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Luke Ronchi says that leaving the ball early on forced the Bangladesh bowlers to bowl to the New Zealand batters’ strengths

Mohammad Isam09-Jan-2022New Zealand are on their way to a mammoth first-innings total against Bangladesh in Christchurch, and they have set it up by doing what they are happiest doing: stick to their basics and forcing the bowlers to bowl at them.According to batting coach Luke Ronchi, the trio of Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway left the ball well early in their respective innings, which frustrated the bowlers. They lost Young for 54, but rode on Latham’s unbeaten 186 and Conway’s 99 not out to end the first day on 349 for 1.Related

• Tom Latham lauds New Zealand's 'perfect performance'

• Ross Taylor: 'All good things have to come to an end'

• Latham, Conway, Young push Bangladesh to a corner

“A massive part of it was to do the basics well and right for a long period of time,” Ronchi said. “We did it quite well at the Mount [Maunganui] but we let ourselves down in periods that brought Bangladesh back into the game. We did it for the whole day today. The guys were amazing.”We also put pressure on to their spin bowling. In the last game, we let them bowl a bit too much. Today, there was a bit of emphasis on putting him [Mehidy Hasan Miraz] under pressure so that they bring on the quick bowlers back a bit more. It worked quite nicely for us today.”The plan to take on Mehidy paid off, as the offspinner had none for 95 from his 25 overs, having conceded nine fours and a six.It was particularly crucial for Latham to get a big score following his failures in Mount Maunganui. This was Latham’s first hundred as a Test captain too, and one that came in a pressure situation, after he had lost the toss.”Leading into the series, his mindset has been amazing. We had some work between Tests. What we saw today was amazing,” Ronchi said. “You will get a bit of luck on green surfaces but also you have make the most of it. Some of his drives, the sound it made off the bat was awesome. It was a fantastic day for both Tom, Devon and Young.”I have seen some amazing innings from him [Latham] in all formats. He has the temperament and confidence through the work he puts in between Tests. His numbers as a New Zealand opener is fantastic. He is a good leader in the group.”Ronchi didn’t expect Conway to be too perturbed about being on 99 overnight.”Dev is a different individual. He is more than happy to be on whatever score, and still be batting,” Ronchi said. “He will have his sleep tonight, and start again tomorrow. He will just be Devon Conway. He has put out some outrageous numbers from the winter to this summer. It is a pleasure watching him bat.”With 186 against his name, and New Zealand likely to look to bat Bangladesh out of the game, Latham could well have a really big score lined up.”Just let him get as many as he can,” Ronchi said. “You always want to see things like that [the triple-century mark] broken. It is about doing his processes as he has done so well in this innings, and starting again tomorrow. It is the best way we perform. Keep batting and make a really substantial team score.”

The current hope is that Marsh will be available for the Sheffield Shield which will start next month

Andrew McGlashan and Dan Brettig24-Sep-2020Cricket Australia is working with the IPL to organise how they will get injured allrounder Mitchell Marsh back home where he will then have to quarantine for two weeks as he begins his rehabilitation from the ankle problem that curtailed his tournament after just one match.Under normal circumstances the logistics would be simple with Marsh getting a flight back to Western Australia as soon as possible, but in the Covid-19 landscape there is significantly reduced commercial air travel and government-enforced restrictions on getting back to Australia. When the players travelled from the UK after the limited-overs tour they shared a private chartered flight with the England cohort.ALSO READ: Injury, illness, selection: the ups and downs of Mitchell MarshIf Marsh is to return directly to Perth he will have to get exemption from the Western Australian government then quarantine for two weeks. The other option is he could fly to Adelaide and be based at the hotel at the ground where the members of the Australia squad who came straight back from the UK are currently doing their quarantine period.However, under the latter arrangement Marsh would then have to do a further two weeks isolation in Perth when he returns home as Western Australia currently has a hard border to all other states.Marsh injured his ankle in his opening over of the IPL playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challenges Bangalore in Dubai. He could only send down four deliveries and though he hobbled out to bat at No. 10 subsequent scans confirmed the fears expressed by the Sunrisers’ captain David Warner that his tournament was over.A CA spokesman said at this early stage the aim was for Marsh to play in the Sheffield Shield which will start early next month. There will be four rounds of the tournament played in an Adelaide-based hub at three grounds in the city ahead of the start of the international summer.That is set to begin with white-ball matches against India in late November – which are expected to be in Brisbane – before the first of four Tests starting around December 17 with the opening game of the series also slated for Adelaide. The India schedule is awaiting final sign-offs at government level.The Sheffield Shield programme will give up to seven members of Australia’s likely Test starting XI – Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon – a chance to tune up their red-ball skills.

The senior allrounder, in his last campaign for the national team, has been poor with the bat and just about handy with the ball so far

Osman Samiuddin in Manchester15-Jun-2019Shoaib Malik will be in Pakistan’s XI in their game against India at Old Trafford on Sunday. Malik’s participation in the game has been the subject of some speculation after a series of poor returns in the World Cup, but in a rare public show of faith, both Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mickey Arthur have confirmed that he will play.Malik has played in two of Pakistan’s games in this campaign, making 8 and 0 against England and Australia. Those numbers are part of a longer run of low returns since the start of 2018 – averaging 26 across 29 games, with just three fifties and a strike rate under 80. And those, in turn, are part of an even longer history of poor scores in England: in 28 ODIs since 2001, he averages 13.57, the lowest by any visiting batsman with a minimum of 20 innings in the country.He had a poor game in the field against Australia, though his seven overs across the two games have come in handy. But since then, Sarfaraz has backed him in a column written for the PCB website and, on Saturday, Arthur all but confirmed he would play.ALSO READ: The meaning of India-Pakistan, for India and for Pakistan“I can tell you a guy that’s played over 200 ODIs, tomorrow presents a real opportunity for him,” Arthur said. “As far as I’m concerned, Shoaib Malik didn’t play the West Indies game because of balance. He batted in the last three overs against England and failed against Australia.”So to say he’s failed, there’s not much of a barometer just yet. That will be determined over the next couple of games. What I do know is Shoaib Malik brings a hell of a lot to our dressing room. He is an incredible team man. He has incredible skills, and I’m hoping that, on the biggest stage tomorrow, those skills come to the fore.”There was a time in Malik’s career, across the middle of the poor returns, when his record against India stood out. But it has been nearly a decade since his Champions Trophy hundred against them at Centurion and, in limited opportunities since, he averages just 33 against them, with a solitary fifty.That’s worth noting because Pakistan still seem to believe that his performances against India hold relevance for Sunday. That and his experience.”Let’s not forget – I mentioned it in one of the previous questions – that is still a fairly young cricket team,” Arthur said. “Shoaib Malik’s experience, Mohammad Hafeez’s experience tomorrow will go a long way out in the middle to help these young boys through it.”Malik, 37, has already said that he will be retiring from ODI cricket after this World Cup.

A lower-back stress reaction has ruled the South Africa fast bowler out of the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2018South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada faces up to three months on the sidelines because of a lower-back stress reaction. He will not be able to play IPL 2018, as a result, for Delhi Daredevils who had bought him for INR 4.2 crores (USD 646,000) at the player auction in January.Rabada had complained of tightness and discomfort during the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg, and bowled only eight overs in Australia’s second innings. A subsequent scan revealed the injury, according to South Africa’s team manager Mohammad Moosajee. Rabada was adjudged Play of the Series for taking 23 wickets in four Tests.”Kagiso has been diagnosed with a lower-back stress reaction which will rule him out of cricket action for up to three months,” Moosajee said. “He will need a month’s break from all physical activity before commencing with a rehabilitation programme to get him ready for the series against Sri Lanka in July.”South Africa’s next international engagement is a tour of Sri Lanka in July to play two Tests, five ODIs and a T20I.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has roped in former West Indies coach Phil Simmons as consultant for the next three series, against Zimbabwe, Ireland and West Indies

Umar Farooq03-Feb-2017The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has roped in former West Indies coach Phil Simmons as consultant for the next three series, against Zimbabwe, Ireland and West Indies. According to the ACB, he will assist head coach Lalchand Rajput on technical issues.Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe starts on February 16 in Harare and includes five ODIs, before they host Ireland in Greater Noida, India, in March. Afghanistan are scheduled to visit the Caribbean in June.”He will be working with the team as a consulting coach,” ACB chief executive officer Shafiq Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo. “His expertise will greatly favour us, as he has coached all three teams we are playing against. His appointment is a valuable step in our players’ road to development.”Simmons, 53, was removed last September by the WICB, just six months after coaching West Indies to the World T20 title, due to “differences in culture and strategic approach”. He had a successful stint with Ireland before that; in his eight years in charge of the team, they won 11 trophies and qualified for every major ICC event. In the mid-2000s, he had worked with Zimbabwe. An allrounder, Simmons had played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for West Indies between 1987 and 1999.After he was relieved of the West Indies coaching job, Simmons was appointed head coach of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the 2017 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. He was recently in the UAE for the duration of the Desert T20 Challenge, which Afghanistan won after defeating Ireland by 10 wickets in the final. It is understood that Simmons was attending the tournament on behalf of the ICC Development Programme, offering his services as a coaching consultant to each of the eight Associate teams present.

Gulbadin Naib produced a sensational knock to lift Afghanistan to a 3-2 series win against Zimbabwe after a two-wicket win

The Report by Nikhil Kalro06-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Afghanistan players soak in the celebrations after their historic series win•Chris Whiteoak

Gulbadin Naib played the most important innings of his international career to hand Afghanistan a sensational comeback win that not only lifted them to their second 3-2 series win against Zimbabwe, but also ensured the team broke into the top 10 in the ODI rankings.Naib, who played his last ODI in February 2015, struck his first international fifty, and exhibited a calm demeanor and splendid stroke-making ability to guide Afghanistan to the 249 target with two wickets and two balls to spare. Naib’s heroics overshadowed Hamilton Masakadza’s, who compiled his fourth ODI century with staggering ease and a brisk strike rate too.The contest swung one way and then the next towards the last few overs of the chase. When Naib lost his ally Rashid Khan in the 48th over, he was forced to rethink his strategy with the tail. The match hung in the balance till the last over, when 10 runs were needed. Naib found an edged boundary to third man and after brace of twos, Afghanistan had leveled the score. Naib proceeded to thump the next ball – low full toss – to the roof of the stand at square leg, sparking wild celebrations among the Afghanistan players and staff.Such was the state of the thrilling contest that even with five overs to go, it was anybody’s game. Afghanistan needed 46 with four wickets in hand. The 46th over, given to Neville Madziva, proved to be the game changer. Madziva missed his length and offered Naib two full tosses, both of which were heaved to the leg side boundary. That over cost Zimbabwe 16 runs, the momentum, and as would eventually turn out, the series. Although Madziva bounced back with two wickets in his next over, it proved too little and slightly too late.Defeat would have especially hurt Zimbabwe as they seemed to have the match wrapped up when Asghar Stanikzai was sixth man out with 104 needed off 93 balls on a slow wicket. However, Naib and Rashid got together to tip the contest in Afghanistan’s favour. It was the Zimbabwe’s bowlers turn to crumble under the pressure as Naib swiped low full tosses to the leg-side boundary and the seamers missed their attempted yorkers.Afghanistan’s openers Mohammad Shahzad and Noor Ali Zadran continued to show their form in contrasting manner. While Shahzad used his muscular prowess to bash boundaries over the infield, Noor Ali used deft touch, timing and placement to scythe fours through the fielders. Nonetheless, both found the boundaries with regularity to get Afghanistan ahead of the asking rate with a brisk stand of 49.But as had been the case throughout the series, the ball dominated the bat under lights after the end of the first Powerplay. Luke Jongwe made the first incision with a ripper, one that ducked back in just enough to rattle Shahzad’s stumps. Noor Ali got another start before being drawn into a false stroke, as he top-edged a sharp bouncer to fine leg. Afghanistan’s main men were dismissed and a tricky chase got even harder. Jongwe was the wrecker-in-chief again.Unlike the first innings, seam and spin combined well to swell the required rate. Although assisted by significant movement off the pitch, the Zimbabwe bowlers initially found the right areas to beat the bat frequently. Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi strung together a 55-run stand but the pressure of the chase resulted in both their wickets, in the space of four balls. Graeme Cremer first went through Nabi’s inside edge to trap him in front and then Sikandar Raza had Shahidi bowled with a slider. When Raza slid another one through to have Asghar Stanikzai caught behind, Afghanistan not only had to repair the damage, they had to first plug the leak. Thankfully for the hosts, Naib managed to do both with equal aplomb.Earlier, it was Masakadza’s experience and patience that transformed Zimbabwe’s batting, propelling the team to 248. Such was the impact of Masakadza’s 111-ball 110 that Zimbabwe had hoped for a score close to 280 at one stage. However, Afghanistan’s bowlers bounced back in the death overs after a slapdash middle period.As was expected from the start, run-scoring proved to be hard, but Afghanistan had themselves to blame with a discernibly sloppy period in the middle. Half-volleys, long-hops and full tosses were dispatched with ease and catches were spilled.Masakadza, in particular, cashed in on many such run-scoring opportunities, forcing spinners off their lengths with powerful sweeps and efficient utilization of the depth of the crease. His strike-rate for the most part hovered around 100 as he ensured the bowlers struggled to string together dot balls.Peter Moor and Richmond Mutumbami also benefited from Masakadza’s pyrotechnics and were allowed to play valuable cameos in their own fashion. Moor employed a block-launch approach, while Mutumbami used the slog sweep to pile on the misery, including one that left the ground over the midwicket boundary off Hamza in the 30th over.Mutumbami’s dismissal, though, elicited an Afghanistan comeback. Afghanistan’s bowlers quickly found their lengths and were rewarded with results. All the lower order could do was huff and puff their way to Zimbabwe’s second-highest score of the series.

Ravindra Jadeja moved to a career-best third place in the bowlers’ and allrounders’ lists in the ICC ODI rankings after playing a starring role in India’s win against England in the Champions Trophy final

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2013Ravindra Jadeja moved to a career-best third place in the bowlers’ and allrounders’ lists in the ICC ODI rankings after playing a starring role in India’s five-run win against England in the final of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston.Jadeja scored an unbeaten 33 off 25 after India were 66 for 5 and picked up two wickets for 24 runs in his four overs. He finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets, which helped him move up a place in both the categories. His team-mate, R Ashwin, moved up six places to ninth rank among the bowlers.James Tredwell jumped up 15 places to 28th rank while Steven Finn dropped down two places to fourth after playing only one match in the tournament.Among the batsmen, Jonathan Trott, the second-highest run-scorer with 229 runs, moved up a place to fourth while MS Dhoni dropped down to fifth. Shikhar Dhawan, Man of the Tournament and the leading run-scorer, jumped 21 places to finish on 29th position.There weren’t any changes in the team rankings as India were already at No. 1 and runners-up England were No. 2 before the tournament started. India (123 points) consolidated their position by staying unbeaten during the series to gain a lead of 10 points over England (113). Australia are a fraction of a point behind England at third place; South Africa are fourth (111) and Sri Lanka fifth (108).

BJ Watling, the New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman, has said that he is prepared to face a “barrage of spin” on their tour of USA and the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2012BJ Watling, the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman, has said that he is prepared to face a “barrage of spin” on their Caribbean tour. New Zealand left for their tour, which begins with two Twenty20s against West Indies in Florida, on Sunday.Watling, 26, said that he expected the Caribbean pitches to be similar to the ones that Australia played on during their series in April. “I’m preparing for a barrage of spin,” Watling told the Waikato Times. “From what we saw when Australia toured there, and what we’ve been hearing, they [the pitches] weren’t the greatest. They were low and slow, and with a lot of turn.”(West Indies) can perform on the day and have the potential to be very good. We’ll be well-prepared because we’re going to have to be right on our game. The two teams aren’t renowned for their consistency, so we’ll be looking to be the more consistent – we want to come out on top in key situations.”Watling, who made his Test debut in 2009, scored his first Test century against Zimbabwe in January this year. However, he missed the South Africa series due to a hip injury. He said that he was fit and looked to make up for lost time. “It was good for me to get out there and catch some balls, get my workloads up and just good to get outside. The injury felt really good – I tested it out a lot last week and it held up well. I’ve been doing my rehab and it’s got better and better. I will definitely get a decent workout, but I’m confident I’ll get through it.”In Brendon McCullum’s absence, Watling is expected to take the gloves in both the ODIs and T20s on the tour, but in the Tests he would compete with Kruger van Wyk. “I was obviously quite surprised to make the Twenty20 leg – I don’t think my domestic performances have been that great, but now I have the opportunity to prove myself.”Edited by Carlyle Laurie

After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Tes

Andrew McGlashan at Derby21-May-2011
Live scorecardTharanga Paranavitana joined his captain with a hundred to help the Sri Lankans into the lead•Getty Images

After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Test. Tillakaratne Dilshan led a much more convincing display with a brisk 117 in an opening stand of 200 with Tharanga Paranavitana who built a composed 125. However, the Lions chipped away and by the close had six wickets for their hard work with the tourists 165 ahead.Although a defeat wouldn’t be ideal, it is always important for a visiting team to have an in-form captain and Dilshan will be one of the most confident Sri Lanka batsmen. This innings followed his 123 against Middlesex, at Uxbridge, and he was above a run-a-ball for the majority of his stay. England’s bowlers will have to be on the spot straight away with the new ball otherwise an innings can get a head start with Dilshan’s attacking play.He was given a life on 95 when Samit Patel spilled a chance moving to his right at gully, the second catch he has spilled in the game, and in the next over Dilshan went to his hundred from 92 balls with a sparkling cover drive which he repeated next ball.He was eventually removed by Steven Finn, who bowled a superb eight-over spell during the afternoon session having been loose in the morning, with a delivery that climbed and brushed the glove. Dilshan doesn’t have a particular weakness against the short ball, but can expect to be bombarded in the Test series. He showed today, however, that although that line of attack may eventually work, it can be a very expensive tactic.Dilshan’s innings included a top-edged six that eluded fine leg, but enough balls flew to the boundary to show he wasn’t afraid of taking on bouncers. He also rarely played a shot with half measures so when edges flew over or between the slips they were travelling far too quickly for the fielders .On a bright and breezy morning there wasn’t as much help for the quick bowlers as there was on the cloudy second evening. Graham Onions beat the bat during his opening spell and Jade Dernbach, who impressed with 5 for 44 yesterday, almost made the breakthrough when Paranavitana drove short of point on 21. Later in the session Paranavitana slashed through the slips, again off Dernbach, but it was much harder work for the bowlers.It was an important performance from the opening pair, who put on 59 in the first innings before a collapse set in. Paranavitana is the more understated of the openers but a resolute character, who began his Test career with a first-ball duck and now averages 37.He is the perfect foil for the dashing Dilshan and the left-right combination means bowlers are always adjusting. He didn’t offer a chance although became a touch nervous as the hundred approached and was almost run out on 99 before reaching three figures with a cut off Patel.The Lions bowlers had to work hard for their success but slowly they began to arrive during the afternoon. Finn claimed a deserved second scalp when Kumar Sangakkara edged into leg stump for 17 meaning he’s had precious little time in the middle ahead of the first Test. Mahela Jayawardene looked in fine touch during his 26 but recieved a good ball from Ajmal Shahzad that beat his defence. Stuart Law, the Sri Lanka coach, has said he has no concerns over his experienced pair going into the Test series.Paranavitana’s five-hour stay came to a slightly limp end when he tamely drove to point off Bopara which left the Sri Lankans four down and less than a hundred ahead. Bopara’s bowling is one of the factors likely to sway Test selection in his favour so an extended run won’t have done him any harm.Dernbach struck his first blow of the innings when Dinesh Chandimal edged to first slip and James Hildreth held his second catch to remove Prasanna Jayawardene as Onions got one to nip away. Thilan Samaraweera proved a tough obstacle having been missed on 6 when Jonny Bairstow couldn’t complete a stumping and reached fifty from 87 balls. Suraj Randiv, who made 76 in the first innings, flicked a tough chance to Dernbach at leg slip on 14 and the pair took their stand to 42. It could yet be an intriguing final day.

Mexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Sunday

Tony Munro15-Jun-2010
ScorecardMexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Monday.This was despite the efforts of Man-of-the-Match, Ben Smith, who hit 104 from 127 balls to provide the base for Costa Rica’s 186 from 46.5 overs. Smith struck two sixes and 12 boundaries in his stay which lasted for all but the first four balls of the Costa Rican innings. Smith entered in the first over when Barry Ashworth was bowled, and flourished while all around him succumbed to Tushar Gupta (5 for 32) and Tarun Sharma (2 for 28 from 10 overs).At one stage, Costa Rica were 13 for 4 and then 41 for 5 before Richard Illingworth and Sam Arthur survived long enough with Smith to enable 34 for the sixth wicket and 47 for the seventh wicket to be added. Garth Tweedale (10) and David Crisp (11) were the only batsmen apart from Smith to reach double figures, however their contributions and 36 wides were enough for Costa Rica to reach 186 from 46.5 overs.Mexico began their run chase in an attacking mindset, notching 59 in nine overs before losing James Garrity who was bowled after hitting 34 in 30 balls including five fours. When Tarundeep Singh was caught by Ashworth for a solid 33, Mexico were 91 for 3 after 17 overs – on target in terms of run-rate but in need of a partnership of substance.That came from Tarun Sharma (45 from 58 balls including a six and four boundaries) who put on 51 with Theodore Wucherpfennig (14). Cameos from Hugh van Belle (14 from 13 balls) and Roger Sherman (23 from 21 balls) allowed Mexico to ease home with 14.5 overs to spare. Tim Baker was Costa Rica’s main wicket-taker, removing Mexico’s first three in returning 3 for 43.On Tuesday, Falkland Islands play their first match against Costa Rica.