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Australia collapse against spin on the fourth day to go down by an innings and 39 runs

Andrew McGlashan11-Jul-2022Sri Lanka had one of their great days as they levelled the two-Test series against Australia in Galle. First, Dinesh Chandimal’s double-century – also his career-best – carried them to a huge lead, and then Prabath Jayasuriya completed the best figures by a Sri Lankan on Test debut with a 12-wicket haul as they surged to an-innings-and-39-run win with time to spare on the fourth evening.They were ahead when play began, but not a position of such strength that this sort of finish was the most likely outcome. However, Australia had no answer to Chandimal – who helped the last four wickets add 145 [in comparison, Australia’s last five in the first innings added 35]. And then their second innings resembled one of the subcontinent nightmares of the not-too-distant past.They lost all ten wickets for 102, across just 28 overs, and nine in the final session. Jayasuriya twice took two wickets in an over, breaking the back of the top order with the first brace of Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith, and fittingly wrapped up the victory with his record-breaking strike when he spun one past Mitchell Swepson. Just five bowlers in history have taken 12 or more wickets on debut, and for a spinner, he sits behind only Narendra Hirwani’s 16, against West Indies in Chennai in 1988.For Australia, it was their first innings defeat since losing to South Africa in Hobart in 2016, and the first ever after making more than 350 in their first inningsThey could have lost a wicket in the second over – Niroshan Dickwella missed a stumping chance offered by Khawaja, when Maheesh Theekshana was handed the new ball – but the relative ease with which Khawaja and David Warner progressed ended up being very misleading.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Warner fell shortly before tea sweeping at Ramesh Mendis and reviewed an lbw decision that was plumb – more of that was to come – but it was in the final session where mayhem really ensued.Jayasuriya, handed a Test debut at the age of 30 after the continued travails of Lasith Embuldeniya and Covid-19 for Praveen Jayawickrama, settled into his work and caused all manner of problems. It was a performance to do Rangana Herath proud.Khawaja was his first victim, getting an inside edge to backward short-leg, which was sharply held by Oshada Fernando, who, for the second game running, was needed as a Covid substitute when Pathum Nissanka tested positive. Three balls later, Jayasuriya trapped Smith lbw with one which straightened enough to beat him on the back foot. Smith knew he was out, but still reviewed. Ultimately, it did not matter, but it was a questionable call from Smith.Sri Lanka sensed their moment. Travis Head’s lean Test tour concluded when he got into a poor position to tackle Ramesh, beaten on the outside edge by one which spun sharply, and his returns in Sri Lanka and Pakistan will likely provoke much debate ahead of next year’s India tour regardless of his home form.Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green briefly rallied against deep-set fields that allowed plenty of scoring opportunities, but after nine overs the next cluster of wickets arrived. Labuschagne had swept Jayasuriya often from very full deliveries, but the stroke let him down when he played over one which was heading low into middle stump.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jayasuriya then completed his second five-wicket haul of the game with two in three balls. Green charged past one, and this time Dickwella completed the job, and Mitchell Starc edged to slip where Kusal Mendis held a superb catch. The only question left was whether the light would hold for Sri Lanka to finish it. Jayasuriya and Theekshana ensured they did.The ability to put Australia under such big scoreboard pressure was down to Chandimal. When he went to 193, he set a new high for a Sri Lanka batter against Australia, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s 192 in Hobart, and the last-wicket stand also lifted the team to their highest total against Australia.At times, every Australia fielder was on the rope, but Chandimal was either able to weigh strokes perfectly to scamper back for a second, or clear the ropes. He brought up his double-hundred with a second consecutive six off Starc, the ball after sending one nearly into the fort, during a final-wicket stand of 49 in 37 balls with Kasun Rajitha, where he farmed the strike smartly and showed his power at the conclusion of an innings that had largely been about careful accumulation.Prior to that, Chandimal and Ramesh took their seventh-wicket stand to 68 before Starc struck with the first delivery after taking the third new ball, a swinging low full toss that caught Ramesh straight in front. However, thoughts of quickly running through Sri Lanka’s remaining wickets were frustrated by Theekshana, who showed stubbornness at No. 9 in his first Test innings.Pat Cummins eventually got one past Theekshana’s outside edge to rip out his off stump, giving the Australia captain his 199th Test wicket. Nathan Lyon’s enormous workload continued as he reached 64 overs with only two wickets to show for it. This was just the third time since 1981 that an Australian bowler has sent down more than 60 overs in an innings. They would not have expected to be batting a couple of hours later.

Moeen Ali has declared himself fit and ready to take on Australia in next week’s first Test at Brisbane

George Dobell in Townsville13-Nov-2017
Moeen Ali has taken an innovative approach – and received a few blows in the process – ahead of the belated start to his Ashes preparations as he prepares to take on Australia’s fast bowlers.Moeen, who returns to the England side for the warm-up match in Townsville having recovered from a side strain which has sidelined him since arriving in Australia, has been using a wet tray and extra bouncy balls in an attempt to replicate the pace and bounce he anticipates he will receive.”I’ve been doing that recently to exaggerate the pace with the ball coming at you,” Moeen said. “It just sharpens you up.”It’s a tray and you just wet it. It’s an Indian drill. The balls I bring with me, they’re slightly different. It skims off it. You need a good thrower, which Paul Collingwood is. I’ve been hit before loads of times but the more I’m doing it the better I’m feeling.”It doesn’t mean you’re going to be the best player of fast bowling it just means you’re probably going to be better than you were.”I’ve been practising everything to be honest with you as much as I can – pace in general. I almost try and go over the top with it and then hopefully it’ll be a lot easier after that.”Moeen played a key role in the 2015 Ashes – his lower-order partnerships with Stuart Broad, especially at Edgbaston, giving England crucial late runs – but his technique against the short ball has occasionally been tested when batting higher up the order. With Ben Stokes absent, Moeen is expected to move up a spot to No. 7 where his runs could be even more important.”Some days I feel like I’m seeing it better. Some days I’m seeing it well but in the past I definitely didn’t have the technique to deal with it. But that’s something I’ve been working on. I am definitely a better player than I was in the 2015 Ashes series. I actually didn’t do that badly in that series but I feel like I’m a much better player than I was then.”While Moeen was understandably eager to get back to action after watching the first two warm-up matches, he felt that his time on the sidelines was not without its benefits. “It was a bit frustrating not playing but also not a bad thing,” he said. “You get a lot more work done than anybody else.”Sometimes when you’re playing you don’t get the chance to focus on yourself. Another benefit of not playing those two games is that it makes you hungrier to get out there and be with the guys.”I’m ready to go now. I can’t wait to put my whites on and start performing, getting a bit of game time in my system and then I’ll be ready to play at the Gabba.”Australia’s traditional venue for the first Test of their summer is one of the most notorious grounds for visiting teams – no side has won there since West Indies’ fast bowlers ruled the roost in 1988. However, Moeen said he was unconcerned by the reputation of the “Gabbatoir”.”I’m very excited and looking forward to the atmosphere,” he said. “Australians like to talk a lot, big themselves up. That’s part of the game. It’s not something that I haven’t had before.”That doesn’t faze me. It’s something you have to block out. You have to focus on your game and the situation that the team is in. I’m just going to come out and play like I always do for England and give it my best shot.”

Gloucestershire eased to a 10-wicket victory over Glamorgan inside two days at Cheltenham College

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2017
ScorecardLiam Norwell ensured Gloucestershire stayed on top•Getty Images

Gloucestershire eased to a 10-wicket victory over Glamorgan inside two days at Cheltenham College.Having been set 135 to win, shortly after lunch on the second day of the county’s annual Cricket Festival, captain Phil Mustard’s side took just 31.3 overs to secure their second Specsavers’ County Championship victory of the season.It was certainly a welcome win for Gloucestershire coach Richard Dawson, whose side, for the time being at least, leapfrog seventh placed Derbyshire, in the Division Two table.

The pitch was fine – Phil Mustard

Phil Mustard, Gloucestershire captain: “I have to say, I have never been involved in a game quite like that. To be honest, the scores might not suggest it, but the pitch was fine.”
Robert Croft, Glamorgan coach: “I felt the game was nailed on day one. On the first day, the pitch did just enough of everything to make it difficult for the batsmen. It wasn’t as difficult on day two.”

To their credit, Glamorgan made a pretty decent first of things during the opening session at the picturesque college ground.Having been reduced to 59 for 5 in their second innings on a remarkable first day when 25 wickets fell, the visitors progressed nicely thanks to Timm van der Gugten and Andrew Salter.On a wicket that had its moments, the pair put on 46 for the sixth wicket before the former was trapped lbw for 17 by Kieran Noema-Barnett. Unfortunately, for Glamorgan, Salter fell in the following over, caught behind for 31, off the bowling of Craig Miles and suddenly, the Welsh county were once again staring down the barrel at 104 for 7.Captain Chris Cooke and Graham Wagg batted well, thereafter, with Wagg leading the way as Glamorgan reached lunch on 140 for 7.However, that was the end of the good news as far as the visitors were concerned. With Norwell weaving his magic from the College Lawn End, Glamorgan lost their last three wickets for just eight runs.Wagg was trapped lbw by Norwell for 30 at 150 before Marchant De Lange drove the same bowler to Jack Taylor at extra cover. Two overs later, Norwell and Taylor combined once again to send back Michael Hogan, for 0.It was the fourth time this season that Norwell had helped himself to five wickets in an innings. His final figures of 6 for 38 off 18 overs were fully justified on a day when Gloucestershire certainly coped better with a pitch that has certainly dominated the idle chat around this picturesque ground in the heart of Cheltenham.In contrast to what had gone before, Gloucestershire’s opening pair looked in precious little trouble as they moved easily towards victory.Although Chris Dent was dropped on 35, by bowler Salter, he and Cameron Bancroft guided Gloucestershire to victory with more than half of the game still remaining. Dent passed 50 off 80 balls, with six fours, and finished, unbeaten on 68, whilst Bancroft (62 not out) posted his half century off 87 balls, with eight fours.

Round-up of the first set of fixtures from the 2017-18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2017The Duke’s debutThe PCB inducted English Duke balls on their premier first-class circuit in a bid to prepare for the two-match Test series in England next year. However, several players – bowlers and batsmen alike – complained about the quality of the ball. According to players, it is ‘extraordinarily hard’ on the bat and in the hands for the fielders, specifically in the slips. Bowlers also complained that the ball was difficult to shine, with the leather looking somewhat coarse.At the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, in the opening round of fixtures, Water And Power Development Authority dismissed Lahore Blues for 198. The balls had to be changed no less than three times after losing their shape, supporting players’ accounts that the quality was substandard. Those who have played league cricket in England claimed that the balls used in the QeA over this week were much harder than the ones used on the domestic circuit in the UK.Departments dominate regionsThe PCB recently introduced a draft system for selecting players in regional sides in a bid to make the tournament more competitive. But the opening round saw departmental teams, boasting sizeable international quality, continue to be in command, beating regional teams by significant margins. Sui Southern Gas Corporation beat Islamabad by 360 runs, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited thrashed Peshawar by 154 runs, WAPDA tamed Lahore Blues by 120 runs, Habib Bank Limited thumped FATA by 335 runs, United Bank Limited toppled Karachi Whites by an innings and 73 runs, and National Bank of Pakistan saw off Faisalabad by 6 wickets. The only victories for the regions came for Rawalpindi and Lahore Whites, who turned over Khan Research Laboratories and Pakistan TV respectively.Sohail successWeeks after Mickey Arthur leapt to Sohail Khan’s defence following a tense defeat against the World XI in Lahore, the bowler repaid his coach’s faith, kicking off his QeA season with an 11-wicket haul, helping his side, United Bank, to an innings victory against Karachi Whites. He followed up a six-wicket haul in the first innings – including five of the top six – with a five-for in the second innings. It was a thoroughly all-round performance, too: in the one innings in which he batted, he scored 63 at No. 9, bolstering his all-round credentials.The comeback kidRaza Hasan, who was banned for two years for testing positive for a prohibited substance in 2015, returned with cracking match figures of 4 for 112 and 8 for 76 to help National Bank of Pakistan rip through Faisalabad’s batting line-up. He was the young sensation of the 2012 World T20, but hadn’t played first-class cricket since 2014 before being banned from playing all forms of cricket. The 25-year-old played 10 T20 matches and a solitary ODI for Pakistan, and remained in isolation before Lahore Qalandars director Aaqib Javed helped him revive his career. His contract with NBP – revoked after his suspension – was reinstated earlier this year, and he will be hoping to make up for lost time.Fawad WatchContentious selections often make the news for all sorts of reasons; Vernon Philander’s inclusion in the 2015 World Cup semi-final to apparently meet a transformation quota, James Pattinson’s brother Darren’s shock call-up to the England XI for a Test against South Africa in 2009. But you would have to wade through the archives to come up with a non-selection as perplexing as Fawad Alam’s from the Pakistan team. He played the last of his three Tests in November 2009 – the same series in which Umar Akmal made his debut.Over the last three seasons, he hasn’t so much been knocking on the selectors’ doors as barging in, helping himself to a cup of tea and putting his feet up on the comfy chair by the fireside. He ticks so many boxes for an international call-up you’d get bored if they were all listed. He’s averaged nearly 60 over the past three domestic seasons, has the experience Pakistan so require in the wake of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan’s retirements, and has come through the same domestic set-up the PCB uses for bowlers with alacrity.In the opening QeA game, as captain of Sui Southern Gas, he scored 23 and an unbeaten 43-ball 50 (his strike rate has been one of the reasons selectors have offered for overlooking him). He could be forgiven for feeling, however, that he should have been batting in the UAE capital against Sri Lanka, instead of Pakistan.

Ross Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-2017It’s only March but Ross Taylor has come up with a resolution for next year – or maybe just next season – already. “I think I am going to start [keeping count of] how many games I can play without getting injured,” Taylor joked during a stint on the , SkyTV’s daily tea-time interview slot, during the fourth day’s play between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton. “Calf, hammies, side-strains, fingers, bones. It’s just disappointing that it’s South Africa I have missed a few times.”Taylor has missed some part of the last three series against South Africa, the first in the aftermath of the captaincy debacle in 2012-13, the second a limited-overs series in 2015 following surgery after a groin injury sustained in Zimbabwe, and now the last two Tests in this series, after tearing a calf in the first.Although Taylor admitted that not having to front up to “Morkel and Rabada is probably not a bad thing,” he said he would like to play as much as he can in the lead-up to the 2019 World Cup, which is being touted as the swansong of his career. His most recent injury has served to spur him on to ensure he gets there. “I just need motivation when things aren’t going well, when you get a bit tired of day-in, day-out cricket, just a nice little reminder to say why you play this game. Hopefully I can get through that.”For now, Taylor has declared himself 85-90% fit and should be available to play the Champions Trophy and the triangular tournament in Ireland, also featuring Bangladesh, which precedes the ICC event. New Zealand will be without their IPL players for that tri-series, which will make Taylor’s presence even more important and he hopes he can play a role in mentoring some of the younger players. “You want to expose young players to get the depth in the squad that we are comfortable with,” he said. “[So] we have 20 players at any time that can be very competitive against any side in the world.”One thing he may not be teaching them is to copy his signature celebration of sticking his tongue out on reaching a century. “I did it when I was youngster growing up – I got a cheeky hundred, I was dropped a couple of times and then I got a cheeky hundred so I did it. When my daughter was growing up, she was 2 or 3, she said, ‘Daddy, can you get a hundred for me and poke your tongue out?’ So that’s what I do now,” he said.Taylor has had the chance to do that in two ODIs and a Test this summer, which is not his best tally but has contributed to what he regards as an overall period of good progress for the team. “It has been a great summer,” he said. “Regardless of what happens [in this Test], it has been a successful summer. We retained the Chappell-Hadlee and got some convincing results against Pakistan and Bangladesh. We could finish off the summer really well with a Test victory here and we’ve seen some young players coming through and some veterans stepping up.”The highlight, though, has been the way Kane Williamson has stepped up to the captaincy. Since taking on the job in July last year, Williamson has scored 1079 runs at an average of 59.94 which includes four Test hundreds. He has also become the fastest New Zealander to 5,000 runs and equalled Martin Crowe’s century haul, and Taylor believes there’s no limit to what he can achieve.”He is only 26. He is in fantastic form and he scored a great hundred here. Add into it how the team played in Wellington, going into a must-win match and having to step up at a crucial time, to get a century here – every one starts talking about how many he is going to get,” Taylor said. “He could go down as our best batsman.”

Opener’s unbeaten 118 shows benefit of winter technical work

Paul Edwards05-May-2022
Dominic Sibley will never be a gainly cricketer but he might become an exceptionally effective one once more. Those Warwickshire and England supporters who watched Sibley struggle dreadfully when playing Test cricket last summer would be heartened by such a renaissance and they may be further encouraged when he finally talks about the work he did over the winter.The evidence of that labour – apparently Sibley was often in the Edgbaston nets at eight in the morning – was plain during this marvellously well-contested day at Emirates Old Trafford. When it ended, in glorious May sunlight, the opener had 118 runs against his name. He had batted through the three sessions and had faced 278 balls, 15 of which he had hit for four. So much, so statistical. But the true merit of his innings was plain not in its figures – he has made centuries before, some of them big ones, two of them in Test matches – but in the manner the runs were made.It is, of course, absurd to say Sibley should now be recalled to the England side. Yet innings like this revealed an improved technique and underlying that, the sort of humble, illusionless approach any sportsman needs if he is to recover from the setbacks that will certainly be part of his career. The late wickets taken by Lancashire with the new ball may have given their side the slightest of edges but there is little doubt whose contribution will attract the most notice when this game is reported on the media’s many platforms. Sibley’s “journey”, to borrow the current buzz-word, might be one from which other young cricketers can learn and perhaps it began, ironically, with opting not to play for an England team.When selected for the England Lions squad last autumn it would have been easy for Sibley to go to Australia in the hope of picking up a big hundred and somehow getting straight back in the Test team. Instead, he clearly recognised that such an approach would do little for his technical shortcomings and he opted to spend his winter mornings with Tony Frost and the other Warwickshire coaches in the Edgbaston nets, working on his balance and rebuilding a game that had come close to disintegration in two Tests against India’s pace attack.As a result, Sibley’s batting is no longer an unlucky bag of technical problems. He does not fall across the line of the ball; his hands are less likely to grope out towards the off side; his attacking strokes to leg in front of square have become controlled clips rather than wild shovels. He is also playing much straighter, with his head over the ball; a fine straight drive off George Balderson was a perfect example off this modification. In short he no longer topples over like a hat-stand in a stiff breeze. His batting is characterised by commitment without compulsion.There were sins amid all this righteousness; Sibley’s 380-minute innings was chanceless but by no means faultless. Yet one only needed to recall his fraught cricket last year to realise how much has now changed. And one had to see the struggles some of his partners endured to understand the merit of his innings.The first wicket to fall was that of Alex Davies, whose departure from Lancashire last July came as a surprise to most people at Emirates Old Trafford, maybe even, in a sense, to Davies himself. However, the opener experienced a more predictable leave-taking in the third over of the day’s play when he shouldered arms to a ball from Tom Bailey and lost his off stump. Davies had already been flummoxed twice by his former colleague so one can hardly say his dismissal for an eight-ball eight-minute nought was much of a shock.Sibley’s difficulties, though, have never been of the temperamental variety and throughout the rest of the day he bore the departures of his partners with a phlegmatic shrug. Nearly an hour after Davies’ dismissal, Rob Yates was bowled for 15 by a fine outswinger from Luke Wood that curved back from a middle-stump line and knocked out the off stick. The stump had barely stopped moving before Sibley had turned to the dressing room and indicated he needed new gloves. It would be wrong to interpret this as indifference to reverses; rather it revealed a determination to prepare for a new stage in his side’s innings. The over after Yates was dismissed Sibley cover- and straight-drove Balderson for fours. It was hard to recall him playing the second of those strokes with comparable assurance a year ago.Lancashire, though, are a flinty bunch of cricketers and they allowed Warwickshire few liberties in the afternoon session. Sam Hain batted very competently for his 38 runs but then turned a legspinner from Matt Parkinson into a full toss and drove it to straight to short extra-cover where Rob Jones, the substitute fielder, took the catch above his head. Will Rhodes, who seems out of sorts at present, went back to a legspinner from Parkinson when he should have gone forward and was bowled for 16.Warwickshire came into tea on 169 for 4 and by then it was clear that the nature of the day, although not its balance, might be defined by whether or not Sibley, who was on 76, completed one of the most important centuries of his career. That matter was resolved relatively swiftly. A glanced four off Bailey and a cut off Wood took him nearer the nineties and two fours off Parkinson eased nerves. A single off Balderson brought up the landmark but Sibley acknowledged the matter in the most low-key fashion. He probably knows there is so much more to do in this match, this season and his career. Others can kiss badges if they wish.Lancashire, though, struck the day’s final important blows. Bailey, who seems never to bowl badly, had both Chris Benjamin and Michael Burgess leg before wicket, the former for a fine 47, and Hasan Ali snared Danny Briggs well caught at slip by Keaton Jennings. Sibley watched from the other end and then trudged off. Weather permitting, he will be there again tomorrow. And suddenly, it looks as though there might be a lot of fine tomorrows for him.

Matt Henry was picked over Lockie Ferguson, who had been called up as cover last week for Tim Southee

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2017New Zealand have picked Matt Henry as a replacement for Tim Southee, who is expecting the birth of his child, in the XI for the first Test against West Indies in Wellington, which starts from Friday. Henry was picked over Auckland fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, although captain Kane Williamson admitted the team management had considered the prospect of selecting Ferguson, who had been called up as cover for Southee last week. New Zealand had also added George Worker to their ranks once Southee’s unavailability was confirmed, although Worker does not find a place in the XI. The home team will have only one debutant on Friday, as Tom Blundell steps into the wicketkeeper’s slot in place of the injured BJ Watling.

New Zealand XI for first Test

Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

Henry last played a Test for New Zealand against South Africa in March this year, taking five wickets in the game.”He’s been playing well for a long time and hasn’t had the opportunities that he’s deserved. He’s a different bowler to Lockie and has been bowling with good pace, does tend to move the ball well and it’s exciting for Matt,” Williamson said. “He’s been waiting for an opportunity and doing all the right things, and performed well in our last Test match. He was outstanding.”Williamson said the team had considered the option of picking Ferguson, who has shown great form in domestic cricket over the last month.
Ferguson took a 12-for against Otago in a Plunket Shield fixture and then picked up seven wickets for New Zealand A in the tour match against the West Indians, including a five-for in the first innings.”We did think about it. You’re always looking at the balance of your attack. Lockie’s been playing superbly well and he’s a really exciting talent. It’s always a tough decision.”Uncapped wicketkeeper Tom Blundell is also set to make his debut after he was added to the squad as BJ Watling’s replacement. “Closer to the time, like Thursday, I’d probably get a few more nerves,” Blundell said. “At the moment, I’m just treating it like another game, as cliched as it sounds.”On Wednesday, New Zealand had added Worker to the Test squad for the first time, on the basis of his first-class form. In nine first-class matches this year, Worker has scored 737 runs at an average of 49.13. He has not yet represented New Zealand in Tests, but has played six limited-overs international matches. He made his debut in a T20 against Zimbabwe in October 2015.”Obviously there are things more important than cricket and we support Tim and his decision to stay with his family right now,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “George will join the Test squad for the first time on the back of his form in First Class cricket over the past couple of seasons.”Coming off a series in Zimbabwe that was played primarily on slow pitches, West Indies have practiced with just the solitary warm-up game. Three days ahead of the first Test on December 1, the Basin Reserve surface in Wellington was covered with grass, almost indistinguishable from the rest of the outfield.*0355 GMT. The copy was updated after the announcement of New Zealand’s playing XI for the first Test

England will go into a Lord’s Test with two spinners for the first time in almost a quarter of a century on Thursday

George Dobell at Lord's04-Jul-2017England will go into a Lord’s Test with two spinners for the first time in almost a quarter of a century on Thursday.Ahead of his first Test as captain, Joe Root confirmed that Liam Dawson will form a two-pronged spin attack with Moeen Ali in the first Test of the series against South Africa. It will be the first time England have fielded two specialist spinners in a Lord’s Test since 1993. On that occasion, they conceded 632 for 4 in the first innings on their way to an innings defeat.Some might dispute that neither Dawson nor Moeen is a specialist spinner. Neither has a first-class bowling average under 36 (Moeen’s is 41.89 and Dawson’s 36.86) and it is true that neither would have enjoyed the careers they have without the batting ability that renders them more valuable to each team they represent. They are allrounders by most reasonable definitions.It is Dawson’s inclusion that is most intriguing. Or, as he termed it, “a bit unexpected”. Halfway through the India tour, Adil Rashid looked as if he had gone a long way to establishing himself as England’s first-choice spinner. He claimed 23 wickets in the series.But his star faded as the series progressed. And Dawson, making his debut in Chennai, not only offered England some control with the ball (he conceded three an over in that Test while Rashid went at 5.15) but struck an unbeaten 66 in England’s first innings. Rashid, to be fair, also scored 60 but Dawson emerged as a man the England management felt they could rely upon in all situations. He’s not necessarily a match-winner, but he can keep an end tight and provide late-order acceleration or rebuilding as required with the bat.While that might not, at first glance, appear to fit with the bold talk of positivity that surrounded Root’s elevation to the captaincy, it’s worth remembering that England lost eight Tests in 2016. A team containing the likes of Root and Ben Stokes and Moeen doesn’t necessarily require more flair but more solidity. Dawson looked calm amid the storm in Chennai and while it is hard to see him pulling off spectacular individual performance, it is a team game and he can contribute a supporting role in all departments.It means that Toby Roland-Jones again has to wait for his chance. Even with all the other seamers coming into this Test with something to prove as regards their fitness and even on a surface that just might prove uncharacteristically green, five frontline seamers could have been excessive. Not since 2003 have England fielded five seamers in a Test.When all options are fit, Roland-Jones remains behind Chris Woakes and Jake Ball in the hierarchy, too. With the likes of Jamie Overton, the Curran brothers and Tom Helm also developing, time is probably running out for the 29-year-old Roland-Jones.There have been a couple of other notable faces at Lord’s over the last couple of days. Gary Palmer, the freelance batting coach, had a long session with Alastair Cook that started at 7am on Monday morning (Palmer has been working with Cook regularly over recent months with some success but has found his requests to work with other Test candidates falling on deaf ears), while Chris Taylor, the fielding coach, was also involved in training on Tuesday. Taylor has, on the whole, been used in white-ball sessions, so it is fair to interpret his presence as an attempt to increase the emphasis on fielding. Saqlain Mushtaq, the spin-bowling consultant, and Andy Hurry, head of the ECB’s cricket development programme, were also among the coaching team.Root also confirmed that Gary Ballance would return to the side at No. 3 with the captain dropping to No. 4. Both would, you sense, prefer No. 4 to No. 3, but Root – having fought for the selection of his old friend, flatmate and colleague – is the boss and may well require Ballance to take responsibility for the higher position.Might it have made more sense to pick a specialist for such a position? Mark Stoneman, in particular, can probably count himself unfortunate. Even for England Lions at the weekend, Ballance batted at No. 4.Either way, a recall to No. 3 is a huge ask for a man enjoying his third – and potentially final – incarnation as an England player. But a few months ago it seemed Ballance had almost no way back as a Test player. This is a great opportunity for him.

Zambia, which was suspended in 2019, is no longer a member, while Russia has been suspended

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2021The ICC has announced that Mongolia, Tajikistan and Switzerland will be its newest members during the 78th Annual General Meeting.Mongolia and Tajikistan are the 22nd and 23rd members of the Asia region, while Switzerland is Europe’s 35th Member, with the ICC now comprising 106 Members in total, including 94 Associates.Meanwhile, Zambia, which was suspended at the ICC AGM in 2019, is no longer a member due to continued non-compliance with ICC Membership Criteria. Russia too has been suspended and, according to a release, has until the time of the next ICC AGM to demonstrate compliance or risk having its membership terminated.

The ICC Membership Criteria Zambia and Russia failed to meet

2.2 (a)(i) Have the appropriate status, structure, recognition, membership and competence to be recognized by the ICC (at its absolute discretion) as the primary governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket (men’s and women’s) in its country

2.2 (b)(i) Have in place a detailed governance system that: (i) is fit for purpose; (ii) includes, as a minimum (a) a detailed written constitution containing provisions covering membership, AGMs and voting rights, and (b) adequate integrity related rules and regulations covering anticorruption, anti-doping and ethics; and (iii) is consistently applied

2.2 b(ii) Have in place an executive, administrative and corporate structure which is fit for purpose and which will enable the Applicant to exercise all the duties and responsibilities placed on it by its constitution and to meet its strategic plan

“We are delighted to be welcoming three new Members into the ICC family, which reflects the growth and potential of the global game,” William Glenwright, ICC general manager for development, said. “All three applications demonstrated an impressive commitment to growing the game – particularly amongst women and youth – and we look forward to assisting them in achieving their potential.”As cricket activity begins to emerge from the pandemic, we are at an exciting stage of cricket’s growth with ambitious plans and projects to deliver in partnership with our Members to not only navigate the impact of Covid-19 but to also help achieve transformative growth for the sport globally.”The Mongolian Cricket Association (MCA) was established in 2007. The sport was officially accepted into the National Youth Games in 2019. According to an ICC release, women account for 39% of all participants playing school cricket. In addition, Mongolia is due to host the International Youth Green Games in September 2021 where cricket has been selected as one of the participating sports.Cricket Switzerland (CS), which was inaugurated as an association in 2014, currently comprises 33 active clubs. They organise three domestic men’s competitions and compete regularly in Central European tournaments. The Tajikistan Cricket Federation, which was officially formed in 2011 with the support of the Ministry of Sports and Olympic Committee, has led the development of infrastructure and the building of a domestic cricket structure focusing on women and junior cricket.

X-rays cleared Warner of a break as Australia were confident enough in his fitness to confirm their XI the day before the match

Andrew McGlashan15-Dec-2021David Warner will play through the pain of a damaged rib in the second Test against England while Jhye Richardson has been confirmed as Josh Hazlewood’s replacement for the day-night encounter.Warner did not field throughout England’s second innings at the Gabba and did not bat during the short chase after sustaining a blow from Ben Stokes on the second day. X-rays cleared him of a break and Australia were confident enough in his fitness to confirm their XI the day before the match.He did not look comfortable during a net session on Tuesday evening and only faced throwdowns instead of the bowlers.Pat Cummins said a painkilling injection into the ribs remained an option for Warner but it was not part of the plan before the match. He also expected Warner to be able to take his place in the slips.”If Davey didn’t feel like he could be as good as normal, he wouldn’t be playing,” Cummins said. “I don’t think he’ll bat any different to how he normally would.David Warner nurses his ribs in the Adelaide Oval nets•AFP/Getty Images

“He batted yesterday with a bit of discomfort [but] knowing Davey he’s not going to miss this one. He’ll be fine when the adrenalin kicks in. It’s not like a broken bone that is going to get worse.”Last season, Warner returned to the side for the final two Tests against India when still significantly hampered by the groin injury he picked up during the one-day series.Richardson, meanwhile, was the expected replacement for Hazlewood who was unavailable due to the side injury he picked up at the Gabba. He made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2019 before suffering a serious shoulder injury that required two operations.”Jhye has been battling his way back since 2019… if we go back to 2019, he played two really good Tests and was on the verge of an Ashes series and a World Cup before his shoulder injury,” Cummins said. “He’s worked incredibly hard, had a great start to this year for WA and we think he’s firing.”He’s really skilled, can swing the ball both ways and can nip the ball. He’s a bit faster than you think – he can be around that 140kph [87mph] mark. In Shield cricket, he’s bowled 20 overs for 20 runs sometimes. Josh is a big void to fill but we are really confident Jhye will step straight in.”