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Steve Rixon, Australia’s fielding coach, has said he has been impressed with Michael Clarke’s leadership in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2011Michael Clarke’s leadership in Sri Lanka has impressed Australia’s fielding coach Steve Rixon. Clarke, Rixon said, had developed the right rapport with the team.”I’ve seen Pup [Clarke] from a young cricketer, when he was first with New South Wales, so I know his personality and he’s in a position now where he’s carving his own way,” Rixon told . “I like his enthusiasm, I like the way he’s relaxed around the players. He knows the line between being captain and being one of the boys and that’s come from a lot of years of experience, seeing the likes of Punter [Ricky Ponting] and Steve Waugh and how they ran the show.”Clarke has won five of six one-day games as captain – three against Bangladesh and two in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka – since taking over from Ponting after the 2011 World Cup. Rixon said the big challenge would come when Australia play their first Test under Clarke, against Sri Lanka in Galle, later this month.”I reckon he’ll do a very good job, because he’ll come in with fresh ideas and I think that’s healthy. There are a lot of things that don’t need fixing, but at the same time Pup’s got to make his own impression on it. He’s got to make a statement: ‘this is the way I would like to see things done, I’ve learnt from very good captains before, and this is my little slant on it’.”Rixon said last summer’s unsuccessful Ashes campaign was the wake-up call Australian cricket needed and that things were likely to improve, especially with the hard work in recent times and the structure reforms in the offing. “We were always going to come back to earth and the Ashes were probably the real kick in the belly.”I see that [reclaiming the top billing] as an exciting challenge. To get these guys up and believing in their own abilities. Get them to trust their preparation, which has been spot-on, being honest. What I’m seeing here is there’s no shortage of hard workers, there’s no shortage of planning and now we’re getting a bit more honesty coming out in everyone’s view on things. If you bottle it up, it goes nowhere. But if you go and talk about things, it’s going to be healthy.”

Shahid Afridi has urged authorities to resolve the allegations surrounding the team because the uncertainty was “damaging for the players”

Cricinfo staff21-May-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain, has urged the authorities to resolve the allegations surrounding the team as soon as possible because the uncertainty was “damaging for the players and the team” as they prepare for future assignments, especially the 2011 World Cup.”The thing is that there is too much uncertainty because of all those allegations,” Afridi told the . “It’s really damaging for the players and the team and I’m really concerned because it comes at a time when we are looking forward to a very busy calendar filled with major assignments, including the all-important World Cup.”I think that for our team to move on, we need to quickly resolve all such controversies. You can’t expect the players to give their best when there are so many allegations thrown at them.”The ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) said on Thursday that it was investigating Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2009-10 to establish whether Pakistan’s on-field failure was the result of what it called a “dysfunctional” team or “something more serious”.The PCB has been conducting its own investigations into the Australia tour and a leaked video recording of the committee’s hearings revealed the level of in-fighting and disunity within the Pakistan side. Senior members of Pakistan’s team management on the tour raised concerns about a run-out wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal fluffed during the second Test in Sydney, hinting that it may have been more than just a cricketing error.When Afridi was asked at the inquiry if the losses to Australia were deliberate, he said: “I have heard from others that such things [deliberately losing] exist but I do not know of any such player myself.”Pakistan’s next assignment is the Asia Cup in June and Afridi said it “would be great if the team goes to Sri Lanka with this issue resolved so that everybody can focus on playing cricket.” Pakistan have not yet announced an ODI captain but it is widely expected that the responsibility will be given to Afridi.

On the day that Vettori marked his 100th Test he was once again the star for New Zealand

Brydon Coverdale in Hamilton27-Mar-2010Daniel Vettori’s wife calls him the Captain of Everything, which goes back to when he was appointed skipper in all three formats and plans for split leadership with Stephen Fleming were shelved. It could also refer to his role as the team’s best bowler, most consistent batsman and their general in the field. New Zealand have relied so heavily on Vettori so often that despite being in his 100th Test he has celebrated fewer wins (31) than Michael Hussey (33), who is playing his 50th.On the day that Vettori marked his milestone he was once again the star with four wickets, a direct-hit run-out and some well-thought-out field placements. But this time, he had support. From the moment New Zealand strode on to Seddon Park to the time when Vettori led them off to a standing ovation, his men looked sharp. Catches were held, pressure was maintained and Australia were skittled for their lowest total in New Zealand in a decade.Nothing would please New Zealand fans more than seeing Vettori finally enjoy a Test win over Australia. The same intensity will need to be shown over the coming days but Vettori gave his men a good start. They rushed to their captain to congratulate him when his throw from mid-off ended the innings of Ricky Ponting, who has sung the team song after beating New Zealand in nine Tests during his 12-year rivalry with Vettori.It was a big wicket. Tim Southee had picked up Shane Watson early but Ponting and Simon Katich had looked comfortable and the run-out sparked something from the New Zealanders. Southee, who said the team wanted to lift for their captain, went on to collect four wickets and it is only when the fast men back Vettori that New Zealand look at their best.Then there was the plot conceived by Vettori to place a man at deep mid-on, hoping Michael Clarke would try to clear the field off Jeetan Patel. The trap worked. Southee held a good catch – none were spilled during the innings – and although some of the wickets fell to batsman error the bowlers stuck to their plans with diligence.That the pressure built on Australia was yet another tribute to Vettori. He bowled tight, giving the Australians no freedom to attack, and Marcus North and Brad Haddin fell at the other end to Southee when they sought to find runs off him instead. Vettori won his personal rewards at the finish, with three lower-order wickets to finish the innings with 4 for 36 in his 20th over.”It was a good day,” Vettori said. “To turn round from where we were at the Basin, by only being able to take five wickets, and to step up today on a pretty good wicket was impressive. I couldn’t really have asked for too much more from the day’s play. Losing that last wicket right at the end put a little bit of a tarnish on it but I think our track record suggests it has to be five good days as opposed to one.”The first day of his 100th Test could hardly have gone any better. The previous night his father Renzo, who was born in a small village in the Dolomites of Italy, had been invited to present Vettori with the cap for his milestone game.Across the road from Seddon Park, a supermarket was stocking kiwi-fruit imported from the world’s biggest producer of the item. It wasn’t a deliberate tribute to Vettori’s heritage but the abundance of Italian kiwis was especially fitting this week.

Khushi produced a chanceless ton while Browne is 94 not out with Essex just 44 runs behind

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2024Essex 314 for 3 (Khushi 107, Browne 94*) trail Durham 358 by 44 runsA century by Feroze Khushi and Nick Browne’s unbeaten 94 enabled Essex to take control of their Vitality County Championship match against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.Replying to the home side’s 358, the First Division leaders were 314 for 3 at the close, leaving their side just 44 runs in arrears and perhaps laying the foundations for Essex’s third victory in four matches this season.Durham’s batters will have something to say about that, of course, on top of which this Riverside pitch is still good for batting and the weather forecast for Sunday is grim. But nothing should detract from the quality of Khushi’s chanceless century, the second of his career and his first since he reached three figures at Canterbury in 2022.And even when the 24-year-old had been dismissed by Callum Parkinson for 107, Browne shared an unbroken stand of 54 with Jordan Cox to leave his side well placed to take a first-innings lead.Related

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The first wicket to fall in the morning session was that of the nightwatcher, Sam Cook, who was bowled by Paul Coughlin for 25 in the 19th over of the innings. By then, however, the stand-in Essex skipper had helped Dean Elgar put on 64 for the first wicket, a partnership which removed much of the shine from the new ball.Five minutes before lunch, however, Durham took the wicket they most wanted when Elgar’s loose drive outside the off stump to a ball from Matthew Potts edged a catch to Ollie Robinson. The opener’s dismissal for 46 left his side on 97 for 2 at lunch but Potts could reflect that he had been unfortunate not to get an lbw decision against the South African in the first half-hour of play, a period in which Ben Raine had also had two confident leg before appeals against Elgar turned down.In the afternoon session, Khushi and Browne carefully consolidated their side’s position with Khushi being especially quick to seize on anything loose, driving and pulling Brydon Carse to the boundary in the space of three balls. He reached his fifty off 102 balls when he off-drove Parkinson to the boundary and celebrated the achievement two deliveries later with a straight drive for four.The hundred partnership was put up in less than two hours and perhaps the most noticeable feature of the afternoon session was the ease with which the pair dealt with Durham’s six-man attack on a good batting pitch. Off-spinner Colin Ackermann bowled the last over before tea, at which point Essex were 220 for 2, with Khushi on 88 and Browne unbeaten on 46.The evening session continued much like the afternoon’s. Carse overpitched in the first over after the resumption and Khushi clipped him through midwicket for four to get into the nineties. A glance to fine leg two overs later and then a punch through midwicket off Ackermann took him to his hundred off 156 balls. He had batted 203 minutes and hit 16 fours.Ten minutes later, Browne reached his fifty off 143 balls via a slice of good fortune when an attempted off-drive to a ball from Ackermann only produced an edge between Robinson and first slip Coughlin. Liberated by that achievement, Browne took two successive fours off Ackermann but three overs later, Khushi drove Parkinson straight to Graham Clark at shortish extra cover and departed.Browne and new partner Cox soon had to face the challenge of the new ball but they did so with little fuss.

Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf have made comebacks to the squad, which will be led for the first time by Shan Masood

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2023Opening batter Saim Ayub and fast bowler Khurram Shahzad are in line for Test debuts after being included in Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming tour of Australia.Pakistan, under newly-appointed red-ball captain Shan Masood, will play three Tests on the tour, in Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7).The 21-year-old Ayub has already played eight T20Is for Pakistan, and comes into the Test team with 1069 first-class runs at an average of 46.47, including scores of 203 and 109 in his most recent game in October, the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. Shahzad has also been picked on form, having ended the 2023-24 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as its top wicket-taker with 36 at an average 20.30.Left-arm quick Mir Hamza was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament (32 at 20.87), and this has earned him a recall. The last of his three Tests was against New Zealand in January. Also back in the squad is the seam-bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, the last of whose 16 Tests was in December 2022.Pakistan Test squad for the tour of Australia•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Apart from Naseem Shah, who continues his recovery from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the recently concluded World Cup in India, Pakistan’s pace attack will also be without Haris Rauf, who has made himself unavailable for selection. Newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz made his disappointment clear while announcing the squad: “Haris pulled out at the last moment, and I feel this will hurt Pakistan cricket.”Both wicketkeepers Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan were part of the squad, with Sarfaraz understood to be first choice. He replaced Rizwan in the Test side last year, and has retained his place in the last four Tests across two series.Abrar Ahmed’s selection further cements his place as Pakistan’s premier red-ball spinner, with Noman Ali chosen as his back-up option. Spin options across formats have been a matter of intense scrutiny in Pakistan, with legspinners Shadab Khan and Usama Mir turning in disappointing performances through the World Cup. Abrar went to the World Cup as a reserve player, but was not called up to the main squad.Pakistan have an unenviable record in Australia, having lost their last 14 Test matches on the bounce there.Pakistan squad for Australia Test series: Shan Masood (capt), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Agha Salman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi

Australia pick two spinners as Agar returns from injury to partner Zampa. Green to bat at No.4 and Inglis to play as a specialist batter

Alex Malcolm07-Sep-2023Australia have confirmed that David Warner and Travis Head will open in the first ODI against South Africa in Bloemfontein. Mitchell Marsh will bat at No. 3 and Cameron Green at No. 4 in the absence of Steven Smith in a side featuring two spinners in Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar.Australia have named their XI for the first of five matches in South Africa with Marsh to captain in an ODI for the first time while Pat Cummins is still unavailable due to his wrist injury. Marsh made a triumphant debut as Australia’s interim T20I captain with a 3-0 series sweep of South Africa last week.One of the debates surrounding Australia’s ODI side heading towards the World Cup was whether or not Warner and Head would remain together at the top of the order after Marsh’s phenomenal series against India earlier this year when he opened in all three games. Marsh only opened because Warner was recovering from a fractured elbow and missed the first two matches. When Warner returned for game three he was forced to bat at No. 4 for the first time in his ODI career, and not open for just the second time, as Australia stuck with the combination of Head and Marsh who had dominated the series to that point.Related

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But Australia have returned to their trusted pairing of Head and Warner. The duo have only opened together in seven ODIs, three coming after the retirement of long-time captain Aaron Finch late last year, but have compiled three partnerships of 284, 147, and 269 across those seven games. They also have another century fifth-wicket stand and average 85.07 as a pair in the format overall.Marsh will instead bat at No. 3 where has been dominant in T20Is over the last couple of years but he may slide further when Smith returns for the India series and the World Cup that follows the tour of South Africa, although Australia are hoping to be fluid with their top order depending on their needs with Marsh’s power in the 10-over powerplay keen to be utilised at times if the surfaces require it.”There’ll be potentially a few moving parts with our squad throughout these five games, I’m guessing it’ll be the same as South Africa,” Marsh said on Wednesday. “It’s a heavy schedule, building to the World Cup. So we’ll have certain guys batting in different areas, but I’ll start at three.”Green has been named to bat at No. 4 for the first time in his ODI career in a sign ahead of the World Cup that he could move higher up the order having batted at Nos. 6-8 in 11 of his 12 ODI innings to date. Four is by far his best position in List A cricket having made two centuries in seven innings there including one for Australia A against Sri Lanka A in Colombo last year.There is no room for Tim David in game one despite Australia being keen to use him at some stage in this series with concerns remaining over Glenn Maxwell’s fitness ahead of the World Cup. Josh Inglis is named to bat at No. 5 and could play as a specialist bat at times in the World Cup after being named in the 15-man squad even though Alex Carey is the first-choice wicketkeeper.Australia will play seven batters and four bowlers, including two spinners in Bloemfontein. It is one of three combinations they are likely to use in the World Cup and likely to be the one they need on spinning pitches like Chennai where they will play their opening match against India on October 8. It is the structure they used with success against India in Chennai back in March to close out their last ODI series. Agar is returning from a calf injury but will leave the touring squad at the back end of the South Africa series to return home for the birth of his first child, hence the selectors’ keenness to play the two spinners in combination in game one in Bloemfontein in preparation for the World Cup.Sean Abbott and Josh Hazlewood will play as the lone specialist quicks in the absence of Cummins and Mitchell Starc (groin). Abbott edged out Nathan Ellis for the final spot in the provisional 15-man World Cup squad on the back of some outstanding recent form.Australia’s other team combinations likely include playing seven batters, three quicks and one spinner, or playing eight batters and just three specialist bowlers, with four allrounders batting in the top eight provided Marsh, Green, Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis are all fit to bowl to make up at least 20 overs of bowling.Australia XI for first ODI vs South Africa: David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Laurie Evans, who missed last season after a provisional doping suspension, has also put his name in

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-20234:28

WATCH – Pooran’s magnificent 137* takes MI NY to inaugural MLC title

Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies left hander, could return to the BBL after he was announced among six batters who have nominated for the overseas draft next month.Pooran’s one previous stint in the BBL came in the 2020-21 season where he made six appearances for Melbourne Stars, smashing 65 off 26 balls with eight sixes in his second outing against Sydney Sixers although Stars lost a thriller by one wicket.His is an eye-catching inclusion on the draft list given his recent form where he hammered 137 off 55 balls in the MLC final to carry MI New York to the title which has been followed by runs in the T20I series against India.Related

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English batter Laurie Evans could also head back to the league after he was forced to miss last season with Perth Scorchers after being provisionally suspended following a positive doping test.The suspension was lifted in March and Evans is currently playing in the Hundred for Manchester Originals having also been part of the T20 Blast for Surrey. However, he still faces a hearing later this year.Nicholas Pooran played one spectacular innings during his previous BBL stint•Getty Images

Having been on Scorchers’ original list last season he will be eligible for retention, whereby a club has one opportunity to prevent another team signing a player who was in their squad the previous season. Evans played a starring role in their 2021-22 title success with 76 off 41 balls in the final.Other names heading into the draft, which will take place on September 3 following the inaugural WBBL overseas draft, are Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis and Colin Munro.Hales, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, is eligible for retention by Sydney Thunder as is Rossouw. Du Plessis was originally an unpicked platinum player in last year’s draft before getting a replacement deal with Scorchers so he could also be retained.Munro, the New Zealand left hander, was part of Brisbane Heat last season where he made 278 runs at a strike-rate of 150.27, so they would have the option of bringing him back.This year’s BBL, which will start on December 7, has been shortened to a 43-game season although there is still likely to be an overlap with the ILT20 in the UAE and the SA20 which may affect player availability.Overseas players can nominate in three categories for the draft – gold (AUD$300,000), silver (AUD$200,000) and bronze (AUD$100,000) – with the BBL then selecting a group of the biggest names to the platinum picks on AUD$420,000 if they are available for the whole tournament.How retention picks work

• Have been in a Big Bash squad for a minimum of two seasons and haven’t been contracted to another team since
• Have been in a Big Bash squad the previous season
• Was in a team squad last season but did not play in the starting 13 and have been approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee
• Is otherwise approved by the Big Bash Technical Committee due to exceptional circumstances

Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”

Srinath Sripath07-Nov-2019Adam Gilchrist believes Tim Paine is still the best available wicketkeeper and captain for Australia’s Test team.Paine’s batting form in the Ashes – one fifty from ten innings at an average of 20 – has led to concerns about whether he merits selection in Australia’s first-choice Test XI, with Alex Carey waiting in the wings. Gilchrist’s comments echoed those of Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts, who unequivocally backed Paine to “continue leading from the front the way he has done so far”.Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”, and said he has done a “wonderful job [as captain]” since he took over from Steven Smith after the events in Newlands.”[If you look at] what he took on, when he took it on, he in partnership with [coach] Justin [Langer] and all the players have done a remarkable job over the past 12 months to just get a nice, stable balance back. I can’t see any rush to push him out, as long as he’s still performing, like we all had to, to stay in the team. Like every other player, he’s got a hold of his spot in the team as being selected as the best available option for that player type. I think he’s doing a wonderful job [as captain].”Gilchrist, who works as a Fox Cricket commentator, is also a notable mentor for Carey, who recently spoke to ESPNcricinfo about their relationship: “I’m fortunate enough to have a good relationship with him now and I guess through the Big Bash it probably started with him as a commentator and myself getting into the Strikers team. It developed from that. The funny thing with Gilly and I, we don’t really talk a lot about cricket when we catch up, which I think is a good thing as well. We have a great relationship away from the game, talking about footy, talking about family, rather than the skill sets on the field.”Australia have had an unbeaten start to their home summer, winning all four of their T20Is so far, as they build up to the first-ever T20 World Cup on Australian soil, the only global tournament the men’s side haven’t won yet. Gilchrist is backing them to “start as one of the favourite teams” playing at home, “even though 12 months is a long time [and things can change]”. Asked to stick his neck out and predict a winner, he named “the usual suspects like India, England, Australia and New Zealand”, the same four sides from this year’s 50-over World Cup to make it to the semi-finals.”I think Australia are really well placed seeing how they’ve started the summer. They love the conditions, they play well in the bigger grounds. We’ve got everyone available now and probably for the first time, Australia are looking to pick their best XI regularly [for bilaterals] rather than just for the World Cups. They’re probably still working out whether they should play two spin bowlers or one spinner with a batting allrounder like Mitch Marsh or [Marcus] Stoinis.”Ashton Agar is doing a really good job, and if you look at all the successful bowlers in T20 around the world, they’re all spinners. Nine out of the top ten I think are spinners”. Australia have one of their own spinners, Adam Zampa, among the top ten, and Gilchrist is optimistic of their chances given “they’ve got a really well balanced squad” and “have time to work out” their ideal combination for the World Cup”.

Kagiso Rabada struggled to find form all tournament as South Africa crashed out of the World Cup

Sidharth Monga24-Jun-20193:31

Can’t use Steyn’s injury as an excuse – du Plessis

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has revealed South Africa tried to stop fast bowler Kagiso Rabada from going to this year’s IPL, where he eventually injured his back and was withdrawn towards the end.Rabada, South Africa’s key strike bowler who has six wickets so far in the World Cup at 50.83, confirmed that there had been a plan to have him miss the IPL, but said it had not worked out. He was the IPL season’s second-highest wicket-taker, his 25 wickets one behind compatriot Imran Tahir, despite playing five fewer matches.After South Africa exited the World Cup with another disappointing defeat – this time to Pakistan – du Plessis was asked if he felt Rabada’s workload had been managed well. Since the start of last year, only Nathan Lyon has bowled more overs in international cricket than Rabada. If du Plessis could have had his way, he wouldn’t have had Rabada – playing for Delhi Capitals – bowling the additional IPL overs and instead been working on rehab and recovery.”I don’t think we’ll ever have a perfect answer for that because he’s probably biting on too much,” du Plessis said. “But we did try and get him not to go to the IPL; to try and stay and get fresh. That wasn’t the case of [course] and then when he went there, we were like, let’s try and get him back halfway through the IPL because it’s important, not just for him, but a few other players.”I mean, I spoke about it before the IPL even started, that it’s important that we try and find space to rest our three-format players, because they play all the formats all the time, and then IPL. So I don’t think it’s necessarily just the IPL, but it was important for a few guys to rest; and the fact that they didn’t meant that they came into the tournament not fresh. That’s not an excuse; that’s just a fact.”Rabada himself confirmed that there had been a plan to have him miss the IPL, but said it had not worked out. “That was basically just to rest up prior to the World Cup for obvious reasons like injury and being fresh for an important tournament.” Rabada said, during an interaction with reporters in the mixed zone on Sunday, after South Africa’s defeat to Pakistan.The plan to have Rabada sit out the IPL fell through, and an alternative couldn’t be worked out either – for reasons he did not reveal. “Well, the plan was to leave early but that didn’t work out – don’t ask me about any of that – but eventually I came back earlier as you might know.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Rabada was released by Capitals the moment CSA wanted him back. Scans for a niggle cleared Rabada of injury but CSA didn’t want to take any risks, and Capitals complied.Getty Images

Du Plessis went on to say Rabada’s pace has been down this tournament. The South Africa captain also said he couldn’t have rested Rabada in international series. To do so, you need a second line of bowlers. “That challenge we are going to have as a team all the time,” du Plessis said. “You can’t unfortunately go back with the national side and say to KG: ‘Listen, you’re going to rest for the next two series.’ He’s such a big player for the team; it’s a difficult thing to do.”You know, you need guys that can… you need three or four or five bowlers in the wings waiting, so you can have a bit of a rotation system. I mean, that was the plan with Anrich [Nortje] in the back-up and pipeline, and he got injured as well. So therefore all our pace is gone and there’s so much responsibility on KG to carry that load of being the lone fast bowler.”CSA, however, can’t compensate the players enough for missing the IPL the way Cricket Australia and ECB do. It is tempting to imagine if AB de Villiers would have retired in the first place had there not been an IPL to go to, where he actually said the IPL was “better than the World Cup”. South Africa also lost Dale Steyn for the World Cup as he could not recover in time from the injury he sustained playing the IPL ironically as a last-minute replacement. Steyn’s absence has also hurt South Africa, leaving Rabada to do all the striking work.”KG at the moment is feeling like he needs to do something, but it’s not happening for him; and therefore, you’re not seeing that same intensity when he bowls – or not bowls; or when he celebrates a wicket or when he’s going through after the over back to his mark,” du Plessis said. “Obviously Dale is a special bowler, and the fact that he’s injured, we can’t use that as an excuse. There’s enough good bowlers in our team to still be better than what we did today. There was a lot of bad balls bowled on a wicket that if you just bowled really good lines and lengths, it was tough for the batters to score.”Du Plessis said this is a challenge Rabada will have to find ways to get the better of. “You know, he’s a great bowler. He will be able to fix that. His career has been one that’s been probably just going up and up and up and up and up every time he’s played for us.”So this is probably his first stumbling block as a great fast bowler. So for him now, it will be to see how he responds, how he learns in this period and how he makes sure he gets better. Because he has been great for us, but now he needs to take stock of where his bowling is and then try and get better as a bowler.”Nortje had been ruled out of the World Cup in the first week of May itself with a thumb injury. Once the tournament started, South Africa suffered a blow when Steyn was ruled out too, and Lungi Ngidi hurt his hamstring in the game against Bangladesh which didn’t let him complete his quota of 10 overs. Ngidi further sat out three matches before returning for the clash against New Zealand, which was South Africa’s fourth loss in five completed games.GMT 1400 The story was updated to include Rabada’s quotes.

Derbyshire set Durham an unlikely target of 361 to win after half-centuries from Tom Lace, Harvey Hosein and Matt Critchley

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2019Durham’s openers stood firm to halt Derbyshire’s victory charge on day three of the Division Two match at the County Ground. Alex Lees and Gareth Harte battled through a testing last session to reach 10 without loss at the close in pursuit of an unlikely victory target of 361.Derbyshire had taken control with Tom Lace making his maiden first-class half-century before Harvey Hosein and Matt Critchley also scored fifties as Derbyshire reached 334, with Matt Salisbury taking 3 for 65. That left Durham an awkward 17 overs to survive and Lees and Harte dug in to deny Derbyshire before bad light ended play early.Although Derbyshire went into the day with an advantage of 133, Durham still had a chance if they could take early wickets but they managed only one in the morning as Lace and Alex Hughes wore down the bowlers.The ball moved around in murky conditions but although the bat was beaten numerous times, Durham had to wait 18 overs for the breakthrough. Lace and Hughes played with discipline and restraint until Lace fenced at a wide one from Harte and was caught at second slip.Hosein provided some acceleration to take the lead past 220 at lunch and after Hughes had been caught behind off Harte for a three-hour 39, Critchley took the game away with some punishing strokes. He reached 50 off 60 balls and Durham’s frustration grew as both Hosein and Critchley survived dropped catches that should have been taken.Both fell before tea but by then, Derbyshire were 320 ahead and they batted on with Ravi Rampaul striking Liam Trevaskis for two big sixes before he was last out pulling Salisbury to midwicket.Durham were set what would be the second-highest successful fourth-innings chase at Derby and although the pitch had flattened out, they faced a tricky period before the close.At least conditions were better for batting but there was some swing with the new ball and Tony Palladino almost found the edge of skipper Lees’ bat in the second over. Lees responded by punching an overpitched delivery down the ground but generally the batsmen were content to leave as many balls as possible with survival until stumps the prime objective.Only nine runs came from the first 11 overs as Lees and Harte concentrated on defence and their application was rewarded when the umpires took the players off the field two balls into the 15th over.