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New Zealand staved off collapse for 87 overs, but gifted South Africa an opening to push for the win, when they lost five wickets for 33 on day four in Wellington

The Report by Andrew Fernando26-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Vernon Philander bagged his sixth five-wicket haul in his seventh Test•Getty Images

New Zealand staved off collapse for 87 overs, but gifted South Africa an opening to push for the win, when they lost five wickets for 33 on day four in Wellington. Only two edges past the keeper allowed the hosts avert the follow on, and at stumps South Africa led by 274 runs, with 10 wickets remaining and an opportunity to crack New Zealand again on the final day of the series. Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen scored at five runs an over late in the day, hinting a declaration might come early on day five, to give their bowlers a chance to clinch the series 2-0.Vernon Philander became the fastest man to 50 Test wickets in 116 years, as he bagged his sixth five-wicket haul in his seventh Test. His 6 for 81 was all the more impressive for the lack of movement at the Basin Reserve. Rarely straying from his impeccable off-stump line, Philander threatened even when his team-mates seemed flat and the batsmen well set. He removed Daniel Flynn to claim the first scalp of the morning, dismissed Martin Guptill on the stroke of lunch, then returned to crush the lower order with second new ball. Sharp and accurate, but uncomplicated, no side yet has learnt to play him – not even New Zealand, who might have devised new plans, having suffered so severely at his hands in Dunedin and Hamilton.New Zealand’s reply was dealt a blow when Ross Taylor took a Morne Morkel bouncer on the wrist. Morkel had intimidated, bruised and winded Taylor throughout the series, but seems to have delivered the knockout blow in Wellington. A golf-ball sized lump on the end of Taylor’s forearm hid a fracture to his ulna, and he will only bat again if the situation is dire for New Zealand – perhaps not even then.Despite Taylor’s injury though, New Zealand had laid the foundations for a competitive reply. At 219 for 3 (effectively 4, with Taylor having retired hurt), eclipsing the follow-on target seemed a foregone conclusion. South Africa had stuck rigidly with a plan to bowl back-of-a-length and, at times, New Zealand seemed to be handling it. Williamson and Brownlie both pulled powerfully when the lifters didn’t quite get head-high, and they had little trouble swaying away or ducking under the rest.South Africa’s perseverance eventually paid off though, and it made plain once again the definitive trait of the series: New Zealand have fought hard to get themselves in good positions, but South Africa have been the more patient side – sticking to their modes of attack until New Zealand make the errors and gift it all away.The pull shot had been productive for Brownlie, but ended his promising 59-run stand with Williamson when he top-edged a Philander short ball to Dale Steyn at fine leg. Williamson rebuilt momentarily alongside Vettori, but was undone by another short one – this time from Steyn himself, who moved it slightly away to take Williamson’s edge. Vettori was the exception, hitting a full delivery to gully, but Doug Bracewell resumed the pattern, deflecting a short ball onto his stumps for nought. Kruger van Wyk top-edged another pull before Mark Gillespie’s edges saved New Zealand the ignominy of following on. Even he fell to a short ball. After having seemed so comfortable, six New Zealand wickets had fallen for 56 and three in a heap with the score on 263.New Zealand’s woes might have been even greater, had they not been given five reprieves earlier in the day. Martin Guptill provided the early substance to the reply with his first 50 of the series, but he had been given three lives.Steyn and Morkel put New Zealand’s overnight pair through a harrowing interrogation first up, testing technique and temperament with searing pace and movement through the air. Steyn drew several plays and misses with a series of outswingers to Martin Guptill, failing only to extract first blood. It was a surprise no batsman was bleeding at the other end either, where Morkel fired in bouncers at close to 150 kph.Guptill and Daniel Flynn were intimidated into caution, having steadily introduced aggression into their play the previous evening, and though the pair applied themselves in periods, only luck prevented their early demise. Twice Guptill was dropped in the gully, Steyn fuming as JP Duminy spilt both chances diving to his left, while Flynn was hounded by Morkel – an inside edge flying whiskers wide of off stump amid a bruising chain of bouncers.Flynn eventually lost his wicket to Philander, before Guptill got his third life on the fence where deep square leg had wandered too far infield to intercept his pull. Brendon McCullum also got a chance, Duminy spilling another catch off a now-furious Steyn, before he departed attempting to pull – he managed only to give the keeper a straightforward take.South Africa’s reply was predictably belligerent. Petersen hammered two fours off the first over of the innings, and the pace rarely relented thereafter. Twos were run hard to the outfield, and though acting-captain McCullum retained the slips in the opening overs, more defensive fields were set towards the close. Smith waltzed down the pitch to slam Gillespie into the crowd to bring up the team’s 50, and soon no less than seven men patrolled the fence for the hosts. The cut-off time for the evening came before the full quota of overs had been bowled, ending a day that again promised much for New Zealand in periods, but ultimately left them in a tangle thanks to one burst of poor cricket.

Ricky Ponting has nominated David Hussey and Steven Smith as the men in danger of being axed from Australia’s side to squeeze Michael Hussey in

Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore12-Mar-2011

Match Facts

March 13, Bangalore

Start time 2.30pm (0900 GMT)Australia have not yet decided whether to throw Michael Hussey straight into the action after he joined the team as a replacement for Doug Bollinger•Getty Images

The Big Picture

When you have just lost a match to the lightweights Canada, you don’t want the next opponent to be someone who has been undefeated in 32 World Cup matches. A combination of Kenya’s wobbling top order and Australia’s pace battery means the Chinnaswamy Stadium could stage the biggest mismatch of the tournament on Sunday – the odds on one Australian betting site are so long that a 100$ bet on a Kenyan defeat will only win you 50 cents.It will be a relief for Australia to get back to cricket, having played their last full game as long ago as February 25. Things are set to become a lot more hectic for them, with their remaining three league matches coming up over the next week. They haven’t had a tough workout in the tournament yet, and it is unlikely they will in their next two matches as well, against the Associates in the group, Kenya and Canada. Those encounters will be vital for Michael Hussey, who joined the squad after the rained-out match against Sri Lanka. If deemed fit, they will provide him the chance to adjust to subcontinent conditions.Kenya know they have a tough task on their hands, and though chances of a win look remote, they have a couple of targets. First, if their batting, which has gradually improved over the World Cup – their totals read 69, 112, 142 and 198 – betters those scores, it will be an achievement. Secondly, Ricky Ponting has been a vocal supporter of the need for a streamlined World Cup, with lesser number of teams. What better chance to prove him wrong than by turning in a strong performance against the world champions?

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

Australia WWWWW

Kenya LLLLW

Watch out for…

Cameron White has grown into a senior player in the Australian setup over the past two years. Leader of the national team in Twenty20s, he has also cemented his place as a big-hitting finisher. It’s been a while since he played a big knock, though, with no half-century in 11 matches. The amiable Kenyan bowling could help him change that.Tanmay Mishra is one of the talented youngsters to emerge from Kenya, and is only one of two batsman from the country to have an average above 30. He showed his maturity in the game against Canada, with a sedate half-century that revived Kenya after a familiar top-order collapse.

Team news

Australia will resist the temptation to rest either of their frequently injured fast bowlers, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, and will field their best XI. Ponting, though, still needs to decide what that best XI is, and whether to include the recovering Michael Hussey in the match. If they do, Ponting said either David Hussey or Steven Smith will make way.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey/David Hussey, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason Krejza, 11 Shaun TaitSteve Tikolo has been struggling with a stomach bug, and though he is recovering it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for Sunday’s match.Kenya (probable) 1 Maurice Ouma (wk), 2 Seren Waters, 3 Collins Obuya, 4 Steve Tikolo, 5 David Obuya, 6 Tanmay Mishra, 7 Thomas Odoyo, 8 Jimmy Kamande (capt), 9 Nehemiah Odhiambo, 10 James Ngoche, 11 Elijah Otieno.

The match will be played on the same track that was used for the England-Ireland match, which produced more than 650 runs, so Ponting expects an easy surface for the batsmen on Sunday. The weather is also expected to be pleasant; sunny but not too humid.

• Thomas Odoyo has been Kenya’s best allrounder: he’s their leading wicket-taker in one-dayers, and the second highest run-getter as well
• Shaun Tait has a strike-rate of 26.3 in one-dayers, the best among all bowlers who have sent down at least 1000 deliveries
• Kenya have lost all four of their encounters with Australia, and only once have they really tested Australia, in September 2002 when Shane Watson’s unbeaten 77 sealed a last-over win

Quotes

“As we’ve seen in the tournament so far, there is a possibility of upsets happening … we won’t take any game lightly.”

“The guys are really looking forward to playing the top teams, so far I think we have let the fans down, hopefully tomorrow we come up and help them enjoy the day.”

Darren Maddy has suffered a facial injury while batting in the nets during Warwickshire’s pre-season training camp in Bloemfontein.

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2010Darren Maddy has suffered a facial injury while batting in the nets during Warwickshire’s pre-season training camp in Bloemfontein. Maddy, 35, may need an operation to repair the damage and will see a consultant on Thursday.”It is always nasty to see a player suffer a facial blow but after consultation with the medical staff out here we are positive that Darren will make a quick and speedy recovery,” said Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket.”It is a blow for Madds after missing last summer with his knee but with his determination, I am confident that he will be back playing as soon as he can.”The injury is an unfortunate setback for Maddy, who played in only two County Championship games last season before he snapped a cruciate ligament in his knee. That injury required surgery and ruled him out of the rest of the season, but he had worked his way back to full fitness and had been due to play a full part in Warwickshire’s campaigns this year.

Left-arm quick will be available for first eight matches of Blast group stage

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2024Surrey have signed Australia fast bowler Spencer Johnson for their first eight matches of the Vitality Blast.The left-armer, who did not make the cut for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, is no stranger to south London after turning out for Oval Invincibles last summer. He took five wickets for Invincibles in their successful 2023 campaign, including a remarkable 3 for 1 off 20 deliveries against Manchester Originals. He is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Gujarat Titans.Johnson’s acquisition comes as Surrey look to bolster their Blast squad, which will be missing four players to the T20 World Cup, with Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan and Reece Topley selected by England. They were also dealt a blow in March when Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie was withdrawn from a three-month stint with a view to managing his workload. Johnson will join Sean Abbott as the overseas options, with a maximum of three allowed in a squad and two in the XI.Related

• Hardie withdrawn from Surrey stint to manage workload

• Jamal joins Warwickshire for Championship, T20 Blast stint

• Northants sign Breetzke for Vitality Blast

• It's been some week for Spencer Johnson

“I’m very excited to join Surrey and I have some fantastic memories from playing at the Kia Oval last year,” Johnson said. “Surrey have a great squad and I can’t wait to contribute with the ball in front of the packed out crowds in south London.”Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of men’s cricket, said: “Spencer is a highly talented cricketer who has shown his skills in white-ball cricket at the highest levels. He will add strength to our bowling unit in the first part of the group stages when we have four players away at the World Cup with England.”Despite missing out on international selection for next month’s World Cup in the Caribbean and USA, Johnson remains one of the most coveted players on the T20 circuit. Titans handed him a deal worth AU$1.78million (USD1.175million) for this year’s IPL, despite setting himself a base price of AU$90,000 (USD60,000).Following the T20 Blast, he will turn out for LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket, before returning to The Oval for his Hundred stint with Invincibles. He could also add to his six international caps at the end of the English summer when Australia tour for three T20Is and five ODIs. Johnson is not centrally contracted to Cricket Australia, meaning the board has no say over his domestic commitments.

Fifteen years on from breakthrough tour, fast bowler recalls guest appearance in NZ domestic cricket

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Feb-2023″Baz brought that up, actually,” James Anderson said with a smirk. “He wasn’t happy with it. He was fuming. Apparently the whole team [New Zealand] were fuming at the time with Auckland.”Of the myriad numbers and quirks in a career entering its 22nd year, there is one that sticks out within Anderson’s 282 first-class appearances. One that his current Test coach Brendon McCullum still holds against him.Back on the 2008 tour of New Zealand, the series in which Anderson and Stuart Broad first took the reins of England’s bowling attack, the Lancashire quick went on a secondment to Auckland to jumpstart what had, up until then, been a sporadic 20-cap career.Anderson, 25 at the time, had come off the back of a harrowing ODI series against the hosts. He played all five games but took just four wickets at an average of 67.50, with an economy rate of 7.29 that jars even by modern standards. And on the tour of Sri Lanka three months earlier, he had been superseded by the 21-year-old Broad in the Test squad.And after he missed England’s three-day warm-up game, the coach at the time, Peter Moores, decided that a brief secondment to New Zealand domestic cricket was the best course of action, rather than have him stewing on the sidelines during the first Test in Hamilton.Auckland jumped at the chance, shorn of bowlers with Kyle Mills and Chris Martin on international duty and Daryl Tuffey and Andre Adams taking part in the renegade Indian Cricket League. The link came through Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach, who was knew Auckland coach Mark O’Donnell well enough to float the idea. Needless to say, the home board was less than pleased.James Anderson bowls for Auckland during the 2008 Test tour•Getty Images

“We are not particularly enthusiastic about it,” Justin Vaughan, chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, said at the time. “But we can understand why Auckland want to do it with some of their other bowlers absent. We would be happier if they gave a chance to a young New Zealand bowler, because we can see a scenario where Anderson bowls himself into form and then helps England win the deciding final Test because of that.”Wellington chief executive Gavin Larsen, whose side would face Anderson, went a step further, telling newspaper: “We can’t get our heads around this. It really hits me in the pit of my stomach.”Vaughan, unfortunately, was right. Anderson would only bowl in once in an innings defeat to Wellington, taking 2 for 95. But the tune-up meant he returned to the national team in Wellington in good enough fettle to come into the XI for the second Test, with Moores leaving out Steven Harrison and Matthew Hoggard after a lastlustre loss in Hamilton.Anderson took 5 for 73 and then 2 for 57 as England made it 1-1, before winning it outright in Napier. It remains their last series victory in New Zealand.Given where we are with Anderson’s story right now – 177 Tests, 675 wickets and still more to come in 2023 – it’s fair to say the Auckland stint was inspired. In an interview with StuffNZ last week, he regarded the appearance and the shot in the arm it administered as “probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career”. He even revealed his Auckland cap still takes pride of place in his collection in his home study.Related

• Anderson links up with Auckland

• James Anderson, a mouse who's beginning to roar

• Steven Smith signs for three Championship games with Sussex

• England in New Zealand – Vish's tour diary

• Cyclone Gabrielle prevents NZ squad members from reaching Mount Maunganui

“It was amazing for me,” Anderson recalled to the gathered English press on Monday before indoor training at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, where the first Test is due to begin on Thursday. “I think Ottis Gibson knew the coach of Auckland at the time. He wanted Chris Tremlett to go and play but Chris didn’t want to [he was injured] so then I put my hand up. I’d rather play that game than carry the drinks at Hamilton. It turned out to be a very good decision. I bowled a lot of overs – didn’t set the world alight but bowled a lot of overs, it got me into a good rhythm and got me into a good place to play the next game.”He will return to Wellington for the second Test on February 21. Like Broad, it is a visit he is looking forward to, 15 years on.”We’ve got find memories here and it is special,” Anderson said. “Every time we go back to Wellington you remember that and look back at that as something huge for both of us, not just in terms of the way we played and what happened after that but just that moment, with Hoggard and Harmison having been such a massive part of England’s success – 2005 and Harmy was No.1 in the world at one point. Them being those senior bowlers and us taking their places gave us so much confidence to go on and try and emulate them, I guess.”Anderson’s Auckland jaunt is all the more interesting in the present day given the noise around Australian batter Steve Smith’s stint with Sussex ahead of this summer’s Ashes. The move was highly criticised in some quarters for giving an outstanding opposition player a leg-up ahead of what will be a hard-fought series.As it happens, NZC floated a reciprocal favour from one of the 18 counties for the 2008, given New Zealand were touring England later that year. Moores’ response to Vaughan’s suggestion – “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” – was far from committal. Anderson, however, was typically unperturbed by Smith’s presence in County Cricket, much like the rest of his team-mates.”I don’t mind it, I don’t think it will have any bearing on the result of the Ashes. Steve Smith playing four (three) games of county cricket won’t have a bearing on how many runs he gets in the first Test. Some people might not think it’s great that they’re getting time in the middle but they’ll have warm-up games and stuff like that in England anyway. So I’m not that fussed.”

Ross Taylor not included for the tours keeping NZ’s upcoming home summer and the red-ball tour of India in mind

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2021Tom Latham will lead New Zealand in the absence of Kane Williamson on their white-ball tours of Pakistan and Bangladesh starting September. The opener will stand in as leader on both tours across white-ball formats.Several first team players, including Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson will be unavailable owing to their involvement in the IPL, which clashes with part of the tour.New Zealand take on Bangladesh in five T20Is in September, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is in Pakistan.New Zealand squad for Pakistan ODIs and Bangladesh T20Is•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand chief executive David White said managing players’ workloads and their wellbeing was the main priority ahead of a busy season, with a tour of India and the T20 World Cup to follow the Bangladesh and Pakistan legs.”The need to safeguard the wellbeing of our players and support staff is now very real, and we’ve endeavoured to do this by carefully managing their workloads over this winter’s massive playing programme”, White said. “I’m satisfied we’ve selected strong squads for all our touring commitments this winter. As the Black Caps proved in England earlier this year, we have good depth in the New Zealand game and I’m confident all the squads chosen will acquit themselves well.”Related

• Latham: 'The more we play in these conditions, the more we are able to learn'

• Bennett: Lack of success in Bangladesh a 'huge motivating factor'

• Ben Sears, the latest New Zealander in the fast lane

• Mushfiqur, Liton, Aminul back in Bangladesh T20I squad for New Zealand series

• Glenn Pocknall on uncapped fast bowler Ben Sears: 'The world's his oyster'

The inclusion of some young players with growing domestic reputations is likely to be one of the more closely watched aspects of the tour for New Zealand. The 21-year-old left-hand batter Rachin Ravindra is in the squad for the T20I tour of Bangladesh and the Pakistan ODIs, while 22-year-old Finn Allen is part of all three squads. Allrounder Cole McConchie and pace bowler Ben Sears are the other uncapped players to travel to Bangladesh and Pakistan.New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20Is•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

White said that the IPL dates coinciding with the Pakistan tour had presented a “unique” challenge. Originally scheduled to be held in April and May, the IPL was postponed midway after a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases. The remainder of the tournament will now be played September 19 onwards in the UAE.”It’s a pragmatic approach,” White said. “We’ve always tried to be realistic about the IPL and this particular issue is very much a one-off, caused by a unique set of circumstances.”The New Zealand Cricket statement said Ross Taylor was originally scheduled to be included for the ODI leg of the Pakistan series. But with quarantine protocols and the fact it will be a three-match series, they decided to rest Taylor keeping the upcoming home summer and New Zealand’s red-ball tour of India in mind. Taylor was also left out of the 15-man squad NZC picked for the T20 World Cup.The squad leaves for Bangladesh on August 23 for the T20I series. After that, they move to Pakistan, their first visit to the country since a five-match ODI series in 2003-04. That tour will start with the first of three ODIs on September 17, followed by five T20Is.Squad for Bangladesh T20Is and Pakistan ODIs: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (ODI only), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (T20 only), Blair Tickner, Will Young.Squad for Pakistan T20Is: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

Emirates Old Trafford preparing for green light to host behind-closed-doors England matches

Matt Roller19-May-2020Lancashire have expressed hopes that some fans will be able to attend matches this summer as they prepare for the “green light” to stage England fixtures behind closed doors at Emirates Old Trafford.Extensive plans have been drawn up to play international cricket in ‘bio-secure’ conditions in recent months, with the ECB accepting that the game’s reliance on broadcast revenues means there is a financial imperative to stage as much of the summer schedule as possible, even if fixtures have to be played without crowds.But Les Platts, Lancashire’s acting chairman, said the club remains optimistic of allowing some spectators into grounds later in the summer, potentially with some degree of social distancing still in place.ALSO READ: Holder voices financial concerns as Windies contemplate England tourThere is less of a financial incentive to play the T20 Blast behind closed doors compared to international cricket, as the counties make most of their money from it through gate receipts rather than broadcast revenue. And despite government advice published last week suggesting there is little prospect of large crowds being admitted to games this season, Platts said he was hopeful that that fans could yet be allowed access.”You never know, later in the season we might be having some spectators back in again,” Platts said. “It must be possible for us to devise a scheme when we’ve got a capacity of 23,000 to have some spectators in with appropriate protocols. I’m not guaranteeing it by any means, but we’re hoping and planning that we might be able to get some of that in September.”As things stand, all professional cricket in England and Wales has been suspended until at least July 1, and all counties have made contingency plans for an entire season without cricket.Lancashire are also in dialogue with the ECB about hosting behind-closed-doors games this summer, and have been making plans on the basis that fixtures will take place as soon as July 8. Emirates Old Trafford had been scheduled for an Australia T20I in July and the second Pakistan Test in August, but could be in line for several more games.As one of two Test grounds with an on-site hotel with sufficient capacity to house enlarged squads and support staff – Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl is the other – Old Trafford is well-placed to create a secure bubble, and the club hopes to receive confirmation next week.The exact details of staging games behind closed doors are still to be negotiated, but Platts confirmed that Lancashire expect to receive compensation for staging costs and for hosting fixtures to aid the club’s financial recovery from the crisis.”I don’t think the club and the game would expect us to be profiteering at these difficult times, but there will have to be compensation that’s fair for the club,” Platts said. “There will have to be cost recovery. If the hotel is being used, there would be a rate… for those using it. There will be income coming into the club that will help the club.”One of the most important bits about that is that if we get that hotel working for behind-closed-doors cricket, it proves a model for a hotel working in a bio-secure environment that will enable the hotel to start trading in a normal commercial sense thereafter – maybe quicker than hotels elsewhere, because we’ve proven the model… and therefore people will have more confidence, perhaps, in booking.”Lancashire are one of two counties along with Surrey who have not furloughed any of their players, with the rationale that the club felt “uneasy about using a job retention scheme for elite sportsmen”. That said, Platts admitted the government’s scheme could be used if it becomes clear that it will not be possible to play any county cricket this summer, and that the decision is being reviewed on a month-by-month basis.If Lancashire’s players are able to return to training, they may have to do so away from Emirates Old Trafford due to clashes with England’s use of the ground, and provisions are being put in place to use outgrounds instead.David Hodgkiss, Lancashire chairman, at the unveiling of the James Anderson End at Old Trafford in August 2017•Getty Images

Lancashire reported record financial returns for a first-class county this week on the back of a 2019 season that included an Ashes Test and an India-Pakistan fixture at the World Cup, and are in a stronger position to recover than most from the impact of the pandemic despite revenue from the hotel and their conference and events business dropping off a cliff in recent months.”It has provided the platform to help us survive 2020, when otherwise we might have struggled a lot more,” said Platts, who has served as the club’s treasurer since 2014 and was appointed acting chairman after the passing of David Hodgkiss in March.”It has put us in a position where we are absorbing the stresses and costs at the moment way better than we would have been able to, but the way that it’s going, we still need income to start again. If we don’t get cricket and the hotel and The Point going again, we’re going to have to take more severe measures. The club will survive one way or another, but if things don’t get going again it will be tougher.”It’s a year to take great pride in its results. It’s a year that David Hodgkiss himself would be very proud of with those results. He would be very proud sitting here today. It’s very sad that he can’t be presenting those results to you.”

Shoaib Malik threatened a late jailbreak for Multan Sultans, with a 24-ball fifty, but they eventually lost by seven runs

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu15-Feb-2019
How the game played out
A record PSL stand between debutant Liam Livingstone and the No.1 T20I batsman Babar Azam followed by Mohammad Amir’s expertise at the death fashioned a tight seven-run opening win for Karachi Kings.How did this even get this tight after Livingstone and Babar struck up a 157-run opening stand – the highest for any wicket in the league? After the fireworks at the top, Karachi’s innings fizzled out in the end as they lost 6 for 26 to be limited to 183 for 6.Multan Sultans’ captain Shoaib Malik blitzed a 24-ball fifty – headlined by 4,4,4,4,6 off Ravi Bopara in the 14th over – and then former Karachi King Shahid Afridi and Hammad Azam threatened a late jailbreak in the chase. But Amir’s bag of slower cutters and rapid yorkers, combined with sharp catching in the outfield sealed Multan’s fate.Babar Azam chops one down to third man•PCB/PSL

Turning points

• Livingstone and Babar teed off against the new ball on a pitch that got slower as the match progressed. They ran up 53 in the Powerplay and never looked back. Multan then managed only 38 for 1 in their first six overs.
• When Multan needed 20 off the last two overs with five wickets in hand, they were in with a strong chance to script a come-from-behind win. But Amir got rid of Afridi and Azam in a four-run penultimate over to set Multan up for a narrow defeat.

Star of the dayThe new kid on the block: Livingstone. He’s a star for Lancashire in the T20 Blast in England and even had an IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals before he forayed into the PSL. He regularly ventured down the track and upset the lines and lengths of Multan’s bowlers. The highlight of his 43-ball 82 was the breathtaking one-handed six off Mohammad Ilyas in the 14th over. When the seamer pitched one up on off, Livingstone’s bottom hand flew off the bat, but he still generated enough power to launch it over the long-off boundary with the top hand.And oh, he even dared to step out against Afridi’s fizzing arm balls. One such advance down the pitch saw him drill Afridi over the sightscreen.The big missKarachi’s collapse of 6 for 26. After the rollicking opening stand, they were well-placed to notch up a 200-plus total, but their middle order faltered against Chris Green’s offbreaks and the change-ups from Junaid Khan and Andre Russell. On another day, such a collapse might have cost them the game. However on this day, Amir saved them.Where the teams standThis is only the second game of the season. Karachi slotted in behind Islamabad United, who top the table by virtue of a superior run rate. Multan are right behind Karachi while Lahore Qalandars are at a familiar position: rock-bottom.

Unless West Indies win their final match of the tour in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday, they will return home empty-handed

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu02-Jan-2018

Big picture

Much like Jay Gatsby pining for the light at the other side of the dock, West Indies must be aching for the comfort of a win. On this trip to New Zealand, they have lost six internationals, not to mention a practice match as well. Unless West Indies win their final match of the tour in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday, they will return home empty-handed, a fate they last suffered in this country in 1999-00.T20s may be West Indies’ favourite format but they presently have access to only six members from the title-winning squad in 2016 – Chris Gayle, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Fletcher, Samuel Badree, Ashley Nurse, and Jerome Taylor. Along with that handicap came the challenge of bowling with a wet ball on New Year’s Day and the result just wasn’t pretty. The forecast for Wednesday isn’t promising either, with rain predicted in the afternoon. A truncated game might bridge the gulf between the two sides and possibly work in West Indies’ favour.New Zealand, like West Indies, have missed or rotated key players, but their depth has been has been impressive. First-choice fast bowler Trent Boult will be available to play at the Bay Oval and fringe players Seth Rance, Tom Bruce and Anaru Kitchen will be keen to press for longer stints.

Form guide

New Zealand: WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: LWWWW

In the spotlight

Seth Rance doesn’t have express pace but his ability to move the ball laterally should not be underestimated. After delivering a hooping inswinger to leave Michael Pollard’s stumps an utter mess in the Super Smash, the medium-pacer found himself on the brink of a hat-trick on T20I debut. Cloudy overhead conditions on Wednesday could suit his style of bowling.West Indies’ best chance of squaring the series is through a Chris Gayle assault. After blowing hot in the Bangladesh Premier League knockouts, he has blown cold in New Zealand, managing only 38 runs in three innings so far.

Team news

After being rested for the first two T20s, Boult is set to return to the team, possibly in place of Doug Bracewell.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Glenn Phillips (wk), 5 Tom Bruce, 6 Anaru Kitchen, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Seth Rance, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish SodhiWest Indies, on the other hand, might consider bringing back Taylor for Kesrick Williams, who has leaked 76 runs in five overs.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Chadwick Walton (wk), 3 Andre Fletcher, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Carlos Brathwaite (capt), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Sheldon Cottrell, 10 Kesrick Williams/Jerome Taylor, 11 Samuel Badree

Pitch and conditions

All three completed T20Is at this venue have been won by the team batting first. But the possibility of rain and early swing could tempt the captain into bowling first, as Carlos Brathwaite did on Monday.

Stats and trivia

• If New Zealand win the series 2-0, they will leapfrog Pakistan to become the top-ranked T20I team
• Martin Guptill and Colin Munro have hit 130 sixes between them in T20Is. Gayle alone has struck 103 sixes.

Virat Kohli has said he was involved in a discussion with Cheteshwar Pujara over his strike rate in Test cricket during India’s recent tour of the West Indies

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur26-Sep-20162:59

‘He absorbs pressure well, but the time comes when the team needs a few runs’

Virat Kohli, India’s captain, has said he was involved in a discussion with Cheteshwar Pujara over his strike rate in Test cricket during the recent tour of the West Indies. Sandeep Patil, who recently ended his term as the chairman of selectors, told on Sunday that Kohli and coach Anil Kumble had spoken to Pujara expressing concern over his scoring rate, when he was dropped in the West Indies. Pujara, who scored 16 off 67 balls and 46 off 159 in the first two Tests, was left out for Rohit Sharma in St Lucia. This resulted in Kohli’s promotion to No. 3, from where he scored 3 and 4. Both Pujara and Rohit have featured in the two Tests that India have played since.After the West Indies tour, Pujara played in the Duleep Trophy, scoring 166 off 280 balls, 31 off 35, and 256 off 363. Back in the Test side, Pujara scored at a strike rate of more than 50 in both innings of the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, scoring 62 and 78. His career strike rate before the Test began was 48.2.”Pujara is someone who absorbs the pressure really well but after a certain stage in the innings there comes a time when the team needs runs,” Kohli said at the end of the Kanpur Test. “That’s where we felt that he has the ability to capitalise. It was just about conveying that to him. He has worked hard on his game. He scored at a good strike rate in the Duleep Trophy. Even on this wicket he was scoring at 65, almost 70 strike rate.”Which for me was a revelation, to see Pujara bat that way. Because he used to bat that way initially. Especially at home. If you see his double-hundreds against England and Australia, he will dominate spinners. That’s exactly what we wanted him to do. We didn’t want him to go into a shell. We want Pujara to bat to his potential. Once he starts scoring runs to go with the composure he already has, it becomes very difficult for the opposition to have control of the game. That’s all we wanted to convey to him.”He’s someone who understands what the team wants. He has worked hard on his game. He has come back, and he is playing more positively. Which we appreciate as a team and me personally as a captain. That he has actually gone and worked hard on his game. He has not told us this is my comfort zone and I am not going to get out of it. That is the kind of characters we need to win games and series.”In another context, speaking about handling different characters, Kohli spoke of cricket that didn’t care too much about individual records. “If you have honesty in the change room, if you have an environment that is relaxed, they will be able to express themselves better on the field,” Kohli said. “They will understand, they will listen to you. They will have the trust. They trust you are not saying anything that will harm them. It’s only for the benefit of the whole team. Once you have that environment in the change room, it becomes very easy as a captain to ask anything of any player. And everyone is ready all the time.”One thing we have spoken about is we want to play a certain brand of cricket. Along those lines, personal performances will happen or won’t happen. If they happen, yes you feel good about them, but the eventual target is to win games and win series. We want to be a high-quality team for a long time. It’s just to get them rid of those pressures of individual performances. Once you take pressures of your own performance things can flip very quickly. You will not be able to play the way the team wants you to play. And you will not be able to perform on a personal level as well.”