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Northants seamer Sanderson leads the way as top-order crumbles for second match running

ECB Reporters Network13-Apr-2023Northamptonshire 111 for 3 (Procter 39*) trail Middlesex 149 (Higgins 70, Sanderson 3-19, Tremain 3-34) by 38 runsMiddlesex endured another nightmare start as Northamptonshire seamer Ben Sanderson took advantage of their fragile top-order on the first morning of this LV= Insurance County Championship clash at Wantage Road.Sanderson, returning to the side after recovering from a sore knee, took three wickets for just two runs in his opening burst to leave Middlesex reeling on 11 for four inside 10 overs. It followed two similar top order collapses against Essex at Lord’s last weekend with Middlesex’s batters again displaying their weaknesses against the seaming ball.Middlesex were indebted once more to Ryan Higgins who came in with the score on 36 for five and hit a vital half-century, helping the Seaxes up to 149 all out, repeating the rescue act he performed against Essex when he also hit 70.Despite losing two early wickets, Hassan Azad and Luke Procter were fluent in reply for Northamptonshire sharing a fifty partnership to take the score to 81 before Azad was caught behind off Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones for 33. They closed without further loss on 111 for three, 38 behind, with Procter unbeaten on 39.This is something of a must-win game for both sides after they endured defeats in their opening matches, but it was Northamptonshire who made the most of conditions after winning the toss and asking Middlesex to bat.While batting looked distinctly precarious against the moving ball and a disciplined Northamptonshire attack, several of Middlesex’s batters were guilty of playing loosely outside off stump. Indeed, the first three wickets all fell to catches behind the stumps.Mark Stoneman was the first to go thanks to an excellent diving catch from keeper Lewis McManus before Sam Robson edged low to first slip. South African international Pieter Malan then became Sanderson’s third victim caught at second slip.The wickets of Steve Eskinazi and Max Holden, both to lbw decisions, brought Higgins together with keeper John Simpson. The pair had enjoyed a century stand against Essex and threatened to mount another big partnership here with Simpson locating the boundary for the first time in the innings. The Middlesex keeper dug in, spending more than an hour at the crease before Procter got one to seam back and knock over his off-stump.Higgins looked increasingly assured, unfurling nine boundaries all around the ground despite losing partners regularly at the other end. When Tom Helm fell to a stunning diving one-handed diving return catch by Chris Tremain, the end of the Middlesex innings looked nigh at 110 for nine. Ethan Bamber though kept Higgins company to frustrate Northamptonshire’s bowlers with a last-wicket stand of 39 before Higgins became Tremain’s third victim of the innings.Middlesex lost opener Ricardo Vasconcelos early in their innings caught in the slips off Bamber while Sam Whiteman fell cheaply for 13 soon after tea trapped lbw by Higgins. That left the way clear for Azad and Procter to build a partnership and settle nerves in the home dressing room.Middlesex’s bowlers though stuck at their task with a probing line which kept Northamptonshire honest. Once Azad fell the hosts were content to bat steadily and take the score into three figures with Procter and in-form Rob Keogh unbeaten at the close.

Both teams, even with a win here, will need a number of other results to go their way if they’re to somehow reach the playoffs

Deivarayan Muthu18-May-20235:56

Moody: ‘It’s an opportunity for Royals to bring in Obed McCoy’

Big picture

Both Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals are in the same boat. Both teams are in the bottom half of the standings, with 12 points from 13 matches, and are desperately hoping not to capsize. Even if they win their final league fixture, they will need a number of other results to go their way if they’re to somehow reach the playoffs.Both sides have employed some debatable tactics this season. For instance, Kings’ left-arm fingerspinner Harpreet Brar went from not bowling a single ball in spin-friendly Chennai to bowling the 16th, 18th and 20 overs against a well-set left-hander in Rilee Rossouw in Dharamsala on Wednesday. Brar leaked 39 off those three overs and Arshdeep Singh bowled just two overs in conditions that seemed to offer some help to the seamers. With Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran and M Shahrukh Khan waiting in the wings, Kings perhaps waited too long to retire out Atharva Taide, who struggled to hit high gear in a 200-plus chase.Related

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As for Royals, they hardly used Jason Holder’s batting skills in the first half of the season before he was benched. Similarly, they were reluctant to use a fit-again Obed McCoy against Sunrisers Hyderabad, getting just one over out of their Impact Player. Then, everything went wrong for them in their 112-run drubbing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur.

The big question

Team news

Both teams have no known fitness issues yet. Trent Boult could return to the Royals side in place of legspinner Adam Zampa in conditions that could aid swing, especially in the early exchanges.

Form guide

Punjab Kings: LWLLW
Rajasthan Royals: LWLLL

Impact Player strategy

Kings could once again bring in Prabhsimran Singh as their Impact Player in place of one of the seamers, if they chase. Likewise, they could start with Prabhsimran if they bat first and then introduce a bowler for their defence.Punjab Kings probable XII: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 , 3 Atharva Taide, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 M Shahrukh Khan, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Kagiso Rabada/Sikandar Raza, 11 , 12 Arshdeep SinghESPNcricinfo Ltd

As far as the Impact Player rule is concerned, Royals have not followed a consistent pattern. It’s quite hard to predict their Impact Player.Rajasthan Royals probable XII: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 , 5 Joe Root, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Dhruv Jurel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Adam Zampa/Trent Boult, 10 , 11 Sandeep Sharma, 12 KM Asif

Stats and Trivia

• R Ashwin has a favourable match-up against Shikhar Dhawan in T20 cricket. The spinner has kept the left-hander to just 92 off 109 balls at a strike rate of less than 85 while dismissing him four times.
• Though the sample size is small, Nathan Ellis has the wood on Jos Buttler, taking him out twice in eight balls while giving up just eight runs in T20 cricket.
• Livingstone has had a strike rate of 217 against pace this IPL, but that plummets to 98 against spin.
• Kings have won just one of their six home games so far in IPL 2023.

Pitch and conditions

Considering the small boundaries and the dew factor later in the evening, teams often tend to chase in Dharamsala. The weather is likely to be clear for the duration of the match.

India vice-captain admits to not being able to convert starts on “challenging” Mirpur surface, but is confident “it will reflect soon”

Shashank Kishore21-Jul-2023Bangladesh women have made a superstar Indian batting line-up struggle on some challenging surfaces tailored to suit their spinners in the ongoing tour</. It's a sign of how far they have come. The three-match ODI series is currently at 1-1, with the decider to be played on Saturday.Among those who have found run-scoring difficult is the India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. A free-flowing stroke-maker, Mandhana hasn't hit top gear so far on tour. The 58-ball 36 she made in the second ODI helped break a sequence of 11, 1 and 13.Bangladesh have done their homework by not giving the opener much pace to work with upfront. That was reflected in her mode of dismissals: out to spin in four of the five innings. It's unlikely Bangladesh would want to change that ploy come Saturday when both sides square off in the final ODI.Related

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Mandhana admitted she hasn’t been able to apply herself the way she would have liked. But she revealed she was doing all that she could to shred that patchy form.”I think I’ve been batting well in the nets; in matches as well, I’ve been getting starts,” Mandhana said. “It doesn’t happen a lot of times that I’m middling the ball but not getting runs for the team. I’ve been working on it.”In the last match, I was pretty positive in the way I was able to get the team off to a decent start, but I threw my wicket away. It’s more about application. Batting-wise, it’s going well but it’s just that my application hasn’t been the way I’ve always applied myself. That’s something I’ve been working on.”Mandhana, like the rest of the Indian team, hasn’t had much cricket in recent months. After the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) in March, the team had two months off. While a targeted squad of players had a month-long conditioning camp, the senior players were called in for just two weeks.Mandhana had a middling run in the WPL, a tournament where she made several dazzling starts but failed to kick on. Ultimately, Royal Challengers Bangalore, the team she led, finished fifth in the six-team event, with Mandhana finishing with 149 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 111.19, which is far below her T20I strike rate of 123.49.”After the WPL, we didn’t have a lot of tournaments. I’ve put in a lot of work in the last three months, both in terms of my cricket and batting. I haven’t been able to convert into big scores but the kind of work I’ve put in, it will reflect soon and I’ll get consistent scores.”Mandhana chuckled when asked if these wickets suited her team’s style of play. All the games have been played at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on two-paced decks, where the ball has turned, stopped on batters, and even kept low at times. It was evident that most Indian batters have had to drastically deviate from their natural games playing on this surface.”Definitely, these have been challenging wickets to play on, I don’t know if it suits which style of batting,” Mandhana said with a laugh. “I won’t really stress much on the wicket. The way we applied ourselves in the last match and got to 200-plus [was very good]. These wickets need a lot more application than a flat track. I won’t say it suits our style of batting, but it’s about how we adapt. As cricketers, we have to do that whenever you play.”Amid the spin choke, Bangladesh have seen young Marufa Akter emerge. Her fiery spell in the first ODI troubled the visitors in a chase of 153 and her career-best four-for helped deliver Bangladesh’s first-ever ODI win over India. Mandhana was effusive in her praise for the 18-year-old.”I think she has a very different action,” Mandhana assessed. “For her action, she’s a lot quicker than we feel she is. Her ball definitely skids more than what we expect from her release point. She’s a very good cricketer. I had a small chat with her post-match, congratulating her on her efforts. It has inspired all of us as well.”It doesn’t matter what her age is, the effort she is putting on the girls is amazing to watch. [With] the kind of fire she has, she will be an amazing cricketer for Bangladesh. With her bowling, she is maybe 2mph quicker than you feel. Definitely, these wickets aren’t helping her as much, have to see what she does in England and Australia.”Mandhana also lauded Bangladesh for making the series a lot more competitive than many thought it would be. “We played them at the Asia Cup in Sylhet last year, from then to now, the way they’ve grown, especially as a bowling side,” she said. “I feel their fielding efforts have been amazing. Definitely on these wickets, their bowling attack is very good, but as I said, for us it’s about preparing ourselves to be better players.”

Matt Henry leads gutsy defence of 145 as Essex fall short despite Daniel Sams’ defiance

Alan Gardner15-Jul-2023Somerset ended an 18-year wait for a second T20 title as they put their Finals Day heartache behind them, concluding a record-breaking season with another ruthless bowling performance under the Edgbaston lights. Somerset had won 14 games out of 16 going into the final against Essex but made no mistake with the pressure on beneath the spectre of seven previous failures in English T20’s showpiece event.Put in for the second match running, Somerset were indebted to Sean Dickson’s well-crafted half-century as they scraped up to 145 all out from their 20 overs. Matt Henry then ripped the head off the Essex reply with a spell of 3 for 18 and the New Zealander returned to end Daniel Sams’ heroic attempts to win the match on his own, with the help of a flying, one-handed catch from Tom Kohler-Cadmore. In the process they equalled Leicestershire’s 2011 mark for the lowest score successfully defended in the final. The losers on that occasion? Somerset.The final of cricket’s longest day – which had survived an appalling forecast for the loss of just a handful of overs across two semi-finals – pitted Somerset’s winning machine against the South Group rabble-rousers, who only scraped through to the knockouts with a six from the final ball of their campaign. Essex were also bidding for a second title but fell short despite the efforts of Sams, whose belligerent hitting kept the result in the balance even as the ninth wicket fell with 29 still needed.Somerset, for whom Ish Sodhi claimed 3 for 22, had finished runners-up in this competition four times, as well as departing Edgbaston empty-handed in each of the past two seasons. They did it the hard way here, too, batting first in both semi and final. But as Kohler-Cadmore threw the ball aloft and Player of the Match Henry was embraced by his captain, Lewis Gregory, the choruses of “Somerset, la-la-la!” could finally begin.Powerplay blows tradedEssex had been the fastest-scoring side in the powerplay this season but also prone to spectacular collapses. Somerset, meanwhile, had already taken the most wickets in a Blast season coming into Finals Day and continued their potent form by bowling out Surrey with 13 balls to spare in their semi. Clearly, the start to Essex’s chase was going to be a right old dust-up.It was exhilarating stuff from the outset, as Essex raced to 27 from the first 11 balls and then lost four wickets from the next 17. Adam Rossington crunched four fours before belting a tracer bullet to Kasey Aldridge at point, who did well to avoid injury never mind cling on. Henry picked up two more in his next over, producing a peach to bowl Michael Pepper for a duck and trapping Dan Lawrence on the crease, before Robin Das’ attempt to hit Craig Overton over the top plopped tamely into the hands of mid-on.Sams spoke before the game about Essex attempting to demolish the old T20 axiom that losing three wickets in the powerplay meant losing the game – and they had managed three such wins in the group stage. But with Henry and Overton bowling unchanged for combined figures of 4 for 46, Essex had their work cut out for them.Slim chance rests with SamsA wicket for Gregory in his first over put Essex further behind the eight ball as they limped to 71 for 5 at halfway. Paul Walter was then defeated by a tossed-up delivery from Sodhi to be bowled for 26, but the lurking threat of Sams became clear when he mowed Aldridge over the shorter leg-side boundary from the City End to keep them clinging to the coat-tails of the asking rate.Simon Harmer was the next to go, with the requirement 40 from 32, but although Sams kept Somerset fans on edge there was to be no dramatic heist. His eventual dismissal for 45 off 26 confirmed Somerset’s first T20 success since 2005. It also meant that Somerset became the first team to bowl out both of their opponents on Finals Day, and took their record-breaking tally of wickets for the season to 151 from 17 games.Somerset’s big three kept quietHaving opted to chase, Essex needed to contain a powerful Somerset line-up. Their top three coming into Finals Day had all scored more than 400 runs with strike rates in the region of 150-180 but, despite Tom Banton being dropped off the first ball of the innings, Essex managed to see them off without too much damage.Lawrence was the man who failed to hang on to a sharp chance above his head at backward point, and the bowler, Sams, was then twice dispatched through the off-side arc by Will Smeed in the same over. Banton audaciously scooped Sam Cook’s fifth ball over the keeper’s head for six, but Somerset’s early momentum was checked when Smeed dragged on against Shane Snater in the third over.Two more boundaries off Aaron Beard were followed by Kohler-Cadmore slugging Cook into the Hollies for another emphatic six as Somerset reached the end of the powerplay on 46 for 1. But Banton then fell miscuing a reverse-slap off Snater to short third and when Kohler-Cadmore chopped on against Matt Critchley the score had slipped to 54 for 3. Between them, Banton, Smeed and Kohler-Cadmore had managed 48 off 44.Critch catch turns match?
Somerset’s innings hinged around the non-dismissal of Gregory for what would have been a golden duck in the 12th over. Critchley thought he had got fingers under the ball when stooping for a low return catch, but third umpire Nigel Llong ruled it had not been taken cleanly. Had it been given, Somerset would have been 69 for 5, but Gregory and Dickson subsequently combined for a stand of 45 in 28 balls to lift their side back into contention.Dickson, whose unheralded 30 off 22 had proved vital against Surrey, set about playing another shrewd knock in the middle order. He was 12 off 13 before hitting his first boundary, then picked up a brace of fours in Harmer’s solitary over and two more off consecutive balls in the next from Critchley.However, Snater’s return to bowl out brought another key breakthrough as Gregory top-edged a short ball to be caught and bowled, and Essex squeezed again to dismiss Ben Green and Overton cheaply – the latter via Beard’s direct hit from deep square leg. Dickson brought up 33-ball fifty in the penultimate over but then gloved Walter’s short ball behind as the Somerset innings dribbled to a conclusion. But with runs on the board, Somerset’s attack were more than in the game.

The India batter on coming back from injury “without any baggage”, his surprise inclusion in the XI against Pakistan, and more

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-20231:33

Uthappa: Rahul’s innings showed how much work he has put in

KL Rahul wasn’t in India’s first XI for their Asia Cup Super Four fixture against Pakistan. But just prior to the toss in Colombo, when he was asked by head coach Rahul Dravid to get ready, there was a slight problem. Knowing he was going to carry drinks, Rahul had left his batting gear and kit back at the hotel. It needed frantic running around from the team manager to get his kit across to the R Premadasa Stadium.”Five minutes before toss, Rahul told me you might have to play because Shreyas [Iyer] has a back spasm,” Rahul told official broadcaster Star Sports after he marked his comeback with his sixth ODI hundred in India’s record win. “I hadn’t brought any of my batting gear, I didn’t get my batting t-shirt, skins, nothing. I’d come like that because I had to just carry drinks (laughs). I just had one T-shirt.”At the last minute, our manager had to run to the hotel to get my stuff. Strange things have happened in my career. This isn’t the first time. It has happened earlier too. Mentally I guess I know what to do when I’m thrown into the ring, I give my best. I’m happy such performances happen [when he’s been faced with such situations]. Maybe it’s also a sign that I don’t have to think too much. I can just go out there and enjoy my cricket. That’s the learning for me.”Related

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Rahul was right when he said such things had happened earlier too. One such moment, in 2016, perhaps changed the course of his career. At an IPL game in Rajkot against Gujarat Lions, Rahul wasn’t listed in the XI for Royal Challengers Bangalore at toss time. But ten minutes prior to the start, he was seen rushing off the field to get ready after Mandeep Singh tore the webbing on his left hand. Virat Kohli then asked Suresh Raina, the opposition captain, if they could make a late change.Rahul responded with a gutsy half-century at No. 4. It was the start of a golden run for him that season. From being a non-starter in the XI, Rahul became a regular as RCB made an inspired run to the final. While Kohli made a chart-topping 973 runs, Rahul contributed heavily too: 397 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 146.49. That season dispelled notions of him being a one-format player. In fact, it was also during that season when Rahul made a mark as a wicketkeeper, a role he has grown in over time. He would make his ODI and T20I debut for India soon after the IPL.This ability to bat in the middle and keep wickets makes him a crucial part of India’s ODI World Cup jigsaw. This is why the team management waited on him to return to full fitness five months after he limped off with an injured hamstring. It has taken a lot of work behind the scenes for Rahul to fully get ready before he joined the team last week ahead of the Super Fours.”I’ve had three [tests] done in the last ten days,” Rahul said with a laugh. “Two yo-yo tests, two practice matches, this [batting in the middle in humid conditions] was worse than that [yo-yo tests]. Yeah, for four months I’ve had a lot of juice, and energy. Hopefully, I can carry this, try to recover fast and come back fresh [for the Sri Lanka game].KL Rahul finished with 111* off 106 balls against Pakistan•Associated Press

Rahul then touched upon the route he took to his India comeback. There was a lot of soul-searching, and introspection of his game – which he mostly said was around the mental side – and, of course, the hard yards at rehab at the National Cricket Academy.”Firstly, three out of the five months I spent getting fitter, giving my body the rest,” he said. “I was in great hands at the NCA. I want to thank the NCA staff and Rajni sir [Physio S Rajnikanth], he made me run around a lot. He’s gotten me fit for this. I knew when I returned, I was aiming for the Asia Cup. I knew the conditions would be humid.”I knew the World Cup that will follow at home would be challenging, especially to do both keeping and batting. I trained that much extra. Batting, when you’re out and have a lot of time. I watched a lot of videos, and reflected on things where I can get better. I spoke to a few coaches, and I knew where the fault lines were, it was mostly mental, and I tried to address those things. I also came back fresh without any baggage, guess that helps.”How did he feel when he walked out for his first international game in six months, where he was up against Pakistan’s gun pace attack of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah?”It was my first international match after a long time, the intensity isn’t the same at a practice match,” Rahul said as he opened up about his unbeaten 233-run stand with Virat Kohli. “When I walked in, there was that nervousness. It took me 10-15 minutes to just calm myself down and get my feet moving, get my mind thinking about the right things.”When I hit one or two boundaries, the fogginess went away, and it became like before. I was reacting to the ball, to the situation. Just when my rhythm was building, it started raining and we had to wait for a whole day and restart, so again [upon resumption] the 10-15 balls were nervy. Once I hit a few balls in the middle, you forget about those things.”On Monday, he batted the way he would, largely risk-free and with clarity, especially against spin in the middle overs. Unlike at the 2019 ODI World Cup, where Rahul had to shift back up to open in the wake of Shikhar Dhawan’s injury after being initially slotted in the middle order, there seems to be clarity that middle order is where his calling will be. India will hope that clarity will pay rich dividends at the World Cup.

Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser dug in for Queensland but they remained a long way behind

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2023Late showers and a stonewalling sixth-wicket stand have spared Queensland a three-day defeat but they remain in a scrap for survival in their Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales.After NSW’s tail wagged all the way to 446 for a lead of 270 runs, Queensland – knocked over for 176 in their first dig – reached 173 for 5 in their second innings at the new Cricket Central ground at Sydney Olympic Park on Friday when rain and bad light forced play to end an hour early after being rocked by three quick wickets from Chris Tremain.Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser dug their heels in for an unbroken 82-run stand to reduce the deficit to 97 runs and give their side some hope of salvaging a draw.Related

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NSW had resumed at 337 for 7 and their lower order looked untroubled before Hayden Kerr, in sight of a maiden first-class ton, was bowled through the gate by a topspinner from Mitch Swepson, who took the last three wickets.Tremain was trapped leg-before before Chris Green and No.11 Jackson Bird frustrated the Queensland attack with a frenetic 59-run last-wicket partnership.Bird had his tail up and with the second ball of Queensland’s second innings dismissed first-innings top-scorer Bryce Street for a duck, lbw shouldering arms.Tremain sent Joe Burns, captain Usman Khawaja and Jack Clayton packing to reduce Queensland to 59 for 4. Khawaja was caught behind from around the wicket and Clayton pinned lbw in consecutive deliveries.They slumped to 91 for 5 when Test hopeful Matt Renshaw’s counter-punching knock ended on 55, perhaps unfortunate to be adjudged caught behind to first-innings bowling hero Jack Edwards with the ball seeming to only brush the opener’s sweater.”If I feathered one then what’s what happens but unfortunately I’m not sure,” Renshaw said diplomatically when asked about his dismissal.”I felt pretty good out there…I got a few balls in my area to score. We’ve got a bit of momentum now with these two putting on a good partnership.”Pierson and Neser will need to bat deep into day four to give Queensland any hope of avoiding defeat.

Left-arm spinner on Test radar as he looks to negotiate one-day learning curve with England

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Nov-2023If you want a good indicator of 50-over cricket’s place in the modern landscape, take a look at Tom Hartley’s List A career.All five of his appearances in the format have come in 2023 – and none of them for his county, Lancashire. The first three were on an England Lions tour of Sri Lanka in January, before an international debut at Trent Bridge at the end of the summer as part of a band of alternates to face Ireland.The culmination of Hartley’s first year of 50-over cricket will come in the West Indies, as part of an England ODI squad looking to move on from a disastrous defence of their 2019 title in India. A tour previously regarded as an afterthought is now being framed as the scene for an overdue refresh, with just six players from the 2023 World Cup squad making the trip across the Atlantic. Almost by coincidence, Hartley has found himself in the right place at the right time.Related

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That is not to say the 6ft 4in left-arm spinner has not been preparing for shock England duty off the back of minimal experience. The Test squad head to India at the start of the year, with spin options limited following Moeen Ali’s post-Ashes retirement. Despite just one five-wicket haul in 20 first-class matches, Hartley is openly considered a bolter for that five-match series.Having emerged as the No. 1 spinner at Emirates Old Trafford this season, ousting legspinner Matt Parkinson – out of the team, and subsequently out of the club – he featured in 10 County Championship matches. Though he only managed 19 dismissals at an average of 44.84, ECB performance director Mo Bobat was one of many who took note of his developing “attributes”, which he saw close-up the previous winter in Sri Lanka.That relationship is set to continue later this week when Hartley travels to the UAE as part of a 20-strong Lions group for a three-week training camp which is as much a fine-tuning exercise as far as red-ball spin is concerned as it is a fact-finding mission for India in the new year. Particularly with Test head coach Brendon McCullum coming out to survey the options at his disposal.Nothing sums up the surprising nature of Hartley’s rise more than his debut. He was not part of the XI for the 2nd ODI with Ireland, which was announced the day before, and discouraged those close to him from making the trip to Trent Bridge. “I was like ‘no no, don’t bother, I’m not going to play. It would be a long day otherwise’.”On his way down to breakfast on the morning of the game, he received a call from white-ball coach Matthew Mott to say he was now playing after Luke Wood was struck down with tonsilitis. “I was like – ‘shit!’.” He sent a follow-up message to those family and friends who were enquiring about attending: “Oooops.”His girlfriend, Lauren, ended up coming down, though by the time she arrived, Hartley had already parted with his phone as per ICC anti-corruption rules, meaning she had to get her own ticket. The pair met afterwards for a celebratory dinner, with Hartley buying her a present by way of reimbursing her for missing out on a freebie.Though the family could at least watch him on TV – striking 12 off 9 as England posted 334 for 8, before a respectable 0 for 48 from 10 overs – Hartley regrets they were not in the huddle when he was presented his cap by Andrew Flintoff.The talismanic allrounder was with the squad in an unpaid capacity, and his speech to Hartley was his first public words since a serious car crash while filming an episode of last December. It was an emotional address, in which Flintoff informed Hartley the cap “will change your life forever”, delivered with remarkable poise given the short turnaround.”At Headingley, we had a few chats and [he] got to know me,” Hartley said of his developing relationship with Flintoff, who will accompany the Lions this week before also heading to the Caribbean. “He knew a lot about me, what I’d been through and a couple of his lads play in the same club league as me in the Liverpool District [Hartley plays for Ormskirk Cricket Club]. He knows a bit about my upbringing, where I’ve played and that sort of stuff and obviously still keeps tabs on Lancashire. He knows a bit about that and knows a few of the coaches so he was really well informed.””I wasn’t quite old enough watching cricket when the 2005 Ashes was on but watching the re-runs you really got a feel for the player he was. He’s just been so fantastic in being a real role model for players like myself and a lot of the boys at Lancashire.”Hartley does not shy away from the prospect of a Test debut in India, or the importance of using his time wisely in the UAE, given it will now be cut short by having to travel to the Caribbean ahead of England’s first ODI in Antigua on December 3. Since hearing he might be in the mix, he has let his mind wander, particularly back to the 2021 series in which the spinners ran riot – notably fellow rangy left-armer Axar Patel, who finished with 27 wickets at 10.59 in just three matches through attacking the stumps with the new ball, something England are keen to get their up-and-coming twirlers practicing in the UAE.”Hearing this sort of stuff, it’s made me think,” Hartley said. “But I try not to look too far ahead. Just trying to adapt myself to bowling like them bowlers.”I watched quite a lot of that [2021] series when it was going on and thinking, ‘well, attributes-wise I’m not too far off’. Obviously bowling in England is a lot different so I don’t really get to practice them skills. That’s why I’m grateful of this opportunity here now. Hopefully, the wickets in Abu Dhabi will be similar to Indian wickets, and we can start practising that sort of stuff.”Obviously, these guys like Axar and [Ravindra] Jadeja and people like that have been doing it for years, whereas in England, it’s more traditional sort of over the top, don’t go anywhere, wait for the mistake from the batsmen rather than the spinner being the one on top firing it in and firing it in. It will be nice to work on that, and hopefully, it’ll come pretty easy.”Hartley receives his ODI cap from Andrew Flintoff•Getty Images

The majority of Hartley’s competitive cricket has been in the shortest formats, his 82 T20 appearances coming as a regular for Lancashire and Manchester Originals. Playing in front of big crowds and bowling with the new ball, including the first ball of the men’s Hundred, are examples he cites of pressure situations taken in his long stride. What grey areas on his CV are being covered by a studious disposition to a sport he only came to aged nine or 10.When he is not picking the brains of Lancashire’s spin coach Carl Crowe, he is consuming as much as possible. His inspirations growing up were Daniel Vettori and Graeme Swann, who is reprising last winter’s role as a spin consultant with the Lions. He paid close attention to Australia’s tour of India earlier this year, particularly debutant Todd Murphy. This World Cup, he has been taking mental notes on Jadeja, Mitchell Santner and legspinner Adam Zampa.Much of the World Cup viewing has been with his father, Bill Hartley, a former track athlete who won gold in the 1974 European Championships and silver in that year’s Commonwealth Games, both in the 4x400m relay. Despite the strong lineage, athletics did not call to Tom.”I used to be quite chubby. I didn’t hit puberty until till late, so I was never the sports star. But obviously with my dad’s background, he always put me in a good place from a technical point of you and he was quite happy for me to go away from his sport.”Him having a career in it, I think he liked for me to experience other things, so he always pushed me into football, cricket, a bit of rugby, that sort of stuff. That was fine by him. Eventually when I realised I should up my running, I came to him and asked ‘can we do a few sessions?'”Bill’s interest in cricket grew with Tom’s aptitude. Occasionally, it would spill over into frustration – “my dad would kill me a few times for some of the shots I played”. Otherwise, room has been afforded to allow Tom to do his own thing.If there is one key lesson Hartley has learned, it is to be more protective of his memorabilia. Bill, it turns out, has lost a few prized possessions.”There was a big box that we were going through, and he was like: ‘We’re just going to have to chuck them out eventually.’ He won gold at the Commonwealths – not in the box, so no idea where it is.”Given the rate at which Hartley is progressing, it might be worth starting his own box.

With Karunaratne leading the Test side, this is the first time Sri Lanka have three different captains

Madushka Balasuriya30-Dec-2023Dasun Shanaka’s reign as Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain has come to an end as Sri Lanka’s new selection committee appointed Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga to lead the ODI and T20I sides, respectively. With Dimuth Karunaratne currently leading the Test side, this is the first time Sri Lanka have three different captains in the three formats.Shanaka first captained Sri Lanka in 2019, on the team’s first tour to Pakistan since the 2009 Lahore attack, but it was not until 2021 that he became their regular captain. Under him, Sri Lanka won 23 out of 41 ODIs and 22 out of 48 T20Is. The highlight of his tenure was the 2022 T20 Asia Cup victory in the UAE where Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in the final.Also notable were ODI series wins against South Africa and Australia, and a T20I series win against India, all at home. Shanaka also oversaw Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run through the 2023 World Cup Qualifier. But all these achievements were interspersed with poor showings in the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.However, it was his poor form with the bat, primarily in ODIs, that put him under the most scrutiny and made people question his place in the side. As such, it was widely expected that the new selection committee would look elsewhere in terms of the captaincy.His replacements, Mendis and Hasaranga, both have recent experience in leadership roles. Mendis is a former Under-19 captain and the current skipper of Dambulla Aura in the LPL. Midway through the 2023 ODI World Cup, he took over the reins from Shanaka when the latter got injured. Hasaranga, who is currently recovering from a hamstring surgery, had earlier this year led B-Love Kandy to their inaugural LPL title.Shanaka may still play a role in Sri Lanka’s white-ball set-ups after he was named in the preliminary squads for the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe at home in January.

Karunaratne had taken over in 2019, and led the side in 30 Tests, including a series win in South Africa

Madushka Balasuriya04-Jan-2024Sri Lanka’s chief Selector Upul Tharanga has confirmed that Dhananjaya de Silva will replace Dimuth Karunaratne as their Test captain, and thus become the 18th player from his country to lead in Tests.Karunaratne had held the post for 30 Tests, winning 12, losing 12 and drawing six games. Sri Lanka’s most notable wins under his leadership came in his first two matches in charge, as they secured a memorable Test series win in South Africa in early 2019, becoming the first Asian side to do so and just the third ever in history.Related

• Mendis replaces Shanaka as ODI captain; Hasaranga to lead in T20Is

“Cricket Fans world over, as I finally hand over the reigns of the SL Test Captaincy [sic] after a decent and memorable stint, who better other than to you, Dhananjaya De Silva, an excellent all-round athlete in my books,” Karunaratne wrote on Facebook. “Dhana, I’ve watched you grow & develop in to a very matured and fantastic Cricketer [sic] over the years.. Smart, Ice cool and a very shrewd Cricket brain. I may add More so [sic] your own style you adapt, and also that very famous smile you always wear every time on & off the field! I am very Confident SL Test Cricket is in very safe hands and will be going forward thro your tenure as Skipper [sic]. I’ll be there to support you on and off the field rest assured. Cheers & Blessings Bro”Karunaratne had taken over the reigns in 2019 during a tumultuous period in Sri Lankan cricket, and with him, brought a sense of stability and calm to the dressing room. While results were mixed for the national side, captaincy did coincide with Karunaratne’s best period as a batter. His average of 49.86 as captain would prove to be significantly higher than his career average of 40.93. During this period, he also reached the summit of the Test batting rankings, as he proved a reliable operator for Sri Lanka at the top.His replacement Dhananjaya too has been a mainstay in the national side, with 51 Tests under his belt, during which he has ten centuries and 13 fifties to his name. His first assignment will be against Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting on February 6.Dhananjaya is the third captaincy change for Sri Lanka in recent weeks, with Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga being appointed to lead the ODI and T20I teams, respectively.

David Warner, who has signed up at the ILT20, is set to feature in both series, while Tim David could play too

Alex Malcolm20-Jan-2024A lighter-than-expected workload for Australia’s three-format fast bowlers across the Test summer so far could allow the selectors to pick them for one or both of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies and New Zealand, which are the only six T20Is Australia play before the T20 World Cup in June.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc have got through four Tests unscathed so far, with none of the four home matches reaching a fifth day. Neither has had to bowl more than 38 overs in a game, and Cummins is the only one who has bowled 20 overs in an innings more than once; but he has only done it twice in eight innings across the summer.All three are being rested from the ODIs against West Indies in early February, and it seemed likely they would be rested from the T20Is too. But given how their workloads have unfolded across the summer, there may be an opportunity to play one or both of those series, with the selectors meeting on Monday to finalise those squads.Related

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“We’ll give some thought to that,” Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’ll be some that may play, and there’ll be some that might not play. It’ll be different squads [for each series]. We’ll look to potentially be at full strength for the New Zealand series.”We’ve got six games before the World Cup. A lot of the World Cup planning is in place at the moment. We’ll try to be as close to full strength for the New Zealand series as possible. The West Indies series is slightly nuanced.”There were concerns over how all three would come out of the ODI World Cup into the Test summer, but those fears have disappeared as they are in great shape and keen to play all seven Tests this season, including two against New Zealand in early March.Australia’s selectors are wary of the workload that both Cummins and Starc will have at the IPL as big-money signings, meaning they could be rested from the West Indies series before only playing part of the New Zealand series. However, Hazlewood would be the likeliest of the three to play both T20I series, given he is not going to play in the IPL unless an opportunity arises to be a replacement player.None of the three played any of Australia’s eight T20Is last year, as they were all rested in order to be fit for Test assignments and the ODI World Cup. Australia even defied the odds to win a T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021 and an ODI World Cup in India in 2023 with an attack comprising Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and only one specialist spinner in Adam Zampa. Glenn Maxwell was the second spinner and first-choice fifth bowler, with other overs being provided by allrounders.It appears as if Australia will back the same structure in for the T20 World Cup on the slower pitches in the West Indies, with Australia not scheduled to play any matches in the US.David Warner is set to return from the ILT20 for Australia duty•AFP/Getty Images

David Warner to play both series

McDonald confirmed that David Warner would be selected for both the West Indies and New Zealand T20Is, and will be required to leave the ILT20 to return to Australia by February 7. Tim David is in the same boat, having signed for MI Emirates, and will likely return to Australia if selected. Marcus Stoinis, who is at the SA20 with Durban’s Super Giants, might also return home early if he is selected for both of Australia’s series as expected.”Davey will be picked,” McDonald said. “He will come back from the ILT20. I think most of our players that are going over there are due back in on [February 7] in preparation for the [first] T20 in Hobart.”However, Australia are still yet to confirm who will captain the team at the T20 World Cup. Despite leading Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup last year, Cummins is very unlikely to be named T20I captain, having not led the team previously in that format.Mitchell Marsh captained the side on an interim basis in South Africa last year with great success, leading an inexperienced group to a 3-0 series sweep. He was also Australia’s vice-captain during the ODI World Cup, having led the ODI team too in South Africa. Immediately after the World Cup, Matthew Wade captained the T20I side in Marsh’s absence for the five-match T20I series in India.Meanwhile, McDonald will not coach the ODI and T20I series against West Indies in order to spend some extra time at home ahead of the New Zealand T20I and Test tour, although he is likely to be with the squad for some of the matches. Assistant coach Daniel Vettori will take the reins for those two series, having rested during the Adelaide Test. Fellow assistants Andre Borovec and Michael Di Venuto both coached Australia’s T20I sides last year in India and South Africa, respectively, when McDonald remained at home.