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Requirement to field seven players of colour by 2022-23, including three Black Africans, put on hold

Firdose Moonda04-Dec-2020Cricket South Africa’s interim board have temporarily suspended new transformation targets imposed on national teams which would have required them to field seven players of colour, including a minimum of three black African players, by the 2022-23 season. The message was communicated to team management on Thursday and is effective immediately, and board will deliberate on the best way to ensure representation at its next few meetingsThat means that, for now, the South African team is required to stick to the old target, calculated on average over the course of a season, which asks them to field a minimum of six players of colour, of which two are black African. They had begun the international season under instruction to increase that to three black African players – which they stuck to in all three T20s against England although they fell short of the overall players of colour requirement – but can now revert to two black African players if they decide to.”The documents regarding transformation by the previous board are held in abeyance until the interim board is able to apply to its mind. We have asked that be communicated to [director of cricket] Graeme Smith, [selector convenor] Victor Mpitsang and [head coach] Mark Boucher,” Judith February, a member of the interim board, told ESPNcricinfo.The interim board had, up to this point, not had the opportunity to address transformation targets as it continues to work through the forensic report which was used to fire former CEO Thabang Moroe. The report also implicates company secretary Welsh Gwaza, who has since been suspended. Gwaza was a permanent invitee on every CSA committee, including the transformation one, although it is not known how much influence he had on the new targets, which were presented to South Africa’s sports minister Nathi Mthethwa by former independent board member Eugenia Kula-Ameyaw, who has since resigned.As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier this week the new targets would require 25% of the national team to be made up of black African players (up from 18% until the end of last season). Next season, 2021-22, the percentage is set to increase to 27%, and in the 2022-23 season it would sit at 33%. The number of players of colour required overall sits at 58% now, and is set to increase to 63% by 2022-23.ALSO READ: CSA release forensic audit in wake of firing of CEO Thabang MoroeWhile the percentages do not always equate exactly to a set number of players, it meant that, this season, South Africa needed to field between six and seven players of colour in a team, of which at least three would have to be black African more often than not. Though the targets were not made public, they were evident in practice, when Anrich Nortje missed out on the first T20. With Kagiso Rabada ruled out of the ODIs, the target could have proved difficult to maintain.The interim board has not set a timeframe when they will pronounce on new targets, though they are only expected to be in their positions for three months, ending in January 2021. That means things could change again for the national team during the course of this season. It also remains to be seen how the ministry, who have previously criticised CSA’s transformation record, will receive new targets.Mthethwa has given the interim board the scope to “have no holy cows” in doing as much as it can to stabilise CSA, and has described them as “a group of people who would know what to do”.

Ollie Robinson completes ten-for but Middlesex stay in game after poor start

David Hopps at Hove19-Aug-2019A quorum of former cricket writers had descended upon Hove by pure happenstance on the second day and after much reminiscing about Great Stories We Have Known nobody had the faintest idea how to best write this piece. For much of the second half of the day nothing hugely newsworthy happened. Which, in a funny sort of way, was exactly what Middlesex needed as they sought a win to keep their promotion challenge alive from an all but hopeless position.When you are bowled out for 75 on the first day, and suffer a heavy first-innings deficit as a consequence, about the best you could hope for in Middlesex’s position was that the pitch quietened, the match became a backdrop for spectators’ idle chatter and the second-innings score mounted quietly without anybody really noticing.Sam Robson, a good player, slight yet judicious, and eminently capable of going about his work with barely a murmur, made an admirable attempt to maintain that mood until the close. He closed on 61 from 140 balls, a selective knock with 10 boundaries, but Middlesex, at 149 for 4, still trailed by 85.Middlesex’s first task as they faced a deficit of 234, if they were to get back into the match, was to subdue Ollie Robinson who had returned 8 for 34 – the best figures in the Championship this season – in the first innings. Robson did just that admirably, taking 26 from 42 balls from Robinson without much sign of risk. On this occasion, he met the medium pace of Tom Haines more cautiously, finding release only once in a drive down the ground.By the close, however, Robinson’s match tally had swollen to 10 wickets. Stevie Eskinazi was bowled through the gate in the first over and Paul Stirling, who made a third-ball nought, was to fall in identical fashion on a floodlit evening. Jared Warner, a Yorkshire loanee, had Nick Gubbins caught at second slip, although his most dangerous ball came late on when he had Robson leaping in self preservation.That left Dawid Malan, a prize wicket, an excellent first scalp for the debutant left-arm spinner, Elliot Hooper. Malan was unfortunate as his dead bat could not prevent the ball from running into the stumps. He has had a fine season for all that and one senses that in a parallel universe, with England clearly needing an uncompromising character in the middle order, he would be batting against Australia in the Ashes.If Middlesex’s descent to 74 all out was galling enough on the opening day, at least it owed much to the excellence of Robinson on a surface that seamed little and often. But their concession of that lead of 234 must have been more exasperating for their coach Stuart Law as they dragged themselves back into the match only to throw it all away in a careless half-hour before lunch.Sussex resumed at 128 for three with a lead of 53 and, although Luke Wells and Alex Carey both registered half-centuries in extending their fourth-wicket stand to 125 in 38 overs, the loss of four wickets for 11 runs in 37 balls thrust Middlesex back into the match.Toby Roland-Jones took three of them, running in long and languidly from the Cromwell Road End, a bowler with an approach so extensive that it might have a bus stop en route. He did not find the movement that Robinson had on the first day, but he finished with a creditable 5 for 70, removing Wells with a chip into the leg side, Carey to an on-drive that flew to second slip and David Wiese, caught at the wicket for nought. Ben Brown perished, too, for nought, cutting at Tim Murtagh.With Sussex’s lead 76, and three wickets to get, Middlesex were back in the match, only to cast aside their recovery in a dreadful half hour before lunch when Steven Finn and James Harris leaked 57 in six overs down the slope – and one of those was a Finn maiden.There were 13 boundaries in that spell and, as well as Robinson and Will Beer counter-attacked, many of them were gifts. As another half volley was dispatched to an invitingly short leg side boundary, the opening line of Amy Winehouse’s song, “Me & Mr Jones”, came to mind.Ever since he made a century on debut for Sussex, Robinson’s danger with the bat has been apparent and Beer, primarily a legspinner, has busied himself over much of the past decade as Sussex 2nd XI’s most reliable batsman. Nevertheless, as a soft period that exemplified why Middlesex why lie sixth when many expected them to be comfortably in the top three it took some beating.By the time Robinson tapped back a full toss from the legspinner Nathan Sowter immediately after lunch, Sussex were running free. Even at nine down, Middlesex were not free from self-inflicted wounds, this time quite literally as Beer slapped Sowter’s long hop to long off where Finn was struck in the face as the ball ran through his hands.At the time it summed matters up. It will take a lot more of Sam Robson, or someone else, to change that.

Australia’s new T20 start reflects on his “whirlwind” rise from the fringes of the domestic scene to pushing for a World Cup spot

Andrew McGlashan05-Jun-20181:01

‘It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for me’ – Short

D’Arcy Short has reflected on a “whirlwind” rise from the fringes of the Australian domestic scene to pushing for a place in next year’s World Cup squad.Since the beginning of the last Australian season he has helped his state, Western Australia, win the JLT one-day cup, enjoyed a prolific Big Bash with Hobart Hurricanes, where he was the tournament’s leading scorer as they reached the final, made his T20I debut and earned an IPL deal.Now an ODI debut is on the horizon, with Short the favourite to take David Warner’s opening spot alongside Aaron Finch when the one-day series against England starts next week.All this for a player who, having first played state cricket in 2011 before drifting to the margins of the set-up over the next six years, almost packed it in.”I was probably close to giving it up for a while,” Short said after training at Lord’s on Tursday, his first experience of the famous ground. “It’s been quite a whirlwind experience in the last 12 months.”His BBL exploits earned him an Australia call-up for the T20 tri-series involving England and New Zealand plus an IPL contract Rajasthan Royals. Internationally he was an instant hit, making 196 runs in five innings, including 76 off 44 balls in the world-record run chase at Eden Park.The IPL proved somewhat less successful – a brace of 44s the peak of his seven outings – but he hopes to put the lessons to good use.”The IPL experience was quite a different one for me, I struggled a little bit at the start – got run out twice which wasn’t the greatest start for me – but it was definitely a good experience in the end and hopefully I’ve learnt a lot from it.”I faced a lot of spin over there so hopefully I can put that to use. Working on that and different parts of my game rather than being one-dimensional.”He spent time developing his left-arm wristspin by working with Shane Warne. “It’s come a long way in a short amount of time and I’m feeling pretty confident with it,” he said, a hint, perhaps, that it will be seen during the one-day series.One of the key figures in the revival of Short’s career has been the man now in charge of the Australia team – Justin Langer. It was Langer who implored Short to get fit and then brought him into the WA side for the JLT Cup. No wonder he’s comfortable around the new man in charge.”It’s definitely familiar, just feels like it’s different colours. I get along with him well,” Short said.Short’s story is significant for more than just the fact he has rejuvenated his career. He is also the first Indigenous Australian batsman to represent his country and just the sixth Indigenous cricketer overall after Dan Christian, Jason Gillespie, Scott Boland, Faith Thomas and Ash Gardner.Short was due to be part of the historic Indigenous tour of England, which is currently being undertaken by men’s and women’s teams, marking the 150-year anniversary of the first tour made in 1868.His full international call superseded that trip – which includes Christian, Boland and Gardner – but Short remains very aware of its significance. It was playing for an Australian Indigenous XI during a tournament in Brisbane last year that helped Short on his way back.”I think it puts a little bit of belief into them [Indigenous players] that they can go further,” Short said when asked about being a role model. “It certainly did for me, getting a go there then making my way into the state side and then the Aussie side. It’s certainly a good pathway for them.”It means a lot that they have the opportunity to come over here.”

Offspinner Mehedi Hasan has earned his first senior call-up to the Bangladesh limited-overs squad

Mohammad Isam23-Mar-2017Nineteen-year-old offspinner Mehedi Hasan has been called into Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka that starts on March 25. This is the first senior call-up for Mehedi in the limited-overs format. His addition means the squad now comprises 17 members, and it remains to be seen if he gets picked in the XI for the first ODI in Dambulla.Mehedi was Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in the Test series against Sri Lanka with 10 scalps, and has so far played seven Tests, taking 35 wickets at an average of 31.80. He had travelled back to Dhaka from Colombo with the other Test players not in the ODI squad, and will now return to Colombo today.Mehedi has 27 wickets in as many List-A matches, having last played for Kalabagan Cricket Academy in the Dhaka Premier League last year. Mehedi was initially selected in the Bangladesh U-23 squad for the upcoming ACC Emerging Nations Cup, but has now been replaced by U-19 spinner Naeem Hasan.Bangladesh ODI squad: Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Roy, Sunzamul Islam, Shuvagata Hom, Nurul Hasan, Mehedi Hasan

An England implosion that saw their last seven wickets go down for just 14 runs and a sublime performance with the bat, combining the power of AB de Villiers with the elegance of Hashim Amla, saw South Africa seal the two-match T20 series in emphatic fash

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAn England implosion that saw their last seven wickets go down for just 14 runs and a sublime performance with the bat, combining the power of AB de Villiers with the elegance of Hashim Amla, saw South Africa seal the two-match T20 series in emphatic fashion. Victory meant South Africa won both limited-overs series against England, after losing the Test series, and ended the tour in fine style.On a Wanderers pitch packed with runs, England needed a total in excess of 200 but could not get away at the start of the innings, rebuilt with a 96-run stand between Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler and then collapsed. De Villiers and Amla then made England wonder if 300 would have been enough when they polished off 100 runs inside seven overs to set South Africa up for a dominant win.Unlike in the previous matches on this tour, South Africa did not allow England to get away from them early on. Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott kept a lid on things by bowling back of a length. Rabada could have had Jason Roy out first ball but JP Duminy spilled the catch at short cover. Ten balls later, Rabada had his man when Roy tried to smack him down the ground, was beaten for pace and his off stump was uprooted.South Africa continued with their short-ball strategy but it did not work as well against Joe Root. He scored the first boundary of the innings off one of those deliveries and went on to punish Abbott, Rabada, Chris Morris and then David Wiese, who was dealt with even more severely once Root was dismissed.The introduction of spin allowed South Africa to pull things back when Imran Tahir had Root caught on the extra cover boundary and he was on hand to run out Alex Hales when Eoin Morgan seemed to commit a second as Morris raced in from deep midwicket. By the time he sent Hales back it was too late.AB de Villiers went off like a train in the chase•Getty Images

With two new batsmen at the crease, England needed time to rebuild and once Buttler had settled, he took it on himself to accelerate. He found runs with power and placement, particularly off Wiese, who missed the yorker and tried the slower ball without success.
Morgan joined the party and Wiese’s second and third overs cost 30 runs.He was replaced by Duminy, who fared no better. Buttler targeted Duminy, Morgan looked more confident than he has throughout the series and was reading Morris well. With four overs to go, England, on 150, were well on track for a big score.Then, their fortunes changed. Buttler was caught inches off the turf by Faf du Plessis and Morgan was run out at the non-striker’s end in successive balls. England had two new men in again and their luck got no better. Stokes was caught off a ball that he should have hit into the ground but which popped up to Morris, Duminy made up for his earlier blunder with a good catch on the boundary to remove Moeen Ali and England were in free fall.Abbott was rewarded for accuracy with two wickets in two balls at the death and England were bowled out without completing their 20 overs. Rabada took the final wicket in similar fashion to the way he claimed the first when he removed Adil Rashid’s off stump.At altitude and with a fast outfield, South Africa would have known the target was chaseable but may not have expected to get it as quickly as they did. De Villiers was in no mood to stick around. The first ball he faced found the boundary and that was just the beginning.He sent the ball into the stands, the grass embankment and even the parking lot in a display of innovative hitting that the Wanderers has seen before. The ground was the venue of de Villiers’ fastest ODI century and has now also witnessed his fastest fifty in the shortest format. It came off 21-balls.By then Amla, who only had eight runs when de Villiers had 40, had just about caught up. In entirely contrasting style, Amla added 32 runs off nine balls with touches of finesse, like his flick through fine leg, and excellent timing.South Africa’s hundred was up in the seventh over and none of the England bowlers was spared. The attack were all guilty of missing their lines, often bowling too full and on the pads and were overawed by the assault they came under. De Villiers found the boundary six times and went over it another six but finally miscued Rashid to long-off to give England some relief but not much hope.Amla got to fifty soon after, off 27 balls and batted through. He had his highest T20 international score by the time du Plessis finished off to give South Africa victory with 5.2 overs to spare.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s interim president, has said that the board will accept the Decision Review System (DRS) only when the technology used is “fool-proof”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2013Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s interim president, has said that the board will accept the Decision Review System (DRS) only when the technology used is “fool-proof”. Dalmiya said that the DRS has created confusion in its current form and the BCCI would adopt the technology once the system was “100% correct”.”We will accept DRS when technology is foolproof. There’s nothing in between. Full stop,” Dalmiya told the . “Let them come up with a system which is 100% correct. They couldn’t fix the Duckworth-Lewis problem in 15 years, what guarantee do we have about an error-free DRS? The Duckworth-Lewis method is beyond most of the players and administrators, let alone the common fans. I am still trying to figure out how a team total is increased on the basis of projection. The whole process is very complicated and confusing. And rather than solving the riddle, DRS creates more confusion in its present form.”Dalmiya also said that he had expected India to be isolated on the DRS matter at the ICC’s annual conference earlier in the year, but had not faced any opposition from other members.”Before going to the ICC meeting I was a bit iffy as I was told by some quarters that India would be completely isolated on the DRS issue,” Dalmiya said. “But after I was done with my presentation on that day, there was not a single voice of protest.”India were a part of the first-ever Test series in 2008 which featured DRS. But the team voted against the use of the system and the board decided to back the players. The BCCI also declined the recommendation of the ICC’s cricket committee to embrace the DRS in all formats of the game at the international level.

The New South Wales batsman Kurtis Patterson is one of three players with senior state cricket experience named in Australia’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2012The New South Wales batsman Kurtis Patterson is one of three players with senior state cricket experience named in Australia’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup. However, the Australians have not yet named a captain for the tournament, which will be held in Queensland in August and at which they will be the defending champions after Mitchell Marsh led his side to the title in New Zealand two years ago.Patterson, who scored 157 in his Sheffield Shield debut last summer, will be joined in the 15-man squad by the batsman Travis Head, who made a promising start to his career for South Australia last season, and Cameron Bancroft, who has played for Western Australia. The batsman Meyrick Buchanan, who played on game for the Melbourne Renegades in the inaugural Big Bash League, has also been included.”Overall, I think we’ve got a squad that’s pretty well balanced with good batting depth, a variety of bowling options which includes good pace bowlers and a couple of excellent developing spinners,” Greg Chappell, Cricket Australia’s national talent manager, said. “Playing at home in Queensland will always place more of a spotlight and expectation on this team to do well in front of a home crowd and in familiar conditions, but we know this is going to be a fierce challenge against quality opposition.”We played Pakistan in the 2010 final in Christchurch and two years before that India won the title so we know the subcontinent teams are always very strong and that is no different whether we play them away or at home. We also saw a very good West Indies outfit last year in Dubai and in the quad series this year we saw first-hand an attacking England outfit and a talented New Zealand line-up, along with the Indian side.”There is no doubt this is going to be huge challenge for our team but we’ve had some very good preparation and we’ll continue that right up to the World Cup by playing Pakistan on the Gold Coast later this month.”The side will be coached by Stuart Law, as part of his new role as high performance coach at the Centre of Excellence. Law said he was looking forward to steering Australia’s young cricketers through a challenging tournament.”The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is the pinnacle for players at this age level,” Law said. “You only have to look back at the last couple of tournaments to see the quick progress some players have made. India’s 2008 captain Virat Kohli is now established at international level, while we’ve seen 2010 Australian representatives Mitch Marsh and Josh Hazlewood quickly advance to an opportunity within the Australian team in limited-overs cricket.”There’s no bigger challenge than playing against the best players from around the world and the Under-19 World Cup provides that opportunity for players of this age. We know it’s going to be challenge and playing at home only lifts that expectation but we’re certainly looking forward to the tournament.”Prior to the World Cup, Australia will play a three-match series against Pakistan on the Gold Coast, in preparation for their title defence. The squad for that series will include the 15 men named for the World Cup, along with extra players Sebastian Gotch, Joshua McClelland and Alex Gregory.Under-19 World Cup squad Ashton Agar (Vic), Cameron Bancroft (WA), William Bosisto (WA), Meyrick Buchanan (Vic), Harry Conway (NSW), Sam Hain (Qld), Travis Head (SA), Joel Paris (WA), Kurtis Patterson (NSW), James Peirson (Qld), Gurinder Sandhu (NSW), Mark Steketee (Qld), Nicholas Stevens (Qld), Ashton Turner (WA), Jack Wildermuth (Qld).

The Ashes series finished more than four months ago, but for Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott it looked like only yesterday as the pair resumed their remarkable run-scoring combination

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan28-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlastair Cook and Jonathan Trott produced another huge stand to put England in control•Getty Images

The Ashes series finished more than four months ago, but for Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott it looked like only yesterday as the pair resumed their remarkable run-scoring combination with a century each in an unbroken stand of 240 in Cardiff. Cook reached his 17th Test hundred to continue his prolific form from Australia and Trott brought up number six to cement his mighty average as England moved to 287 for 2.Play was delayed until 2pm on a damp, chilly day and the atmosphere couldn’t have been more removed from the cauldrons of the Gabba and MCG, yet it made no difference to the hunger of either batsman. Cook’s hundred came from 224 balls when he collected his eighth boundary with a rasping cut off Suranga Lakmal and it was his fifth in ten innings since the 110 against Pakistan, at The Oval, when many were calling for his head. Trott’s followed not long after, from 196 deliveries, with a flowing cover drive in the first over of the second new ball, and the pair’s alliance became England’s best for any wicket against Sri Lanka.There is more rain forecast for the final two days, but England have the platform from which to put Sri Lanka under pressure although they will be down to a three-man bowling attack after James Anderson was diagnosed with a side strain. Despite the news that he won’t bowl again in this Test, and is a serious doubt for Lord’s, Anderson resumed as nightwatchman. However, he didn’t last long before jabbing Ajantha Mendis to slip with England having not added to their overnight total. Yet it didn’t harm England’s prospects as, unless a nightwatchman can score quickly, his presence tends to hold up the game and that wasn’t what this match needed after so many delays.Instead, it allowed the two major batting stars of the Ashes to join forces again. It was a slow start as they got used to facing Mendis and refused to chase the succession of wide deliveries from the seamers, but steadily the runs began to flow. The first boundary of the day came with a Trott square drive in the 12th over of the session and it was actually the removal of Mendis from the attack that helped England increase the rate.

Smart stats

• The undefeated 240-run stand between Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott is the highest for England against Sri Lanka, going past the previous of 202 by Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher at Edgbaston almost nine years ago.

• It’s also the fourth-highest third-wicket partnership for England in the last 20 years.

• In 16 partnerships, Cook and Trott have put together 1161 runs at an average of 82.92, with four century stands.

• The stand also continues outstanding sequences for both Cook and Trott. Cook has already scored 17 hundreds in only 66 Tests, and has been involved in 13 of the last 20 partnerships of 150 or above for England.

• In 19 matches, Trott averages 66.34 and has scored six hundreds. In his last 12 Tests he averages 95.30, with five hundreds.

Rangana Herath struggled to settle into a consistent line as he offered Cook an opportunity to put away an early cut then Trott drove him through the covers. At the other end Thisara Perera was dispatched for consecutive boundaries by Cook although the first of those flew between second slip and gully off the edge.Cook went to his fifty and Trott then began to catch him up with some trademark leg-side shots off the seamers who fell into the same trap as the Australians by bowling too straight. In the last over before tea the pair brought up their fourth hundred partnership in Tests and the one significant alarm in the entire stand came when Trott could have been run out by a direct hit from mid-on on 59, but Perera’s throw missed despite having three stumps to aim at.It was a rare opportunity for Sri Lanka and their attack was toothless on a slow pitch. Lakmal was wholehearted and Mendis economical, but from early on in the Cook-Trott stand there was the sense that Tillakaratne Dilshan wanted to protect what he had with 400 on the board rather than try and bowl England out. There was a period of an hour-and-a-half when they didn’t hit a boundary, but with sweepers in place ones and twos were on offer to keep the scoreboard ticking.As the final session progressed the scoring rate increased and either side of the two batsmen reaching hundreds runs came at more than five-an-over. The taking of the new ball helped England as the extra pace off the bat negated a slower outfield – Mendis conceded his first boundaries of the day when Trott twice put him through the covers – and Dilshan had to have a few more men in attacking positions. One thing the new ball didn’t do, though, was provide Sri Lanka a breakthrough and they face plenty more leather chasing in this innings.

If Sunday’s third match at Old Trafford follows the pattern of the series so far, then England will back themselves to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead with two games to come

The Preview by Andrew Miller26-Jun-2010

Match facts

Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen have a lot to smile about as the mid-point of the series approaches•Getty Images

June 27, 2010, Old Trafford
Start time 10.45am (9.45GMT)

Big picture

Anyone who questions the relevance of this isolated five-match ODI series should have been present at Cardiff on Thursday to witness the darkening of Ricky Ponting’s features when it was put to him by a fellow Australian that England are on the verge of claiming bragging rights in all three formats of international cricket. His response was abrupt and prickly, and betrayed the frustration he feels after two contests that were significantly more one-sided than their eventual four-wicket margins suggested.If Sunday’s third match at Old Trafford follows the pattern of the series so far, then England will back themselves to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead with two games to come, and will have gone a long, long way towards wiping the memory of their 6-1 reversal in September last year. And while Ponting rightly inferred that such an achievement hardly matches the trio of World Cups and back-to-back Champions Trophy titles that his men have racked up over the past decade, he is clearly concerned by the extent to which his team’s standards have slipped in the past week. It is the price you pay for sustained magnificence.Paul Collingwood, who became England’s leading run-maker in ODI history on Thursday, has found himself talking the sort of talk that no English ODI team in living memory has felt sufficiently confident to put into words. “It’s not arrogance,” he declared. “We are the better side at the moment,” and it’s hard to disagree with that assessment. A bullish batting line-up has men for all occasions, not least Eoin Morgan’s finishing skills, while the bowlers who thrived at the World Twenty20 have taken the urgency of the shortened format, and learned to adapt their tactics on the hoof.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

England WWWWW

Australia LLWLW

Watch out for…

Until Friday, Shaun Tait was plying his trade for Glamorgan in the FP t20, but now he’s right back into the thick of the Aussie squad, and given the threadbare nature of their attack, it would be no surprise to see him pitched straight in at Old Trafford, especially given the pitch’s pacy reputation in recent years. Tait is regarded as the ultimate short, sharp shock. His searing speed and penchant for the yorker have made him a fixture in Twenty20 cricket, although his last fifty-over game came in February 2009.After two years of finding his feet, Luke Wright is coming into his own as an international cricketer. His belligerent batting is still arguably a place too high at No. 6 in the order, but an uncomplicated approach is no bad thing in a side that’s brimming with confidence. His bowling, on the other hand, has been a revelation in recent weeks. An up-and-at-’em run-up, and a tight and aggressive line has proven extremely hard to dominate, and he has a belief in his own abilities that transcends any skill or subtlety. He, more than anyone else, epitomises the positive approach of this new-look England team.

Team news

No changes are anticipated to Australia’s top six, who have acquitted themselves well without quite kicking on to the impregnable totals needed against England’s powerful line-up. Their bowlers, however, have been on a bit of a merry-go-round, with three changes after the first match, and further alterations now required following Hauritz’s withdrawal. Steven Smith, who removed Kevin Pietersen in his first over of the series, will have an important role to play with his legspin.Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Shaun Tait, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Doug Bollinger.No need to tinker for England, and no likelihood that they will do so either, especially seeing as Ryan Sidebottom and Ian Bell were released to play for their counties on Friday.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Michael Yardy, 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.

Pitch and conditions

Old Trafford didn’t quite live up to expectations during the recent Test against Bangladesh, but there’s enough life in the surface for all the quicks to enjoy themselves, and for the spinners to obtain that extra bounce that makes the difference to their impact. The weather is expected to be glorious once again, so it’s another win-toss-and-bat scenario.

Stats and Trivia

• England have now won seven ODIs in a row, their best performance in 50-over cricket since 1997-98, when they beat Australia 3-0 in the Texaco Trophy, before Adam Hollioake’s men stormed the desert in Sharjah. What happened next, however, didn’t make for such pleasant reading …
• There have been 37 ODIs at Old Trafford, dating back to 1972, but England’s recent record on the ground is indifferent. Though they won their most recent fixture, against India in 2007, their only other victory since 1996 came against Zimbabwe in 2000.
• At Cardiff, Paul Collingwood became England’s leading run-maker in ODI history, surpassing Alec Stewart’s tally of 4677, and finishing the match on 4693. That figure, however, places him a lowly 62nd on the all-time list.

Quotes

“If that’s what you think, that’s fine. Have a look at our head-to-heads in Test cricket, one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket and tell me who has the bragging rights.”

“It’s very encouraging, and we all feel like we are part of something that can grow, and grow, and grow.”

Andrew Strauss is enjoying the winning feeling that England are cultivating at the moment

Former India coach has signed a multi-year contract with the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-20247:30

Will coach Dravid’s India experience make a difference at Royals?

Rahul Dravid has been formally announced as Rajasthan Royals’ new head coach for a multi-year term, and he said it was the “ideal time” to “take on another challenge” after guiding India to the T20 World Cup title in June this year.”I am pleased to be returning to the franchise I have called ‘home’ for a number of years in the past,” Dravid said in a statement, having captained RR in IPL 2012 and 2013, and been their team mentor in 2014 and 2015. “After the World Cup, I feel it’s the ideal time for me to take on another challenge, and the Royals is the perfect place to do that … It’s an exciting opportunity for us to take this team to the next level given the kind of talent and resources we have at our disposal and I’m looking forward to getting started.”ESPNcricinfo had reported two days ago that Dravid and RR had signed a deal and also had initial conversations on player retentions ahead of the upcoming mega auction. He has a long-standing working relationship with the RR captain Sanju Samson, who came through the under-19 ranks on Dravid’s watch.Dravid’s appointment marks his return to the IPL for the first time since 2019, when he became the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. In 2021, he was appointed head coach of the India men’s team and ended his three-year stint with their first ICC title in 11 years.RR said in a statement that Dravid will “commence with the team immediately, working with Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara to implement the franchise’s overall cricketing strategy.”RR have not won the IPL title since the inaugural season in 2008; their next best finish was in 2022 when they came runners-up to Gujarat Titans. They failed to make the playoffs in 2023, finishing fifth in the league despite a terrific start to the season, but did so in 2024 and were knocked out in Qualifier 2.”We are delighted to be bringing Rahul back to the franchise,” RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum said. “His exceptional coaching capabilities are evident with the transformation he’s driven in Indian cricket. He also has a deep connection to the franchise, and we’ve seen that passion come through in all our conversations. Rahul has already got to work with Kumar (Sangakkara) and the rest of the team, as we prepare for this exciting new period for the franchise starting with IPL retention and the auction just around the corner.”