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Defending champions Heat lost 6 for 12 in a chase of 144

Andrew McGlashan26-Nov-2020Sydney Thunder came back from the brink to book their first WBBL final since the opening season as defending champions Brisbane Heat suffered a dramatic collapse. Hannah Darlington, who claimed last year’s young player award, struck in consecutive balls in the 18th over after Laura Kimmince was removed having been close to taking the Heat across the line again.The winning moment came when former Heat star Sammy-Jo Johnson grabbed a low caught and bowled to spark wild celebrations. The Heat’s overall collapse was 6 for 12 as a campaign which had started slowly before coming to life with seven consecutive wins came crashing down.Captain Rachael Haynes had hauled the Thunder up to a competitive total amid a stuttering innings in which Amelia Kerr and Nadine de Klerk stood out with the ball: their combined figures were 7-0-30-3. They took wickets regularly enough to stay in the contest, but Kimmince’s latest onslaught appeared to have decided the game before the astonishing turnaround.Even powerplayTammy Beaumont played one of her better innings of what has been a tournament where she has largely struggled, getting off the mark with a deft scoop and adding five more crisp boundaries inside the powerplay. She fell attempting another scoop, moving so early into the shot that Nicola Hancock had barely started her delivery stride, sending a simple catch looping to short fine leg. That wicket evened up the powerplay ahead of the Heat’s spinners getting to work.Kerr’s deceptionLike the Heat as a whole, Kerr took time to get into her stride but played a central role in the team’s success. It is so rare to see her taken to by an opposition and today was no different. Her first two overs went for eight and when she returned for her third, in the 14th over, there was a brief but enjoyable contest with Phoebe Litchfield. The left hander started with perfect straight drive, but off the last ball of the over was defeated by the googly and comfortably stumped. It was the second time Kerr had claimed her this way following the group-stage dismissal at Blacktown. Either side of that dismissals were moments that stunted the Thunder just as they were building. Heather Knight drove a firm catch to cover, having not quite found top gear, and then a superbly-judged catch on the deep midwicket rope by Georgia Prestwidge removed Johnson who had threatened to open her shoulders against former team-mates.The first wobbleThe Thunder’s eventual total looked short but gave them something to bowl at. In her opening over, Sam Bates, who has been one of the best bowlers of the tournament, removed Grace Harris and then Johnson struck with her first delivery when Georgia Redmayne, after a brisk 25, picked out mid-off to keep the Heat in the contest. It has been a hallmark of the Heat’s campaign that there have been contributions throughout the order and the trend continued as de Klerk and captain Jess Jonassen added 46. However, just when things were under control they fell in consecutive overs: Jonassen skied a top edge to Darlington and de Klerk was run out by Beaumont’s pinpoint throw. The scene was set.The collapseLaura Kimmince has hit the form of her life in the last couple of weeks. Before today she had rattled up 123 runs off 49 deliveries in her last four innings, taking her strike-rate to the highest in WBBL history, and struck the ball with huge power again. She had a massive stroke of fortune first delivery when the ball rolled back into leg stump but did not dislodge the bail then the next ball was launched for six. An over from Lauren Smith cost 20, swinging the game almost fully towards the Thunder who needed 26 off 30 balls. However, Georgia Voll was run out after a mix up over a second and Kerr went the same way two balls later as panic set in. Another six from Kimmince brought it back under a run-a-ball, but then she was bowled by Bates attempting a reverse sweep that wasn’t really required. It became too much for the lower order as Darlington delivered her yorkers on demand and finally Delissa Kimmince hammered the ball back at her former team-mate. The Melbourne Stars await on Saturday.

The New Zealand opener has been searching for runs, but after pulling off a miracle run-out to put his team in the final, he’s ready to put his poor form behind him

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2019Martin Guptill was at deep backward square leg. And at first he didn’t quite catch where the ball was. Then he realised it was dribbling over to him. And that MS Dhoni was looking for a very difficult second run.Guptill went full sprint at the ball, picked it up with his right hand, took aim while somehow retaining perfect balance and shot down the stumps at the keeper’s end to effectively seal New Zealand’s spot in the 2019 World Cup final. (It was also only the 16th time in 297 innings that Dhoni has been run out in a one-day international) Until that moment though the New Zealand opener was having a horrible tournament. After an unbeaten 73 against Sri Lanka in New Zealand’s opening game, he racked up five single-digit scores in the next eight innings, with a highest score of 35.”It’s bloody tough,” Guptill told . “You try not to read what people are writing and hear what people are saying, but it’s hard to tear away from it all.”I’ve felt a little bit late on the ball in quite a few games, which is hard to deal with. You don’t want to move too early because then you get stuck.”Martin Guptill plays a shot as New Zealand start cautiously•Getty Images

Guptill has one more chance to turn his form around, when New Zealand meet England in the final at Lord’s on Sunday.”The last couple of nets I’ve probably felt the best I have since I’ve been here,” he said. “I’ve put a lot of time in and for it not to be working out in the middle, it’s frustrating. People can say they’re frustrated with me, but no one is more frustrated than what I am.”I’m just trying to carry on with what I’ve been doing, work hard in the nets and hopefully in the next game it all comes together.”Ross Taylor, who spoke to the media at the end of the match against India, also backed Guptill to come good.”Hopefully that’s a bit of luck that he takes from his fielding to his batting and maybe he can have a bit of luck and make the most of it.”Cricket’s about small margins. When we came in to the huddle, the boys were joking that Gup always misses the stumps. When there’s a run out on, he always missed the stumps. All those misses over the years, he only hits when there’s nothing to worry about, but he did it now, and we celebrated accordingly and we’re very happy for him.”

Gloucestershire face an uphill battle to stave off County Championship defeat on Monday after they were made to follow on against Middlesex at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network13-May-2018
ScorecardGloucestershire face an uphill battle to stave off County Championship defeat on Monday after they were made to follow on against Middlesex at Lord’s. Visiting captain Chris Dent, who had struggled for form with the bat, top scored with 66 but it was not enough to prevent his side being bowled out for 210 in two sessions.Middlesex’s Australian allrounder Hilton Cartwright returned career-best figures of 4 for 33 in the first innings, with Tom Helm taking 3 for 48. That left Gloucestershire 245 behind at the start of their second innings and, although the West Country side reduced the deficit by 66, they go into the final day with just eight wickets standing.Middlesex bowled well in the morning but initially without any reward as both Dent and James Bracey found the gap between slips and gully all too frequently. Dent – who averaged just 8.5 coming into this match – survived what looked a strong lbw shout from Steven Finn, while Sam Robson spilled an edge from Bracey at first slip.The opening pair put together a stand of 72 before Cartwright made the breakthrough, persuading Bracey to attempt a cut that saw him caught behind off the bottom edge.Gareth Roderick lasted just four balls, falling leg before to Cartwright for a duck, and Ollie Rayner reduced the visitors to 90 for 3 when his first delivery accounted for Graeme van Buuren. Jack Taylor struck a breezy 22 before Finn pinned him lbw in the fifth over after lunch – and Helm then took centre stage with a three-wicket burst to drive home Middlesex’s advantage.Helm’s spell of 3 for 16 included the scalp of Dent, who was caught prodding outside the off stump, and a simple return catch to remove former Middlesex allrounder Ryan Higgins.Benny Howell, who came in down the order after a stomach upset had kept him off the field the previous afternoon, showed some resistance with a gritty knock of 47 from 87 balls. But Cartwright’s second spell earned him the wickets of Craig Miles and Daniel Worrall and he finished off the innings just before tea, taking a skier at mid-on to remove Howell.With Middlesex skipper Dawid Malan enforcing the follow-on, Howell was soon back at the crease alongside Dent and the pair made a solid start to their second innings. Malan rotated his bowlers without success until Howell lost his wicket for the second time in less than two hours, chopping James Harris on to his stumps.Harris was unlucky not to pick up Dent as well, within Rayner putting down a chance at second slip – but the Gloucestershire captain departed soon afterwards for 35 as Helm found his outside edge.

Fifties from openers Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal led Bangladesh to a promising 133 for 2 in response to Sri Lanka’s total of 494 on the second day

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle08-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:46

Fernando: Dickwella showed clarity of purpose

On another batting day at Galle, Sri Lanka swelled their score to a 494, before Bangladesh cruised to 133 for 2 by stumps. The bowlers were relentless in their attempts to shake this Test awake – Mehedi Hasan bowled aggressively to make dents in the Sri Lanka lower order, and Lakshan Sandakan delivered some ripping left-arm wristspin in the evening – but the pitch remained somnolent, and the teams more-or-less evenly placed.On the batting front, Kusal Mendis squandered his chance to complete a maiden double-hundred, Niroshan Dickwella cracked his way to 75, Tamim Iqbal hit a half-century before running himself out, and a charmed Soumya Sarkar saw out the day on 66 not out. Among the cricket’s redeeming features, meanwhile, has been Sri Lanka’s positive outlook at the crease (they scored their runs at 3.82 an over), and the emergence of first hints of big turn. If the Galle pitch continues to descend into its familiar cantankerous mood through the back end of this match, Bangladesh will have to bat very well.For now, it is the batsmen’s turn to hog the limelight, and no one has done that better than Kusal Mendis so far. He began the day on 166, but found his morning defined by two attempted sixes. The first, off Subashis Roy in the 95th over, was a hook shot gone awry – the mis-hit caught by Mustafizur Rahman at fine leg. The fielder, though, misjudged the position of the boundary, and trod on the rope while competing the catch. The umpire raised his arms to signal a six. Not seeing Mustafizur’s mistake, the bowler raised his arms in celebration. Dickwella, the non-striker, also raised his arms to suggest to Subashis that the ball had been carried over the boundary. Everyone had their hands up, and for a second they were standing around looking like bank tellers during an armed robbery.The second attempted six, however, would cost Mendis his wicket. He stepped down the pitch to Mehedi and sought to deposit him over long-on. He didn’t quite get to the pitch, however, and this time, the mis-hit was controlled by Tamim Iqbal, who kept the ball in play by throwing it in the air, while he himself momentarily stepped over the boundary. That stroke had been an attempt to get to his maiden double hundred with a six – a sign that for all Mendis’ seeming maturity at the crease, he is not immune to the impetuous flashes of youth. He was out for 194.While Bangladesh’s bowlers failed to muster the discipline they had managed in the first half of the first day, Mendis’ partner, Dickwella, was typically lively at the crease, launching the second ball he faced on the day over the leg side for six, and at times employing the reverse sweep that has recently served him well in the shortest format. He played the ramp stroke over the slips to hit the second of his successive boundaries off Taskin Ahmed in the 97th over, and brought up his second Test half century soon after, off the 52nd ball he faced. Mehedi eventually had him top-edging an attempted swipe over the leg side to dismiss him for 75. Dilruwan Perera then hit a brisk half century – largely in the company of the tail – to help propel Sri Lanka to the brink of 500.Tamim and Soumya would go on to register Bangladesh’s first opening century stand in almost two years, but their progress was not always smooth. Soumya should have been out for 4 in the third over, had his outside edge been snared by Perera at gully off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal. Perera then became the bowler to have Tamim Iqbal dropped – on 28 – when wicketkeeper Dickwella failed to cling on to a thick outside edge.Apart from those two errors, the openers were otherwise assured. They would often stride down the crease to knock the spinners down the ground, or launch them over the infield. Against the quicks, who were used in short spells, they rarely ventured a loose shot – Soumya lifting Lahiru Kumara languidly over the slips at one point.It was only once both batsmen had almost reached fifty that Sandakan was brought into the attack. He began to cause problems almost immediately, regularly beating the bat and drawing inside-edges. For the first time in the Test, there seemed to be some turn in the surface. He can claim some credit in the dismissal of Tamim, though on the score sheet it went down as a run-out. A stock ball clipped Tamim’s pad en route to the keeper – it perhaps collected some part of the bat as well – and though Dickwella took the ball cleanly, Tamim believed the ball to have dribbled away towards fine leg, and took off for a run. The wicketkeeper only had to take the bails off.Bangladesh will be disappointed that Mominul Haque got himself trapped in front only a few overs before stumps were drawn, but nevertheless, may feel they have plenty of batting left.

Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey and allrounder Liam Scott have helped South Australia beat NSW by six wickets in their one-day clash at the Adelaide Oval

AAP12-Nov-2024Alex Carey continued his superb form and Liam Scott starred with bat and ball as South Australia rocketed to the top of the One-Day Cup table by smashing New South Wales by six wickets in their One-day Cup match.SA sit top of the table in the 50-over format after crushing last season’s beaten finalists at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday. The result was set up by an accomplished performance in the field, rolling the visitors for just 197 after taking regular wickets during the 46 overs.It was a pair of former NSW players who did the bulk of the damage, with fast bowler Harry Conway collecting 3 for 27 from his 9.3 overs, and Jason Sangha picking up 2 for 16, including the key scalps of Nic Maddinson and Oliver Davies. Scott also picked up two wickets, claiming 2 for 31 off his eight overs.NSW’s best contributions came from middle-order batters, with Matthew Gilkes and captain Jack Edwards top-scoring with 35 each.In reply, SA ran into early trouble when Jack Nisbet took the wickets of Mackenzie Harvey and Daniel Drew in consecutive balls as the hosts slumped to 8 for 2.But Carey continued his hot early-season form with the bat, smashing 75 from 63 balls to press his claim for a recall to Australia’s white-ball teams.Jake Lehmann (46 not out) and player-of-the-match Scott (42 not out to back up his two wickets) steered SA home, giving long-suffering supporters reason for optimism.As well as topping the One-Day table, SA are second in the Sheffield Shield after winning two and drawing one of their first three matches.The teams will have a day off before starting their Shield match back at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Emily Windsor’s 84 goes in vain as Grewcock stars with bat and ball

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2023Jodie Grewcock haunted Southern Vipers for the second time this season as Sunrisers completed a double over the south coast franchise in this season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Grewcock, whose half-century was pivotal to the first win at the Ageas Bowl back in April, this time starred with bat and ball, scoring 76 before taking 4 for 45 as they won by 28 runs at Chelmsford.Emily Windsor threatened to undo Grewcock’s good work with 84 in the Vipers’ run chase, but Alice Monaghan, who earlier taken three wickets was left stranded on 34 not out as Sunrisers recorded just their second win in this competition.Both sides were understrength for the contest due to England call-ups and bloodied a number of youngsters.Grewcock and Lissy MacLeod began circumspectly before the former threw off the shackles with three boundaries in one over off Monaghan and a pair of gorgeous cover drives off Elwiss in the next.MacLeod briefly caught the mood, pummelling successive balls from Monaghan to the fence at mid-on and mid-wicket respectively, only to be trapped in front by Elwiss with the score on 66.The wicket didn’t stall Sunrisers’ progress as Cordelia Griffith scored at close to a run a ball and it came as something of a surprise when the right-hander was stumped for 29 by Rhiana Southby – a first wicket in Vipers’ colours for spinner Lee.Skipper Dane Van Niekerk didn’t stay long, but Grewcock, dropped on 38, moved to 50, courtesy of a seventh four, and with Mady Villiers, back from England A duty bedding in well the hosts looked set for a big score at 164 for 3.However, Villiers slog-swept Lee to deep mid-wicket and the tide of the innings turned. Grewcock’s excellent vigil ended when she sent a half-tracker from Nancy Harman straight to mid-wicket and wickets fell steadily before debutant Amu Surenkumar steered the hosts beyond 250 in company with Kate Coppack.There was joy for another debutant early in the Vipers’ reply as Esmae MacGregor castled Ella McCaughan. And the Colchester medium pacer might have had a second had Amara Carr clung on to an edge from the visitors’ own debutant Abigail Norgrove. The reprieve was short-lived as the youngster was soon bowled by Kelly Castle.Windsor though latched onto anything loose to keep the scoreboard moving and Elwiss proved an excellent foil, forcefully driving one from Grewcock to the mid-off boundary as the 50-partnership came up in 56 balls.Windsor caressed a sixth four through wide mid-off to reach 50 in 69 balls and another imperious drive was unfurled soon after the drinks break.Grewcock took a return catch to send Elwiss on her way, so ending a stand of 70 and later removed Freya Kemp, who injured her shoulder while batting, with the help of a catch in the deep, for a breezy 22.With 91 needed from the final 14 Windsor’s was the wicket Sunrisers wanted and Grewcock obliged here too, yorking her with the first ball of her next over and she wasn’t done yet as Southby chipped back the simplest of caught and bowled chances in a double wicket maiden.Monaghan and Harman threatened/produced another twist, the former hitting successive fours off MacGregor in a stand of 48. However, Coppack returned to have Harman caught and then ran out Taylor with a throw from the deep, before Surenkumar struck with successive balls to seal victory.

Wayne Parnell has been ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury, while Temba Bavuma is fit to play

Mohammad Isam22-Mar-2022

Big picture

Before reaching South Africa, Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal and coach Russell Domingo were confident of notching up a maiden ODI series win here. They started with a big win in the first ODI in Centurion, but the hosts hit back in the second game in Johannesburg. The teams now head to Centurion again for the decider – a first on a Bangladesh tour of South Africa.South Africa have been blowing hot and cold since the start of 2021, winning seven of the 15 ODIs and losing six, with two matches producing no result. It will not be an easy task for Bangladesh to thump South Africa at home; however, it wouldn’t impossible either.A strong bowling performance led by Kagiso Rabada, who picked up a five-for, helped South Africa level the series in the second ODI. Lungi Ngidi too bowled well and so did Wayne Parnell, before injuring his left hamstring. But they might have expected a bit more from the spin duo of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj.Related

• Shakib to stay back for third ODI in face of family health crisis

• How Shakib and AB de Villiers boosted Yasir Ali

Quinton de Kock attacked Bangladesh from the word go, and Kyle Verreynne and Temba Bavuma, nursing a hand injury, kept them in the game in the short chase. South Africa will want more from their batters, and not just in runs, but also to take on the Bangladesh bowling attack like de Kock did in the second game.Bangladesh are unlikely to change their playing XI, with the same set of players having featured for the sixth match in a row in Johannesburg. Such consistency in selection is not common with the visitors, and it shows the approach of a captain and a coach who believe in giving enough chances to a player to prove his worth before dropping them after a poor performance.Runs from the likes of Litton Das, Yasir Ali and Afif Hossain have not only eased the pressure on the four senior batters, but has also made Bangladesh a well-rounded batting side. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan will be manning the top-order fort, while Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, surprisingly off colour lately, will be expected to provide the flourish in the end.Bangladesh’s bowling has also done the job. Taskin Ahmed will be leading the attack with his accuracy and searing pace. Mustafizur Rahman is the end-overs master, while Shoriful Islam has shown he is adept at both ends of the innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz is evolving as an allrounder, with Shakib being the backbone of the bowling department.

Form guide

South Africa WLWWW (Last five completed matches; most recent first)

Bangladesh LWLWWKagiso Rabada will once again be key for South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight

Kagiso Rabada, the leader of South Africa’s pace attack, will be expected to do a bulk of the damage to guide the hosts to the series win. The fast bowler rattled the batting line-up in the second ODI, where his first spell extended to seven overs.There is a lot of talk about promoting Afif Hossain up the order, but Bangladesh believe he will be best suited for No 7. It also looks like Afif is getting accustomed to the role now, evident in the way he rescued the team with an unbeaten 93 after the early collapse in Chattogram against Afghanistan, and also after he scored a brisk 72 on Sunday. Though he is usually aggressive, Afif also knows when to curb that instinct for his team.

Team news

Wayne Parnell has been ruled out of the match with the hamstring injury, which means Marco Jansen might take his place in the side. Captain Temba Bavuma, who injured his hand, is fit to play. South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Kyle Verreynne, 5 Rassie van der Dussen, 6 David Miller, 7 Keshav Maharaj, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiDespite the seven-wicket loss in Johannesburg, Bangladesh are unlikely to change their line-up.Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Litton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Yasir Ali, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Shoriful Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Only two out of 12 times have teams lost scoring after 300-plus runs batting first at SuperSport Park in Centurion. The third ODI promises to be a run fest. The forecast says there will be no rain on Wednesday.

Stats and trivia

• Both of Kagiso Rabada’s five-wicket hauls in ODIs have come against Bangladesh.
• Bangladesh’s 314 against South Africa in the first ODI was the first time they scored 300-plus in an ODI when only five bowlers were used by the opposition.

Quotes

“If we can handle the first ten overs well, [and] if we don’t give them too many wickets, we can definitely score runs against them in the middle overs.”

NACC vice-chair Mesba Ahmed joins investigation into Azeem Rafiq claims

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2020Gulfraz Riaz, the chairman of the National Asian Cricket Council, has voluntarily stepped down from the independent panel convened to investigate allegations of institutional racism at Yorkshire. Mesba Ahmed, the NACC’s vice-chair, has taken over in the role, with Riaz set to assist the investigation as a witness.The panel was convened in September following claims by the former Yorkshire player, Azeem Rafiq, that he had been left on the “brink of suicide” by his treatment at the club. His allegations were subsequently backed up by the former Pakistan seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who played alongside Rafiq for two seasons in 2008 and 2009.In addition to his role at the NACC, Ahmed is CEO and founder of the London Tigers, an award-winning charity focussed on community development through sport, which delivers projects across London and the UK, and has worked closely with Sport England, professional football clubs, local councils and the FA’s “Kick it Out” campaign. He is also a former member of the Football Association’s Race Equality Advisory Board.Ahmed joins a five-person panel, which is chaired by Dr Samir Pathak – a surgeon and MCC committee member – and includes barrister and employment law specialist Rehana Azib, former Waitrose Personnel Director Helen Hyde, and Stephen Willis, the CFO of Durham University and a Yorkshire committee member.”Sport has a crucial role to play in addressing issues of race, diversity and equality in our society,” Ahmed said. “Investigations of this nature are never easy, but they are important if we are to successfully address inequality and provide sporting opportunities across BAME communities.”Along with my fellow panel members, I am determined that we deliver a thorough and impartial finding and clear set of recommendations.”Dr Samir Pathak, Chairman of the investigation panel said: “I would like to thank Gulfraz for his assistance.”The investigation team have been in regular contact with Mr Rafiq’s legal counsel and understand that he will be in a position to provide a statement to the investigation by the 6 November.”The process of contacting potential witnesses and agreeing a timetable of interviews is in progress. Both the investigation team and the panel are aware that this is a difficult time for all parties and are determined that the investigation will be concluded before the end of the year.”Rafiq himself is due to give evidence in the coming days, with the panel expecting that the investigation will be concluded before the end of the year. He recently called for witnesses in the case to be granted anonymity, for fear of jeopardising their careers, to which Yorkshire responded that there were be “no repercussions”.

Pakistan’s surrender to short bowling in opening game means they can expect more of the same from hosts

The Preview by Danyal Rasool02-Jun-2019

Big Picture

Given what’s transpired in this World Cup over the first four days, it might not be a stretch to call this one of the tournament’s great mismatches, insomuch as the ICC would admit to ten-team World Cups also producing mismatches. England, surely, have bigger challenges ahead, with this game a routine stepping stone to their inexorable march to Lord’s six weeks from now. The way Pakistan folded in that first game of their World Cup campaign at the same venue in Nottingham, Lahore seems a lot closer than London for them, if only in terms of likely destination rather than actual proximity.England’s progress continues to be so eerily serene the natural pessimists who followed their cricket in the 1990s feel sure something will come unstuck along the line. And yet if fate has that cruel twist in store for them, it’s hiding it exceptionally well. The first game was as emblematic of England’s evolution in ODI cricket as any contest has been in the four years since this Eoin Morgan-led team became a world force, the pressure of the big occasion barely registering as they brushed aside South Africa. When Jonny Bairstow was removed for a golden duck, there was no alarm; four batsmen scored half-centuries to cover for the failure. Of course, the bowlers and fielders backed them up, almost erasing that little blip from memory.For Pakistan, the time for chaos, panic, recriminations and reckoning that follows most World Cup campaign feels it’s drawing ever-nearer. The first game of the tournament for them was Pakistan at their worst: weak, seemingly ill-prepared, timid and gormless. It was one of the bleakest days in the history of Pakistan at the World Cup – and make no mistake, Pakistan have had plenty of those. Their surrender in the face of a short bowling barrage from West Indies means they can expect much the same against England, whose bowlers will keep them on the back foot so long they might bruise their Achilles heels.These two sides played each other in a five-match series just last month, and while England won 4-0, there was no sign of the Pakistan that showed up against West Indies. Indeed, it was the sort of series defeat that allowed Pakistan plenty of positives. They scored above 340 three times out of four against that England attack, and most top-order batsmen got runs. So if the West Indies game was Pakistan at their worst, they can only improve. Pakistan believe they are much closer to the team that almost beat England in two of the four completed games. That was only a fortnight ago, but given what’s happened since, it doesn’t feel as recent.For both England and Pakistan, the ghost of the 1992 World Cup hovers above this fixture. For England, that was their last successful – some might say last respectable – World Cup campaign, but it was ended then by a Pakistan side in the final that began the tournament just as poorly as this one. Now, in a light blue strip seen as a respectful nod to the achievements of that Australian summer, England look to go one step further at home 27 years on. Pakistan, meanwhile, cannot stop thinking or talking about that World Cup, both for inspiration and hope, though if they are to put up the same showing tomorrow as they did on Friday, those comparisons will begin to ring more and more hollow.

Form guide

England WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

If only for Pakistan’s travails against the short ball, Jofra Archer will take centre stage in an even bigger way than he has done for all sorts of reasons over the past month. With none other than Waqar Younis saying Archer would be “licking his lips” at the thought of bowling to Pakistan’s batsmen, the England seamer has the opportunity to play to his natural strengths, using his raw pace to push Pakistan’s batsmen back. He began the tournament in ominous fashion with 3 for 27 against South Africa to rip out their middle order, and against Pakistan in the washed-out first ODI at The Oval, his four-over burst was so fiercely effective it was arguably the day Archer’s ticket to the World Cup was punched. Pakistan are there for the taking again, and England have just the man for the job.Jofra Archer bowled with venom, picking up three key wickets•Getty Images

In times like these, the onus falls on players of established, undisputed quality. Among their batting ranks, Pakistan can only name one player to fit that bill. Babar Azam has effortlessly become the leader of the batting line-up, and with numbers like his in a team that has long cried out for a successor to Inzamam, Mohammad Yousaf and Younis Khan, it’s hardly a surprise. Two fifties and a hundred in the recent series against England means he has form – Babar always has form. And when an entire side, as Pakistan do now, look to have been technically exposed by one simple plan, it is Babar who must step up and establish that the West Indies game was an aberration. He must also do it at a strike rate that has a chance of challenging England; his 112-ball 115 at this venue a fortnight ago copped criticism for being too slow against a team like England. No pressure, then.

Team news

Given how comfortable England were in their mauling of South Africa, an unchanged side wouldn’t be a surprise. But England’s strength in depth means changes wouldn’t necessarily expose weakness, so the substitutes are ready to go, should they be called upon.England: (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra Archer.Pakistan’s lack of power hitting, in sharp contrast to England, means Asif Ali should come back into the side, not least because of his performance in the ODI series against the home side. With the wicket expected to be flat and slow, Imad Wasim could find himself surplus to requirements, with Shoaib Malik – a batting allrounder – more likely to be favoured following Pakistan’s showing against West Indies.Pakistan: (possible) 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Mohammad Hafeez , 6 Sarfaraz Ahmed, (capt,wk), 7 Asif Ali, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali / Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Wahab Riaz

Pitch and conditions

It rained heavily the day before the game, but the clouds are expected to clear for match day. The pitch – the same one on which England have twice broken the record for highest ODI score, most recently reaching 481 for 6 against Australia last year – is expected to be especially flat, but Morgan insisted it was quite different to that wicket in how it was expected to behave.

Strategic punts

• Forget variation, forget unpredictability, let Jofra Archer bowl short to Pakistan. And consider playing Mark Wood instead of Liam Plunkett, allow his extra pace to trouble Pakistan that much more. For the bowlers, it should be a short strategy meeting.
• Give Shadab Khan the first over. Okay, this pitch might be different to the one where South Africa employed that strategy with Imran Tahir. But this isn’t about what the ground between the batsman and the bowler looks like, it’s about what’s going on between the ears of the man with bat in hand. Jason Roy was the man South Africa wanted to trouble with leg-spin; it ended up dismissing Jonny Bairstow instead.
• Let Babar Azam open the batting instead of Fakhar Zaman. England’s high-class bowlers need to be countered with Pakistan’s two technically tightest batsmen. Fakhar will struggle against the short ball, and England won’t give him the room he needs to play his shots. Leave him for when the opening bowlers are done, and ensure early wickets aren’t lost.

Stats and trivia

• Jason Roy is eight runs away from completing 3000 career ODI runs. It will make him the fourth player in the current England setup to reach the mark, behind Morgan, Joe Root and Jos Buttler.
• Pakistan and England have played each other nine times in ODI World Cups, with four wins apiece and one no-result in the group stages of the 1992 World Cup.

Quotes

“It’s well known we enjoy chasing. We don’t mind setting either but we do enjoy chasing. There is a small advantage to it, knowing what you’re trying to get.”

“They have to play 300 balls to get to that record, but we have to bowl 10 good balls to get 10 wickets.”

Just 17 balls were possible on the third day at Eden Park as steady rain and a damp outfield forced the umpires to call play off at 6.45 pm, five hours after the first shower

The Report by Nikhil Kalro24-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOnly 17 balls were possible on the third day at Eden Park, as steady rain and a damp outfield forced the umpires to call play off at 6.45 pm, five hours after the first shower. New Zealand scored four runs in those 2.5 overs, stretching a substantial first-innings lead to 175. Henry Nicholls raised his sixth Test fifty. BJ Watling was unbeaten on 18.Bleak weather in Auckland over the last two days – only 26 overs were possible in total on days two and three – could force New Zealand to declare on a total of less than 300 for only the sixth time in their history. They still maintain firm control of the day-night Test, having bowled England out for 58 on the first morning. The forecast for the final two days remains promising, albeit with a chance of showers in the afternoon on Sunday.”The position we’re in now is a good one,” New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee said after the third day was washed out. “The rain has been frustrating, but the work we put in on day one has made that frustration a little bit easier to swallow.”We had the first use of the wicket and we probably got our lengths right, but we’ve seen throughout when England have bowled, there have always been challenging times, and our batters have done a pretty good job so far. Being caged up for a couple of days, it’s important when we do go out and bowl, that we hit our areas from the start.”