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Stokes made an OBE and Buttler an MBE for services to cricket in New Year’s Honours list

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2020England’s World Cup celebrations have continued with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler collecting honours at Buckingham Palace.The pair were named alongside their World Cup-winning captain, Eoin Morgan, coach, Trevor Bayliss, and Joe Root on the New Year’s Honours list and received their awards from the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.Stokes, who also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in December, was made an OBE for services to cricket and Buttler was made an MBE following a remarkable year for the England team, who beat New Zealand to win the men’s World Cup for the first time in the most thrilling of finals at Lord’s.Stokes struck an unbeaten 84 in the final – including two sixes in the last over – to tie the game, and then batted in the Super Over to help England to a memorable triumph. Stokes also hit a stirring 135 not out to hand England victory in the third Ashes Test at Headingley. Meanwhile, it was Buttler who featured in the decisive moment of the World Cup when he gathered Jason Roy’s throw and completed the run-out of Martin Guptill, which meant England won the title on boundaries scored.Jos Buttler poses with his medal after being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) following an investiture service at Buckingham Palace•AFP via Getty Images

The pair were joined at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday by Colin Graves, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, who was recognised with a CBE for services to the sport.”Without a shadow of a doubt, it’s two great players and to share the day with them is brilliant,” Graves told the Press Association. “You just have to look at the Sports Personality of the Year awards, Stokesy won the main award, the team won the team award, the team won the moments of the year award.”Morgan is due to be appointed a CBE and Root is to be made an MBE, while Bayliss will be made an OBE.

West Indies will be without the injured Andre Russell in their must-win game against the new No.1 ODI side

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu26-Jun-20194:11

Kartik: India’s middle order not a cause of concern

Big Picture

Thirty six years after India sprung a surprise on West Indies in final, the two sides meet again with plenty on the line at Old Trafford. Carlos Brathwaite fell inches short on Saturday, but it’s not quite the end of the road for West Indies, who have just won one of their six matches and are placed just above South Africa and Afghanistan, who are both out of contention for the semi-finals.England’s back-to-back defeats come as soothing news to West Indies, who can still sneak into the knockouts, provided they win their last three league matches and the stars align for them. Should Jason Holder’s men lose tomorrow, though, their dream will be over and India will take a big step closer to the semi-finals.West Indies will have to do without Andre Russell whose utterly wonky knees have given up. There’s also an injury cloud over Evin Lewis, who had hurt his hamstring in the field against New Zealand and later did not open the batting. Instead, he batted at No. 8 and bagged a three-ball duck.Chris Gayle and Shai Hope have blown hot and cold, compounding West Indies’ top-order troubles. They are the only side in the tournament without a fifty opening stand and they have the worst average for the opening partnership (11.2). Sunil Ambris, who has been drafted in as Russell’s replacement, could help remedy this and bring some attacking enterprise at the top while Brathwaite seamlessly fits in as a like-for-like replacement for Russell.Sheldon Cottrell: taking wickets and having fun•Getty Images

West Indies’ new-ball bowlers ditched the bang-it-in plan and hit much fuller lengths on Saturday, and Sheldon Cottrell was immediately rewarded with a double-wicket first over. His left-arm angle coupled with an awkward round-arm action could pose a threat to India’s batting line-up that still has some cracks in the middle order. Vijay Shankar is still feeling his way into the middle order, and he had his first – and only crack – at No. 4 on Saturday. Kedar Jadhav made a scrappy fifty, but he could not find a gear high enough to hurt Afghanistan.That brings us to MS Dhoni. As is his wont, he simply blocked the spinners and set up for the late burst. However, it never came and Dhoni fell in the most un-Dhoni fashion: jumping out to slog Rashid Khan against the break in his last over and getting stumped.Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury has also messed with India’s balance. Mohammed Shami bowled a fiery first spell and later closed out the game against Afghanistan with a hat-trick, but his inclusion has lengthened India’s tail. Against West Indies whose batting drips with power and depth, India could consider recalling Ravindra Jadeja in place of one of the wristspinners.ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra on what India need to do against West Indies’ key players

Form guide

India: WWWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Manchester is a special place for Vijay Shankar. He’s a die-hard fan of Manchester United and he enjoyed a tour of the football’s Old Trafford before pinning Imam-ul-Haq lbw with his first World Cup delivery at cricket’s Old Trafford, against Pakistan. The batting allrounder had a bright start against Afghanistan, but he threw it away, chancing a sweep just after fine leg had been whisked in. Can he make the No. 4 spot his own upon his return to Manchester?ALSO READ – Gollapudi: What Vijay Shankar brings at No. 4Shimron Hetmyer started the tournament quietly and then eased himself into back-to-back fifties against Bangladesh and New Zealand. That Hetmyer is a fine player of spin makes him one of the key figures in the middle order against Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav or Jadeja. Remember his rousing hundred in Guwahati last year, India?4:42

Ganga wants Bravo, Allen in WI’s XI

Team news

India are set to give Vijay another shot at the middle order. But, the big question is will they throw Jadeja into the mix at the expense of a wristspinner? Bhuvneshwar has resumed bowling at the nets, but India are unlikely to risk playing him on Thursday.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (captain), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Kedar Jadhav, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit BumrahWest Indies are likely include Ambris if Lewis is unfit, and Kemar Roach might keep his place ahead of the erratic Shannon Gabriel.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis/Sunil Ambris, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Carlos Brathwaite, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasChris Gayle has a hit in the nets•AFP

Pitch and conditions

The Old Trafford track is likely to be flat as usual, and there’s no rain forecast for Thursday.

Strategy punt

• Keep your inswinger ready against Gayle in the Powerplay. The opener has struggled against incoming deliveries in the first ten overs, managing only 19 off 30 such balls while being dismissed twice.
• Gayle sized up Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin on Saturday, and West Indies have more left-handers in Lewis, Nicholas Pooran and Hetmyer, but India could still take a punt on Jadeja for his athleticism in the field and the batting cover he provides. Even if Jadeja, the bowler, is taken to the cleaners, India have an extra bowling option in Vijay.

Stats and trivia

• Jasprit Bumrah has bowled 15 yorkers in four matches this World Cup. Only Mitchell Starc has bowled more yorkers (16) although he has had the benefit of playing three more games.
• Gayle is 59 runs away from surpassing Brian Lara as West Indies’ top run-getter in ODI cricket
• Tomorrow’s ODI will be Hardik Pandya’s 50th. He needs two wickets to reach 50 ODI wickets
• In ODIs since 2017, at Old Trafford, spinners have managed only 15 wickets in 10 innings as opposed to 56 taken by the seamers.

At a ground where England made 481 not too long ago, Pakistan’s task will be cut out against West Indies

The Preview by Danyal Rasool30-May-2019

Big Picture

With the World Cup wheels having been well-oiled by a mouth-watering opening match between South Africa and England at the Oval, two rather more distant contenders for the trophy kick off their official campaigns at Trent Bridge. West Indies and Pakistan are few people’s picks for an appearance at Lord’s come the 14th of July, but two teams that have the Cricket World Cup in their blood for very different reasons will look to add sweat and tears to that concoction and brew something special over the coming six weeks.For West Indies, the World Cup is their reference point to glory, so sweetly timed was this competition’s induction to cricket for that magical side which dominated the sport for the best part of 20 years it took them three editions and eight years before they finally let a trophy leave their grasp. It was 40 years ago when they last lay claim to one of these, and after all that time spent wandering in the desert, they may feel destiny has the Promised Land in reach once more.How easy is it to forget, then, that but for a bit of Harare afternoon rain falling just the right side of DLS calculations one March day, this grand side would have been by a Caribbean beach, watching Scotland take the field against Pakistan tomorrow? Much water, if you will excuse the pun, has passed under the bridge since, and West Indies look a completely different side to that one, if only because off-field matters seem more under control than they have for many years.ALSO READ: ESPNcricinfo’s fantasy cricket tips for Pakistan v West IndiesThe squad seems to have unity and togetherness, something they haven’t been famed for, and a much-settled, respected captain in Jason Holder. The side’s balance was evident in their crushing defeat of New Zealand in Tuesday’s warm-up, a destructive batting display laying down a marker of sorts.Pakistan have a strange relationship with the World Cup, particularly since 1992, where an odds-defying win crafted the team’s reputation and gave them their brand of unpredictability. They come into the tournament having lost 10 ODIs on the bounce, in addition to a warm-up loss against Afghanistan – and a record against the top five that reads three wins in 23 since their famous Champions Trophy win in 2017.The fast bowling, Pakistan’s stock trade, has seen one after another lose form and effectiveness, with Mohammad Amir, once the prince of this generation, the heir apparent to Wasim Akram, only barely squeezing into the final 15. Hasan Ali is the obvious leader of the attack, though a bowling average of nearly 60 since the Asia Cup last year is worrying, and Shaheen Afridi is the only one to keep both average and economy rate respectable over this period.The batting looks to have caught up somewhat to modern standards, with Pakistan becoming the first team to reach three consecutive ODI totals of 340 earlier this month against England (though they lost all three matches). In any case, they must be wary of a West Indies side that pummelled New Zealand’s bowling attack for 421, and the batting is a department Pakistan are not about to outgun West Indies in any time soon.The odds may not be in Pakistan’s favour, but that was the case in 2017, too, when, having barely qualified for the Champions Trophy, they caught fire and singed England and India in the semis and final, laughing the face of logic. The squad that defied those odds carried 11 of the players that return to England with that trophy tucked under their arms, and will wonder why they should be rated any inferior to the teams they left in their wake just two years ago.Getty Images

Form guide

West Indies LLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

Shimron Hetmyer is the second-youngest in the West Indies squad, but is assured of his place in Guyana’s cricketing history at 22. An Under-19 World Cup winning captain, Hetmyer showcased his array of hitting ability which he married with consistency when England came calling earlier this year in a series West Indires squared 2-2. It isn’t just the average and the numbers – four hundreds and two half-centuries in just 24 innings – but the technique and obvious promise the left-hander possesses. The biggest stage of them all is another fine opportunity to showcase his abilities.Fakhar Zaman’s average since the Asia Cup in September 2018 has dropped down to 32; it had been 76 until then. His strike rate has taken a hit too – 91 against a career strike rate of 98, and so has Pakistan’s ODI form in this period. With Fakhar assigned a role of a dasher, one that most others in the side aren’t equipped with, his ability to execute it is likely to be directly proportional to Pakistan’s fortunes at the World Cup.

Team news

Pakistan have a fully fit squad to choose from, with the team announcing 12 names from which the final eleven will be chosen. That list sees, Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi miss out, with Pakistan now needing to choose between three of Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Waism, Haris Sohail and Asif Ali.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 6 Mohammad Hafeez/Imad Wasim 7 Asif Ali, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali 11 Wahab RiazWest Indies line-up is harder to predict, with Shannon Gabriel the only bowler to play no part in the warm-up against New Zealand. With his knee heavily braced as West Indies trained the day before the game, he could be the man to miss out again.West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle 2 Evin Lewis 3 Shai Hope (wk) 4 Shimron Hetmyer 5 Darren Bravo 6 Jason Holder (capt) 7 Andre Russell 8 Ashley Nurse 9 Kemar Roach 10 Sheldon Cottrell 11 Oshane Thomas

Pitch and conditions

Overcast skies are expected for much of the game at Nottingham, but rain should not play spoilsport. It also gives each side the chance to bowl first and pit their swing bowlers against the opposition to see if overhead conditions can be utilised to their advantage.

Stats and trivia

• Jason Holder is one of only two captains to have also captained his side at the previous World Cup; Eoin Morgan of England is the other one.
• This is the fourth time in six World Cups that Pakistan begin their campaign against West Indies. The previous three openers saw them win once, while West Indies triumphed twice.

India captain Virat Kohli, though, feels that he is “best suited” for the No. 5 spot in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-20194:08

Dhoni best suited for No. 5 spot – Kohli

MS Dhoni’s batting spot has become a raging debate in the lead-up to the World Cup. After scoring three successive fifties, including a series-clinching 87 off 114 balls from No. 4, he has said that he’s ready to float in the middle order. While India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes Dhoni at No. 4 is “most ideal”, captain Virat Kohli says he is “best suited” to bat at No.5.Dhoni is no longer the explosive force he once was, but he has absorbed pressure on the slow pitches in Australia and has secured two successive chases after taking it to the last over in his own inimitable style.In the series opener in Sydney, he walked in at No.5 after India were reduced to 3 for 4 within four overs. He weathered many attacks in a chase of 289 before falling in the 33rd over. He batted at No. 5 in the must-win second ODI for India and struck an unbeaten 54-ball 55 to force the series into a decider. In the third match on a tough pitch, Dhoni was dropped twice on 0 and then on 74, but he pressed on to win it for India.”Well, it’s good (enjoying batting at No.4?),” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation after claiming the Man-of-the-Series award. “If I am batting at 6 and somebody is batting at 4, we’ve to look if we can interchange the position and see if the team [balance] remains the same. It’s not about where you want to be, it’s about how many you can fill in that position. I’m happy to bat at any number. If I have to go back and bat at 5 or 6, I’m happy to do that. Because the important thing is where the team needs me. After playing 14 years, I can’t say I can’t bat at 6 and I need to bat at 4 or 5, so I will bat at where the team needs me.”When asked if the management was keen on keeping Dhoni at No.4 Kohli said: “I personally feel No.5 is the best-suited spot for him because that allows him to do a bit of both – get some game-time and finish games off and attack as and when required. The management discussed No. 5 was the ideal position for him and if you saw him in Adelaide as well he was pretty comfortable batting there. He was more himself in that game and he built onto this knock.”ALSO READ: Chopra: What is Dhoni’s role in the India ODI side?On Friday, Dhoni managed only 12 off 22 balls against legspinner Adam Zampa and 5 off 17 balls from Jhye Richardson, but he made up for that by attacking Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake and Marcus Stoinis to shift the pressure back on Australia. Kedar Jadhav eased the pressure on Dhoni with timely boundaries and hard-run twos in an unbeaten 121-run stand.”It was a slow wicket, so it was a bit difficult to hit whenever you want to,” Dhoni said. “I think it was important to take it till the end because some of their main bowlers were on the verge of finishing their quota of overs. So, you have to target the bowlers you can on wickets like these. No point going after the ones who’re bowling well. That was the game plan and it was really well supported by Kedar. He’s somebody who plays some unorthodox shots and great shots in the middle, so it takes that pressure off me when you’re looking to go right till the last over.”Kohli conceded that he was nervous when the asking rate ballooned in the chase, but agreed with Dhoni, saying that the key was to take the game deep.”As MS said, it wasn’t that easy a wicket to bat on. So, he had to take the game deep,” Kohli said during the presentation. “They’re professional enough to finish it off. We were a bit nervous there, but two set batsmen in the middle knew exactly what they wanted to do. So, they got the job done. In the end, that’s what matters.”

Supported by Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, Gill shepherded the first successful chase of the tournament this year

Sidharth Monga25-Oct-2018Shubman Gill looks to the heavens after bringing up his century•PTI

Shubman Gill has dazzled in the IPL, but for those of the more conventional disposition, he made a big statement with his first List A hundred in a chase. From 85 for 3, India C mounted the first successful chase of this Deodhar Trophy, sealing their berth in the final against the undefeated India B. All three matches have been played at Feroz Shah Kotla, but this pitch played better than the previous two where the chasing teams managed only 218 and 201. Gill, though, shepherded this chase of 294 with the first hundred of the tournament.Gill was supported by wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. What will impress the three national selectors in attendance is that there was a lot of sensible batting to go with impressive stroke-play. Going by the trend in this tournament, and with Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina both gone, India C seemed out of the contest chasing the biggest total of the tournament.Pretty early on in the chase, Gill settled down to bat through, and Kishan assumed the role of the enforcer. Kishan has shown in the past he can innovate and hit against slower bowlers. He hit international bowlers Mohammed Siraj and R Ashwin for two boundaries in an over. His strike rate was under 100 only against Ashwin and Nitish Rana. In between, Gill tonked Ashwin and Shams Mulani for a six each.International teams might also want to look at the tapes of this chase as a tutorial on how to face Kedar Jadhav, who was making his comeback from his latest hamstring injury. They played the full balls straight – Kishan even drove one back past him for four – and waited for the short ball. Suryakumar was the most severe on Jadhav, hitting a short, low-bouncing ball for an inside-out six over extra cover.By this time, Gill and Suryakumar had sailed through the slightly nervous period after Kishan’s dismissal for a 60-ball 69. Now Gill, too, began to show off, hitting a slower bouncer from Dhawal Kulkarni over wide mid-off. Suryakumar responded with two sixes in empty stands, which slowed down the progress of the match. Suryakumar’s power hitting again was from a chasing template: the top order brings you to the 35th over with the asking rate in control, and then the big hitter kills the contest.Gill brought up his hundred with just 12 runs required, and then finished the game off with a boundary off the last ball of the 47th over.

Karun Nair has been part of India’s Test dressing room before, but a debut seems ever closer with his inclusion as one of only six batsmen in the squad to take on England; he says he is prepared to bat anywhere when his turn comes

Shashank Kishore02-Nov-2016In July, six people drowned and a few others were reported missing when a boat with more than a hundred people on board capsized in a river in Kerala. Karun Nair was on that boat, taking part in a temple festival with his family as thanksgiving for making his India debut. Nair was one of the survivors – he had to swim some distance before being rescued by a group of locals.The incident came in the middle of a mixed few months in Nair’s life. He had just played for India for the first time, during their ODI tour of Zimbabwe, his selection a reward for his consistency both in first-class cricket – he averaged more than 50 after three seasons – and the IPL. He hadn’t really grabbed the chance, scoring only 46 in two innings while opening the batting in fairly low-pressure chases. The lack of form continued through India A’s tour of Australia, but he was back in form at the start of the 2016-17 domestic season, when he was also handed the captaincy of the Karnataka side for the first time.Now, he is part of India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against England. He has been part of the squad before, but this time he is one of only six specialist batsmen included.”I was disappointed with the way my ODI debut series panned out. I don’t think I lived up to the standards I set myself,” Nair tells ESPNcricinfo. “Probably I didn’t grab my chances. But after the tour I decided to put that behind me and look forward to the new season. I didn’t want to sit and keep hoping, but I knew my chances will come sooner than later if I keep scoring runs.”Rohit Sharma’s quadriceps injury means, Nair – who has scores of 74, 54*, 53 and 145 in his first four innings of the new Ranji Trophy season – could get his Test cap in Rajkot on November 9 if India play six specialist batsmen. With Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane entrenched at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, Nair could be in line for the No. 6 slot.”I’m not too fussy about batting positions, honestly,” Nair says. “I’ve been playing up the order in the IPL, so in white-ball cricket, I’ve enjoyed batting up the order. I started off as an opener for my state side in my junior-cricket days and then settled at No. 4. In Zimbabwe, I was asked if I would be ready to open. As a debutant, you can’t have preferences, and it was a challenge I readily accepted.”Having been on the fringes of the Test team, you do think of all this while sitting outside, but eventually it’s about being confident in your abilities and trusting the technique that has got you to this level.”It hasn’t always been the case. A few years ago, Nair was full of self-doubt, which stemmed not from an inability to score runs but an inability to convert starts. Till he was 19, he hadn’t scored a century at any age-group level.”I had a mental block while growing up, but that also made me learn you don’t throw away starts,” Nair says. “Not being able to convert starts made me tougher. I became more attacking. I used to make 60s and 70s and get out. When I started to attack and bat more freely, I realised the 30-40 runs came quite easily. That change in mindset made a big difference. Now, I tend to play to the situation even though I believe I’m an attacking batsman.”The vote of confidence about Nair’s technique came from the India A coach Rahul Dravid, whom he sought out ahead of the home series against South Africa A in September 2015.”Once I got the confidence from him, all my self-doubts vanished,” Nair says. “I was batting within myself initially. I asked him about the areas I needed to work on. It felt reassuring to hear him tell me there was nothing wrong.”Someone like him saying that was of real value, so I’ve never had any batting conversations with him since. He has been very supportive, backed me in pressure situations and given me the opportunity to express myself. At that stage, he had more confidence in me than I did. That sort of gives you a boost from within.”There were signs of Nair having erased that self-doubt when he made a match-saving fourth-innings century in the first unofficial Test. That earned him a maiden call-up to India’s squad, for the third Test in Sri Lanka.Dravid, who has worked closely with Nair while coaching or mentoring India A, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, picks out his hunger and attitude as qualities that have helped him transition to the next level.”Karun is still a work in progress, but obviously his skills and temperament have got him to this stage,” Dravid says. “He picks lengths early; his instincts as a batsman are solid now.”So where did he see Nair evolve into the batsman he is today?”I think the role change at Delhi Daredevils brought out the best in him,” Dravid says. “At Rajasthan Royals, he was batting behind the main guys like Shane Watson, Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane. At Delhi, we gave youngsters responsibility to drive the innings, and let seniors lower down the order handle the slightly challenging situations. He showed his ability to adapt there.”Having been part of the Test squad on two occasions without getting a look-in, Nair says the experience was an eye-opener in terms of what he needed to do to remain in those environs, and he soaked in the feeling of being in the dressing room and chatting with Kohli and the support staff.”It was a great feeling being around legends and future legends,” Nair says. “It felt amazing when they spoke of your domestic performances. That gave me a sense of belonging. Being a part of the dressing room for the first time, I still can’t describe. The Test cap is special and I’ve seen the seniors treasure it. When my chance comes, I’ll be ready.”

A round-up of all the Group A fixtures from the first round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy matches on October 9, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2016Madhya Pradesh secured a bonus-point victory on the back of an innings and 64-run thrashing of Uttar Pradesh in Hyderabad. UP, asked to follow-on after being bowled out for 176, slumped to 225 all out on the final day. Chandrakant Sakhure, the right-arm medium pacer, playing in only his third first-class game, finished with career-best figures of 6 for 40. MP’s 465 in the first innings was built around Harpreet Singh’s unbeaten 216. UP captain Suresh Raina, recovering from fever, didn’t bat in both innings.A double century from Manpreet Juneja helped Gujarat pull off a heist and pocket three points, courtesy a first-innings lead, despite conceding 544 against Baroda in Jaipur. Gujarat began the day needing 267 runs with six wickets in hand, to take a lead. The task appeared tougher when they lost the services of Rujul Bhatt, who retired hurt on 58. But Juneja found able support from Axar Patel, the left-arm-spinning allrounder, who made an unbeaten 109 as Gujarat went past Baroda’s score without losing a wicket on the final day.Railways’ push for an outright win was thwarted by Uday Kaul as Punjab salvaged a point after conceding a first-innings lead at Palam grounds in New Delhi. Set a target of 362, Punjab were 170 for 3 when play ended, with Kaul (61 not out) and Mandeep Singh (41 not out) having forged an unbroken 86-run fourth-wicket stand. Railways, who resumed on 180 for 2, lost five wickets for the addition of 65 runs before the declaration. Shivakant Shukla, who made 128 in the first innings, made 97 in the second dig. Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh had a disappointing outing, making 9 and 17 in his two outings.

After missing most of the 2015-16 season due to injury, Vernon Philander is looking to reinvent himself as a Test allrounder as he seeks to regain his place in the South African team

Firdose Moonda19-May-20163:42

Cullinan: Philander could be an ideal No. 7

Vernon Philander is looking to reinvent himself as a Test allrounder as he seeks to regain his place in the South Africa team. Philander sat out most of the 2015-16 summer after tearing ankle ligaments during the warm-ups before the Bangalore Test in November. The injury kept him out of seven of the eight Tests in the season and all the limited-overs fixtures, and saw him lose ground to a younger crop, including Kagiso Rabada. But Philander is hopeful he can still bring something to the national side.”What I do is unique: I do what I do. When it comes to the batting side of things, that’s a bonus as well,” Philander said at a sponsorship announcement on Wednesday. “We are all different types of bowlers in that set-up. It’s all about combinations at the end of the day. I’ve played a couple of crucial innings towards the back end. Batting at No.8 is just unique. If you have a guy who can bat at 8, that makes a difference. So yes, my all-round ability is something, I would like to see that still being part of the fold. That’s what I bring to the party.”Not only was Philander the fastest South African to 100 Test wickets but he has also scored four fifties in 32 Tests. With South Africa’s Test slide from No.1 to No.6 in the space of five months, it’s easy to see why they might want to recall someone with Philander’s record. However, with Dale Steyn back in the Test frame, Philander will need to replace one of the other pacers, such as Kyle Abbott. South Africa are still searching for an allrounder and they last used Chris Morris in the role but Philander hopes he can claim that spot despite a lack of recent game time.Since his injury, Philander has played only two first-class matches for his franchise but believes he has recovered well enough to be recalled. “The first match was touch-and-go from the mental side of things. The second one was much better,” he said. “I have been working hard in the gym. I am getting tired of the gym actually. The body is feeling good and I am looking forward to the season.”In the two matches, Philander bowled 33 overs and took five wickets at an economy of 2.18, showing signs of his usual miserly self. He also scored 64 runs in three innings. Philander had secured a short county stint, but failed to get a deal and was also not selected for South Africa’s ODI tri-series in the Caribbean next month. Instead, he hopes he will be picked for the A side and then the Test side to play two matches against New Zealand in August.”I know there is an A side tour going to Zimbabwe and I will probably want to play those four-day games before the New Zealand series, if selected. I am probably looking to get ready for that.”

Kieron Pollard believes West Indies could hold the mental edge over Australia ahead of Sunday’s Twenty20 in Hobart despite having been thrashed in the one-day series

Brydon Coverdale20-Feb-2010Kieron Pollard believes West Indies could hold the mental edge over Australia ahead of Sunday’s Twenty20 in Hobart despite having been thrashed in the one-day series. West Indies have beaten Australia in both the Twenty20s the teams have played and Pollard said there was a good chance that winning run could continue with a side boasting several big-hitters.”We are a pretty confident bunch in terms of the Twenty20,” Pollard said. “When you look at it, it has been evolving so fast and the West Indians, we have been performing pretty well in the Twenty20 competition. Having the edge, that little psychological advantage against them could really play in our favour.”It’s hard to imagine any squad feeling that they have the upper hand having just lost ODIs by 113 runs, eight wickets, 50 runs and 125 runs. But the freedom of Twenty20 could allow strikers like Pollard, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Smith to come in to their own without the pressure of having to bat for 50 overs.Not that Pollard had a poor one-day series – anything but. In the absence of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo, he stepped up to be West Indies’ leading run scorer in the series and was their second-top wicket taker.He registered his highest ODI score and his best innings bowling during the series and his consistency was impressive, with scores of 31, 32, 62 and 45. However, Pollard knew that cashing in on those starts on a couple of occasions might have altered the results and he hopes turning into a matchwinner will be the next step in his development.”Personally I’m happy with the way I performed so far this series,” he said. “The couple of times I’ve played for West Indies before had been pretty disappointing for me so I wanted to go out there and show some consistency in my game. I think it has been good for me.”But what has worked against me is that I’ve got the starts in the games but I haven’t really been able to capitalise. My performances should have been matchwinning for the team to be victorious.”Pollard’s power with the bat and handy medium-pace has made him an attractive Twenty20 option and he was a major part of Trinidad & Tobago’s success in reaching the Champions League final. He was the highest run getter in the Big Bash during his time with South Australia and has an IPL contract with the Mumbai Indians.It’s an impressive resume for a man who is only 22 and yet to play a Test match. But despite his suitability for the short formats, Pollard is focused on winning a place in the West Indies Test team and it’s a goal that might not be far away, given his solid first-class record of 1199 runs at 37.46.”Test cricket is going to remain as the ultimate form, it tests your mental capacity,” he said. “Hopefully one day I get the opportunity to get a maroon hat and go out there and play Test cricket for the West Indies.”

Pakistan seamer takes 4 for 36 after Daniel Lategan’s 78 lays foundation

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Aug-2025Worcestershire powered through to the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final with a 131-run (DLS) victory over Somerset at New Road.Put in, the home side totalled a solid 275 for 9 as Daniel Lategan struck his List A-best 78 against a disciplined Somerset attack with Jack Leach’s excellent 10-1-28-2 at its heart. Ben Green took 4 for 52.The target looked around par on a good pitch but Somerset’s top order imploded against Khurram Shahzad (4 for 36). The visitors lurched to 108 for 7 from 23.4 overs before rain arrived with them more than 100 runs behind the DLS score.After the resumption they further crumbled to 141 all out as Worcestershire emphatically secured a place in the final at Trent Bridge on September 20.Somerset chose to bowl but were kept waiting for their first breakthrough as openers Lategan and Brett D’Oliveira (45) added 85 in 15 overs. The bowlers gave little away though and, as risks were taken in search of acceleration, wickets began to fall.D’Oliveira drilled Kasey Aldridge to extra cover. Kashif Ali was caught with the greatest nonchalance by Finley Hill on the midwicket boundary off Green. Jake Libby skied Aldridge to mid off.Nineteen-year-old Lategan posted a polished maiden List A fifty but fell lbw, reverse-sweeping, to Leach as the spinner built pressure which also saw him bowl Rob Jones through a failed sweep. After Ethan Brookes was lbw, sweeping Tom Lammonby, Worcestershire needed some late order contributions. They got them from Henry Cullen (32) and Matthew Waite (24) before Tom Taylor (22 not out) clubbed three sixes to hoist the total to 275.Pakistan international Shahzad then began with two wides, one of which went for four, in his first three balls. From the dubious platform of 0.1-0-6-0, however, he built an opening spell of 7-2-36-4. Lammonby and Lewis Goldsworthy were beaten for pace when trying to pull and sent up catches. Archie Vaughan was brilliantly caught by Ben Allison at mid-wicket. Thomas Rew edged to slip.Worcestershire’s other seamers deepened Somerset’s plight. Waite had Joshua Thomas well caught by Lategan on the long-leg boundary and Allison dismissed Finley Hill, caught at slip, and Green, caught at mid-off.Green fell to the last ball before heavy rain arrived with Somerset in dire straits at 108 for 7. They resumed needing another 165 from 14.2 overs and quickly lost Aldridge, caught behind, and Leach, stumped, off Brookes.Last pair James Rew and Jake Ball needed to find 137 runs from ten overs. They managed five before Rew lifted Brookes to long off to trigger loud and long celebrations from the home fans.