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Senior seamer considering future after decision to omit him and James Anderson for West Indies tour

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2022Stuart Broad has described how the “five-minute phone call” to tell him he had been dropped from England’s squad for the West Indies tour had left him feeling “confused and angry”, and uncertain about his future as a Test cricketer.Writing in his newspaper column, Broad said the decision had “hit me pretty hard”, as well as affected his sleep. He also confirmed he would seek discussions with England’s new managing director and head coach, once they are appointed, before deciding about a potential return this summer.”I always try to find a positive in the hand that has been dealt to me,” he wrote in the . “To be honest, though, that’s been quite tricky this time because the decision to leave me out of the tour of West Indies has hit me pretty hard.”Not to big it up too much but it has affected my sleep. I said to my partner Mollie one morning that my body felt sore. She suggested that would be stress. No, I can’t pretend I am as good as gold, because I am not. It would be wrong to act like everything’s OK.”Broad and James Anderson, England’s leading wicket-takers in Test cricket, were left out after discussions between a newly formed selection panel of Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and James Taylor. Although Strauss stressed that it was not necessarily “the end of the road” for the pair, Broad said they had both been blindsided by the move.”From a personal perspective, the only positive I can cling to is that my form – and you could add Jimmy Anderson’s recent performances to this too – has been good,” he said. “I took 11 wickets in the final two Ashes matches, I have been Test match standard for a long time and, for the last eight years, you would say world class.Related

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“And so, it makes it even more upsetting that they don’t see me part of their immediate plans, especially with a view to looking at a way of winning away from home, which was briefly explained to me.”Broad denied that there had been any falling out in the dressing room in Australia, saying the atmosphere in the team was good despite another 4-0 Ashes defeat.Although he indicated that he wants to meet with England’s new management team as soon as they are installed – Strauss is currently interim director of men’s cricket, Collingwood interim head coach – and said “their opinions are now everything to me”, he also suggested he would have to reassess his motivation to carry on.”So, has this episode changed the way I think about my career? I just can’t answer that at the moment. I spoke to my mum Carole on Friday because I am waking up more confused and angrier with each passing day, and she just advised me to take time, step away from the game for a bit and figure things out.”Time can be a great healer, she says. But right now, I feel gutted. Do I need to prove myself again? In my mind, I’ve nothing to prove. I am a proven performer, so it is now about the English cricketing summer and mentally and physically targeting the home series against New Zealand in June.”What I would say is there have been times when I have been able to answer such questions with ease. But as things stand, feeling as though I’ve performed well and deserve to be in the side makes it hard.”Understandably, people will ask if there has therefore been some fall-out behind the scenes, a bit of a rumble during the Ashes, but I can categorically say that is not the case. Hence, neither Jimmy nor I saw this coming. We were blindsided.”Broad added that while England’s recent record in Tests had been poor and he agreed with the need to change things, he still saw himself as deserving a spot in their first-choice XI.”Do I believe I warrant a place in England’s best team in Antigua on March 8? Of course, I do. That is why it is so difficult to comprehend.”If I was averaging 100 with the ball recently and had a terrible record in the Caribbean, then OK, try someone else. But I’ve bowled well there in the past and West Indies are a team I’ve had pretty good success against.”Yes, this England team have lost a lot of cricket matches in recent times and I am not against different mindsets and making changes. Yes, we do need to question a lot of things, but surely you must play your best players to win Test matches.”Broad also revealed he had been in regular contact with Anderson, “mainly planning golf trips because we’ve suddenly had some unexpected time free up”. He said his focus would turn back to cricket only when he had decided whether to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by Strauss and the selectors.”And one thing I have made a conscious effort to avoid is shutting myself away. I’ve got out for little runs, and they have made me feel better. What I don’t want to do, though, is pick up a cricket ball for a couple of weeks. I will do so when I have decided whether to jump at the latest challenge set for me.”

Elsewhere, Bengal chased down 349 against Baroda, and Parvez Rasool’s ten-wicket match haul gave J&K a comfortable win over Puducherry

Sreshth Shah20-Feb-2022

Elite Group A

Chasing 195, Gujarat were rolled over for 88 in the fourth innings by Madhya Pradesh, led by left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya’s five-wicket haul. Gujarat had rattled Madhya Pradesh from an overnight score of 202 for 4 to 251 all out on the back of Chintan Gaja’s six-for in the morning, but with a batting display where only one player (Karan Patel) crossed the 20s, they fell 106 short.MP are now second on the points table in Group A, with Kerala at the top after their innings win over Meghalaya on Saturday.Shahbaz Ahmed struck an unbeaten 71 as Bengal chased down 349 against Baroda•BCCI

Elite Group B

All out for 88 in their first innings, Bengal‘s batters turned it around on the final day to successfully chase down 349 against Baroda in Cuttack. The 79 from opener Abhimanyu Easwaran had given them a leg up on day three, but they needed an unbeaten 108-run seventh-wicket partnership between allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed (71*) and debutant wicketkeeper Abishek Porel (53*) to cross the line.In the other Group B game, Ravi Teja ran through Chandigarh‘s batting line up to give Hyderabad a 217-run win. Hyderabad had set Chandigarh a 401-run target on the back of Hanuma Vihari’s 106. Teja then proved too hot for Chandigarh on the final day with a six-for, taking his match haul to 9 for 94. Chandigarh opener Arslan Khan made 68 while Raj Bawa, the Player of the Match at the U-19 World Cup final, was left unbeaten on a 47-ball 35 with the side losing their last four wickets for just one run.Parvez Rasool’s ten-wicket match haul gave Jammu & Kashmir a comfortable win•BCCI

Elite Group C

Jammu & Kashmir began their campaign with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Puducherry. Puducherry were 113 for 9 overnight on the back of offspinner Parvez Rasool’s five-for, and he added a sixth in the morning. J&K needed to chase only 42 and their Ian Dev Singh finished the game off with a six on the very first delivery he faced. For Rasool, it was the fourth time he took ten wickets in a match.J&K now lead Group C after Karnataka and Railways played out a draw. Karnataka declared their second innings on 223 for 9 after seamer Amit Mishra (4 for 58) and legspinner Karn Sharma (3 for 47) shared seven wickets, leaving Railways chasing an improbable 279 in the afternoon. Even though Railways were reduced to 26 for 3, they eventually finished on 69 for 4 at the close of play.After his first-innings duck, Cheteshwar Pujara struck a counter-attacking 83-ball 91 in the second dig against Mumbai•Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images

Elite Group D

Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani’s seven-wicket haul had put Mumbai within one wicket of victory going into the last hour against Saurashtra but Jaydev Unadkat (32*) and Chetan Sakariya (10*) batted out 17.2 overs to deny them in Ahmedabad. Following on, Saurashtra openers Harvik Desai (62) and Snell Patel (98) provided a 163-run start but both fell in consecutive overs. Despite Cheteshwar Pujara’s counter-attacking 83-ball 91 with 16 fours and a six, Saurashtra needed the last-gasp partnership to save the day. Sarfaraz Khan was named the Player of the Match for his 275 in Mumbai’s first innings.Odisha held on to a draw in the other Group D game after Goa could take only seven of the ten wickets on day four. Opener Shantanu Mishra’s 267-ball 103 helped Odisha hold up one end for 96.3 overs while wicketkeeper Rajesh Dhuper made 52 from No. 6.

Elite Group E

Needing 39 more in a chase of 133, Uttarakhand wrapped up a nine-wicket win inside nine overs on the final day against Services. Jay Bista struck a run-a-ball 87 not out. Uttarakhand allrounder Dikshanshu Negi was Player of the Match for his match haul of five wickets and 68 in their first innings.Andhra lost their last six wickets in less than 25 overs on day four as Rajasthan‘s bowlers wrapped up a 158-run win in the other Group E fixture. Chasing 368, Andhra were restarting on 100 for 4 but left-arm spinner Shubham Sharma took 4 for 32 and Aniket Choudhary finished with 3 for 50 to bowl Andhra out for 209.Jayant Yadav’s six-for ensured Haryana took the first-innings lead in a drawn game against Tripura•PTI

Elite Group F

Group F saw both fixtures in Delhi finish as high-scoring draws. At Palam, Tripura posted 436 in response to Haryana‘s 556, and Haryana could bat only 20 overs in the second innings before the teams shook hands. The 222-run third-wicket stand between Bishal Ghosh (159) and Samit Gohel (122) lifted Tripura from 56 for 2 on the third day, but Jayant Yadav’s six-for ensured Haryana took the first-innings lead and pocketed three points.At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Himachal Pradesh batter Akash Vasisht made 140 on the final day to follow up on his first-innings 87, but their game against Punjab ended in a drab draw. After Punjab scored 526 in response to HP’s 354, they had a 172-run lead and a chance to register an outright victory. But Himachal batted 118 overs to finish on 402 for 8.

Elite Group G

Uttar Pradesh held on for a draw against Vidarbha after Rinku Singh (62*) and Saurabh Kumar (81*) rescued them from a precarious position. Trying to overcome a 247-run first-innings deficit, UP were 126 for 6 on the final day, but Rinku and Saurabh put on an unbeaten 154-run seventh-wicket stand to deny Vidarbha’s bowlers. Before their stand, overnight batter Priyam Garg made 56 but Akshay Wakhare’s three-wicket haul briefly rattled UP.Rinku Singh (above) and Saurabh Kumar helped Uttar Pradesh eke out a draw•BCCI

Maharashtra‘s left-arm spinner Satyajeet Bachhav finished with 7 for 45 to secure an innings win over Assam in Rohtak. Riyan Parag made 56 for Assam, but Bachhav picked up the last three wickets in one over as Assam folded for 160, seven short to make Maharshtra bat again.

Elite Group H

Delhi‘s Yash Dhull became only the ninth batter in first-class cricket to score a century in each innings on debut as he struck an unbeaten 113 to follow up on his first-innings 113 against Tamil Nadu in Guwahati. Dhruv Shorey struck an unbeaten 107 to take Delhi to 228 for no loss as the match ended in a draw. On day three, Tamil Nadu had taken a 42-run lead on the back of Shahrukh Khan’s 148-ball 194 and Baba Indrajith’s 117.Both Tamil Nadu (3 points) and Delhi (1 point) are behind Chhattisgarh on the points table in this group after they beat Jharkhand by eight wickets inside three days.Sakibul Gani’s 341 on debut could not earn Bihar an outright win against Mizoram•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Plate Group

Nagaland successfully chased down 174 with six wickets in hand, after Sikkim were bowled out for 283 in their second innings. Shrikant Mundhe’s half-century saw them through to the win. Chetan Bist was named Player of the Match for scoring 115 in the first innings and taking eight catches in the game.Sakibul Gani’s first innings score of 341 could not earn Bihar a win as Mizoram lost only four wickets in their second innings after being asked to follow on. Taruwar Kohli’s unbeaten 101 ensured Mizoram had one senior batter holding the fort from one end, while Uday Kaul also made 56. Bihar, though, took three points for their first-innings lead.Manipur are currently leading the Plate Group table. They had completed an innings win over Arunachal Pradesh on day three.

Hain marked international debut with 89 off 82 after prolific domestic form finally rewarded

Cameron Ponsonby24-Sep-2023Every generation has a cricketer that is the best of the bunch to never play for England. A decade ago it was James Hildreth, now it’s Sam Northeast, but tomorrow it will never be Sam Hain.Having “made peace” with the idea that his chance for England may never come, Hain, 28, scored a fluent 89 off 82 balls on ODI, making a strong impression as he looks to force his way into the international set-up Dawid Malan style. Safe in the knowledge that he’s not starting as first-choice, but aware that as long as the runs flow, so too will the opportunities.”I know how good English cricket is,” said Hain, who moved to the UK from Australia at 16 to sign for Warwickshire.”The depth is unbelievable. I actually made peace that I might never, ever get the chance but that doesn’t mean I lacked ambition. When I was younger, I probably searched for playing for England too much. And it took me away from the real process of things and the journey that I’ve been on over the last 10 years. I’m just happy to get a chance.Related

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“The last few years I guess I’ve tried to find a reason why I play [and] it’s because I really love it. It’s why I started, so I just find that over the years it’s just helped me ride the highs and lows a little easier.”The much touted statistic that follows Hain around is his record-breaking List A average that sits at 58.56. According to the spreadsheets, this man is the best in the country at this. And yet England never gave him a go until now.Simply put, this was because cricket’s old adage that it’s “not how, but how many” when it comes to run-scoring is obsolete. A statement of received wisdom that, in terms of accuracy, sits somewhere alongside the earth being flat and your mum thinking you’ll drown immediately if you get into a swimming pool less than half-an-hour after eating a biscuit.It’s a falsehood that Hain knows all too well, with the quantity of runs coming from his bat across his career never being the issue, but instead the quality of them. He went undrafted in the first two Hundred drafts despite his reputation as a borderline white-ball phenom, and it was because of a pedestrian T20 strike rate that sat at 126 until the end of 2020. In his own words, the omission was a “kick up the backside” and spurred the change in approach that was the first brick in the wall towards an England debut.”That forced my hand a little bit,” Hain said, reflecting on his change in approach when at the crease. “To actually delve into my game more so than ever.”Hain has always had a 360 game, he just used to be more circumspect in its adoption. Now, and more to the point, for a number of years, those shackles have gone. Nevertheless, it is somewhat of an oddity that Hain, as the Patron Saint of the Forgotten Format, earnt his ODI debut on the back of his change in T20 form. The days of the List A to ODI pipeline existing in England are long gone. Hain, even with – or more accurately, because – of his remarkable run-scoring in List A cricket has seen opportunities in the format dry-up.”We don’t actually play a lot of 50-over cricket if you’re involved in the Hundred,” said Hain, who has played just five List A matches in the last four years. “And you actually forget how much time there is to bat.”Thankfully for Hain, he remembered in time to turn what had been a nervy, stuttering start of just one run from his first 11 deliveries, into a fluent innings that carried England to 300 and beyond.While on 1, Hain slashed a ball that flew through the hands of a diving backward point for two runs, and the next ball he skipped down the wicket and launched the ball for four over mid-on. On such fine margins, international careers are born.”I tried to keep my emotion in check as much as possible,” said Hain, who had the added bonus of his Australia-based dad, Bryan, being in the crowd thanks to him coincidentally being in Europe for the rugby World Cup.”Anyone who says they’re not nervous on a day like this would be lying,” Hain added. “There’s nerves there and that’s because I really care. I really I’ve waited a long time for an opportunity and I am grateful for it.”I wanted to do really well not only for my family, but for all the people that have supported me over the years. I was waking up around 12, two and four [in the morning]…probably the worst I’ve been. I moved over here at 16 and your international debut is something you want to try to make as memorable as possible, but I was at peace whether I scored runs or not. I just really wanted to take in the day for what it was.”

Bairstow, Stokes among players who opted out due to workload in 2022

Matt Roller19-Jan-2023The ECB will make additional funds available to incentivise England’s leading all-format cricketers to take part in the Hundred in 2023, as part of a revamped recruitment system for centrally-contracted men’s players.The Hundred has an exclusive four-week window in England’s men’s international schedule for the first time in 2023, running from August 1-27. It starts immediately after the fifth Ashes Test and ends three days before the first of eleven limited-overs internationals against New Zealand and Ireland, which will serve as preparation for England’s 50-over World Cup defence.While there is an expectation that those involved in the fifth Ashes Test will not immediately return to play in the Hundred, the ECB hope to ensure that all-format players are available for a significant proportion of the competition. Several multi-format players including Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes pulled out of the Hundred altogether in 2022 in order to rest before England’s Test series against South Africa, and the standard suffered as a result.ESPNcricinfo understands that players on all-format central contracts were paid around £50,000 to play three games in 2022, with an additional £5,000 for any further games. In 2023, they will be paid £125,000 to play the full season, or the same fee on a pro rata basis if they make themselves unavailable for a portion of the season.The ECB’s increased investment in the biggest English names mirrors Cricket Australia’s renewed attempts to involve its leading men’s players in the Big Bash League. David Warner made his first appearance for Sydney Thunder since 2013 earlier this month after signing a lucrative deal, the majority of which fell outside of the BBL’s salary cap.The revamped regulations dictate that each team will sign a single ‘all-format’ centrally-contracted player, assuming player and team reach an agreement. The eight players who have that status and the teams who have the option to retain them are: Jofra Archer (Southern Brave), Bairstow (Welsh Fire), Jos Buttler (Manchester Originals), Sam Curran (Oval Invincibles), Joe Root (Trent Rockets), Stokes (Northern Superchargers), Chris Woakes (Birmingham Phoenix) and Mark Wood (London Spirit).Related

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In the unlikely event that two or more teams decide not to retain – or do not reach an agreement with – those players, a mini-draft will be held to determine which player joins which team. England’s other centrally-contracted players, including Moeen Ali, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope and Adil Rashid, will be part of the main draft mechanism, and can be retained by their teams if they reach an agreement on a salary for 2023.Intriguingly, Buttler remains on an all-format central contract despite the fact he has not played Test cricket since the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney. Ben Foakes signed his first central contract in October and has impressed in the last year and England are not lacking for attacking middle-order batters, but Buttler’s contract status suggests that his Test career might not be over yet.The Men’s Hundred’s retention window officially opened on January 13 and will close at 11.59pm on February 14. Teams can retain up to 10 players who held a contract with them in 2022, plus a centrally-contracted player.The ECB have also doubled the number of ‘wildcard’ signings from one per team to two, meaning each team will sign two players for £30,000 based on performances in the group stage of the T20 Blast. Overall squad sizes remain unchanged.ESPNcricinfo revealed in November that the ‘overseas wildcard’ spot has been scrapped, meaning teams will have three overseas players in their squad at any one time, rather than four. All three will be available to feature in any given playing XI.Women’s teams have been discussing their ‘marquee’ retentions with players over the last two months, ahead of the inaugural women’s draft in March.

The wicketkeeper revealed Matt Renshaw’s return to opening was with an eye on Australia’s future needs

AAP09-Oct-2022Chicago’s Bulls had Michael Jordan lifting the standard and Jimmy Peirson says there’s two men doing the same for Queensland’s Bulls.The in-form wicketkeeper has also revealed the strategic shift designed to catapult team-mate Matt Renshaw back into a baggy green as he continues his own push for a Test debut.Peirson powered to a fifth first-class century in the last two years as the Bulls beat Tasmania by an innings and 172 runs on Saturday to open the Sheffield Shield season.His bright innings on the tricky, newly-laid Allan Border Field square followed an unbeaten 128 for Australia A in a successful chase of 367 in Sri Lanka in June. He scored 67 not out in the first innings of that game, only called into the squad as a late replacement.The state’s youngest-ever Sheffield Shield winning captain when Queensland won the competition in 2018, Peirson is enjoying the presence of Test pair Marnus Labuschagne and regular captain Usman Khawaja to begin their season.Related

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“It’s great having Marnie [Labuschagne] around; you see the problem-solving that goes on while he’s batting, [it] is something I’ve learned from,” he said.Peirson reserved high praise for Test opener Khawaja and Australia’s No.3 Labuschagne, who scored 72 and 127 respectively in Brisbane last week.”It just sets good standards, you see how they go about their business and see that’s the level you need to be at to play Test cricket,” he said. “As team-mates we want to be rising to that level. I know when [Michael] Jordan played basketball he spoke about bringing guys along with him, and those guys do that for us.”While Peirson has been piling on the runs Alex Carey has been making the Test spot his own.”There’s a lot of keepers doing the job at the moment in Australia; all you can do is worry about your own backyard,” Peirson said of the fight for higher honours. “Kez [Carey] has done a really good job, especially in the subcontinent. He’s earned his position, but there’s no doubt everyone wants that position.”Peirson isn’t the only Queensland player pushing his case with former Test opener Renshaw and fast bowler Mark Steketee, who had a hat-trick ball dropped in the slips on Saturday, making claims.Khawaja had pushed long-term opener Renshaw into the middle order when the veteran forced his way back into the Test fold. Now cemented at the top of Australia’s order, Khawaja slid himself back down to No. 4 for Queensland’s season opener so Renshaw could face the new ball.”Matty has earned his way back up into the opening role with national selectors hopefully looking at him as a future opener for Australia,” Peirson said of the surprise move. “We’re fortunate [to have top-order depth] and Uz is at the point in his career where he scores runs wherever he bats.”

All the analysis, stats, news and reaction from the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Sruthi Ravindranath28-Sep-2019

MCC to emulate SCG’s pink Test, and honour memory of Andrew Strauss’s wife, who died in December of cancer

Matt Roller16-Jul-2019Lord’s will transform from a smattering of egg-and-bacon into a sea of red on the second day of the second Ashes Test – on August 15 – in a show of support for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up this year as a tribute to former England captain Andrew Strauss’ late wife, who died after a battle with a rare form of lung cancer.The move will see the players of the two teams wear red caps and red stumps being used, with fans in attendance encouraged to wear red. It’s an almost direct parallel to Pink Stumps Day at the SCG in honour of the Jane McGrath Foundation.”The one huge opportunity you have as an ex-cricketer is to use that platform to raise awareness for what you’re trying to do,” Strauss, who served as ECB’s director of cricket after finishing up as a cricketer, said. “As soon as you go down that train of thought you think about the incredible work the McGrath Foundation has done in Sydney, and you think is that possible to replicate in this country.”I’ve played all my cricket here [for Middlesex] at Lord’s, and it’s an Ashes Test – you just think ‘wow, if the MCC are willing and able to make this happen, are willing to support it, we can put this together’.”Strauss said he had been “blown away” by “the incredible wave of support from the cricket family and fraternity” since his wife’s passing on December 29 last year.”This is the embodiment of that,” he said. “Doors have been opened that usually wouldn’t be opened and everyone’s said, ‘yeah, let’s do it, let’s make it a special day’.”I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a successful day for the foundation and a great spectacle – an addition to what’s going on on the pitch – it’s an incredibly important game and incredibly important day.”Strauss met his wife-to-be in a Sydney bar in 1998 while playing grade cricket during the winter, and were married five years later. Ruth, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017, and Strauss stepped away his job as England team director to care for her at the time, though he formally resigned only in October 2018.Strauss played in one of the earliest Pink Tests in the 2010-11 Ashes, which England won to seal the series 3-1.”My recollection of the Pink Test was how keen all the players were to support Glenn McGrath and support him, and what the charity was doing,” he recalled. “It added an extra dimension to the Test match and maybe a moment to pause and reflect and go ‘it’s an Ashes series, we’re all at each other’s throats and desperately want to win, but in the greater scheme of things there’s more important things out there’.”I loved the day, I thought they did it brilliantly, and I loved the way the Australian public connected and bought into that as a concept.”McGrath and Strauss have been in regular discussion about the personal aspect of dealing with grief while in the public eye, as well as the day itself. “He’s a great man,” Strauss said, “and it’s incredible to see how successful that foundation has been in Australia.”Strauss has spoken publicly about dealing with grief in a handful of newspaper interviews, and the effect Ruth’s passing has had on his two sons, Sam and Luca.The World Cup final on Sunday coincided with Luca’s 11th birthday, and Strauss said that it had been a bittersweet moment. “Time has passed by so quickly,” he said. “It’s been so incredibly busy for me and the boys – a lot of distraction there which has been great, but there are touch points where it really hits you.”Sunday was an incredible day for him to come and watch the World Cup final and how it unfolded, but the night before and the mornings were moments where it hit you that there were three of us there rather than four. Grief is not something that dies overnight – it hits you forever, but it evolves and changes.”

The series may be over, but West Indies will be hoping to score their first ODI win in Sri Lanka since 2005

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Feb-2020

Big Picture

For both these teams, ODIs are perhaps their weakest format. Neither gave themselves a great chance of making the semi-finals in last year’s World Cup, and both have poor bilateral form, winning only two of their 10 previous series. As Sri Lanka move to the dead rubber at Pallekele after winning the series in Hambantota, however, they may feel they are the more resurgent outfit.The second ODI was almost the perfect game – one of their openers hit a hundred, and a middle-order man joined him for a record-breaking partnership that came at better than a run-a-ball. Both those batsmen are relatively young – 25 and 21. Then the spinners did what Sri Lanka’s coaches hoped they would – take wickets through the middle overs, after the seamers had produced an opening earlier on.West Indies, meanwhile, had an outing captain Kieron Pollard later described as “pretty, pretty poor”. Although their quicks have at times seemed penetrative through the course of the series, both bowling efforts so far have been plagued with indiscpline. At Sooriyawewa, West Indies bowled 10 wides and two no-balls. At the SSC a few days before that, they had delivered 14 wides and one no ball. Beyond just the extra runs and deliveries, these stats are indications that even when West Indies are not conceding extras, their bowlers may not have quite found their lines. In the second ODI especially, there were easy runs into the legside for almost the entirety of Sri Lanka’s innings.Pallekele, though, generally offers the most seam-friendly ODI surface in the country. Perhaps West Indies’ phalanx of fast bowlers will be more effective there. But that’s only if they put enough balls in testing areas.

Form guide

West Indies LLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWLLW

In the spotlight

Wanindu Hasaranga had a good finish to 2019, but he has been outstanding across disciplines in the first two ODIs of 2020. Having won the match with the bat on Sunday, he was lethal with his googly on Wednesday, taking 3 for 30. Having hunted so long for a reliably penetrative middle-overs spinner, Sri Lanka finally have a long-term prospect on their hands. Unlike spin-prospects that came before him, Hasaranga should have no issues with his action.West Indies’ spin options, meanwhile, have been less impressive. On the same track that Sri Lanka’s spinners would later go on to get six wickets, neither left-arm spinner Fabian Allen nor offspinner Roston Chase could get a wicket. That they only bowled six overs apiece is also a reflection of the fact that Sri Lanka’s batsmen looked utterly comfortable against them. Before the series, Pollard expressed confidence in a light-on-spin strategy, suggesting that Sri Lanka are good players of spin, so it may be better not to feed their strength. Sri Lanka, though, have actually not covered themselves in glory against slow bowling over the last few years.

Team news

West Indies may be tempted to bring back legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr, who at least took wickets at the SSC, although he was expensive.West Indies(possible): 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Hayden Walsh Jr., 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sheldon CottrellSri Lanka will toy with the idea of bringing Dasun Shanaka in for a match. If the pitch looks like they won’t need an extra spin option, they may leave out Dhananjaya de Silva to make room. Lahiru Kumara could come in for Nuwan Pradeep as well.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva/Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan Pradeep/Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

There can be seam movement with the new ball in Pallekele, particularly under lights. It is not expected to rain on Sunday, but you never can tell for sure at this venue.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have lost each of their last eight ODIs in Sri Lanka. The last time they won a match here was back in 2005, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was captain.
• Kieron Pollard has been especially modest on the island. After six innings, he’s scored just 17 runs an an average of 2.83. He’s never taken a wicket in Sri Lanka either.
• Avishka Fernando and Shai Hope – both openers – have each hit a hundred and a fifty in the series.

Quotes

“Within the next 18 months or so, we need to be among the best four teams in all formats. That’s vision of every member of the team.”Lakshan Sandkan outlines Sri Lnaka’s long-term vision.

Allrounder was restored as Joe Root’s deputy after text message to Tom Harrison

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2019Ben Stokes’ reinstatement as England vice-captain ahead of this summer’s Ashes came after he pleaded directly to Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, according to details in his new autobiography.Stokes, who was stripped of the role in the wake of the incident outside a Bristol nightclub two years ago, missed England’s tour of Australia in 2017-18 as he awaited police charges following his arrest.However, going into this summer’s Ashes, and with his stock in the side restored following a series of eye-catching performances, both in the field and in training, Stokes decided he had “nothing to lose” in sending a text message to the ECB chief asking to be made Joe Root’s deputy once again.”Of the punishments I’d received in the aftermath of the Bristol incident, losing the Test vice-captaincy was what hurt the most,” Stokes wrote in his book, On Fire.”So I decided I would take the plunge. I sent a text message to Tom Harrison to inform him that I wanted to be Joe Root’s deputy once more. It certainly left him in no doubt how much I wanted things to revert to how they were previously.”Forty-eight hours later, I had Ashley Giles, the England managing director, in contact to offer me the position once more.”My reaction to being told that I had been reinstated was no more than ‘Cool’. But it meant the world to me. Believe me.”Harrison’s willingness to trust Stokes in a position of responsibility again perhaps stems from his comments soon after the Bristol incident, when he declared his desire to see England’s star player “rehabilitated in the field”.It followed, too, a glowing report from the then-England coach Trevor Bayliss on the tour of Sri Lanka last year, when Stokes had to be persuaded to ease up on his own training in the humid conditions.ALSO READ: ‘Bloody Warner’ inspired Stokes to Headingley miracleThe restored responsibility clearly had the desired effect for Stokes, whose century in the third Test at Headingley was hailed as one of the greatest Test innings of all time after England chased a stiff target of 359 to pull off a remarkable one-wicket win.In spite of his desire for greater responsibility within the team, Stokes is adamant that he wants to be Root’s right-hand man, rather than a captaincy rival – as he showed in the wake of England’s series-squaring win at The Oval when he threw his weight squarely behind Root’s leadership while accepting his Man of the Series award.”It [the England captaincy] is not an aspiration for me, currently,” Stokes said in a subsequent interview with the Times “It’s not something that I could ever say no to and it would be a great honour to be asked to do it, but right now it’s not an aspiration.”Joe Root is England captain and there is no one else better in the country to do the job. You could never say no to it, though. I hope it doesn’t happen and I hope Joe doesn’t lose it. I’ve got a very close relationship with Joe on and off the field and I could see the strain he was under.”The man who made way for Stokes as vice-captain was Jos Buttler, who also performs the same role to Eoin Morgan in the white-ball squad. However, he did not seem to be put out by the demotion when quizzed on the subject earlier this year.”When I did it last summer … they said to me in time they’d like Ben to do the role again when he can, so I was very aware that was the situation and natural thing to happen,” he said. “I’m delighted for Ben to be reinstated as vice-captain and it doesn’t really change a lot for me: I’m always willing to offer advice and I’m there if Joe wants to talk to me, as are a lot of other players in the team as well who aren’t vice-captain. It doesn’t change a lot.”

Another throwback display from opener provides a semblance of solidity on shortened first day

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Apr-2023In the week it emerged IPL teams have been holding informal discussions to prise England talent from the county system, a Compton scoring at a strike-rate of 29.92 at Lord’s felt like something.Comfort? No doubt. As exciting as the modern game is, particularly this current iteration of the England men’s Test side, there’s always a time and a place for active passiveness, defensive intent and respectful defiance. Like, for instance, on a seaming deck at the end of a dank April against the Middlesex duo of Tim Murtagh and Ethan Bamber, 17 years and an inherent love of the conventional and wobble-seam between them. Without Ben Compton’s 38 not out from 127 deliveries, Kent’s scorecard would look a lot worse than 113 for six.A throwback? Yep, that too. The grandson of Denis (who has a whole stand bearing his name) and cousin of Nick is now very much his own cricketer. Four centuries among 1,193 runs last term got him that respect and crucially much surer footing in this world. The 29-year-old is your archetypal late bloomer, having spent an inordinate amount of time in second XI and Premier League cricket, a waiting room for players on the way in or those on the way out. This Compton seemed very much the latter.That’s now old hat, as is the idea Ben’s batting does not belong in this era. Last season’s runs kept Kent in Division One, and his start to 2023 – he is currently third in the top-flight run-scoring charts, with a 114 not out that took the side to victory in their opening match against Northants – underlines the value of his approach in facilitating what could be a bombastic batting line-up, but certainly wasn’t today.When Zak Crawley was hoodwinked by Murtagh – bowled top of middle stump through the gate by a back-of-a-length delivery that nipped in, after being set up with fuller ones moving the other way – we entered a familiar cycle. Of quote tweets and clown emojis, followed by queries as to why the left-hander signalling for gloves as his opening partner walked off isn’t the one in the national team.This probably isn’t the place to go into that, especially as we’ve got five more wickets to discuss after Middlesex won the toss and opted to bat on the lower, skiddier pitch on the square, close enough to Old Father Time you could nick his scythe. But to bastardise a line from Jeremy off Peep Show, “expansive players are the best, hit boundaries all the time” just about covers it.Of course, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes won’t be around forever. All it takes is a regime change and/or a catastrophic Ashes defeat to revert to the other extreme. In two years’ time, with a bigger haul of four-figure seasons, Compton might be front of the queue.For now, he can only work with what he’s got, which in this innings so far has been minimal width or driving opportunities, and little support. He was still able to drive and tuck, even nail a couple of pull shots – one which went for four, wrists rolled, off Tom Helm, who returned to the fold in place of skipper Toby Roland-Jones who is resting in this round.Former captain Stevie Eskinazi deputised, and was in play for the second wicket as Bamber drew a sharp edge from Daniel Bell-Drummond which required quick, safe hands at first slip. It was the first of three wickets to fall for just four runs: Jack Leaning, making a similar misjudgement to Bell-Drummond, caught second slip off Ryan Higgins, then Jordan Cox losing his off stump to Bamber for a four-ball duck.Out walked Sam Billings, skipper and one of the few on show in this match who has had a proper sup of the franchise nectar. Previous IPL duties mean this is one of the few Aprils he’s seen for Kent, and the endeavour to knuckle down was clear, beyond indulging a pick-up off his pads for a four that spent most of its time in the air, straight out of the bottom-hand-book.Ironic, then, that he would be sent on his way after lunch by Murtagh, trapped in front by a yorker. Had it been a different colour ball, Billings might have ramped it. It looked, for a moment, that his 11.2 overs with Compton were taking Kent out of the storm and into the one that ensured no play after 3pm. Joey Evison spent the same amount of time with the opener, before he became Bamber’s third after edging through to the gloves of John Simpson.Grant Stewart decided his form of doughtiness was to swing for the hills and sent Bamber close to Father Time with a heave into the Tavern Stand. All the while Compton was doing as he had done, holding his end down like a man keeping one end of a tent in place while the winds run amok with the other.Like the county game itself, all he needs is an ally to stick with him for the long haul if Kent are to post a first-innings score of note. And just like the county game, maybe it’s already too late.