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He is unlikely to play Sheffield Shield cricket until after Australia’s ODI and T20I series against Pakistan

Alex Malcolm11-Oct-2024Glenn Maxwell has been named to make his red-ball return in Cricket Australia’s Second XI four-day competition after being named in Victoria’s 12-man squad to play Queensland at the Junction Oval starting on Monday.Maxwell was named for his first four-day match in over 12 months as he begins a build towards potentially going on Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.It is unlikely Maxwell will play in Victoria’s next Sheffield Shield match which starts on October 20, just three days after the completion of the Second XI game. Some of Australia’s Test players including Steven Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are set for that match while Scott Boland is likely to make his Shield return in that game as well.Related

• Maxwell set for Shield return with Test hopes on the horizon

• Sheffield Shield preview: Western Australia chase history, Test stars to play early rounds

• CA schedule day-night Shield games to build pink-ball experience

The rules in CA’s Second XI competition allow for 12 players to play in the game, with 11 batting and 11 bowling, meaning rest and rotation is possible for players within the four days. Maxwell’s workloads are carefully monitored given the horrific leg injury he suffered two years ago. He turns 36 on the first day of the match and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years.Victoria coach Chris Rogers was very happy to have Maxwell playing with some of Victoria’s young Second XI players while being unsure when he will have him available for Shield cricket.”This is an opportunity for us,” Rogers said. “We’ve got a lot of young players who are playing, and anytime you get to throw in someone with that experience and talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that’s great for us as well.”Maxwell looks set to play the one-day domestic fixture against New South Wales on October 25, which could feature Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but he is unlikely to be available for the third or fourth Shield rounds for Victoria which overlap with Australia’s ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.He would be available for Victoria’s fifth and sixth Shield games before the BBL begins and appears set to play at least one of those. Victoria play Queensland on November 24 at the Gabba in a pink-ball game under lights before hosting Queensland at the MCG on December 6.Australia’s selectors could also give him a run in a two-day pink-ball Prime Minister’s XI game against India in Canberra starting on November 30.Maxwell is a serious contender for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka given his Test experience in the subcontinent. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and nearly played the first Test in Galle, with his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder seen as an asset in spinning conditions, especially if the Tests are set to be low-scoring and fast moving.All of his seven Test matches have been played on the subcontinent with his last coming in Bangladesh in 2017. The selectors have indicted previously that Shield cricket has no relevance to Test cricket in Sri Lanka given the conditions and style of cricket is vastly different but it is understood both Maxwell and Australia’s selectors are keen for him to play some red-ball cricket from a physical conditioning standpoint.Victoria have also named state captain Will Sutherland to play in the Second XI game after he was left out of the first Shield round as he continues to build his bowling following a serious back injury. He will bowl under restrictions.”He’s tracking well,” Rogers said. “This game was probably a bit too far where he was to bowl back-to-back days, and multiple spells. “But he’s ready to go for the Second XI and hopefully that’ll set him up well for the Shield game against New South Wales.”Rogers was unsure whether spin-bowling allrounder Matthew Short would be available for the next Shield game against New South Wales as he recovers from a minor adductor strain he suffered in the final ODI of Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK last month.Victorian Second XI squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Austin Anlezark, Liam Blackford, Dylan Brasher, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Jai Lemire, Reilley Mark, Glenn Maxwell, Jon Merlo, David Moody, Doug Warren

Club hope to draw line under racism crisis after naming long-sought successor to Lord Patel

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2023Harry Chathli has been confirmed as Yorkshire’s new chair, following a lengthy search for a successor to Lord Kamlesh Patel, who stood down in March.Chathli, 58, will take over from the club’s interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, following an extraordinary general meeting, having joined Yorkshire’s board as a non-executive director in June. He will serve a three-year term.”It’s an honour and privilege to be appointed chair of one of the most iconic clubs,” Chathli said. “Cricket is at an inflexion point with unprecedented growth reaching new audiences who are attracted by the variety of formats. Yorkshire has played its part in this growth within the men’s cricket and has also been at the forefront of development of women’s cricket in the country. I am also proud of the fact we are championing disability and LGBTQ+ cricket.”I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tanni for her excellent stewardship of the club through a very challenging period this year.”It is hoped that Chathli’s appointment can draw a line under a turbulent period for Yorkshire, in the wake of the racism crisis that ripped through the club, following Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about his treatment during his playing days.Earlier this year, Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four amended charges of bringing the game into disrepute and were fined £400,000, as well as handed points deductions in the County Championship and other domestic competitions, for their mishandling of Rafiq’s case.Lord Patel, Chathli’s predecessor as full-time chair, was appointed to the role in November 2021 at the height of the crisis, which included the suspension of Headingley’s hosting rights for major matches, and the loss of a raft of principal sponsors including Emerald, Yorkshire Tea and Nike.Patel also sanctioned the sacking of 16 members of Yorkshire’s coaching and back-room staff in a bid to create “a culture which is progressive and inclusive”. That decision was later found to have been “procedurally unfair”, with Yorkshire required to set aside £1.9 million for compensation and legal affairs.Chathli, whose daughter, Kira, plays for South East Stars and was part of the Oval Invincibles team that won the 2022 Hundred, is a highly regarded business leader, and an experienced international capital markets expert, with a 25-year track record of advising global companies, organisations and government agencies.Stephen Vaughan, Yorkshire’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Harry to the Board and as Chair at Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
“Harry brings strong business acumen and experience, and I am sure this positive impact that will benefit Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Yorkshire Family as a whole.”The Board looks forward to working with Harry and collectively we are committed to delivering long-term success that YCCC members deserve.”

Hosts pile on 503 but Durham responded positively after 146.4 overs in the field

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2024Tom Prest flaunted his significant talent with his second Vitality County Championship hundred as Hampshire and Durham’s Division One clash turned into a run-fest.The 21-year-old expertly scored 102, to dovetail with Ali Orr’s day one century and Ben Brown’s 75th first-class fifty, to help Hampshire to 503.Alex Lees led Durham’s response on a Utilita Bowl pitch which has displayed heavy spin in patches but has mostly been fun in the sun to bat on.The opener scored 71 before departing in the penultimate over of the day, having teamed up with David Bedingham to put on a match-high 97 for the third wicket. Durham ended the day on 146 for 3, 357 in arrears.Prest furthered his reputation of being Hampshire’s most exciting homegrown batter since James Vince while showing his complete range.He had enthusiastically reached his half-century on the first evening but was forced to bedded in with Ben Brown, as the visitors bowled accurately during the morning. The pair eventually added 72 together.Prest’s overnight partner Liam Dawson was leg before in the third over of the day – having survived a caught behind appeal from Ben Raine the delivery before.The former England under 19 captain cemented his place in the Hampshire side after a century against Essex in the penultimate match of last season, before an 85 against Lancashire last month proved the ton was no fluke.He never looked in any discomfort, not offering up a single chance as he strode his side to three batting points and a 161-ball century.Prest guided to first slip two balls after reaching three figures to give Brydon Carse his first wicket of the season – having gone nought for 285 up until that point in 2024.Brown, who passed fifty in 95 balls, and Felix Organ maintained Hampshire’s progress – with a clear intention to only have to bat once, especially with rain forecast on Monday.They put on 60 before a flurry of wickets ended the innings. Brown lost control of the bat and splattered one-handed to midwicket, Organ was run out by James Fuller’s lazy running, Kyle Abbott was bowled by a Callum Parkinson ripper before Fuller – after some exciting shot-making – lost his off stump.Parkinson ended with an expensive four-for, with debutant Peter Siddle pilfering three. Hampshire reached 500 at home for the first time since 2019.Vince called for his spinners as soon as the eighth and ninth overs and was quickly rewarded with turn for Dawson and Organ – the former seeing two loud lbw appeals turned down in his first over.Organ was the first to strike when Scott Borthwick brought tea by misreading a full straight delivery to be bowled, and end a pacy 45-run stand with Lees. And then Colin Ackermann was plumb in front to Dawson.Lees batted himself out of danger of becoming a victim of the spin and variable bounce with a series of aggressive boundary shots.But the spell of peril eased and Lees slipped back down the gears to reach 50 for the second time this year in exactly 100 balls, with Bedingham keeping him company.He was adjudged leg-before to Dawson with the seventh from last ball of the day, with Hampshire the only side who could realistically win this game.

He has also resumed bowling, although had to clear a fitness test for a tight hamstring before the second T20I against Afghanistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Feb-2024Angelo Mathews has had quite the ride over the last ten years. He was once the crown-prince of Sri Lanka’s white-ball teams, and then became the injury-riddled senior as the men’s team’s results plummeted, before eventually the previous set of selectors deployed him only in Tests – an experience that frustrated Mathews substantially.However, Monday’s knock in the second T20I against Afghanistan was Mathews’ best since his comeback to the T20I side over the past few weeks. He came in at No. 7 in the 15th over, and though he struggled early, making only four off his first nine balls, he soon began to find the boundary.Mathews cracked three consecutive sixes off Azmatullah Omarzai to start the 19th over, and struck four sixes and two fours in all, finishing with 42 not out off 22 balls. Sri Lanka have been desperate for that kind of finishing firepower in their white-ball sides over the last two years.Related

• Mathews, bowlers rout Afghanistan to seal T20I series for Sri Lanka

• Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka's Kapil Dev-lite, does it again

“The plan was for Sadeera Samarawickrama to bat deep so that I could bat with freedom,” Mathews said of that innings, as he and Samarawickrama put on a fifth-wicket stand worth 66. “I struggled in the first ten to 15 balls. Every ball went to the fielder when I hit it initially. But I knew I could clear the boundary.”The way Sadeera was going I knew I could play my shots. I can improve further if I can get singles and twos in the first couple of deliveries.”Though fitness had become a sticking point between him and the selectors, and had infamously led to a public battle with the then-coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Mathews has since made it a point to publicise his improvements on the fitness front. Now, picked again by a new group of selectors he gets on with, he has begun to produce serious results in T20Is.Sri Lanka will face tougher attacks than those of Zimbabwe and an Afghanistan team missing both Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. But Mathews’ first two T20I innings in almost three years yielded 46 off 38 balls, and 66 not out from 51 deliveries in the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe. He didn’t get to bat in the third game, and got only 6 in the first T20I against Afghanistan, before the quickest innings of the lot came about in the second T20I.In addition to hitting 160 runs at a strike rate of more than 136 since his comeback, Mathews has also claimed five wickets, though at an economy rate of 8.95. Although Mathews was not available to bowl for fitness reasons several years ago, he has, more recently, again made bowling an important part of what he offers the team. But this is not without its drawbacks – he’d had to clear a fitness test on account of a tight hamstring before playing the match on Monday.But him taking the new ball in particular is handy for this Sri Lanka team, who are exploring the option of saving most of Matheesha Pathirana’s overs for the death. Pathirana’s strengths so far have been at the back end of an innings; he has been much less effective with the new ball. Five of Pathirana’s six wickets this series have come between overs 16 and 20.”Since the Zimbabwe series, I was told to bowl to help the balance of the side,” Mathews said. “At any moment I am ready to bowl. Selectors spoke to me too, and we had a decent chat. I am willing to give my 100%. I am enjoying my cricket, and want to do my best for the team.”

There is the World Cup looming for the visitors, while the hosts will be aiming for their first ODI series win against India since 2006

Hemant Brar31-Jul-20235:25

“Hope India bring back Kohli and Rohit for the decider”

Big picture

After India’s loss in the second ODI, their head coach Rahul Dravid said: “With the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, we have to look at the bigger picture. We cannot get worried about every single game and every single series. If we do that, it will be a mistake.”If India walk the talk, Tuesday’s series decider could be another rest day for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Even in the first ODI, Rohit batted at No. 7 and Kohli never came out.Ishan Kishan has made good use of these World Cup auditions, scoring a fifty in each ODI. However, two other candidates – Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson – have failed to impress. Suryakumar got starts in both games but couldn’t convert them into something substantial. Samson played only the second match and scored 9. But Tuesday could present them with another opportunity.Related

• Samson, Suryakumar squander best chance to push for WC spots

• Hit-the-deck Romario Shepherd makes a striking impression

• Dravid looking at 'bigger picture', not worried about ODI loss

• Hardik still 'turtle, not the rabbit' as he builds up bowling workload

West Indies will not be going to the World Cup, but they have a chance to register a rare ODI series win against India in recent times. Since 2006, the two teams have played 12 bilateral ODI series against each other with India winning every time.Batters from both sides – barring Kishan and Shai Hope – found it difficult to score in Bridgetown as the pitch helped fast bowlers and spinners alike. Hope said after the first ODI that a 9.30am start was the main reason behind that. It will be another 9.30am start in Tarouba, where the third ODI will be held, and while the pitch may not be as conducive for seamers, spinners could once again prove to be difficult to score off.

Form guide

West Indies WLLWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
India LWLLW1:25

“Forget about the past, look ahead to better days”

In the spotlight

Until the start of 2023, Shai Hope was primarily a top-order batter who doubled up as an anchor. He averaged 48.95 with a strike rate of 74.68. But since then, despite moving down to the order, he has struck at an average of 69.66 and a strike rate of 96.75. The main contributing factor towards that elevated strike rate is his improved six-hitting skills. He is now hitting a six every 33 balls as opposed to one every 93 balls prior to that. With scores of 43 and 63 not out so far in the series, he will once again be a key batter for West Indies.Few can do what Suryakumar Yadav does in T20 cricket, but he is finding it difficult to adjust to the rhythm of the 50-over game. While he has a strike rate of over 100 in ODIs, he has managed just 476 runs in 23 innings, at an average of 23.80. After the second ODI, coach Dravid said that the team management wanted to give him as many opportunities as they can. With the ODI World Cup roughly two months away, Suryakumar better grab these chances soon.

Team news

After a win in the second ODI, West Indies are unlikely to make any changes.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Alick Athanaze, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Keacy Carty, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Yannic Cariah, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Jayden SealesIndia, too, could field an unchanged XI, resting Rohit and Kohli again.India (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Umran Malik, 11 Mukesh Kumar3:05

“Our last chance to try different combinations”

Pitch and conditions

This will be the first ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium. The venue has hosted only one men’s international game to date: a T20I between West Indies and India last year. In 23 List A matches there, teams batting first have breached 250 only seven times. On Tuesday, the weather is expected to be cloudy but the rain should stay away.

Stats and trivia

• Hope is 65 away from 5000 ODI runs. If he gets there on Tuesday, in his 113th innings, he will be the third fastest to the mark behind Babar Azam and Hashim Amla.
• If Kohli plays and scores 102, he will become the fifth batter to reach the 13,000 mark in ODIs.
• Ravindra Jadeja needs six wickets to become the seventh Indian to 200 ODI wickets, and the first Indian since Kapil Dev (3783 runs and 253 wickets) to complete the double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets.
• Kyle Mayers is only the third West Indies player to open both batting and bowling in the same ODI. Phil Simmons and Chris Gayle are the other two.

Earlier in the match, Haris Rauf went off the field with what was later confirmed to be a low-grade side strain

Danyal Rasool08-Feb-2025New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra is unlikely to feature in the ODI against South Africa on Monday, after sustaining a blow while fielding during Saturday’s tri-series ODI against Pakistan.Fielding at deep square leg in the 37th over, Ravindra steadied himself to take a catch as Khushdil Shah slog-swept Michael Bracewell towards the on side. But Ravindra seemed to lose the ball, struck flat and low, mid-flight, and took no evasive action as it struck him square on the forehead. He was seen staring at the ground, apparently in a daze, as blood streamed down his face while medical staff rushed onto the field.New Zealand Cricket [NZC] has since released a statement saying that Ravindra is “otherwise well” and will continue to be monitored.Related

• Lockie Ferguson in doubt for Champions Trophy and Pakistan tri-series

• Phillips 72-ball hundred flips the script as New Zealand beat Pakistan

“Rachin Ravindra sustained a laceration to the forehead after being struck by the ball in yesterday’s ODI tri-series win over Pakistan in Lahore,” the release said. “Ravindra passed the initial head injury assessment and the laceration, which required stitches, was addressed and treated at the ground. He is otherwise well and will continue to be monitored under HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols. He is unlikely to feature in tomorrow’s match against South Africa.”A stunned silence took hold of the ground after Ravindra went down. A stretcher was brought on as well, though it was ultimately not required. The Pakistan team doctor, nearest to the incident, also rushed on to provide first-aid assistance. After lying down on the ground while receiving a few minutes of treatment, Ravindra got up with the assistance of medical staff, and walked off the field, holding a towel to his head, to warm applause from what had just recently been a packed Gaddafi Stadium.New Zealand, riding on Glenn Phillips’ maiden ODI ton, won the opening game of the tri-series comfortably by 78 runs. Ravindra had earlier opened the batting and scored a brisk 25 off 19 balls to get his side up and running and sent down three overs.Haris Rauf walked off the field with a side strain•Associated Press

Earlier in the match, Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf went off the field two balls into his seventh over, and the PCB later revealed he had complained of “sharp pain in the left side of the chest and abdomen muscles”, which was later confirmed to be a “low-grade side strain”. Rauf, it was confimed, would not come out to bat during Pakistan’s chase.These developments come just 11 days before the start of the Champions Trophy, which begins when these two sides meet in Karachi on February 19. New Zealand’s next game is on Monday, when they take on South Africa in the second match of this tri-series, while Pakistan are scheduled to meet South Africa on Wednesday.As the Champions Trophy looms, New Zealand could also be without the fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing in the ILT20 in the UAE. As yet, the team is awaiting reports of a scan on Ferguson’s injury.GMT 0925 The news report was updated following NZC’s statement on Ravindra’s injury.

“Sometimes we can be too humble. We don’t show off to the world enough what we’re capable of doing”

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2025

Shukri Conrad wants South Africa to play with a little more chutzpah•Getty Images

It’s not whether South Africa have the skills and mental fortitude to come out on top in close games that concerns their coach Shukri Conrad. It is whether they have the confidence to show that they possess those qualities.In the aftermath of their last-over defeat in the T20I series decider against Australia in Cairns, which came after a last-over defeat in a tri-series final against New Zealand last month, Conrad asked his players to strut their stuff a little more if they want to become a champion side.”Sometimes we can be too humble. We don’t show off to the world enough what we’re capable of doing,” Conrad said, as he almost used Australia as an example of what self-belief could look like.Related

• 'I'm here now' – Brevis makes a statement as the 'original Dewald'

• Markram back to opening role to accommodate 'more destructive' batters

• Magnificent Maxwell sinks SA in nail-biting T20I series decider

“This has got nothing to do with the way Australia plays, but they have got a blueprint as to how they want to play. There are times when it looks absolutely brilliant and it’s box-office stuff. And there are times when you can have them in trouble, like we had them in the first couple of games. But they stay true to it. What does it mean for us? It’s easier on the batting front, guys like [[Tristan Stubbs] and Ricks [Ryan Rickelton] and Aiden [Markram] himself… there’s so much that they can do. But feel that they have maybe boxed themselves in a little bit too much.”Of the three Conrad mentioned, only Rickelton made a score of significance in the series – 71 off 55 balls in the first game – but even after that knock, he acknowledged that he started too slowly for South Africa to successfully chase 179. There was another name on Conrad’s lips when he spoke about how he wants to see his players approach matches: Dewald Brevis.Dewald Brevis finished the series with a strike rate of 204.54•AFP/Getty Images

The 22-year-old was the leading run-scorer in the series, became the holder of South Africa’s highest individual T20I score of 125 not out in the second match and had the highest strike rate among all batters of 204.54. He played in a way that is best described by the Afrikaans word , which is a mixture of confidence and cockiness and is maybe best explained by one of his shots in this series.In the second T20I in Darwin, Brevis was on 22 when he lofted Sean Abbott for six over long-on and didn’t even need to look at where the ball went. Watch the replays and you’ll see Brevis keep his head down until well after the ball has gone into the stands in a manner that seems to suggest, “I’ve hit that so well, I don’t even need to look at where it’s gone.” Off the field, Brevis is as modest as they come, and attributes his talent to God alone. Whatever ego he has is confined to what happens on the field but it’s enough to allow him to play with freedom, and Conrad hopes it will rub off on other players.Chief among them is Markram, who has gone 31 innings without a T20I half-century, and who was dismissed driving waftily in all three matches in the series. One reason for Markram’s under-performance in Australia is that he is still getting used to his new role as an opener; another could be that he has been too tentative in his shot selection. Whatever it is, Conrad knows Markram has it in him a little because he saw him do it just two months ago, when it mattered most. “I know it’s a different format, but in the World Test Championship final not so long ago, Aiden showed exactly what he is about,” Conrad said. “And I’m sure he is a couple of games away from unlocking that state of genius.”Even when he does, Conrad cautioned that South Africa could not expect to come out on top every time because that’s just the nature of sport but at least, they would be giving themselves a good chance. “It’s not always going to result in winning. But I just want us to show off a bit more.”Whether that’s Conrad talking up or having a little dig at his hometown is to be figured out at another time. For now, his work is to continue preparations for the next T20 World Cup in six months time. So far, under his watch, South Africa have lost two deciders – one chasing, one defending. Against New Zealand, they needed seven runs off the last over and Conrad believes they “should have won going into the last over” but “in and amongst all of that, I’m really happy with the growth”.That was a series played without several regulars, this is one that is only without David Miller, which has left the batting line-up unbalanced. Conrad conceded that South Africa were a “batter light” but explained that if the players they have were willing to play with a little more chutzpah, it could work in their favour. “If we want to be brave, we have got to select attacks to beat a team like Australia and if I can nudge a batting unit into playing a certain way where we are a batter light and I concede we were a batter light, imagine what they can do when we have got a properly balanced side,” he said. “It’s all part of the slightly longer-term plan.”He also rejected the idea that he has put his store in allrounders, albeit that both his left-arm spinners, George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, were also picked on batting strength, and that his selections are conventional. “Your top six will be your best batters, and Nos. 7, 8 possibly allrounders, so there’s nothing untoward,” he said. “I’m not obsessed with allrounders in T20 cricket, I can guarantee you that.”And he said it with the kind of conviction he expects his players to have.

Smith needed cortisone injections to get through the final two Tests of the series but is hopeful he will be right for the India ODI series and the World Cup

Alex Malcolm22-Aug-20230:41

Hazlewood: Conditions can change so much in India

Steven Smith has revealed that he carried his left wrist injury through the final three matches of the Ashes series after damaging it at Lord’s while fielding during the second Test.Smith has suffered a small tendon tear in his left wrist which requires him to wear a splint for a short period of time and has ruled him out of Australia’s upcoming limited-overs tour of South Africa.He is hopeful of being fit for Australia’s subsequent three-match ODI series in India which starts on September 22 in Chandigarh but it leaves him just three matches and a warm-up game to prepare for the 50-over World Cup in India beginning in early October.Related

• Cummins targets comeback in India ODIs ahead of World Cup

• Maxwell believes his 'scar tissue' can aid Australia's World Cup bid

• Hayden banks on 'wingman' Smith to aid Cummins at the World Cup

• Smith ruled out of South Africa tour due to wrist injury

Smith told that he hurt his wrist in the field at Lord’s, after making a match-winning 110 in the first innings, but the full extent of the damage was not revealed until he began training again at home in Sydney in preparation for the South Africa tour.”I did it at Lord’s. I don’t actually know the moment, it was when we were in the field,” Smith said. “It wasn’t until that night I was like, ‘geez, what have I done here, it’s a bit sore’.”I played the next game and then I had a cortisone [injection] before Old Trafford. I got back [to Australia] and I was like, ‘[It’s] still not quite right. I still can’t do a lot of things properly.'”I had another scan. There was a small tear in the tendon as well as a couple of other things.”Smith and Mitchell Starc were late withdrawals from the South Africa tour last Friday. Starc has some residual groin soreness after the Ashes series and needs more time to recover. Pat Cummins also has a fractured left wrist from landing heavily on it in the field in the final Ashes Test at the Oval. Cummins won’t play in the South Africa limited-overs series but will join the group ahead of the fourth ODI in Centurion.Steven Smith hurt his left wrist during the Lord’s Test•PA Images via Getty Images

Marnus Labuschagne has been recalled to Australia’s ODI squad for South Africa in Smith’s absence after being left out of the World Cup squad of 18. Ashton Turner has replaced Smith in the T20I squad for South Africa.Smith’s injury does compromise Australia’s ability to settle their top four ahead of the World Cup. David Warner was absent for the first two matches of Australia’s last ODI series in March in India due to a fractured elbow. Mitchell Marsh opened the batting for the first time in his ODI career alongside Travis Head with extraordinary success, to the point where Warner batted at No. 4 for the first time in his career when he returned for the final game in Chennai, having only once previously not opened in 141 ODIs for Australia.Warner and Head have been a devastating combination for Australia sharing opening stands of 284, 147 and 269 in just seven innings together at the top of the order.But Marsh’s power-hitting ability inside the powerplay, as showcased by his recent form across all formats, makes him an irresistible option in the top three for Australia’s selectors meaning Smith could be forced to slide to No. 4 despite batting at No. 3 in his last 23 ODI innings since the 2019 World Cup and averaging 60.70, striking at 90.05 and scoring four centuries. Eleven of Smith’s 12 ODI centuries have come at No. 3 and he averages 54.56 at first drop compared to 35.61 at No. 4.Smith was also set to open in the T20I series against South Africa while Warner rested with the aim of trying to regain his spot in Australia’s first-choice T20I side after being squeezed out for the last World Cup in Australia in 2022. Smith did play in Australia’s final match of the tournament against Afghanistan, but only in the absence of Aaron Finch and Tim David after carrying the drinks for most of that tournament.Steven Smith made two BBL centuries last summer•Getty Images

Smith has never opened in T20I cricket but was dominant for Sydney Sixers in just five innings in last summer’s BBL, plundering two extraordinary centuries and striking at 174.74. The selectors had hoped to give Smith a chance in South Africa with a view to possibly cementing him at the top of the order for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and USA next year, where his ability against spin on low, spinning pitches could be a major asset given it has generally been a weak point for Australia’s T20 batting line-up.”I did speak to [Australian coach] Andrew McDonald about it,” Smith said. “He said I’d get more opportunities somewhere to press my case. It’s kind of the dream job. Everyone wants to open the batting in T20s.”There’s not much accountability there, you just sort of go out there and play. You’ve got two fielders out for the first six overs, and if you get going then you’re already in when the field goes out, so it’s a nice time to bat.”Australia play five T20Is in India immediately after the ODI World Cup but as with the upcoming South Africa series, some of Australia’s three-format players will likely be rested in order to be ready for the home Test series against Pakistan which begins just 10 days after the fifth T20I in Hyderabad.Following five home Tests against Pakistan and West Indies in December and January, Australia will have three home T20Is against West Indies and three away against New Zealand where they will likely bed down their best side ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.

Charlie Dean takes 4 for 9 but visitors pinch points in last-over finish at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jun-2025Ailsa Lister held her nerve to stage a match-winning innings of 28 not out from 19 balls as Lancashire Thunder beat Somerset by four wickets in a thrilling Vitality Blast T20 contest at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Chasing 133 to win, Thunder looked to be cruising when Emma Lamb and Eve Jones put together an opening stand of 60. But Somerset fought back, Charlie Dean claiming 4 for 9 to threaten a startling turnaround in fortunes.Needing eight off the final over, Lister edged Alex Griffiths for four through fine leg and then hit the winning runs with two balls to spare to see the northern county home by the skin of their teeth.Lancashire’s decision to bowl first paid dividends, Kate Cross claiming 3 for 21 and Sophie Morris 2 for 33 to restrict the home side to 132 for 7 from their 20 overs. Deep in trouble at 85- for 6, Somerset were indebted to the seventh-wicket pair of Amanda-Jade Wellington and Griffiths, who staged an exciting stand of 45 to at least make a game of it.This might have been the first time Somerset had staged a standalone women’s game under lights, but they will not look back on the occasion with any great fondness after coming off second best. The Cider county have now lost four of their five Blast outings this season, the other game having been washed out. As for Thunder, a third win in six games keeps them in the hunt for a top-four finish.Put into bat and missing injured England stars Heather Knight and Dani Gibson, Somerset made an inauspicious start, Amelie Munday missing a straight one from Cross and departing bowled without scoring, and Bex Odgers being stumped by Ellie Threlkeld off the bowling of Morris for 18 as the home side slipped to 26 for 2 in the seventh.Fran Wilson suggested a change in the balance of power, helping herself to a brace of boundaries at the expense of Morris to rouse an audience of around 3,000 – a record for a women’s match at Taunton. Cheers quickly turned to groans, though, Niamh Holland paying the price for hesitation and being run out for 10 by the ubiquitous Morris with the score 45 for 3.Charged with the task of rescuing a parlous situation, the experienced pair of Wilson and Sophie Luff combined deft placement and quick running to breathe new life into Somerset’s ailing innings, the fourth wicket pair adding 24 from 20 balls. But when Wilson was bowled by Morris for 25, Somerset were 69 for 4 with work still to do. Worse followed, influential captain Luff sending a leading edge to extra cover off the bowling of Tara Norris and Dean attempting to ramp a Cross bouncer and offering a catch behind as Somerset lurched to 85 for 6 in the 16th.Attempting to break the stranglehold, the hard-hitting Wellington plundered 25 from 14 balls, including five boundaries, to put the Lancashire bowling under pressure for the first time. Encouraged by the success of her partner, Griffiths opened her shoulders in raising 27 from 18 balls as the seventh-wicket alliance yielded 45 crucial runs in 4.3 overs at the death.There is something about playing at Taunton that brings out the best in Lancashire, who defeated Somerset in a 50-over contest on this ground earlier in the season and then beat The Blaze and Surrey to lift the Vitality County T20 Cup last month. Sure enough, their reply was afforded reassuring early impetus, Jones and Lamb taking advantage of some short and wide bowling to raise 50 in 6.4 overs and set the tone.The partnership was worth 60 when Jones, having scored 28, was pinned lbw by Dean in the ninth over. Lamb then went for 32 in the next over, held at short fine leg off the bowing of Ellie Anderson to give Somerset a glimmer of hope. When Wellington induced Seren Smale to hole out to long-off for 11 in the fourteenth over, Thunder were 91 for 3, requiring a further 42 to win off 39 balls.Dean bowled Threlkeld for 1 with the score 96 for 4, at which point the game was in the balance. But Lister calmed any nerves, hoisting Griffiths for sixes over long-on and midwicket in the 18th to put Thunder back in the box seat.Dean was still not done, bowling Fi Morris for 22 and then having Alana King held at point without scoring to leave Thunder needing eight off the final over. Lister then demonstrated nerves of steel to settle the issue.

The squad also has Matthew Breetzke, the only uncapped member of the 15

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2024Senuran Muthusamy has been recalled and Dane Piedt has got another go alongside Keshav Maharaj as South Africa named three spinners for their two-Test tour of Bangladesh in October. The squad, which South Africa red-ball coach Shukri Conrad said was “for the conditions we are expecting to greet us” also has Matthew Breetzke, the only uncapped member of the 15.There were question marks over the tour, of two World Test Championship matches, because of the political unrest in Bangladesh in the recent past. But CSA gave the tour the go-ahead on Monday after its security assessment team conducted “an in-loco inspection” of Dhaka and Chattogram, the venues for the two Tests.”I want to firstly thank both boards, Cricket South Africa and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, for ensuring the series goes ahead,” Conrad said in a statement. “Bangladesh is always a tough place to tour. They’ve become a formidable side at home and we have to be prepared for the challenge that awaits us. We have therefore chosen a squad for the conditions we are expecting to greet us when we get there.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We have three frontline spinners and all of them have the ability to step up at any time they are needed. This is a great chance for someone like Senuran, who has potential to make a mark with both bat and ball. We are really looking forward to seeing what he can offer. Overall, we trust the depth and versatility in our squad to meet this challenge head-on.”Giving the three spinners company are the fast-bowling options, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger, Dane Paterson, and allrounder Wiaan Mulder.There is no Lungi Ngidi, and there is no update on whether there are fitness concerns around him or it’s a case of workload management. He’s currently part of the UAE tour where South Africa are playing Ireland in a white-ball series. Anrich Nortje, who has been in action in the CPL, has also not been picked, while Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee are both on a break and were not considered for selection.Lungi Ngidi has not been selected for the Test series•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty Images

Paterson, 35, and the US-based Piedt, 34, memorably, went on South Africa’s Test tour of New Zealand at the start of the year, when South Africa could not send many of their first-choice players on tour because of the SA20.They have been included, as has Breetzke, the highly rated 25-year-old top-order batter who has played only eight T20Is in his international career so far. But with Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, captain Temba Bavuma, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, and wicketkeeper-batters Ryan Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne in the mix, Breetzke might find it tough to make his Test debut in Bangladesh.Also in the South Africa travelling party is Ashwell Prince, the batting coach, who missed South Africa’s tour of the West Indies because of personal reasons. Having worked as Bangladesh’s batting coach in the past, Prince could be valuable to the South Africa management.South Africa have so far played six matches in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and have six more Tests left. They are currently in sixth position on the table, having won two, lost three and drawn one Test.

South Africa squad for Test series in Bangladesh

Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Kyle Verreynne (wk)