakistan’s Nos. 6 to 11 in the first innings in Lahore, the fewest by Pakistan’s bottom six in an all-out Test innings. Their previous lowest contribution was eight runs against Australia during their second innings in the 2004 Perth Test.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 Runs added by Pakistan while losing their last four wickets. It was only the tenth instance of a team losing their last four wickets at the same score in a Test innings. Pakistan’s only previous instance was against England in 1967, when they went from 140 for 6 to 140 all out in their first innings at Trent Bridge.5 for 56 Pat Cummins’ figures in Pakistan’s first innings. He is only the fourth fast bowler from Australia to bag a five-wicket haul in Test cricket in Pakistan. Cummins’ bowling figures are also the best for an Australian quick in Pakistan since Graham McKenzie’s six-wicket haul in 1964.ESPNcricinfo Ltd9 Wickets shared by Australia’s opening pair of Cummins and Mitchell Starc. It is only the second instance of Australia’s new-ball pair sharing nine wickets in a Test innings in Asia. Geoff Dymock (5) and Rodney Hogg (4) also shared nine wickets in India’s first innings of the Kanpur Test in 1979.1 The nine wickets between Starc and Cummins are the most by Australia’s fast bowlers in a Test innings in Pakistan and the joint-most in a Test innings in Asia. Their fast bowlers have picked up nine wickets on five previous instances in Asia. Their previous best combined haul in Pakistan was eight wickets in both innings of the Rawalpindi Test in 1994.

High-flying Kartikeya believes Madhya Pradesh have the ability to 'go all the way'

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

“Our target is to go on and win the whole thing, and not be happy with a semi-final appearance alone”

Daya Sagar09-Jun-2022Kumar Kartikeya was 15 when he left home in Kanpur to pursue his cricket dreams. Lured by the possibility of getting more opportunities to further his game, he left for Delhi and hasn’t been home for the past nine years.When he left home, Kartikeya’s father extolled his son to “make something of himself” before he returns. It is that drive that has kept him going for these years. An impressive maiden IPL season has helped, but what will make the homecoming sweeter is playing a starring role in taking Madhya Pradesh to the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. Although Kartikeya believes his team has the ability to go all the way this time.Related

With Pandit in charge, MP players have no time to pause – 'must rectify mistakes before semi-final'

Feature: The sacrifices of Kumar Kartikeya

“It feels great to have taken this team to the semi-finals,” Kartikeya tells ESPNcricinfo after his 6 for 50 in the second innings helped Madhya Pradesh pick up an easy ten-wicket win over Punjab, and make the last four for the first time in six years. “Our target is to go on and win the whole thing, and not be happy with a semi-final appearance alone. We are prepared to do the hard yards for this and I am 100 percent certain, we have the ability to win the next two games.”You don’t win tournaments with marquee names alone…you have to play good cricket to pull it off, and at the moment we are doing exactly that.”While the win in Alur has been satisfactory, it wasn’t without its blemishes, as head coach Chandrakant Pandit also reminded the team. Kartikeya says, “There will always be scope for improvement. Our batting and bowling in this match has been good but we must remember we dropped a few easy catches, especially in the first innings. We had a team meeting right after the match and Chandu sir [Pandit] pointed out the same. When you win, the good things that you have done are visible to everybody, but your mistakes stand out for you alone. These are things we need to quickly work on.”Kumar Kartikeya, on his Mumbai Indians debut, picked 1 for 19•BCCIKartikeya came to the fore in the IPL as a “left-arm everything” bowler, but goes back to orthodox left-arm spin in the red-ball format. He says, “You need variations in T20 cricket, and that’s why I mix up finger spin with wristspin in that format. Over here, I go back to my natural grounding as a left-arm spinner.”Kartikeya gives full credit for his and his team’s performance to guidance from the experienced former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Pandit. He says, “He guided me on what lines and lengths to stick to and what angles to use. The pitch started taking a bit of excess turn in the second innings and that made the batters a touch more defensive and that worked to my advantage. In the second innings, I changed my angle a bit and went around the wicket with straighter balls rather than running in on a diagonal. What was most important was to find a spot and keep hitting it. I was able to do that, and that yielded wickets for me.”

“I don’t look at the big names in the opposition, rather I just focus on my process and my plans”Kumar Kartikeya

The left-arm spinner picked up key wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mandeep Singh and Gurkeerat Singh Mann in the second innings, all of who are experienced names in the domestic circuit. Kartikeya, though, emphasised that rather than focusing on the names in the opposition, he backs his plans at all times.”I don’t look at the big names in the opposition, rather I just focus on my process and my plans,” he says. “Things tend to fall in place when you bowl with consistency. Besides, not every day is a batter’s day, and today was one such day for me. I intend to carry on with the same process and plans in the next few games.”Unless a minor miracle occurs, Madhya Pradesh will come up against the record-breaking batting lineup of Bengal in the last four. Kartikeya, for one, believes his team has the ability to overcome any opponent as long as they stick to their plans and execute them consistently.And then there’s the added allure of going home as a champion.

Another mad Dickwella day

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

There are no restraints on this thing. The brakes are worn. The harness is unclipped. SafeSearch is off

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jun-2022Alright. Roll up. It’s another one.Mad. Funny. Audacious. Godawful. Funny again, but for different reasons. Maddening.It’s a Niroshan Dickwella day.There are no restraints on this thing. The brakes are worn. The harness is unclipped. SafeSearch is off. A life lived at 100 kilometres an hour, even if, sometimes, that is while the car is plunging into a ravine. You’re not taking your eyes off it, though.He arrived at the crease on Wednesday just after Mitchell Swepson had delivered two near-perfect wicket-taking legbreak deliveries, tossing the ball above the batter’s eyeline, getting it to dive, having it rip off a leg stump line, batters playing for turn but not that much turn, the ball taking the outside edge, catches taken behind. An Australian legspinner bowling this well, on a turning pitch? We’ve seen this before at Galle, and it hasn’t ended well for the home team.Related

  • Cameron Green stars as Australia build strong lead on truncated day

  • Nathan Lyon not afraid of 'bowling ugly' to earn rewards on South Asian tracks

  • Five for Lyon as spin dominates action-packed first day

Dickwella is playing the hat-trick ball, which for regular human beings is a moment of crushing pressure. The scoreline is 97 for 5. The infield is more crowded than a commuter bus in a fuel crisis (#srilankacrisis). Here is a moment for a defensive stroke. Just see it out. Make it a dot ball. Look for runs when the opposition is less keen.Not Dickwella. No way.He sweeps Swepson, and thankfully for him and Sri Lanka, bottom edges the bowler straight into the ground. He has not come close to middling that one, but he has hit it, which is good enough reason for Dickwella to reverse sweep the next one, fetching two. There is more where that came from.Not long after he arrives at the crease, he slog sweeps Nathan Lyon for four, drives him past mid-on to the boundary, then bashes him over the top of midwicket with a sweep again, so you wonder if this will be one of the good Dickwella days.It is. Sorta. First ball of Lyon’s next over, Dickwella puts a reverse between backward point and extra cover – a sublime piece of timing and placement that makes it three boundaries in succession against Australia’s best bowler in these conditions. Because Dickwella has run up into the rafters of the theatre and wrestled the spotlight on to himself, within several overs, that Swepson double-strike seems a distant memory. Do mad things as madly as possible, and see what happens. A Test innings is a blank canvas and if you don’t have paints, use a bazooka.When his senior partner Angelo Mathews gets out, Dickwella has the option to slow down, tuck his cricketing shirt in, and be the adult around the tail-end batters. He does have that mode, but he has decided today is not that day. He reverse slaps Swepson to get to 49, then completes the half-century off just 42 deliveries. Soon after tea, he is on one knee scooping Pat Cummins over his shoulder for four. He is out for 58 off 59 balls to Lyon, playing an aggressive shot, obviously. But these 59 balls have been the difference between a paltry score and a half-respectable one.It has felt like a good Dickwella day, but then, it’s never that easy, is it? This is not an uncomplicated figure. There is a post-script. And even that is not all bad.With Usman Khawaja on 36, Dickwella could have effected a stumping when Ramesh Mendis spun one past Australia’s in-form Test batter. Caveat: the ball bounced like it had been shot out of an underground nerf gun, and actually hit Dickwella on the helmet grille, off the top of the glove. Caveat on that caveat: at no point during this ball was Dickwella unsighted, so the best keepers would probably have made that adjustment, and pulled off the dismissal.Later, with Travis Head on 5, Dickwella once again is surprised by the bounce off the same bowler, and misses another chance. Lessons learned? Failures noted down? Getting better with experience? Get out. Get all the way out. We don’t do that here.Sometime in the last session the ball spins clean past Khawaja’s pads and Dickwella convinces captain Dimuth Karunaratne to ask for the review, and Sri Lanka lose it in a stupendously daft way.The very next ball, Steven Smith and Khawaja have a running miscommunication, and Dickwella tears after the ball in the direction of short cover, glove off in a flash, slides, picks it up cleanly, and sends a perfect bounce throw to the fielder running in, to effect a vital dismissal with this piece of incandescent wicketkeeping.Pack it up. It’s been mad. It’s been maddening. It’s been another Dickwella day.

Pakistan have more runs in their line-up, but they are refusing to score them

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Unlike before, they have power-hitters in the middle order, but they aren’t getting much of a chance to show what they can do

Danyal Rasool02-Sep-20222:34

Mickey Arthur on what Pakistan have learnt so far at the Asia Cup

Pakistan scored 193, a total well above par on a slow Sharjah surface, against Hong Kong on Friday night.Normal service resumed as far as Mohammad Rizwan was concerned. He batted through despite struggling in the heat, scoring an unbeaten 78 off 57. The platform he and Fakhar Zaman (53 in 41) set meant Khushdil Shah could play with complete abandon, bludgeoning four sixes off the last four balls he faced in a 29-run over, propelling Pakistan to what was effectively an unassilable total. The bowlers followed up with fearsome ruthlessness, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan taking seven wickets between them for 13 runs as Hong Kong were skittled for 38. It was the lowest score against Pakistan in a T20I, and the 155-run win the biggest in Pakistani T20I history.Related

  • India vs Pakistan – cricket, not hype, takes centre stage ahead of Round 2

  • Unbeaten India slight favourites in Round 2 against Pakistan

  • Arthur: Open with Fakhar, send Babar or Rizwan at No. 3

  • Pakistan's strength is also their weakness in T20Is

Everything went perfectly to plan.And yet, the most exciting facet of the Pakistan performance wasn’t what they did, but what they showed they were capable of. This was Pakistan’s first T20I win this year. Incredible, but even more incredibly, this was only their third T20I in 2022.There’s little evidence much has changed since their entertaining run to the semi-finals at last year’s T20 World Cup. With the next edition of that tournament just six weeks away, Pakistan look set to rock up in Australia as a side almost identical to the one that played the previous T20 World Cup. And not just in terms of personnel, but also in approach.That has its advantages, particularly against sides that don’t have the gifts Pakistan do in terms of batting or bowling. Like Hong Kong. But even as they bask in the joy of this crushing, record-breaking win, it doesn’t take any deep analysis to work out the areas of their game more accomplished sides will look to exploit.In this game, Pakistan’s No. 4, Khushdil, came out only after 16.1 overs. Since the start of last year’s World Cup, the top three have faced an average of 87 balls per innings – on Friday, they faced 106. They make most of the runs, as you might well expect – only 35 of Pakistan’s 193 runs came off a bat that didn’t belong to a top three batter. Their combined strike rate, though, was 132.07, while Khushdil, the only one outside the top three to face any deliveries at all, soared above at 233.33.This was a typical Pakistan T20I innings. The top three have, since the start of the last World Cup, the largest negative variance between balls faced and runs scored, while the middle order has the highest strike rate in the world. The most productive players in the side, in other words, face fewer deliveries than their counterparts from any other side. By definition, that means Pakistan are leaving runs out there.5:17

Why are Asian batters struggling against spin in T20 cricket?

That might be a criticism, but it would be remarkable if no one in the Pakistan camp sees this as a massive opportunity. With the Hong Kong bowlers there for the taking at the death, Pakistan’s most potent six-hitter had the chance to face just 15 deliveries, while the similarly prolific Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Asif Ali didn’t get a look-in at all. Khushdil struck five sixes off the 15 balls he faced; the 106 balls the other three faced yielded just three. At the halfway mark, Pakistan had scored 64 for 1, with six fours and no sixes.For the longest time, Pakistan’s greatest T20 problem was the dearth of power hitting in their setup. The absence of personnel is something no coach, no data, no pep talk, can really overcome. But that problem has now long been put to bed, and the only shackles on this Pakistan batting line-up are self-imposed.You learn more from your losses than from your wins, but if that were true, Pakistan might have rectified the issue following the inquest after the semi-final defeat to Australia at last year’s T20 World Cup.Now, with two days to go before they face India in the Super Four, Babar Azam’s men have the opportunity to learn the same lesson, this time following a comprehensively glorious win.That Pakistan don’t have enough runs in their batting line-up is a myth. They do. They’re just not scoring them. For Pakistan, and their supporters, what could be more exhilarating than that?

Zimbabwe's famous victory stokes belief that their sport has a future

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Raza jubilant as gripping one-run win makes the case for cricket’s marginalised teams

Tristan Lavalette27-Oct-20223:56

Flower heaps praise on Ervine’s captaincy and Evans’ composure

On the eve of his first match at Perth’s Optus Stadium, known as a paradise for quicks, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza was pensive.He struggled to get to sleep, as his thoughts wandered towards curbing Pakistan’s menacing pace attack led by speedster Haris Rauf who was seemingly tailormade for the bounce and pace conjured from the ground’s green-tinged pitch.”I made a few notes and I was reading them and I was going over it again and again and again,” Raza said about his restlessness. “This is my first game at Perth, so a lot of my learning and a lot of Zimbabwe’s learning is actually on the day of the game.”We don’t get to play top nations a lot,” he noted. The last of Zimbabwe’s five previous visits to Perth, an ODI against India in 2003-04, had come just months after Matthew Hayden whacked them for a world-record 380 at the WACA.Raza’s apprehension was seemingly justified when he was roughed up during an initiation at the crease by Rauf before being bounced out by a slower ball from Mohammad Wasim, whose inclusion at that stage appeared a masterstroke from a pace-heavy Pakistan.Zimbabwe scrambled to 130 for 8, which they knew was under par but there was quiet confidence within a team which had impressively emerged from the first round in Hobart.”I personally thought…we were 15 or 20 runs short,” Raza said. “But I really truly believe in this group. We knew if we could field well, take all our chances and cut those important twos, we could really win this game.”His confidence was justified when Zimbabwe’s quicks tore through Pakistan’s top order to leave them at 36 for 3 in the eighth over. But Shan Masood and Shadab Khan steadied the ship with a half-century partnership as Pakistan appeared to be cruising to a bounce-back victory after their MCG heartbreak against India.Perth’s 60,000-seat stadium hosted a small crowd of 8,000, but even some of those had started to scurry home as the clock ticked towards 10pm on a working night. But Zimbabwe knew that a single wicket could expose Pakistan’s susceptible middle-lower order after they had left out Asif Ali for Wasim, and perhaps prod at scars still raw from four days ago.Zimbabwe’s players take a victory lap around the ground•ICC via Getty ImagesSo in the 14th over, with Pakistan needing just 51 runs, they turned back to their talisman, albeit that Raza’s previous two overs – 0 for 11 – had been negotiated without incident to help cement the ground’s tough reputation for spinners.Sure enough, his third legal delivery, an overpitched carrom ball, was launched down the ground for six by Shadab, and with 43 now needed from 39 balls with seven wickets in hand, the end of the ball game appeared in sightBut an overconfident Shadab tried to repeat the dose only to hole out one ball later, and Zimbabwe knew they were back with a fighting chance.A pumped-up Raza then immediately trapped Haider Ali plumb lbw, briefly delayed by the batter reviewing in a Hail Mary, and he added another in his next over with the key wicket of Masood, who was brilliantly stumped by keeper Regis Chakabva.”I try to work hard on batting and bowling,” Raza said. “If one department doesn’t fire, it doesn’t really bring me down. It kind of gives me that extra push that I have to make sure my other department fires.”But with his match-turning spell over, the wickets dried up and Pakistan inched closer with Mohammad Nawaz attempting to go from villain to hero. Two overs suddenly remained and Pakistan needed 22 runs off 12 balls with four wickets in hand.Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine wasn’t sure who to turn for the crucial penultimate over – Richard Ngarava, the spearhead who had overcome an ankle injury sustained against South Africa in Hobart’s wet conditions, or Brad Evans, who had been included in the team for just his fifth T20I.

Ervine sought Raza’s advice. “My opinion was we should try and kill the game,” Raza said. “Ngarava had been bowling exceptionally well. If he can leave 15, 16 runs in the last over (for) Brad…the more runs we can leave for the youngster, the better.”But Nawaz appeared destined for redemption when he capitalised on a rare Ngarava misfire with a six in a momentum shift, as Pakistan’s target was down to 11 off the final over.It was left to 25-year-old Evans, but he leaked seven runs off the first two deliveries, and that appeared to be that. But, of course, there had to be a final twist to continue this tournament’s absurdity.With three runs needed off the final two balls, Nawaz attempted to go for glory over mid-off but only hit it straight to Ervine as a crestfallen Wasim went down on his haunches for about 20 seconds. The dreaded realisation was sinking in for Pakistan, who couldn’t quite believe this horror show was repeating.Related

Cricket might not love Zimbabwe, but the game would be poorer without them

Babar Azam backs pace-heavy tactics as shock defeat leaves Pakistan on the brink

Live Report – Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, Men's T20 World Cup 2022

'Thank you very much, Ricky' – how a Ponting clip 'did a wonder' for Raza

Raza, Evans and never-say-die Zimbabwe leave Pakistan on the brink

There was, however, still one ball left. And more mayhem to ensue with Shaheen Afridi driving to long on as the batters scampered for two to try and force the Super Over.But Raza – who else, really – charged in, ready to cut off the two, and his one-bounce throw landed at Chakabva’s feet, who in a moment of panic fumbled before recovering for the run-out to seal one of Zimbabwe’s most famous victories.”I just thought the way he [Evans] bowled…he held his nerve,” Raza said. “Credit to him. Credit to the whole group to be honest.”It triggered scenes of jubilation with Zimbabwe’s players jumping into each other’s arms, while others rolled on the turf in disbelief. Wasim and Shaheen, meanwhile, were on their knees not quite knowing what had transpired.Having once dreamed of being a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force, Raza savoured his team’s finest moment as he repeatedly bearhugged Ervine while captain skipper Babar Azam attempted to put on a brave face during the post-match presentation.For a cricket nation having gone through so much tumult, while being too often shunned by the power countries – a point underlined by Zimbabwe’s lack of fixtures against Australia, India and England in the 2023-27 Future Tours Programme (FTP) – it was quite something for them to celebrate such a triumph on Australian soil.”We have a lot of youngsters now picking up this sport back home,” Raza said. “I personally feel that this group has an added responsibility to make sure cricket grows in Zimbabwe.”We want to make sure that this group can actually encourage and achieve something where… everybody can truly believe that there’s a future in the sport.”After such a famous triumph, an implausible semi-final berth is suddenly within their reach.

Michael Neser doesn't want to be pigeonholed as seaming-pitch specialist

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Australia quick is expanding his skillset for flatter surfaces, but says “being consistent and bowling accurately is the key on any wicket”

Tristan Lavalette06-Dec-2022After a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season marked by menacing swing and unwavering accuracy, seamer Michael Neser could be forgiven for looking ahead to the middle of next year.That’s when, of course, Australia will tour the UK as they bid to win an away Ashes series for the first time since the middle of their golden era in 2001. It’s still some time away, with Australia in the early stages of a long Test haul before then, but the Queensland quick is widely tipped to be part of Australia’s touring squad if he can stay fit.Related

Australia sweating on Cummins' fitness ahead of Adelaide Test

New candidates emerge as Australia search for Lyon successor

'Wild Thing' Lance Morris earns Australia Test call-up

Wounded West Indies 'want to go one step further' after showing fight in Perth

With a strong wrist action, likened to former Australia paceman Ryan Harris, and having studied closely Jimmy Anderson, Neser’s expertise at conjuring movement – with the kookaburra or Dukes – makes him an irresistible option for traditionally bowler-friendly conditions in the UK.A couple of eyecatching seasons with English county Glamorgan have added to his case.”I’m not thinking about the Ashes,” a typically unflappable Neser told ESPNcricinfo ahead of being drafted into Australia’s squad for the second Test against West Indies as injury cover for Pat Cummins. “If I’m taking wickets for Glamorgan at the time then hopefully that will take care of business and I can make the squad, but it’s a long way off right now.”His selection into the Test squad, having recently spearheaded a strong Prime Minister’s XI attack against West Indies in Canberra, is instructive of his place in Australia’s congested pecking order of quicks. Outside their trio of Test frontliners, 32-year-old Neser has been on the fringes in recent years. His sole Test match was almost exactly 12 months ago against England in Adelaide, where he claimed two wickets including a debut scalp of Haseeb Hameed off his second delivery.With Australia’s selectors contemplating managing the Test workload of the quicks amid a brutal schedule, Neser could be given an opportunity although Scott Boland, following his heroics in the Ashes last summer, has moved to next in line. “It was really tough the last couple of years when I was part of extended squads and wasn’t able to play much,” Neser said. “That was the way it was because of Covid and you just had to get on with it. But I’m glad that big squads aren’t required right now.”Neser took the wicket of Haseeb Hameed with his second ball in Test cricket•Getty ImagesAfter a lengthy stint as a reserve following the Adelaide Test, Neser returned to the field lacking match hardness and was promptly ruled out of the tour of Pakistan earlier in the year with a side strain sustained during a Marsh Cup 50-over game.”It was devastating when I got the news and found out I would miss Pakistan,” Neser said. “I wasn’t quite bowling-fit at the time, so it was a tough setback but you just have to move on.”Emerging from the disappointment with the help of Queensland’s physio team, Neser crafted a rehabilitation routine to better help his body recover from the rigours of bowling. It mostly consists of daily stretching – something similar to yoga, he says – and he’s stuck by that ever since amid a gruelling return spanning the English County Championship and then the first half of the Australian domestic season.”I’ve had issues with my back and had some niggles over the years, so I’ve just been trying to be really disciplined with my rehab,” Neser said. “I feel like if I keep sticking to it then the body should hold up. I feel really fit and strong right now.”Burly and rugged, Neser looks like someone who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty and he’s certainly capable of producing indefatigable spells. Much like Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh, Neser is a bowler who prefers being wound up and let go.”The more I bowl, the better I feel,” he said. “I’m a bowler who really needs to play a lot of matches to get into bowling rhythm and feel good.”But Neser hasn’t generally needed to bowl for the long haul during this Sheffield Shield season, where he’s claimed 24 wickets at 14.50 in five matches – figures slightly tarnished by going wicketless in the rain-affected draw last start against Western Australia at the Gabba.Neser’s improved batting has earned him a promotion to No. 7 in the Queensland line-up•Getty ImagesHe’s formed a deadly tandem with fellow quick Mark Steketee, who replaced him on the Pakistan tour and has been on the Test fringes himself for some time. They could be viewed as something like friendly rivals, both vying for higher honours, although Neser said the pair don’t discuss their Test pursuits.”We’re focused on winning matches for Queensland. We complement each other really well and just really love bowling together, ” Neser said of Steketee, who has taken 25 Shield wickets at 15.52. “He’s been really excellent for a while. We learn from each other.”Neser has undoubtedly benefited from spicy pitches at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field and the WACA; he has taken 19 wickets in three matches at the two venues, at the remarkable average of 10.37.But if he’s to emerge from Australia’s reservoir of talented quicks – with WA tearaway Lance Morris becoming the new sensation and joining Neser in Australia’s second-Test squad – Neser will have to add tricks to counter more benign surfaces. He’s been working hard with Queensland bowling coach Andy Bichel on finding ways to stay in the contest when conditions aren’t conducive to his strengths.”Working out when the right time to effectively use bouncers is important, especially on flatter wickets,” Neser said. “Reverse swing is also a weapon for me and means I can be dangerous with the old ball. It is something I’m trying to always get better at.”Ultimately, I think being consistent and bowling accurately is the key on any wicket. I don’t think I’m someone who should be pigeonholed as an English [conditions] specialist just because I have certain strengths.”Reinforced by a brilliant century against New South Wales, combining with opener Matthew Renshaw in a 257-run sixth-wicket partnership, Neser’s improved batting has earned him a promotion to No.7 in Queensland’s batting order. “You’ve just got to keep improving in all aspects of the game and I’ve put in a fair bit of work with my batting,” said South Africa-born Neser, who was a gifted batter through junior ranks before focusing on fast bowling. “The more strengths you have, the better.”But, ultimately, his intoxicating skillset with the ball will determine whether he can crack Australia’s powerful attack. “I had a taste of Test cricket 12 months ago and it was an amazing experience,” he said. “Hopefully the work I’ve put in will help me add another.”

Desire for global title burns bright for Wayne Parnell despite World Cup disappointment

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The South Africa allrounder is enjoying the challenge of adapting to the T10 format, where batters ‘just want to destroy you’

Aadam Patel02-Dec-2022@Parnygram is what Waleed Wayne Parnell goes by on Instagram. A quick scroll down his page and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the South African is a full-time influencer.There are trendy shots and well-edited reels of Parnell across the globe from Ranchi to London to Brisbane and now to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi T10. An influencer he is in more ways than one but beneath that social-media page is a man with a desire to live life to the fullest. And with that, a desire for success at the highest level.Whenever Parnell calls time on his career, the 33-year-old will doubtless look back with immense pride and satisfaction at what he’s achieved. The youngest player to be handed a national contract by Cricket South Africa in 2009, Parnell has represented South Africa across formats with over 100 caps for the Proteas but for the left-armer from Port Elizabeth, one thing is missing – an ICC trophy.In Australia, South Africa began their T20 World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in a game that they should have won but finished without a result. They bounced back by hammering Bangladesh and beating India and after three games, they very much looked like the team to beat.Yet in the space of a few nights, their tournament unravelled as they lost to Pakistan and then fell to a shock defeat against Netherlands. And despite such an optimistic start, they were on the early plane home.”It was very disappointing. Going in, we felt really confident. Just sitting in the dressing room, looking around at the personnel we had, we were very confident,” Parnell says. “I’m still asking myself questions as to what went wrong. It’s just one of those things in a tournament format where you’ve got to be switched on every single game.”File photo – Wayne Parnell runs in to bowl•Getty ImagesFor Parnell, that desire to add a world title is still there after over a decade playing for his country. Since the 1998 Champions Trophy, success has evaded South Africa on the global stage.”I’m still as hungry as ever. I’ve still got that big goal in mind. I’d love to finish my career with an ICC medal for South Africa,” Parnell insists.He is at the Abu Dhabi T10 playing for Northern Warriors and Parnell isn’t the only South African in town. David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw and Tabraiz Shamsi are all here for Season 6 of the tournament and Parnell insists that the format offers a different challenge altogether.”T10 is so unpredictable. You have to be really smart every single ball, especially when you’re thinking about how you set up your over,” the left-armer says.”It’s easier in terms of clarity but playing different opposition every day at different times and on different wickets, it challenges you and you have to adapt and show those different skillsets.”I’ve been given the responsibility of bowling the tougher overs. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing anyway but you’ve got to be switched on every ball because guys are basically coming out and trying to kill you. They just want to destroy you.”And as long as that drive to compete is still there, Parnell plans on carrying on the globetrotting lifestyle across franchise leagues and for the Proteas.”Once I stop enjoying it, I’ll hang up my boots. As long as I’m having fun, still learning every day and feeling like I can get better, I’ll continue to play.”

So near yet so far as LSG falter in Eliminator once again

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The overseas contingent led the way, and Krunal showed his captaincy wares in Rahul’s absence, but Hooda’s poor form didn’t help

Ekanth25-May-20235:02

Moody: LSG did well but need Indian batting depth

Where they finished

Position on table: Third after the league stage, with 17 points
Wins: Eight
Losses: Five
No result: One
Lucknow Super Giants made it to the playoffs for the second time in two years but were knocked out in the Eliminator once again, this time losing to Mumbai Indians in Chennai. Despite KL Rahul’s campaign ending early with a thigh injury, Krunal Pandya led them to three wins in their four league games. But Rahul’s absence, and the underwhelming returns from their other Indian batters, hurt them in the Eliminator.

The good: The overseas contingent

With Quinton de Kock away on national duty, Kyle Mayers started the tournament for LSG. His rollicking knocks – three half-centuries in his first three outings – meant de Kock had to warm the bench for a fair few games even when he was available. De Kock finally got his chance when Rahul was ruled out. He scored 143 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 140.19 but was left out for the Eliminator, a move that sparked a debate.If Mayers gave LSG flying starts, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran took care of the middle order, turning games around with their audacious hitting.Stoinis had his most productive season with the bat, topping the run charts for LSG with a tally of 408. He scored those runs at a strike rate of 150 and notched up three fifties. His all-round skills came to the fore against Rajasthan Royals, where he dismissed Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal to help his side defend 154.Pooran was fearless with the bat. His 15-ball half-century against Royal Challengers Bangalore helped LSG chase down 213. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he combined with Stoinis to smash Abhishek Sharma for 31 runs in a game-changing over.LSG’s musclemen: Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis•BCCINaveen-ul-Haq came good in his debut IPL season, making full use of the opportunity he got due to Mark Wood’s illness. Wood had picked up 11 wickets in just four games, but the slow tracks at the Ekana Cricket Stadium meant LSG persisted with Naveen even after Wood had recovered. Naveen ended the season with 11 wickets from eight games, his four-for in the Eliminator going a long way in restricting Mumbai to 182.Among Indian players, Ravi Bishnoi continued his growth by taking 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.74, while Yash Thakur impressed with 13 wickets from nine games at 9.07.

Poll

The bad: Hooda’s horrid season

Deepak Hooda was one of the key Indian players for LSG, more so after Rahul’s injury. But he could muster only 84 runs in 12 innings with a best of 17. Ayush Badoni and Krunal played a couple of handy knocks but in the games where Stoinis and Pooran failed, the middle order looked brittle.With Mohsin Khan not available for the first nine games, Avesh Khan was expected to shoulder extra responsibility. But he had a forgettable season. In nine games, he picked up just eight wickets at an economy of 9.75. With Naveen getting the nod over Wood, LSG missed a strike bowler in the powerplay.

Top performer: Nicholas Pooran

Once he get going, which he did more often than not, Pooran was unstoppable. His ability to attack from ball one is what allowed him to rack up two 40-plus scores at a strike rate of 300-plus: a 19-ball 62 against RCB and a 13-ball 44 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both innings illustrate his intelligent selection of boundary options. He finished the season with 26 fours and as many sixes. He was severe against pace bowlers, scoring at a strike rate of 198.14. Against spin, it was slightly lower – 145.45 – but only by Pooran’s standards.

The highlights

  • LSG racked up 257 for 5 – the second-highest in the history of IPL – in a record-tumbling innings against Punjab Kings in Mohali. Only two of the 20 overs did not feature a boundary.
  • The 31 runs ransacked by Pooran and Stoinis off Abhishek in the 16th over against Sunrisers were the joint-most in an over in IPL 2023.
  • Pooran’s 15-ball fifty against RCB is the joint-third-fastest in the IPL.

For Showman Gill, it's all about pushing the boundaries

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

When Gill walked off to a standing ovation after a 60-ball 129, it felt like another chapter had been written in his T20 transformation

Shashank Kishore26-May-20231:24

Manjrekar: Gill a once-in-a-generation player

Showmen like the big stage. They are at their best when the arclights are firmly on them. They embrace pressure and meet it with the sort of confidence that says, ‘I’m ready’.On Friday night, Shubman Gill had the stage, and was at his best.When a thunderstorm sent everyone scurrying for cover before the toss, Gill was pacing up and down the long stairway at the stadium. Perhaps it was the keenness to finish a job he couldn’t quite in Chennai. Or maybe it was simply his way of warming up.He exuded the confidence of a man at the peak of his game, ready with answers to anything Mumbai Indians were going to throw at him. When he walked off to a standing ovation after a 60-ball 129, you sensed another chapter had been written in Gill’s T20 transformation.Related

IPL 2023 comes full circle as wily CSK face defending champs Titans – on reserve day

Boucher on Mumbai's injury situation: 'Stupid to open a can of worms now'

Three sixes in Madhwal over told Gill 'maybe this is my day'

Gill's glorious hundred powers Titans into IPL final

Stats: Gill hammers highest IPL playoffs score

From an accumulator who tried to bat long to make up for middling starts, to someone who goes for quick runs without trying to bash every ball – such a game can’t be without risks, but to have the belief that such risks are worth taking takes quite some doing.Gill’s batting is a train of simple batting mechanics; one frame segues into another. A stable base, still head, minimal and unexaggerated back lift, and nimble feet movement – quick but unhurried. It’s all proper coaching manual. But beyond everything, more than anything, there’s the calmness – he can send the ball where he wants.This can only come with clarity, not just in his game but also in the way he trains.When Rahul Dravid was India Under-19 coach, he had a theory about judging a player’s maturity. One part of it was to gauge how quickly they could develop a routine, even if it was something as simple – or, perhaps, ridiculous – as not batting in the nets prior to a big game, instead of simply following a set of instructions that players can get used to.1:54

Manjrekar: Gill took his T20 game to the next level in 2022

Last week, prior to the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Gill exhibited a deep understanding of his own routines. He didn’t bat for long in the nets, but the kind of work he put in within that time underlined this maturity Dravid has spoken of.Gill batted for all of 15 minutes, not longer. The aim seemed to be to train specifically on his set-up against the short ball when it’s aimed at the body from wicked angles. It involved a quick trigger movement from middle to off, and the opening up of the leg side to try and use as much pace from the bowler as he could and pick them behind square. Not in front, mind you, but behind.The one in front of square is a shot Gill plays as well as anyone. So this was mostly to try and work towards strengthening another aspect of an already robust leg-side game. Twenty balls – same boring routine, of setting up, shuffling and manoeuvring deliveries bowled into his ribcage at different speeds and angles – and he walked out with the satisfaction of knowing his preparation was done.The IPL is a beast, not least because of the travel and the stream of matches that come and go thick and fast, but because it can be difficult to get in quality training sessions within that whirl. It can leave you on a high when the runs are coming, but when they are not, it can be your biggest bugbear. Which is why Gill’s training method and the sharp nature of it is intriguing.The game that followed the session was a display of fearless six-hitting that sent RCB packing and, far away, Mumbai Indians soaring. A week on in Ahmedabad, it was the sequel of sorts. It was pure, unhurried and beautiful. And it sent Mumbai Indians packing.You couldn’t help but will him to keep batting. The home crowd certainly felt that way. Maybe everyone did, except Tim David, who grassed a tough opportunity to reprieve Gill. He was on 30 then. You would never know what could have been had that catch been taken. And that’s the beauty of sport – it’s unscripted and leaves you guessing what’s coming next.Gill has certainly left everyone in wonder, having peeled off layer after layer to a robust game. Just when you wondered how much more he could unlock, he came up with something you didn’t expect, but have now accepted as perfectly normal.Shubman Gill got to his third century of the season in just 49 balls•BCCILike that six off Cameron Green in the 15th over, when you wondered for a split second how he would create something out of a 140kph short ball angled to cramp him. And, next moment, he made you go “wow”. As he moved sideways and out of the crease, the bat changed position and was held almost vertically, like one would hold one of those battery-operated mosquito-killing bats.Then it was a swat more than a shot. And he had hit it for six over cow corner. The bat speed to meet the ball, the wrist work, the forearm power and precision, all boss level.There was more of this in store.Like when Chris Jordan thought he had slipped in a perfect wide yorker, only to see Gill convert it into a low full toss by meeting the ball early and then deliberately opening the bat face to send it to the left of sweeper cover. Or when he hit that no-look pick-up shot for six over long leg and sauntered down the pitch to fist bump his partner – a bit of Sir Viv’s gum-chewing swagger.There was a visual from the dugout soon after Gill got to his hundred. Of Hardik Pandya smiling away looking at the screen that was replaying some of the shots from the innings, his expression almost one of disbelief, even as the rest of the dugout applauded. It was, after all, a knock where Gill pushed the boundaries of his own game.He had exhibited a full-blown sequel to his Bengaluru epic. Will there be a trilogy in the final?

Saika Ishaque's rough path to WPL glory

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Injury sidelined her, but after a few technical adjustments and a lot of hard work – including against East Bengal’s men – she just keeps on striking for Mumbai Indians

S Sudarshanan09-Mar-20236:22

Are Mumbai Indians making the WPL boring?

“Bowler wicket [I am a bowler, so I am here to pick up wickets].”The confidence in Saika Ishaque’s voice was unmistakable as she put on the purple cap, having become the highest wicket-taker in the WPL with two strikes against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. On Thursday, she stretched her lead at the top with three more wickets against Delhi Capitals, sending them on their way to 105 all out. Capitals headed into what was a clash between two unbeaten sides with back-to-back 200-plus totals. But they were undone by the brilliance of Ishaque, who’s taken a rough path to the glitz and glamour of the WPL.Ishaque comes from a humble background in Park Circus, a neighbourhood in south Kolkata. She was introduced to the sport by her father, who passed away 15 years ago. She did the hard yards at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels for Bengal before playing for the senior side. But a shoulder injury in 2018 pegged her back for a couple of years and the road forward was tough.Ishaque struggled to pick up wickets on her return and was then left out of the Bengal side. Low on confidence, she was introduced to former Bengal left-arm spin allrounder Shibsagar Singh in 2021, and he helped her make technical adjustments. Watching some footage of her, Shibsagar observed that Ishaque was bowling very full and not letting the ball turn enough.”I saw that she is talented and there is something different about her, and made her understand what her issue is,” Shibsagar told ESPNcricinfo. “I asked her to pull her length back a touch, that allowed the ball to deviate, rather than bowling it full and not letting it turn. I also told her to not try for wickets but concentrate on bowling in the right way.”I told her to focus on bowling one ball at a time and not think of the entire over or other stuff. Her mindset slowly began changing. Her earlier focus was on wanting to pick X wickets in Y overs.”Former India allrounder Rumeli Dhar, who also captained Ishaque at Bengal, loved the gusty, fighting character that Ishaque was in the side. Bowling to batters who attack was something she particularly revelled in.

“[Ever since her comeback from injury] she knows where she should land the ball to get it to spin and trouble the batter.”Rumeli Dhar, who was Ishaque’s captain at Bengal

“When I was the captain, there were a couple of instances where I have asked her if she would be able to pick up a tough wicket and she upfront used to say yes and did it too,” Dhar said. “She is [naughty] but she is fun-loving. She knows to have fun and also knows how to make people laugh.”[Ever since her comeback] she knows where she should land the ball to get it to spin and trouble the batter. She has learnt how to respond to captains’ and coaches’ calls of bowling in specific areas and situations. She has a lot of control with her bowling.”Capitals would learn of it the hard way.Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, easily one of the most dangerous opening pairs in the WPL, had a 162-run stand in Capitals’ opening game and then put up a half-century partnership against UP Warriorz heading into the game against Mumbai. Ishaque, though, struck the first blow off her sixth ball, having Shafali play around a flighted delivery that was slanted into the stumps to bowl her. Capitals were briefly buoyed by a fifty-run stand between Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues – going from 31 for 3 to 81 for 3 – but then Ishaque was at it again.Brought back in the 13th over for her third, Ishaque again attacked the stumps and just fired it in a touch, only for Rodrigues to go back and miss her cut and be bowled. The left-arm spinner then struck a telling blow on the last ball by floating one up outside off and enticing Lanning to charge down and take the aerial route only for her to hit it to extra cover.Saika Ishaque is congratulated after an early strike•BCCIThis all came after a four-wicket haul against Gujarat Giants at DY Patil Stadium to set up her team in the WPL curtain-raiser. While it was captain Harmanpreet Kaur who stole the show with her scintillating fifty, Ishaque’s exploits made sure everyone took note of her too.And so far, of her nine wickets in the WPL, seven have been either bowled or lbw.Ahead of the WPL, Shibsagar took Ishaque to the East Bengal club to train with male cricketers. He specifically asked them to attack her in a bid to prepare her for the WPL, and he liked what he saw.”She is (intelligent). Never afraid to bowl the tough overs – she will bowl two overs in the powerplay and then also want to bowl at the death,” Shibsagar said. “Any bowler can get hit but she is always confident of picking up wickets.”The WPL, it is expected, will be a means to unearth uncapped talents and fast track them into the national set-up. Given Ishaque’s WPL performances have come at a time when India’s incumbent left-arm spinners Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav are struggling for consistency and penetration, Ishaque could well be on this path.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus