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Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has hinted at the visitors fielding a four-pronged fast bowling attack for the first Test against England at Lord’s, which starts on Thursday.

Nagraj Gollapudi15-May-2012Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has hinted at fielding a four-pronged fast bowling attack for the first Test against England at Lord’s, which starts on Thursday. The seamer-friendly conditions and the fast recovery of his premier fast bowler Kemar Roach from a “twisted ankle” have given West Indies that option, Gibson revealed, saying he was confident the plan would work.With the forecast predicted to be overcast on the match days, Gibson agreed the team management would think hard before playing offspinner Shane Shillingford. “Based on conditions, early season in England it is possible,” Gibson said about there being enough temptation to play a four-man pace attack.Roach, who became only the sixth West Indies bowler to bag a ten-wicket match haul during during the home Test series against Australia last month, picked up a niggle during the second tour match against England Lions at Northampton. West Indies suffered a ten-wicket defeat as Roach finished with three first-innings wickets and was unable to bowl in the second due to the injury.After the rain had disrupted most of the play in the first tour match at Hove against Sussex, the Lions game was the first proper test for the visitors. Roach, who was the highest wicket-taker in the Frank Worrell Trophy against Australia, was inconsistent during the first innings against the Lions, conceding more than four an over. Nick Compton was his only top-order wicket but he managed some hostile overs during various spells. Ravi Rampaul was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 79, while Fidel Edwards struggled with his run-up and bowled eight no-balls two of which cost him wickets.Today Roach started with some leg stretches, having decided against participating in the warm-up football but later returned to bowl in the indoor school at Lord’s, after bad weather ruled out any outdoor practice sessions. “Everybody pulled up okay today. Roach was treated twice a day over the last couple of days. He had a little bowl today, bowled six overs, pretty controlled. No complaints at this stage. He is doing okay,” Gibson said.Gibson also brushed aside any scare to Rampaul, who did not bowl much during training. “Ravi just had a stiff neck from sleeping badly; probably staying up too late or playing Playstation. He is fine. And Fidel is fine also. Everything looks all right. All set for Thursday.”Gibson said he was not worried about his captain Darren Sammy having not bowled at all yet in the two tour matches. Sammy did not bowl in the rain-curtailed warm-up match at Hove and then was rested in the second tour match at Northampton. “The captain bowled a lot of balls against Australia, as did Kemar. The decision was made to give him a break, so we wanted have a look at the three seamers bowling together in a game,” Gibson said. But he was happy that Sammy was doing his work in the nets and he was not a concern at all.The one concern that has remained and has kept re-appearing like the dark clouds overhead has been the form of the West Indies top order. In the first innings against the Lions, the top three comprising Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards made an aggregate of 10 runs. In the second innings, Powell scored a resilient century but Barath and Edwards failed again.But Gibson walked up to his players after the first-innings debacle and re-assured the batsmen that they should not brood too much over the failure. “They were a little bit disappointed and I had to step in and say ‘look, you shouldn’t be disappointed’ because if we bowled first in those conditions on the first day, we would have bowled them out for a similar score. That is the reality in England in early May,” Gibson pointed out. If West Indies had won the toss, Gibson was certain, things would have been more positive for West Indies.”We batted in the second innings, and even if Adrian didn’t get runs, Kirk didn’t get any runs, but Kieran Powell played very well and got a hundred, so he is full of confidence now. He has got a smile on his face. Darren Bravo has been playing well for us for the last year-and-a-half; he played well, got two half-centuries. We know what Shiv is going to do in these conditions. Dinesh Ramdin got a good knock. Marlon Samuels got a good knock. So the second innings was more like what we know what we can do. We were 20-odd for 3 in that second innings but we ended scoring 400.”Gibson said that the team think tank had also thought about promoting Chanderpaul from his customary No. 5 to the top order but they wouldn’t try and experiment at such an early stage in the series. But he felt Chanderpaul would support the team’s decision, if the case was made for him to move up the order.”That is something that we have thought about,” Gibson said. “Our batting revolves around Shiv. He is very comfortable at the position that he is at the moment. And he is doing a good job for us. So without trying to upset the batting line-up too much, we’ve decided to leave it as it is at the moment. But it is something that we haven’t completely ruled out.”

The battle to be crowned No. 1 women’s team in the world begins this week when England, India, New Zealand and Australia compete in the Natwest Twenty20 and 50-over quadrangular tournament

Sahil Dutta in Chelmsford22-Jun-2011The battle to be crowned No. 1 women’s team in the world begins this week when England, India, New Zealand and Australia compete in the Natwest Twenty20 and 50-over quadrangular tournament.Two years ago England were undisputedly the best side, winning the World Twenty20 and World Cup in the same year, as well as retaining the women’s Ashes. Since then other sides have improved while injuries and loss of form have seen England rejoin the rest of the pack.They had a poor World Twenty20 in West Indies last year, falling out at the group stage, while Australia took the trophy after beating New Zealand in the final. England also then lost their hold on the Ashes when Australia won a one-off Test in Sydney at the beginning of the year.Despite the slips, Charlotte Edwards, England’s captain, is confident her side can turn things around and is looking forward to putting on a good show when the Twenty20-leg starts on Thursday, against New Zealand in Chelmsford.”We have been lacklustre in the last couple of years I guess, but we welcome back a number of players from injury and other things and we’re looking forward to putting on a good show,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “The atmosphere we get for Twenty20 cricket especially is good and hopefully if we get some people at the grounds we can show that we are a good side.”Though Edwards conceded home conditions will help she didn’t feel England could start as favourites. “I don’t think, with the way the teams are now, that anyone can really feel favourites. Especially in Twenty20 cricket where it just takes one good performance to turn things.”These are our home conditions though so I guess that should be something that works in our favour but I’m just looking forward to a good performance from all our players. Gone are the days in women’s cricket where you just needed one strong player to win games; we will need all of our players to claim that title of No. 1.”Australia have a clutch of exciting players and after lifting the World Twenty20 are confident of impressing again. Captain Jodie Fields thinks the experience that many of the players gained in England two years ago will hold the side in good stead.”The girls played really well in the West Indies and the goal here is to come and perform as well and win the tournament. We have our experienced and consistent players like Lisa Sthalekar and Shelley Nitschke who will look to drive our younger players. Meg Lanning, our opener, is one who I expect will come out here and do well.”We’ve been training really hard since coming over here. We’re happy playing both formats and we think we can come here and win both [the Twenty20 and 50-over tournaments], that’s what our aim is.”For local rivals New Zealand, the tournament represents captain Aimee Watkins’ farewell as she’s retiring at the end of the tour. That, though, won’t, be a distraction for her team, Watkins said, but their recent form has been patchy and she says her side will start as underdogs.”I know it’s my last tour and it’s actually quite an exciting time for me but it won’t affect the players,” Watkins said. “We are excited to be here and it’s a great tournament with the best teams. Though I’m confident in all our players I’d say we probably start as underdogs. We play India on Thursday and they have won both their warm-up games while we’ve come out of our off season.”New Zealand have been perpetual bridesmaids; they lost in the final of the last World Twenty20 to Australia, the one before that to England in 2009 and, in the same year, the final of the 50-over World Cup as well.It is an aspect of their game that the team has discussed and Watkins says they have been unable to understand exactly what the problem is. “It’s something we have discussed a lot, with coaches, among ourselves as players, but we can’t put our finger on it.”I don’t think it’s a specific problem really. On the day you need a bit of luck but each time, while we’ve been outplayed by a better side, we haven’t maybe given the best account of ourselves.”One thing that will be in New Zealand’s favour is the weather. Dank, damp and cold, the English summer is more than familiar to New Zealand and Watkins, who has happy memories of England after top-scoring in the 2009 World Twenty20, says the team will relish the conditions. “We love touring here. The weather and conditions suit us and are very familiar.”India will be less impressed with conditions having left the height of summer back home. Yet captain Jhulan Goswami says the exposure is important for the team and thinks the tournament is crucial for their development. “After the World Cups this is the biggest tournament,” said Goswami. “It gives us exposure against the best teams. Obviously some of our players haven’t been here but to be the best you have to play well in all conditions. We are really looking forward to just starting.”

Allrounder worried his career could be in trouble once again after experiencing pain in his left knee during a tour game against Pakistan last week

Cricinfo staff27-Nov-2009New Zealand allrounder James Franklin is worried that his injury-hit career could be in trouble once again after he experienced pain in his left knee during a tour game against Pakistan last week.”It’s come like a bolt out of the blue, so naturally I’m pretty nervous because my knees have never been the greatest,” Franklin told the . “The last thing I want to do is spend a long time out of the game again, especially as I’m really enjoying my cricket at the moment. I’ve been happy with my form over the last little while so I don’t need a potential setback like this.”Franklin had patella-tendon surgery on his right knee in November 2007, followed by nine months of rehabilitation. This time, he may have injured the patella tendon in his left knee and ultrasound tests confirmed inflammation in the tendon. Franklin was prescribed a series of blood injections into the tendon to help speed up his recovery. In the past he has been through the same routine for his right knee, but the injections were administered too late to prevent surgery in that case.New Zealand are still recovering from the loss of allrounder Jacob Oram, whose retirement from Tests was forced by injuries. After two years on the sidelines, Franklin made a comeback to the New Zealand Test side in the home series against West Indies late last year. He tried to re-establish himself as an allrounder and scored a fifty against India in Napier.”I haven’t given up hope. I might even try and have a bat in the next day or so and if that goes well I might be able to squeeze a game in for Wellington, possibly just as a batsman, and then go from there,” Franklin said.

Thunder succumb to successive defeats despite 63* from Emma Lamb and Mahikar Gaur’s three wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2024Blaze continued their flying start to the Charlotte Edwards Cup with a five-wicket victory over Thunder at breezy Loughborough.Put in, Thunder were lifted to 151 for 6 by a pugnacious fifth-wicket partnership of 73 from 50 balls by Emma Lamb, who continued her excellent form with an unbeaten 63, and Ailsa Lister (44). Grace Ballinger led the Blaze bowling with 2 for 25.Blaze were then steered to 152 for 5 with seven balls remaining, and a third successive win, by a perfectly-judged 61 by Kathryn Bryce. Mahika Gaur removed both openers early on her way to 3 for 39 and Thunder were well in the game until the closing overs before Bryce climbed into the attack to leave the visitors nursing successive defeats following Friday’s loss to South East Stars at Beckenham.Thunder was rumbling in the skies overhead as Thunder started their innings brightly with 19 from the first two overs before Ballinger bowled Fi Morris through an attempted slog.Seren Smale soon perished when she hesitated over a sharp single and was beaten by Lucy Higham’s throw. Eleanor Threlkeld was then bowled by a beauty from Kirstie Gordon before heavy rain arrived with Thunder on 55 for 3 from nine overs.In an immediate statement of intent after the resumption, Lamb reverse-swept the first two balls for four in an over that went for 16. Danielle Collins fell to the Bryce sisters, stumped by Sarah off Kathryn, but Lister offered Lamb aggressive support to rattle up a half-century stand in 35 balls.Lamb passed 50 in 38 balls and supplied a steady foil for the feisty Lister who struck six fours before lifting Nadine de Klerk to long on where Marie Kelly judged a fiendishly difficult catch perfectly in the swirling wind.Gaur damaged Blaze’s reply early with two wickets in her first eight balls, abetted by careless batting as Kelly lifted a pull to deep square and Teresa Graves chipped to mid-wicket. The Bryce sisters rebuilt with a stand of 47 from 39 balls before Sarah Bryce (24) sliced Tara Norris to backward point.At 64 for 3 after ten overs, Blaze need impetus and de Klerk supplied it with 14 from three balls from Collins. Morris then skilfully returned a brake to the scoring and de Klerk’s assault (25) ended when she top-edged a skier off Gaur to Hannah Jones at fine leg.The pivotal over was the 16th in which Kathryn Bryce lifted Jones for three straight sixes, passing her 50 in 45 balls in the process. Twenty from that over left Blaze needing just 24 from the last four and though Bryce departed with seven still needed, Ella Claridge saw her side over the line with a perfect cameo of 18 not out from 10 balls.

Defending champions Adelaide Strikers have retained their core, Melbourne Stars will have Meg Lanning and huge name will boost Perth Scorchers

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2023

Adelaide Strikers

Captain Tahlia McGrath
Coach Luke WilliamsSquad Georgia Adams (England), Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Danielle Gibson (England), Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Anesu Mushangwe, Courtney Neale, Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Maddie Penna, Megan Schutt, Ella Wilson, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)How the draft wentAfter a first title last season, Strikers understandably emphasised retaining their core. They expectedly retained South Africa star Laura Wolvaardt who returns to Adelaide for the fourth straight season. She is likely to again bat in the top order. Strikers also drafted England allrounder Dani Gibson, who will make her WBBL debut this season after her emergence during the Ashes. The 22-year-old is an aggressive cricketer, who bowls quickly and offers firepower with the bat.How they stack upHaving agonisingly finished runners-up twice, Strikers finally went all the way last season and will start their title defence as perhaps the team to beat. The bulk of the title-winning team remains intact, but Strikers will miss West Indian Deandra Dottin who was the player of the final after a stellar performance with bat and ball. They will also be without wicketkeeper Tegan McPharlin, who has retired, with Bridget Patterson asked to take the gloves this season in what looms as something of a gamble. But it’s a squad brimming with talent across the board and Strikers especially boast a loaded attack led by spearheads Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown. Legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington will again be the frontline spinner with English recruit Georgia Adams set to provide an offspin option and she’s also a versatile batter. Strikers should be in for another title-contending season.Player to watchIt’s hard to go past Tahlia McGrath. She’s Strikers’ inspirational captain and has blossomed into an international star, boasting the highest batting average in women’s T20I history. McGrath had entered the Australian season with extra motivation after a relatively lean Ashes campaign with the bat. McGrath, the world’s top-ranked T20I batter, rediscovered her belligerent best against West Indies with a couple of trademark whirlwind knocks to suggest the travails of the UK are in the rear-view. She’s also a quality seam bowler and her tactical nous is well regarded. It all means that McGrath will again shoulder a heavy burden for Strikers.Amelia Kerr will carry a heavy load for Brisbane Heat after a delayed arrival•Getty Images

Brisbane Heat

Captain Jess Jonassen
Coach Ashley NoffkeSquad Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Sarah Glenn (England, replacement), Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Bess Heath (England), Mikayla Hinkley, Ellie Johnston, Jess Jonassen, Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Georgia VollHow the draft wentHeat predictably retained New Zealand legspinner Amelia Kerr with their platinum pick and she returns for a fourth season in Brisbane. But Kerr will miss the first four games of Heat’s campaign. They also selected England batter Bess Heath, who joins Heat after previously being with Melbourne Stars. Former South Africa batter Mignon du Preez was the marquee recruit for Heat through the direct nomination route having skipped the overseas player draft. Du Preez is the second-highest run-scorer in WBBL history among overseas players with 2292 runs at 28.29 and a strike-rate of 113.80 having previously played for Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars.How they stack upAfter a heartbreaking defeat to eventual champions Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger final, Heat will be hoping their relatively youthful squad can take another step forward as they eye a first title since back-to-back triumphs in WBBL 04 and 05. England star Danni Wyatt and India allrounder Pooja Vastrakar have departed, but Heat believe they have batting depth. Du Preez and Heath should fit nicely around top-order batters Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris, while 20-year-old Georgia Voll is tipped to have a breakout season. Their bowling attack perhaps isn’t quite as potent as some of the other leading teams though there is much anticipation over left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton, who was part of Australia’s team at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year. England legspinner Sarah Glenn will cover the early season absence of Kerr, who is part of New Zealand’s current tour of South Africa.Player to watchFor this relatively inexperienced group, the calming influence of skipper Jess Jonassen will be vitally important for a Heat team with big ambitions. She’ll also be relied upon to be a fulcrum of the attack with her versatile left-arm spin capable of being utilised at any stage of the innings. Throw in her batting capabilities late in the innings, it’s little wonder why she’s one of the most respected players in Australian cricket.Shabnim Ismail will bring a cutting edge to Hurricanes’ attack•AFP/Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes

Captain Elyse Villani
Coach Jude ColemanSquad Nicola Carey, Maisy Gibson, Heather Graham, Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Emma Manix-Greeves, Amy Smith, Bryony Smith (England), Rachel Trenaman, Molly Strano, Elyse VillaniHow the draft wentHurricanes were a big beneficiary of the chaos at the top of the draft. With Thunder, Renegades and Scorchers all chasing the big-name allrounders, they were able to lock in Shabnim Ismail to bolster their attack despite Ismail being a retention option for Renegades. They then looked slightly left-field taking English offspinning allrounder Bryony Smith despite her limited international experience. But she had a solid Hundred tournament and opened the batting alongside Lizelle Lee at Trent Rockets. Lee bypassed the WBBL draft to be a direct signing for Hurricanes. Lee and Smith shared three 60-plus opening stands in the Hundred this season and could be reunited at the top of the order for Hurricanes if captain Elyse Villani bats down the order, as she did in five matches last season.How they stack upDespite Hurricanes and Tasmania’s WNCL programs being closely linked together Hurricanes have not been able to match Tasmania’s recent domestic success although they did make the finals last year after a dismal run over the previous five seasons. They have a solid core of experienced players without any out-and-out superstars. Lee, Villani, Heather Graham, Nicola Carey and Smith will form the backbone of the batting. Graham and Carey bowl a lot of the key overs along with spin duo Molly Strano and Maisy Gibson. Ismail’s inclusion adds some firepower to the attack and could make them very dangerous. They have enough talent to be a threat.Player to watchShabnim Ismail could be a difference maker for Hurricanes. She is still bowling very well despite retiring from international cricket in May. She is only eight months removed from taking 2 for 26 in the T20 World Cup final at home against Australia. She didn’t bring her best for Renegades last summer but she has a history of delivering in the WBBL. She was pivotal in Sydney Thunder’s title in 2020, taking 2 for 12 including the wickets of her new Hurricanes captain Villani and Australia captain Meg Lanning to be named player of the match. If she can be a strike weapon for Hurricanes, then they loom as a tough team to beat.Meg Lanning has been in form for Victoria early season•Getty Images

Melbourne Stars

Captain Meg Lanning
Coach Jonathan BattySquad Maia Bouchier (England), Alice Capsey (England), Sophie Day, Sophia Dunkley (England), Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Olivia Henry, Milly Illingworth, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Jas Nevins, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Annabel SutherlandHow the draft wentStars took a slightly different approach to the draft than other clubs in terms of their picks. They only took two players at the draft, which most clubs did, and then signed Sophia Dunkley as a direct nomination post-draft. But they opted to bring back England youngsters Alice Capsey and Maia Bouchier, who have both played for Stars previously, rather than some of the more experienced and proven names available in the platinum and gold categories. They had the option of taking Ismail to bolster their bowling but instead committed to the England duo. Bouchier played for Stars in 2021, just after her international debut, but has developed significantly as a player since then and was the fourth-leading scorer in the women’s Hundred this year. Capsey played all 14 games last season for Stars. She was their second-highest run-scorer and took nine wickets at an economy rate of just 6.98. Dunkley arrives for her first stint in the WBBL but comes as a proven international batter to give Stars batting some real depth and power.How they stack upStars have been the competition’s least competitive team having made just one finals series in 2020, although they did make it all the way to the final where they lost to Sydney Thunder. Last season they finished sixth and battled for depth in the absence of Lanning. But with the skipper returning and already finding some touch in the WNCL, as well as the addition of Dunkley and Bouchier, Stars suddenly bat very deep. The attack is a fraction light on but Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland, Sasha Moloney and Sophie Day provide a reasonable core with Capsey able to add support. There is also some excitement about 18-year-old Victorian quick Milly Illingworth who looks set to make her WBBL debut this year.Player to watchAll eyes are on Meg Lanning. Her absence was felt competition-wide last year but especially by Stars. She is back fully fit and has already made a bright start in the WNCL with a brisk half-century on her return. If she has a big season with the bat, Stars will be very well-placed to make a run at the title. She has yet to captain on her return to cricket but her leadership experience will be invaluable for a very young group.Hayley Matthews is currently in the form of her life•Getty Images

Melbourne Renegades

Captain Hayley Matthews
Coach Simon HelmotSquad Tammy Beaumont (England), Sarah Coyte, Josie Dooley, Jess Duffin, Ellie Falconer, Ella Hayward, Ellie Falconer, Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Sophie Molineux (out injured), Georgia Prestwidge, Tayla Vlaeminck (out injured), Georgia Wareham, Courtney WebbHow the draft wentThe draft could not have gone better for Renegades retaining two of the world’s best players without needing to use their retention pick. While all of the clubs were keeping an eye on which world-class allrounder Sydney Thunder would take out of Marizanne Kapp and Sophie Devine, Renegades happily picked the world’s most in-form allrounder at present in Hayley Matthews with pick No. 2. They then waited as every other club passed on Harmanpreet Kaur and they were about to select India’s captain in the second round. The only cost of those was not retaining Shabnim Ismail but coach Simon Helmot had prioritised batting as a key area to bolster coming into the draft. They added Tammy Beaumont as a direct signing after the draft to lock-in arguably the best top-three in the WBBL.How they stack upHaving finished second on the table in 2021-22 and just missed the final, they had a poor season last year and finished second last. The absences of Harmanpreet and Jess Duffin then the season-ending injury to Molineux hurt them. They simply did not score enough runs with only two players averaging more than 20 for the season and none more than 27. Matthews was their highest runscorer with 253 from 14 innings, a paltry return compared to her 310 in three for West Indies against Australia just recently. They were very steady and miserly with the ball though and with some added batting strength this season that could set them up for success. It is a significant blow that Molineux has been ruled out for the whole season, but Harmanpreet’s return, after she was player of the tournament in 2021-22 is huge. Matthews returns a completely different player. Beaumont has been a run-machine in England this season becoming the first woman to score a century in the Hundred while Duffin returns after completing her Australian rules football career and adds valuable experience in the middle order. Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck will also miss the entire campaign as her injury-hit career continues.Player to watchThe WBBL hasn’t seen the best of Hayley Matthews yet. She has one fifty in 67 innings in her WBBL career, averaging 18.32 and striking at 100.53. Her economy rate with the ball in the WBBL is also higher than her career T20 rate although it is still good at 6.74. But she returns as a different player having won eight consecutive T20I player of the match awards and having tormented Australia, the all-conquering World Champions, with both bat and ball in the recent series. She was also player of the tournament at the inaugural WPL earlier this year, helping Mumbai Indians win the title, and led Barbados Royals to the WCPL title scoring 82 and taking two wickets in the final. If that version of Matthews turns up at the WBBL fully fit, look out.All-round star: Perth Scorchers kept Sophie Devine at the WBBL draft•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers

Captain Sophie Devine
CoachBecky GrundySquad Chloe Ainsworth, Charis Bekker, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Amy Edgar, Lisa Griffith, Amy Jones (England), Alana King, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Taneale Peschel, Chloe Piparo, Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Lauren Winfield-Hill (England)How the draft wentCaptain Sophie Devine returns after the Scorchers used their platinum selection on her. It will be her fourth season at the Scorchers, who she led to the title in WBBL 07. Scorchers also drafted England batter Danni Wyatt, but she withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue. It is understood Scorchers have pulled of a huge coup by securing England allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who did not nominate for the draft, for an eight-game stint mid-tournament with Lauren Winfield-Hill to play the first six games until she arrives. England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones was secured through the direct nomination routeHow they stack upHaving won their first title in WBBL 07, Scorchers struggled last season and missed the finals. But hopes are high of a rebound under new head coach Becky Grundy, who takes the reins from Shelley Nitschke. Scorchers lost star allrounder Marizanne Kapp, but their opening partnership of Devine and Beth Mooney – a cornerstone of their title success – remains intact. They have a balanced attack with Alana King and Lilly Mills set to again form a menacing spin tandem. With a nice blend of international stars and local talent, bolstered by Sciver-Brunt’s appearance, the Scorchers should be back in the title mix.Player to watchScorchers’ title hopes were boosted by the addition of one-time Test quick Stella Campbell to beef up their pace stocks. It was an area that needed strengthening with Scorchers reliant on veterans Devine, Taneale Peschel and Piepa Cleary. Towering quick Campbell could ignite a career stalled by injuries on a WACA pitch where she might be able to generate significant bounce. Campbell, 21, had limited success with Sydney Sixers, but she’s one of the quickest bowlers in the country when fit. If she can stay on the field then Campbell might prove an x-factor for Scorchers, while re-emerging in the frame for national selection.Alyssa Healy will power Sydney Sixers’ top order•Getty Images

Sydney Sixers

Captain Ellyse Perry
Coach Charlotte EdwardsSquad Jade Allen, Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Ash Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Emma Hughes, Jess Kerr (New Zealand), Kate Pelle, Kate Peterson, Ellyse Perry, Linsey Smith (England), Gabby Sutcliffe, Chloe Tryon (South Africa)How the draft wentThe injury to England spinner Sophie Ecclestone was a spanner in the works to their plans as she would have been a certainty to be retained. They have tried to replace her with two players: South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon, who can provide some left-arm spin and hitting power, and New Zealand swing bowler Jess Kerr who has an excellent record in the powerplay but it remains to be seen whether the sum of those parts add up. Suzie Bates will return at the top of the order after taking the direct nomination route.How they stack upPlenty of familiar names led by the headline Australia trio of Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner. Sixers managed to shake off three years of underachievement last season by reaching the final – surging through the round-robin stage with 11 wins from 14 matches – before falling at the last hurdle against Strikers. Pace bowler Kate Peterson emerged as a wicket-taking star in the latter stages of last season. Alongside Ecclestone’s absence they have also lost the offspin of the retired Nicole Bolton while Perry is not expected to be able to bowl at the start of the tournament, and will miss the opening game due to an over-rate ban stemming from last season. Batter Mathilda Carmichael has made the move from Perth Scorchers. They have also put faith in youth with the signing of 17-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Kate Pelle.Player to watchAsh Gardner was player of the tournament last season with 339 runs (strike-rate 150.66) and 23 wickets and a few months later became the most expensive female player in the world at the WPL draft. The dynamic allrounder will be pivotal to Sixers’ hopes again. It has been a quiet start to the international season for her with the bat, but she has chipped in with the ball. There is a chance she will float a little in the batting depending on how the Sixers’ top order goes.Marizanne Kapp will bring all-round star quality to Sydney Thunder•ICC via Getty Images

Sydney Thunder

Captain Heather Knight
Coach Lisa KeightleySquad Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Sam Bates, Lauren Bell (England), Paris Bowdler, Hannah Darlington, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Saskia Horley, Ebony Hoskin, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Knight (England), Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Olivia Porter, Lauren Smith, Tahlia WilsonHow the draft wentAfter finishing bottom last season, Thunder had the No. 1 draft pick and it feels like they came out of it very strongly. There was little surprise when they went with allrounder Marizanne Kapp who will bring class with bat and ball, then they were able to supplement her with England captain Heather Knight, who was a key part of the 2020-21 title and will lead them this season. England team-mate Lauren Bell was their third pick and the pace bowler will add another cutting edge to the attack. However, depending on the dates of England’s tour to India in December, Knight and Bell could be among the players who won’t be available for finals.How they stack upAfter being champions three seasons ago they have had two tough campaigns, finishing with just one win in 2022-23 which was Rachael Haynes’ last before retirement. It has, therefore, been a complete change at the top with Trevor Griffin replaced as coach by Lisa Keightley. The local names will be led by Phoebe Litchfield whose development as a T20 batter in recent months, highlighted by her record-equaling 18-ball fifty against West Indies, brings huge potential for Thunder in this tournament. The pace attack looks much stronger this season while Sam Bates is a consistent spinner. They could also have struck gold by recruiting Chamari Athapaththu from outside the draft.Player to watchLast season was interrupted one for Hannah Darlington due to injury and she played just seven matches taking seven wickets while her economy rate was high at 8.43. She has slipped down the Australia pecking order since her appearances in 2021 but there is another T20 World Cup next year in Bangladesh. The arrival of Kapp and Bell should take some of the pressure of her in the pace attack.

They’ve already taken down West Indies and England; can they pull off another giant-killing act?

Himanshu Agrawal03-Nov-20223:00

Uthappa: No better opportunity for Williamson to get a big score

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With seven wickets in hand and 27 balls remaining against England, New Zealand were 54 runs away from sealing a semi-final spot. But New Zealand lost, and that complicates things before their final Group 1 game against an unpredictable Ireland. One more defeat, and a window opens up for both England and Australia to sneak past them into the final four.Related

• Stability or strike rate? Williamson finds himself in the middle of this dilemma

All of New Zealand’s success at this World Cup has come batting first and defending totals. Against Australia, they smacked 66 in the last six overs and then folded the hosts up for 111. Against Sri Lanka, they hammered 65 in the final five before reducing their opposition to 8 for 4.The first time they had to go against that template, against England, their bowlers struggled early and their batters appeared to succumb to the pressure of the required rate.Finn Allen and Devon Conway made a bright start to the tournament against Australia, but they haven’t scored too many runs since then•ICC via Getty Images

New Zealand will want to rectify errors from the England game before a bigger platform, and a tougher opponent, comes calling. But pushing Ireland aside will be no mean task. They’ve already upset England in a rain-shortened game, not long after thumping West Indies by nine wickets and hunting down 177 against Scotland from a position of 61 for 4.Barring Lorcan Tucker’s attacking, unbeaten 71 against Australia, however, Ireland’s batters have struggled in the Super 12s. Against New Zealand, they will be tested once more. However, there’s nothing quite like pulling off another landmark win, even if their chances of making the semis are negligible.

Form guide

Ireland LWLWW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
New Zealand LWWLWJosh Little has been Ireland’s only real wicket threat at this World Cup•Getty Images

In the spotlight

New Zealand’s top three have all struggled in recent games. Devon Conway has 96 runs all tournament with 92 of them coming in one innings, Finn Allen has fallen off after blasting a 16-ball 42 against Australia, and the No. 3 Kane Williamson has scored his runs at less than a run a ball. They’ve been helped by Glenn Phillips stepping up with 178 runs in four innings, but the top three will not want to rely on the batters who follow them in this potential banana-peel fixture.Wickets have been hard to come by for Ireland’s fast bowlers, barring Josh Little. Barry McCarthy and Curtis Campher have averaged in the high 30s, while Mark Adair has gone wicketless in his last four games, getting carted for 59 in his four overs in the most recent of them, against Australia. They now have one last chance to make an impact on this tournament.

Team news

Ireland have three unused players in the squad: uncapped opener Stephen Doheny and fast bowlers Graham Hume and Conor Olphert. While Doheny might not find a place at the top, Ireland wouldn’t mind giving a chance to one of the seamers given the current group’s indifferent returns.Ireland (probable): 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 3 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Curtis Campher, 6 George Dockrell, 7 Gareth Delany, 8 Mark Adair/Graham Hume, 9 Fionn Hand, 10 Barry McCarthy/Conor Olphert, 11 Josh Little.New Zealand have used only 12 players in this World Cup, with a fit-again Daryl Mitchell taking the place of Mark Chapman after the first game. Fresh injuries aside, they are likely to field the same XI.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Pitch and conditions

The weather is expected to be pleasant, with no rain forecast in Adelaide on Friday. Given the long straight boundaries and short square boundaries at the venue, expect the bowlers to stay away from the shorter lengths.

Stats and trivia

• The only time these two teams have met at the T20 World Cup was way back in 2009, with New Zealand posting a comfortable 83-run win. Stirling is the only player from either of the current sides to play that game.
• Williamson needs another 46 runs to become his country’s highest run-getter across T20 World Cups.

Rain once again on the radar as South Africa and Zimbabwe brace for their Super 12s opener

Firdose Moonda23-Oct-2022

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It doesn’t have quite the same hype as the Trans-Tasman or subcontinent derbies, but the meeting of two southern African neighbours has all the makings of a classic match-up.There’s an obvious favourite: South Africa, who have never lost a T20I to Zimbabwe and only been defeated by them in two ODIs. One of those was at the 1999 ODI World Cup, where the result had a direct bearing on South Africa’s opponents in the semi-final, and we all know what happened there. So, Zimbabwe have some claim to being noisy neighbours, determined to cause an upset, even if their last decade has been quiet.Related

• Sikandar Raza and Zimbabwe bury ghosts of Harare 2018

• How Zimbabwe prospered by practising less, not more

• Temba Bavuma battling a sea of uncontrollables

• Boucher unveiled as new Mumbai Indians head coach

They haven’t appeared at an ICC event in six years and have not made it to what we can call “the main section” of a T20 World Cup since 2012, before a first round was introduced. In that time, they’ve gone through administrative crises that only South Africa can rival. Zimbabwe Cricket was temporarily suspended from the ICC and so could not compete in qualification for the 2021 T20 World Cup.Cricket South Africa have previously been banned by their sports minister from bidding for or hosting major events as punishment for the slow pace of transformation and had a board directive to collectively take a knee imposed on them at last year’s tournament.The T20 World Cup presents an opportunity for both teams to demonstrate a turning of the page, so to speak. For South Africa, it’s their last event under coach Mark Boucher, who will leave to take charge of Mumbai Indians, and therefore a culmination of his work with the squad. Anything less than advancement to the knockouts will not be received well at home.For Zimbabwe, it’s their first major tournament under coach Dave Houghton, who has brought back the element of fun and given the players freedom to play without fearing the consequences of making mistakes. He has tasked them with “doing some damage,” in the Super 12s, while being realistic of their chances of progression to the knockouts. For both teams the journey starts here where South Africa have everything to lose but Zimbabwe, everything to gain.Will Wayne Parnell keep his place in the side?•BCCI

Form guide

(Last five completed matches; most recent first)
South Africa WLLWW
Zimbabwe WLWWL

In the spotlight

There’s no one under more scrutiny in the South Africa XI than their captain Temba Bavuma , who has scored just 11 runs in four international innings since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him for three months. Bavuma is also coming off an illness that kept him out of South Africa’s last two ODIs in India and the warm-up match against New Zealand, and he has only just returned a clean bill of health. He doesn’t have much time to find his feet with the spotlight firmly on his strike rate and Reeza Hendricks’ recent form breathing down his neck. Bavuma has had a difficult 2022, with only 64 runs in seven T20I innings and will know that has to change if South Africa’s campaign are to have a successful campaign.Sikandar Raza has carried Zimbabwe over the last few months•ICC/Getty Images

Sikandar Raza has emerged as a superstar and now he has an opportunity to do it against some of the best teams in the world. This year, Raza has scored 652 T20I runs at an average of 40.75, including five fifties, and taken 20 wickets at 17.35. He has single-handedly carried Zimbabwe over the line in tough situations and could use the tournament as a shop window for a T20 franchise deal. His coach, Houghton said he hopes, “a lot of people around the world in franchise tournaments are looking because he’s a fantastic T20 cricketer.” IPL, SA20, ILT20 – are you watching?

Team news

Bavuma promised “no surprises” in South Africa’s team, especially in their batting line-up, which means it’s likely they will go in without Hendricks, despite his hot streak earlier in the year, and a top three of Quinton de Kock, Bavuma and Rilee Rossouw. They will have to make a decision over which of Heinrich Klaasen or Tristan Stubbs will be preferred in the middle-order and whether Wayne Parnell will continue to hold the allrounder’s berth or if Marco Jansen gets in ahead of him. The first-choice seamers should all be deployed, with room for only one spinner.South Africa: : (possible) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rilee Rossouw 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen/Tristan Stubbs 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Anrich Nortje 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Kagiso Rabada.Regis Chakabva’s form (scores of 0, 13 and 4 from the opening round) could be a concern for Zimbabwe, but his experience is likely to see him keep his place in the Super 12s opener. Zimbabwe have not found room for left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza yet and, with Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams and Ryan Burl at their disposal, he may continue to sit out. Tendai Chatara, Richard Ngarava, Luke Jongwe and Blessing Muzarabani give them a four-pronged pace pack.Zimbabwe: (possible) 1 Regis Chakabva (wk), 2 Craig Ervine (capt), 3 Wessly Madhevere, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Milton Shumba, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Tendai Chatara, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Blessing Muzarabani.

Pitch and conditions

From the first round of matches, teams could tell that it was difficult to score off the new ball at the Bellerive Oval and bowlers benefitted from employing hard lengths upfront. There’s something for the seamers and spinners, and scores of around 160 are fairly competitive at this venue. But that’s only if a full 20 overs are possible. It’s cold and rainy in Hobart for most of this week, which does not bode well for the late match on Monday. The rain forecast of 20% through most of the day increases to 70% by 5pm and 80% by 8pm and the chances of a reduced match are in the offing.

Stats and trivia

• Zimbabwe have never beaten South Africa in a T20I. They have played five matches against them, and lost them all, most recently in 2018. These two teams have also never met at a T20 World Cup.
• Luke Jongwe is two away from fifty T20I wickets.

Quotes

“As a South African, I’m obviously happy that a fellow African country has made it through from the qualifiers. They’ve had a few good performances. We are excited and looking forward to the clash against them. They are definitely not a side to be taken lightly.”
“The mood in the camp is very upbeat. Everybody’s very excited for what lies ahead for us. But we know that it is a quick turnaround, and we’ve got South Africa here in Hobart tomorrow, which is going to be a tough start to the Super 12s for us, but everyone is really looking forward to it. I think just looking forward to these new challenges up ahead.”

Devine and Sciver both finished as their side’s leading run-scorer in the Women’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2020Three more captains have been appointed ahead of the inaugural season of the Hundred, with Nat Sciver and Lewis Gregory leading Trent Rockets and Sophie Devine skippering Birmingham Phoenix.Sciver and Devine both starred in the Women’s T20 World Cup, finishing the tournament as England and New Zealand’s leading run-scorers respectively. Both have captaincy experience: Devine led New Zealand at the tournament, and Sciver has skippered Surrey Stars throughout the Kia Super League since its inception.ALSO READ: The Hundred – full squad listsSaliann Briggs, Trent Rockets’ women’s coach, said: “I’ve known Nat for a long time since her early years in the sport, so I can’t wait to work with her again now she’s one of the world’s best players.”She has impressed as a captain in domestic competitions before and I have full confidence she’ll get the best out of the squad in The Hundred. Her international experience in one of the world’s best short-format teams will undoubtedly help our chances of success this year.”Devine, who has previously appeared for Warwickshire women, said that she had already been considering tactics for the new format which had proved to be “a hot topic of conversation” on the circuit.”I know that it’s only 20 fewer balls than a T20,” she said, “but the decision making between whether a bowler sends down five balls or takes on the option to bowl ten straight, will be really interesting. It’s going to be an exciting new challenge and I can’t wait to get started. A shorter, sharper format should really suit my style of play.”Gregory, meanwhile, has been appointed ahead of a strong field which included Rashid Khan, Steven Mullaney and Luke Wright, all of whom have recent captaincy experience. He has been Somerset’s T20 Blast captain since 2018, and led England Lions on their tour of Australia this winter.Gregory was the third non-overseas player signed in October’s draft, after Liam Livingstone and Dane Vilas, and will earn £110,000 for his participation in the tournament, including a £10,000 captaincy bonus. He has earned a reputation as one of the best English finishers with the bat in recent years in addition to his useful medium-fast bowling, and has impressed for Rangpur Rangers and Peshawar Zalmi this winter.”Lewis has all the attributes required to skipper our side this year and I’m confident he’ll get the best out of our talented squad,” said Stephen Fleming, Trent Rockets’ men’s coach. “He’s got a good temperament on the field and works well with his players to achieve results. He’s also one of the best white-ball allrounders in the country, who will add a huge amount to the team.”Trent Rockets, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit and Northern Superchargers have all named their captains for both teams, while Steve Smith will lead Welsh Fire’s men.

The West Indies batsman, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is expected to join the Chattogram Challengers on January 4

Mohammad Isam and Nagraj Gollapudi02-Dec-2019BPL side Chattogram Challengers expect Chris Gayle to be available for them after he recovers from a hamstring injury. Gayle is likely to play in the BPL after January 4, after which Chattogram will have three league phase matches remaining.”Chris Gayle has a hamstring niggle,” Chattogram’s managing director KM Rifatuzzaman, said. “He will need a bit of time to be completely fit. He was always going to play in the BPL and even though we will not have him for the entire campaign, he will be available in the latter part.”Chattogram had picked Gayle at the BPL draft on November 17, but exactly a week later, at a press conference in South Africa, Gayle had claimed that he wasn’t aware of it.Three days later, with Chattogram unsure of Gayle’s arrival, BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed that the board had followed the correct procedure and that Gayle had indeed signed on for the draft. And now that his team has confirmed his participation, Gayle is likely to turn up for Chattogram if he is fit in time.Gayle has played in every season of the BPL, appearing for five teams including Rangpur Riders for whom he played in the last two seasons. He has scored the most hundreds in the tournament’s history, including a devastating unbeaten 146 against Dhaka Dynamites in the 2017 final.Although Gayle has made no further comments on his BPL commitments since his Mzansi Super League exit, his agent in the Indian sub-continent (except IPL), Rudradeep Banerjee, has confirmed that he has agreed to travel to Bangladesh in January. Banerjee, who represents Second Innings Sports and Entertainment, said Gayle was aware of joining Chattogram in the BPL draft, but subsequent events had cast doubts over whether he would play in the tournament.”In the MSL he picked up a niggle for which his doctor has advised him rest of at least two weeks,” Banerjee told ESPNcricinfo.Gayle, according to Banerjee, had also made it clear to the franchise that he would be “taking a break” during the Christmas-New Year period to spend time with his family. “That kind of puts him out for December. He would be free for maybe a game or two, but then to fly in to Dhaka and back to West Indies doesn’t make sense.”Banerjee said “an arrangement” has been reached with Chattogram for Gayle to “come and play [BPL]” from January 4. “If he would have been fit he would have played the first leg, would have gone home on December 23 and come back again on January 4.”

Sunrisers’ captain underlined the importance of banking on experience in a knockout after his side entered its second IPL final in three seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2018Two nights after being pipped by a late Faf du Plessis onslaught that cost them a four-day break and a direct entry into the final, Sunrisers Hyderabad did it the hard way at Eden Gardens. They snapped a four-match losing streak by beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs to enter their second IPL final and have another crack at Chennai Super Kings, who they are yet to beat in three attempts this season.”It was a great fighting effort from the lads,” Sunrisers captain Kane Williamson told Star Sports. “The game ebbed and flowed. Kolkata are an outstanding side, they deserved to be here and the game could have gone either way, but it’s nice it fell our way in some crunch moments. Credit to the way the boys finished off the first innings to get a very competitive total. The game was slipping away at the start of the chase, but we knew if we held strong and picked wickets through the middle, we could squeeze. We’ve now got another game of cricket left.”After being asked to bat, Sunrisers were struggling at 134 for 6 in the 18th over. Rashid Khan, however, smashed an unbeaten 34 off 10 balls to lift the total to 174 for 7. He then claimed 3 for 19 with the ball, including the key wickets of Chris Lynn and Andre Russell. In addition, he effected the run-out of Nitish Rana, who was promoted to No.3 to counter the legspinner’s left-handedness. Rashid capped the night with two catches in the last over.”He (Rashid) was brilliant but he’s got another game, so we’re going to keep him wrapped up,” Williamson said. “The final is our focus now. As a team, we fight until the very last ball and we showed that today. It’s a real team effort. Rashid was certainly the Man of the Match and he was brilliant, but a lot of guys chipped in. It’s a great fighting effort, which is the attitude we want to see from Sunrisers.”Sunrisers had made three changes coming into this knockout bout. They left out Manish Pandey, their costliest signing at USD 1.6 million (approx) INR 11 crores, after he had managed only 284 runs in 13 innings. at a strike rate of 115.44. Instead, they backed Deepak Hooda in the middle order and recalled a fit-again Wriddhiman Saha in place of Shreevats Goswami. Williamson underlined the importance of balance without losing experience as a key reason for the move.”The thing we didn’t change was our balance [despite the changes], he said. “We did make some adjustments because we had injuries obviously. Saha was injured, but he came back and it was nice to have his experience. [Shreevats] Goswami contributed well, got some exposure, but for us to have that experience in the final was a big thing. Every one of those guys in the squad have played a huge part, whether it’s on the field or carrying drinks. It’s been a huge collective effort, but we still have another game of cricket left.”Shakib Al Hasan, now into his third IPL final and his first with Sunrisers in his debut season, gave a peek into the spirit in the team. Williamson also touched upon it as he spoke of Carlos Brathwaite. The West Indies allrounder had conceded 20 runs off the 18th over against CSK, but Williamson still backed him to defend 18 runs off the final over at the same venue, where he had hit Ben Stokes for four sixes to deliver West Indies’ second World T20 title two years ago.Brathwaite took the wickets of the well-set Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi to close out the game. “Carlos will be happy because he might have thought he was responsible for the loss against CSK, even though he really wasn’t, and might have taken it personally,” Shakib said. “The way he came back today was terrific.”