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Celtic have a massive week of football ahead of them. It’s a week that in many ways will define what direction their season will take. Win all three matches against Aberdeen, Dundee and Rangers and they’ll be expected to coast to another Scottish Premiership title without much trouble in the new year. Defeats in one or two of the matches and they’ll have to contemplate the prospect of a real title race.

It all starts on Saturday with the visit of the Dons and although they have a massive derby against Rangers too look forward to on the 30th, this weekend’s match is arguably more important.

The Hoops are probably more vulnerable now than they ever have been under Brendan Rodgers and although they have a great record against Aberdeen in the manager’s time in Glasgow, Saturday is set to be a tough test.

Here are THREE reasons why this is Celtic’s biggest match of the domestic season so far…

They’ve just destroyed a difficult to beat Hibs team

Celtic have a struggled in the odd match against numerous teams over the last 12 months, but against Hibernian it’s becoming a bit of a habit with Neil Lennon’s side showing on two occasions they can be a match for Brendan Rodgers’ team. It’s perhaps rather disconcerting then that Aberdeen are coming into Saturday’s match with Celtic having just destroyed the Edinburgh side 4-1.

The Dons looked at their lethal best against Hibs last week, with former Hoops star Gary Mackay-Steven netting a hat-trick and generally terrifying what has been a fairly impressive defence this season.

Ever since Derek McInnes turned down Rangers they’ve been on a tear, winning three matches from three and capitalising on Celtic’s defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle.

Catching Aberdeen on an off day often results in a routine win for Celtic, but catching them in this form, after a long month, will this one an especially difficult 90 minutes.

They’ll likely be Celtic’s closest challengers again

Despite Rangers getting their act together a bit this season results wise, and defeating the Dons twice in a week recently, Aberdeen are still showing that over long stretches they are still the second most consistent team in Scotland and Celtic’s closest challengers.

A win against the Hoops on Saturday would put them to within just two points of the league leaders and with two home matches to follow while Celtic have to travel to Dens Park and face Rangers in a big derby, that gives them a decent chance of ending the year on level points or even ahead of the Scottish champions. A win of course puts them eight points clear, breathing room in the midst of a difficult set of fixtures.

If ever there was a time to show their dominance over Aberdeen, Saturday is it and the Hoops can’t slip up or risk heading into the winter break with their tail between their legs.

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Derek McInnes has a point to prove

Derek McInnes recently committed his future to the club after making the massive decision to turn down Rangers and in doing so he is re-iterating his desire that Aberdeen can win trophies under his watch. He’s done an impressive job at the Dons but only has one solitary league cup to show for it and since Brendan Rodgers arrived in Scotland, they’ve looked even more unlikely to add to that.

McInnes’ record against Rodgers is poor, in the seven matches between the two, Rodgers’ side have come out on top in all seven, scoring 17 goals in the process and conceding just three. It’s been so difficult for the Dons to even get close to Celtic.

The difference in resources is of course huge but if McInnes is truly going to deliver success at Pittodrie, he needs to find a way to win against Celtic, and after showing loyalty to Aberdeen, this would be the time to do it, making his side even more dangerous this weekend.

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have now put Robin van Persie’s departure behind them as they chase third place in the Premier League.

The Frenchman accepts that it took his side a while to adjust to life without him after their former captain and star striker moved to Manchester United last summer.

Wenger’s own position at the Emirates Stadium has even been called into question by critics at times this season, with the Gunners at one point dropping as low as 10th in the Premier League.

However, Wenger’s men have regrouped well since seemingly dropping out of contention for a top-four finish, with the Frenchman pin-pointing the Champions League win over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena as the catalyst for their upturn in form.

As a result of their improvement, third place isn’t now beyond them either heading into tomorrow’s final game at Newcastle, although they do need Chelsea to slip up to Everton.

Wenger feels it is testament to the strength of character of a squad which was rebuilt around Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud following the acrimonious departure of captain Van Persie to Manchester United for £24million.

The Gunners boss said: “This team suffered for a very long time from a lack of confidence because you take the talisman away – Robin van Persie – and get the new players in, then you lose the first big games and suddenly we are faced with scepticism around the team. You could see that.

“That was the problem and balancing the team took a while, to find a formula to have a good balance in the team. Since this has been back, we have been very efficient.

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“The Bayern Munich away game was very important, you could feel after that we could do it, that helped.

“I never felt this team lacked focus or desire to do well but we lacked confidence for a while.”

Blair Tickner, who was taken to hospital for treatment soon after picking up the injury, “is awaiting further specialist assessment to determine his return to play”

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2025Blair Tickner will not bowl or field at all, and is unlikely to bat for the remainder of the ongoing second Test between New Zealand and West Indies in Wellington, after dislocating his left shoulder while diving to stop a boundary on the first day of the game on Wednesday.Tickner, who was taken to hospital for treatment soon after his injury, which he suffered in the second session of the first day, has joined the squad at the ground but “is awaiting further specialist assessment to determine his return to play”, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on Thursday.Tickner, who led New Zealand’s fast-bowling show on the opening day with a four-for, had to be stretchered off in the 67th over of West Indies’ innings when he attempted to prevent a boundary at fine leg. Chasing a flick from Tevin Imlach, he dived full-length near the rope and stayed down, prompting concern from his team-mates. The medical staff from the New Zealand camp and the venue attended to him before he was taken off the field – sitting up but in obvious discomfort – to warm applause from the Basin Reserve crowd.Playing his first Test since early 2023, Tickner had been drafted into the XI for this match after injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith in Christchurch. His 4 for 32 from 16 overs made him New Zealand’s best bowler on the day. His injury, however, added to an already lengthy list of unavailable fast bowlers for New Zealand this series, which includes Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke and Matt Fisher.New Zealand are now facing the prospect of losing a third fast bowler this series. They were similarly reduced in Christchurch, which had a knock-on effect and allowed West Indies to bat out a draw.Before being forced off, Tickner trapped Brandon King (33) and Kavem Hodge (0) lbw, used a sharp bouncer to dismiss Shai Hope for 48, and uprooted Roston Chase’s leg stump to put New Zealand firmly in control.In Tickner’s absence, New Zealand’s bowling in West Indies’ second innings will have to be shouldered by Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and debutant Michael Rae, with the part-time spin trio of Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson and occasional medium-pacer Daryl Mitchell around to chip in as needed.

South Africa top order batter set for first county stint after impressing in domestic T20

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2024Northamptonshire have signed South Africa top-order batter Matthew Breetzke for the the upcoming Vitality T20 Blast.Breetzke, 25, has won three T20I caps for his country but was not named in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad and should be available throughout the group stage alongside Northamptonshire’s other overseas signing, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza.”Matt is a very capable batter who will bring power, experience and some real determination to the side,” John Sadler, Northamptonshire’s head coach, said. “We identified what we wanted to achieve with our overseas signings this year and he fits the profile of exactly the type of player that we wanted to bring in as our second overseas.Related

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“He has been excellent over the last couple of seasons domestically and we’ve been really impressive so we can’t wait to see him this summer.”In a tough market for overseas signings, Breetzke stood out with his domestic T20 form. He was the third-highest run-scorer at the 2023-24 SA20, with 416 at a strike rate of 135.50 for Durban’s Super Giants, then topped the list in the recently completed CSA T20 Challenge, with 467 runs for Warriors.Breetzke said: “I am very excited to join the Steelbacks for the upcoming Vitality Blast and really grateful for the opportunity. I hope to contribute a lot on and off the field during my time at the club.”

The England pacer, who should continue to take on new-ball duties in New Zealand, has particular issues with the ball used in day-night Tests

Vithushan Ehantharajah12-Feb-2023The drive to Mount Maunganui from Hamilton takes barely a session, through the lush greens and postcard backdrops you’d associate with New Zealand. But on Sunday the vistas were blurred by the first winds and driving rains ahead of Cyclone Gabrielle’s visit to the North Island at the start of next week.Preparations ahead of the opening Test on Thursday at Bay Oval are set to be severely hampered, with domestic flights to nearby Tauranga Airport cancelled, and with no indoor facilities beyond an admittedly impressive marquee that will probably end up as a glorified kite. England are not worried, believing their two-day match against New Zealand XI in Hamilton supplemented by seven intense practice sessions since arriving in the country at the end of February should hold them in good stead.They were certainly in no rush to get down on Sunday evening, stopping along the way for a barbecue at casa del McCullum, which sits at a neat halfway point just outside the town of Matamata. And by all accounts, they aren’t in a rush for the series opener, their seventh pink-ball Test.Related

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“It’s a bit gimmicky,” said seamer Ollie Robinson on day-night matches in general. Perhaps an unsurprising viewpoint from an Englishman given they have lost five out of the six they’ve played, each by considerable margins. The last one over here came just up the road in Auckland back in 2018 – a humiliating innings and 49-run defeat after getting bowled out in their first innings for 58.”They’re trying to get crowds and and change the game a little bit. But the way England are playing Test cricket at the moment, I don’t think that needs to happen. We could stick to how we’re going and we’re entertaining people as we are so I’m not sure if it’s necessary really.”Just traditional Test cricket – there’s nothing wrong with it to start with. I don’t think we need to play these pink-ball games.”The ball is the main gripe, something not limited to this group of players. Especially the Kookaburra version which has been used most in the 23 day-night matches so far. Criticisms range from a loss of colour to varying degrees of hardness dependent on the batch. And, of course, little assistance off the seam or through the air. Even the greater threat to the twilight period seems to be due to batters struggling to adjust their eyes.”I think they’re all different. Every time I play with it, they’ve been different. Some have swung, some have seamed and some are harder. Some are softer. The warmup game the other day, I got hit with a 65-over-old ball and it hurt more than a brand new ball. It’s just like a rock.”I’m not a massive fan of that, no. We’ve been trying to get them to swing this last week and they’re very inconsistent and the seams a bit grippier in the surface. They’re just not a traditional cricket ball.”Robinson has a pretty good record with the pink Kookaburra. Across the three times he’s used it, all in Australia – two Tests during the recent Ashes series (Adelaide and Hobart) and against Australia A at the MCG for the Lions in February 2020 – he has taken 12 wickets at 24.41. Throw in a match with the Dukes equivalent for Sussex against Glamorgan in 2018, and his overall pink average drops to 21.06, close to an overall first-class average of 20.71.Clearly, whether he likes it or not, he has found a way to make it work for him. Therefore you would expect him to continue this week in his newly acquired opening role. It was as much something he took from Stuart Broad as the veteran quick gave to him upon Robinson’s return to the side for the second Test against South Africa last summer. Ahead of the match at Old Trafford, Broad suggested to Ben Stokes the 29-year-old’s skills warranted first dibs after overcoming general fitness concerns.The captain agreed and Robinson went on to 12 wickets at 15 in the remaining two matches of the summer, as England overturned a 1-0 deficit against South Africa.”To get that opportunity to bowl with Jimmy [James Anderson] at the other end was really special for me and my career. And Broady was really good about it as well. Every morning he’d tap me on the back, good luck, go well. Talk to me at mid-off every other ball. So the three of us have got a really good relationship about it. And it’s been going really well for the last 18 months.”A more wide-ranging part came in Pakistan as the only quick bowler to play all three back-to-back matches. Wedding the usual control with relentless spells of bumpers and even reverse swing, he finished with nine dismissals at 21.22.Starting 2023 with 60 at a ridiculous 20.01 from 14 caps so far, and more equipped for the rigours of multiple spells across multiple days, he has offered more than a glimpse of a future beyond Broad and Anderson. England’s dexterity with their bowling this tour centres around the opposition’s batting which is left-hand heavy at the top of the order with Tom Latham and Devon Conway, with Olly Stone the outlier given his extra pace.The improved durability, more of a lifestyle change than a short-term fix, is something that is on the way to becoming a standout trait for Robinson, even given the outright skill he possesses. His aim, in essence, is to prove him worth of being a constant, much like Anderson, to allow others to come in and out and do their work around him.”That’s obviously what I’m going for. Try and be economical, let the boys around me with pace sometimes go hard and I’ll try and hold the game like we did in Pakistan when Woody [Mark Wood] played. That’s probably my role and if I can play as many games as possible to help the team that’s what I’ll do.”It proved crucial in Pakistan and will be especially so this summer with six Tests across seven weeks, with the one-off match with Ireland and a condensed Ashes series. The prospect of the latter meant a number of England players have been following the start of Australia’s tour of India, which culminated in a collapse for 91 on Saturday evening in New Zealand to confirm defeat inside three days.”It’s always good to see the Aussies lose,” Robinson said with a wry smile. Even then, he appreciated the nature of the wicket and the way the game fell, believing India’s batters had the better conditions to bat: “Sometimes you win the toss, bat first but then it almost plays better second day”.Nevertheless, he was taking what cues he could on how Pat Cummins’ charges might approach the summer. All the more important as he enters his third year at this level – one he regards as the most important so far.”I think it’s probably the biggest year of my career now. It’s an exciting year and I think with the group and the environment we’ve got it’s going to be amazing. The memories that we’re going to create and hopefully the Test match wins we’re going to do. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Allrounder could miss entire series after failing to recover from hamstring injury

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2021Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of Bangladesh’s first Test against Pakistan in Chattogram, which begins on Friday. It was, however, an inevitable decision from the BCB’s medical team after Shakib apparently failed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained during the T20 World Cup.Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that Shakib might take longer to recover, which could mean that he is entirely out of the Test series against Pakistan.Related

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“Shakib’s hamstring injury hasn’t improved,” Abedin said. “Shakib needs further rehabilitation. Our physiotherapist is constantly taking care of him. We understood that he wouldn’t be available for the first Test. We are also not sure of his availability for the second Test. The physio will let us know soon. We haven’t called up a replacement since we picked the 16-man squad knowing Shakib’s condition.”Shakib missed the last two matches of Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign, as well as the three T20Is in the series against Pakistan. Bangladesh have grown accustomed to playing Tests without Shakib even after his return from suspension this year. Shakib appeared in only one Test in the World Test Championship, against West Indies in February, a game in which he got injured midway. Shakib also played against Zimbabwe in the Harare Test in July.Bangladesh are already without Tamim Iqbal in this Test series due to a second thumb fracture after he had seemingly recovered from the first one. Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam are also out with injuries for the Chattogram Test. Taskin hurt his hand during the third T20I against Pakistan while Shoriful sustained a back injury during the second game.Bangladesh’s Test series against Pakistan is their first in the new WTC cycle. They are also scheduled to play against Sri Lanka and India at home next year, apart from tours to South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand to round off their WTC schedule.

Regional Retainers designed to bridge financial gap in season disrupted by Covid-19

Valkerie Baynes19-May-2020Up to 24 domestic women’s cricketers will receive retainer payments from June 1 as the ECB tries to ease some of the financial hardship of their season being disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown.The ECB was due to award full-time contracts to 40 domestic players this year under a plan to transform women’s and girls’ cricket, with those players involved in a 50-over competition between eight new regional teams in September. Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, said it was still the intention to award those contracts in 2020, but that the regional retainers were designed to support players financially in the meantime.”The momentum behind the women’s game has been staggering in the last few years and it is still firmly our ambition to build on that,” Connor said on Tuesday. “As we emerge from this pandemic, we believe even more strongly that cricket will be a sport that throws its arms around everyone – truly inclusive, diverse and a sport for modern Britain to be proud of.ALSO READ: Hundred delay a knock for women’s game – Katie Levick“This was due to be the most exciting year in the game’s history for our leading domestic players. A number of them would have been hoping to sign a full-time contract with one of our eight Regions this summer. While we still intend to award those full-time contracts in 2020, we want to try to support our players as much as we can until that point, hence the introduction of these Retainers to provide an interim solution.”As the effects of COVID-19 on the rest of the summer and beyond become more apparent, we will continue to support our players to the best of our ability, and we promise them that our drive for a more gender-balanced sport remains vitally important.”ECB Women’s Cricket Regions•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Earlier this month, Connor said that while the domestic competition had not been removed from this year’s schedule, “we have to plan for it not to happen as much as we have to plan for it to happen”. Meanwhile, the decision to postpone the inaugural Hundred competition until 2021 left a host of women’s players facing the prospect of not playing – or earning an income from the sport – this season.The eight regions will recruit players to the retainer scheme and, in turn, the players will take part in strength and conditioning programmes, online education on topics including anti-corruption and anti-doping, and devote time to activities and appearances aimed at supporting the game.

Their resignation came hours before the Mumbai Cricket Association ad-hoc committee meeting on Friday that was to decide their fate

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2019In a bizarre move on Friday, Mumbai’s entire five-man selection panel resigned hours before the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) ad-hoc committee meeting on Friday that was to decide their fate. Chairman Ajit Agarkar and his colleagues Nilesh Kulkarni, Sunil More and Ravi Thakkar emailed their resignations to the ad-hoc committee and the MCA CEO CS Naik on Friday afternoon. The resignations came after the conclusion of Mumbai’s domestic season even though there had been moves to end their stint mid-season.Creating further chaos, the former Mumbai pair of Amol Muzumdar and Sahil Kukreja, two of the four members on the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) that picked the selection panel, are understood to have tendered their resignations on the same day. The MCA, however, has not made any public statement yet on whether it has accepted the resignations.It is understood that Agarkar told the MCA that he did not wish to continue next season as he wanted to focus on personal commitments. The CIC is scheduled to meet on March 19 to decide on the next step.Although the resignations appear to be a sudden development, the pressure on Agarkar’s selection panel had been simmering for months. It eventually boiled over at a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the MCA in February, where some of the members – the clubs – passed a resolution directing the CIC to remove the selectors. The members said that they had “lost confidence” in Agarkar’s panel, who they accused of not watching enough club games.The CIC, which is headed by former Mumbai and India fast bowler Raju Kulkarni, overruled the resolution “unanimously”, saying the selectors’ commitment was beyond question.This was an unprecedented situation. On one hand, the MCA members were now calling for the selectors to be removed; on the other, the CIC, set up by their own managing committee, was against questioning their commitment. In a bind, the four-member ad-hoc committee, comprising Naik, MCA secretary Unmesh Khanwilkar, Shah Alam, Naveen Shetty and Ganesh Iyer, is believed to have taken legal advice before Friday’s meeting. It is understood the ad-hoc committee conveyed to the selectors they couldn’t set aside the SGM resolution.It is understood the selection committee has not been popular with the MCA members. Parsee Gymkhana vice-president and secretary Khodadad S Yazdegardi sought the removal of selectors through an SGM back in July 2018, but didn’t succeed. The matter also died down as Mumbai began the season by winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The move against the selectors regained momentum when Mumbai failed to make the quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy this season, which led to the meeting in February where the resolution to sack them was passed. Mumbai, however, bowed out of the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with a win against UP in the last Super League game on Tuesday, which wasn’t enough to ensure them a berth in the final.

Steven Smith also spoke about the importance of keeping Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins together when the Ashes were up for grabs

Daniel Brettig in Sydney08-Jan-20181:45

Lyon’s run-out at the Gabba changed series – Smith

Cameron Bancroft will be pitted against Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and perhaps Dale Steyn in South Africa during the looming Test series in March, if the Australia captain Steven Smith’s words are anything to go by.Despite struggling over the course of his first Ashes series, notably showing evidence of technical trouble in the region of his off stump, Bancroft is highly regarded by the Australian team set-up after spending six weeks in camp. This is partly for his high work ethic and eagerness to improve, and also for an off-beat personality summed up when he had Smith in stitches when describing his pre-series altercation with Jonny Bairstow in the aftermath of the Gabba Test.Given all these attributes, the 25-year-old Bancroft has won Smith’s support ahead of the selectors’ discussions about who should travel to South Africa. As if to remind them of the player discarded to make room for Bancroft, the Queensland opener Matt Renshaw is set to play in England’s 50-over warm-up match before the ODI series, but Smith gave no indication of wanting to change back to another opening partner for David Warner.”He’s worked hard and he probably hasn’t scored as many runs as he would have liked throughout this series,” Smith said. “But he’s a good young player, he’s a great character and he’s got a terrific work ethic. The more he plays, he’s going to continue to improve and get better. If the selectors keep the faith – I hope they do – it will only be good for him and good for the group.”Smith had plenty of praise for his team after wrapping up a 4-0 series victory over England to regain the Ashes, and pinpointed Nathan Lyon’s direct hit to run out James Vince on the first day of the series in Brisbane as pivotal to the overall outcome. “The moment that changed the whole series was Nathan Lyon and the run out [of James Vince] at the Gabba,” Smith said. “That was such a huge moment in the series. Those sort of plays can change the series. I certainly think that was a series-changing moment.”I think all the bowlers did an exceptional job. Lyon got a lot of rewards throughout the series and bowled exceptionally well. I was looking yesterday when we were out on the field it came up with all the wickets this series the bowlers had got, each one of them had over 20. It showed the guys have bowled together as a group, bowled in partnerships and for one another and helped us take the 80 wickets that we needed to win the four Test matches. Nathan’s been exceptional with that as well. His consistency has been outstanding.”Pat Cummins was hostile after lunch•Getty Images

As for the ability of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to remain fit for the matches that mattered at the front end of the series, Smith spoke warmly about how the team’s support and medical staff had mapped out plans to have the “big three” pacemen at their best. “They’ve done it so well throughout this series. It’s been nice to have those three guys playing together,” he said.”So much went in to ensure those guys were right for this series. A lot of credit has to be given to the support staff, medical staff and all of that for getting it all right and coming together the way it did. It’s nice to have those options available. All those guys bowl a little bit different to each other but all bowl really good pace. In Australia that works really well, it’s been great.”Having started the Ashes by laughing alongside Bancroft, Smith had also generated plenty of mirth by how he reacted to Shaun Marsh’s spontaneous decision to try to hug his brother Mitchell Marsh upon completing a hundred rather than finish a second run. The resulting near-run out made Smith briefly apoplectic, but he could laugh about it in the afterglow of the Sydney victory, while also acknowledging how much the Marsh brothers had contributed to the scoreline.”Looking back, it was quite funny,” Smith said. “When I’m watching or when I’m playing I’m sort of always in the moment. Watching the ball not going to the fence and seeing them start to hug in the middle just seemed a little bit bizarre. I just wanted them to get back in their ground and not get run out. Shaun came in the rooms after and I said ‘what happened there?’. He goes ‘I just wanted to hug him, I didn’t care about anything else, I just wanted to hug him’. It was a strange moment but a pretty special moment for the two brothers.””Everyone has had a role to play and had some impact on this series. You see the two Marsh boys…Shaun throughout the whole series and Mitch in the last three Test matches … have been magnificent. All the guys have had an impact in the series and that’s what has been so special about it. It hasn’t just been one or two guys stepping up and doing the job. You can’t really win an Ashes series when that’s the case, so it’s been good that so many different people have stood up at different times to help us win the series.”As for the future, Smith has previously stated his goal of winning the Ashes away from home, something no Australian team has done since 2001. He was unsure of whether or not the current team should be favoured to win next time around, but did indicate that he felt keeping a young team together over time would help all of its members to gain in strength and confidence.”A lot can change between now and then. That’s still a long time away. But this team has been magnificent this series, the cricket we’ve played has been great,” Smith said. “I think the more we play together the more we’re going to get better as a group. We’ve just got to keep getting better and improving as a team. England in 2019 is a long way away but it is a real challenge for us as well and a bucket list for mine to win an Ashes series in England.”I think it’s different obviously to playing with a Kookaburra here. It can move around consistently at times. I think everyone is vulnerable to a moving ball. It’s about just trying to find a way to have a solid defence and a game plan that can work in those conditions. Over the next couple of years guys are going to continue to develop and get that game plan in place.””It’s a tough tour, going to England, it’s a great place to play and a difficult place for any team travelling. England play incredibly well at home. I don’t know who would be favourites. But I now do look forward to going over there in 2019.”

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.