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A significant performance from Sammy would go a long way in increasing West Indies’ standing

Sidharth Monga in Dhaka03-Mar-2011Darren Sammy’s Twitter page has been quiet of late. There is no flamboyance of old. He is not talking, social-networking rather, of the honey from the comb, of slippery balls, of fine legs. To be fair to Sammy, those were the days before the West Indies captaincy happened to him. Things have changed since then. His last sign of flair was on January 10 when he tweeted: “Nurses needed@ the Sir viv stadium, windwards team will be in labor,contractions from 4pm. STARS WILL BE BORN.” And this is a tamer version of the old Sammy.It is fair to say that captaincy has mellowed down the tweeter in Sammy. It is a sign of the responsibility that captaincy of a group of islands with a proud cricketing history brings. Sammy also knows that captaincy brings with itself another responsibility: that of individual performance to be able to command the respect of a disparate team, to justify his selection as a player first. While he has successfully established a measure of control on his tweeting, the same can’t be emphatically said on the performance front.In ODIs, Sammy last took a wicket against a Test-playing nation in February 2010. As captain, he averages 75.33 with the ball and 8.5 with the bat. Then again, he is not the kind of cricketer that will be done justice to by numbers alone. Sammy the cricketer is the exact opposite of Sammy the tweeter. No one expects him to set the world on fire with either his batting or bowling. What stood out before Sammy became the captain was that he was the hard-working kind, the sensible head in a team that has now earned a reputation of not always playing sensible cricket, of not always fighting till the bitter end.Darren Sammy doesn’t have the flair, but he has the passion•AFP

Sammy didn’t have the flair, but he had passion. Then again, the first question when he was named captain was, how far passion and hard work alone would carry him. Especially when bits-and-pieces players like him don’t quite have the comfort of match-winning brilliance to fall back on. The rope is usually shorter for such players. The cold fact right now remains that Sammy bats too low for a non-threatening medium-pacer as himself to be termed an allrounder. Questions will be asked when he is the captain of the side too. In fact questions are being asked.Sammy’s response is full of the positivity that perhaps was a factor when he was named captain. “As a captain, you’d want to perform,” Sammy said on the eve of the crucial match against Bangladesh in Mirpur. “For me I always feel like I am only one great performance away. I have the right mindset to lead the team, and the team is responding, and I am aware of my own personal form. The kind of person I am, the kind of mentality I have, I am only one performance away from being at my best. That’s how I see it.”To make matters worse, West Indies have lost Dwayne Bravo to injury. Sammy says they have been using the loss of Bravo as their inspiration. It should also come as an opportunity for Sammy to push himself slightly higher up in the order, and also bowl more overs and look to take wickets with the ball. West Indies have never been ranked so low going into a World Cup, in terms of ICC ratings and expectations. The opponents generally still fear one of those Chris Gayle days, but not much else, especially with Bravo out of the equation. A significant performance from Sammy would go a long way in disproving that notion. He could tweet about it then.

Tuesday’s game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore was a template of how, finally, the Indian cricket fan’s experience could match up to the best.

George Binoy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium16-Mar-2010Spectators in India, for too long, have had to tolerate sub-standard conditions•Getty Images

A smooth entry: “Quite long queues, don’t wait too long [to leave for the stadium]” warned a colleague already at the Chinnaswamy. Entering a stadium in India can be an unforgettably unpleasant experience because of aforementioned queues, bottleneck entry points and the slow processing of tickets and security checks by officious policemen.The security was tight today but unobtrusive – spectators got in quickly, past the impressive electronic turnstiles, were frisked smoothly and reached their seats without constantly thinking it would have been easier to watch the game on television. All along the way there were enough volunteers to help with directions and in easing the rush.Don’t bring your own, we’ll give you some: The list of items spectators are forbidden to bring with them is long and all encompassing. You wouldn’t get in with a large flag, or something to create a din with. But the organisers were handing it all out. ‘Cheer kits’, Royal Challenger flags, inflatable noisemakers and more. The props were everywhere and the fans used them. The result was a sea of waving flags and an awful din.F&B: The last time around, even expensive seats at IPL games witnessed an unseemly rush for food, a shortage of water and fights at the wine and beer counters. There’s no liquor on sale this time but plenty of food and beverages – even pizzas delivered to your seat, fairly warm and tempting – and, crucially, lots of free bottled water. That may seem trivial to cricket fans elsewhere but a huge step up from the regular in-stadia food and drink in India.Play the funky music : A clever compere knows how to work the crowd, and picks the right moments to rouse them. Today’s DJ had his moments. In the ninth over Anil Kumble stopped two powerful drives from Ravi Bopara off his own bowling. The second one hurt him and he walked away, calling for the physio to come and attend to his hand. The compere urged the crowd to get behind their captain, beginning the chant of “Jumbo, Jumbo”. It caught on quickly and soon “R-C-B, R-C-B” became the rallying call as Punjab’s openers forged a threatening partnership.He then played his music – theme songs for both Bangalore and Punjab – and repeatedly urged the crowd to cheer whenever the cricket stopped: in between balls, between overs, during time-outs. It was incessant and an assault on the senses of the more sedate cricket fan who’d also want to pay attention to field placements, bowling changes and other minutiae. But if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, there was dancing in the aisles, on chairs, and on some walls too.The local connection: Pick your players with care. Bangalore have made a concerted effort to build domestic talent within their team. They bought Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa, Karnataka players who were Mumbai Indians in 2008, and when they batted today, the crowd responded magnificently.Admittedly they didn’t have much to cheer for while Punjab were stacking up 203, but there was a terrific atmosphere when Pandey began to tee off. The noise built to a crescendo when Uthappa, at No. 3, overtook Kallis during a game-changing half-century. He felt it too. “It’s a great feeling when you get that sort of backing in front of your home crowd,” Uthappa said. “I feel very much an integral part of the side now [after shifting from Mumbai].”It’s not just television: The IPL’s big bucks come from selling television rights. Ticket sales make up only a tiny percentage of the revenue. However, to achieve their goal of building a fan base for each of franchises, and filling stadiums, the organisers would do well to follow Bangalore’s example. Kolkata already had a faithful following. Not all of the others do.Location, location, location: The modern trend of building stadiums in the middle of nowhere, as in Nagpur and Hyderabad, has its advantages but the Chinnaswamy’s location in the heart of Bangalore puts it right at the top of the pile. Where else in India can you come out of a cricket ground and, within a five-minute walk, be in the city centre? Where else, indeed, is the weather pleasant enough to walk around the square mile of pubs and restaurants?The complaints: It’d also be nice if none of the seats were broken, especially if the ticket costs Rs. 2750.

Tim David’s blitz in vain for St Lucia Kings, who went down by 27 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2025Captain Rovman Powell led the way, smashing an unbeaten 41 off 17 balls, as Barbados Royals secured their first win in CPL 2025. Despite that, Royals remained at the bottom of the points table and David Wiese’s St Lucia Kings remained at the top along with Nicholas Pooran’s Trinbago Knight Riders. Currently, only net run-rate separates Kings and TKR.After they were asked to bat first, Royals didn’t start well. They lost Quinton de Kock to left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre in the third over and by the end of the powerplay, they had managed only 39 for 1. Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wristspinner from South Africa, then stifled Royals even further by taking out Brandon King (42), Kadeem Alleyne (39) and Sherfane Rutherford (16) in his four overs which cost Kings only 26 runs.When Powell joined Chris Green, Royals were 120 for 5 in the 16th over. Powell then teed off, lining up Alzarri Joseph for two sixes and a four in the 19th over. In the final over of the innings, bowled by rookie Delano Potgieter, Powell and Green combined to take three fours and a six.Green wasn’t done just yet. He struck with the new ball, dismissing Johnson Charles and Roston Chase. Wicketkeeper-opener Tim Seifert raced to 24 off 13 before he was bowled by Jomel Warrican. Tim David, one of the most dangerous finishers in the world, then threatened to take the game away from Royals until Daniel Sams interneved and cut his innings short on 44 off 28 balls.David’s dismissal left Kings at 94 for 6 in 12 overs, needing 98 off 48 balls. Cameos from Wiese and Joseph got Kings closer, but Royals finally wrapped up their first victory this season and kept their hopes of making the playoffs alive.

The skipper struck her first fifty before the spin twins rocked Giants, who suffered their fourth successive loss

Valkerie Baynes03-Mar-2024Meg Lanning’s half-century and another class bowling display by Jess Jonassen propelled Delhi Capitals to the top of the WPL table and kept Gujarat Giants winless in Bengaluru on Sunday.Having won the toss and opted to bowl, Giants were ragged in the field, missing five chances as they sought their first win of the season. One of those was Lanning, and she made them pay with a 41-ball 55 despite Meghna Singh’s impressive four-wicket haul. Lanning moved past 9,000 T20 runs during the course of her innings, which was the stand-out for Capitals for whom Alice Capsey made a start and Annabel Sutherland played a neat cameo of 20 from 12.Related

• 'Weight has been lifted' – Lanning enjoying cricket after international retirement

• Satghare comes in for Hemalatha to become the first concussion substitute in the WPL

Ashleigh Gardner threatened with a 31-ball 40 but when she fell to Jonassen, who backed up her 3 for 21 against RCB on Thursday with 3 for 22, Giants were left still searching for a first victory since their sixth match of WPL 2023. Radha Yadav claimed a valuable 3 for 20 for Capitals to put the result beyond any doubt.

Jonassen gets the job done

Titas Sadhu, making her WPL debut after seven T20Is for India, opened the bowling in the absence of Marizanne Kapp and started with a maiden as Capitals launched their defence of 163 for 8. Shikha Pandey struck with her third ball, an absolute gem which swung in late and snuck through the gap between Laura Wolvaardt’s bat and pad to crash into the top of leg stump, removing the South Africa opener for a three-ball duck. Pandey could have had another moments later when she struck Beth Mooney on the pad in line with middle stump but Capitals errantly chose not to review the on-field reprieve.Phoebe Litchfield helped herself to 11 runs off Sadhu’s second over. Then three fours in four balls to Mooney and Litchfield off Pandey had Giants cruising in the fourth over. But Jonassen entered the attack and pinned Mooney on the front pad adjacent to the stumps and Giants had to try and rebuild. Jonassen struck again, however, when Litchfield spooned one straight to mid-off and the momentum swung firmly towards Capitals.Radha, at deep midwicket, put down a catch off Veda Krishnamurthy, on 6, but crucially Giants were well behind on 41 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. After seven overs, they had already faced 25 dot balls. Gardner cut loose with a 78m six and four off Arundhati Reddy so that at the halfway point of the innings Giants were 72 for 4, needing 92 more. Jonassen returned to the attack with Giants needing 60 from six overs and she all but ended their hopes, putting the ball on a length outside off-stump as Gardner advanced, swung and missed. Taniya Bhatia whipped off the bails with Gardner too far down the track and Giants too far behind.Meghna Singh became the first Indian fast bowler with a four-for in the WPL•BCCI

Meghna shines big-time for Giants

Shafali Verma struck the first ball she faced, from Tanuja Kanwar, through square leg for four with impeccable timing and two balls later lofted a six back over the bowler’s head. To make matters worse for Giants, Kanwar dropped a return catch off Shafali at the end of the over, which cost 12 runs there and then, and who was to know how many more at that point. As it turned out, Shafali added just three more before Meghna had her comfortably caught by Wolvaardt at square leg. Lanning and Capsey settled into a rhythm and took Capitals to 51 for 1 by the end of the powerplay, but Meghna struck again with the crucial wicket of Capsey, who was in good form with scores of 75 and 46 heading into the match. Meghna ended Capsey’s latest innings on 27 with a tempter outside off stump, sliced to Kanwar at backward point, and she wasn’t done yet.

Lanning lifts her side

That sent Capitals into their shell as 19 deliveries came and went without a boundary. Lanning broke that by thumping debutant Tarannum Pathan over long-off for a maximum and from there she looked busy once more. Lanning should have been gone for 30 when she spooned a Mannat Kashyap delivery straight to mid-off, where Kathryn Bryce missed a sitter. Gardner had conceded 11 runs off her first over and her second went for 13 as Lanning moved within one clean strike of her fifty. She got there with an authoritative jab to the right of midwicket which was so well hit it evaded Gardner’s best efforts to stop it just inside the rope at deep midwicket. Another four over cover came off the next ball but it was Lanning’s anguish and Meghna’s joy when D Hemalatha moved to her left and held on at cover point to stop the Capitals skipper in full flow after her second half-century of the campaign.Jemimah Rodrigues laboured to 7 off 10 balls before Mannat Kashyap had her taken by Pathan at short third, but with Sutherland – in the side for Marizanne Kapp – and Jonassen at the crease, Capitals remained dangerous. Sutherland hit a monster 76m six off Bryce and, two balls later, Jonassen was let off by Hemalatha, who copped a blow to the forehead as the ball flew through her hands at deep midwicket and ended up needing a concussion substitute. Jonassen dispatched a Gardner full toss over the fence at deep square leg but was well caught behind by Mooney next ball. Kanwar bowled an excellent 17th over and was rewarded with the wicket of Sutherland, caught by Gardner at deep midwicket. Meghna juggled a catch at long-on to remove Arundhati Reddy and give Gardner her second, the look on the bowler’s face making her relief palpable. After Kashyap shelled one at extra cover, Meghna trapped Radha lbw with the last ball of the innings, to become the first Indian fast bowler to pick up a four-for in the WPL.

Captain Ervine says the team is still positive ahead of the clash against Netherlands, but a lot of things need to go right

Himanshu Agrawal01-Nov-20222:24

Moody: Zimbabwe will look to maintain momentum and popularity

Big picture

It is not often that Zimbabwe stand a decent chance of qualifying for the semi-final of an ICC tournament. They were one win away from making the final four of the ICC Knockout – later renamed Champions Trophy – in 2000, but fell short against New Zealand; they made the Super Sixes in the 2003 World Cup, but fizzled out in the race to the last four.All these years later, a well-rated Zimbabwe unit led by an allrounder living a dream are two steps away from history. To begin, they will need to beat Netherlands, something they will surely fancy.Although they are still in contention, Zimbabwe need a collective performance to keep themselves afloat before the much-tougher challenge of India comes their way. Wessly Madhevere helped them rack up 79 in nine overs against South Africa but the rest of their batters hardly contributed, before the bowling was clubbed for 51 in three overs; but when they squeezed through a one-run win against Pakistan, it was their bowlers Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava who helped defend a meagre 130; and come Bangladesh, only Sean Williams made a defining contribution as Zimbabwe fell short by just three runs in pursuit of 151.For Netherlands, four out of their six games so far in this World Cup – including the first round – saw tight finishes. They won two of those four matches, before India and Pakistan brushed them aside. But like their bowlers showed by dismissing four batters and making Pakistan work hard even in their chase of 92, Netherlands aren’t easy to push over.Although they are already out of the tournament after threatening to upset Bangladesh in their first game of the Super 12s, the Dutch have certainly left their mark. After all, Max O’Dowd is the World Cup’s fifth-highest run-scorer and Bas de Leede is its joint second-highest wicket-taker.Zimbabwe and Netherlands don’t meet often – they have played each other only seven times across formats so far – No. 8 will be on the biggest stage and both teams will be relishing it.Sean Williams is one of Zimbabwe’s most experienced players•Getty Images

Form guide

Zimbabwe LWWLW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Netherlands LLLLW

In the spotlight

Zimbabwe will seek more consistency from their captain Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, two of their most experienced members in the current set-up. They have fallen for a combined seven single-digit scores in 12 innings since landing in Australia, even as Zimbabwe hope they can deliver when it matters most. Both are in the twilight of their careers, and what better opportunity to ensure they walk away with sweet memories?Netherlands’ bowlers have conceded 160-plus only twice across six matches in this competition. The show has been led by Bas de Leede, who has nine wickets at 14.44, while Paul van Meekeren isn’t far behind with seven at 19.42 and an excellent economy of 5.66. De Leede will turn 23 in a few days’ time; van Meekeren will turn 30 next January but Netherlands will hope these two can serve them just the same way for the years to come.

Team news

Zimbabwe have used 13 players in the Super 12s stage, with tweaks only in their bowling line-up. They wouldn’t want to make too many changes to what looks like a settled unit, with the only decision being whom to leave out in case they decide to recall Luke Jongwe.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Wessly Madhevere, 2 Craig Ervine (capt), 3 Milton Shumba, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Regis Chakabva (wk), 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Tendai Chatara, 9 Brad Evans, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Blessing MuzarabaniPaul van Meekeren has picked up seven wickets at an economy rate of 5.66 at the T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Netherlands have nothing to lose now, so might give opener Stephan Myburgh another go, considering this could be his farewell tournament. De Leede was substituted against Pakistan after being hit under his eye while batting and might miss out on WednesdayNetherlands (probable): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Stephan Myburgh, 4 Tom Cooper, 5 Colin Ackermann, 6 Scott Edwards (capt, wk), 7 Roelof van der Merwe, 8 Tim Pringle, 9 Logan van Beek, 10 Fred Klaasen, 11 Paul van Meekeren

Pitch and conditions

It was cold and windy in the build-up to the game in Adelaide, and it might still be cold on Wednesday with up to 2mm of rain also expected. However, the game is unlikely to be affected.

Stats and trivia

• These two teams met at the highest level for the first time in the 2003 World Cup, where Bas de Leede’s father Tim was a part of the Netherlands’ side that lost to Zimbabwe. Side note: Bas’ cousin Babette also plays for the Netherlands women’s team.
• Sean Williams was in Zimbabwe’s squad for the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, where they beat Australia, and were eliminated in the group stages only on net run rate.
• Sikandar Raza’s strike rate of 150.56 is the second-highest for batters with at least 600 runs in T20Is in 2022.

Quotes

“The real highlight for us would be to make the semis. I think that would really put the icing on the cake. The guys are still very positive that we’ll get there. We’ve just got to come into these last two games with a lot of energy.”
“The novelty [of making it to Super 12s] has kind of worn off now after the first three games. We haven’t put in a complete performance in these three games, and so the guys are determined to change that when it comes to these last two matches and walk away with at least one win, but hopefully two wins.”

Heino Kuhn deputises as captain as club assembles makeshift squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2021Kent have been forced to emulate the England men’s team in naming a brand-new squad for this week’s LV= County Championship fixture against Sussex at Canterbury, after one of their players tested positive for Covid-19.The player, who has not been named, returned a positive result following a PCR test on the eve of the match on Saturday, meaning that each of the squad members who featured alongside him in Kent’s Vitality Blast fixture at the Kia Oval on Friday will now be required to self-isolate for a period of ten days.Heino Kuhn, who was not a part of Kent’s nine-wicket win over Surrey, has been named as captain for the Sussex fixture, the start of which was delayed by an hour as the club set about assembling a new line-up for the fixture, comprising second XI players and homegrown prospects, all of whom were required to follow the usual testing protocols prior to their selection.Four players were handed first-class debuts – Joe Gordon, Harry Houillon, Dan Lincoln and Jas Singh – while former Sussex batter Harry Finch, who has been playing for Kent’s 2nd XI, gets a chance against his old club. Regular members of the Championship side, Harry Podmore, Matt Quinn, Nathan Gilchrist and Marcus O’Riordan, were all included.”With the emergence of the Delta variant and recent release in lockdown restrictions, the club has been conscious of the increased possibility of an outbreak,” Simon Storey, Kent’s chief executive, said.”Overnight, the club has worked swiftly to identify a replacement squad that will be ready to take on Sussex in the much-anticipated Canterbury Cricket Week, and will also be preparing for the final two matches of the group stages of the Vitality Blast, with a quarter-final berth already secured.”

The left-hand batsman played 24 Tests, 20 ODIs and five T20Is between 2008 and 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2020Daniel Flynn, the former New Zealand and Northern Districts left-hand batsman, has called time on his 16-year-long career, at age 34.In an international career spanning a little over five years, Flynn played 24 Tests, 20 ODIs, and five T20Is, making a combined 1325 runs, including six half-centuries. He batted almost three hours in the second innings of his debut Test at Lord’s, his 118-ball 29 helping New Zealand salvage a draw. The early days of his international career are also remembered for him walking off Old Trafford with a mouthful of blood and two fewer teeth as a result of a vicious James Anderson bouncer that he copped during the opening day’s play. His last international appearance came in July 2013, during a Test match against South Africa where he made a pair.Flynn played 135 first-class matches and scored 7815 runs, including 21 centuries, at an average of 35.04. He featured in 100 first-class matches for Northern Districts, leading them in 47 of them, aside from making 88 and a record 104 appearances for them in List A and T20 matches respectively. His 20 first-class hundreds for Northern Districts are the most by any batsman from the side.”Representing your country is the ultimate for any cricketer; it’s what you dream of as a kid, so to have achieved it is something I look back on with immense satisfaction,” Flynn was quoted as saying by . “The people I’ve played alongside throughout my career stand out for me; they’re not just good cricketers, but good people, who I’ve learned plenty from both on and off the field.”Winning trophies for ND alongside these guys was always special, and those are memories that I will never forget.”

Renshaw is set to be available for two Championship fixtures and the whole of the Royal London Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2019Kent have signed Matt Renshaw, the Australia opener, for the first weeks of the 2019 season. Renshaw is set to be available for two Championship fixtures and the whole of the Royal London Cup.The arrival of 22-year-old Renshaw, who has played 11 Tests for his country, will help cover for the loss of Joe Denly and Sam Billings, two senior players who will be away at the IPL as Kent make their return to Division One after almost 10 years.Renshaw is set to play in Championship games against Somerset – where he had a successful spell in 2018 – and Warwickshire, before the start of the 50-over competition, with the group stage running until May 7.”Matt is a young talent who is very hungry for success,” Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said. “He has the ability to strengthen our batting line-up, which will be key at the beginning of the season with both Sam and Joe away playing in the IPL. We look forward to welcoming Matt into the squad.”Renshaw was included in Australia’s squad to face Sri Lanka in January and could feature in the Ashes party to tour England later in the summer. His last Test appearance came in South Africa last year, when he was called up in the wake of ball-tampering scandal.

Chris Woakes claimed four wickets as England closed in on victory but there were again concerns about the vulnerability of the tourists’ top order

George Dobell in Adelaide10-Nov-20170:41

An (unofficial) appeal from the ECB

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland are doing everything by the book at the start of their tour of Australia. Unfortunately, the book is .Not read it? It’s a Hemingway short story about a couple stranded while on safari in Africa. The man has sustained a leg injury that has turned gangrenous and they both know help won’t arrive in time to save him. His last moments are spent observing the howls of the approaching vultures and hyenas. It’s not full of belly laughs.The mood on this England tour is starting to feel similarly gloomy. The loss of Ben Stokes might, in time, be considered the fatal blow. But the succession of injuries to a high number of seamers who might have found themselves in the side has further debilitated the team. Meanwhile Mitchell Starc and co are howling in the distance, hungry for meat.

James Anderson on…

England’s collapse “It’s not ideal is it? Hopefully we’re getting it out of the way before the Test series starts but that’s something we’ve got to look at and probably have a chat about after the game. Why it happened and what we could have done differently to stop it happening. And stop it happening again.”
Bairstow’s half-century “Brilliant. Jonny does that really well. When the team needs runs, he’s the guy who stands up more often than not. I thought Mason [Crane] batted really well with him as well. That was an absolutely crucial partnership and hopefully that’s a sign of things to come from Jonny.”
Woakes’ bowling “He’s got better and better every spell he’s bowled. I thought today he was brilliant. He deserved his four wickets and could have had more. He was back to his absolute best.”
Missing next game? “Potentially, yes. The other bowlers we have here looking towards that first Test – with Jake’s fitness and things like that – some bowlers could get too much bowling. We don’t want them tired going into that first Test. Stuart [Broad] will play next week.”

The main issue is the relentless stream of injuries. England are currently awaiting the results of a scan on Jake Ball’s injured right ankle. The suspicion at this stage is the injury – perhaps minor ligament damage – is not tour-ending but may keep him out of action for another week or so.With that in mind, there is talk of sending for more cover. One of the bowlers with the Lions, who are due to arrive in Australia on November 15, could well be asked to fly a few days early and join the Ashes squad on a short-term basis ahead of the warm-up match in Townsville. But while Tom Helm has declared himself fit, he only bowled off his full run for the first time at Loughborough on Thursday and England have concerns about his readiness.With Mark Wood (heel/ankle) also not deemed fully fit – both will travel with the Lions but do not appear to be in the reckoning for a call to the full England squad – the options are becoming more limited by the moment.As a result, it seems England will look to youth to help them out. George Garton, a 20-year-old with nine first-class matches behind him, is one candidate, while 19-year-old Josh Tongue, a veteran of 15 first-class matches, is another. Both are blessed with pace – they would be the quickest bowlers in the England party – and Garton, with his left-arm, whippy action, has bowled at the England squad several times in the nets. They would not become permanent members of the Ashes tour party, just provide some cover in Townsville.Liam Plunkett is currently playing in Bangladesh and may not be considered for that reason. But should Ball’s injury be worse than feared – or should anyone else suffer an injury – Plunkett will come into the equation.With so many injuries around the squad, there may be a temptation to look at the conditioning – or the technique – of the bowlers. And in the long-term, no doubt, there are issues to consider in terms of the stress fractures, in particular. But the injuries suffered on this tour – a bowler landing badly in delivery (Ball) or twisting his knee while batting (Steven Finn) – are simply bad luck.As if all this wasn’t trying enough, England suffered a batting collapse on the third day in Adelaide. After a solid start, they lost 7 for 47, which included going from 121 for 3 to 124 for 7, as an inexperienced Cricket Australia XI gave them some uncomfortable moments.These things happen, of course. With the floodlights on for much of an unusually humid day, the ball nipped around more than at any stage of the game and batting was not straightforward. England still have more than enough to win this match – particularly having retaliated by reducing the CA XI to 25 for 7 under lights and requesting the extra half hour in pushing for a three-day victory.But these games aren’t really about the result. They are about finding form ahead of the Test series. And, with their batting in particular, England look ominously fragile.Most worrying is the form of Alastair Cook. Cook has endured fallow patches before, of course, and in the grand scheme of things this run of low scores – he hasn’t made 35 for six first-class innings – amounts to very little. He has earned an extended spell of patience and there is reasonable confidence he will turn things around.His innings of 32 here was his highest since a double-century against West Indies at Edgbaston in August and the third-highest score of a day on which the ball dominated. But it would be wrong to interpret that as something of a return to form. He was beaten like a snare drum, survived several huge leg before shouts and an edge between the keeper and third slip. He scored only one from his first 23 deliveries and his first boundary came from his 72nd ball.A man with a vast number of Test runs currently looks as uncomfortable at the crease as a cow asked to knit a jumper. While skiing. In the dark. Underwater. Backwards.James Vince is a bit of a concern, too. He plays some lovely strokes, certainly, but there are so many vulnerabilities – so many ways to get him out – that the decision to bat him at No. 3 in the Test series looks a huge risk. Here, with the ball nipping around, he survived several very good leg-before calls before he was beaten on the inside edge as he attempted to drive one that would could have been best negated with a defensive bat. Darren Lehmann, watching from the home dressing room, will have noted all this with interest.Chris Woakes was immediately among the wickets•Getty Images

With Joe Root trapped by one that nipped back and Craig Overton falling for a pair on his maiden England appearance – 00verton, the wags were calling him – England were grateful for an eighth-wicket stand of 66 between Jonny Bairstow and Mason Crane. Bairstow’s dominance was no surprise, bringing up his 50 with a six and generally looking in control of things, but Crane was admirably defiant and showed, again, the character that the England management so respect.Rather deliciously, his innings ended when he was caught Short. Simon Milenko, no more than medium-pace but nipping the ball around and maintaining a nagging line and length, finished with the third five-wicket haul of his career to follow a first-innings half-century.There was some better news for England. Mark Stoneman, unfussy and assured, made his third half-century of the tour in as many innings, Moeen Ali returned to bowling without reporting any adverse consequences and James Anderson was confirmed as the team’s vice-captain for the series. Or at least until Stokes returns, anyway.Most of all, Chris Woakes seems to have found his rhythm. In a super opening burst, Woakes claimed 4 for 12 as he exploited the helpful conditions and a tentative batting line-up with hard hands. The record for the lowest first-class score on the ground – Western Australia’s 41 against South Australia in the 1989-90 season – appeared to be in danger for a while.Woakes’ form could be a vital part of this Ashes series. If he can gain movement and bowl at the pace he managed in his magical series against Pakistan in 2016, he will prove a real threat. If not, England will be hugely over-reliant on Anderson and Stuart Broad. Here he looked sharp and menacing and, with Overton and Anderson nagging away outside off stump like a late tax return, a green-looking CA side were fortunate to take the game into the final day.But the success of the bowling shouldn’t mask the flaws in the batting. The hyenas are licking their lips.

Graeme Cremer’s efforts with the bat somewhat covered up for Zimbabwe’s top-order failure in the first Test. With the team management insisting on consistency in selection, there’s an opportunity for them to make a mark in the second Test

The preview by Shashank Kishore05-Nov-2016

Match facts

November 6-10, 2016, Harare
Start time 10.00 am (0800 GMT)Sean Williams’ dismissal for 40 on the final day of the first Test hastened Zimbabwe’s loss•Associated Press

Big Picture

In July, Zimbabwe hosted New Zealand for two Tests in Bulawayo. Considering this is only the third time in 11 years that they’re playing four Tests in a season at home, Sri Lanka’s tour ought to have provided continuity. Instead, the players were involved, not for the first time, in a protest with Zimbabwe Cricket over non-payment of match fees. When matters were temporarily resolved in September, the board was grappling with issues surrounding their annual audit which was yet to be submitted to the ICC more than three months after it was due.That delayed the appointment of a new head coach. When Heath Streak finally took over from Makhaya Ntini, who briefly held the role after Dav Whatmore’s sacking, he had a little over three weeks to prepare a side that that was once again short on cricket in the lead-up to a major series, with the domestic season yet to be finalised. Considering all this, Zimbabwe’s performance in the first Test, also their 100th overall, in Harare was seen as a massive improvement even though they eventually lost by 225 runs.They batted close to 200 overs in the Test – something they’ve done just twice in the last five years – and took it into the final hour before Sri Lanka dug deep into their reserves to eke out a win. The resistance in both innings was led by Graeme Cremer, the captain, who followed-up his maiden Test century with a gritty 43 in the second dig. It somewhat made up for the top order’s inability to build on starts, something the team management would have taken note of.The one aspect that has always been encouraging – even in Zimbabwe’s cricketing decline over the last decade-and-a-half – has been the fielding. That came a cropper in Harare – as many as seven catches were dropped in the first innings. Their bowling effort, typically restrictive, was led by debutant medium-pacer Carl Mumba, who took four wickets in the second innings. The other bowlers were largely ineffective. Therefore, a shot at equalling the series seems far-fetched for Zimbabwe, although walking away with a draw is possible, like they showed last week.For Sri Lanka, time spent in the middle here will take them a step closer to narrowing down on their combination for the bigger battles in South Africa next month. Strong performances from Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga will add to a healthy selection dilemma once Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, the designated captain, return from injuries.Rangana Herath’s delayed declaration in the second innings may have been scrutinised had Zimbabwe managed to hold on. For now, it’s a decision that can be firmly put on the back-burner as Sri Lanka aim for a clean sweep to cap Herath’s first – and possibly last – series as captain.The implementation of DRS, for the first time in Zimbabwe, will add an element of intrigue. Zimbabwe have been at the centre of a number of poor umpiring decisions in recent times.

Form guide

ZimbabweLLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWWDDilruwan Perera’s utility could be tested on surfaces that don’t turn as much as the ones in Sri Lanka•Associated Press

In the spotlight

Malcolm Waller came into the fray for selection for the first Test on the back of 37 and 87 for Zimbabwe A in a four-day fixture against Pakistan A. Prior to that, he recorded three successive half-centuries in the 50-over format. He made scores of 22 and 0 in the first Test; the timing of his dismissal in the second innings even as Zimbabwe fought to save the Test was crucial. With Tarisai Musakanda, who also made runs against Pakistan A, breathing down his neck, there could be pressure on Waller to make a significant score here.Dilruwan Perera‘s utility in this Sri Lankan line-up, especially at home, can’t be understated. He’s a more-than-capable lower-order batsman, and a tidy offspinner. But on surfaces that aid swing and seam movement, like Sri Lanka could encounter in South Africa, it remains to be seen how effective he would be. Perhaps another solid performance in the second Test could go a long way in convincing the team management that he could be a contender for a spot even if Sri Lanka decide to play an extra fast bowler.

Team news

Streak and Tatenda Taibu, the selection convenor, have spoken of the need for continuity, which means Zimbabwe are likely to field the same XI despite their top-order batsmen failing to convert starts. That could mean Musakanda, who made 87 against Pakistan A to earn his selection in the Test squad, may have to wait longer for his first Test cap.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Carl Mumba, 11 Chris MpofuSri Lanka picked up 20 wickets, but were stretched a fair bit. With the top order among the runs in both innings, there could be a temptation to bring in left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan to boost their bowling stocks. That could mean Asela Gunaratne, who made 53 and 16 not out, may have to make way.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dananjaya de Silva, 7 Dilruwan Perera, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lakshan Sandakan/Asela Gunaratne 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

A similar pitch to the one last week is expected, which points to another workout for the bowlers. There is solace, though, in the fact that conditions are expected to be a lot cooler following intermittent spells of summer rain since the conclusion of the first Test. There could be brief rain interruptions from time-to-time in this Test.

Stats and trivia

• Herath will surpass Anil Kumble and have the second-most number of wickets by a spinner in his first 75 Tests if he takes nine wickets in the match. Kumble had 346; Herath, after 74 games, is on 338. Muttiah Muralitharan tops the list with 420 wickets after 75
• Cremer aggregated more than half of his career runs (258 runs in 26 innings) in the first Test alone through scores of 102* and 43

Quotes

“We know that we can’t control what decisions go our way, but as long as we’re playing that positive brand of cricket then hopefully a few things will go our way. We’ve just got to do the best we can with bat or ball.”
when asked about his team being rather luckless with umpiring decisions in the first Test”From the beginning it was a different challenge and a different experience but I’ve enjoyed every moment. I’ve had a lot of confidence from my playing career, so that has helped as well.”