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He has broken records on his home ground, and his last innings at Trent Bridge was 147, but it may not be enough for Hales to keep his place

George Dobell11-Jul-20180:36

WATCH – The moment Hales injured his side

By the time Alex Hales left the pitch at Trent Bridge a couple of weeks ago, he could have been forgiven for thinking he had made his point.He had, after all, just made 147 from 92 balls. And, in doing so, he had helped his side to a second-successive world-record ODI score in completed games on this ground. In the previous one, in 2016, he had smashed 171 from 122 balls. He averages 88.20 in six ODIs at the ground with a strike-rate of 138.24. You might think his position was assured.But it’s not. For with Ben Stokes back to fitness and Joe Root recalled having been dropped from the T20 side, something has to give. And that something, it seems, is likely to be Hales.Who else could it be? Jonny Bairstow has made four centuries in his eight most recent ODI innings; Jason Roy has made two centuries (and an 82) in his four most recent ODI innings; Root averages a fraction under 50 in this format and is seen as essential should England encounter a tricky batting surface and Eoin Morgan is both the captain and the highest run-scorer in England’s ODI history. And Jos Buttler, well he’s Jos Buttler. He might well be on his way to establishing himself as the best limited-overs batsman England have ever had.The management have decided they like the security of playing the extra bowler – with Stokes and Root you could argue they have a seventh bowler – so despite Hales’ record, despite him playing one of his most mature innings as recently as Friday (he made a classy, unbeaten 58 to see England to victory in Cardiff), despite this match being played on his home ground, he looks the most vulnerable. Even with Stokes, at this stage of his recovery from injury, unlikely to be required to bowl more than six or seven overs.This strength in depth is, of course, an asset. It provides reinforcements should injury strike and ensures there can be no complacency in the camp.But it also brings with it some potential issues. For with the standards required to retain a place in the side now so high, it might leave everyone in the squad peering over their shoulder. And once that starts, it can threaten both the stability of the side and the selflessness with which they have played of late.Morgan’s recent record, for example, is comfortably the least impressive of the batsmen. But while it would be fairly typical of England’s previous World Cup campaigns to abandon a long-held plan in the run-up to a tournament, you would think that lessons have been learned and nobody is seriously suggesting one of the architects of England’s revival should be dropped. England could do without a situation where a couple of poor games results in a player’s position coming under scrutiny but, once you leave a man like Hales out, it seems inevitable.Perhaps this is making a negative out of a positive. Certainly Root, who was omitted from England’s T20 side in Bristol on Sunday, suggested so when reflecting on that situation and it’s true that, right now, there are no obvious cracks in the settled, positive environment around this team.To see the squad laughing and cheering together as Stokes did a more than passable Jordan Pickford impression and save three successive penalties in the pre-training football, was to see what gives every impression of being a settled, united squad. The next few months may require some careful management, though.”Being left out is a great motivator to make sure you’re doing everything you can,” Root said. “It is always difficult being left out and you never like that as a player.”But it demonstrates the competition we have for places. It’s part and parcel of having a really strong squad. And, ahead of a World Cup, that’s what you want. You want guys outside pushing as hard as possible and forcing those difficult decisions. It shows where we have come in the last three or four years in this format. It can’t be a bad thing.”It is equally not a bad thing that England are likely to face an almighty test of their newly-acquired reputation in ODI cricket over the next week or so, too. The long-term aim remains the World Cup and the next few days will provide a pretty good gauge for both these sides of where they are and what they need to improve. There are no guarantees, of course, and readers in Pakistan and Australia may disagree, but whoever beats these sides next year is likely to be very close to winning the tournament.The absence of Chris Woakes remains painful for England. It’s not just his bowling – though he is probably England’s best death bowler – but the security he provides with the bat at No. 8. David Willey, while dangerous when the ball swings, has a bit to prove once it does not. Tellingly, he has only once delivered 10 overs in an ODI in the last couple of years and, on that occasion, England lost against Scotland.Equally, England’s spinners are likely to be tested more in this series than they were by a spinaphobic – no, you probably won’t find that word in a dictionary – Australia and the entire batting line-up is likely to be confronted by more skill and more variation. It looks, in short, like being a high-quality encounter between two sides on top of their games. There’s no World Cup on offer but we might well have a better idea of who is likely to lift it in a year’s time after the next week.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2016And with his second ball in Test cricket he had a big lbw, which went to review, but was not out•Getty ImagesChris Woakes made the first breakthrough when he had Shan Masood caught behind•Getty ImagesAnd Woakes claimed his second when Mohammad Hafeez top edged pull•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow claimed both catches during the opening session•Getty ImagesBall claimed his first Test wicket when he pinned Azhar Ali with a yorker•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq stabilised the innings in the company of Younis Khan•Getty ImagesYounis was playing his first Test at Lord’s since 2001•Getty ImagesStuart Broad broke through with the wicket of Younis, caught at midwicket•Getty ImagesAfter some early luck, Misbah carried on to a serene half-century•Getty ImagesBroad vented his feelings after an edge from Asad Shafiq failed to go to hand•Getty ImagesAsad Shafiq made an elegenat fifty as he supported Misbah•Getty ImagesMisbah’s sweeping, both reverse and orthodox, dominated Moeen Ali•Getty ImagesMisbah-ul-Haq, at the age of 42, celebrates a hundred on his first appearance at Lord’s•Getty ImagesAnd, for good measure, he marked the moment with a set of push-ups•Getty Images

His current game is extremely premeditated, so as to delay taking risks, and it robs the innings of all natural flow

Sidharth Monga in Ahmedabad19-Apr-2015Chennai Super Kings’ first match of this IPL, against Delhi Daredevils. They lose their third wicket in the ninth over, with the score on 71. It is an okay Twenty20 start, far from a disaster. In fact, a proper batsman sees this as a base where he get his eye in and then looks to explode and aim for 180. No proper batsman here. Out comes Ravindra Jadeja. He scores 17 off 18. Super Kings barely double the score at the end of the eighth over, but thanks to a poorly planned chase and some excellent fielding they win by one run.Their second match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They lose their second wicket in the 14th over, for a score of 135, and out comes MS Dhoni, the batsman who didn’t walk out at 71 for 3. He scores 53 off 29, par for the course in T20 cricket after such a start. Super Kings win comfortably.It is not as though Dhoni is shrewdly picking and choosing his position – go in early after a great start and late after okay ones – just because he can. In the third game they lose their second wicket at 115, but he doesn’t come out to bat at No. 4. The reason is, the second wicket has fallen before the 10th over. When the third falls, in the 12th over, duly Dhoni comes out to bat.In the fourth, a one-sided whopping at the hands of Rajasthan Royals, Super Kings lose their third wicket for 39, in the seventh over. Out comes a man who has never scored a half-century for this team, Dwayne Bravo. When the next wicket falls, in the 10th over, Dhoni duly walks out.Dhoni is well known, and celebrated, for going blank into matches, not letting meetings and macintoshes cloud his thinking. Of late, though, there is hard to find a more stubborn and premeditated cricketer than Dhoni the batsman. Everything is sorted in his head. Since the start of the last IPL, he has played 26 matches for Super Kings. Only once has he batted before the 10th over, when he has actually taken charge of an innings the way a proper batsman would. That was in the 10th match of the last IPL, when he came in to bat at 64 for 3 in the ninth over against Rajasthan Royals. He scored five off eight.On other occasions, Mithun Manhas, Jadeja, David Hussey, Bravo, even R Ashwin, have batted ahead of Dhoni because he shall not bat before the 10th over. There is merit in having a role, in not batting early if he can help it, but Dhoni has at times gone to unreasonable extents to stick to a fixed strategy. Just extend this to international Twenty20 cricket and ODIs, and you will find he is similarly reluctant to bat with more than half the overs to go. But he is no Kieron Pollard. Once in a while he can expect himself to build an innings. By avoiding it, Dhoni is selling himself short as a batsman.Or is he? Has he seen a fall in his own batting? For a lot of premeditation has crept into Dhoni’s batting nowadays. Just like with the batting order, he has fixed slots of when to attack, when to preserve, when to take singles. Again, if you are able to manage this successfully, you are the most efficient batsman there ever will be. Just flick the switch, and bat in a certain matter. Batting, though, is more instinctive. More worrying than his batting order, he is not batting by instinct.When playing ODIs, Dhoni is bogged down by the fact that India are forced to play five bowlers with new regulations. He forces himself to delay the assault, getting obsessed with being there at the start of the 41st over, in the process robbing the innings of all natural flow. Looking for that elusive efficiency he has delaying taking risks. He only hits bad balls now. Other Nos 6 are hitting good balls for boundaries. He is banking on those bad balls when the pressure is on, when it is one on one in the end. He is looking to bully bowlers with his reputation, which works sometimes. Presence counts sometimes. But he is not batting naturally.Sunday’s premeditation was the charge at the bowler. Dhoni must have seen something sitting in the dugout that impressed upon him that the only way to bat on that pitch was to charge at the bowlers. Fair enough. You have a plan, but when you see it is not working you drop it, and let your instinct take over. He came in to bat 2.5 overs after Bravo did, but at the end of the innings he had played one more ball than Bravo, for exactly half the runs. Both were not out.”I ate too many deliveries,” Dhoni said at the presentation. “I should have rotated more freely.”Dhoni was not asked what went wrong in his opinion.Dhoni backs himself to win matches if he is there at the end, but instances of that not happening are growing with every passing game•BCCIThis is what might have gone wrong. Of the 19 dots that Dhoni played – out of 37 – he was down the pitch nine times. He also took 14 singles, which is not an ideal result if you have played 19 dots in an innings of 37 balls. He had left his crease on seven of those occasions. Some of these deliveries were full tosses that got too big on him because he had left the crease. Some of these were long hops he converted into those cramping short-of-a-length deliveries by walking at them. Even to the penultimate ball of the last over, Dhoni had set his base back and in front of leg to try to get under a yorker, but once the ball was wide he left it alone.Twenty20 is a ruthless format. If you are not getting runs easily, you have to take crazy risks. You can’t back yourself too much. Lesser batsmen fall into that trap fairly early, others hold out for a little longer. Dhoni, though, took no risks. He backs himself to win matches if he is there at the end. Yet, instances of that not happening are growing, especially in T20 cricket. An absence of risks here meant Super Kings had registered the 13th-lowest IPL target for the loss of only four wickets at the completion of 20 overs. Six of those 13 belong to Super Kings. This can’t be a coincidence.There is a lot of merit to what Dhoni does. He has brought his teams a lot of limited-overs success by operating the way he does. It shows he backs himself to finish matches. It shows he doesn’t panic. The game has moved on, though. Bowlers have wisened to him. He has himself reached an age where he has peaked as a pure batsman. It shows in how bowlers know nowadays that if they bowl short of a length, without letting him hit with a horizontal bat, there is little chance of going for a boundary. For other batsmen in the last few overs, this is not the ideal length. They slog those balls over midwicket or punch it over point. Dhoni struggles to do so.Maybe Dhoni has always batted with more than normal premeditation. Even when he was young he used to tell Greg Chappell he will win India the match if he bats, say, 15 balls. Or that they will win if they have reached a certain score at the end of the 30th over. With his game deteriorating a little and with others catching up with him, the lack of instinct has become more glaring.We know he doesn’t like meetings, but Dhoni the batsman can do much worse than sitting with Dhoni the limited-overs captain, a man who reacts purely to situations without any preconceived notions, who sometimes pushes himself up with more than 25 overs to go to seal games with a six. The man who tries things, who takes a risk here or there, before it is too late. That’s what a lot of batting is.

Australia know their attack is their strength but feeble batting at Trent Bridge and Lord’s made the bowlers redundant. Now is the time for Lyon and company to prove their worth.

Brydon Coverdale at Old Trafford02-Aug-2013Graham McKenzie was once dropped after taking ten wickets in a Test against India. Nobody could really explain why, but it was speculated that the board wanted a more competitive series than his bowling would allow. His next opportunity came in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford, where McKenzie helped bowl Australia to victory.Nathan Lyon was once dropped after taking nine wickets in a Test against India. Nobody could really explain why, but it was speculated that the selectors wanted a more competitive series than his bowling would allow. His next opportunity came in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford. The next three days will tell if the stories continue to run parallel.Like McKenzie, Lyon is easy-going and thus easy to let go. The quiet ones never kick up a stink. But there is no question that both men were part of their country’s best attack at the time of their axing. Lyon did not pick up a wicket on the second afternoon in Manchester but he could have had Alastair Cook cheaply, had Michael Clarke at slip moved a little more fluently.His flight, dip and turn left England’s batsmen edgy, and he built pressure: 51 of his 60 deliveries were dot balls. Certainly he gave the selectors reason to regret leaving him out at Trent Bridge and Lord’s. There, they had gambled on Ashton Agar, a 19-year-old still learning his craft. Agar failed to take a wicket at Lord’s; who knows what Lyon, Australia’s leading spinner since Shane Warne, might have done.Lyon isn’t the only member of this attack with a point to prove. Mitchell Starc was dropped after the loss in Nottingham and was outbowled by Jackson Bird in the tour match at Hove. When asked on the first morning at Old Trafford why Starc had been preferred over Bird, the coach Darren Lehmann said the main criteria separating them was that Starc would create footmarks for Lyon.Starc must show that his spikes aren’t all he brings to the side. He began well on the second afternoon, curling a few deliveries away from Cook and for the most part keeping things tight. Ryan Harris was hampered by a stomach bug that forced him temporarily from the field, but by the standards of the brittle Harris, that’s an ailment Australia can handle.While the pressure built elsewhere the man who reaped the first two rewards was Peter Siddle. For the first time in his Test career Siddle was not one of the first four bowlers used, relegated below Lyon and Shane Watson. After some stretches that made Merv Hughes’ warm-ups look subtle, Siddle was given his chance and grabbed it.Whereas Starc at times moved the ball too much to tempt Cook, Siddle made Joe Root play and straightened it just enough to tickle the edge. His bustle also accounted for the nightwatchman Tim Bresnan, and an edge from Jonathan Trott in Siddle’s final over fell just short of Clarke at second slip. It was Siddle who challenged England on the first day of the series and Siddle who kept the pressure on them here.Of course, only two wickets have been taken, but for the first time in the series the mountain of work asked of the bowlers has been preceded by a mountain of runs. A draw is of very little value, but Australia’s bowlers must remain patient, building pressure, compiling maidens, maintaining their discipline. They must not get carried away by the runs behind them.The last time an Australian made a Test hundred – Clarke, not surprisingly – the opposition responded by building a 192-run lead. The venue was Chennai, the assailant MS Dhoni, the victim Lyon. If he tossed the ball up, he was driven down the ground; if he went quicker and shorter he was dispatched square. Lyon’s confidence was knocked, and he was dropped for the next Test.Now, Lyon appears sure of himself. His first ten overs displayed skill and patience superior to any of Agar, Glenn Maxwell or Xavier Doherty, all of whom he has made way for this year. He might not do a McKenzie, but like the man they called Garth, the man they call Gaz has his chance at Old Trafford.Australia entered this series knowing their attack was their strength but feeble batting at Trent Bridge and Lord’s made the bowlers redundant. Now is the time for Lyon and company to prove their worth.

An analysis of team-wise batting and bowling performances in IPL 2012

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan08-May-2012The ESPNcricinfo performance analysis, which was primarily used to analyse individual batting and bowling performances in the IPL, can be extended to measure similar parameters for each team. As the tournament nears its business end, a team-wise performance analysis throws up some interesting results. Some teams have been relying heavily on the form of Indian players while some others have tasted success due to the exploits of overseas players. A detailed study of batting performances is an accurate indicator of the form of the top and middle-order batsmen in each team, and together with a similar analysis of bowling performances, it helps provide a better understanding of team composition.The performance of the teams has been analysed in two different periods. The first phase involves all matches played between the start of the tournament and April 19. The second phase analyses all matches played from April 20 to May 6. At first glance, one can observe that nearly all teams have done much better on the batting front in the second period. In the first period, Rajasthan Royals were the only team who managed to start well with the bat. Ajinkya Rahane and Owais Shah were terrific at the start of the tournament and this is clearly reflected in the table. Royals’ average points (11.77) in the first period, is well above the average for the tournament (8.12) and comfortably ahead of second-placed Delhi Daredevils (9.38). Batsmen in the Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians teams struggled to compile high scores on slow pitches and hence have a much lower average score. Kings XI Punjab had mixed success in the beginning of the IPL and failed to post big scores. Their average in the period (5.90) is the lowest among all teams.In the second phase of the IPL, when bat has almost always dominated the ball, four teams have an average score above ten with Royal Challengers Bangalore on top with 11.85 points. Royal Challengers boast an outstanding batting line-up with Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers in prime form and it is not surprising that they have the maximum number of innings in the list of top-50 performances. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have not quite been able to repeat their run in previous years this time round and have an average score lower than the corresponding number for the tournament. While every top knock (top-50 performance) for Royal Challengers has been scored by a foreign player, the case is quite the opposite for Daredevils and Knight Riders for whom Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been the most prolific.

On the bowling front, the points difference between the top-ranked team (Mumbai Indians) and the lowest-ranked team (Super Kings) in the first phase is nearly as much as the corresponding difference in the batting. All three teams with more than 20 points in the first phase have experienced a fall in the score in the second phase. While the average points (overall) in the second phase is lower than the corresponding number in the first, Kings XI and Super Kings have managed to improve on their score in the first phase. The contrast in performances (top-50 performances) of Indian and foreign players is not as vast as in the case of batting. Dale Steyn has been outstanding for Chargers while his South African fast-bowling partner Morne Morkel has had a similar influence for Daredevils. Lasith Malinga, the leading wicket-taker across the five seasons of the IPL, has been regularly ranked on top of the list of best bowlers in the ESPNcricinfo analysis. He, along with Kieron Pollard, has five performances in the top 50. Kings XI are the only team to have a significant number of top-50 performances by Indian players (6) including two each by Parvinder Awana and Piyush Chawla.

The highlight of the batting analysis by position is the difference in performance of the two opening batsmen. While the strike batsman (No.1) has an average score of 10.26, the non-strike batsman (No.2) has a much higher average score (17.21). Given the form of Gayle and Sehwag, who both have five performances in the top-50, it is no surprise that the difference between the No.2 and No.1 batsmen is the highest for Royal Challengers and Daredevils. Kings XI and Pune Warriors have both struggled for consistency at the top of the order while Faf du Plessis has proved to be the saving grace for Super Kings. The overall average for the No.3 position is second only to that of the No.2 position. Cameron White, who has made three seventy-plus scores so far in the tournament, has been chiefly responsible for the high average at No.3 for Chargers. Kevin Pietersen’s departure is likely to bring down Daredevils’ average score for the No.3 position, In sharp contrast, Royal Challengers have the lowest average at the position because of Virat Kohli’s run of poor scores. With Sehwag and Pietersen doing the bulk of the scoring, Daredevils’ middle-order has hardly been tested and their average scores at No.4 and No.5 are among the lowest. Although Royals and Super Kings have strong middle-order performances, de Villiers’ stunning knocks have ensured that Royal Challengers have the highest average score at No.5. Steven Smith’s superb form has ensured that Warriors have a far higher average than all teams at the crucial No.6 position. Overall, the No.2 and No.3 positions have contributed the most scores to the list of top-50 performances (24 and 10 respectively).

On the eve of the IPL final, Cricinfo takes a look at how Deccan Chargers got to there over the 2009 season

Ashwin Achal23-May-2009You can’t see me: Fidel Edwards’ presence helped Deccan get off to four wins in a row•AFPMatch 1, v Kolkata Knight Riders, Cape Town

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Deccan started in style, comfortably beating Kolkata and erasing memories of a last place finish in the first season of the IPL. RP Singh and Fidel Edwards combined well to dismiss their rivals for a paltry 101. In reply, Herschelle Gibbs and Rohit Sharma knocked off the runs with ease, with Deccan romping home with almost seven overs to spare.Match 2, v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Cape Town

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The day belonged to Adam Gilchrist, who scored a brutal 71 runs off just 45 balls to script Deccan’s second victory. Gilchrist was assisted by Rohit and the duo propelled Deccan to 184. Bangalore started badly and were in trouble at 64 for 4 in 11 overs. Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid hit some big shots towards the end, but it proved too little too late.Match 3, v Mumbai Indians, Durban

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Chasing Deccan’s 168, Mumbai were comfortable placed at 84 for 1, but Pragyan Ojha turned the game around by picking 3 wickets in successive overs. Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo then tried to revive the chase, but Edwards dismissed the pair to shut out Mumbai. This was Deccan’s third straight win of the tournament.Match 4, v Chennai Super Kings, Durban

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Gilchrist and Gibbs set up a close Deccan victory, thus proving to be one of the most destructive opening partnerships in the IPL. After Mathew Hayden and Jacob Oram helped Chennai post 169, Deccan’s openers were severe on new ball bowlers L Balaji and Manpreet Gony. Gilchrist fell later to Suresh Raina after clobbering 44 runs in 19 balls, but Gibbs stayed till the end to see his team through in the final over of the match.Match 5, v Delhi Daredevils, Centurion

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Deccan fell to its first defeat in the tournament when a determined Tillakaraten Dilshan anchored Delhi’s chase with an unbeaten fifty. Dwayne Smith gave his bowlers a chance to force a win by helping Deccan score 150, but a charged-up Dilshan finished the game with a six off Edwards in the final over.Match 6, v Rajasthan Royals, Port Elizabeth

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Deccan would have fancied their chances of a win after Rajasthan lost three wickets in the first two overs while chasing 141. But a hard-hitting innings from Yusuf Pathan and some calm batting from Abhishek Raut saw Rajasthan past the finish line. Yusuf also picked up the man of the match award, handing Deccan its second straight defeat.Match 7, v Chennai Super Kings, East London

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A comprehensive victory for Chennai, with Dhoni coming to the party after declaring that his form (thus far) had been “pathetic”. Deccan never really looked like they could chase down 178, with only an aggressive Smith riding his luck to put up a fight. After a dream start with four straight wins, Deccan now fell to its third consecutive loss.Match 8, v Mumbai Indians, Centurion

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Deccan snapped their losing streak with a 19-run victory, thanks largely to some poor shot selection from the Mumbai batsmen. This match saw an unlikely bowling hero in Rohit Sharma, who claimed a hat-trick to finish with impressive figures of 4 for 6. It was RP Singh, however, who created the initial pressure when he dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar cheaply.Match 9, v Kings XI Punjab, Kimberly

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This game was Andrew Symonds’ first appearance for Deccan in the tournament, and the Australian made an immediate impact with an unbeaten 60 with his side batting first. But he still ended on the losing side, as Mahela Jayawardene’s knock of 43 set the foundation for a Punjab win.Go fetch: Adam Gilchrist regained form when it really mattered•Associated PressMatch 10, v Rajasthan Royals, Kimberly

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It was a complete mismatch at Kimberly as Deccan’s overseas players proved their class against Rajasthan. While Smith and Symonds did their bit with the bat, Chaminda Vaas applied the brakes on the Rajasthan batting with figures of 2 for 19 in his four overs.Match 11, v Delhi Daredevils, Durban

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Medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia starred in Delhi’s victory, derailing Deccan with four wickets for four runs at a crucial phase in the match. The turning point was the dismissal of Gilchrist, outfoxed by Bhatia’s slower delivery. Deccan will feel they let this game slip, losing the plot when 25 runs were required from three overs with six wickets in hand.Match 12, v Kolkata Knight Riders, Johannesburg

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Heartbreak for Kolkata as Rohit pulled off an unlikely Deccan victory in a match that went the distance. Deccan needed 21 runs in the final over but Mashrafe Mortaza was taken apart by Rohit who finished the match with a hook shot which cleared the boundary. If Deccan let their previous game against Delhi slip, they made up with this come-from-behind victory.Match 13, v Kings XI Punjab, Johannesburg

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Rohit tried to repeat his previous match heroics, this time in similar circumstances against Punjab, but he was bowled by Irfan Pathan when Deccan needed 4 runs from 3 balls. This match also saw Yuvraj Singh register his second hat-trick of the tournament, as Punjab prevailed in a low-scoring thriller.Match 14, v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Centurion

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A hurricane century from 19-year old Manish Pandey blew away Deccan hopes. Pandey became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL. Deccan were left stunned by Pandey, who made full use of the opportunity to bat up the order. Despite the loss, Deccan made the semi-finals thanks to a better net run-rate than Punjab.Semi-final, v Delhi Daredevils, Centurion

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Gilchrist lived up to his reputation of being a big-match player, and when he was dismissed for a 35-ball 85, the game was all but over. Gilchrist hit 10 fours and 5 sixes to eliminate Delhi, a team high on confidence after finishing on top of the league standings. It was a commanding performance from Deccan, finding great form before the finals.

Says Royals tweaked their squad this season with a view to getting the most out of “extreme talent” Parag

PTI02-Apr-2024

Rajasthan Royals assistant coach Shane Bond has described the in-form Riyan Parag as a player of “extreme talent”, likening him to a young Suryakumar Yadav.The 22-year-old Parag has brought his rich form in domestic cricket into the IPL, striking two high quality fifties to help Rajasthan notch up three wins in three so far, the latest being against Mumbai Indians on Monday night.”He sort of reminds me a little bit of Surya [Suryakumar], who came to Mumbai a few years ago,” Bond, who is also RR’s bowling coach, said at the post-match press conference. “He looks like that – he has got extreme talent. He has just matured as a cricketer, even though he is only 22.”Related

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Bond shifted to Royals’ staff this year, after a nine-year stint with Mumbai. He said Royals had set up their line-up this year to get more out of Parag. “He has had an outstanding domestic season, obviously, batting up the order. The trade we made with Devdutt [Padikkal], bringing Avesh [Khan] in, that was to put Riyan up into a position which was probably better suited.”Bond said it was unfair to judge Parag on previous seasons, when he had to play the role of finisher at such a young age. “Riyan started so young, you forget that he was 17 or something, playing in one of the toughest spots in a batting line-up: No. 6. You look at the characters who finish games around the IPL, they are generally pretty experienced guys. The Tim Davids, the David Millers… these are high-quality players who play international cricket. Riyan had been tasked with that for a number of years. He is still a very young man, but he has got this wealth of experience behind him now.”We are getting the best of him. The investment that RR have made of him, it’s starting to reap the rewards. It is pretty exciting what he could offer for the rest of the season for us.”Bond also agreed that the “selfless” Yuzvendra Chahal, who produced a spell of 4-0-11-3 to set up Royals’ win on Monday, could be back in the reckoning for India if he continues to deliver. For now though, he said it was best for Chahal – or any other player – to focus on the IPL and not look to far ahead.”The competition is pretty tough, so one of the real challenges for any bowler coming into this tournament is to forget that there is a [T20] World Cup [coming up], and you start bowling to get into the World Cup team.”If your [IPL] team is successful, you are in a winning team, selections and rewards come from that. That has more of been our focus, to forget about all that other noise from the outside and just work really hard for each other.”If we do that, I have got no doubt people are going to start talking, like you [the journalist asking the question] are now, about Chahal and whether he will feature in the World Cup or not. He is bowling beautifully.”

Poland's all-time leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, set out to correct the record after returning to the team following a controversial absence.

• Lewandowski denied quitting Poland over the captaincy issue
• Barcelona striker played 63 minutes in 1-1 draw with Netherlands
• Confirmed readiness to face Finland in World Cup qualifying

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After marking his return to the Polish national team in a 1-1 draw against Netherlands on Thursday, Lewandowski denied that a dispute over the captaincy was the reason for his temporary international retirement. The Barcelona striker played 63 minutes the World Cup qualifying clash and was quick to dismiss the rumours surrounding his recent absence. He insisted that the issue of the captain's armband was "greatly exaggerated" and was "never a problem" within the squad.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The striker's return to the national team draws a line under a short but highly publicised saga that threatened his international future. The conflict ignited when former coach Michał Probierz stripped Lewandowski of the captaincy in June, handing the armband to Piotr Zielinski instead. In response, the 37-year-old announced a self-imposed exile, publicly stating he would not play for Poland again as long as Probierz remained the manager. The stalemate was broken shortly afterwards when Probierz departed, which paved the way for new coach Jan Urban to initiate contact. Urban moved swiftly and decisively to resolve the dispute, not only recalling the striker but also immediately confirming his reinstatement as team captain, with Zielinski appointed as the new vice-captain, but Lewandowski downplayed the importance of the armband.

• WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

  "The issue of the armband is greatly exaggerated. It's a source of pride to be captain, but it was never a problem and it will never be a problem in this national team," Lewandowski said. "We talk about it within the team, and it was never a problem. For me, the important thing is to focus on how the national team plays, what we do well, and what we need to improve. Being captain is a great honor, but it shouldn't be exaggerated."

  When asked if Urban's tenure feels like a new beginning for the national team, he added: "You should ask the players, because I wasn't there. But they told us we were almost starting over.

  "It was a great feeling to hear my name called [from the fans] after leaving. It gave me extra motivation, and I felt my desire to return was even stronger thanks to that support. They played a huge role in my decision, and I want to thank them again."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR POLAND?

  Poland's World Cup qualifying campaign continues with a vital home fixture against Finland on Sunday. Lewandowski has declared himself fully fit and ready to play the entire 90 minutes. 

  "Yes, definitely," he said. "We don't have another game in two days, so it's different. I think I'll be ready to play at home against Finland."

Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign teenage defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in a deal worth €35 million (£30m/$41m).

• Reds to sign young defender
• Parma centre-back is 18
• Always wanted to move to Reds

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leoni is set to join the Reds, according to , with the club agreeing a fee of €35m for the 18-year-old. The deal comes on the heels of news that the Reds are set to miss out on Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, with the Eagles captain seemingly set to remain at Selhurst Park for the final year of his contract, at least.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Leoni has only made 17 first-team appearances for Parma but he is said to idolise Virgil van Dijk, and is clearly highly-rated by the Anfield decision-makers. The teenager can play at both centre-back and at right-back.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool have made serious moves this summer and Leoni is set to become the club's seventh first-team signing of the window. Of course, the headline-grabbing acquisitions are Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, but Leoni is certainly one for the future. 

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence on Friday when they take on Bournemouth. They will hope to have Leoni signed in time for the curtain-raiser.

Karabo Meso, the 16-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, has earned her maiden ODI call-up, figuring in the 14 for South Africa’s three-match series against Sri Lanka from April 9 in East London.Chloe Tryon, who missed the third T20I, has been ruled out of the series to continue her rehabilitation for a back injury. Annerie Dercksen, who was part of the T20I series that South Africa lost 2-1, has been left out. Delmi Tucker, the allrounder, has replaced her in the side.”It’s a big loss with the injury of Chloe as an allrounder, that’s why Delmi has come into the squad and she can give you the offspin option and with her batting,” Hilton Moreeng, South Africa’s head coach, said. “In these conditions, we never know this time of year what to expect on our surfaces. So we make sure that we have all our angles covered and overall we’re just excited to make sure that we finish off on a high and go into our off-season.”

Kapp reprimanded for Athapaththu send-off

Marizanne Kapp has been reprimanded for breaching level one of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third T20I against Sri Lanka. Kapp, in the 13th over of the Sri Lanka innings, used inappropriate language and gestured in the direction of the pavilion after dismissing Chamari Athapaththu. One demerit point has also been added to Kapp’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

Meso made her South Africa debut in the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom, where she came in at No. 8 and was dismissed for a two-ball duck by Chamari Athapaththu. In the third match, she arrived at the crease with one ball left in the innings and did not make a run. Tucker, meanwhile, has played seven ODIs, 14 T20Is and one Test. In seven ODIs, she has 53 runs and three wickets.The ODI series will be part of the ICC Women’s Championship, which determines qualification for the 50-over World Cup. South Africa are currently second on the table with 20 points, with ten wins in 15 matches.”It’s a very simple equation for us, there’s six points to play for and Sri Lanka showed now in the last two to three days what they are capable of, so it’s now to make sure that we can get that right because every game there’s a lot more to play for,” Moreeng said. “Qualification is key for the 2025 World Cup. It’s going to be a challenge but everyone is looking forward to it and we have a very strong squad on home soil.”After the opening ODI in East London, South Africa and Sri Lanka face-off in the second game in Kimberley on April 13 and then the third in Potchefstroom on April 17.

South Africa squad for women’s ODI series vs Sri Lanka:

Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune Delmi Tucker