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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.

Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed will become the youngest debutant to open for England in Test cricket, in the first match against India in Rajkot

George Dobell in Rajkot08-Nov-20160:45

Quick Facts – Haseeb Hameed

Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed will become the youngest debutant to open for England in Test cricket, in the first match against India in Rajkot.Hameed, aged 19 and 297 days by the time the game starts, will become England’s fifth-youngest Test debutant, and Alastair Cook’s tenth opening partner since the 2012.Ben Duckett, who opened the batting in Bangladesh and made a sparky half-century in his final innings of the series, will move down to No. 4 to accommodate Hameed. Gary Ballance, who scored just 24 runs in four innings in Bangladesh, was dropped from the XI for Rajkot.Hameed enjoyed a breakthrough season in the 2016 Championship campaign. Opening the batting for Lancashire, he scored almost 1200 runs at an average of 49.91. The four centuries he scored included two in a match against a strong Yorkshire attack. As a right-hander, he will also correct a slight imbalance in an England top order that, in Bangladesh, saw five left-handers in their top six.While he was born in Bolton, Hameed has a strong affiliation with India and Gujarat in particular. His parents – who will be at the game – were born here and his brother was married here in recent days. He names Sachin Tendulkar, who he met as a seven-year-old, and Virat Kohli among his heroes and, in 2010, he travelled to Mumbai to learn to bat on the city’s maidans that have been the breeding ground of many fine cricketers.”Haseeb has impressed everyone so far on this trip,” Cook said. “You wonder if a 19-year-old, coming on tour, will be overawed but he hasn’t been at all. He has looked really good in the nets and the way he has gone about his business. It’s obviously a very special day to pick someone so young.”He is incredibly unflappable. He looks a very good player of spin. He picks length well and uses the crease well. Stuart Broad bowled at him last summer and was almost straight on the phone to me saying how impressed he was with this guy.”He is one of those natural run-scorers. All through his age group, whatever team and whatever standard, he has scored runs. It’s probably a year earlier than he would have thought. But to average 50-odd as an opener in Division One as a 19-year-old is an incredible feat. I was nowhere near the player he is at 19.”Of course there will be some tough moments for him over the next few of playing Test cricket, but I think this guy can play.”While Cook admitted it was “not ideal” to move Duckett down the order after two Tests, he did not foresee any negative impact. “He’s a pretty unflappable character,” Cook said. “Historically he has played all his cricket in the middle order until the last year. He’s comfortable batting anywhere.”Hameed’s selection means no place for Jos Buttler, who has only played one first-class match since he was dropped a year ago, or Ballance, who has averaged only 19.90 in the six Tests since he was recalled in July and failed to reach 30 in his last seven innings.”It was a tough decision,” Cook said. “Jos has played some really good one-day cricket on this tour and his batting looks in really good shape in the nets. But he hasn’t played that much first-class cricket. Gary hasn’t scored the runs he would have liked.”Cook also played down talk about his imminent retirement as captain, after being quoted by the magazine as saying: “I don’t know how much longer I am going to carry on. It could be two months, it could be a year.”But talking ahead of the Test, Cook reiterated his oft-stated view that he will take the role “series by series”.”It’s a mountain out of a mole hill,” he said. “It’s been blown out of proportion. Since the World Cup, I have been very open and we have taken it series by series. It could be two months, six months or two years.”The Rajkot game will represent the 55th time Cook has captained England at Test level, surpassing the previous record of 54 times by Michael Atherton.

Zimbabwe are in unfamiliar territory heading into their short one-day series against Ireland. It is not often that they can reasonably be expected to win a series, but they should have an advantage in home conditions

Liam Brickhill08-Oct-2015Zimbabwe are in unfamiliar territory heading into their short one-day series against Ireland. It is not often that they can reasonably be expected to win a series, but they should have an advantage in home conditions and captain Elton Chigumbura admitted that this has created a different sort of pressure for his team.”When we go out there we want to win every game that we play,” said Chigumbura. “We’ve got more expectation on us to win these games against Ireland, so obviously there’s a little more pressure on us. So we have to rise to the occasion. It’s an important series for us. I’m sure if we play our best cricket we’ll come out on top. We’ve been looking forward to this series. It’s going to be hard cricket.”Unusually, in recent months Zimbabwe have also had the task of managing the workload of some of their senior players a little more carefully. After years of their cricket suffering from a paucity of games, Zimbabwe have had a packed schedule this year, with visits from India and New Zealand followed by the recent series against Pakistan and Ireland’s visit. Afghanistan, who they will play in five ODIs and two T20Is later this month, are already in the country warming up.”We had a day off after Pakistan,” said Chigumbura. “There’s lots of cricket, especially this month, but that’s what we’ve been asking for for a long time: to have more games. Now we’ve got them so we just have to make sure that we deal well with the short breaks that we’ve got in between.”Bowling coach Douglas Hondo added that his bowlers are not suffering despite their increased workload. “At the moment the bowlers are still fresh enough,” he said. “We’ve been managing their workloads and telling them after games, ‘do absolutely nothing, just rest’. Then we do a little bit of analysis and the day before a game have a little bit of a run around. The ball is coming out well for them, so we don’t have to do a lot of physical stuff.”Workload and pressure aside, Zimbabwe have also had to deal with the situation presented by some under-performing seniors. Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya and Hamilton Masakadza have all lost their places due to poor form. “He’s not in the squad, he has been dropped from the team,” Chigumbura explained somewhat awkwardly when asked about Masakadza. But he added that Zimbabwe also have much to be confident about.”If you look at the series we’ve played this year, compared to last year or two years ago, right now almost every series we’re winning a game so there’s lots of confidence from that. Some of the guys have been consistent, and hopefully the in-form guys can carry on with that.”

The preview for the third ODI between West Indies and Zimbabwe at George’s

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit25-Feb-2013

Match facts

February 26, 2013
Start time 0930 local (1330 GMT)Craig Ervine and Hamilton Masakadza would have to play big roles for Zimbabwe if they are to avoid a whitewash• WICB Media/Randy Brooks Photo

Big Picture

Going by the series scoreline so far, 2-0 in favour of West Indies, nothing out of the ordinary and unexpected has happened. A convincing 156-run victory in the first ODI and a seven-wicket win in the second. The second margin sounds comprehensive, but it wasn’t. Zimbabwe showed a marked improvement on Sunday and halfway through the match, would have even thought of leveling the series. What they are left with now, is to play for a solitary win in the final ODI and win their first one-dayer since October 2011, when they chased 329 against New Zealand. West Indies will be brimming with confidence after a forgettable summer in Australia and look set to complete a whitewash.
After being thrashed in the first ODI, Zimbabwe put up a strong batting display in the second, which stretched the hosts to the 49th over. Their bowling and fielding went up a notch, but they failed to pick wickets despite the pressure they created. They have picked only seven wickets in nearly 100 overs and have conceded 611 runs at a dismal average of 87.29. They will rely on Kyle Jarvis and their most experienced bowler, Prosper Utseya, to give them breakthroughs, especially in the opening overs. The 22-year old Natsai M’shangwe has been the most economical in the two ODIs, but it’s the wickets they need to win matches.West Indies, meanwhile, would not want to be in the pressure-cooker situation they found themselves in on Sunday. Even though their batsmen have done their job, curbing Zimbabwe to a lower score would be ideal for them. If they win the third, it will be their first whitewash over a Test-playing nation since beating Bangladesh 3-0 in 2004.

Form guide

West Indies WWLLL
Zimbabwe LLLLL

In the spotlight

Despite scoring two consecutive fifties, Kieran Powell threw his wicket away in both the ODIs. Against a feeble Zimbabwe attack and in the absence of Chris Gayle, this will be the apt time for Powell to convert a start into a three-digit score and boost his confidence before the Champions Trophy in June.Hamilton Masakadza was Zimbabwe’s top performer on Sunday with a fifty and figures of 2 for 27 from seven overs. If Zimbabwe have to win, he will have to extend his stay on the pitch to chase or set up a big total for the in-form West Indies batsmen.

Team news

West Indies are yet to announce their squad for the third ODI. Gayle and Darren Sammy were rested for the first two matches. With the series to their name, West Indies may want to give a chance to the left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (if available), who has been in fine form for Guyana with 13 wickets in the last two Regional Four-Day matches.West Indies: (probable) 1 Kieran Powell, 2 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Tino Best, 11 Sunil Narine/Veerasammy PermaulZimbabwe: (from) Brendan Taylor (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Tino Mawoyo, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Prosper Utseya, Regis Chakabva, Malcolm Waller, Keegan Meth, Craig Ervine, Chamu Chibhabha, Tino Mutombodzi, Natsai M’shangwe

Stats and trivia

• The last time West Indies and Zimbabwe played a bilateral ODI series, West Indies won the series 4-1 in West Indies in 2010.
• West Indies have won six and lost six of the 12 ODIs they have played at St. George’s in Grenada.

Quotes

“I felt a burden lifted when I reached my hundred. I was lacking a little confidence before this performance so I have my confidence back now.”

Ben Hilfenhaus, the leading wicket-taker in Australia’s Test series victory over India, has been recalled to the national ODI squad to replace the injured Brett Lee

Daniel Brettig06-Feb-2012Ben Hilfenhaus, the leading wicket-taker in Australia’s Test series victory over India, has been recalled to the national ODI squad to replace the injured Brett Lee – his first limited overs duty in more than two years.The national selector John Inverarity and his panel chose an experienced name to cover for Lee rather than picking another youthful pace bowler, affording Hilfenhaus the chance to play his first 50-over internationals since a tour of India in late 2009.On that tour Hilfenhaus suffered from knee tendinitis that would subsequently keep him out of international cricket for most of the 2009-10 season, and had been employed exclusively in Test matches since.While naming Hilfenhaus, Inverarity suggested the XI for the Perth match against Sri Lanka on Friday was likely to be unchanged from the one that defeated India in Melbourne on Sunday. However Hilfenhaus may play in the third match, against India in Adelaide on Sunday at Adelaide Oval.”The NSP has named Ben Hilfenhaus in the squad for the game against Sri Lanka in Perth on Friday,” Inverarity said. “Ben will replace the injured Brett Lee. The bowling attack for Perth is likely to be the same as the one that did so well in Melbourne and Ben will be in Perth to provide cover.”Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle have been resting in reserve since the completion of the Test series, which reaped 27 wickets at 17.22 for the Tasmanian after he was recalled for the Boxing Day Test.Siddle (23 wickets at 18.65) is likely to come into contention for the second half of the ODI series, his exertions in nine consecutive Test matches deemed worthy of a longer break than Hilfenhaus’ four.As previously flagged by the selectors, Mitchell Marsh will join the ODI squad after the completion of the Sheffield Shield fixture between Queensland and Western Australia at the Gabba. Two of the other mooted contenders for Lee’s spot, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Alister McDermott, are also taking part in the match.

England allrounder Tim Bresnan has vowed to be fit for England’s first match of the World Cup, insisting that regular physiotherapy will have him “raring to go” when the tournament starts

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2011England allrounder Tim Bresnan has vowed to be fit for England’s first match of the World Cup, insisting that regular physiotherapy will have him “raring to go” when the tournament starts. Bresnan picked up a calf injury during the second ODI against Australia at Hobart, ruling him out of the remainder of the seven-match series.The World Cup gets underway in the subcontinent on February 20, with England beginning their campaign against Netherlands two days later. With England currently 3-1 down against Australia, weaknesses in the batting and bowling departments have been exposed and Andy Flower will be keen to have the likes of Bresnan and Stuart Broad back in contention for their first World Cup outing in Nagpur.”The injury is coming on well,” Bresnan, who is back in the UK for treatment on his injury, told . “I’m quite confident of being fit for the first game of the World Cup. I’ve been told some good news in the last couple of days and I’m having some physio every day up until we leave, so I’m putting my full trust in them [the medical team] that they’ll get me ready to go.”Bresnan added that he thought Graeme Swann, who has also flown home with back and knee problems, would be available for selection for England’s opener, and is expecting everyone to feel refreshed when they tackle their next challenge. “Hopefully everyone’s going to be raring to go for that first game. Hopefully everyone’s rested as well so that we are ready to go.”After helping England win the Ashes with a 3-1 series triumph, Bresnan admits the team are targeting the world No. 1 spot. “For that we need consistency,” he said. “If you look at the way the ranking system works it’s all about consistency, it’s not about having a couple of good series here and there. It’s about consistently winning games of cricket. With the strength and depth we’ve got in the ranks, the next target is definitely being the No. 1 in the world.”