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Ben Stokes made just 2 from seven balls, and failed to take a wicket either, as his return to competitive cricket, for Canterbury against Otago, finished in a three-wicket defeat in New Zealand’s 50-over Ford Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20171:17

WATCH – Stokes fails to make a mark with bat or ball in comeback

Ben Stokes made just 2 from seven balls, and failed to take a wicket either, as his return to competitive cricket, for Canterbury against Otago, finished in a three-wicket defeat in New Zealand’s 50-over Ford Trophy.It was a disappointing outing for Stokes, who appeared understandably rusty in his first match since England’s ODI victory over West Indies at Bristol September 24, the match that preceded his arrest outside a nightclub in the city in the small hours of the following morning.Stokes’ departure for New Zealand last week sent social media into a frenzy, after he was spotted carrying his cricket kit through Heathrow Airport, seemingly headed to link up with England’s Ashes squad.But, once it was established that he had signed with Canterbury to bring his match fitness back up to speed, the circumstances of his return to action proved to be far more low-key.Batting first at the Mainpower Oval in Rangiora, one of the more sleepy venues that Stokes has ever encountered during his career, he arrived at the crease with his side already in trouble at 5 for 2 in the third over.However, on 2, Stokes attempted to play across the line to Otago’s left-arm spinner Anaru Kitchen, and was bowled leg stump to leave his team in even deeper strife at 8 for 3. Kitchen, 33, whose reputation has been built on his batting, had picked up his 20th wicket in 76 List A games.With the ball, Stokes had two decent lbw shouts and conceded a lucky slash for four over the slips, as his first four-over spell went for 26 runs. However, he later appeared to feel his side after sending down a bouncer, and was subsequently pulled for a decisive six over midwicket, as Canterbury’s late rally was thwarted.Having made a strong start to their pursuit of 222 with an opening stand of 175, Otago’s middle order collapsed, leaving them on 198 for 7 with six overs remaining.That equation had been reduced to 13 off four overs when Stokes returned to the attack for his final two overs, but a hooked six from Otago’s No. 9, Jacob Duffy, effectively settled the issue.Despite his rusty display, Stokes’ wholehearted approach was welcomed by his team-mates.”Ben was brilliant today,’ Canterbury captain Cole McConchie told The Daily Mail. “He was willing to help out right throughout the day, especially in those crunch moments at the end. He offered us a lot.”Ben was chomping at the bit to put in a good performance for Canterbury. Obviously it didn’t come off the way he would have liked, but he showed up with a great attitude and gave his whole heart to it.”

Wasim Khan has questioned whether the game in England and Wales can do more to encourage coaches and administrators from South Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds

George Dobell28-Feb-2018Wasim Khan, the chief executive of Leicestershire, has questioned whether the game in England and Wales can do more to encourage coaches and administrators from South Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds.While Wasim has welcomed the appointment of Vikram Solanki and Dimitri Mascarenhas as assistant head coaches at Surrey and Essex respectively, he raised the possibility of “unconscious bias” inhibiting the progress of more non-white coaches and suggested a concerted effort should be made to improve the situation.His comments follow those of Roland Butcher, who recently described himself as “surprised” and “saddened” by the small number of coaching opportunities provided to non-white people despite there being “so many managerial positions available in the first-class game in England”. Butcher, the first man of Afro-Caribbean heritage to represent England at Test level, told the BBC “it appears as if Black and Asian coaches are not trusted to do a job”.While the ECB has certainly made an increased effort to engage with the Asian community in recent times – Lord Patel of Bradford has joined the ECB board as an independent director and has been preparing a report on the issue, while Vikram Banerjee, the former Gloucestershire spinner, has been appointed as the ECB’s head of strategy – Wasim, at least, feels there is a great deal more to do.”My concern is we’ve been talking about this for 20 years,” Wasim told ESPNcricinfo, “and we’re not seeing the progress we had anticipated. I think, as a game, we know we need to do better. We have started exploring the issue of unconscious bias. And that’s a welcome first step.”I know the game has prided itself on the number of Asian players in the men’s side, but let’s now look beyond that: let’s look at what might be causing that blockage in the system and let’s see if we can provide more opportunities.”You would have thought that having more coaches of South Asian heritage might prove helpful in reaching the players from those communities we are trying to attract into mainstream cricket. So let’s have an honest conversation now about what is stopping non-white coaches from taking the next step and graduating to those key positions at first-class counties. And let’s see if we can extend the fantastic progress made in the women’s game and try to involve more non-white players and coaches.”Wasim’s words, while measured, are likely to have some impact. As well as having been the first British-born Muslim to play county cricket, he is also believed to be the only chief executive of BAME (black, Asian or minority ethnic) heritage at a professional sport’s club in the country and was recently named in the Muslim 100 Powerlist. He feels he owes his success to opportunities offered first by Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England, who recommended him to the Cricket Foundation as CEO and then ECB president, Giles Clarke, who recommended him for the position of CEO at Leicestershire.”I owe Mervyn and Giles greatly,” Wasim said. “They spotted some talent within me and helped me gain the opportunities to develop those skills. That’s the sort of belief I’d like to see shown in more people of BAME heritage.”As things stand at present, some potentially really good coaches are telling me there’s ‘no point’ in them applying for such jobs as they don’t think the system will provide them with a fair chance. So let’s look into that. Let’s see if we can provide shadowing and mentoring opportunities with academy or head coaches and see if we can up-skill these guys so they are better prepared to seize opportunities in the future.”Nobody is asking for tokenism. Meritocracy is vital. But let’s ask ourselves if we are really getting the best out of all the talent at our disposal at present and ensure there are opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Because if we don’t provide opportunities, we’ll never give benefit from all the available talent that is out there.”Current figures suggest the percentage of cricketers of South Asian heritage on first-class staff – about 5% – roughly reflects the percentage of South Asian people in British society. When compared to the figures in recreational cricket, however, those figures start to look far less healthy.Around 33% of recreational cricketers are of South Asian heritage, according to analysis by sports marketing agency Two Circles and the ECB, with 42% of them expressing a belief that there are no opportunities for the most talented players from their communities to progress in the game. And, despite the obvious enthusiasm for the sport, only 3% of ticket sales across county and international cricket in England and Wales comes from the South Asian community.

On his return to competitive cricket after three months, Arshdeep said he “felt really good” with the number of overs he got in despite bagging only one wicket

Ashish Pant30-Aug-2025Arshdeep Singh is learning how to enjoy the “boring times” in red-ball cricket and has spent the last few months working on his “mindset” as he tunes up for the upcoming season.Arshdeep, 26, is currently playing for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy match against East Zone in Bengaluru, his last competitive game before the 2025 Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in Abu Dhabi.”In Test cricket or red-ball cricket, there is a time when the day gets boring,” Arshdeep said. “In the session after lunch, mostly the ball doesn’t do anything. So, how can you enjoy that?”I spoke to [Mohammed] Siraj and he told me that when nothing is happening, how you enjoy that phase would tell you how successful you could be in red-ball cricket. He gave me this small tip. I really liked it.”Related

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Before this, Arshdeep last played competitive cricket at IPL 2025, where he finished as Punjab Kings’ highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets in 17 matches. He earned a maiden Test call-up for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and was in contention to make his debut in the fourth Test, but injured his bowling hand and was ruled out.Having gone close to three months without a game, Arshdeep put in a long shift on the second day, bowling 17 overs, the most by any North Zone bowler. While he only got one wicket, he “felt really good” with the number of overs he got in.”In the last couple of months I was with the team, I trained a lot, bowled a lot and worked a lot with the S&C [strength and conditioning],” Arshdeep said. “I worked on fitness as well and that helped me bowl a decent long spell. After 15-17 overs, my body feels well. It’s [the ball] coming out really well. Not many wickets but yes, they will come as well in the future.”India fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Shami share a light moment•PTI

Did it get frustrating at any point in England, having to spend almost two months on the sidelines? How did he keep himself motivated?”When you are not playing, you just try to push your limits. The training is almost the same,” he said. “You just put in more work when you are not playing. More overs, more strength work, more training, so that whenever you get the chance, you are ready and fully fit to go.”I don’t know how many thousands of balls I would have bowled in practice. It’s not like there was a lack of bowling. I was properly managing my workload. The aim is to stay ready whenever you get a chance.”Arshdeep will have to make a quick switch to white-ball cricket, with the Indian team slated to reach Dubai for the Asia Cup preparations on September 4. The fast bowler, however, doesn’t feel the switch to T20 cricket will be tough, and insists it is all about adaptability.”Right from the last Test [at The Oval], I had started practising with a white ball,” Arshdeep said. “I didn’t know that there was a Duleep Trophy match in between. At the end of the day, red ball, white ball or pink ball, you have to play cricket and try and enjoy it.”I have got a chance here [at the Duleep Trophy], will play with a white ball next [at the Asia Cup]. So the aim is to put in a lot of overs under your belt and play any format. The mindset is about how quickly you can adapt. In today’s cricket, a batsman can hit against the red ball and he can play conservatively against a white ball.”So, it’s all about how you can adapt according to the situation, according to the wicket, according to the weather, when you have to put in effort, when you have to conserve yourself.”India’s first game at the Asia Cup is against UAE on September 10. They will play Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19 before the Super Four round gets underway from September 20.

A vintage MS Dhoni innings – one that ended with a three sixes off the last three balls – and a nerveless last over from Dwayne Bravo helped Chennai Super Kings squeeze a win against Rajasthan Royals

The Report by Varun Shetty31-Mar-20192:09

Only the best players in the world can do what Dhoni does – Stokes

A vintage MS Dhoni innings – one that ended with three sixes off the last three balls – tipped Chennai Super Kings from par score to winning score as they staged a comeback to beat Rajasthan Royals by eight runs in Chennai. A part of Dhoni’s unbeaten 75 off 46, his highest score at home, was built in partnership with Suresh Raina with the pair joining at 27 for 3 after Ajinkya Rahane had put them in. But it was at the end that Dhoni turned it. With Dwayne Bravo, who would later defend 12 off the last over, Dhoni put on 56 in 29 balls as Royals conceded a match-defining 67 off the last four overs.Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, and Jofra Archer played crucial knocks, but Royals’ own collapse at the start of the chase meant they had too much to do at the end.Royals’ dream startSuper Kings got only one of the first two overs. Jofra Archer had hit Ambati Rayudu on the forearm before closing the wicket-maiden off by having him fend one to the keeper. Short of a length fast bowling still seemed the optimal strategy and Shane Watson was cognizant of this, getting boundaries off Dhawal Kulkarni and Ben Stokes on the back foot. His indulgence was short-lived though. Having just pulled Stokes for six, he guided an upper-cut straight to short third man two balls later. Kedar Jadhav also perished in an attacking haze shortly afterwards – two pull shots for fours off Stokes, out third ball throwing his hands at a wide ball from Kulkarni.At 27 for 3, Royals had Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni to bowl at in the last over of the Powerplay, and Super Kings’ senior-most batsmen looked vulnerable. The length of attack remained the same, Archer attacking Raina’s ribs with a leg gully and getting him hopping and fending. When Dhoni took strike, his back foot defence rolled back onto the stumps, only for the bails to remain in place. Then, things got easy.6:23

Hodge: Royals batsmen need to step up around Buttler, Stokes

Royals hand it backRoyals chose to save Kulkarni’s remaining over for the slog, meaning the pressure was immediately relieved with five straight overs of spin. Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham were reasonably economical to start off, but Raina grew increasingly more confident and took them on. When the bowling change came about, it was Jaydev Unadkat and like most teams have done, Super Kings went after him straight away. Dhoni flat-batted a slower ball for his first boundary and Raina tickled one fine later in the over.But Royals got some openings. In his next over, Unadkat bowled Raina a ball after he’d survived a run-out attempt, and in the next over, Gowtham dropped Dhoni – a difficult chance – at extra cover. The 61-run stand had done enough to put Royals on the defensive and with a well-set Dhoni surviving that chance, Super Kings looked set for a big launch.Dhoni timeKulkarni returned in the 18th over to a completely different life. All the pressure was on him and dew had begun setting in. He bowled two high full tosses, one wide, one a no-ball, and a low one for the free-hit that Dhoni drilled for six over extra cover. The moisture had damaged the ball, prompting a third change on the evening, but to inaugurate it, Kulkarni was taken for ten in two by Bravo. Twenty-four runs came from that over, whereas he’d conceded 13 in his first three.On either side of that over, Archer conceded 15 off 12. An under-confident Unadkat was handed the final over and after being hit for six over his head by Jadeja, he was forced to contend with vintage Dhoni for the last three balls of the innings. Each of those was short, each flat-batted in a different direction. And each one a six. Twenty-eight runs came off that over, making it the third most expensive final over in IPL.MS Dhoni goes over extra cover•BCCI

Chahar delivers againFor the third game in a row, Deepak Chahar bowled out his four overs up front, and for the second time at less than five an over. On Sunday, he strung two wickets to that economy rate – those of Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson. While sticking mostly to his preferred corridor line and moving it either way, he got assistance from the two-paced pitch and had both of them caught off the thick outside edge. Shardul Thakur capitalised on it as well from the other end and with Jos Buttler’s wicket, Royals were 14 for 3 with their top three run-getters all back in the dugout.No comebacks allowed at ChepaukSuper Kings went with two left-arm spinners against a team that had only one left-handed batsman. But the dew made them ineffective – Ravindra Jadeja and debutant Mitchell Santner went for a combined 49 off their four overs. Incredibly, Imran Tahir still managed to extract turn and was his usual menacing presence in the middle overs. His 2-23 in four had cut short a dangerous-looking Rahul Tripathi innings and with Steven Smith’s wicket, the door seemed to have shut on Royals’ chase at 94 for 5.But Ben Stokes, getting only his seventh 30-plus score in 27 IPL innings, kept them alive long enough to wait for the seamers late in the innings. When Archer joined him, there was an immediate surge of aggression: from needing 56 off 23 when he came in, Royals brought the equation down to 12 off the last over, a 19-run 18th over from Dwayne Bravo the main catalyst in that.Archer had hit him for two sixes in that over, but Bravo returned to regular service in the 20th. He got Stokes to chip to extra cover first ball, conceded only a leg-bye off the next two, and kept Archer to a single off the fourth ball. In the end, Archer, Royals’ best player on the day, was unbeaten on 24 off 11.

It leaves him a major doubt for the upcoming tour of the West Indies

Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2025

Steven Smith went off the field with a finger injury•Associated Press

Australia were left contemplating the possibility of needing to replace over 10,000 runs after Steven Smith suffered a compound dislocation of the little finger on his right hand on the third day of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, leaving him a major doubt for the upcoming tour of the West Indies, as a rare loss in a tournament decider loomed into view.Smith suffered the injury when he dropped a sharp chance offered by Temba Bavuma on 2 as the South Africa captain edged Mitchell Starc to first slip where Smith was standing so close that he was wearing a helmet.Smith immediately knew he was in trouble and started to leave the field in significant pain even before the medical staff reached him.”He was assessed by Australian team medical staff at the ground and taken to the hospital for X-rays and further treatment,” a CA spokesperson said.The dropped catch was a pivotal moment in the day as South Africa would have been 76 for 3 chasing 282 had it been held, but instead Bavuma was unbeaten on 65 at the close as fought through a hamstring injury.Since 1996, Australia’s men have lost just one of the 10 global finals they have been in – the 2010 T20 World Cup against England – but barring a spectacular South Africa collapse on Saturday will relinquish the mace.”We understand the magnitude of the task, that 8 for 70 or whatever it is, is incredibly tricky and conditions would have to go away,” assistant coach Daniel Vettori said. “I think with the nature of where the ball is at and the surface, it’s a difficult task, but it is a task that the group has probably done at times throughout the last three, four, some of them five, six, even longer years.”Meanwhile, Smith’s injury also leaves Australia with the prospect of having a big hole to fill in their batting order in the West Indies, where the first Test begins in Barbados on June 25, although the extent of Smith’s injury was still being assessed at the close of play with him not having returned to the ground from hospital.Earlier this year left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann was able to make a swift return to action after suffering a similar blow in the BBL before going on to take 16 wickets in the series against Sri Lanka.Australia already have significant uncertainty around their top order with Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green struggling in the WTC final. After a relatively lean period by his high standards, Smith has been prolific in recent Tests with four hundreds in five matches against India and Sri Lanka before 66 in the first innings at Lord’s.Should Smith be ruled out of all or part of the West Indies tour, it could create an opening for Sam Konstas’ return, with Labuschagne going back to No. 3 and Green dropping down to No. 4 where he made 174 not out against New Zealand before his back injury.Josh Inglis is the other spare batter in the squad for the WTC final, which will be the same group that travels to the Caribbean. Should reinforcements be needed, Nathan McSweeney could come into consideration while the resurgent Kurtis Patterson could be another option.

Surrey batsman suffered shoulder dislocation that will require surgery and could see him miss most of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2019England’s stock of potential batting candidates for a summer that includes the World Cup and an Ashes series has been further hit by the news that Surrey’s Ollie Pope is likely to miss most of the season after dislocating his shoulder.News that Pope will require surgery on his left shoulder follows confirmation of Sam Billings, England’s likely back-up for the World Cup, being sidelined for three-five months with a similar injury.Surrey said that the club hoped Pope would be back in action “towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season”. Pope has not been capped in limited-overs cricket but could have been in contention for England’s Test team to face Australia.A Surrey statement said: “After suffering an injury while fielding during Tuesday’s Royal London Cup victory over Essex at the Kia Oval, the 21-year-old was confirmed to have dislocated his shoulder. Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action.”It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season.”Pope made his Test debut last summer, playing twice against India, and was part of the squad that toured Sri Lanka. He was subsequently released to join up with the Lions, but began the season with a career-best 251 in Surrey’s Champion County fixture against MCC.

The batsman sustained an injury on his right arm while diving during a fielding drill on the Bangladesh tour

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018Sri Lanka batsman Asela Gunaratne’s injury woes continue, having now been ruled out of next month’s T20 tri-series – the Nidahas Trophy – with an injury to his right arm. An SLC release said he sustained a “grade II rotator cuff strain with contusion” while taking part in a fielding drill on their recent tour of Bangladesh. Although Sri Lanka won each of the three trophies that had been up for grabs, the 32-year old did not have the best time personally: he made only 35 ODI runs in four innings.While Gunaratne is the only player to have been ruled out so far, several others are also battling to regain fitness. Most notable among these is captain Angelo Mathews who missed the majority of the Bangladesh tour with another in a long line of hamstring injuries, and is yet to make a full recovery. Also ailing from a hamstring complaint is fast bowler Shehan Madushanka, who sustained the injury during the final match of the Bangladesh tour. Batsman Kusal Perera, meanwhile, had been out with a side strain since mid-January.More clarity on who will be available for selection should emerge after this weekend, when the first round of a domestic T20 tournament is set to be played. “All players are asked to play club T20 games this weekend,” cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha told ESPNcricinfo. “After that we will look at how the injured guys come up.”Injuries – particularly muscle strains – have been rife among Sri Lanka’s national players over the past year. In fact, before he got injured again, Kusal Perera had only recently made a return to international cricket after five months due to a hamstring tear. Gunaratne had also missed several months of cricket, though that was due to a fracture. Mathews meanwhile, has been fit for fewer matches than he has been unavailable for, over the past 18 months.The Nidahas Trophy will be contested by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and will begin on March 6.

The pair debate some key BBL talking points following the end of a successful season for the competition

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2025Former Australia captain Aaron Finch would like a full player auction to be brought into the BBL while Glenn Maxwell believes the power surge should be removed as it doesn’t replicate international playing conditions.Currently, overseas players are selected through the draft – with clubs now able to pre-sign one name before that event – while a trade window, that is currently open, has been introduced for the first time this season, but Finch has said the majority of domestic players should also be included in a process more aligned with how the IPL operates.Related

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“I’d like to see an auction come in,” Finch told the Powerplay on ESPN’s . “Each team potentially has the ability to retain maybe four of their players and then you say everybody else in the country, you’re into an auction. I think that that would create a great spectacle.”We see it in the IPL, it’s brilliant, creates evenness across the board I think. What it does give you as well is it gives you what the players are worth. So at times, depending on what your team needs, you might have to overpay for someone. But if it’s an auction, that’s generally what the price of a player is.”Maxwell, though, was uncertain about the idea, raising concern about clubs losing an identity with established names. “You’ve still got to have a way to keep your homegrown players in your home state, [to] still have that relevance,” he said.The BBL continues to be challenged on retaining overseas players with a number leaving in early January for either the SA20 or ILT20.Meanwhile, when asked what he would change about the tournament, Maxwell argued that while he could see the appeal of the power surge – the two overs of fielding restrictions that can be taken by the batting side after the 10th over – he felt it skewed the skills that were required away from how the rest of T20 is played. It echoed the views of Stars team-mate Marcus Stoinis who made similar comments ahead of the BBL season.”I’d get rid of the power surge,” Maxwell said. “I think unless the power surge was introduced in international cricket, I think it’s sort of probably lost its relevance. As a player, I think it probably misrepresents middle-order batting.”When you get picked for your country, you don’t have that luxury of having those two overs in the back ten to boost your strike rate, boost your score. It’s lost on the art of middle order batting to be able to find your way through those last ten overs. I know it’s great for broadcasters. I know it’s great for fans. But until it’s made an international rule, I don’t think we should have it.”Finch acknowledged he had held a similar view when he was a player, but having now retired from the game saw the value the power surge brings.”I think that it provides entertainment right through an innings,” he said. “It keeps games alive. Like if a team needs 15 and over, with a power surge up your sleeve, there’s still half a chance.”

The second day saw 15 wickets fall on a pitch aiding the quicks as Australia’s Test opening debate continued to rage

Alex Malcolm21-Oct-2024Australia’s next Test opener is yet to announce himself after Sam Konstas and Marcus Harris both missed out on an action-packed second day at the MCG where Steven Smith also fell cheaply as Fergus O’Neill and Mitchell Starc ran riot with the ball but Victoria claimed a significant lead over New South Wales.As two of Australia’s selectors, coach Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide, watched from the stands Konstas and Harris failed to elevate their case while Smith also fell for 3 for 29 balls as O’Neill, who is in the Australia A squad, bagged four wickets in a skillful display of seam bowling in friendly conditions. Starc then tore through Victoria’s top order late in the day with a blistering spell that claimed three scalps, including Harris caught down the leg side for the second time in the match.Related

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It came on a day where openers around the country struggled with Matt Renshaw (2) and Cameron Bancroft (8) also falling cheaply.After Victoria were bowled out for 272, all eyes were on the battle between Konstas and Australia’s back-up Test quick Scott Boland in the morning and the latter held sway, albeit with some help from umpire Sam Nogajski. Boland delivered 10 balls at Konstas who scarcely laid bat on him. The 19-year-old was nearly bowled first ball, hit on the inner thigh pad and got a thick inside edge on one that flew in the air past the diving short leg for his only two runs.Boland then nipped one back from a fuller length to hit Konstas below the knee roll and Nogajski adjudged him lbw. Replays suggested it may have been doing too much to hit leg stump.O’Neill and Will Sutherland then tightened the screws with some frugal bowling as the prodigious movement in the MCG surface never abated at any stage throughout the day.O’Neill was a little fortunate to claim Smith, who tickled a glance down the leg side to Sam Harper. But it was reward for outstanding control as Smith scored just three runs from 29 deliveries.Josh Philippe took a brilliant leg-side catch to remove Marcus Harris•Getty Images

Nic Maddinson had earlier nicked one trying to punch Sutherland forcefully off the back foot before O’Neill found the outside edge of Moises Henriques to leave NSW reeling at 28 for 4.Ollie Davies and Josh Philippe shared a steadying partnership and both looked comfortable at various stages driving impressively down the ground whenever a rare overpitched delivery was offered.But Davies got sucked into a short ball plan from Sutherland and holed out hooking to deep square for 37. Sean Abbott fell in exactly the same way two overs later to leave the Blues 83 for 6. Philippe tried to shepherd the tail with an unbeaten 45 and did get a contribution of 17 from Nathan Lyon but O’Neill and Todd Murphy cleaned up the last four to bowl NSW out for 136 and hand the home side a significant 136-run lead.Starc ensured that Victoria did not build on that advantage easily with a sparkling spell of fast bowling. Backing up after some excellent work on day one he tore through Victoria’s top order. The second ball of the innings was a vicious off-cutter that leapt at Ash Chandrasinghe and ricocheted off his back elbow onto the stumps. In the third over he pinned Campbell Kellaway lbw with a delivery that was full and too fast for the left-hander.Peter Handscomb fell edging Jackson Bird to second slip before Starc claimed Harris again in his fifth over of the spell. Just like the first innings, a quick rising delivery at the hip caused Harris to glance without control, it came off glove onto thigh pad and ballooned behind for Philippe to pouch at full stretch in the right glove.It left Harris with scores of 26 and 16 for the match and Victoria struggling at 32 for 4. But Harper and Tom Rogers steadied late in the day to help reclaim control for the home side extend the lead beyond 200.

Captain backs young players to learn on the job as Mikyle Louis prepares to make debut

Andrew Miller09-Jul-2024Kraigg Brathwaite says that West Indies’ stunning victory over Australia in Brisbane is “history” as his team turns its attention to Wednesday’s first Test against England at Lord’s. However, he hopes that the confidence gleaned from that performance in January will help lift an inexperienced line-up as they prepare for another tough test of their mettle.Going into the second Test of that Australia tour in January, West Indies were given next to no hope of competing at a venue where the hosts had lost just once in 34 Tests dating back to 1988, especially after an emphatic ten-wicket defeat in the series opener at Adelaide.However, with battling half-centuries from Kavem Hodge, Joshua da Silva and Kevin Sinclair, allied to key second-innings runs from the likes of Alick Athanaze and Kirk McKenzie, the match was captured in extraordinary circumstances, as Shamar Joseph’s second-innings figures of 7 for 68 in 11.5 overs blew away Australia’s middle and lower order for a famous eight-run win.Related

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• Stokes' brave calls and bowling return herald start of England's evolution

Six months later, the challenge is no less stiff, as West Indies head to another country where they haven’t landed a series win since their region’s heyday in 1988. In their entire squad, only three players – Brathwaite himself, plus Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph – have prior experience of playing at Lord’s, but the captain believes from what he witnessed in Australia that his team can overcome the odds once again.”It was a big positive for us to get a win, because it shows that we could we could get the job done,” Brathwaite said. “Obviously the key for us as a group is to do it consistently.”We could take a lot of stuff from that game as batsmen, because we had some important partnerships. Then the bowlers were outstanding. Shamar was the star. But pretty much all the bowlers put in a very good effort, and we caught well as well.”But it’s history, it’s gone. We got to look forward to this, then the other Test matches in this series, but it at least gives a start that we could get the job done. We’ve just got to believe in ourselves.”Shamar Joseph prepares to bowl in the nets•Getty Images

Brathwaite confirmed his XI on the eve of the Test, with his new opening partner Mikyle Louis set to make history as the first player in West Indies’ history from the island of St Kitts. The middle-order is scarcely any more experienced, with No.3-5, McKenzie, Athanaze, and Hodge, boasting a combined tally of nine caps and 453 runs between them.Nevertheless, having each played a key part in the Brisbane triumph, Brathwaite is confident that they, and the rest of the rookies in his line-up, are ready to learn on the job.”I think they’re young and exciting,” he said. “Kirk McKenzie got a few fifties in Australia, which was good, Hodge got a nice 80 (71) as well, and Alick got some confidence to show he can do it consistently. The more games they play, the better. They have a lot of talent and we are fully 100% behind them.”The experience of Brathwaite at the top of the order, however, will be crucial, just as it was when his painstaking century in Barbados set West Indies on their way to a hard-fought 1-0 win in the spring of 2022, a result that has now extended their unbeaten home series record against England to 20 years and counting.England’s Bazball mentality means that Ben Stokes’ team will not be seeking to emulate Brathwaite’s innings of 160 from 489 balls in that Bridgetown encounter, but the man himself said he would not allow his proven methods to be hurried by his opponents’ approach.”My general style is taking my time, and that’s me,” he said. “All the batters must bat their game, and back their plan. That’s what we will do, we focus on ourselves. Making sure we fight is very important. But every batter has a different style and one thing we urge is for guys to have their plans and back yourself.Mikyle Louis will make his Test debut, as the first West Indies player from St Kitts•Getty Images

“It’s a young group, especially the batsmen, they have a lot of time to learn because obviously playing Test cricket it takes a while to really understand. You’re always learning on the job, but it’s a very decent team, for sure.”In his last appearance at Lord’s in 2017, Brathwaite entered the history books when he became James Anderson’s 500th Test wicket, courtesy of a massive inswinger that set Anderson on his way to his career-best figures of 7 for 42. And though he played down his own recollection of the moment – “I remember the ball, I don’t think about it too much” – Brathwaite acknowledged the skills that his opponent had brought to bear in the course of their previous encounters.”Obviously he’s a legend of the game, he’s very consistent,” Brathwaite said. “He hits a line and length, then could determine whether it goes in or out, and that was obviously a skill in itself. Facing him in England is a good challenge, you’ve really got to be on it. But once you come out on the positive side by getting runs, it really gives you a lot of confidence.”In terms of the lessons he would pass onto his team-mates before Anderson’s Test farewell, Brathwaite said: “You’ve got a couple of split seconds to decide. You’ve really got to trust your eyes. Obviously, it’s not 90 miles an hour, so you have a bit more time to see it, but I would say trust your defence, whether you’re going to attack or defend the ball, fully believe in yourself, and stay as still as possible. That’s very important.”My advice to all the younger boys in the group, like Mikyle making his debut, is don’t just expect to play for West Indies, expect to be the first to score 30 hundreds. You got to think big, you know. Don’t think too small.”We have our plans, so believe in your plan. And enjoy it as well. Because it’s always a great series playing here in England. And we truly look forward to it.”