Dom Bess meets his expectations as career-best keeps Yorkshire in the fight

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Spinner claims seven to limit Northants’ lead to 12 as tense contest heads for showdown

David Hopps05-Jul-2021This is a high-pressure match as far as the Championship is concerned, but don’t talk to Dom Bess about pressure. He experienced what pressure really means in India during a deeply unsettling England winter. The sort of pressure that does not just have a cricket match at stake but which tears at your very soul.It is something to celebrate therefore that when expectations focused on him as much as at any time this season, his rehabilitation at Yorkshire looked well underway as he turned in career-best figures of 7 for 43 on a used Northampton pitch, the sort that turned just enough for spin bowlers to take centre stage but demanded resilience if they were to succeed.If there was not much turn for Bess on a surface that had previously been used for three T20 fixtures, he bowled with impressive consistency to make use of what variations there were and held Yorkshire together in the face of a stiff Northants challenge.Bess was contentiously dropped by England after taking 17 wickets at 22 runs apiece in three Tests in Sri Lanka and India. His return for the final Test in Ahmedabad was an unhappy one and, although England called him up as cover for the second Test in New Zealand in the Spring, a restorative season was clearly needed.Progress until now has been solid rather than spectacular, but he had reason for satisfaction after working through the Northants order in methodical fashion. Jeetan Patel, England’s spin bowling coach, was on hand and will have been encouraged by what he saw.Yorkshire sneaked past Northants by one run at Headingley in early May, but they have entered their final two Group 3 matches with Northants and Lancashire also contesting the top-two finish required to qualify for Division One in the climax of the Championship season later this summer. With Yorkshire 147 ahead at the close of the second day, with four second-innings remaining, another tension-wracked finale is eminently possible. They would grab a 200-run lead with open arms.The muse was also with Harry Brook once again as unbeaten 76 followed up Bess’ performance with the ball. The leading run-maker in the Blast, he has also had his best Championship season to date, averaging not far short of 40, but is still to add to his two first-class hundreds.Related

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  • George Hill fits bill as substitute opener helps save face for Yorkshire

  • James Anderson's magnificent seven leaves Kent playing catch-up on historic day

  • Colin de Grandhomme makes the grand statement with career-best 174 not out

There is a meditative quality to his game, which is based on timing not power, which brings occasional reminders of Michael Vaughan. As he has grown into the season, his little tics and twitches appear to have lessened. Regularly blazing it for four can have that effect.He played with minimal risk, his first half-dozen boundaries coming from deflections or routine punishment of the strayest deliveries. His next boundary, on 57, was his one heartstopping moment as he pulled Ben Sanderson just beyond the dive of Emilio Gay at deep backward square.Yorkshire’s attempt to shore up a weakened batting line-up with a two-match loan deal for Sam Northeast has not paid dividends here at least – he still has next week’s Roses match at Headingley left to make an impression. He has made 3 and 2 here, his second-innings dismissal a frustrating one as Simon Kerrigan turned one past his defensive push and his back foot was deemed not to be behind the line.Kerrigan’s left-arm spin has 4 for 31 in 20 overs to date. George Hill, the main source of resistance in the first innings, and Harry Duke were bowled through the gate, looking for turn, and he then turned one a shade to have Gary Ballance leg before.Spin bowling might be dominating but many wickets have fallen to the one that didn’t turn rather than the one that did, or might have done.Northants, 61 for 2 at the start of the second day, were essentially three down as Luke Procter was absent for a day at least because of a family bereavement. One of those wickets was Kerrigan, a nightwatchman, and Yorkshire’s advantage was only 97.Bess dominated the morning. Brought into the attack for the fifth over, he persisted until the end of the innings, taking six of the seven wickets to fall.For nine overs, Northants’ overnight pair, Ricardo Vasconcelos and nightwatchman Gareth Berg, made Yorkshire sweat and it smacked of unnecessary risk when Berg sought to hit Bess over the top and holed out at mid-on. Bess’ total lack of celebration communicated that, in his mind, this was just the start of a process he felt he had to deliver.He struck twice more in his next three overs. He found Charlie Thurston’s outside edge, pushing forward, for Duke to take the catch, and Yorkshire’s 19-year-old keeper also held on for the prize wicket of Vasconcelos, for 55, clutching the ball to his chest at the second attempt after Vasconcelos had been cramped up, trying to cut.At the Wantage Road End, Duanne Olivier drew occasional inconsistent bounce. That did for Rob Keogh, who fended a lifter to second slip. At 110 for 6, still 48 adrift, Northants needed a partnership and it came from Tom Taylor, the one batter to play with occasional freedom, and Saif Zaib, who laboured for 40 balls over his first three runs before he tried to break Bess’ shackles and just cleared mid-off.The tension was evident when Olivier was refused a catch at the wicket when Zaib was on 2. Adam Lyth, from second slip, provided the histrionics, but presumably Olivier provided the verbals. Certainly, something caused umpires Billy Taylor and Tom Lungley to call up Patterson and Olivier for a dressing-down, enough to take Lyth’s gesticulating into a second act.Bess took a hand immediately after lunch, having Zaib lbw, caught on the crease, and removing the left-handed Wayne Parnell in the same manner in his next over. A few late blows from Taylor took Northants into the lead, but Bess limited the damage to a 12-run advantage on first innings when Ben Sanderson was caught at slip. All is still to play for

'I wanted to leave' – Omar Henry speaks on 1992 World Cup anguish

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Spinner who was the first person of colour to represent South Africa, opens up during SJN hearings

Firdose Moonda12-Jul-2021Omar Henry has revealed how he wanted to return home from the 1992 World Cup after being given what he considered an unsatisfactory answer over why he was left out of South Africa’s match against New Zealand.In an emotional testimony at Cricket South Africa’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings, Henry revealed how he was regarded as a “sell out” by his own community after he accepted an offer to play for a white club in the 1970s, and the challenges of being the first player of colour to represent South Africa post-readmission in 1992, including his difficulties at the World Cup, which he believes reflect selection issues that continue to exist today.Henry was the only player of colour included in South Africa’s squad for the tournament, and the only specialist spinner. He played just one match, against Sri Lanka in Wellington, despite South Africa’s schedule featuring three group matches in spinner-friendly conditions in New Zealand.”I did my research and knew as the frontline spinner that I was not going to play that many games because of the conditions and the way our squad was selected, because we were stacked with a lot of allrounders. I made peace that I would be lucky if I played one or two games. But when I saw New Zealand play in New Zealand and I saw there was a pitch that was going to suit me, I had high expectations that I would play,” Henry said.He didn’t.”I wasn’t selected. I was very disappointed and I needed to know why I wasn’t selected. I went to the manager and asked him if he could give me a reason why I wasn’t selected, which was the protocol. He said, ‘I know you’re disappointed and I will talk to the captain and the coach and I will come back to you.'”By match-day, Henry had not received a response and after South Africa’s defeat, was involved in “an incident,” with captain Kepler Wessels. “We played the game, we were absolutely annihilated and everybody was upset. In the dressing room an incident happened between me and the captain and it created a very unpleasant situation that eventually had to be stopped by the manager,” Henry said. “I was unhappy with the way I was treated and the answers that were given to me so I pursued the matter further. Several meetings were held, and still I wasn’t satisfied and then I wanted to come home. I wanted to leave. That created even more tension.”It was only the intervention of CSA’s first president of colour that convinced Henry to stay. “I managed to find out that Krish Mackerdhuj was in Australia and I requested a meeting with him. I explained my situation and said I wanted to go home if I don’t get the right answers and he pleaded with me that there is a bigger picture and I can’t go home,” Henry said. “He was of the view that if I go home, there is no guarantee that things like this won’t happen with players of my colour in the future. He pleaded with me for a few hours and I changed my mind and stayed. I felt that maybe it was meant to happen to me as the first black person to play for South Africa, and hopefully that will be addressed and we will move on. In hindsight, I was wrong. That’s why we are here today.”Omar Henry bowling his left-arm spin on Test debut•Getty Images

Henry spoke of happier times when he played for the Free State province, a historically white, Afrikaans team, who embraced him.”Afrikaaners felt they were given a raw deal, just like black people, although they enjoyed the privileges of Apartheid. My stay in Bloemfontein was an education in how liberal some of those Afrikaaners were and I made friends for life,” Henry said. “We won the Currie Cup and it was the last year of the Currie Cup. That was a great achievement. When I look at my contribution to that, trying to prove to the white man that a black man can also play cricket and that we can all live together in peace and harmony and respect one another, I felt in my heart that I broke down barriers. And I think I did. Those players and people that were close to me, we still had respect for one another although we come from different backgrounds. They knew, in their heart of hearts, that Apartheid was wrong.”Henry also saw continued challenges in selection, specifically relating to racial bias when he worked as an administrator. He coached Boland and was a selector at the province, and also served as selection convener for South Africa. Throughout that time, Henry had to work within the confines of the target system which stipulates the minimum number of players of colour that a domestic team and the national side must field.Henry found the system limited, that it set a bar people were not willing to go beyond and turned transformation into a number-crunching exercise. He provided an example from his time at Boland, when the targets required teams to field three players of colour and he faced resistance when he wanted to pick a fourth player, Henry Davids. “I took the risk and fought for him to be selected, knowing full well that I could lose my job. But I stuck my neck out and that’s when the realisation came that there is still some misunderstanding or mistrust or dishonesty within the system,” Henry said.Henry also said the transformation goals presented to him when he served on the national selection panel were unrealistic and could only be met in time. “I was told I need to pick 50% black players in the team. From what I knew about the system at the time, I couldn’t honestly say that I could have achieved that immediately. I had to be honest and say I am sorry I can’t deliver on that,” he said.Overall, Henry painted a picture of a sporting system that is grappling to understand how to develop talent as it tries to redress past wrongs. He acknowledged that the pain of people of his generation, a few of whom left South Africa to seek opportunity abroad (Henry played for Scotland for example), and most of whom never got the chances they may have wanted, has not healed and that true inclusivity continues to be elusive.”There is a lot of hurt. There is a lot of healing to be done. People of my age, at unification, thought they were going to get an opportunity. They didn’t. They didn’t come close. We don’t know the depth of the emotional damage we have done to people,” Henry said. “There is a lack of education about understanding what development is, what transformation is. I can talk about this all my life because it was my life. It is not an easy subject and it is something we have to continue and we are probably going to continue this even when my grandchildren are adults.”The SJN hearings are due to run for the next two weeks after which transformation ombudsman Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, will produce a report and recommendations to CSA.

Torrential rain wipes out third T20I, Pakistan lead series 1-0

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Only six minutes of play possible after West Indies opt to bat

Himanshu Agrawal01-Aug-2021No result West Indies 15 for 0 (Fletcher 14*, Gayle 1*) vs PakistanRain allowed only six minutes of play in the third T20I between West Indies and Pakistan at the Providence Stadium in Guyana before the umpires decided to call off the match. Two out of four matches of the series have now been washed out, and only one game remains to be played.In the eight deliveries that were possible, Andre Fletcher found time to smack two sixes from the six balls he faced – one each of Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Wasim. Fletcher got stuck into Hafeez, walloping him over long-on, before swinging Wasim over the bowler’s head. That turned out to be the final delivery before the heavens opened up again.Rain stopped almost one-and-a-half hours later with the covers taken off soon after as prospects of a five or six-overs shootout brightened. But an inspection 17 minutes prior to the cut-off time put paid to any hopes of play, with one part of the ground still relatively wet.The originally-scheduled five-match T20I leg of the tour, which first had one match shaved off due to Covid-19, is now down to one more game at the same ground on Tuesday. Pakistan lead the series 1-0, having won the second T20I by seven runs on Saturday.

All-round Nawaz keeps Southern Punjab winless; Sarfaraz, Zahid sparkle for Sindh

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Balochistan remain in fifth place, after their third loss in four games

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2021

Northern vs Southern Punjab, Rawalpindi

Captain Sohaib Maqsood did his bit with a 47-ball 75 and left-arm spinner Hassan Khan returned 2 for 13 from three overs, but the contributions weren’t enough for Southern Punjab to turn their fortunes around, as they lost by five wickets to Northern to record their fourth defeat in as many games in the tournament. For the winners, fast bowler Muhammad Musa was the brightest spot with the ball, returning 3 for 40, while Mohammad Nawaz starred with the bat with a 35-ball 56 not out to go with 1 for 9 from two overs with the ball.Asked to bat first, Southern Punjab did well, with opener Sohaib stitching together useful partnerships for the second and third wickets with Agha Salman (24) and Khushdil Shah (20) respectively to take the total to 125 before he was dismissed in the 15th over. The captain’s innings included eight fours and four sixes.After Sohaib and Khushdil fell in quick succession, Azam Khan’s 12-ball 18 and Aamer Yamin’s impressive nine-ball 23 seemed to have done enough to put Southern Punjab in a position from where they could get on the points table.It was, however, not to be, even though they put up a fight.Nasir Nawaz took control of the chase early, scoring the bulk of the runs in a 26-run opening stand with Rohail Nazir, who had been moved to the top of the order after Umer Amin suffered an injury. But Nazir was run out for 2, and though Nasir was dismissed not long after for a 15-ball 24, Haider Ali (40 in 27) ensured Northern got to three figures in the 12th over.The big hand, though, came from Nawaz, who hit six fours and two sixes from No. 5 to drag Northern past the line. And captain Shadab Khan, who had moved himself down to No. 6, chipped in with a valuable 20-ball 30 during a 67-run stand for the fifth wicket. The target was breached with five balls in hand, helping Northern get to second spot on the table with their second win in three games.

Sindh vs Balochistan, Rawalpindi

Zahid Mahmood celebrates a wicket with Anwar Ali and Shan Masood•PCB

Sindh made it three-in-three in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup with an enormous victory over Balochistan in their latest fixture, topping their opponents by 77 runs after bowling them out for just 98. While the batting was led by captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahnawaz Dahani, Danish Aziz and Zahid Mahmood, the Player of the Match, shared nine wickets between them in a spectacular display to finish off the Balochistan resistance in just 16.4 overs.Batting first after winning the toss, Sindh got off to a good start courtesy Shan Masood (31) and Sharjeel Khan (34), the two putting on 52 in 6.2 overs before Sharjeel, the aggressor, fell. Khurram Manzoor couldn’t quite get going, but after Masood fell in the 11th over, Saud Shakeel (32) and Sarfaraz (41*) took control of the game, scored quickly, and set the stage for Anwar Ali to come in at the close and wallop an unbeaten 12-ball 22.That gave Sindh a score Sarfaraz would have expected his bowling line-up to defend without much fuss, and that’s exactly what happened.Imam-ul-Haq, the big name in the line-up, scored his 19 runs in 18 balls, and Abdul Bangalzai hit 29 in 23, neither quite able to wrest the initiative. The 46-run first-wicket stand was the best period with the bat for Balochistan, as the wickets tumbled after the openers were sent back by the end of the eighth over. Abdullah Shafique, who has moved from Central Punjab to Balochistan, made his much-anticipated debut on the day but only managed a 12-ball 8.Legspinner Zahid was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 18, while left-arm spinner Danish and medium-pacer Dahani struck key blows to never allow the batters to get on top.

Mohammad Nabi rules himself out of Netherlands ODIs; Afghanistan name four uncapped players

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Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Shahidullah Kamal selected in 18-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2022Mohammad Nabi has ruled himself out of Afghanistan’s upcoming ODI series against Netherlands which starts in Doha on January 21, with right-arm seamer Naveen-ul-Haq also not part of the 18-member squad.While Nabi said he wanted to clear the path for a younger player to get international experience, Naveen opted to take a break from the 50-over format and focus on preparing for the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.Related

  • Klusener not to extend contract as Afghanistan head coach

  • Shaun Tait quits as Afghanistan fast-bowling consultant

The squad selected includes four uncapped names in 19-year-olds Riaz Hassan and Mohammad Saleem Safi – a batter and right-arm quick, respectively – alongside 21-year-old left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Shahidullah Kamal, 22, a left-hand batter and part-time left-arm spinner. Although Farooqi has played a lone T20I and Kamal has played one Test – both in March 2021 – they are yet to represent their country in ODIs.Afghanistan also recalled seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who has played a single ODI, last January. Alongside the new faces, there was plenty of experience in the form of Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Najibullah Zadran and Qais Ahmad, who has played a Test and T20I each but is uncapped in ODIs.Afghanistan will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, who was appointed ODI captain last year.The three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Netherlands is part of the ICC’s World Cup Super League, points from which count towards qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Ikram Alikhail, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Usman Ghani, Yamin Ahmadzai

Washington Sundar ruled out of West Indies T20I series with hamstring injury

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Kuldeep Yadav has been named as his replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2022Washington Sundar has been ruled out of India’s three-match T20I series against West Indies, which begins in Kolkata on Wednesday. According to a BCCI release, the spin-bowling allrounder suffered a hamstring strain while fielding during the third ODI in Ahmedabad on Friday.Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has been named as Washington’s replacement in India’s squad.The hamstring strain is the latest in a series of injuries and illnesses that have hounded Washington over the last few months. First, he was forced to miss the second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE after suffering a finger injury. He returned to domestic action during the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, helping Tamil Nadu reach the final, but a bout of Covid-19 kept him waiting for his international comeback, ruling him out of the ODI leg of India’s tour of South Africa in January this year.Washington finally returned to India colours during the ODIs against West Indies, playing all three games and showing promise with both ball and bat. He picked up four wickets at 18.75, while conceding just 4.16 runs per over, and he also contributed scores of 24 and 33 in his two outings with the bat.Just when he seemed to be back in the thick of things, however, injury has struck once more.As a specialist bowler, Kuldeep isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Washington; the batting ability of seamers Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel, however, should still allow India to pick an XI without compromising on their batting depth.India squad for T20I series: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav.

Powar on exclusion of Rodrigues, Pandey: 'If you don't perform, you don't get your chances'

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India coach says squad for the New Zealand series and Women’s World Cup picked itself, going by each player’s recent performances

Annesha Ghosh23-Jan-20222:28

Ramesh Powar: Communication has been clear to players left out of ODI World Cup squad

India head coach Ramesh Powar has provided official clarification on the exclusion of Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues from India’s extended squad for the forthcoming series against New Zealand and the Women’s World Cup that follows. Asked about the same ahead of the team’s departure for these assignments, he said, “If you don’t perform, you don’t get your chances.”Addressing a virtual press conference from Mumbai, Powar, when asked if Pandey and Rodrigues’ experience would be missed on either assignment, said: “Not really. At the end of it, five selectors, captain, the coach – they have their discussed all the players and we came out with 18 players who can play better in the New Zealand series as well as in the World Cup.””Every player knows. Whoever is not in the team knows why they are not there,” Powar said. “That communication from, say, captain, coach, selectors – it is not a one-time communication; it’s been on for a long period of time – at least last six months, I was very clear about the roles. I told them, specifically, what is expected out of them, and end of it this is a competition, a competitive position, so you have to perform. If you don’t perform, you don’t get your chances.Related

  • Mithali Raj: 'Too much importance is given to strike rate'

  • Jemimah Rodrigues, Shikha Pandey left out of India's World Cup squad

While the questions at the presser were around batter Rodrigues and swing bowler Pandey, the India squad also excluded experienced batter and ODI veteran Punam Raut. The squad was announced by means of a written media release, with no explanations given as to why the trio was left out. ESPNcricinfo had reported that all three players were fit and available for selection. That none of them were picked even as standbys raised questions, more so given they were part of a boot camp for 20 World Cup hopefuls in Dehradun last month.Three players with much less experience (quick bowler Renuka Singh, who impressed on her debut in the T20I series on the Australia tour last year and in the domestic 50-over Challenger Trophy that followed, allrounder Simran Bahadur and batter S Meghana – both standout performers in the Challenger Trophy) – instead came into the extended squad of 18, leaving a lot to conjecture. Renuka was part of the main squad, with the other two named as standbys.India’s five-member selection panel, led by former India spinner Neetu David, hasn’t featured in any press conferences since its appointment in September 2020.Now, Powar said the group picked itself, going by recent performances of each selected player. “So, if you look at it, you cannot pick everyone. There’s only 15 [in the primary squad] and then three standbys. And we were looking at the particular things, like fast bowlers, like Meghna [Singh], Renuka – they’re doing well and they are going to get their chances in upcoming matches.”Again, the batting unit is consistent like Yastika [Bhatia], Smriti [Mandhana], Mithali [Raj]. Everyone is consistent so we don’t we don’t change much. At the end of it seven of us getting together and picking the right team and backing the players, that matters.”Pandey, 32, last played an ODI in July, during the tour of England. She was also part of the Australia tour that followed in September-October but didn’t make the XI for 50-over matches.Bhatia made such a strong impression down under that she has effectively replaced Jemimah Rodrigues in the team. Rodrigues was dropped from the playing XI in the first ODI against England in July and then, having failed to make an impression in the next two matches, was not considered to start in the Australia ODIs.In the six ODIs that she played in 2021, Raut, 32, accumulated 295 runs, including a hundred, at an average of 73.75, but her historically low career strike rate of 58.26 has seen her being outperformed by younger, more aggressive batters. She has publicly expressed her disappointment at the World Cup snub.

All eyes on Karachi pitch for series to come alive after sedate start

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Legspinner Mitchell Swepson will debut for Australia while Pakistan are expected to welcome back Faheem Ashraf and Hasan Ali

Andrew McGlashan11-Mar-2022

Big Picture

Shall we try that again? To be blunt, there were not too many redeeming qualities from the opening Test of this much-anticipated series with a docile surface – which has since been deemed ‘below average’ by the ICC – rendering it something of a non-event. Now, all eyes are on the 22 yards that will be produced at the National Stadium in Karachi, with the hope that it will be a more balanced and enticing contest.However, if the draw in Rawalpindi was being scored, Pakistan would have taken the points. Three of their batters hit centuries – Imam-ul-Haq twice – while the bowling attack found a way to take 10 wickets in the first innings. Nauman Ali preyed on Australia’s patience while Shaheen Shah Afridi was the standout quick of the match and deserved more than two wickets.Still, with the post-match admission from the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja that the stultifying surface was largely a tactic so as not to play into the hands of Australia’s quicks, Pakistan do need to show that they are brave enough to take the game to them in Karachi unless they want a single-match decider in Lahore.From Australia’s point of view, they may see the opening Test as a warm-up they did not get on this tour with all the bowlers having got miles in the legs and most of the batters spending reasonable time at the crease. However, they need to be cautious that not converting starts into three figures does not become a habit.No two ways about it, Australia’s bowlers toiled even if much of the last day was going through the motions. A single wicket for a fast bowler and just three overall (the other being a run out) is slim pickings regardless of the pitch. But this next game has been given another element of intrigue with Mitchell Swepson finally handed a Test debut.Hasan Ali’s return will be a big boost for Pakistan•AFP/Getty Images

Recent form

(last five matches, most recent first)Pakistan DWWWL
Australia DWDWW

In the spotlight

Hasan Ali is expected to come back into Pakistan’s line-up after missing the opening match with an abductor strain. It would mean the reunion of the pairing with Shaheen; the duo has claimed 88 Test wickets during 2021, of which Hasan took 41 at 16.07 in just eight outings. Hasan is a skiddy quick bowler who has not faced Australia before in Tests, so it will be a new challenge for the top order.After a long wait, Mitchell Swepson will make his Test debut. “I think it’s quite special that someone like Mitchell Swepson is going to debut tomorrow as a legspinner who grew up trying to replicate Warnie,” Pat Cummins said at the end of what has been an emotional week for the game. The last specialist legspinner to debut for Australia was Bryce McGain 2009, or Steven Smith in 2010 if you consider his response on social media. Swepson will hope for a longer stay than McGain’s lone outing; Smith will likely be stood at slip; his career having gone in another direction.

Team news

Faheem Ashraf’s negative Covid test the day after he was positive is a huge boost for Pakistan, and it also means they will be able to balance their side with a seam-bowling allrounder at No. 7. The other change that is likely to happen is Hasan replacing Naseem Shah.Pakistan (probable) 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Sajid Khan, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Shaheen Shah AfridiCummins confirmed Australia’s XI with Swepson handed a debut and that he is replacing Josh Hazlewood. This means Mitchell Starc’s left-arm angle is retained.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Mitchell Swepson, 11 Nathan Lyon

Pitch and conditions

Surely, this one won’t be as flat? Both captains expected the wicket to be of more help for the spinners as the match developed, while Cummins thought reverse swing could be a factor, perhaps, from quite early in the contest given the well-worn square. There won’t be any problems with the weather this time, it’s forecast to be warm and sunny throughout.

Stats and trivia

  • Fawad Alam, who did not bat or bowl in Rawalpindi, and dropped a catch, needs 47 runs to reach 1000 in Tests
  • Australia have lost five of their eight Tests in Karachi
  • Nathan Lyon now averages 65.18 against Pakistan away from home (four games in UAE, one in Pakistan). His next highest overseas average is 39.75 in South Africa.

Quotes

“We didn’t get as many wickets as we would have liked but never let the run rate slip, on past tours of the subcontinent we have. We never lost control of the game. As a Test match, it’s an absolute outlier, so put it behind us and come here where we’ll probably get closer to the conditions, we would expect in a subcontinent Test.”
“We’re not frightened of Australia. The conditions are the same for both teams. The WTC points are very crucial. As a captain, I wanted us to win. The way our side dominated, and our batters scored 150+ and got wickets… So there’s nothing to panic about. We dominated.”

Alana King awarded Cricket Australia contract, Sophie Molineux misses out

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Injured duo Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck have been retained in the 15-strong list

Andrew McGlashan07-Apr-2022Legspinner Alana King has been awarded her first Cricket Australia contract after being an integral part of the ODI World Cup triumph with left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux dropping off the list after an injury-hit season.King made her international debut at the beginning of the multi-format Ashes having come in as a replacement for the injured Georgia Wareham. She has since featured in every match – earning an upgrade to a contract during that time – and was Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker at the World Cup with 12 scalps at 24.50 including 3 for 64 in the final against England.Allrounder Molineux, who has been capped 38 times across formats, is the player to make way for King’s inclusion after she missed the Ashes and World Cup due a stress fracture of her foot. Wareham (ACL) and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck (foot), who were also both ruled out of the World Cup, have retained their contracts although are not set to return before the next Australian summer.Related

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  • Meg Lanning set for English domestic debut in the Hundred

“Sophie Molineux is unfortunate to miss out on a contract, she’s been an important part of the side over the last couple of years,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “Unfortunately, she’s missed a large amount of cricket due to various injuries, but we feel she can continue to play an important role with a more consistent run of matches. We’ll continue to work with Sophie and have full confidence in her finding her way back into the squad.”Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck retain their contracts which enables us to continue to support them on their return to play after suffering long-term injuries. Both are progressing well in their rehab, and we look forward to seeing them in action at some stage during the summer.”King’s arrival on the international stage on the back of two successful WBBL tournaments, firstly for Melbourne Stars then for Perth Scorchers, highlighted the depth on offer in Australian cricket. The selectors ended up naming two legspinners in their World Cup squad with Amanda-Jade Wellington being recalled.”Alana King came into the side during the Ashes and hasn’t missed a beat, she produced match-winning performances across all three formats and thoroughly deserves her spot on the list,” Flegler said.”We’ve had a core group of players performing well over the last 12 months which means some talented players have missed out, it’s certainly made selection tough but we’re in a fortunate position to have such depth across Australian cricket.”Players such as Stella Campbell, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Grace Harris have all played for Australia and contributed to the team’s success recently, and along with Sophie, have the chance to earn upgrades with consistent performances.”The stability of the contract list suggests that the World Cup-winning squad will remain together for at least another year. Captain Meg Lanning and coach Matthew Mott had previously said they did not foresee any players retiring in the near future.Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 points. Female players receive four points for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20I.Australia will return to action in July with a tri-nations T20I series in Ireland that will also feature Pakistan ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. While the next home summer has yet to be confirmed it is set to include a visit by Pakistan before Australia defend their T20 World Cup title in South Africa in early 2023.A number of the centrally-contracted players will remain in the UK after the Commonwealth Games to feature in the Hundred.Contract list Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Jake Libby returns to form as Worcestershire ease to safety

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No final-day jeopardy as Derbyshire are unable to make their scoreboard pressure tell

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2022Worcestershire 368 and 225 for 2 (Libby 105*, Ali 60) drew with Derbyshire 565 for 8 dec (Dal 114*, Masood 113, Guest 77, du Plooy 62, Thomson 54)Worcestershire opener Jake Libby returned to form with his first century of the season to deny Derbyshire victory on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match at Derby.Libby had made only one 50 in his previous eight innings but came good at the right time with an unbeaten 105 off 306 balls to steer Worcestershire to a draw.Azhar Ali scored 60 and shared a second-wicket stand with Libby of 164 in 48 overs before Jack Haynes, who scored 16 from 140 balls, joined Libby to complete a determined rearguard action.The pair dropped anchor, scoring only 26 runs from 283 balls to end Derbyshire’s rapidly fading hopes as the visitors closed on 225 for 2, a lead of 28.Worcestershire went into the final day 138 runs behind but the pitch was flat and Derbyshire were a bowler down with Ryan Sidebottom ruled out by a calf injury.Derbyshire had to strike early to apply pressure but there were few alarms as Libby and Azhar batted through the morning to reduce the deficit to 35.Libby edged Suranga Lakmal just short of first slip in the fourth over and Azhar missed a loose cut at Luis Reece who was bowling for the first time since August following surgery on his left shoulder and right knee.Reece bowled five overs from the Racecourse End and did get some swing while Sam Conners tried to unsettle the batters with some short balls but it was a fruitless first session for Derbyshire.Libby drove Reece for his seventh four to reach 50 from 98 balls and Azhar completed his third consecutive half-century after lunch when he cut Lakmal to the ropes.Derbyshire’s hopes were raised briefly when Azhar went back to work Thomson to leg but was beaten by some turn and given lbw after resisting for 204 minutes.His obvious disappointment at missing out on the chance of a century was clear but Libby, who was the second-leading run-scorer in the country last season, completed a stubborn hundred from 185 balls.He did not score another run from the next 39 balls which underlined his determination not to give Derbyshire a chance of forcing the door back open.Derbyshire used spin at both ends to try and get to a second new ball as quickly as possible but when it became available, the light had deteriorated to prevent them taking it.The runs dried up with Libby and Jack Haynes scoring 21 from 199 balls so Worcestershire at tea were just 23 runs ahead but only a maximum of 25 overs remained.After the interval the game meandered to its inevitable conclusion before the teams shook hands at 4.50pm with both teams taking 14 points.