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Former captain backs them to keep attacking but believes Australia’s bowlers will be toughest challenge

AAP10-Jun-20230:51

Smith: ‘Intrigued to see how Bazball goes against us’

Steve Waugh has warned England they are set to be exposed by Australia in the Ashes if they don’t have a back-up plan for when all-out attack doesn’t come off.England’s ‘Bazball’ revolution in the past 12 months has revived Test cricket in the country, and prompted the most anticipated Ashes series in 17 years.But Australia have made no secret of the fact they have serious question marks over whether it can withstand the Australian attack.England have scored at 4.85 an over in the past year while racking up an 11-2 record in Test cricket, and five of their batters have scored at a strike-rate of above 75.Related

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In contrast, Australia have made their game out of building pressure and strangling opponents with the tightest economy rate of any team in recent years.Steven Smith cast doubt on England’s approach on Thursday, when he questioned for a second time how it would work against Australia’s attack.Waugh is convinced it won’t always come off, and said England were at serious risk of collapsing to their first Ashes series loss at home since 2001 if they didn’t have back-up plans.”That is the big question mark over so-called Bazball. What is Plan B? Have they got a Plan B?” Australia’s former Test captain asked. “If they haven’t then they are going to be found out.”They have shown they are good enough to carry this style of cricket off but the ultimate test will be against a world-class bowling attack, which Australia has got.”It is exciting but to me the jury is out at the moment. Does [Bazball] hold up under scrutiny against a really good bowling attack in maybe challenging conditions?”Regardless, Waugh said he did not expect England to go away from the fearless approach.”There is no doubt it won’t work all the time but I think with [coach Brendon] McCullum and [captain Ben] Stokes they will have the courage to go through with it,” Waugh said. “They can’t chop and change. Have they got a back-up plan? I’m not sure. That might find them out.”Waugh’s successor as Test captain, Ricky Ponting, said it was not impossible for England to pull off the ploy, but is adamant Australia can find answers to silence the hosts.”I’ve got a few thoughts on what I’d be doing if I was an Australian fast bowler,” Ponting said. “I think the reason the way England have played for the last couple of years is with this series in mind. They’ve been trying to find a brand of cricket that they can play that’s going to win an Ashes series.”

Essex academy product moving to The Oval to “continue development as a cricketer”

Matt Roller15-Jun-2023Dan Lawrence will leave his home club Essex at the end of the season after agreeing a shock move to Surrey on a three-year contract.Lawrence, the spare batter in England’s Ashes squad, grew up in Chingford and has played for Essex’s first team since the age of 17, having previously represented the county’s age-group teams.Essex said in a statement that they had offered him a “very strong three-year contract” earlier this summer, but he declined a renewal and has agreed terms with Surrey. He will remain available for Essex for the rest of the season, around his England commitments.Related

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Lawrence said that he was leaving the club “with a heavy heart” and that it had been “an incredibly difficult decision” but believes that moving to Surrey, the defending county champions, would help him achieve his ambitions to become an England regular across formats.”It is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving Essex CCC at the end of this season,” he said. “Essex is the county who taught me how to play the game, developed me as a person and allowed me to play the sport I love professionally.”At this stage of my career, I believe a move to The Oval offers a new challenge and would hugely benefit my own ambitions. Whilst an incredibly difficult decision, it is one that I am taking to continue my development as a cricketer.”Lawrence’s Essex contract expires at the end of the summer and Surrey have moved quickly to secure his services. Counties are only allowed to approach out-of-contract players from June 1, and Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said he was “exceptionally keen” to sign him when the opportunity arose.”I first saw Dan play as a 17-year-old when he scored 161 against us in just his second first-class game, and it was obvious he had the potential to become a very special player,” Stewart said.”After just a couple of conversations it was apparent he wants to fulfil his ambitions of being the very best player he can be and become an England regular in all formats. He felt making this tough cricket decision and moving to The Kia Oval would help and we will do all we can to support his aims.”Anthony McGrath, Essex’s head coach, said that Lawrence would still be considered for selection for the rest of the season, despite the club’s disappointment about his departure. “Dan has expressed his desire to move to Surrey which we accept after turning down our contract offer,” he said.”He has been an important part of our achievements in recent years, and we are all proud of his progression to the international stage, which includes the opportunity to play in the Ashes this summer. He is an exemplar of the success that Essex’s academy has had in producing homegrown cricketers who go on to represent their club and country.”Dan still has a role to play in the remainder of the season as we strive for silverware across all formats. He is dedicated to working towards our aims this season as a club and will still be available for selection around his other commitments.”His move will add further international quality to Surrey’s Championship batting line-up, which already contains a number of recent England caps in Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes, as well as England Lions’ Jamie Smith.

The uncapped trio of Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma are also part of the T20 squad

Deivarayan Muthu14-Jul-2023Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the India men’s squad in the upcoming Asian Games T20 competition. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma, all of whom are uncapped in T20 internationals, also feature in the 15-member squad.With the men’s ODI World Cup scheduled to begin in India on October 5, two days before the end of the Asian Games cricket competition, the BCCI has named a second-string men’s side, while the women’s squad for the competition in Hangzhou is at full strength.Related

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Only six players from the T20I squad for the Caribbean and USA tour – Jaiswal, Tilak, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan – have been picked in the squad for the Asian Games.Notably, this was the first India call-up for Uttar Pradesh batter Rinku, who had set the IPL alight with his power and finishing skills for Kolkata Knight Riders. Vidarbha and Punjab Kings finisher Jitesh also found a place in the squad after being omitted for the T20Is in the Caribbean and USA. This is also an opportunity for allrounder Washington Sundar and his Sunrisers Hyderabad team-mate Rahul Tripathi to prove their T20 chops again. Both players were part of the home T20I series against New Zealand in February earlier this year, but they were left out for the upcoming T20Is against West Indies. They have been on a steady diet of T20 cricket recently, having turned out in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and MPL (Maharashtra Premier League).There was no room for Prithvi Shaw, who has been named in West Zone’s squad for the Deodhar Trophy, after which he will travel to the UK for a county stint with Northamptonshire.Bengal and Royal Challengers Bangalore left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed will work with Washington and Bishnoi in the spin attack. Shivam Dube is the only seam-bowling allrounder in the squad though he didn’t bowl a single ball for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023. Dube had hurt his finger while fielding against Mumbai Indians in May and played the IPL knockouts with the injury. He has now recovered sufficiently to be named in both this squad and the West Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy.Venkatesh Iyer didn’t make it to the Asian Games squad and was part of the list of reserve players, which also included B Sai Sudharsan, who turned heads with a 47-ball 96 for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 final against CSK. R Sai Kishore, who has had multiple stints as a net bowler with the Indian sides, was also among the stand-by players. Punjab’s Prabhsimran Singh was picked as the second keeper after Jitesh.Cricket has featured twice in the Asian Games – in 2010 and 2014 – but India didn’t take part in those events. As in the 2010 and 2014 editions, T20 will be the format of the cricket event in Hangzhou. The men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games will run from 28th September to 8th October.India men’s squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh (wk)Stand-bys: Yash Thakur, R Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, B Sai Sudharsan

England blitzed at Chelmsford as new-look team suffer a first T20I defeat at Sri Lanka’s hands

Andrew Miller02-Sep-2023Sri Lanka 110 for 2 (Athapaththu 55) beat England 104 (Dean 34, Fernando 2-16, Dilhari 2-17) by eight wicketsChamari Athapaththu led from the front in a stunning allround display – first with the ball and then with a rampant 26-ball fifty – as Sri Lanka secured their maiden T20I victory over England in extraordinarily emphatic style: by eight wickets, and with a crushing 40 balls remaining, as Heather Knight’s new-look team were served a dramatic reality check, only two days after cruising to victory in the series opener at Hove.After winning her second toss of the series and choosing to bowl first, Athapaththu showed her team how it needed to be done by bowling the dangerous Danni Wyatt for 1 in her first over, and never let up in her leadership thereafter, as England were hustled out for 104 in 18 overs – a far cry from the 186 for 4 that they had posted in just 17 overs in Thursday’s opening fixture.Then, sensing a chance to crush England from the outset of the chase, Athapaththu climbed onto the offensive with the bat, cracking eight fours and two sixes with similarly positive support from Harshitha Samarawickrama, who sealed the contest with a massive swipe over midwicket to finish unbeaten on 30 from 35 balls.Chamari sets the powerplay toneSpeaking at the toss, Athapaththu insisted – with some justification as things turned out – there had been some “positives” to take from a one-sided series opener at Hove, but recognised that their bowling had to improve after England had romped along at close to two a ball on that occasion.And so the skipper herself added that burden to her already broadly laden shoulders, to set the tone for an astonishingly unrelentingly display. Despite one loose ball that Maia Bouchier carved for four, Athapaththu’s remit in the contest’s first over was to keep the stumps in play as much as possible, on a hybrid wicket that offered a touch of grip for her spinners, and in sunny afternoon conditions a world away from the dank misery of Hove.The gambit paid agenda-setting dividends with the sixth ball of Athapaththu’s over. A beautifully flighted offbreak lured Danni Wyatt on the drive, but a hint of dip and spin bowled her clean through the gate for 1. Suddenly a partnership that had realised 77 from 45 balls at Hove had been broken before it had begun, and that carefree youth that had so flourished in game one had a different scenario to counter.Inoshi in on the actionAlice Capsey had made a belligerent 51 from 27 on that occasion; here she was restricted to an anxious 3 from 9 as Inoshi Fernando followed her skipper’s lead in her first outing of the series. First, her tall offbreaks pinned Capsey to the crease for five consecutive dot-balls and a single, then she snapped the trap shut in the field one over later. Itching to break the shackles, Capsey lashed through the line at Sugandika Kumari and Fernando was almost blown off her feet at mid-off as she clung on well to a flat chance.Bouchier by this stage had connected well on another cuff through the covers, but Fernando’s impact was not done yet. The first ball of her second over was flapped in ungainly fashion straight to Kavisha Dilhari at extra cover, and Bouchier attempted to bend her bat around her helmet as she traipsed off for 12 from 10. Not only were England truly in the m(aia)ire at 21 for 3, but she’d missed a golden opportunity to rebuild a faltering innings, and seize the opportunity for seniority that she’s been handed in the absence of the likes of Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Old guard falter tooInstead, England’s hopes were reinvested in a familiar pair of middle-order stalwarts. Heather Knight and Amy Jones saw out a powerplay that, at 32 for 3, realised less than half the 66 for 0 that Sri Lanka had been subjected to at Hove, but neither batter really exuded an air of permanence in an uncompromising match situation – least of all Jones, who so nearly holed out to backward point as an attempted reverse-sweep off Fernando fell inches short.On 10, Knight successfully over-turned an lbw decision after her attempted reverse-sweep was shown to have flicked her glove before crashing into the pad, but one over later, Jones’ scratchy stay was ended in the opposite fashion – Ranaweera trapped her on the back pad, and after Atapaththu’s last-ditch decision to review, the ball was shown to be thumping the top of leg stump.Jones was gone for a run-a-ball 12, and if 41 for 4 in the eighth over was a dicey scenario, England’s issues were only just beginning. Freya Kemp picked off two singles off two legal deliveries, only to be stumped off a wide in Dilhari’s next over, as she galloped out of her crease for Sanjeewani to gather well down the leg-side and beat her despairing dive, and all hopes of a competitive total ended when Knight spooned a back-foot punch back to Ranaweera. At 48 for 6, England were fully braced for ignominy.Maia Bouchier grimaces after falling in the second T20I at Chelmsford•ECB via Getty Images

Dean digs for double-figuresOnly Charlie Dean, last out for a feisty 34 from 26, found anything like the requisite blend of endurance and aggression, including three fours in a row off Ranaweera – two firm sweeps and a well-dispatched full toss.At the other end, however, the progression continued. Danielle Gibson opted for aggression without endurance, as she survived a slash through deep third that flew inches wide of the fielder, before scuffing a reverse-sweep straight into the lap of backward square.Sarah Glenn, sporting a new cap to mark her 50th T20I appearance, then snicked off fourth-ball to give Dilhari her second wicket. Though Issy Wong hung around long enough to endure England wouldn’t be setting their new record low total in a women’s T20I, when she lashed through a drive at Prabhodhani to be bowled for 13, the end was not long in coming.Cross, Wong bear powerplay bruntIf England thought their day had hit its nadir, Athapaththu had further indignities to deliver. She signalled her intention to keep the hammer down with a second-ball drive for four off Kate Cross, and even though Sanjeewani fell in Gibson’s subsequent over (after two no-balls had hinted at England’s anxieties), Sri Lanka’s captain was only just getting warmed up.Cross’s second over was utterly taken to the cleaners – 21 runs in total, compromising three blazed fours in a row and a simply vast flog over square leg, off the roof off the Felsted School Stand and into the garden of a bemused lady looking on from her balcony. After some similarly rough treatment at the back-end of the first T20I, Cross’s figures for the series now read 4.2-0-55-0 – a reminder perhaps why her impeccable lines have been overlooked in this format since 2019.Nothing, however, was quite as gruesome as the public pillorying that Wong would endure in her first international over of the summer. Her absence from the firing line has been a bit of an ongoing mystery in recent months, given the excitement that surrounded her all-round game last summer, but here was public evidence of a player at war with her own technique.Her first over of the match lasted for ten deliveries, the first four of which amounted to a tragicomedy in themselves – a huge front-foot no-ball that Harshitha Samarawickrama flicked off her pads for four, followed by a flick to deep square leg off that most of the crowd failed to realise was a free hit . Another leg-side no-ball followed, then another catch off the free hit – an astounding one as it happens, as Cross at mid-off snaffled the ball in her outstretched right hand.By the end of it all, Wong could only grin in self-effacement as Glenn jogged down to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder, and as Sri Lanka blazed towards their victory target with barely a shot out of place, it was something of a surprise to see her reintroduced with 13 runs still needed and little left to be gained. Three more drilled boundaries duly drew the scores level, leaving Harshitha to heave Cross into the pavilion for the winning six.Wong’s inclusion for this match had come at the expense of England’s new young thing, Mahika Gaur, and her struggles rather underlined the importance of Knight’s pre-series warning about the youth in this team. Expecting too much too soon is a dangerous thing.

South Africa’s bowling coach hoping his oldest and youngest quick provide the fear factor for opposition in the absence of the speedy Anrich Nortje

Firdose Moonda05-Oct-20232:10

Can South Africa’s misfiring bowlers back up their sizzling batters?

South Africa will rely on the experience of Kagiso Rabada and the exuberance of Gerald Coetzee to fill the fear-factor gap left by Anrich Nortje’s unavailability. That was the message from bowling coach Eric Simons, who wants the opposition camps to be discussing how to handle his oldest and youngest quicks through the tournament.”I’ve sat in a lot of team meetings and the more the opposition talks about a certain batter or bowler, the more you are in their heads and the more you are ahead of them in the game. Someone like Anrich would have been someone they would have spoken about,” Simons said from South Africa’s hotel in Delhi, where they are preparing to play their first match of the competition against Sri Lanka. “Likewise, with Kagiso. He is one of our key members.”While steering away from naming Rabada as the leader of the attack – a title Simons said he does not understand the reasons for giving someone – he spoke to Rabada’s 92 ODI caps as being crucial to South Africa’s chances of intimidating opposition line-ups. “Kagiso is someone with a lot of experience and someone the opposition respects, so getting him up to speed and getting him bowling at his best is not just important for him but for us as a unit.”Related

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And that is the rub of it. Rabada had not had the opportunity to be at his best for South Africa in ODIs this year – he has only played five of their 12 ODIs this year – and has also not been at his best in big tournaments. Again, the sample size is small, but telling.Rabada has only played one 50-over World Cup and his performance mirrored South Africa’s: it was underwhelming. He played all nine of South Africa’s group games in 2019 and took 11 wickets at 36.09. In the context of the team’s performance it was not bad: Rabada had the same number of wickets as Imran Tahir and Andile Phehlukwayo, and only two fewer than their leading wicket-taker, Chris Morris, but against his international peers it was poor. Mitchell Starc was the tournament’s leading bowler with 27 wickets. Among the headline quicks around the circuit Lockie Ferguson, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Mark Wood, Mohammad Amir, Trent Boult, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Chris Woakes, Mohammed Shami, Matt Henry and Pat Cummins had better tournaments than Rabada.Similarly, Rabada has not shot the lights out at the T20 World Cups he has been involved in. At last year’s T20 World Cup, he took only two wickets in five games and at his first event, in India in 2016, he claimed five wickets in three matches and had an economy rate of 10.71. The only exception was the UAE in 2021 where Rabada took eight wickets in five matches at 19.37 on the back of finishing as the leading bowler in the IPL in the UAE in late 2020. Since then, Rabada’s IPL form has also dipped. In 2021, he took 15 wickets in 15 matches and averaged over 30, in 2022 he took 23 wickets in 13 matches and conceded at 8.45 runs to the over and this year, played only six matches, took seven wickets, averaged 33.14 and bled 10.08 runs an over.Kagiso Rabada’s bowling could be central to South Africa’s success•AFP/Getty Images

It’s fair to say big tournaments have not brought big results for Rabada but has it been bothering him? “We’ve not spoken specifically about World Cups,” Simons said. “He wants to be the best he can possibly be. We had a long conversation about tactics to be used at the death in India, for example. It’s a constant learning process and every day is about being little better than he was yesterday.”Sisanda Magala’s absence after being ruled out of the tournament with a knee niggle means that South Africa also need someone who can do a job at the end of innings. From Simons’ comments, it seems Rabada has taken on the task himself, adding to his duties as chief aggressor. That’s where Coetzee will come in, albeit with a word of warning. “He is someone who can bowl constantly at 140kph-plus, which is important in any conditions,” Simons said. “But someone is going to punch him in the nose at some point. I have no doubt about it. That’s what this game is about, particularly in India.”Fast pitches and small grounds may mean the ball leaves the bat as quickly as Coetzee can deliver it but Simons is hopeful he will learn quickly. “He faced a good test against Australia and an extremely aggressive batting line up. It was good to see him come through it and come up with ideas and plans,” Simons said. “He is a very intelligent young cricketer. He understands his game and he contributes a lot especially in bowling meetings. It’s going to be a steep learning curve for him but he is somebody with the material and resources to handle it.”And while Coetzee’s pace is the aspect of his game everyone is eager to see, Simons hinted there are other parts of his skill set that could be equally exciting. “One of the things that is going to be important in Indian conditions is pace-off deliveries and he has got a delivery that is quite effective. In the Australia series, he bowled Alex Carey with a legcutter and you could see it surprised everyone. Once you’ve got opposition talking about it, you’re winning a bit of a battle.”Build-ups to World Cup campaigns are often preoccupied with chatter about the players who have not made it the tournament – players like Nortje. As South Africa’s opener draws closer, the conversation could and should move to the bowlers who have made the trip and impact the likes of Rabada and Coetzee could have.

The move is a direct consequence of SLC’s recent suspension by the global cricket body

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Nov-2023The ICC Board on Tuesday decided to shift the 2024 men’s Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa. The move, a unanimous decision by the board, was taken as a consequence of the ICC recently provisionally suspending the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) due to extensive government interference in the board’s administration.Related

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The development will have no immediate implication on the daily running of cricket. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the ICC Board agreed that cricket at all levels, including any bilateral and domestic series and tournaments, will not be disrupted by the suspension. As for the ICC annual funding, that would be controlled until the suspension is lifted.In a media release, the ICC confirmed moving the tournament to South Africa having heard the SLC. “After hearing representation from SLC, the ICC Board decided that Sri Lanka can continue to compete internationally both in bilateral cricket and ICC events after being suspended recently for breaching its obligations as a Member in particular the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference.”Shammi Silva, SLC president, had recently warned that the biennial tournament, scheduled in January 2024 was in danger of being moved out of the country unless the ICC was satisfied that Sri Lanla government was not meddling in board’s working, which goes against the ICC constitution. The SLC and the country’s sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe have been in conflict over the past year, with Ranasinghe making accusations of corruption and mismanagement in the cricket board, while Silva and SLC accuse him of meddling with cricket.Silva also notified the ICC in November 2022 of government interference which forced the ICC Board to ask its deputy chairman Imran Khawaja to travel to Sri Lanka to establish the facts.

Line-up for 2024

Group A: India, Bangladesh, Ireland, USA.
Group B: England, SA, WI, Scotland.
Group C: Australia, SL, Zimbabwe, Namibia.
Group D: Afghanistan, Pakistan, NZ, Nepal.

Four cities shortlisted

South Africa has been a favourite for hosting U-19 World Cup events recently. The country hosted the inaugural edition of the Women’s U-19 World Cup in 2023 and the men’s U-19 World Cup in 2020 too.The 16-team tournament, originally scheduled for January 13 – February 4 in Sri Lanka, is likely to be played close to the same window. The venues for the 2024 edition are likely to be Benoni, Potchefstroom, Kimberley, and Bloemfontein. It is understood that South Africa and the UAE were among the shortlist of venues the ICC had pencilled in as contingencies in case it had to be moved out of Sri Lanka. The UAE, though, had to be ruled out with the ILT20 clashing with the World Cup.The top 11 Full Member sides from the 2022 edition have qualified directly, and five teams – Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland, and USA – have earned their spots through regional qualification events. The 2024 edition will also be played in a fresh format – with the ‘Super Sixes’ a new segment during the second stage of the event.India, with five titles, are the most successful team in the competition’s history, followed by Australia with three. Pakistan have won twice and each of England, Bangladesh, South Africa, and West Indies have lifted the crown once. For fans in South Africa, the tournament now clashes with the SA20 franchise competition that runs from January 10 to February 10.

Even a win can’t assure New Zealand of a top-four ticket, with Pakistan having a game in hand; and rain could play a part in Bengaluru again

Madushka Balasuriya08-Nov-20234:17

Williamson: ‘We knew anybody can beat anybody and we’ve seen that’

Big picture: All to play for

And so it comes down to this. After a month of non-stop cricket – 40 matches leading up to this one, to be precise – there’s a very good chance that it will be the weather in Bengaluru which might end up deciding which team takes up not just the last semi-final berth in this World Cup, but also the final Champions Trophy 2025 qualification spot. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let us first take a quick look back at how we got here.If you’re New Zealand, you could be forgiven for scratching your head a little at your present predicament. After four wins from your first four games, and then two scores of 383 and 401 in two of your next four, you surely ought to have nailed down that top-four spot, right? Well, not if that 383 came in an agonisingly close losing chase against Australia, and that 401 preceded some classic Pakistan shenanigans courtesy Fakhar Zaman, who wasn’t even in the starting XI at the beginning of this tournament.But New Zealand’s fate is largely in their own hands. A win against Sri Lanka, and they move to ten points to almost certainly lock that fourth semi-final slot. The only caveat – Pakistan will be playing two days later, knowing precisely what they need to do against England to trump New Zealand’s net run rate (NRR). Afghanistan too could get to ten points, but their NRR is so dire that it’s all but mathematically impossible to leapfrog the sides above them.3:07

SL assistant coach: ‘Captaincy must be a burden on Kusal Mendis’

As for Sri Lanka, an underwhelming tournament, scattered with only sporadic moments of triumph, reached a pointed nadir in their comprehensive defeat to Bangladesh on Monday – a fact conveniently sidelined by the furore surrounding Angelo Mathews’ mildly contentious, not-at-all-polarising dismissal.Related

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• It's a four-way battle for the last two Champions Trophy spots

The margin of that loss, coupled with England’s win over Netherlands on Wednesday, also left them in ninth place* – below the cut-off point for qualification to the next Champions Trophy – with only NRR keeping them off the bottom. There are various scenarios at play but all four teams – Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh and Netherlands – could still finish level on four points, with run rate the decider.Which brings us to the rain, something that would be considerably more disastrous for New Zealand than their opponents because they need the full two points. Anything less than that and Pakistan, Afghanistan or both could surpass them in the race for the semi-finals.A washout may work in Sri Lanka’s favour but then they’d be waiting on at least two of Bangladesh, England and Netherlands to lose their final match of the World Cup.As for the actual head-to-head between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, it’s been all one-way traffic in recent times. Sri Lanka’s last ODI victory against New Zealand came back in 2015.Rachin Ravindra has hit three hundreds in this World Cup•Associated Press

Recent form

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In the spotlight: Rachin Ravindra and Kusal Mendis

Rachin Ravindra has 523 runs this World Cup. He hadn’t played a single game of ODI cricket when the year began but he is now the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. Heading into the World Cup, all of Ravindra’s first eight ODI innings came at either No. 6 or 7. But from the moment he hit a hundred to kick things off last month, he earned himself a place in that New Zealand top order and has never looked back. Of batters to have played as many games as him in the World Cup, only Virat Kohl’s ludicrous average of 108.60 trumps Ravindra’s 74.71. And one last fact, his only ODI innings against Sri Lanka saw him score 49 from 52 balls, in what was his ODI debut.Of all the mid-tournament revelations in all the World Cups. In ordinary circumstances, having been pushed out of semi-final contention, this Sri Lanka side might have been looking forward to the creature comforts of home. Here, however, they still need a win, and more importantly inspiration. Enter Kusal Mendis, the man named captain two games into this tournament, two games in which he was a whirlwind of unadulterated intent. His seven innings prior to taking up the mantle had seen him rack up six scores of fifty or more, including a 77-ball 126 against Pakistan. Since then though his form has fallen of the proverbial cliff; he has averaged 15 at a strike rate of 68.18. Sri Lanka badly need Mendis to rediscover his mojo.

Team news: Ferguson and Jamieson both to play?

For New Zealand, Matt Henry has been ruled out of the World Cup. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s weakness against short-pitched bowling might see the inclusion of one or both of Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi/Kyle Jamieson, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim Southee/Lockie FergusonSri Lanka badly need Kusal Mendis to rediscover his mojo•Getty Images

Sri Lanka don’t have any fresh injury concerns and are likely to stick with the same side which lost to Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis (capt, wk) 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Maheesh Theekshana, 9 Kasun Rajitha, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Pitch and conditions: Runs or rain?

New Zealand as whole might not have fond memories of the Chinnaswamy stadium, but their batters might, having plundered 401 against Pakistan. Sri Lanka too will remember fondly their win against England here. Now if only the rain will keep away.

Stats and trivia: A one-sided contest

• Rachin Ravindra is currently tied with Sachin Tendulkar for most runs at a World Cup before turning 25. He can go free and clear of an all-time great tomorrow.
• Dilshan Madushanka is seven wickets away from becoming the all-time highest wicket-taker in a single edition of a World Cup.
• Sri Lanka have won just three of their last 20 ODIs against New Zealand; they’ve lost seven of their last eight, with one game abandoned.
• Two of the three games at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in this World Cup have seen the side batting first score above 350, with only England – against Sri Lanka – failing to do so.

Quotes

“We knew the talent was there, but to come out be one of the players of the tournament so far – not only with the bat, but he’s also making really valuable contributions with the ball. Yeah, very, very special player, and great that he’s on our side.”
*November 9 – This was updated to correct the permutations for Champions Trophy qualification

In Sylhet, Moin Khan and Sumon Khan helped South Zone survive in the final hour to draw their encounter against North Zone in Sylhet

Mohammad Isam14-Dec-2023Yasir Ali, bowlers impress for East ZoneEast Zone‘s seven-wicket win against Central Zone in Chattogram put them on top of the Bangladesh Cricket League’s table. Yasir Ali struck a century to win the player-of-the-match award but it was their bowlers who played a big part on the win.Batting first, Central Zone reached 280 with Mahidul Islam top-scoring with 91. Medium pacer Khaled Ahmed and offspinner Naeem Ahmed took four wickets each.East Zone slipped to 70 for five in their reply, before Yasir and Irfan Sukkur added 151 runs for the sixth wicket. Yasir struck nine fours and four sixes in his 179-ball stay, while Irfan made 91 with 12 fours and a six. The other nine batters combined to score just 45 runs as they reached 257. Abu Hider and Nazmul Islam took three wickets each.Naeem took another four-wicket haul while Khaled took three as Central Zone got bowled out for 125 runs in their second dig. East Zone reached their 149-run target with Amite Hasan and Shamim Hossain hitting unbeaten fifties in the fourth innings.Abdullah, Mahedi shine in drawn encounterMoin Khan and Sumon Khan helped South Zone survive in the final hour to draw their encounter against North Zone in Sylhet.Mahedi Hasan’s four-wicket haul restricted North Zone to 219 before South Zone took a 24-run lead when they made 243. Prantik Nawrose Nabil struck 90, laced with eight fours, as he batted till the 82nd over to shepherd the innings. Yeasin Arafat took four wickets.Abdullah Al Mamun’s second first-class century got North Zone back in the game with 345 for seven declared. Mamun made an unbeaten 117 off 258 balls though he struck five fours and six sixes in his innings that spanned almost four hours. Pritom Kumar and Akbar Ali scored sixties as North Zone set South Zone a 322 target. Mahedi and Kamrul Islam took three wickets each.South Zone collapsed to 57 for five before Nabil and Marshall Ayub bailed them out for a bit. Moin and Sumon then defended for nearly 90 minutes to ensure the draw, with two wickets in hand. Nahidul Islam’s 5-29 got him the Player-of-the-Match award.

The left-armer took five wickets against Brisbane Heat as Sydney Sixers booked a home grand final

AAP20-Jan-2024After taking a career best 5 for 21 to lift Sydney Sixers into the BBL final, fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis credited a T20I stint with Australia for his purple patch of form.The 29-year-old had his best return in 105 BBL games for Sixers in the 39-run qualifying final win over Brisbane Heat on the Gold Coast on Friday.Dwarshuis played in two T20Is for Australia in December against India and took five wickets with his left-arm seamers. Since returning to the BBL he has been a regular wicket taker.Related

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“In India, I just think how calm the environment is in the Aussie set-up at the moment was really nice,” Dwarshuis said.”It was easy to slide in and be clear on your roles and execute. Going to India, who are the powerhouses of T20 cricket, and putting in a few good performances there a few weeks out from the BBL let me  start the tournament with plenty of confidence. Fortunately, I’ve been able to keep that form going. One more game, and hopefully it keeps going.”Sixers host the BBL final on Wednesday at the SCG, despite not having a single player named in the team of the tournament.Instead of taking that as a negative, Dwarshuis said it was a reflection of the culture captain Moises Henriques and coach Greg Shipperd had built.Ben Dwarshuis took five wickets in two matches in India late last year•BCCI

“We don’t have anyone in the team of the tournament, but if there was a second or third team of the tournament most of our squad would be in there,” Dwarshuis said. “We are a team where everybody stands up when they need to. We don’t just rely on one or two players game-in and game-out.”Everyone has made great contributions throughout the BBL and when you get in pressure moments that’s a really important thing to have in your team. It’s a great trait and one of the reasons why the Sixers have been so successful the last few years.”Sixers have played in six BBL finals and won three in their history. The current side is a real band of brothers who have stuck together through what has been a mostly wonderful time for the franchise.”I look at the team now and there are probably six or seven who have played 100 games with the Sixers,” Dwarshuis said. “We have this core group who like to stick together and play great cricket together. We know each other’s roles and are comfortable with each other.”I’ve won two finals and lost two. I love it here at the Sixers. Hopefully, we can make it three wins. Our win in Perth [to secure second spot] and this win here shows we are peaking at the right time in the tournament. There are some positive signs leading into Sydney.”The home ground advantage is a saying for a reason. We have played four of our games there this year and know what to expect.”

Bradley Hope and Jordan Silk rescued the leaders after Joel Paris did the early damage

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2024Reigning champions Western Australia fought back to trail leaders Tasmania by 65 runs with six wickets in hand after a dramatic first day of their Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.After routing Tasmania for 183 in 49 overs, WA stumbled to 28 for 3 before reaching stumps on 118 for 4 through the efforts of Jayden Goodwin.WA captain Sam Whiteman’s decision to bowl first on a tricky Blundstone Arena paid dividends as the visitors tore through Tasmania’s top-order.After losing opener Tim Ward on the first ball of the match, Tasmania’s day didn’t get much better. It could still have been worse for the home side, who were reeling at 19 for and 90 for 6.But an accomplished 63 from Bradley Hope, who grew up in WA, and captain Jordan Silk pushed them to a more competitive score.WA quick Joel Paris, who started the carnage with the dismissal of Ward, was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 48.Tasmania’s batters tried to go after Cameron Gannon but he finished with 3 for 49 from eight overs.Like Tasmania, WA found themselves in early trouble with the bat as snubbed Test hopeful Cameron Bancroft fell for 2 in the third over.The visitors top order collapsed, with Tasmanian debutant Kieran Elliott snaring the wicket of Test No.4 Cameron Green when he was trapped lbwBut No.3 Goodwin and veteran allrounder Hilton Cartwright helped steady the innings.WA will resume their innings on Saturday hoping they can the ruin Tasmania’s prospects of hosting the Shield final. They sit top of the table with three games to be completed, while WA are third having had an inconsistent title defence so far.