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A round-up of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final matches on February 4, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2016
ScorecardJ Syed Mohammad struck his second first-class century to put Assam on top in their quarter-final against Punjab•PTI

Sixteen wickets fell on the second day in Valsad, at the end of which Assam gained a significant foothold on a semi-final spot in the Ranji Trophy.J Syed Mohammad scored 121 batting at No. 7 to put up a total of 323 following which seamers Krishna Das and Arup Das routed Punjab for 137. Assam’s batsmen pushed their first-innings lead of 186 to 209, but had a lot of trouble doing so thanks to left-arm seamer Barinder Sran’s 3 for 11. Besides Sran, Punjab had only one other performance of note: Mayank Sidhana, who struck nearly 60 % of their first-innings total – 80 off 131 balls with 10 fours – and remained unbeaten while eight of his team-mates crumbled for single digits.Punjab had fallen to 13 for 4 in the fifth over as Arup (3 for 41) and Krishna (3 for 54) ran amok. Mandeep Singh and Gurkeerat Singh bagged a couple of ducks, leaving Sidhana and Uday Kaul to resurrect the innings. They put on 73 runs together before part-timer Pallavkumar Das broke through and the Punjab tail crumbled soon after.Assam had began the day with two wickets standing in their first innings and Mohammed converted his overnight 50 into his second first-class hundred. With him in charge, the final two wickets hung on for over 21.3 overs and amassed 100 runs, a crucial development considering the Punjab collapse that followed.
ScorecardSaurashtra took firm control of their Ranji quarter-final against Vidarbha, as centuries from Sheldon Jackson and Sagar Jogiyani drove the team to an innings lead of 224 in Vizianagaram.Saurashtra, who began the day at 70 for 1, were dealt two early blows, losing both Cheteshwar Pujara and Arpit Vasavada in the space of three overs. However, Jackson and Jogiyani led a counterattack, batting together for more than 50 overs to put up 206 runs. Jogiyani struck 17 fours and two sixes during his 130 – his eighth first-class ton, while Jackson’s 122 off 175 featured 13 fours and six sixes. Their efforts lifted Saurashtra to 375. Umesh Yadav was the pick of Vidarbha’s bowlers, taking 5 for 81, while Aditya Sarwate picked up 4 for 63.Vidarbha were 17 for 0 in their second innings when stumps were called.
ScorecardAfter having pitched in with 33 off 37 balls to push Mumbai past 400, Iqbal Abdulla dismantled the Jharkhand middle order with three wickets to cement his side’s control in Mysore. Abdulla hit four fours and one six during his cameo as Mumbai added 113 to their overnight score. Left-arm spinner Shabaz Nadeem finished with figures of 5 for 140.In response, Jharkhand’s opening pair of Shiv Gautam and Anand Singh began steadily before the slide began. The 46-run partnership came to an end when pacer Shardul Thakur had Gautam caught by Suryakumar for 18. Anand followed soon after, for 39. Akhil Herwadkar, who struck his fourth first-class century on Wednesday backed it up with three scalps of his own. Abdulla, meanwhile, accounted for Ishank Jaggi (14), Kumar Deobrat (15), and Rahul Shukla (8); debutant wicketkeeper Sufian Shaikh playing a part in two of those dismissals. Jharkhand crawled to 150 for 8 when stumps were drawn.

Gloucestershire have signed Cameron Bancroft, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, for the first two months of the English season

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2016Gloucestershire have signed Cameron Bancroft, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, for the first two months of the English season.Bancroft, who made his Australia debut in the final T20 against India in Sydney this month, comes with the recommendation of Western Australia team-mate Michael Klinger for who Bancroft will stand in for during the opening part the season.His signing makes it a trio of Western Australia players at Gloucestershire alongside Klinger and pace bowler Andrew Tye. Bancroft will be available for five Championship matches before Klinger returns towards the end of May.Bancroft, who was named in Australia’s Test squad for the cancelled tour of Bangladesh last year, scored 896 runs in the 2014-15 Sheffield Shield season and followed that with 224 runs in the two-match series for Australia A against India A.Richard Dawson, the Gloucestershire head coach, said: “Maxy [Michael Klinger] has given him really good reviews – he said he’s very fit, hard-working and is committed to trying to improve and kick on”His attitude and the fact that he is 23 means he is a really good fit for our changing room which is also important.”He will bolster our batting during that period and he also gives us cover with the gloves if required. I talked to him this week and his hunger to come over and have a crack at county cricket really impressed me. He wants to come and learn and improve his game and that was massive for me.”

India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2016India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after Kohli’s unbeaten 55 off 37 balls took India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan at Eden Gardens on Saturday.Kohli arrived in the third over with the score on 14 for 1 and had only faced two deliveries by the time India fell to 23 for 3 in the fifth over in pursuit of Pakistan’s 118, but Dhoni said Kohli thrived in such situations by not depending on boundaries to get himself and the team out of trouble. Up until the ninth over, Kohli had only struck one boundary but had taken nine singles in his first 13 deliveries in partnership with Yuvraj Singh to add the first 31 runs in a 61-run stand that took India within striking distance of victory. In all, Kohli scored off 28 of his 37 deliveries, including 19 singles.”It’s very simple. What an innings is all about is how you convert it, when you’re under pressure,” Dhoni said after the win. “There are a few ways to handle pressure. At times we have seen, in Test cricket, or ODI and T20 format, when there is a lot of pressure, often they go for the big shot. It seems at that point of time that that’s the best option, but when you’re under a lot of pressure, the best way to deal with it is to take a single, go to the other end, because that calms you down, and at the same time you have that positive intent because you’re looking for that single. And you know your areas.”Everybody knows what their strength is – for some it’s a flick, for some it’s the cut. So if it’s in your area, you have to play your shot. If not, try to take a single, go to the other end. And if you see his batting, that’s what he really does. And where he has an edge over the others is, you have to push hard. That’s why he loves batting with individuals who can run hard with him. Because running hard is the easiest way to score runs. You hit it in the middle, between long-on and deep midwicket, if you have two good runners, you can convert that one into two, or one-and-a-half runs into two, and that puts a lot of pressure on the bowler and the fielders.”The other ingredient to success that Dhoni attributed to Kohli is his “hunger to perform”. Dhoni said Kohli’s preparation habits enabled him to consistently score runs rather than going through dips in form.”He takes everything as a challenge,” Dhoni said. “He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in each and every game, and that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score runs, he prepares well, he takes care of his fitness. He knows, he understands now, in different wickets how he’s supposed to bat and score runs. And we all know, once he gets going, once he gets a start, he always converts it into a big innings, which I feel is one of the most important things for any youngster coming into the game.”MS Dhoni attributes Kohli’s ability to thrive under pressure to his eagerness for taking singles•IDI/Getty Images

Kohli’s success helped shield the problems faced by other batsmen on the day, in particular Suresh Raina who was out first ball to Mohammad Sami. The left-hander has struggled recently, scoring 1 in two of his previous three T20I innings. However, Dhoni deflected questions about Raina’s form and said the team still had confidence in him.”People don’t score runs in one or two games, that question will be asked,” Dhoni said. “If Shikhar doesn’t score in one more game that question will be asked, why not Jinks to open and Shikhar left out. I feel it is important to back players and at the same time, if you see there are too many people who need to bat at that No. 3 slot.”If you compare the stats, especially when it’s happening in India, you’ll see there are lot of individuals who should bat at three, but Virat gets an edge, and in the same way I think [Raina] deserves that No. 4 position more than anyone else, and it’s important to back him. Yes, there might be tactical changes when he won’t get that slot, but overall I think he’s the best option.”Dhoni also gave credit to his spinners for exploiting conditions after winning the toss and inserting Pakistan to bat first. The India captain said the amount of time the pitch spent covered due to rain throughout of the day was a strong factor in his decision-making, though he was surprised at the amount of turn so early in the match. At the same time, he also explained his reasoning for not bowling out R Ashwin despite the trouble caused by Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja early in the match.”Initially we never thought it would turn so much. Reading the wicket, I thought there was a bit of moisture because they had watered the wicket yesterday and I don’t think they got enough sun today. The last time when I saw the wicket was before the start of the game, and then it was quite damp. And even when you roll the wicket, the top surface may look a bit good, but it’s more a cosmetic thing, because underneath there was a lot of moisture.”I feel it was because of the moisture that the spinners were getting a lot of turn. Even the ones that were bowling it quite hard, if you hit the seam you can turn the ball, and that’s what Jadeja and Ashwin did. The Pakistan batsmen, they are good players of spin bowling, and later on I felt, there was a chance, if I had given it to Ashwin they could have gone after him. I’m not saying he can’t deal with it, but I went for the safer option.”While Dhoni said he is proud of India’s historic unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups and World T20s, he said it’s not something they take for granted.”There is also a reality that one day we will lose – whether it is today or in ten years or 20 years or 50 years. There is no such thing that you will always keep winning. Also, our team has evolved a lot, and somehow in ICC events our performances have been good of late, whether it’s the last Champions Trophy or the World Cup. We have given pretty good performances, so that also plays a role. I feel we have played good cricket, and that’s the reason.”

The Edgbaston pitch has been reported to the ECB over its indifferent bounce following the Specsavers County Championship match between Warwickshire and Somerset

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2016
ScorecardBowlers held sway at Edgbaston before the weather closed in•Getty Images

The Edgbaston pitch has been reported to the ECB over its indifferent bounce following the Specsavers County Championship match between Warwickshire and Somerset which ended in a draw when the final day was washed out.Eighteen wickets fell on the second day, after which rain prevented any further play, with numerous batsmen hit around the body and the surface was reported by the umpires to ECB liaison officer Tony Pigott. His findings will now be considered by an ECB disciplinary commission.”It was not the type of pitch we wanted,” admitted Warwickshire director of cricket Dougie Brown. “There were cracks but was it dangerous? No.”We all know here that Gary Barwell is the best groundsman in the country by a mile. He was preparing this pitch 14/16 days ahead, as always, and when he started it was in snow and ice. Then the weather flipped on its head and suddenly it was very hot, so the drying process was accelerated by the weather.”When the cricket liaison officer said the pitch had been reported we were incredibly surprised.”While Warwickshire await the commission’s findings, they will also wait to see whether captain Ian Bell’s injured hamstring will heal in time for him to play against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on Sunday.Somerset, meanwhile, were left deeply frustrated. With Warwickshire on four without loss in pursuit of their target at the end of the second day, the visitors fancied their chances, only for heavy cloud and mist to take up residence over Birmingham for 48 hours.”It was very disappointing,” said captain Chris Rogers. “On a wicket that was getting harder to bat on, we felt 320 was definitely a winning total.”There were a few concerns about the pitch. The groundsman didn’t quite get it the way he wanted to, though I think had a similar-looking wicket for their first game that didn’t play anywhere near as badly.”I have played on some excellent wickets here so this was different, but fortunately there were no real incidents.”Despite the frustration of not being able to press home a victory, Rogers was pleased with his side’s performance. Having spent most of their first three drawn games on the back foot, this time they held the initiative.”The innings from Tom Abell and Peter Trego were outstanding,” he said. “They really gave us momentum and, particularly when you are playing a good side, if a couple of guys step up and lead from the front, it carries through the rest of the team.”I think we bowled really well, pitched the ball up and challenged the batsmen and got our rewards. Everyone who got the ball in their hand did a really good job.”

A decision on whether November’s Adelaide Test between Australia and South Africa will be played as a day-night fixture will be made public by Wednesday, June 8.

Firdose Moonda06-Jun-2016A decision on whether November’s Adelaide Test between Australia and South Africa will be played as a day-night fixture will be made public by Wednesday, June 8. Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Cricketers’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo the player body is “still dealing with the issue”, and will have a “final decision one way or the other within the next two days”.South Africa’s players initially rejected the idea of a pink-ball Test but have been in negotiations with Cricket Australia (CA), and the Australian board said last week that it was “hopeful” of the match taking place under lights. On Friday, Australia’s reported that the South African players had changed their mind during the Indian Premier League.Talk out of the South African camp in the last few weeks has suggested otherwise. AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada had all voiced their objection to a day-night Test, citing the lack of practice with the pink ball. Even though CA offered South Africa a warm-up match under lights, Philander said the players would need to have “experimented on the domestic front” and “tested the pink ball properly”, before agreeing to play a Test with it. He said it would take “a few games” before they felt comfortable.The other major reason for South Africa’s stance was that they are chasing a Test revival after slipping from No.1 to No.6 in the ICC rankings last season and do not want to risk missing out on a rise up the rankings because of unfamiliarity with the pink ball. “The players’ strong desire to play this as a normal Test match is testament to how much they actually care about the series,” Irish said in April. Irish also stressed that the players’ views should be treated with importance and pointed out that both South African and Australian players had concerns.Australia have already played one day-night Test, the inaugural match against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in November last year. Then, CA had provided New Zealand with a million-dollar financial incentive to compete in the match. It is not known if the Australian board has offered the South African players a similar sum but with the declining rand, any amount may prove difficult to turn down.

Angelo Matthews remains under an injury cloud and must undergo a fitness test on Wednesday before he can be cleared to play in the second ODI against England at Edgbaston on Friday

Melinda Farrell22-Jun-2016Angelo Mathews remains under an injury cloud and must undergo a fitness test on Wednesday before he can be cleared to play in the second ODI against England at Edgbaston on Friday.The Sri Lanka captain hobbled from the field suffering stiffness in his left hamstring after bowling six overs during Sri Lanka’s tie with England in the first ODI of the five-game Royal London series at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.The hamstring failed to improve overnight and Mathews saw a doctor in Birmingham on Wednesday to undergo further assessment.His absence would be keenly felt by Sri Lanka on several levels; in the first ODI Mathews’ steadying innings of 73 was the highest of any batsman in his side and he then took 2 for 22 with the new ball before injury forced him from the field.Sri Lanka may also have benefited from Mathews’ experience as captain as England chased down 286 to draw level with Sri Lanka – particularly in the final two overs when Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett plundered 30 runs, culminating in Plunkett’s six off Nuwan Pradeep’s final ball.Sri Lanka’s pace attack has been gradually depleted since the start of the tour, with the loss of Dushmantha Chameera, Dhammika Prasad and Shaminda Eranga and, in the remainder of the squad, there is no like-for-like replacement for the all-rounder Matthews.Sri Lanka’s team management has told ESPNcricinfo they were already preparing to draft a replacement for Eranga from the Sri Lanka A squad, which arrives in England on Wednesday night ahead of a series of matches against Pakistan A and England Lions. If Matthews fails to recover in time for Friday’s game, Sri Lanka may need to call in further reinforcements.

Middlesex overturned Yorkkshire again in a remarkable innings win at Scarboriugh to assume the leadership in Division One of the Specsavers Championship

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2016
ScorecardMiddlesex’s players celebrate a win that took them top of the table•Getty Images

Middlesex gained a sensational win by an innings and four runs at Scarborough to jolt Yorkshire’s ambitions of a hat-trick of Championship titles.A match seemingly destined for a draw was reawakened by a torrent of runs from Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh in the first 40 minutes of play, which secured an unexpected first innings lead of 171 at Scarborough.It was Yorkshire’s first defeat of the season and a stunning victory for Middlesex which pushed them to the top of the Division One table.Yorkshire have lost only three Championship matches since the start of the 2014 season – and remarkably Middlesex have been their destroyers on each occasion.This was also the only time that Yorkshire have lost by an innings in a Championship match at North Marine Road.Yorkshire began their quest to save the match at 11.50am and in the end Middlesex were comfortable winners, the last wicket going down at 167 with 15 overs remaining.A magnificent effort in the field by Middlesex resulted in three wickets apiece for the unstoppable Roland-Jones and Murtagh and two each for Steven Finn and Ollie Rayner.Adam Lyth and Alex Lees began convincingly with a 41 stand in 12 overs but when Lyth was turned round by Roland-Jones’ first ball and edged a catch to James Franklin at third slip, Yorkshire were on the slippery road to defeat with wickets going down at regular intervals.The chief resistance came from Tim Bresnan but when he was skittled by a low one from Murtagh for 39, Yorkshire were 144 for 7 and fading fast.Andrew Gale suffered a rare Championship defeat as Yorkshire captain•Getty Images

Rarely in circumstances that have not been contrived can more runs have gushed from the first 40 minutes of a day’s play than Middlesex managed after resuming on 470 for eight with a lead of 64.The plan had been to score as many as possible as quickly as possible but the visiting dressing room could never have envisaged that Roland-Jones and Murtagh would thrash 107 in 9.4 overs.It all became possible nine runs into the day when Roland-Jones, on 18, hooked at Jack Brooks and was dropped by Steven Patterson at fine leg.The first five overs brought 41 runs and when off-spinner, Azeem Rafiq, replaced Bresnan, his first over went for 20 with two sixes to Murtagh and one to Roland-Jones.Warming to his task, Roland-Jones slammed Brooks for three consecutive leg-side sixes and at one stage 50 runs came off 13 balls in 10 minutes with six sixes raining down off seven balls.The century stand for the ninth wicket – the only one ever recorded by a visiting team on the ground – used up just 67 deliveries and there were eight sixes in the first half hour’s play when 94 were scored.In desperation, skipper Andrew Gale turned to Lyth’s off-spin and he immediately brought the carnage to a close with two wickets in two balls. He took a low return catch to dismiss Murtagh for 47 from 38 deliveries with four fours and two sixes and had Finn giving a simple catch to cover.The ninth wicket stand was worth 123 in 13.2 overs and Roland-Jones was left unbeaten on 79 off 51 balls with six fours and six sixes.Middlesex’s 577 was their highest against Yorkshire, beating their 573 for 8 declared at Lord’s last September when Roland-Jones plundered his maiden century.Roland-Jones said: “This was a hell of a win. We had it in our minds to make it tough for Yorkshire but to win by an innings was pretty exceptional.”A little bit of luck went our way with the bat and we rode this luck and made the most of the small boundaries. We thought we would be positive and we got a bit of a flow early on.”I think we knew it would be a tough fight and that we would have to stick at it but we found a wicket at the right time to break the partnerships.”It is a big achievement going up to Yorkshire and winning and I am delighted we have done it. A couple of wins has put us right in the hunt for the title and I hope we still have something to play for in the last game of the season against Yorkshire at Lord’s.”Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, said: “Obviously we are disappointed to lose. We played a decent game for the first three days but there was a massive momentum shift this morning.”On reflection, we are all agreed that we didn’t adapt quickly enough to the situation and they got away from us.
“There were no devils in the pitch and we just didn’t score enough runs. Middlesex outplayed us and we have no excuses, they deserved to win.”

KL Rahul, who completed his third Test hundred and went on to score a career-best 158, reckoned that West Indies’ bowling discipline on day two had made it difficult for India’s batsmen to score quickly

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Kingston01-Aug-20163:25

‘I am in a good space’ – Rahul

India had ended day one of the Sabina Park Test 126 for 1 in reply to West Indies’ 196. They had scored at a run rate of 3.40 per over. On day two, India added 232 to their overnight total, at a scoring rate of 2.64 an over, to go to stumps 162 ahead with five wickets in hand. KL Rahul, who went on to score a career-best 158, reckoned that West Indies’ bowling discipline on day two had made it difficult for India’s batsmen to score quickly.”Well look, you probably have to give a little credit to the West Indies bowlers as well,” he said. “They came in with a set plan this morning, to keep it tight and not give away easy runs. They tried to bowl the fourth-fifth stump channel. The wicket obviously isn’t the easiest to bat on. It is a little spongy sometimes, and two-paced. So you couldn’t play through the line or go after the bowlers when they bowled those channels.”It’s a Test match, you have all the time in the world. We have bundled them out for 180 (196), and we still had four days to go. We were in no hurry, so we could take our time and wait for the loose balls. I think we played really well in the first session. We gave the West Indies bowlers and the lengths and lines they were bowling the respect it demanded. At the end of the day, we have still gotten the amount of runs we wanted to get. We are very happy as a batting unit.”In the first session, Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara scored 59 runs at 2.27 an over, and denied West Indies the early breakthroughs they must have hoped to make. Having moved to 46, Pujara was run out in the tenth over after lunch, continuing a sequence of innings in which he has failed to convert starts into bigger scores. Rahul said Pujara was “doing all the processes right”, and was confident a big innings was around the corner.”I think he’s batting really, really well,” Rahul said. “I think his judgment outside the off stump was fabulous and his discipline was really good. When the bowler keeps bowling the fourth-fifth stump channel, the easiest thing to do is to try and place down to third man or try and go over cover or point. You may connect one or two, but you could give a catch to the slips.”He did the hard thing [by leaving as many balls as he could]. He did the hard yards, but unfortunately he got out at the wrong time. Had he stayed till the end, he would have scored 100 more runs in the next two sessions. It’s unfortunate, but I think he’ll be happy that he is doing his processes right. The outcome is sometimes not in our hands.”We know how much of a run-hungry guy he is and it will make him hungrier and I’m sure big runs are coming his way in the third and fourth Tests.”Rahul’s hundred was his third in Test cricket, and had come in only his sixth match. He has had to wait for his opportunities, with M Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan established as India’s first-choice opening combination, but he came into the match with form behind him, in the shape of a breakthrough IPL season and an ODI hundred on debut.”The last couple of months, I’ve been performing well,” he said. “I’ve been consistent in all the three formats and that’s what I want to do as a cricketer, to be consistent in all the three formats. Go out there, and play to the best of my abilities, and play my roles and responsibilities for the team.”Right now I’m in a good space. I’m only watching the ball and trying to judge the ball and if I think the ball is there to be hit, I’m hitting the ball. That doesn’t change. That’s the only thing that doesn’t change with T20, one-day or four-day cricket – when the ball is there to be hit, you hit the ball. That’s the only thing that runs in my mind. I’m very happy with the space I’m in and the focus levels have been great.”

Amad Butt, the uncapped 21-year-old fast bowler, has been included in Pakistan’s 13-man squad for the one-off T20 against England, at Old Trafford, next week

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2016Amad Butt, the uncapped 21-year-old fast bowler, has been included in Pakistan’s 13-man squad for the one-off T20 against England, at Old Trafford, next week.The match will be Sarfraz Ahmed’s first as T20 captain after he was named in April as Shahid Afridi’s replacement following the World T20 in India.Butt, who was part of the recent Pakistan A tour of England, has 12 wickets in six T20 matches. He played in the Pakistan team that knocked out England in the semi-final of the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in the UAE.The top-order batsman Khalid Latif is also included alongside left-arm pace bowler Sohail Tanvir. Mohammad Irfran, who was a late addition to the one-day squad after Mohammad Hafeez was injured, is retained for the T20.From the one-day squad current playing in England, Sami Aslam, Yasir Shah, Umar Gul, Hasan Ali and ODI captain Azhar Ali are not included.Squad Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Amad Butt

With the Champions Trophy nine months away, South Africa will see their five-match ODI series against Australia as the start of their preparation for the event

The Preview by Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2016

Match facts

September 30, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)1:21

‘Important to win away from home’ – Smith

Big Picture

It’s not even October and the headline series of South Africa’s summer is already beginning. No disrespect to Sri Lanka, who are the only touring team to visit later this year, but the fans will regard Australia as a bigger draw, and even though they are playing ODIs, the series will generate significant interest.The Champions Trophy is nine months out but this will be the start of South Africa’s planning and, worryingly, it does not include AB de Villiers. The regular captain has been ruled out of the series with an elbow injury which leaves a hole in the leadership, in the batting line-up and in the field. It will be up to Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy to step up as senior players, while David Miller and Farhaan Behardien will need to find form with the bat and light up the fielding effort. South Africa’s squad as a whole must show they can cope in the absence of one of their biggest names. The bowling will be bolstered by the return of Dale Steyn, who was rested for the West Indies tri-series in June. He will have Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo for company.Australia have not packed their pace pack with the same power, leaving several frontliners at home while giving opportunities to a younger crop. They have brought their captain along for the trip, which is certain to provide fodder for some off-field banter – Steven Smith was sent home from Sri Lanka to prepare for the summer and among those critical of the decisions were South Africans. Steyn and Graeme Smith had a few things to say on social media and, given the tension between Steyn and former Australia captain Michael Clarke in the past, this could be episode two.Episode three, of course, will take place in November when what some will consider the real battle begins. South Africa travel to Australia for three Tests. For now, enjoy the opening act.

Form guide

South Africa WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWL

In the spotlight

De Villiers’ absence for the next two months leaves Faf du Plessis in charge. Du Plessis has not been shy about expressing his desire to captain more and especially to lead from the front. With scrutiny over his scoring rate, this is the format in which he may feel he needs to prove himself. The middle overs are where South Africa don’t want to let the game drift and it will be up to du Plessis to push their cause.Mitchell Marsh struggled for consistency in length on his return to the ODI side against Ireland, after having been rested for the Sri Lanka series last month. None of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner or Nathan Coulter-Nile are in the touring party, so it will be up to Marsh to play his part in filling those roles. He has taken more ODI wickets in 2016 than in any other year but has also been expensive, with an average of 34.13 compared to his 2015 average of 23.35. He will want to tighten up against South Africa.

Teams news

With Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir back in the squad, Andile Phehlukwayo and Aaron Phangiso are likely to be the two casualties from the Ireland victory. In the absence of Chris Morris, both Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius are likely to keep their places. Hashim Amla was sick and he rested a day before the match, but du Plessis was “99% sure” the opener would be fine on Friday.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 JP Duminy, 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirAfter Usman Khawaja’s unbeaten 82 in the Ireland match, Australia will be hard-pressed to choose between him and Aaron Finch. They may look to change their bowling attack with Chris Tremain coming into contention.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch/Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Travis Head, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Mathew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Chris Tremain/Daniel Worrall, 11 Scott Boland

Pitch and conditions

Unlike Benoni’s tacky and, at times, two-paced pitch, SuperSport Park is expected to produce a pristine surface packed with runs. There should be something in it for the quicks too. Summer has arrived on the Highveld and a warm day is forecast, with temperatures close to 30 degrees. There is also the possibility of an afternoon thunderstorm which may interrupt briefly.

Stats and trivia

• In the last two years, South Africa and Australia have played eight ODIs against each other. Of those, Australia have won five and South Africa two, with one no-result.
• Faf du Plessis has led South Africa in four ODIs, of which they have won three. The only defeat came in his captaincy debut against New Zealand in Kimberley in January 2013.

Quotes

“Pretoria and Wanderers are generally wickets that don’t offer too much spin, but there is always a role for a spinner to contain the game. So I definitely see the role of a spinner, not much attacking, but by doing a holding job. For the first three games, we won’t see too much spin.”
“Both of our top orders play the same pretty much all around the world. Their job is to go out and play the way they play and be nice and positive. You can’t really ask David Warner and Aaron Finch to go block it around. It’s not the way they play and it’s not the way I want them to play either.”