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The legspinner could be Australia’s trump card in Coffs Harbour as they look to go 2-0 up against the world champions

Adam Collins25-Oct-2017For a ground that has only been in existence for 23 years, Coffs Harbour’s International Stadium has multiple claims to fame. It’s where the Socceroos posted the highest score in the history of international football, piling on a 31-0 win against American Samoa in 2001. Lately, it has become the international home of Austag. Last month it hosted Midnight Oil. In the early days, it was where you went if wanting to catch a rodeo.But maybe it’s best yet? It is where, in November last year, Amanda-Jade Wellington made her international debut. Predictably, with what had been seen of her in domestic cricket, with her first delivery in green and gold she defeated South African champion Mignon du Preez with the most exquisite leg-break.Australia returns to the ground for the second ODI in this multi-format Ashes series 1-0 up after their win in Brisbane. While she didn’t nab a wicket there, it was the 20-year-old Wellington who made herself the talking point across 10 pulsating overs, where all her main tricks – drift and spin – were rolled out routinely, with edges beaten time and again.To get picked, Wellington had to supplant incumbent wrist spinner Kristen Beams, a dozen years her senior but Australia’s most effective operator at the World Cup. But the performance was so good that it builds the case that she may already be the most potent weapon that skipper Rachael Haynes has at her disposal.Mark Robinson, the England coach, has a slightly different take. Acknowledging that Wellington is a “quality bowler” he was quick to add that the wicket “properly ragged” that lent her considerable assistance. “We’re really happy how we played her with all the cards in her favour,” he said. “For us not to lose a wicket and to take her for 40 we were really happy. I wouldn’t expect many of the wickets to spin to that extent.”Haynes, by contrast, believes Wellington could do the same wherever she was turning her arm over. “She has shown she can turn it on any wicket,” she said. “I don’t think she is a one trick pony. She has got more up her sleeve than just the leg-spinner.”And she might have to. Indications on match eve are that the Coffs Harbour ground staff have produced a belter: hard, flat and starkly off-white in colour. There is less margin for error as well, the boundaries wound in noticeably from the opening fixture, especially down the ground.Robinson is comfortable with this adjustment, having himself directed the ropes to be set at the minimum permitted length of 55 yards in the English summer of 2016 to encourage Nat Sciver to start trying to take down attacks. She did then and has barely stopped doing so since.”I just think for the good of the women’s game it’s a better spectacle,” he said, “It allows the girls confidence to be able to swing and not over-hit.”Under Robinson, this England side has averaged two sixes per innings in ODIs since when the previous Women’s Ashes were contested in 2015. In the two years prior to that, they were hitting just one maximum every four games. It shows that if afforded the chance to bat first, they have the tools to go big. But Australia do too, Haynes insists.It will be England’s first game under lights since July 2016, and one where the pressure is dialled up further for the fact that they aren’t the current trophy holders. With 16 points available across the seven rubbers, England needs to claim ten of to win. If they go down here, they will be nearing the stage where they need to run the table thereafter.But that sort of difficulty doesn’t concern their captain Heather Knight, who recalled how little room they had to move after losing their World Cup opener against India before winning every match that followed to unexpectedly lift that trophy. “We made a habit of doing well when our backs were against the wall and that’s the same situation now,” she said.Both captain and coach expressed frustration at not finding a way to win on Sunday after reducing Australia to 87 for 4 chasing 229, before having eventual match-winner Alex Blackwell dropped by Alex Hartley in her follow-through when she was 35. “We were gutted,” Robinson said. “We should have won that game. If we took that catch, we win.”It is expected they will go into the fixture with the same XI. Australia too may do that. Haynes signalled that a harder and bouncier surface should provide a more meaningful opportunity to Tahlia McGrath, the seaming all-rounder used for only one over on Sunday with spin mainly deployed to win.She acknowledged that if conditions are favourable then more runs will need to come than on Sunday, Blackwell then the only Southern Star to pass 50. For that, she will hope Ellyse Perry can repeat her back-to-back half-centuries from their last visit here in 2016.Upon her arrival at the ground yesterday, the omnipresent all-rounder gushed about her fondness for the place. Little wonder with that record. If she and Wellington can make Coffs Harbour their own again on Thursday, Australia will already be a long way towards retaining their trophy.

Allrounder Jimmy Neesham has been named in New Zealand’s Test squad for the upcoming tour of India, having not played an international since the Brisbane Test against Australia last November

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-20160:43

Quick Facts: Jimmy Neesham

Allrounder Jimmy Neesham has been named in New Zealand’s Test squad for the upcoming tour of India, having not played an international since the Brisbane Test against Australia last November. Fast bowler Matt Henry and batsman Jeet Raval have been dropped from the 16-man squad that toured Africa, with Neesham the only addition to what is now a 15-man group.Neesham was forced out of last summer’s Australia tour due to back pain, but he has since then played for Otago during New Zealand’s home season and for Derbyshire in England’s county competition. New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said Neesham’s all-round ability made him an attractive proposition for the tour of India, while Corey Anderson could not be considered due to a back injury.”Jimmy has put in a lot of work to make sure he is physically ready for a return to Test cricket,” Larsen said. “Having two pace-bowling allrounders in Jimmy and Doug Bracewell helps the balance of the squad, particularly if playing on pitches which demand a spin-heavy bowling attack.”Jeet Raval misses out on this tour, but we were really pleased with what we saw of him in Africa. He did everything asked of him and we’ll continue to monitor him closely.””Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi will have benefitted from getting a taste of Indian conditions earlier this year at the ICC World Twenty20 and both showed excellent form at that tournament. It’s another big challenge for them early in their young careers, as well as for Mark Craig, who has made some changes in the past six months and has shown growth in his game.”India’s the No.2 ranked side in the world, and their record at home is formidable. We’re yet to win a Test series over there and that’s motivating for everyone. We’ve got three Tests to try create a special piece of history.”The first Test is in Kanpur beginning on September 22, followed by Tests in Kolkata and Indore.Squad Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling.

Chris Rogers is set to be clear to play in the third Test of the Investec Ashes series in Birmingham after scans cleared him of serious damage following his retired hurt on the final morning of the Lord’s Test

Daniel Brettig in London20-Jul-2015Chris Rogers is set to be clear to play in the third Test of the Investec Ashes series in Birmingham after scans cleared him of serious damage following his retired hurt on the final morning of the Lord’s Test.On day two of the Test, Rogers was struck on the helmet near the right ear by James Anderson, and two days later had to leave the field as he complained of dizziness while standing at the non-striker’s end.There was considerable concern for Rogers due to a recent history of concussion – he missed both Tests of the West Indies tour after being struck on the helmet by the Dominican net bowler Anderson Burton – and the team doctor Peter Brukner sought independent medical advice in London the day after Australia’s 405-run victory at Lord’s.Rogers did not take the field after his dizzy spell but stayed with the team for their celebrations in the dressing rooms, after levelling the Ashes series at 1-1. Brukner said the signs of Rogers’ progress were promising.”Chris’s condition is certainly improving. He has had scans and seen a specialist since yesterday to help determine the cause of his dizziness,” he said. “The initial scans have cleared him of any serious damage and we await the results of further tests.”It appears the most likely diagnosis is a delayed ear problem related to being struck on day two of the Test match. We are confident that this is something we can manage in the lead up to the third Test at Edgbaston.”As a precaution he’ll be reviewed by the specialist in London again on Wednesday morning before re-joining the touring party. Chris was not scheduled to play in the tour match against Derbyshire, so he has time to continue resting ahead of the Test match.”Having made his highest Test score of 173 and then 49 in the second innings at the time of his retired hurt, Rogers is a central plank of Australia’s batting order in this series, though he has flagged he will most likely retire from international cricket after the Ashes.”He’s important for a period of time,” the coach Darren Lehmann said. “I think he’s made it clear he’s not going to come on the next Ashes tour, although he’d probably like to, as a tour host. He knows these conditions so well, he loves England and he helps our batters out, that’s the most pleasing thing.”He helps our batters and bowlers about conditions here and for example Middlesex and Lord’s, all the angles you’ve got to play with the slope. He knows them so well, he’s a very important part of this tour.”

Chris Gayle is not playing for Jamaica in the ongoing Caribbean T20 after the selectors decided to omit him from the squad because of a clash with the Big Bash

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jan-2013Chris Gayle is not playing for Jamaica in the ongoing Caribbean T20 because the selectors decided to omit him from the squad, after the batsman said he would be available only if his Big Bash League franchise, Sydney Thunder, did not make the knockouts of Australia’s ongoing domestic T20 competition.Thunder failed to make it past the league stage of the BBL but, according to the Caribbean T20 playing conditions, Gayle cannot be added to Jamaica’s squad unless one of their players is injured.The WICB had set a December 16 deadline for all the regional teams to send in their squads for the final edition of the Caribbean T20, which will be replaced by the franchise-based Caribbean Premier League next year. Eager to have Gayle in their squad, Jamaica’s three-man selection panel, led by Courtnay Daley, contacted him in December, when West Indies were touring Bangladesh. Gayle was open to the offer, but made it clear that he would be available for Jamaica only after his stint with Thunder. Though Gayle found form in the final match for Thunder with the fastest fifty of the BBL, it came too late in the day.*”When we got in touch with Chris, he said he could only come if his team [Thunder] did not go through,” Daley, the chairman of selectors, told ESPNcricinfo. “So based on our situation we decided to go ahead and name the squad [without Gayle].”Thunder had a dismal run in the BBL, losing all seven games and finishing bottom of the league. Gayle, one of the most destructive batsmen in T20 cricket, made only 72 runs in six innings.According to Daley, the Caribbean T20 rules do not permit squad changes and the only way Gayle can be accommodated is as a replacement in case of an injury to an existing player.Jamaica are also without the services of Marlon Samuels, who is playing for Melbourne Renegades, the BBL leaders with six wins in seven matches. According to Daley, Samuels could not be directly contacted but the selectors had tried to check his availability through Gayle. “We could not reach Marlon directly and asked Chris to relay the message. But Chris did not get back,” he said. “With the Big Bash going on, we could not take a decision. We would have loved to have both Gayle and Samuels.”Unlike Jamaica, defending Caribbean T20 champions Trinidad & Tobago will be boosted by the presence of Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, who are also part of the Big Bash. Narine, who played for Sydney Sixers, had returned to play in the washed-out tournament opener against Jamaica on Sunday evening. Pollard, who represented Adelaide Strikers, is expected to join the squad on Tuesday. Both players had worked out an arrangement with the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board and their Big Bash franchises to play in the Caribbean T20. * – 12.30 GMT – Updated following the result of Thunder v Stars

Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has returned as the national team’s bowling coach for the series against England in the UAE that starts in January

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2011Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has returned as the national team’s bowling coach for the series against England in the UAE that starts in January.Aaqib will be part of a nine-man support staff for the series. He has been involved in coaching within Pakistan for almost a decade now, having started at the Lahore Regional Academy and then had stints as Pakistan Under-19 coach and head coach at the National Cricket Academy. He was with the national team on and off since 2009, first as bowling coach and then as assistant coach, before he was removed from that position ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe earlier in the year.Aaqib was part of the coaching staff when Intikhab Alam was Pakistan’s tour manager, and both were replaced prior to the tour of Zimbabwe. He is in contention to take the role of bowling coach on a full-time basis, as the PCB’s search committee is believed to be interested in hiring home-grown batting and bowling coaches.Ijaz Ahmed, the former Pakistan batsman, has been named fielding coach for the series against England while Mohsin Khan will continue as the interim head coach.

Shane Shillingford, the West Indies offspinner, has been suspended from bowling in international cricket after his action was found to be illegal following independent tests in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2010Shane Shillingford, the West Indies offspinner, has been dropped from the Windwards Islands squad for next month’s Caribbean T20 following his suspension from bowling in international cricket on Tuesday after his action was found to be illegal. Analysis of his action in Perth revealed that his mean elbow extension was 17 degrees, which is above the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the laws.”We have taken the decision to pull him out of the Caribbean T20 tournament and he will be going to the High Performance Centre in Barbados at the beginning of January where he will commence three-months training,” said Emmanuel Nanthan, president of the Dominica Cricket Board and the Windward Islands Cricket Board chief. “It is hoped that at the end of his stint a second test will be done on his action with the view of getting him back for the Test series in 2011.”Shillingford had been reported for a suspect action after the first Test in Sri Lanka in November by on-field umpires Steve Davis and Richard Kettleborough, along with third umpire Asad Rauf and fourth umpire Tyron Wijewardene. The umpires’ report cited concern over the straightening of Shillingford’s arm while he bowled some deliveries.Nanthan said the WICB was working to rectify the situation and had sought out independent tests of the bowler’s action. “We have received the report from the University of Western Australia and that there is still more information that we have requested.””As a matter of fact, the WICB is making a request for footage on the testing that was done on Shane. That information will then be submitted to a company in the UK for independent analysis on behalf of the WICB. In the meantime, we want to ensure that Shane remains focused for that battle that is a head and that he is well prepared to get back on the international scene as quickly as possible.”21-year-old Vincentian legspinner Keron Cottoy will replace Shillingford in the 14-man Windwards squad.

The uncapped fast bowler Trent Copeland could be in line for his state debut after New South Wales chose him in a 12-man squad for the Sheffield Shield game against Queensland at the SCG starting on Friday

Cricinfo staff27-Jan-2010The uncapped fast bowler Trent Copeland could be in line for his state debut after New South Wales chose him in a 12-man squad for the Sheffield Shield game against Queensland at the SCG starting on Friday. Copeland was called in due to the absence of Josh Hazlewood, who is with the Under-19 World Cup squad, and Nathan Bracken, who is making a steady return from knee surgery.Bracken played in the Blues’ FR Cup loss to South Australia on Tuesday but is being given more time to prepare for a comeback to the more demanding four-day game. It has opened the door for Copeland, 23, to come in from outside the contracted squad having been the leading wicket-taker in the Sydney grade competition this summer.The Blues will also be without Usman Khawaja, their leading run scorer in the Sheffield Shield this season, after he was ruled out with a hairline fracture of the thumb. Khawaja suffered the problem while fielding in a grade match on Saturday and is expected to be out of action for three weeks.Simon Katich, who is set to play his first Sheffield Shield game since November, will take back the captaincy duties from Moises Henriques. Peter Forrest has replaced the omitted Ben Rohrer for a game that gives New South Wales the chance to lift themselves off the bottom of the table.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich (capt), Steven Smith, Peter Forrest, David Warner, Moises Henriques, Daniel Smith (wk), Grant Lambert, Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland.Queensland squad Ryan Broad, Nick Kruger, Wade Townsend, Lee Carseldine, Glen Batticciotto, Chris Simpson (capt), Chris Hartley (wk), Chris Swan, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Cameron Boyce, Scott Walter.

Central Zone spinners ran through South Zone on the opening day, restricting them to 149

Ashish Pant11-Sep-2025Saransh Jain bagged his second successive five-wicket haul, while Kumar Kartikeya finished with a four-for as the Central Zone spinners ran through South Zone on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy final.Under cloudy skies and on a surface with a greenish tinge, Jain picked 5 for 49 and Kartikeya returned 4 for 53 to bowl out South Zone for 149 in 63 overs at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. In reply, the Central Zone openers Danish Malewar and Akshay Wadkar were steady in their approach before bad light ended the first day early.At stumps, Central Zone were on 50 for 0, trailing South Zone by just 99 runs.South Zone’s new opening pair of Mohit Kale and Tanmay Agarwal weathered the new-ball storm, adding 24 runs in 15 overs. When spin was introduced in the 16th over, Kale’s went for a slog, only to be cleaned up by Kartikeya.Related

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Soon after, R Smaran swiped Kartikeya across the line, but could only manage a top-edge and was caught at square leg 1.There were immediate signs of extra zip and bounce for both Kartikeya and Jain, who operated in tandem. South Zone then lost Tanmay Agarwal through a run-out. Looking for a second run, Tanmay and Ricky Bhui collided in the middle and the former was found well short.Kartikeya struck for a third time when South Zone captain Mohammed Azharuddeen was squared up and bowled for 4 as South Zone went to lunch at 64 for 4. Jain joined in on the wicket-taking fun after lunch, trapping Bhui lbw.Salman Nizar took 13 balls to get off the mark by going on the assertive against Kartikeya, striking for a six and four. C Andre Siddarth also clipped Kartikeya through mid-on for four. But aggression got the better of Siddarth when he waltzed down to Jain, got beaten in the flight and was stumped as South Zone slipped to 97 for 6. That became 116 for 7 when Jain got a length ball to kick off the surface, rapping Nizar’s gloves, with Patidar taking a low catch at slip.Kartikeya then picked his fourth trapping Gurjapneet Singh lbw. Vasuki Koushik and Ankit Sharma tried to delay the end, but Jain picked his fifth wicket with a straight delivery that breached Ankit’s defences and trapped him in front.South Zone started with the spin of Ankit at one end and the left-arm pace of Gurjapneet at the other.Wadkar and Malewar hit Gurjapneet for three fours in an over to kickstart the charge as they reached the 50 mark in 17 overs. There was an appeal for lbw by Ankit against Wadkar but replays suggested that the ball would have clearly missed leg stump.Koushik got the ball to move around late in the day, but the two batters hung on.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the India batter will also take a call on his international future soon

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2024India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik is set to play his final IPL season this year when he appears for Royal Challengers Bangalore over the next two months. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Karthik, who turns 39 in June, will also make a final decision soon on his international future.Karthik, who started his IPL career at Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) is part of a select group of seven players to have featured in every season of the IPL since the BCCI launched the tournament in 2008, along with MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha and Manish Pandey. Perhaps more impressively, Karthik has missed just two matches in 16 seasons.The first one was in his maiden season, against Kolkata Knight Riders and second was in 2023 when Karthik sat out the league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.Related

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Karthik endured a poor 2023 IPL with the bat, scoring just 140 runs overall with an average of just over 11. It was a total contrast to the stellar season he enjoyed in 2022, the year Royal Challengers bought Karthik at the auction for INR 5.5 crore (US$ 662,000 approx.). Mainly playing the role of the finisher, for which he trained diligently on his power-hitting pre-season, Karthik scored 330 runs in 16 matches at an average of 55 and an explosive strike-rate of 183.33. Karthik was one of the key reasons Royal Challengers reached the play-offs that season, before bowing out in the second qualifier.The scorching IPL form earned Karthik a berth in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. However, he managed just 14 runs in three innings as India lost to eventual champions England in the semi-finals.The current stint with Royal Challengers is Karthik’s second, having played a single season with them before in 2015. Overall, Karthik has represented six IPL teams: starting with Daredevils (2008-14), Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings – 2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Knight Riders (2018-21) and Royal Challengers (2015, 2022-present). Overall in 240 matches, Karthik has scored 4516 runs at an average of nearly 26, striking at over 132 with 20 half centuries. As a keeper, Karthik is second on list behind Dhoni in overall dismissals (133) as well as stumpings (36).Karthik has overall represented six different teams at the IPL•BCCI

An established captain at Tamil Nadu, Karthik has also led in the IPL – on six occasions as an stand-in skipper at Daredevils, and 37 matches between 2018-20 at Knight Riders before he stepped down. Overall, his captaincy record reads: 21 wins, 21 losses and one tied match.Even as he gets ready to say farewell to cricket as a player, Karthik has already settled into what is deemed to be a second career. In 2021, while he continued playing, Karthik simultaneously got his feet wet in broadcasting, working as a pundit for the inaugural World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand and then at the Hundred. Karthik is now well established as a broadcaster, currently doing commentary in the India-England Test series.Royal Challengers will play the tournament opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on March 23 at his home ground in Chepauk.

Fast bowler is hoping his experience playing for Melbourne Stars in the BBL helps him when Pakistan take on India at the T20 World Cup

PTI29-Sep-2022Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf is banking on knowledge gained from the Big Bash League to outsmart India’s batters in the T20 World Cup match between the two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23.”If I give my best, they won’t be able to play me easily. For the upcoming World Cup match, I’m very happy because it is at the Melbourne Cricket Ground,” Rauf, who plays for Melbourne Stars in the BBL, said after at the post-match interaction following Pakistan’s six-run win over England in Lahore on Wednesday.”It is my home ground because I play for the Melbourne Stars, and I have an idea of how the conditions play out there. I’ve already started planning on how I would bowl against India.”The win in Lahore gave Pakistan a 3-2 series lead in the seven-match T20I series, with Rauf playing a key role so far, topping the wickets charts with eight scalps.India and Pakistan, who only meet in multi-team tournaments these days, faced each other twice at the Asia Cup in the UAE in August. There, Rauf did not have the biggest impact, going wicketless when India beat Pakistan by five wickets in the first round, and taking one wicket – that of Rohit Sharma to break a half-century opening stand – when Pakistan turned the tables on India in the Super 4s. He was relatively expensive in both games too, going at 8.75 and 9.50 respectively, but finished as runners-up Pakistan’s joint-leading wicket-taker.Playing India twice in the Asia Cup, Rauf said, could take the edge off the nerves that come with the territory. “The match between India and Pakistan is always a high-pressure game. In the World Cup last year, I was feeling so much pressure. But in the past two matches in the Asia Cup, I didn’t feel much of it because I knew I just had to give my best.”