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Corey Anderson propelled Somerset to a 32-run victory over Sussex on the DLS method in a rain-affected NatWest T20 Blast South Group contest at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network30-Jul-2017Corey Anderson’s power helped Somerset to the points in a rain-affected encounter•Getty Images

Corey Anderson propelled Somerset to a 32-run victory over Sussex on the DLS method in a rain-affected NatWest T20 Blast South Group contest at Taunton.Put into bat in a match reduced to eight overs a side, Somerset posted a competitive 102 for 3, courtesy of Anderson’s forthright innings of 41 not out from 17 balls. Required to chase down a revised target of 104 to win, Sussex failed to recover from the loss of early wickets and came up short at 71 for 4, despite a gutsy unbeaten 42 from Stiaan van Zyl.Burly New Zealand international Anderson arrived in the middle with Somerset on 27 for 1 in the third over and immediately took England paceman Chris Jordan to task, hoisting his first delivery back over his head for a massive six. When Jordan returned at the other end to send down the seventh over, Anderson greeted him with another huge straight six, much to the delight of a near-full-house audience.He dominated stands of 36 and 35 with Steve Davies and Roelof van der Merve for the second and third wickets respectively, accruing a quartet of fours and three sixes into the bargain.George Garton did his utmost to keep the scoring in check, the Sharks seamer inducing opener Lewis Gregory and van der Merve to hole out to deep midwicket. But Anderson remained at large to ensure the home side realised three figures, with van der Merve contributing a valuable 16 from 11 balls.Somerset struck an early blow when Chris Nash hoisted a length ball from Craig Overton to Gregory at deep backward point with the score on 9. Van Zyl and Laurie Evans did their best to keep up with the rate in pouring rain, only for the hosts to turn the screw.Sussex needed a further 79 off five overs at 15.8 an over when leg spinner Max Waller entered the attack and changed the complexion of the game. Electing to bowl medium pace in slippery conditions, Waller had Evans stumped by Davies for 5 off his first delivery and then pinned Sharks skipper Ross Taylor for 1 later in the same over as the visitors lurched to 27 for 3.Van der Merve kept things tight at the other end to ramp up the pressure on David Wiese and Van Zyl, who struggled to get the ball off the square as conditions worsened.Waller continued to cause problems for the batsmen, deploying clever variations of pace to keep a lid on things and leave Sussex requiring a notional 60 off 12 balls to win. Having returned impressive figures of 2 for 13 from two overs, Waller then held a catch at long-on as Wiesse perished at the hands of Overton.Van Zyl summoned defiance aplenty in an innings of 42 not out from 22 balls, but he lacked the support needed to make a game of it. He helped himself to three fours and three sixes in a losing cause.A third successive home win moved Somerset, who now have 10 points from nine games, into a share of second place in the South Group, two points behind leaders Glamorgan.

Coaxing Zimbabwe’s batsmen out of their comfort zones is foremost in the mind of their batting coach Lance Klusener as he looks to prepare them for their two-Test series against New Zealand

Firdose Moonda11-Jul-2016Coaxing Zimbabwe’s batsmen out of their comfort zones is foremost in the mind of their batting coach Lance Klusener as he looks to prepare them for their two-Test series against New Zealand. Klusener is currently back home in South Africa but will join up with the Zimbabwean squad later this month and hopes to see the senior members of the line-up step up.”It’s about whether they really want to challenge themselves and get better or if they are happy to just bumble along; it’s about coming out of comfort zones,” Klusener told ESPNcricinfo. “They can achieve better if they put themselves out there more. Obviously the more you put yourself out, the more risk there is, so there is also that balance [is needed] but I think they are getting there.”The reluctance to bat aggressively is something former Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher alluded to in his book in which he recalled an incident with a senior Zimbabwean batsman who described his role as being to “make sure I don’t lose my wicket” rather than to score runs. More recently, the effects of that conservatism have begun to bleed into performance.In last month’s limited-overs series against India, Zimbabwe were bowled out for totals under 200 in all three ODIs and only scored more than 150 once. Vusi Sibanda was the only Zimbabwean batsman to score a half-century in the ODIs. They punched a little harder in the first T20, where they notched up 170 for 6 thanks largely to Elton Chigumbura’s 26-ball 54, but their other scores of 99 for 9 and 135 for 6 could not sustain that momentum.Still, Klusener was heartened to see the improvement as the series progressed. “It was good to see them take the last T20 close,” Klusener said, referring to a three-run defeat which cost Zimbabwe the series. “The one thing with Zimbabwe is that you can always expect a fight. They now that if they fight and they lose, that’s okay.”At the same time he is concerned about a lack of depth that sees the same names crop up as the country’s main performers. “They have a small pool of players and so they have to make the best of what they’ve got. It’s one of their challenges and they want to try and fix it, but whether they can do that from the top down is another story.”One of the ways of grooming more players for higher honours are tours like the ongoing one between South Africa A and Zimbabwe A, in which some of Zimbabwe’s fringe players have an opportunity to prove themselves. Opening batsman Brain Chari made full use of his and scored 98 in his first outing in the series. It’s players that like who Klusener is hoping to work with and teach the no-fear mentality.Klusener has someone to help him in that approach: Makhaya Ntini. Although Ntini has not been confirmed as permanent coach after he was promoted to the interim role for the India series, it is expected Ntini will continue to be in charge for the New Zealand series. Ntini remained in Zimbabwe after the India series and has been working with the players throughout.Klusener believes Ntini is making a difference and it won’t take long for it to show. “Makhaya is energetic and passionate and adds value. He has been very good for Zimbabwe. He trains with the guys. He gets to know them. He doesn’t lack for ideas and between us – we are a team – we have a lot of ideas. It’s just about getting the guys to buy into the ideas we have.”Klusener will be back in Zimbabwe to resume that process towards the ends of July. He will work with the team during the two Tests before heading to the Tamil Nadu Premier League in India, where he is coaching the Lyca Kovai Kings. He expects to be back in Zimbabwe when they play again towards the end of 2016.

Once the first session of the final day was washed out, the draw was inevitable, but India gave a glimpse into the possibilities had this match not lost 248 overs to rain by bowling Bangladesh out for 256 and enforcing a follow-on

The Report by Sidharth Monga14-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
2:54

Muthu: Good first impression under Kohli

Once the first session of the final day was washed out, the draw was inevitable, but India gave a glimpse into the possibilities had this match not lost 248 overs to rain by bowling Bangladesh out for 256 and enforcing a follow-on. Though he couldn’t help India avoid slipping to fourth in the ICC rankings thanks to this draw, the most impressive player of the match, R Ashwin, registered his first five-wicket haul outside India. Bangladesh will be disappointed their first innings lasted only 65.5 overs on a pitch that India batted comfortably and lost wickets only when their batsmen went out of their way to score quick runs.The final day’s play began with Bangladesh needing 152 to avoid the follow-on with seven wickets in hand. A maximum of 67 overs could have been bowled on the day. Had Bangladesh batted sensibly they would have avoided the drama of having to bat again and hanging in grimly. Confronted with some excellent bowling from Ashwin but little else, Bangladesh failed to do so although theirs was a general air of just having a good time without having to worry about the result because it had been ruled out. In a live Test they might well have shown more application.Shakib Al Hasan fell manufacturing a cut, Imrul Kayes and Mohammad Shahid jumped out of the crease to Harbhajan Singh – all three of the returning offspinners’ victims were batsmen outside their crease – and Soumya Sarkar and others kept swinging away even when not quite in control of the shots. Ashwin, though, was in a different league, relying on his offbreak, getting it to drift and dip, drawing sharp turn and bounce, and brought some excitement into a match dulled by poor scheduling: the first in monsoon June in Bangladesh.Even after Shakib fell early on in the day, the shots kept coming. Some of them came off – Sarkar managed an ungainly 37 – but they brought about wickets. The bright spot for Bangladesh was debutant Litton Das’ 44 off 45, but he too struggled as Ashwin drifted the ball away from him. After having found himself away from the pitch of the ball, Das eventually gloved one bouncing offbreak to backward short leg. Das’ wicket made it 232 for 8, and it was followed by a poor shot from Mohammad Shahid and poor running from Taijul Islam and Jubair Hossain.Intent to give it every possible shot, Virat Kohli asked Bangladesh to bat again, but there was never going to be enough time to force a result. Hands were shaken the moment Bangladesh had batted out 15 overs in the second innings and the mandatory overs became due.

Four fast bowlers bowled their hearts out in an intense training session in Perth, but it isn’t yet known how many of them will play in the Test against South Africa on Friday

Brydon Coverdale in Perth28-Nov-2012It is not uncommon to see two fast bowlers hard at work in the nets, competing for one spot. At the WACA on Wednesday, Australia took the idea to the extreme. Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, John Hastings and Josh Hazlewood were all running in and doing their darnedest to impress the selectors ahead of Friday’s third Test. None of them knew how many positions would be up for grabs. It could be one, it could be four. It could be anything in between.The first deciding factor is how Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus handle their training runs on Thursday, the end of a short turn-around following their heavy workloads in the Adelaide Test. The other issue is whether Nathan Lyon will be required, or if the selectors will choose a four-man pace attack, as they did with great success against India last summer. Lyon would enjoy the drift provided by the Fremantle doctor, the sea breeze that blows in the mid-afternoon in Perth, but he’s not the only one.Johnson has had success at the WACA, notably against the South Africans in 2008-09, when he took 11 wickets and was unplayable late on the second afternoon. But his fellow left-arm seamer Starc could justifiably expect to have the inside running, having been 12th man in the first two Tests. He used the cross-ground breeze to his advantage in Perth last season, when it helped him curl the ball in towards India’s right-hand batsmen, and one delivery that swung in and trapped Sachin Tendulkar lbw was especially memorable.”I have fond memories from last year,” Starc said. “It’s a nice place to come and bowl, a bit of extra pace and bounce than you get at the SCG where I play. There’s more in it for the bowlers but last year it was a pretty good cricket wicket. Hopefully if I get the chance to come out here again I can bowl similar to what I did last time.”Certainly, one of Starc or Johnson should play. Even if the only position available is as a replacement for the injured James Pattinson, the left-arm variety would ask different questions of South Africa’s batsmen. Graeme Smith, in particular, has been troubled by left-arm seamers in recent years. Not that Hastings and Hazlewood are out of contention.Should an all-pace attack be employed – a distinct possibility given the success the Australians had against India, and the likelihood that the pitch will need to spend time under cover with rain forecast on match eve and the first day of the Test – Hastings and Hazlewood might be battling each other for one spot. Both are tall men who extract impressive bounce, but do not deliver the ball at express speed. Neither has played Test cricket before.Hazlewood, 21, has been viewed as a national prospect since he first played for New South Wales at the age of 17. Nothing in his first-class form this summer – nine Sheffield Shield wickets at 46.33 – suggests he is quite ready for Test cricket, but the selectors have a hunch about him. By his own admission, his height is a key weapon, along with his consistency, but at 196 cm he has no discernible advantage over Hastings, who stands 195cm.Hastings, 27, has the form that Hazlewood lacks. This summer, he has collected 22 Shield wickets at 19.09. Having missed all of last season due to a shoulder reconstruction, Hastings spent countless hours in the gym and has returned better for it. Compared to state team-mates Pattinson and Siddle, Hastings can appear innocuous, but he has lifted his pace this season and has reaped the rewards.”When I wasn’t bowling or batting I spent a lot of time on my fitness, working on my strength and conditioning in the gym with David Bailey, the now Australian strength and conditioning coach,” Hastings told ESPNcricinfo last month of his time on the sidelines. “We worked our butts off to try to get me back. I think a yard of pace has probably helped me get a few more wickets than I normally would have in four-day cricket, and a little more durability as well, so I can continually back up my spells.”Although it is difficult to see Hastings and Hazlewood both playing, there is the outside chance that a full swap of Australia’s attack could take place, should Siddle and Hilfenhaus struggle at training on Thursday. One certainty is that Australia’s batsmen can expect a torrid time in the nets on match eve.”The guys in and around the squad know there’s a few places that might be up for grabs so they’re certainly having a good crack in the nets,” Shane Watson said on Wednesday. “That’s good for the batsmen because we certainly get a competitive, high quality net session, but it’s also great to be able to see how they’re travelling as well.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the CLT20 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Somerset in Hyderabad

The Preview by Dustin Silgardo24-Sep-2011

Match facts

Kolkata Knight Riders v Somerset, September 24
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Ryan ten Doeschate helped Knight Riders qualify for the main draw with his 46 against Somerset in the qualifiers•AFP

Big Picture

Kolkata Knight Riders and Somerset will meet for the second time in five days. During the qualifying stage, they were involved in a strange game where despite Somerset winning by 11 runs it was Knight Riders celebrating at the end. They had qualified, along with Somerset, as the best second-placed team from the two qualifying groups.Given the nature of Twenty20 cricket that win might mean little when the teams met again, but Knight Riders will be increasingly aware that their top order is consuming far too many balls to produce too few runs. Even Yusuf Pathan, on paper their most dangerous player, has struck at less than a run-a-ball in his two scores of 12 in the qualifying round.Somerset came to this tournament without three key batsmen and would have felt a little bitter that their 21-year-old star Jos Buttler did not even get a bat for England in the first Twenty20 against West Indies. Craig Kieswetter’s aggressive half-century in the same match, though, would have reminded them of what they can achieve once the two join them. Their bid to qualify for the main draw was helped by some tight bowling and outstanding fielding, with Roelof van der Merwe seeming to pop up everywhere with athletic stops or catches.These are the two weaker teams in their group, which also contains South Australia, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Warriors, so a loss for either would leave them with an uphill climb to reach the semi-finals.

Watch out for …

Ryan ten Doeschate came to Knight Riders with a big reputation after having done well in Twenty20 competitions in England and New Zealand, and having scored a century against England in the World Cup. He only had three innings in the previous IPL, but showed he can play the role of a finisher when he helped Kolkata qualify with a quick 46 against Somerset.Roelof van der Merwe is a player perfectly suited to the Twenty20 format. He bats aggressively, bowls flat left-arm spin that is hard to take for runs and saves 10-15 runs every innings in the outfield. Without Marcus Trescothick, Kieswetter and Buttler, van der Merwe has occupied the No. 3 spot during the tournament and may need to play a longer innings than he is used to in order to help his team.

Team news

Somerset will have left-arm spinner George Dockrell back for their first match in the main draw, as Ireland have completed their Intercontinental Cup fixtures against Canada. The man he replaces in the squad, legspinner Max Waller, had impressed in the qualifiers, taking 1 for 18 in four overs against Auckland and bagging two wickets against Kolkata. So there will be pressure on the 19-year-old Dockrell to repay Somerset’s faith in him. Wicketkeeper Steve Snell and seamer Lewis Gregory will leave once Kieswetter and Buttler arrive in India, so they will want to make use of this chance in the international limelight.Gautam Gambhir, who suffered a concussion during India’s Test series in England, is expected to play at some stage during the tournament, but whether he will be available for the game against Somerset is not clear. Brad Haddin has arrived from Sri Lanka but ten Doeschate’s performance in the last game and the effectiveness of Shakib Al Hasan’s spin on the slow Hyderabad wicket means he is not guaranteed of a place in the XI.

Stats and trivia

• Kolkata Knight Riders have not reached a score of 180 since the 2010 season of the IPL. The 222 they managed in their first game, in the 2008 IPL, is still the highest total for the franchise.
• Somerset have lost just one of the last eight Twenty20 matches they have played, though that match was the Friends Life t20 final.

Quotes

“It’s frustrating, obviously, but it’s pleasing personally that I did all I could do while I was out here. I knew I wasn’t going to stay for the main event if we qualified, so I wanted to do what I could do and help us qualify.”
Max Waller is disappointed to be going home before the main tournament begins

“I sometimes get a bit tied up against spin. But I have made it a point to watch the ball closely and it has helped. I do like to get after the spinners and I think that is the best way to play them.”
Ryan ten Doeschate gives notice of his intent against the slow bowlers

The Pakistan squad has returned home after completing one of the most acrimonious tours in history, with limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi calling the four-month trip to England the “most difficult” of his career

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2010The Pakistan squad returned home after completing one of the most acrimonious tours in history, with limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi calling the four-month trip to England the “most difficult” of his career.”It was tough because of the controversies and became very difficult to cope with. Every time we went out of the hotel people passed remarks against us,” Afridi said on arrival in Karachi. “The best part of the whole tour was that the players showed unity even in difficult times and gave a good fight in the one-day series against England.”Pakistan’s coach, Waqar Younis, said the tour had taken a toll on the team’s support staff as well because of the effort needed to keep the players upbeat amid the barrage of allegations. “If you take into account the tour to Sri Lanka [for the Asia Cup] before we went to England, it was four months on the trot and the tour of England was difficult both on and off the field,” Waqar, who flew into Lahore, said.”We had success against Australia which was pleasing, but because of the controversies it was tough against England. You needed that extra effort to gee up the players when you see a report in the newspaper every other day.”Pakistan’s next international assignment is a home series against South Africa in the UAE in October-November. Afridi, who ended a four-year hiatus from Tests this year when he led Pakistan in the very first Test of the summer against Australia only to retire again from the format immediately after losing it, did not rule out another comeback for the Test leg of that tour. “I will think about it and if the team needs it, I may consider playing the Test series against South Africa,” he said.The tour of England had begun positively for Pakistan, with victories in the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia. Despite losing that first Test at Lord’s and Afridi’s retirement, Salman Butt took over the captaincy and led Pakistan to a series-leveling victory at Headingley. It was Pakistan’s first Test win over Australia in nearly 15 years.The Test series against England began poorly, with defeats at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston before Pakistan kept the contest alive with a victory at The Oval. During their defeat at Lord’s, however, the series was plunged into scandal when a British tabloid ran a story alleging that Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were involved in spot-fixing by bowling deliberate no-balls.The players under scrutiny were questioned by the police and provisionally suspended by the ICC before the Twenty20 series between Pakistan and England began. Pakistan lost both Twenty20 matches, and the one-day series that followed was at 2-1 when the ICC announced that it was investigating the Oval ODI, which Pakistan had won, after receiving information from another tabloid that bookies were aware of certain scoring patterns that would take place before the match.It was decided that the last two ODIs would be played but, before the fourth game at Lord’s, the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt alleged that England’s players had thrown the third match as part of a wider conspiracy to “defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket”, plunging the tour deeper into controversy.The ECB reacted by issuing a strong statement deploring the allegations and said it would seek an apology from Butt or take legal action. There was also an altercation between Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz and England batsman Jonathan Trott during a net session ahead of the Lord’s game.Pakistan eventually leveled the series 2-2 before England won at the Rose Bowl to take the series.

He hasn’t played ODIs since the 2023 ODI World Cup but hopes to make a return for Pakistan next month

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2025Fakhar Zaman is “100% certain” he will play for Pakistan again and is gearing up for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 and will be hosted in Pakistan and Dubai.”A 100%, I will play for Pakistan (again),” Fakhar, 34, told the . “Actually, many people do not know about that, but after the T20 World Cup I got sick and because of the medical condition I was not fit, so I was not a part of the team.”But now I [have] recovered 100%, and you will see me in the next white-ball series which Pakistan play.”Related

• Saim Ayub to travel to London for ankle fracture treatment

• Champions Trophy 2025: Dubai to host all India matches, including the knockouts if India qualify

• PCB issues Fakhar Zaman show-cause notice after post in support of Babar Azam

Fakhar, once an integral part of the Pakistan white-ball setup, has not played international cricket since the 2024 T20 World Cup last June in the USA and West Indies, where Pakistan were eliminated in the group stage. He last played an ODI in the 2023 ODI World Cup but is hopeful of returning for the Champions Trophy at home.Incidentally, it was in the 2017 Champions Trophy that Fakhar shot to prominence with a title-winning 114 against India in the final at The Oval in London. “My plan has been around the Champions Trophy,” he said. “I did not play in the Australia tour or in the South Africa tour, so my whole plan was just to play in the Champions Trophy, to make myself available and to be fully fit for the tournament.”That was in the back of my mind, and I am thankful, and I am lucky to be fit right now. I started from the Champions Trophy 2017 and that went really well for me and now I am very excited for the next edition also. I talked to the selectors, the head coach, and everyone wanted me to play in the Champions Trophy.”Fakhar Zaman is currently in the UAE for his maiden ILT20 stint•Associated Press

Fakhar had high praise for 22-year-old opener Saim Ayub, who has become a regular across formats for Pakistan. Ayub has had a sensational start to his ODI career, with three centuries and a fifty in nine innings, which includes hundreds in Australia and South Africa. However, an ankle fracture sustained during the first morning of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town has put his Champions Trophy campaign in jeopardy.”I hope and I believe that he will recover quickly, and I was thinking yesterday to call Saim just to talk to him about this injury,” Fakhar said. “Believe me, he is such a great player that if he continues to play for the next four to five years, he will be at the top and he will be amongst the top three players in the world.”While Fakhar wants to open the batting for Pakistan, he may not find a slot there, with Ayub, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan already at the top of the order.”In Pakistan, we have three of the best players in the world in Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, so sometimes I feel lucky to be in the team even if I am not able to make my place in the team as an opener,” Fakhar said. “If the team has faith in me and they want me to bat at number four or five, that totally makes sense, because for me the team is always first and I play wherever the team wants me to play, but I always prefer to open.”Fakhar is currently gearing up for his maiden ILT20 stint where he will feature for the 2023 runners-up Desert Vipers. “There are many Pakistani players who have played for the Desert Vipers including Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Azam Khan and Mohammad Amir and they talk really highly about this team, the environment, the management, the way they play the cricket and the way their mindset is,” Fakhar said. “So when I got the offer, without any discussion with anyone, I said ‘yes, I would love to play for this team.'”The ILT20 begins on January 11, with the Dubai Capitals taking on MI Emirates in Dubai.

The BCCI said that Axar had suffered a left quadriceps strain while playing against Bangladesh on Friday

Shashank Kishore16-Sep-2023Washington Sundar will link up with India’s Asia Cup squad in Colombo ahead of Sunday’s final against Sri Lanka with Axar Patel out injured.The BCCI said that Axar had suffered a left quadriceps strain while playing against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup on Friday. The physio was seen taping his leg while he was batting towards the closing stages of that game.Axar has some swelling on his forearm as well after being hit by a throw from a fielder. ESPNcricinfo understands there is no fracture. He also bruised his wrist during a full-stretch dive into the crease while batting. Axar continued to bat despite the bruising and needed some spraying on the affected area. He made a valiant 38-ball 42 in India’s chase of 266. Eventually, India fell six short.Related

• Bangladesh weather Gill century to snatch consolation win

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Washington was to be part of a conditioning camp called by the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for India’s Asian Games-bound squad. It’s likely he will rejoin the group following the conclusion of the Asia Cup, if Axar is cleared to play in the three ODIs to follow against Australia from September 22.India’s current squad lacks an offspinner, which is one of the areas the team management hopes can be compensated by the presence of two left-arm spinning allrounders in Axar and Ravindra Jadeja. Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, is the only specialist spinner in India’s squad of 15.ESPNcricinfo understands Washington’s name had been deliberated seriously to be part of India’s World Cup squad, but he eventually lost out with India preferring to go in with an extra back-up batter in Suryakumar Yadav despite both KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer being named in the squad. India can however make changes to that squad without an ICC clearance until September 28.Washington, who was out for three months due to a hamstring injury, was most-recently part of India’s second-rung squad that played three T20Is in Ireland last month. Prior to that, he featured for South Zone in their victorious Deodhar Trophy (50-overs) and Duleep Trophy (first-class) campaigns.

Changes to India’s squads for the Asian Games as well

Fast bowlers Akash Deep and Pooja Vastrakar have been called into India’s men’s and women’s T20 teams due to play in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Deep replaced Shivam Mavi who is down with a back injury and Vastrakar replaced Anjali Sarvani who is nursing a knee injury. The women’s competition begins first on September 19 followed by the men’s on September 28. Ruturaj Gaikwad leads a second-string India men’s side given the first-choice players will be building up for the home World Cup which starts on October 5. The India women’s team appears close to full strength and is captained by Harmanpreet Kaur

Allrounder Heather Graham has been added to the squad as cover

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2022Australia left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen will miss the start of the T20I tri-series in Ireland after testing positive for Covid-19.Jonassen is currently isolating at home in Brisbane and is due to depart next Monday ahead of Australia’s final two matches of the series which also features Pakistan.Tasmania allrounder Heather Graham has been called into the squad and will link up in Ireland in the coming days. The remainder of the team arrive in Belfast on Tuesday.Graham was a travelling reserve during the ODI World Cup this year and was briefly elevated into the main squad when Ash Gardner had Covid. She is currently uncapped in T20Is having played one ODI against Sri Lanka in 2019.Jonassen would usually be a first-choice selection in Australia’s T20I side and there is no like-for-like cover as a left-arm spinner. Her absence could mean a chance of both legspinners, Alana King and Amanda-Jade Wellington, teaming up as they did twice during the ODI World Cup.The tri-series in Ireland, which begins on July 16 when Australia face Pakistan, provides preparation for those two sides ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham at the end of the month.For Australia this is their first time back in action since claiming the ODI World Cup in early April. They have a new interim head coach in Shelley Nitschke after Matthew Mott departed for the England men’s team, but the playing squad remains very settled with the original group unchanged from the ODI World Cup.

The home side were well placed in their chase after Peter Siddle managed Tasmania’s only wicket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2021Rain ruined the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG, denying Victoria a good chance of victory after they had made strong progress towards what appeared to be a challenging target.Peter Handscomb’s impressive form, with his second half-century of the match, in an unbroken second-wicket stand of 95 with Marcus Harris had broken the back of the chase before the rain returned and wiped out the rest of the day.Handscomb scored his runs at a rate rarely seen in a match where ball had held sway. Jake Doran produced the standout innings on the third day with 98 to leave a target of 253.Peter Siddle had taken the only wicket, removing Nic Maddinson to a thin edge in the sixth over of the day, but the game was getting away from Tasmania when the weather closed in and play was abandoned at 5.30pm.