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The youngsters shone for New Zealand as they defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the first Twenty20 at Eden Park

Andrew Fernando at Eden Park26-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTim Southee’s hat-trick is the second by a New Zealand bowler and the third overall in T20s•Getty Images

The youngsters shone for New Zealand as they defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the first Twenty20 at Eden Park. Tim Southee ripped the heart out of the Pakistan line-up with a brutal spell of five for 18 in four overs, and Martin Guptill’s fearless half-century ensured the chase went smoothly for the hosts. The visitors had rocketed to 58 for 1 in 5.5 overs before Southee struck five times in nine deliveries to derail the middle order, using his height and pace to torment the batsmen on the quick, hard surface, and throwing in the odd slower ball to keep them guessing. Guptill then attacked the Pakistan bowling with style and chutzpah, to get his team off to a rapid start, and continued to attack throughout his innings, despite the fall of wickets at the other end.Guptill began with gusto as he flayed Abdul Razzaq for 15 in his first over with two commanding strikes and a tickle down to fine leg, before hoisting Shoaib Akhtar for a giant six over square-leg. The pace of the Auckland pitch showed up three balls later as Jesse Ryder’s thick edge off Shoaib flew at shoulder height to slip, almost at the edge of the circle. Guptill continued to make merry despite the loss, hitting Shoaib for another six on the leg-side before the bowler struck again, this time to remove debutant Dean Brownlie for five.Scott Styris uppercut his second ball for six, but was undone soon after by Shoaib, attempting an ugly slog across the line to an indipper that pegged back leg stump. Shoiab had another, and the aeroplane was on show for the third time in three overs, but although there were breakthroughs, Guptill’s fireworks at the other end boosted the score to 55 in five overs.The Pakistan spinners provided some respite, but Guptill motored to his maiden Twenty20 fifty in 23 deliveries, hitting Wahab Riaz for consecutive boundaries and lofting Mohammad Hafeez over long-on. The dazzling knock came to an end when he was run out attempting an ill-advised single on 53, after having pushed the Pakistan fielders to the limit with swift singles during his stay.Ross Taylor was content to cruise alongside James Franklin while the spinners operated, with his side well ahead of the required rate. Hafeez picked up his second wicket when he hurried one onto Franklin, but with 29 runs to get in more than five overs, the victory was all but secured. A couple of trademark slog sweeps later, New Zealand were within striking distance, and Peter McGlashan finished the job for the hosts with 2.5 overs to spare.The Pakistan innings too was off to a rollicking start, thanks to some aggressive intent from the Pakistan openers. Shahid Afridi, having promoted himself to the top, wasted little time unfurling his signature slogs, while Hafeez also swung away with abandon to propel Pakistan to 36 in 3.5 overs, before the wickets began to tumble.Afridi was caught at mid-on by a backpedalling Ross Taylor, after New Zealand’s other debutant, Adam Milne, had shelled a chance off the previous delivery. Pakistan kept the foot on the pedal as they raced to 50 in five overs. Southee then came on to cripple the innings with pace, movement and bounce to leave Pakistan reeling at 68 for 6. Southee’s barrage included a hat-trick – New Zealand’s second in Twenty20 internationals, and third overall – which accounted for Younis Khan, Hafeez and Umar Akmal, who was wrongly given out lbw.Umar Gul and Riaz were on hand for Pakistan, scoring invaluable thirties as the tail pushed Pakistan towards respectability with some sensible batting and a flurry of late boundaries. Southee’s spell, however, had done the damage, and 143 proved too few to defend on a ground with a hard surface and short straight boundaries.

Offspinner Johan Botha has been named in South Africa’s squad for the two Tests against India next month, marking his return after the 2008 tour of Bangladesh

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2010Offspinner Johan Botha has been named in South Africa’s squad for the two Tests against India next month, marking his return after the 2008 tour of Bangladesh. Another notable inclusion in the 15-man team was left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who was part of the touring party to Australia last year.There was no place for fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Friedel de Wet, both of whom had been part of the recently concluded home Test series against England.”It is important to have a second specialist spin bowling option for a Test series on the subcontinent,” Mike Procter, Cricket South Africa’s (CSA’s) selection convener, said. “We feel this squad covers all our tactical options and will give a good account of itself.”For the three ODIs that follow, the selectors have picked opener Loots Bosman after his impressive performances during the two Twenty20 internationals against England, where he hit 58 and 94. It was during his second knock, at Centurion, that he also shared a world-record opening partnership of 170 with captain Graeme Smith.Having returned to full fitness this summer after a succession of injuries, Bosman would provide “an explosive hitting option up front”, according to Procter. “This will be the ideal opportunity for him to show his worth on the subcontinent where next year’s World Cup will be played,” Procter said.Herschelle Gibbs was also included in the 15-man ODI squad, returning to the national team since the 2009 World Twenty20 in England.However, Hashim Amla, Ryan McLaren and Charl Langeveldt failed to make the cut for the one-day squad, from the one that took on England. Procter indicated, though, that the trio were still “in the running for the World Cup next year.”While Nagpur will host the first Test from February 6-10, the second will be played in Kolkata from February 14-18. The three ODIs will be hosted by Jaipur, Kanpur and Ahmedabad on February 21, 24 and 27 respectively.Test squad Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
ODI squad Graeme Smith (capt), Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Roelof van der Merwe.

Remarkable 10-ball hitting barrage turns game after Joe Root’s 76 put Trent Rockets in control

ECB Media21-Aug-2025Oval Invincibles 173 for 4 (Cox 58*, Curran 54) beat Trent Rockets 171 for 7 (Root 76) by six wicketsA remarkable 10-ball hitting barrage from Sam Curran and Jordan Cox turned the game on its head and drove Oval Invincibles towards a crucial win against table-topping rivals Trent Rockets in The Hundred.Chasing 171 to win, the Invincibles were just beginning to feel the pressure at 70 for 2 with 102 needed for victory from just 40 balls – ten legal balls, one strategic timeout and six sixes later they’d sailed to 121 for 1, with just 51 more required from the last 30.It was a scarcely believable spell of sustained hitting, from Curran in the main, that thrilled the Kia Oval crowd and more or less broke the back of a chase that leaves the home side sitting pretty at the top of the table with two games to go.Cox would end unbeaten on 58, to maintain his fantastic form, and for Curran it was 54 and the acclaim of his home crowd.Before the Curran and Cox show it was another England man who looked set to define the day, Joe Root showing all his usual brilliance to compile a 41-ball 76 in Rockets’ imposing total.Only Root made timing look easy, up to the point the game swung back to the hosts, although South African George Linde did give the fans some crowd-catching practice to preview the later entertainment with an eight-ball 25.It was a vital win for Invincibles in their pursuit of the crucial first place, a finish that would secure passage straight through to the final as they look to win their third title on the bounce.Meerkat Match Hero Sam Curran said: “When the strategic timeout happened, I was on seven off 12 or something like that, so the panic was in! I think the break came at the right time just to have a little sip of water and kind of restart again.”But it was a huge game and a huge win. We looked at the table before this game, and with two sides on 16 points we’re really pleased to get the points tonight.”I think it was 107 off 40 balls, and we knew in T20 or 100-ball cricket, you’re looking at hitting three or four sixes, and then before you know it we got six, seven, eight, and you’re like, ‘Wow, we’re nearly at 70 off 35 balls’.”It’s such a lovely place to bat and the crowd felt electric. It was almost like a game in India where every ball is cheered, it was like – how cool is this?”The schedule’s been pretty intense and that does help when you’re winning. You keep that momentum and you keep coming to the game, turning up to the stadium, full crowd, really high in confidence – but it can go the other way as well. We know we want to come top, but we’ve got two more games left, one away, one at home – and I think it is a big advantage, if you do come top.”

Victoria collapsed to 130 all out in their second innings with the visiting attack sharing the success

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2024Western Australia booked a third straight home Sheffield Shield final after defeating Victoria and leapfrogging Tasmania to top spot on the ladder.The dual defending champions needed everything to go right in their last regular-season game to keep alive their hopes of a Shield three-peat. They rose to the challenge, defeating Victoria by 138 runs in a virtual elimination final at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Related

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Set 269 to win, Victoria were skittled for 130 late on a rain-affected day three of the match. The home side never looked like pulling off the unlikely run chase on a difficult pitch, stumbling to 31 for 3 with their three most experienced batters – Nic Maddinson, Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb – already dismissed.Harris was superbly held low down at second slip by Cameron Bancroft off Joel Paris then Maddinson was cleaned up from around the wicket by Cameron Gannon who had set up WA’s strong position with five wickets in the first innings.Young left-hander Campbell Kellaway showed why he has a bright future, hitting 53 from 136 balls for his fifth first-class half-century.After coming in at No. 3, Kellaway survived the carnage around him as WA’s bowlers worked in tandem to complete the match on Wednesday.Corey Rocchiccioli was pumped as he bowled WA to the brink•Getty Images

Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli went through the lower order to be on a hat-trick after dismissing Fergus O’Neill and Todd Murphy in consecutive balls.Left-armer Liam Haskett finished with the best figures of his first-class career, including the key scalp of Matt Short lbw from around the wicket, and ended the match after Kellaway was caught going for a slog pull shot.Victoria captain Will Sutherland almost broke down when describing the pain of the defeat.”Our batting let us dow …the boys ran out of steam a little bit with the ball,” he said. “We’re still a young group, but I think this one does hurt quite a bit …almost hurts more than making the final and losing, I don’t know why.”Sutherland (back), Test quick Scott Boland (knee) and O’Neill (illness) all struggled through the match.WA will host the five-day final against Tasmania at the WACA Ground, starting on March 21, after the Tigers blew a golden opportunity to ensure the decider was played in Hobart.Tasmania started the round in the box seat to secure a home final, only needing to defeat South Australia at Blundstone Arena to lock it in.But they suffered a shock 134-run loss – just their second defeat of the season – against the Redbacks to consign them to a trip to Perth.WA are aiming to become just the third team this century, after Queensland (2000-02) and Victoria (2015-17), to win three straight Shield titles.Tasmania won the last of their three Shield finals back in 2012-13 when Ricky Ponting was still playing.”The pleasing thing about this group is there’s no real talk about three in a row,” WA captain Sam Whiteman said. “It’s just about winning this year, and we’ve found this year that Shields are so hard to win, a lot of things need to go your way.”

Jaiswal, Abhimanyu hit half-centuries as visitors drive home the advantage

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2022India A 120 for 0 (Jaiswal 63*, Easwaran 53*) lead Bangladesh A 112 (Mosaddek 63, Saurabh 4-23, Saini 3-21) by eight runs
Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar helped India A take the opening-day honours in the first unofficial Test against Bangladesh A in Cox’s Bazar.Put in to bat, Bangladesh A were shot out for 112, with Saini and Mukesh picking up five of the top six. That the hosts recovered from 63 for 6 to cross three figures was mainly down to Mosaddek Hossain’s 63.It wasn’t just India A’s fast bowlers that impressed though. Saurabh Kumar, the left-arm spinner, ran through the lower order to finish with 4 for 23. The performance is significant given Saurabh could possibly stay back to be part of the Test squad should Ravindra Jadeja be ruled unfit for the two-match series in December.With the bat, India A’s openers looked in no trouble, galloping past Bangladesh A’s total and ending the day 120 without loss. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s strong first-class initiation got even better as he remained unbeaten on 63, with a possibility of bringing up a sixth first-class century in just his eighth match. At the other end Abhimanyu Easwaran, now an India A veteran, was 53 not out.It was Saini who drew first blood when he clean bowled Mahmudul Hasan Joy, one of eight Test players in the Bangladesh A side, with a delivery that swung late and beat the outside edge. Mukesh had then Zakir Hasan, the top-scorer in the just-concluded NCL first-class competition, caught behind before clean bowling Mominul Haque, who misjudged a nip-backer from around the stumps.Mominul’s dismissal could be some cause for worry in the Bangladesh camp as it was his first knock against an overseas team since being dropped from the Test side in West Indies earlier in the year.Saini wasn’t done yet. He got Najmul Hossain Shanto caught at third slip, before the captain Mohammad Mithun carelessly chased a wide one. At that point, Bangladesh A were 26 for 5.Mosaddek resuscitated the innings with a half-century that had six fours and three sixes, and after he became the eighth batter to be dismissed, the hosts managed to add just four more to their score to fold for 112.India A’s openers calmly posted half-centuries in their reply. They struck 14 boundaries in all, as the likes of Khaled Ahmed and Taijul Islam struggled for consistency. Mithun also tried four overs each of Nayeem Hasan and Mosaddek but could not find a breakthrough.

Opener could have represented West Indies thanks to Barbados upbringing

George Dobell11-Jul-2021West Indies supporters have probably become accustomed to losing players to England. Jofra Archer was a key part of England’s World Cup side, after all, while Chris Jordan has been an integral member of the T20 team for several years.But Phil Salt, too, could have represented West Indies. Although he was born in Wales, Salt’s family moved to Barbados when he was 10. He subsequently represented the Barbados Under-15 side and was rumoured to be close to selection for the Under-19s before committing his future to Sussex.Related

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So as Salt’s thrashed a maiden ODI half-century in Saturday’s low-scoring victory over Pakistan, a few in Barbados could have been forgiven for some regrets over another that got away.”Yes, I was available for selection for the Barbados Under-19 team,” Salt said. “I qualified through citizenship. I’d lived there for X amount of years which made me eligible. I played Under-15 but never any further.”I was born in North Wales but my dad was a property developer out there [in the Caribbean]. I spent six years there and then came over to the UK to go to boarding school. I was at school in Surrey and was sort of on the fringes of Surrey. But Sussex saw me play and gave me an opportunity.”I didn’t get selected [for Barbados Under-19s]. But even if it I was selected, I was going to stay in England and keep playing second team cricket for Sussex. I thought there was a lot more longevity [of career in England] and I saw a pathway, right from the very start with Sussex, to build myself into the cricketer that wanted to be.”Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Salt’s innings at Lord’s was his selflessness. England had lost Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley for ducks and Salt was playing just his second ODI. But rather than playing defensively and attempting to eke out a score, he maintained the policy of aggression which has typified England’s white-ball cricket under Eoin Morgan.”You know, coming in, you have to try and play that role as best you can,” he said. “You look at the way that England played in the last few years with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow up at the top. That is what they do and that’s why they’re getting England into such good positions in the game.”There was a moment where I did question what to do next: whether to consolidate or take the game on and try and give us the impetus back. Right from the very start, coming into the England set-up, it is something that Morgan has always been crystal clear on: we take the game on; we take the positive option. So that decision was fairly easy to take from the words that I heard in previous times being in an England cap.”It’s the blueprint of what has been so successful in 50-overs cricket. It’s pretty simple: my job is to get the boys off to a flier. It doesn’t mean it’s all big shots: a good ball is still a good ball and you have to play it with respect. But if you get any width or any length I am definitely looking to jump all over that.”While Salt credited the strength of county cricket for this England success, he also believes that increased experience of franchise cricket has been important. Having played in, among others, the BBL, the CPL and the PSL, he feels the experience of playing under pressure and in front of large crowds has also contributed to English players adapting to the standards required in international cricket.”This success speaks volumes for the strength of county cricket,” he said. “I think for a lot of the lads as well, franchise opportunities overseas help. Not just playing up in the highest standard of cricket that you do see in franchise cricket, but also the sort of big occasions with bigger, noisier crowds. Playing that higher level of cricket overseas and also learning to sort of play in those high pressure environments, stands you in good stead and, and I think that’s what the majority of the lads in the squad have done.”With Bairstow and Roy almost certain to return to the team when available, Salt is aware that future opportunities could be scarce.”I’d love to play for England for as long as I possibly can,” he said. “Obviously, we’re the best side in the world. So, it’s a tough one to break into. I’ve not got any sort of route into the side planned out in my head.”But at the moment, for these three games, it’s about taking every opportunity that I can with both hands. And that’s as simple as it gets really. I’m not going to be looking too far ahead.”

C Shamsuddin was struck by the ball, so KN Ananthapadmanabhan did double duty for a while in Rajkot

Shashank Kishore in Rajkot10-Mar-2020C Shamsuddin will take no further part as an on-field umpire in the Ranji Trophy final in Rajkot because of swelling in his lower abdomen, after a ball thrown by a Bengal fielder following the fall of a wicket on Monday hit Shamsuddin when he wasn’t looking.”He didn’t look comfortable taking the field because of pain, so we took him to hospital and he underwent medical examination,” a Saurashtra Cricket Association official told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. “He was advised a week’s rest, so he will return home.”For one full session on Tuesday, KN Ananthapadhmanabhan, the other on-field umpire, officiated from both ends, with local umpire Piyush Kakkar doing duty at square leg. The BCCI regulations require the presence of neutral umpires from both ends; Kakkar, being from Rajkot, wasn’t allowed to officiate from the main end.S Ravi, the designated third umpire, couldn’t take the field as he was the only match official equipped with BCCI’s limited DRS available for the match. However, after lunch, Shamsuddin was temporarily slotted in as TV umpire, with Ravi taking the field to comply with BCCI’s neutral umpires’ criteria.The absence of a fourth umpire for a televised five-day game, that too a final, could raise questions over the board’s contingency measures in case of unforeseen situations like external injuries to officials, like in Shamsuddin’s case, or concussion.The BCCI has summoned Yashwant Barde from Mumbai as replacement. He is expected to arrive on Tuesday evening, and will officiate along with Ananthapadhmanabhan from Wednesday, the third day of the final.

Timcyen Maruma and Tafadzwa Tsiga were the stars with the bat, while Ziwira, Mavuta, and Tiripano impressed with the ball in this round

The Report by Liam Brickhill04-Feb-2019Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMashonaland Eagles slumped to their first defeat of the season against Mid West Rhinos at Old Hararians, folding for 120 on a crumbling fourth day pitch as Rhinos wrapped up a 262-run victory.Rhinos captain Peter Moor had opted to bat first on a strip that played flat and true on the first day, though Rhinos were not able to take full advantage of the benign conditions. Their top five, Moor included, all made starts but Tendai Chisoro, batting at no. 8, was the only Rhinos batsman to pass fifty in the first innings. A typically bellicose Chisoro struck three sixes in his unbeaten 56, adding 67 in 13 overs with Brandon Mavuta before Mavuta was dismissed for 33 by Elton Chigumbura, having what for him is a rare bowl these days.Chigumbura’s 71 held Eagles’ first innings together, but they still conceded a 35-run lead. Rhinos’ strong top order made a better fist of things in the second innings, with Bothwell Chapungu and Prince Masvaure both passing fifty, and Moor batting for almost four hours before falling eight runs short of what would have been his fifth first-class hundred as Rhinos declared their second innings at 347 for 8 despite seamer Honest Ziwira’s maiden five-for.Moor delayed the declaration until five overs into the final morning, which meant the Rhinos’ use of the heavy roller meant the pitch broke up a little more for his bowlers. Kyle Jarvis and Neville Madziva duly tore through the top order and the tail, while Brandon Mavuta picked up four cheap middle-order wickets with his legspin, including that of Eagles captain Tino Mutombodzi for 49 to end the match after a heavy downpour had forced the players off and temporarily frustrated Rhinos’ push for victory.Donald Tiripano in delivery stride•AFP

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAt Harare Sports Club, reigning Logan Cup champions Mountaineers made short work of a Matabeleland Tuskers side clearly missing the quality of Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams in their middle order, with both players taking part in the Bangladesh Premier League.Timycen Maruma’s 165 helped Mountaineers to recover from a shaky start against Chris Mpofu’s pace, and after he was dismissed, wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga and Donald Tiripano extended Mountaineers’ advantage with a 125-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Dominating the stand, Tsiga hit Sheunopa Musekwa over long-on for a six that hit the media centre and, 15 minutes before lunch on the second day, clipped Mpofu through midwicket to bring up his maiden first-class hundred.Their efforts allowed Mountaineers to amass 497, and Tuskers’ response ran into immediate trouble when Tendai Chatara dismissed Cunningham Ncube in the third over of their innings. Chatara had begun his spell tentatively after his long injury lay-off, but he was stirred up after Ncube had not been given out caught off the third ball of the innings. Chatara noticeably increased his pace in response and in his second over he got a delivery to rise spitefully off the pitch to take a thick edge and have Ncube caught in the gully. That set the tone for the innings and, indeed, the rest of the match as Tuskers were bowled out for 127 and forced to follow on.Brian Chari attempted a counterattack in the second dig, hitting 12 fours in his 85, but a persistent Tiripano was rewarded with figures of 5 for 56 as Tuskers’ innings was wrapped up for 256.The latest round of results leave the Logan Cup in an intriguing situation, as Eagles have 26 points and Rhinos 24 points with one match to play, and Mountaineers have 25 points with two matches in hand. On Thursday, Eagles and Mountaineers meet at Old Hararians, while Rhinos play Tuskers at Harare Sports Club.There is also one postponed match to be played next week, when Mountaineers will face Tuskers at Old Hararians, and this extra match perhaps makes Mountaineers favourites to retain the Logan Cup.

Needing to win all three T20Is to claim the Ashes, England are facing a complication with the uncertainty around Anya Shrubsole’s fitness and if she is unfit, the visitors could look to field a markedly spin-heavy attack

Adam Collins in Sydney16-Nov-20171:01

‘We’ve got to be fearless’ – Knight

“He’s a very busy man,” Australian captain Rachael Haynes said after Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited her team. He sure is: taking a curtain call yesterday after the successful same-sex marriage survey, this morning honouring the men’s football team for qualifying for the World Cup, then straight to North Sydney Oval for this photo-op with the women who can retain their Ashes silverware with a victory on Friday in the opening T20I.The binary state of the multi-format series – England needing to clean sweep the three T20Is to snatch a come-from-behind win – makes it simple. Haynes, however, stressed she will not be satisfied with a win in the first match alone. “We’re not just thinking it’s one game away,” she emphasised. Instead, they enter the final leg of the Ashes wanting to hammer the visitors.There isn’t much of love lost between the sides, highlighted by Australia coach Matthew Mott stating after the drawn Test – at the same venue on Sunday – that England batted in a way that showed they never much cared about winning. Valid or otherwise, it was punchy.”We had a little bit of a chuckle about it,” responded Mark Robinson, his opposite number. “There’s not much you can really say. Sometimes coaches are frustrated at the end of the day when it doesn’t quite go how you want it to do. I’ve been there myself. But I don’t really take much notice.”England captain Heather Knight believes her charges have claimed some timely momentum by salvaging a split result after Ellyse Perry’s majestic double-hundred. “We fought really hard to get those points in the Test after Australia batted really well,” she said. “Everyone is really looking forward to playing T20, getting a red stripey kit on and going out and expressing ourselves. It is the form of the game where you try and play your shots.”To help with that, she has Sarah Taylor in glittering form after stroking an unbeaten 93 off 76 balls on Thursday in a tour game against the Australian Governor-General’s XI. “It was really nice to see her in the runs being her usual innovative self,” Knight said. “One shot she hit over backward point reverse-sweeping, which is a new one from her.”Robinson quickly added that she has been “outstanding” with the gloves as well. One of the highlights of the Test was her sharp catch to dismiss Elyse Villani up to the stumps off the seam of Anya Shrubsole. “I think it was 140 overs before she let a bye go in that Test Match,” he said, “which is incredible.”Knight also pointed to England’s record in must-win fixtures – including their successful World Cup run – as proof that they can hold nerve when it matters most. “We have got to concentrate like a knock-out game and take confidence from the fact that we have performed really well in knock-out games over the last year,” she said.A slight complication for the visitors, however, is the fitness of opening bowler Shrubsole, who picked up a hamstring niggle at training on Monday. “Anya is a proven international bowler with a great record, so it is going to be a big decision if she didn’t play,” Robinson said. The decision on her will be taken after a medical assessment closer to the toss.Getty Images

Her omission would open the door to a markedly spin-heavy England attack, doubly so given that the T20 will be played on the same drab surface as the Test, where only six wickets fell in the final two days. Both captain and coach declared the most likely scenario is the two Danielles in the squad – Hazell and Wyatt – will both get their first opportunities on tour. The former is currently ranked third in the world for T20 bowlers in the ICC ratings.”She keeps it simple and she nails what she does,” Knight said. “I know they have both been desparate to get out there and contribute to this tour and they want to make an impact and do well and T20 is their preferred format, where they are bankers.”Robinson noted that given 18-year-old left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone’s excellent tour to date, she might be hard to leave out – much in the way as World Cup champions Laura Marsh and Alex Hartley. When asked if all four frontline spinners could feature in the XI, Robinson said: “Possibly. And we haven’t really used [Wyatt] for the last year as a bowler but she bowls off-spin and the captain has a pretty decent record herself. So, there could be seven spinners at some point.”Haynes, however, is less inclined to make a flurry of changes to her side. “I don’t think that we will take four spinners in to be honest,” she said. “We’ll pick a balanced team and that team will be based on the conditions.” She will have plucky Victoria offspinner Molly Strano as a new option, brought into the squad after the Tests.Australia are yet to finalise their XI in part due to forecasts of rain that could hit Sydney at the worst possible time. But what does appear likely is that 20-year-old excitement machine Ashleigh Gardner will return after being left out for the Test. “She’s a really dangerous player in this format and she’s been very successful in WBBL batting up the order,” Haynes said. The bulk of Gardner’s 414 runs in the Women’s Big Bash League last year came at No.3 and that could give Haynes the freedom to “play around with our order.”England are expected to adopt a similar approach with Katherine Brunt, recast as a T20 blaster in addition to new ball duties in this year’s Kia Super League, where she was the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament batting from second drop in the Yorkshire list. She batted at No. 5 in the tour game, and Robinson hinted she may again in the main event.From Sydney, the series will move to Canberra, the nation’s capital, for the last two T20Is. If the hosts finish off the job between in the first T20I, they can expect an invite to join PM Turnbull at his place of work.

ESPNcricinfo previews the National Cricket League Tier 2 matches that begin on September 25, 2016

The Preview by Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2016

Tier-two teams

Rangpur Division, demoted from tier one

Big Picture
Rangpur Division, champions in 2014-15, were demoted from Tier-1 in the previous season. It was a drastic slide, and had a lot to do with the form of Liton Das, who had scored a lot of runs when they were champions. But he had a tough time in the domestic scene after failing in international cricket.However, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Sajidul Islam and Naeem Islam are good enough to pull the team out of the second tier. They also have allrounders Ariful Haque, Mahmudul Hasan and Tanveer Haider, and wicketkeeper-batsman Dhiman Ghosh, who was their top-scorer in the previous season. Alauddin Babu and Subashis Roy will be in charge of the pace bowling attack, while Sanjit Saha will be invigorated after being cleared by the BCB’s bowling action review committee.Key player
Liton Das needs to be back among the runs to have any chance of making it back into the Bangladesh side in the next 12 months. He showed good form in the latter stages of the Dhaka Premier League, but would need to do a lot more to get back his 2014-15 vibe.Below the radar
Left-arm quick Sajidul Islam has had limited opportunities at every level, despite possessing the ability to bring the ball back into both right and left-handed batsmen. He has had some success at the top level, but in domestic cricket, Sajidul suffers from the lack of pace-friendly pitches.

Rajshahi Division, second place

Big Picture
Five-time NCL champions Rajshahi Division need to put their act together to get themselves out of the second tier. After winning the title for the last time in 2011-12, their form has disintegrated in the last two years.They will once again rely on Jahurul Islam, Farhad Reza, Farhad Hossain and Junaid Siddique, with help from Saqlain Sajib, Muktar Ali and Delwar Hossain in the bowling department.It is a pity not to have Rajshahi in the top tier of Bangladesh’s first-class competition, but playing as a team will be high in their priority list this season, if they are to return to their best.Key player
Farhad Hossain has been Rajshahi’s top performer for a number of years and always finds a way to finish among the top ten scorers in the competition every season. He will need to have one of those seasons again.Below the radar
Nazmul Hossain Shanto played for Bangladesh Under-19s in the World Cup this year and for Abahani in the Dhaka Premier League. But this competition will give him ample time to score big runs.

Sylhet Division, third place

Big Picture
Sylhet Division have all their stalwarts to pull them out of Tier-2 this year. Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali, Imtiaz Hossain and Enamul Haque jnr will have to bring their A-game to the NCL this season.They also have a number of youngsters like Abul Hasan, Abu Jayed and wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan to get them out of trouble from time to time. They are one of the least successful first-class teams in the country, but they have all the potential to make it to the next tier at the end of this season.Key player
Imtiaz Hossain has always been a heavy scorer. During this year’s Dhaka Premier League, his run-making, which translated into winning scores, caught everyone’s attention. He will have to keep Sylhet on firm ground throughout the tournament, and it will also help him progress as he heads into the last stretch of his career.Below the radar
Ebadot Hossain is a pace bowler who was discovered during a pace bowling hunt from earlier this year. He works for the Bangladesh navy, for whom he played volleyball for a number of years. But he has been identified as someone who can bowl fast with proper training, and staying with the NCL team would help him immensely.

Chittagong Division, last place

Big Picture
There are very few good things to be said about Chittagong Division who finished last among all eight teams in the two tiers. The last few years have been quite bad for the country’s second-most affluent division, which also boasts a BPL team and a league of its own.But apart from Mominul Haque, Tasamul Haque, Nazimuddin, Mahbubul Karim and a few others, the Chittagong side has a long way to go. Mohammad Saifuddin, Yasir Ali and Irfan Sukkur are young players who offer a lot of promise, but they need proper fitness and skill development to take them to the next level.Key player
Mominul Haque will once again be the only person of interest when Chittagong plays in the NCL. He is a Test regular, but the Bangladesh team management have left him out of the limited-overs teams for a long time now, and he has all the motivation to do well in the NCL.Below the radar
Mohammad Saifuddin impressed everyone in the Under-19 World Cup, but was reported for a suspected bowling action later and got injured in the Dhaka Premier League. The right-arm medium pacer has remodeled his action and will be looked at with some interest as he is also a capable batsman.