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Abdur Razzak, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, thought he would miss the chance to complete 200 ODI wickets in the three-match series against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam29-Mar-2013Abdur Razzak, the Bangladesh left-arm spinner, thought he would miss the chance to complete 200 ODI wickets in the three-match series against Sri Lanka. After going wicketless in the first game and the second one being abandoned, he ended up getting all five wickets required to reach the landmark in the final game in Pallekele, a testament to his persistence over difficult periods in his career.”After the first two matches, I thought I would have to wait a long time for another opportunity,” Razzak said. “It came in the third game and I was extremely happy. The moment when I took the fifth wicket was unforgettable. Before the series I had it in mind to reach the 200-wicket mark.”Razzak’s numbers, and stature as the most experienced bowler in the line-up have made him a valuable member of the ODI side. All but one of his four-wicket hauls came in defeats while all four of his five-fors have been in wins.Yet, it is his experience with the darker side of international cricket that has taught him the lesson of not taking even an ordinary spell of bowling for granted. Razzak was twice pulled up for chinks in his bowling action, the second occasion costing him almost a year’s international cricket. He was first reported in 2004 and four years later told to correct his action.”I am one of those few players from Bangladesh who has seen some really critical periods in their career. When the bowling action was questioned, everyone spoke to me as if my career was over. I was strong on the inside. I didn’t think my career was over.”I think that has given me a lot of strength as a person. I love taking up challenges, I can’t hide away from bowling in certain periods because it doesn’t make me comfortable. I like to go through these difficult experiences during matches or otherwise, so that I know what to do the next time it happens,” he said.Razzak has experienced memorable moments too. After taking three wickets on debut against minnows Hong Kong, he was impressive against Pakistan in his next game. Problems with his bowling action kept him out till 2006 when he became a regular for another three years. During this time he was instrumental in Bangladesh’s progression to the 2007 World Cup’s Super Eights.Razzak was the Man of the Match against West Indies in his comeback game in 2009 after correcting his action. It was followed by a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in 2010, and through ups and downs, he has remained the backbone of a side short on experience.”It is hard to make a distinction on which has been my best moment. There have been so many good moments. But I think I have enjoyed the fact that the 200 wickets have not taken too long. I have done it in 141 innings which gives me a lot of pride.”

George Bailey, the Australia captain, has praised his bowlers for their work at the death in keeping West Indies to 150 in the first Twenty20 in St Lucia

Brydon Coverdale28-Mar-2012George Bailey, the Australia captain, has praised his bowlers for their work at the death in keeping West Indies to 150 in the first Twenty20 in St Lucia. Australia comfortably overhauled the target with eight wickets and nearly two overs to spare, and it was a fine performance considering Kieron Pollard scored a 20-ball half-century that was the fastest ever by a West Indian in a T20 international.West Indies scored only 16 runs from their last three overs as Shane Watson and Brett Lee found just the right length to keep Pollard and his colleagues quiet. That was a pleasant change for the Australians, who in the past few couple of months have often struggled to contain teams in the later stages of innings, especially in ODIs.”It was pretty polished,” Bailey said of the all-round effort. “[The bowling was pleasing] particularly given how we finished a couple of games in the one-dayers. For the guys to have responded to that, learnt what they have, come up with plans and then execute them, I think that’s really pleasing and we’ll take a lot of confidence out of that.”It was nothing too radical. We talked about a few different plans and a few different lines and a few different options. The only thing I really wanted to do today was to give myself options at the back end, in case they were going really, really hard. Then we weren’t locked in to bowling particular bowlers. Having so many bowlers in the team that was the beauty of the options I had.”Bailey said Australia’s all-round performance was close to their best of the tour so far, and it was the second win for Bailey from three matches since taking over as captain. The loss of David Warner in the first over of the innings created a few nerves in the Australian dressing room, but the way Watson and Michael Hussey batted, the target never looked big enough.”You’re never sure. The key is always going to be early partnerships for us and early wickets for them,” Bailey said. “Losing one in the first over always puts you on edge a little bit. But I think the class of Shane and Huss, they just suit each other perfectly. Watto clears the pickets and Huss just pierces the gaps so beautifully.”Watson was named Man of the Match for his 69 and 1 for 16 from four overs, and he made a clear difference to the balance of the side having missed Bailey’s first two games as captain through injury. Bailey said quality allrounders were a godsend for any T20 captain.”It’s gold to have any allrounder in your team and [especially] to have one of the quality of Watto, who can hold his own in the team as a batter or a bowler,” he said. “He’s so, so important to our team and it was nice for him to free himself today. His last two overs were particularly good at the death and then the clinical way he batted and the strength of clearing that fence.”

A round-up of the third day of the third round of the Regional Four Day Competition

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2011The Guyana bowlers gave Windward Islands a serious scare on the third day of their encounter in St Vincent but Windwards held their nerve to seal a four-wicket win. Guyana had been reduced to 98 for 9, a lead of just 17, in the second innings and were on the verge of a big defeat at stumps on the second day. But the last-wicket pair of Rajindra Chandrika and Brandon Bess stretched it to 57. It proved insufficient but it was one that gave the Guyana bowlers a window of opportunity. The spin pair of Veerasammy Permaul and Devendra Bishoo had Windwards reeling at 35 for 6 at one stage and had given Guyana a fair chance of a shock win. But captain Liam Sebastien resisted with a 46-ball vigil for seven runs while Gary Mathurin made an unbeaten 14 to steer their team to a tight win.A five-wicket haul from Jerome Taylor gave Jamaica a two-run lead over Barbados at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. Barbados had been in a strong position at the end of day two, on 220 for 4 against Jamaica’s 324 in the first innings. But Taylor’s strikes and the Barbados’ middle order’s failure to convert starts into substantial scores tilted the scales. Among the right Barbados batsmen who went past 20, only two reached a half-century, the highest being 76. Jamaica extended the lead to 116 by stumps with eight wickets still in hand. Marlon Samuels led the response, unbeaten on 58.Combined Campuses and Colleges were in a dominant position against Leeward Islands at the end of the third day in Antigua. Kjorn Ottley made 84, supported by opener Romel Currency and wicketkeeper Kyle Corbin. The lower order, with Kevin Mclean and Floyd Reifer, also chipped in to set Leewards a target of 370. Leewards struggled in their chase, slipping to 70 for 5 and are in danger of being defeated. Carlos Brathwaite picked up two wickets.England Lions fought back to seize the initiative on the third day against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. T&T had been in a strong position at 173 for 2 with their experienced hands Runako Morton and Daren Ganga on the second day. But seamers Jade Dernbach and Liam Plunkett, backed up by the spin of Adil Rashid and Danny Briggs, dismissed the middle and lower orders cheaply to secure a 42-run lead. In their second innings, the England Lions had been coasting at 157 for 1 but lost three wickets in a space of nine runs. Jimmy Adams and Andrew Gale struck half-centuries. At stumps, they led by 227 with six wickets in hand.

Plays of the Day for the match between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals in Nagpur

Cricinfo staff05-Apr-2010Yusuf deserts training
Not entirely. But when Rajasthan Royals started doing their warm-ups, Yusuf Pathan decided to skirt into the VIP stands to embrace the owner couple of Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra and exchange pleasantries. He spent a good few minutes. Not sure if Shane Warne was impressed.Never take a man’s word
Ryan Harris should’ve finished it neatly instead of fumbling, juggling and then going on to claim the return catch from Michael Lumb. The batsman asked Harris if it was a clean catch before walking towards the dugout and the Australian replied with a nod. To support his claims, he even raised both hands in the hand-cuffed fashion with the ball lodged in between. But an alert Simon Taufel meanwhile requested the third umpire Sanjay Hazare to verify. Instantly, one of the cameras found that Harris had actually grounded the ball. Harris apologised to Lumb but the Englishman may never again accept a gentleman’s word.Best ground of the IPL
With its long boundaries on all sides of the wicket, the VCA Stadium in Jamtha has offered the bowlers’ lot the much-needed succour. The figures support that idea: Rajasthan collected 66 of the 159 in boundaries and sixes while the corresponding figure for Hyderabad was 90.To hell with common sense

Four were needed off three balls, and Harmeet Singh was caught in a moment of panic. Rohit Sharma couldn’t time a full-toss from Siddarth Trivedi cleanly, but the square-leg fielder’s throw was wide at the bowler’s end, offering Rohit a chance to get back to strike. But even as Rohit rushed back for the second run, Harmeet remained rooted to his spot only to move a few steps at the very last second and cross Rohit just as Trivedi brushed off the bails. Clearly, Harmeet had forgotten to use his common sense.

Josh Hull holds nerve to defend 12 off the final over for Leicestershire’s second win of the season

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2024Leicestershire Foxes shaded a close-run North Group contest with Worcestershire Rapids to pick up their second win from four matches in the Vitality Blast.England’s Rehan Ahmed took 2 for 27 and held a vital catch to and a potentially match-winning innings of 37 off 16 balls by Ethan Brookes, with Scott Currie taking two for 22 and debutant left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy, on loan from Somerset, one for 17 after Matthew Waite had earlier hit 40 from 35 as the Rapids, needing 12 off the last over, fell five short of their target.That came after the Foxes had recovered from 119 for 5 in the 16th over to post 176 for 8, Ben Cox (29 off 21) and Ben Mike (24 off 11) building on Rishi Pate’sl 48 from 42 after Louis Kimber had hit 25 off 16 earlier, with the wickets shared between Nathan Smith (3 for 39), Adam Finch (3 for 43) and skipper D’Oliveira (2 for 24).On the same pitch used for a double-header on Friday, Worcestershire opted to bowl and were rewarded with wickets in the second and third overs as Sol Budinger, aiming for midwicket, was caught at short third man, and Peter Handscomb at deep third man off an uppercut as Adam Finch banged one in short and wide.Louis Kimber led an aggressive response with four boundaries in his 16-ball 25 but was caught at long-off as Brett D’Oliveira ended a stand of 48 in 33 balls. The Foxes were 78 for 3 from 10 but suffered another setback as D’Oliveira beat the advancing Wiaan Mulder and Gareth Roderick executed a stumping.Disciplined bowling by the Rapids made acceleration difficult and 114 for 4 from 15 overs was not promising, but the Foxes managed to up the tempo in the last five, adding 62 runs, a good return even at a cost of four wickets.The loss of Patel, holing out to wide long-on, looked a potentially serious blow but Cox struck 29 off 21 balls before he was caught behind and while Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Goldsworthy fell cheaply, the former failing to clear long-on and Goldsworthy grabbed one-handed in his follow-through by Smith, Mike’s two fours and a six off Finch’s last three deliveries in a 17-run 19th over, followed by 15 more off the last, ensured a competitive score.At 55 without loss from six from their batting powerplay, Worcestershire had their noses in front. Yet their progress was checked by spinners Goldsworthy and Rehan, who conceded only 27 in the next five, with the latter bowling D’Oliveira (32 from 25) on the reverse to end a stand of 70 in 55 balls.The Rapids surged when Josh Cobb twice cleared the legside boundary in thumping Ben Mike for 21 in an over but two wickets in three overs left them with a target of 57 from the last 30 balls after Waite had skied Scott Currie to square leg and Goldsworthy – making his debut on loan from Somerset – had Adam Hose stumped.Two big overs from Brookes, who hit sixes off Mulder and then Hull, brought it down to 28 from 18 but Rehan kept it in the balance by bowling Cobb (34 from 35) off an inside edge and after Rehan had taken a fine catch at deep cover to help Currie remove Brookes the requirement was 12 off the last six balls.Hull marred an otherwise fine last over with a no-ball but had Taylor well caught by Currie at mid-off before, with six needed, Ed Pollock swung in hope at the last delivery and missed.

SA’s side has undergone a shake-up with Bavuma taking over as captain and van der Dussen among those who have been dropped

Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2023The party is over. After two months of high-octane cricket thanks to the SA20 and the Women’s T20 World Cup, South African cricket now has to get on with the serious business of a Test series and you can expect it to be heavy going.Although the series takes place following sell-out crowds around the country, the Tests start on Tuesday this week and Wednesday next week, leaving little room for big weekend crowds and there’s no buzz to speak of.That’s understandable for a contest whose context was ripped away when South Africa were confirmed to be out of contention for the World Test Championship final and against an opposition that have not properly competed here since their Test win at St George’s Park in 2007. Since then, West Indies have only toured South Africa once in 2014 and have not won a Test.Temba Bavuma made his debut in that series and though it was unremarkable, it marked a full circle moment for someone who saw cricketers from the Caribbean as role-models. “Growing up, West Indies was the team that I supported,” Bavuma said ahead of the first Test. “They were always on the TV at home and my uncles supported them. I guess there’s always been that [special] sentiment when it comes to West Indies. When I made my debut, I got 10 runs, so that wasn’t a thing to make a big noise about. Hopefully this can go better.”As far as leadership debuts go, Bavuma probably could not have wished for a lower-profile assignment. At the same time as his Test captaincy reign begins, Australia play India, England are in New Zealand and the Women’s Premier League is beginning. It’s safe to say the majority of cricket fans’ eyeballs will be occupied, especially as the outcome of this series has no bearing on the current WTC cycle.Related

• Joseph leads West Indies fightback after Markram century

• Bavuma replaces Elgar as SA's Test captain, but relinquishes T20I job

• 'Temba and I are a good fit' – Conrad explains why Bavuma replaced Elgar as Test captain

• Brathwaite: 'Important that we take control of every hour'

• New-look South Africa gear up for old Test grind

For South Africa it is simply an opportunity to begin again, though their next Test will be in December. By then, it’s likely that former captain Dean Elgar will have retired. He was planning this series as a swansong in both captaincy and playing terms and after he had no choice in the former, he will want to make sure he controls the latter. Elgar’s tenure lasted less than two years and began a brief revival for the Test side, but he was replaced with Bavuma by new coach Shukri Conrad, who has been tasked with turning around a team that was completely outplayed in their last five Tests.South Africa lost series in both England and Australia and were bowled out for under 200 runs in seven out of 11 Test innings. That has necessitated a shake-up of the top six which has seen Sarel Erwee, Rassie van der Dussen, Khaya Zondo and Kyle Verreynne dropped and Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton recalled. Also included are Keegan Petersen, who is back from a torn hamstring, and Heinrich Klaasen, who has been picked as first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. The overall make-up of the line-up suggests that South Africa are looking for a more proactive, Bazball-style approach, but with their usual amount of caution. Bavball maybe?”In my experience, the last two series, we know are always tough tours,” Bavuma said. “They separate the good guys from the really good guys and [it] comes with challenges. We didn’t meet up to those challenges. We know we need to score runs to give the bowlers to do what they need to do. We shouldn’t forget the fact we have guys here who played against India last summer when people didn’t back us to do it and we won. And there was no guy who scored 150 or something like that. Hopefully [the series against] West Indies will be another showing of guys going out and doing what they need to do from a team point of view.”To that end, South Africa are also hoping for slightly less hostile pitches than usual, even though the series will be played entirely on the Highveld and there has been heavy rain for several weeks in that area. While Bavuma and Conrad have not specifically requested a particular kind of surface, pitches have been more batter-friendly across the country on the domestic four-day circuit and that is set to continue into the internationals. Whether that will make for more exciting cricket remains to be seen but Bavuma certainly wasn’t selling it that way.Bavuma on South Africa’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign: ‘We always look for areas everywhere to draw inspiration and energy from and we will be using that in our game’•ICC via Getty Images

Asked what he thought of West Indies, he said, “They play old-fashioned cricket. Batters grind it out. Bowlers are looking to hit their areas outside offstump.” And he’s not wrong. Over the last year, West Indies have the lowest run-rate in Tests among all teams – 2.71. South Africa have the second-lowest – 2.95. Both of them are well behind the format leaders, England, who score at 4.36 to the over and have the best win-loss record in Tests over the last 12 months. For teams like South Africa and West Indies, who are playing catch up, England’s high-risk, high-reward strategy could be an inspiration but its seems Bavuma and co are getting their motivation elsewhere.”All the guys were watching the T20 World Cup final and supporting the ladies. We always look for areas everywhere to draw inspiration and energy from and we will be using that in our game,” Bavuma said, referring to the the South African Women’s team who made history by becoming the country’s first senior side to qualify for a World Cup final.Given that the men were booted out of the last two T20 World Cups in the group stage and are yet to qualify for this year’s 50-over World Cup, it’s fitting that they were taking notes on how their counterparts have exceeded expectation and even echoed the call for more money to be spent on the women’s game.”It’s been big – what the women’s team has been able to achieve over the last while, with the limited resources they have,” Bavuma said. “With performances like this, I hope there will be a lot more support, a lot more care and a lot more invested into the women’s team.”

Heat and Hurricanes will be able to travel to Perth to play under strict biosecure protocols despite having been in ACT and NSW in a positive sign for the Perth Ashes Test

Alex Malcolm23-Nov-2021Cricket Australia has been forced to move one BBL fixture out of Perth due to Western Australia’s Covid border restrictions but has locked in two home games for Perth Scorchers at the start of the season.CA confirmed on Tuesday that the scheduled clash between Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers set for December 11 at Perth Stadium will be moved to Sydney Showgrounds in New South Wales. The match will be played at 9.30pm AEDT, which will be 6.30pm in Perth. There is no curfew on the lights at the Showgrounds, unlike at the SCG, which allows CA to hold the fixture so late as it’s part of a double-header that follows the fourth day of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.The reason for the fixture change is that Strikers will be travelling to Victoria on December 7 to face Melbourne Renegades, three days prior to the Scorchers clash and at present, the Western Australian government classifies Victoria as an extreme risk jurisdiction under their Covid protocols and no person is allowed entry into WA if they have been in Victoria over the previous 14 days.New South Wales has previously been an extreme risk jurisdiction but is now categorised as high risk which means people can enter WA but must undergo 14 days of quarantine. Australian Capital Territory is a medium risk jurisdiction that also requires quarantine.Brisbane Heat will be in the ACT and Hobart Hurricanes in NSW prior to their fixtures in Perth on December 8 and 20 respectively but CA confirmed those two matches would go ahead at Perth Stadium with the two teams to enter WA and play under strict biosecure protocols. BBL teams and other sporting teams have managed to play in Perth over the last 18 months under similar protocols with players and staff unable to have any contact with locals during their time in Perth.The remainder of Perth Scorchers’ home games are yet to be confirmed with CA set to wait to see if there are any changes to border restrictions.”We understand Scorchers fans will be disappointed with the need to move the December 11 match out of Perth,” BBL General Manager Alistair Dobson said. “The League is committed to taking as many home Scorchers matches to Optus Stadium as possible and we look forward to providing further positive updates in the coming weeks.”However, the confirmation of two fixtures bodes well for the fifth Ashes Test to be played in Perth on January 14 as Australia and England will be travelling from Sydney, although the fourth Test in Melbourne finishes only 15 days prior to the first day of the fifth Test in Perth meaning the teams may well need to travel the day prior if Victoria is still an extreme risk jurisdiction in January. The Test teams will still likely need to be in a biosecure bubble of some description, the details of which are still being negotiated.

Spinner cites change in Kolpak regulations for ending hopes of qualifying for England

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020Simon Harmer believes that his hopes of qualifying to play Test cricket for England are over, but has not ruled out the possibility of a return to the South African set-up, after starring once again for Essex with 14 wickets against Surrey at Chelmsford.Harmer, 31, overcame an abductor strain to lift Essex clear at the top of the Bob Willis Trophy South Group, returning second-innings figures of 8 for 64 to complete a 169-run victory on the final afternoon.It was the third time in his first-class career that he has claimed 14 or more wickets in a match, a feat that no bowler has achieved since the Kent spinner, Derek Underwood, between 1967 and 1983.He has now claimed 230 wickets at 20.01 in his four seasons at Essex, including 18 five-wicket hauls and four ten-fors, but speaking after the match, he acknowledged that the UK’s impending exit from the European Union, and the changes to the Kolpak ruling that that will entail, have effectively ended his chances of qualifying to play for England.”I think so,” he said. “With the Kolpak ruling changing, as far as I know with clarity, the Kolpaks will fall away at the end of the year when England leaves the EU and therefore the door closes.”I have explored trying to get onto a different visa so that I can have more rights, in terms of buying property and a whole load of other things but I got a very stern no from Alan Fordham at the ECB. As far as I am concerned there is no future there.”Harmer played five Tests for South Africa in 2015 before joining the country’s exodus into the ranks of county cricket. However, with his status set to change to that of an overseas player from 2021 onwards, when all counties will be permitted two such registrations, there is still the outside prospect of him being reunited with his former countrymen.ALSO READ: Simon Harmer interview: ‘If you say English wickets don’t take spin in April, I want to prove you wrong’“It is a difficult question to answer,” he said. “There is a lot happening back in South Africa and I don’t know what the feeling is back home.”As far as I’m concerned, my main focus is with my employer which is Essex. I don’t look too far ahead and just try to do as well as I possibly can.”If other things happen and fall into place then what will be will be. I can only focus on myself, my own performances, on Essex and trying to contribute as I can to winning as many trophies as I possibly can. As a professional cricketer that’s what it all boils down to.”Harmer has already been an integral part of two County Championship victories in the space of three years, and last season he captained Essex’s T20 side to a thrilling final-ball victory against Worcestershire in the T20 Blast final, and even hit the winning runs.”There are a lot of teams with a lot of players that don’t win trophies and I think we are in a very special place as a team and I think we need to capitalise on that,” he said.”It is a once-in-a-generation thing and I think there is something very special brewing here at Essex with the players who are coming through with the players we already have. I think we can really be a dominant force in county cricket for a long time to come. That is my focus and I am quite excited about being a part of that and the rest of the noise is just noise.”Nevertheless, with South African cricket in a state of flux at the moment, Harmer said he would welcome the chance to sit down with CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith, and find out once and for all whether he has a chance of representing his country again.”Yeah, I think there needs to be an open-door policy from both sides and there needs to be commitment from both sides,” he said. “There is quite a bit that needs to happen but I am all for having discussions but for now it is a long way off.”There is a lot happening back home in South Africa to do with coronavirus. When is cricket going to get going again etc? I try to keep things short term and try and take care of the now. If you are doing the right things then perhaps bigger things might happen.”I am a believer in positive energy and putting positive energy into the universe, so whatever is meant to be will be.”

Pace bowler admits he is “one of the guys under threat” by the qualification of Archer for England

George Dobell in Barbados 23-Feb-2019Mark Wood has admitted he is “one of the guys under threat” by the qualification of Jofra Archer as an England player.Wood has been one of the success stories of England’s tour of the Caribbean. After an explosive return to Test cricket in St Lucia, where he claimed his first five-wicket haul and was timed at 94.6mph, he has bowled with similar pace in the ODIs (touching 91.6mph in the first and 93.9mph in the second) offering his side an edge that has sometimes been lacking.But Wood, and most of England’s other seamers, know that Archer’s qualification could threaten their hopes of cementing a World Cup spot. Archer qualifies in about a month and, while his selection for the World Cup squad remains unlikely, it is clear his all-round skills and, in particular, his pace with the ball are likely to earn him a significant international career. In the short term, that could end the hopes of one of the seamers in England’s current 15.”I think I am one of the guys under threat,” Wood said. “Obviously he [Archer] is a world-class performer. I’d be stupid to think that if I didn’t put in the hard yards that my place wouldn’t be up for grabs. He bowls quick as well.”It is not really talked about in the dressing room or anything like that. I wouldn’t say that night and day I’m up worried about Archer’s role. I’m just going to continue with this bit of confidence I’ve got and half-decent form to push my own case.”I feel higher in the pecking order in Test match cricket, but I’m not so sure in ODIs. We’ve got such a good squad. I was left out most of the time in Sri Lanka so to come back in and put in two fairly decent performances with the newer ball is pretty pleasing.”While Eoin Morgan, the England captain, stopped just short of confirming Wood had done enough to cement his place in that World Cup squad – “he’s bowled quickly and accurately,” Morgan said, “which is all you can ask, but there’s a long way to go before selection” – he has certainly done his chances a power of good in recent times.Having fallen behind a host of other candidates in Sri Lanka – Wood played only one ODI, with Olly Stone among those preferred to him – the rediscovery of the pace that attracted England to him in the first place is likely to prove persuasive. And while he has taken only one wicket in the series so far, his speeds and ability to gain reverse swing have made him look the most dangerous member of the attack.Mark Wood during a net session•Getty Images

“I’d have liked a few more wickets,” he said. “My wickets-to-games ratio is still down so I’d like to improve that. I don’t think I have fulfilled the role that I would like to.”But Joe Root keeps saying little things to me. In the second ODI he said to me ‘well bowled’ after my spell and then he said ‘don’t worry the wickets will come, right now you’re getting wickets for other people.'”So there is more to it than just me trying to get five wickets every game. I think trying to help people at the other end and creating pressure for others to feed off is what I’ve done well over the past couple of games. I feel like I’ve had decent rhythm. If I keep doing the right things then more wickets will come.”As thing stand, England’s first-choice opening pair may well be Wood and Chris Woakes. Which means the likes of David Willey – who looks dangerous with the new ball – Liam Plunkett, and Tom Curran could be fighting over the final place in the side.That presupposes everyone is fit, though. And the decision to rest Woakes from the second ODI underlined both how important England see him to their plans and how fragile his knees have become.”He could have played but his risk of being injured would have been quite high,” Morgan said. “We don’t have to play two games in three days in the World Cup.”England’s bowling has not been at its best in this series. They bowled 13 wides in the second ODI to add to the 15 they bowled in the first ODI. They also delivered their first front-foot no ball in 45 ODIs and something like 11,000 deliveries. There were two more no-balls in the second ODI, from deliveries reaching the batsmen above waist height. In a game decided by a margin of 26 runs, such moments were crucial.”The wides you can forgive,” Morgan said. “But hopefully we’ll see a change in Grenada.”England flew to Grenada on Saturday. The third and fourth ODIs take place there on Monday and Wednesday.

After an impressive performance behind the stumps and his resistance against NSW’s pace attack, the 24-year-old could possibly be a contender for Australia’s Ashes wicketkeeping berth

Daniel Brettig05-Nov-2017
Cameron Bancroft walks up to play a shot•Getty Images

Cameron Bancroft emerged as a left-field contender for Australia’s Ashes wicketkeeping berth after he followed a pair of catches behind the stumps with a determined rearguard against Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Western Australia at Hurstville Oval.Intriguingly, given the wide-open race for the Nos. 6 and 7 spots in Steven Smith’s team for the first Test against England in Brisbane, the Warriors’ regular wicketkeeper Josh Inglis was dropped for the game, leaving Bancroft to take the gloves and open the batting. It is only the second time in his career he has kept wicket for WA in the Shield, though he has kept multiple times for the state and also the Perth Scorchers in limited overs and Twenty20 tournaments.Bancroft was also selected for Australia as a wicketkeeper in a single T20 international in 2016 against India at the SCG, and is believed to have been encouraged to work on his keeping in recent times. He was first considered for the Australian Test team as an opening batsman in 2015, when he was selected in the squad for that year’s tour of Bangladesh, which was subsequently postponed due to security concerns.After another wicketkeeping option Peter Nevill failed to add to his overnight tally of 32, Bancroft stood firm against Hazlewood in particular, after the tall right-armer bowled with impressive rhythm in his first match since a side strain. In doing so he damaged the Test prospects of Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright, having the former caught behind waving at an angled ball, before the latter was pinned lbw by a ball cutting back.Hazlewood followed up by perforating the defence of the WA captain Mitchell Marsh, who is not expected to be considered for international selection until he is able to bowl again after shoulder surgery earlier in the year. Those wickets left much resting on the shoulders of Bancroft, who with Ashton Turner set about giving the visitors a foothold.Selectors are often said to consider domestic runs in the context of who they are scored against, and in Hazlewood, Starc, Cummins and Nathan Lyon, Bancroft occupied the crease against the very same bowlers who will line up against England in Brisbane. By stumps he had made it as far as 41 not out, already the highest score tallied by any wicketkeeper in this Shield round, topping the innings of Nevill and also the South Australian Alex Carey (36).The selection of Bancroft as the Test wicketkeeper would cause plenty of consternation given his relative lack of experience behind the stumps, but it is patently clear that Smith, Australia’s selectors and coaches are desperate for more runs from the middle order.