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Van der Dussen, who turned 36 earlier this month, has accepted that his time in the team will not be forever

Firdose Moonda27-Feb-2025While most in South African white-ball cricket see every step of the next two years as building a path to the home ODI World Cup in 2027, Rassie van der Dussen is entertaining the idea that the Champions Trophy 2025 could be his last multi-team event.Van der Dussen turned 36 earlier this month and currently plays only one format for South Africa, though he has been capped in all three. As he gets older and a younger crop of batters start coming through, he has accepted that his time in the team might be nearing an end.”It’s definitely a possibility that it’s my last ICC tournament. I’m not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I’ll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It’s just the reality,” van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.Related

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• Van der Dussen: 'Don't have to be a rocket scientist' to know India have advantage

“It’s such a great thing that there’s so many young players coming through, guys really playing well. A guy like Tristan Stubbs, he’s sitting on the sidelines. Or Tony de Zorzi. And even if you go into the domestic structure, Matthew Breetzke came in and made that 150. You can even go further back, Lhuan-dre Pretorius just made a hundred against Western Province in the one-day cup. Ryan’s [Rickelton] only starting out now actually so there’s so many good players.”I’m not blind to the possibility that if I don’t perform that someone won’t be there to take my place. I certainly don’t expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better.”Three of the players van der Dussen mentioned – Stubbs, de Zorzi and Rickelton – are in South Africa’s Champions Trophy squad and along with him are competing for, at most, two spots in the top order. One of those positions is to open alongside captain Temba Bavuma – and that role has shifted between de Zorzi and Rickelton – and the other to bat at No. 3 (though de Zorzi and Rickelton both played the tournament opener against Afghanistan as Heinrich Klaasen was out injured).Van der Dussen knows Ryan Rickelton and Tony de Zorzi are pushing him for a spot in the South Africa line-up•ICC/Getty Images

Since 2019, van der Dussen has been South Africa’s most regular No. 3 and with good reason – he has their third-highest batting average in ODIs and has built a reputation for reliability. But over the last year, that has started to wane.Before his 52 against Afghanistan, van der Dussen had gone ten innings without a half-century and it has been 13 since the last time he scored a hundred. Though there is no suggestion of it – and him being at a press conference suggests also no danger of it – when Klaasen returns to full fitness, van der Dussen could be in the firing line if all of Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton are retained. In the immediate term, it is more likely, de Zorzi will sit out and van der Dussen could get a shot at a title he has been working towards. “For me I always wanted to get to the Champions Trophy, which is now, and then we’ll reassess after that,” he said. “My national contract is coming up at the end of April.”I’ll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I’m playing well. Physically, I’m putting a lot of time into my body. If I’m still good enough in two years, I’d like to think that I’m in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can’t keep up with the youngsters, then that’s also fine.”Unlike some players in the twilight of their careers around the world – Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi are some examples – van der Dussen does not appear inclined to reject a national contract for league opportunities.”My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas,” van der Dussen said. “People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don’t know. I don’t know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I’ll have that hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals so if that falls away, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. If I’m offered another contract, I’ll definitely take it and commit for that time period.”And even if that contract does not take him all the way to 2027, van der Dussen wants to play a part in helping South Africa’s ODI side move towards their best ahead of the World Cup. “I would suspect that, from a management point of view, your 2027 World Cup side has to start playing more regularly and start playing together. But there’s a lot of leagues happening in the next few months and everyone won’t be available all the time, so even if it’s in a transitional sort of role, I’ll definitely commit to that. Being here is for me the ultimate thing. Leagues are nice, but that’s not my be-all and end-all.”Rassie van der Dussen is focusing on upskilling his game and believes leagues like T10 have helped in that regard•Sportzpics

He confirmed that while he has not retired from red-ball cricket, in “the last year or two of my career, I can’t see myself playing any more red-ball cricket”, and that he turned down an offer to do so later this year. “I did have a county offer thrown my way, which I declined.”Instead, he is focusing on upskilling his short format game and seeing how far it takes him. “I’ve played in a few leagues and done well. Even leagues like T10 have taken my game forward. That’s why I’m feeling now that I’m still hungry and I’m still playing well.”As things stand, South Africa have at least one more Champions Trophy game and, depending on the outcome of the Afghanistan vs Australia match, may not even need to win it to progress to the semi-finals.They take on England, who are already eliminated, but who van der Dussen believes could still be dangerous opposition. “We were always coming into this match saying that it will possibly be a quarter-final type of situation. Whoever wins that will go through. A little bit changes for them because they can’t go through anymore but for us, it’s a match against England. We don’t need any extra motivation to play England.”

Rohit and Co have racked up nine wins in a row while New Zealand have become what they need to be to win

Alagappan Muthu14-Nov-20237:44

Kumble: India batters need to watch out for extra swing if they chase

Big picture: Big stakes

First, the unstoppable force. India are having the World Cup of their wildest dreams and it has nothing to do with the fact they are undefeated in it. That is merely a byproduct of their planning leading into the tournament. They left 2019 needing… more. So they went out searching, trying as many as 50 different players across four years and 66 matches. Six months out from the showpiece, they had identified who they wanted and were focused on sharpening their skills. In the 15 ODIs between March and October 2023, they were picking all of their XIs from a set of 24.The chosen ones were given all the support they needed to live up to their full potential, which is why Suryakumar Yadav finally looks like he belongs in ODI cricket. Off the field, India were doing even better. The success of this campaign – and it is already a success – was built in the doctor’s offices and the gyms and the training sessions that enabled Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul Shreyas Iyer to come back from injury without losing a shred of their ability to the doubt that their bodies might break down again if they pushed it too hard.Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli have often pointed to a record of sustained excellence whenever they were faced with questions around the lack of ICC trophies since 2013. Whether the drought ends in a week’s time or not, the gains this team has made – the freedom with which they bat, the discipline with which they bowl, the trust they have in themselves and their method, the joy they have spread – already feel historic.Now, the immovable shape-shifting object. New Zealand become what they need to be to win. Rachin Ravindra began scoring mountains of runs in the top order, so the opener they invested in during the lead-up to the World Cup has to warm the bench. They’ve turned Glenn Phillips into something close to an allrounder, the man has doubled the number of overs he had bowled in his entire ODI career during the course of this competition. They’ve dealt with injury to key personnel. They weren’t derailed by the close-run loss to Australia or the one after they scored 401 against Pakistan. They pitch up. They do what they can. And then they are at peace with whatever happens. This is why they are so good in high-pressure games like the one that took place on July 14, 2019.Expect a cagey start. Each team trying ever so hard not to make the first mistake, trying not so much to beat the opposition as outlasting them. New Zealand are masters at this art; at just staying in the game long enough until there is an opening to burst through.Related

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• Samiuddin: Bumrah is a species of exactly one

• Glenn Phillips 2.0 takes centre stage with New Zealand

• Stump Mic – Timeouts, resets and the final four

• Santner needs to be more Santner than Jadeja

Form guide

India: WWWWW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
New Zealand: WLLLL

In the spotlight: Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult

Jasprit Bumrah is the man that makes India unbeatable. Without him, they went out with a whimper at the T20 World Cup last year. With him, they thrashed the team that had tossed them out in Australia despite a massive batting malfunction. Almost 80% of his deliveries (175 out of 228) in the first ten overs are dots. He always comes back in the middle overs because if he can pick up a wicket then, a new batter will have to face the prospect of scoring those crucial, and quick, runs against, in all likelihood, Bumrah himself because he truly does come alive at the death with his slower balls and his yorkers.New Zealand’s best chance to win will be bowling under lights. The new ball has moved dramatically in Mumbai after sunset, and early wickets are the surest way to cripple an opposition, even one with so many fail-safes. Trent Boult has not always had the conditions in his favour at this World Cup but if the fates align to present him the opportunity to target the stumps and the pads of Rohit and Kohli and Shreyas and Rahul, he will sure as hell take it. And even if he has to bowl in the heat, he’ll be spurred on by an acute sense of unfinished business.2:29

Ravindra: Playing against India at the Wankhede is like a dream

Team news

Nether India nor New Zealand will be looking to shuffle up their packs. Lockie Ferguson has been managing an achilles injury throughout the tournament, the Black Caps coach Gary Stead told , but he also added that the fast bowler should be good to play the semi-final. On the eve of the game, Williamson confirmed all the players in their squad were fit and available for selection.India have been playing the same XI since their fifth league game, which was against New Zealand in Dharamsala.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed SirajNew Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions

It’s been fun to bat in the first innings at Wankhede stadium and then fun again after 20 overs of the chase is done. The in-between period is when the quicks have wreaked havoc. The weather is set fair and even if not there is a reserve day for the semi-final.

Stats and trivia

• India currently have the most wickets (85), best economy rate (4.5), best average (19.6) and best strike rate (26.2) among all teams in the World Cup.
• Tim Southee vs Virat Kohli could be a fun battle. It has produced 205 runs at a strike rate of 101 but also six dismissals as well.
• New Zealand have been effective at scoring runs quickly in this World Cup, having the joint-highest run rate (6.5) among all teams in the tournament.
• Among opening pairs with at least 1000 runs in ODIs, Rohit and Shubman Gill have the second-highest average (74.8) behind only David Warner and Travis Head (80.1).

Quotes

“The underdog thing, from what you guys write, I do not think it has changed too much, but that is fine you know, and India have been exceptional.”
“I’ve played a lot of cricket here: these four or five games are not going to tell a lot about what Wankhede is… I certainly believe that toss is not the [decisive] factor.”

New Zealander had “overseen period of transition” since joining club in 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2022Durham have announced that James Franklin, their head coach, will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.Franklin has been at the club since 2019 but has overseen a disappointing 2022 season: they sit third-bottom in Division Two heading into the final month of the County Championship and failed to progress in either white-ball competition.Durham said in a statement that Franklin had “overseen a period of transition” and that the club has “seen progress made on the field and behind the scenes during his spell in charge”.Alex Lees, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts have all made England debuts during his tenure.”I have enjoyed my time at Durham,” Franklin said. “It has been a privilege to work with my fellow support staff and a great group of players.”The progression of pathway players into the first team and first-team players onto the international stage has been pleasing. The Royal London Cup campaign in 2021 [when Durham reached the final] was a particular highlight.”The time is now right for me to explore other opportunities to develop my coaching career. I would like to thank everyone at Durham Cricket and wish the club every success for the future.”Marcus North, Durham’s director of cricket, said: “We would like to thank James for all of his efforts over the past four years. He has been completely dedicated to the club since his first day in post and shown unwavering commitment to develop the squad.”

Veda tested negative after visiting her family a few weeks ago; has not been able to visit them since then

Annesha Ghosh06-May-2021India Women batter Veda Krishnamurthy, whose mother died of Covid-19 on April 23, has been bereaved a second time in a fortnight with her elder sister succumbing to complications caused by the virus on Wednesday.Krishnamurthy’s sister, Vatsala Shivakumar, who was admitted in a hospital in Chikmagalur, around 245 kilometres from Bengaluru, is understood to have shown decided signs of improvement earlier this week, but she breathed her last around 5.45pm on Wednesday.It is learnt that Vatsala, 42, had suffered severe lung infection as a result of Covid-19-induced pneumonia and was put on a ventilator the same day her mother, Cheluvamaba Devi, 67, died in Kadur, around 40 kilometres from Chikmagalur.”With the help of the hospital staff, Veda’s sister had even begun FaceTiming with Veda and some of her other near and dear ones earlier this week. It is shocking to learn that after losing aunty, we couldn’t save either. I can only request everyone to give Veda and her family the time and privacy they need to bear this immense loss,” Reema Malhotra, the former India cricketer, told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday. Malhotra has been close to Krishnamurthy’s family for a long time. Both Malhotra and Krishnamurthy are employed with the Western Railways and represented the Railways side on the domestic circuit for several seasons. According to Malhotra, several other members of Krishnamurthy’s family, including her father, brother and her second sister, who live in Kadur, began showing Covid-19 symptoms last month and later tested positive for the virus. Krishnamurthy, 28, had visited her family a few weeks ago and returned to Bengaluru by the time the first symptoms of infection among her family appeared. She had gone into self-isolation upon returning to the city and returned a negative test. She has not been able to visit her family in Kadur since.A day after her mother’s passing, Krishnamurthy had put out a tweet about her family, and her negative test. Several cricketers and coaches, including former Pakistan captain Sana Mir, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, former India bowler Snehal Pradhan, and former India head coach Ramesh Powar, had offered condolences.India is currently grappling with a devastating second wave of Covid-19, with families of several other cricketers like MS Dhoni and R Ashwin also having tested positive for the virus. Sachin Tendulkar, S Badrinath, Yusuf Pathan and Harmanpreet Kaur are among the group of players who have contracted the virus in the past two months and recovered since.Krishnamurthy has played 48 ODIs and 76 T20Is for India. Her most recent appearance in competitive cricket came during the inter-state Women’s Senior One Day Trophy quarter-finals in March in Rajkot, where she represented Karnataka.

Requiring 80 off 11 overs after two rain stoppages in the Hobart Hurricanes innings, Stoinis and Handscomb rescued the Stars from a precarious 2 for 3 with a 52-run partnership

The Report by Tristan Lavalette30-Dec-2019A half-century partnership between Peter Handscomb and a brave Marcus Stoinis was enough for Melbourne Stars to edge Hobart Hurricanes in a rain-affected match in Launceston.Requiring 80 off 11 overs after two rain stoppages in the Hobart Hurricanes innings, Stoinis and Handscomb rescued the Stars from a precarious 2 for 3 with a 52-run partnership before the match was called off after 7.3 overs. Stars were four ahead of the par score.Dale Steyn celebrates the wicket of his compatriot David Miller•Getty Images

Stoinis fell just before the match was abandoned but showed plenty of grit after copping a brutal blow to the helmet from a sharp Riley Meredith delivery early in his innings.After being sent in, the Hurricanes’ top-order struggled against Dale Steyn and Nathan Coulter-Nile in favourable bowling conditions before rain halted play thrice to reduce their innings to 11 overs.Stars’ quicks menace before rain strikes
D’Arcy Short hasn’t quite hit his straps this season – by his lofty standards – but received good news before play after being a late inclusion in Australia’s upcoming ODI tour to India. Short’s good spirits didn’t last long, however, as he fell loosely for a duck in the first over.The Stars’ fast bowlers relished overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch making the BBL contest feel more like a vintage WACA Test match. Coulter-Nile enjoyed the menacing bounce and promptly dismissed Simon Milenko with a rearing short ball that befuddled the batsman.The pyrotechnics on-field was matched off it with lightning flashing close to the ground. Play then stopped due to rain with the Hurricanes lurching at 2 for 29 after five overs.After a 20-minute stoppage, captain Glenn Maxwell went with the dual spin options of Adam Zampa and Sandeep Lamichhane in a bid to race through overs with rain ominously looming.Boundaries were hard to come by on resumption with Caleb Jewell and Ben McDermott content to work the ball around, as the Hurricanes reached 2 for 52 after nine overs.After four straight overs of spin, Maxwell reverted to Steyn who rewarded his skipper’s faith by claiming a frustrated McDermott before rain once again halted play.After nearly an hour’s break, Steyn and Coulter-Nile claimed wickets with successive deliveries, as the pitch appeared faster on resumption.Stoinis battles as Stars do enough
The shortened match appeared to favour the Stars, but local lad James Faulkner turned the contest immediately by dismissing Nic Maddinson and promoted No.3 Nick Larkin off successive deliveries.Faulkner narrowly missed out on a hat-trick in his next over, but met his match with Stoinis in sublime form until the batsman was hit in the grille by a brute of a bouncer from MeredithAfter receiving some medical attention, Stoinis bravely battled on and found a willing partner in Handscomb to ensure the Stars edged ahead.Hostilities resumed in the eight over with Stoinis initially getting hold of Meredith with a boundary before holing out to a short ball on the very next delivery. Rain fell again, however, and the match was soon called off.

Three wickets on England debut helps restrict Bangladesh to 77, as batsmen overcome wobble to launch campaign

Andrew Miller12-Nov-2018England 64 for 3 (Jones 28*, Sciver 23) beat Bangladesh 76 for 9 (Ayasha 39, Gordon 3-16) by seven wickets (DLS method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s women overcame a top-order wobble, and another dramatic flurry of St Lucian rain late in their run-chase, to get their World T20 campaign up and running with a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh at Gros Islet.They were set a sub-par 77 after a hit-and-miss performance from Bangladesh, but England took their time to calibrate the appropriate response in tricky, tacky conditions, as Danni Wyatt was pinned lbw for a first-ball duck before Tammy Beaumont toe-ended a cut to point for 2.England’s situation could have been even more dicey at 16 for 3 in the fourth over had Amy Jones been caught by the wicketkeeper, Shamina Sultana, who instead suffered a nasty faceplant after diving at full tilt to intercept a top-edge to point.But, as Sultana was taken from the field nursing a bloody nose, England found a more measured gear to break the back of their run-chase. Jones settled in to anchor the innings in a 38-run stand for the third wicket with Nat Sciver, who made 23, and finished on 28 not out from 24 balls. England were 55 for 3 when the rain caused a lengthy late delay, and ended up reaching a revised target of 64 in just three balls after the resumption, thanks to a brace of boundaries and a winning single from the captain, Heather Knight.It was a slightly scrappy performance from England, the reigning 50-over World Champions, but having been deprived of any meaningful practice in the build-up to this game, and even resorting to improvised net sessions under the grandstand, they were ready to accept any victory going.Only 24 hours earlier, the ICC had seriously been considering relocating this group to Antigua to avoid further washouts, but in the event the start of play was delayed by just 15 minutes after a heroic mopping-up effort from the groundstaff.Knight won the toss and chose to bowl first, with the boundary ropes brought in to the minimum legal requirement of 55 metres as part of the authorities’ bid to get this leg of their tournament up and running.Natalie Sciver sweeps through the leg side•Getty Images

And Knight’s decision was quickly vindicated as Bangladesh were reduced to 5 for 2 in their first five overs. Anya Shrubsole found some wicked late inswing to bowl Sultana for an eight-ball duck, before Sciver – slipping into the new-ball role vacated by the injured Katherine Brunt – found Fargana Hoque’s outside edge to give Jones an early catch, diving to her right.But, having stacked their side with three left-arm spinners – including two of the three debutants in Linsey Smith and Kirstie Gordon – England quickly chose to take pace off the ball, and Bangladesh responded with a block-or-slog response through the endeavours of Ayasha Rahman who, quite remarkably, would be the only Bangladesh batsman to make a single run in the first nine overs of the innings.A mow for six over backward square leg off Shrubsole was followed by a violent slog through the line as Gordon’s fourth ball as an England cricketer was deposited back over her head. However, Ayasha’s blood appeared to be pumping a touch too much when she sold her partner a massive dummy – leaving Nigar Sultana run out for the third duck of the innings – and she even appeared to strain her hamstring in the process of aborting a quick single into the covers.Undeterred, Ayasha continued to plant her front foot in a batting-by-numbers fashion, swiping Ecclestone for a third six over midwicket before hauling Gordon for four through square leg to move to 39 out of Bangladesh’s 12-over total of 42. But four balls later, she chanced her arm once too often to pick out Wyatt at cow corner and Gordon, the former Scotland international, was off the mark for her new country.Gordon added two more scalps in her final over, including a maiden catch at long-off for England’s third new girl, Sophia Dunkley, to finish with an impressive 3 for 16 in four overs. Bangladesh kept battling to the bitter end, with Jahanara Alam smashing Sophie Eccleston for the fourth six of the innings, but their total of 76 for 9 never seemed like being enough, even allowing for the conditions, and for England’s rusty response.

CSA’s request to grant Test status to a four-dayer between South Africa and Zimbabwe rests with the ICC, which will take a call on the matter in Board meetings in October

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Sep-20174:16

Will there be enough time for results?

The ICC is likely to grant Test status to the four-day match between South Africa and Zimbabwe on Boxing Day, but strictly as a “trial” exercise. A final decision on Cricket South Africa’s request that the experimental day-night fixture in Port Elizabeth be considered a Test will be taken at the ICC board meeting in Auckland in October.Four-day Tests are being seen as one of the solutions to make the longest format more viable and attractive in an age where Twenty20 has become the most popular version of the game. However, the ICC’s Cricket Committee – the forum primarily entrusted with keeping the sport relevant – has not been in favour of reducing the length of Tests from five days to four.In 2015, the Cricket Committee, chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, opposed the idea of four-day Tests. The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) and the top brass of the ICC management, however, had voiced support for four-day Tests. In June this year, the Cricket Committee said that while its primary focus will remain on developing cricket structures it was not against experimenting with four-day Test cricket, but without any commitment. According to people involved in the discussions, the support for four-day Test cricket was growing, though there was “considerable reluctance from traditionalists”.The game’s administrators are inclined towards four-day Tests because the concept helps ease their biggest problem: scheduling. With domestic Twenty20 leagues taking up a large part of the calendar, boards have been struggling to find enough time for full international tours. Earlier this week CSA and the BCCI, after months of deliberation, agreed to reduce the Test series from four to three matches and play an extra – sixth – ODI on India’s tour to South Africa in January.Haroon Lorgat, CSA’s chief executive officer, is a firm supporter of four-day Tests, especially as a way to induct Ireland and Afghanistan into the fold. “We recognise that there is a place for higher-ranked teams to play the lower-ranked teams, or even the lower-ranked teams among themselves, in four-day Test match cricket,” Lorgat told ESPNcricinfo. “I hope that apart from being a trial, we could have it as a permanent arrangement.”It is understood that administrators are trying to work towards a resolution that would allow Full Members to decide between themselves whether a Test should be four or five days. Administrators like Lorgat and ECB chief executive Tom Harrison feel there is a need for the cricketing fraternity to adapt to the changing demands of the consumer.The stance of the players, the biggest stakeholders in the game, is not yet clear. Last year, in an annual survey conducted by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, they gave the idea a thumbs down.Lorgat, however, was confident. He said he had checked with the South African team management and they were “supportive” of the idea of a four-day Test against Zimbabwe in December.

Opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite has been called up to West Indies’ ODI side for their upcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016Opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite has been called up to West Indies’ ODI side for their upcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE. Brathwaite has played 31 Tests since his international debut in 2011 but is yet to play an ODI or a T20. The T20I squad includes two uncapped players – allrounder Rovman Powell and wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran.

West Indies squads for the UAE

ODI squad
In: Kraigg Brathwaite, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis
Out: Andre Fletcher, Jerome Taylor
T20I squad
In: Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton
Out: Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons

Chris Gayle is not a part of the T20 squad, having made himself unavailable for selection, while Lendl Simmons has missed out due to medical reasons. Gayle was part of the West Indies T20 squad for the two-match T20I series against India in Florida last month but missed both games after failing to pass a fitness test ahead of the first T20I.The ODI squad also includes batsman Evin Lewis and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who are uncapped in the format. Lewis, who made his T20I debut earlier this year, recently scored a 48-ball century against India in Florida opening the batting in place of Gayle, while Joseph made his international debut in the home Test series against the same opposition.Pooran impressed in this year’s Caribbean Premier League, scoring 217 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 197.27 for Barbados Tridents, while completing eight dismissals behind the stumps. Pooran’s inclusion boosts West Indies’ wicket-keeping options in the T20 squad, which include Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles and Chadwick Walton, who last played for West Indies in January 2014.Powell, who made his first-class debut last season, also showed promise in CPL 2016 for Jamaica Tallawahs, scoring 228 runs at an average of 25.33 and taking two wickets with his medium-pace.With Kumar Sangakkara taking up the wicket-keeping gloves for Tallawahs, Walton played in the CPL as a batsman and finished as the second-highest run-getter for the side behind Gayle, with 301 runs in 13 innings, which included two fifties.The T20I squad does not include former captain Darren Sammy, who was axed from the role last month. Sammy was also excluded from the T20I squad that played against India in Florida. Gayle, Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell and Samuel Badree were ineligible for ODI selection as they did not play in the domestic 50-over tournament last season, made mandatory by the WICB.West Indies will start their tour with three T20Is against Pakistan, between September 23 and 27, followed by the three-match ODI series which starts from September 30. The three-Test series, which includes a day-night match in Dubai, starts from October 13 and West Indies’ squad for that format will be announced later.West Indies ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon SamuelsWest Indies T20I squad Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton

James Vince rejuvenated his England one-day chances with a first century of the summer as Hampshire opened their Royal London Cup campaign with an 87-run victory over Sussex at the Ageas Bowl

ECB/PA27-Jul-2015
ScorecardJames Vince finally managed to score his first hundred of the season•Getty Images

James Vince rejuvenated his England one-day chances with a first century of the summer as Hampshire opened their Royal London Cup campaign with an 87-run victory over Sussex at the Ageas Bowl.Vince, who made his international bow in the washed-out match with Ireland in May, laid the foundations with an 89-ball knock of 103, which included 12 fours.Liam Dawson then starred with the bat and ball – scoring an unbeaten 73 and returning figures of 6 for 47 – to help Hampshire keep Sussex in check as the home side successfully defended an Ageas Bowl high 343.After Vince had won the toss and elected to bat first, Michael Carberry endured a second golden duck in under a week as he edged Ollie Robinson behind.Hampshire rebuilt well after the early set-back as Jimmy Adams gained some much-needed confidence with a six to the short leg-side boundary, before moving past 3,000 career List A runs.Just as Adams looked set to notch a season-reviving score he flicked Tymal Mills off his legs to George Bailey at square leg, who held on well as the opener departed for a run-a-ball 34 – after a 56-run stand with Adam Wheater.Wheater was unfortunate to pick out Ed Joyce at short extra cover off Chris Liddle after a fulsome 45 before Joe Gatting was farcically run out by Bailey.At the other end Vince was moving smoothly through his repertoire of shots and reached his fifty in 41 balls. He continued with his sensible yet classy batting and scored his first three-figure score of the season in 79 balls, his fourth format century.But he only added three more to his hundred before spinner Chris Nash bowled him, before Gareth Berg picked out Matt Machan on the mid-wicket rope – as Hampshire decelerated to 265 for 6.But a productive seven-over stand between Dawson and Chris Wood resulted in 78 runs being smashed. Dawson in particular impressed with his patient 56-ball fifty before he opened up with two sixes to finish with a flurry.Wood ended on 38 not out as Hampshire scored their highest Ageas Bowl List A score of 343 for 6.Sussex’s innings started poorly as Nash was leg before to Yasir Arafat – the batsman incredulous after attempting to flick over square leg.Machan and Luke Wright added 110 for the second wicket – with the latter taking a particular liking to Danny Briggs, smashing three sixes in one over against his former England one day team-mate. Wright reached a deserved half century in 39 balls before his partner-in-crime Machan followed him to the milestone in a more sedate 67 deliveries.Just as the pair had looked to have taken the game away from Hampshire, Wright flashed a Dawson full toss straight to Mason Crane on the long on boundary for 58.Former Hampshire batsman Bailey edged Wood behind as fast bowling returned in the 27th over before Scotland international Machan holed out to Gatting in the deep for 93 to give Crane his first List A wicket.Legspinner Crane added a second as Craig Cachopa skied to Dawson at cover as the visitors stalled in the middle overs. Luke Wells slogged Dawson for a six but found Gatting with the next delivery before Robinson was bowled and Sussex debutant Alfonso Thomas was lbw.And Dawson completed his first format five-for as he had Joyce lbw before he completed the rout as Mills offered a simple chance to Gatting as Sussex were dismissed for 256.

It shows how low expectations have sunk when taking a Test into a fourth day classes as something of a success

The Report by Andrew McGlashan13-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRobin Peterson claimed two wickets in New Zealand’s second innings•Associated Press

It shows how low expectations have sunk when taking a Test into a fourth day classes as a success. New Zealand showed more fight after inevitably being asked to follow-on in Port Elizabeth, but still closed 247 adrift on 157 for 4. South Africa could not quite conjure the quick finish, instead it was left to the supporting cast of Robin Peterson and Rory Kleinveldt to make the inroads.During the morning it had been Dale Steyn’s show as he finished with 5 for 17, his 19th five-wicket haul, but he could not quite repeat his venom second time around. New Zealand managed their first opening stand of any value, albeit still only worth 40, and having weathered the early challenge from the quicks it will have been galling to lose two to Peterson before tea. Kleinveldt’s two-in-two balls then set the platform for a three-day finish, but BJ Watling, following a first-innings 63, and Dean Brownlie added an unbroken 73 for the fifth wicket.Kleinveldt’s first success was Martin Guptill, who had been given out in the first over of the innings, as the openers faced four overs before lunch, but was easily saved by the DRS which showed Steyn’s bouncer only took arm and helmet, with no glove, to the keeper. Guptill, who has been a walking wicket in whites since the tour of Sri Lanka, did not suggest permanency early in his innings but steadily grew in confidence as he survived the initial spells of Steyn and Morne Morkel.He was given the occasional leg-side delivery to relieve the pressure and his straight-driving, often on show in limited-overs cricket, made a pleasing appearance. Graeme Smith reviewed an lbw appeal by Kleinveldt which was shown to have jagged back too much and was only clipping, then Guptill responded by crashing the next ball through the off side.However, when Kleinveldt returned for his second spell he won the battle. His third ball caught Guptill on the back foot and took the top of off stump. The batsman suggested the delivery had kept low, but he was let down by his footwork. The same can be said of Daniel Flynn who played a flat-footed drive to complete a desperate pair. He will be very lucky to retain his place, despite New Zealand’s slim resources.

Smart stats

• New Zealand’s 121 is their fifth-lowest total against South Africa in Tests since South Africa’s readmission. All five scores have come in Tests played in South Africa.

• The lead of 404 is the largest ever for South Africa against New Zealand surpassing the 352 in Wellington in 1953. Click here for matches when New Zealand have batted first and here for matches when they have batted second.

• BJ Watling scored 52.06% of the team runs in the first innings. John Reid holds the New Zealand record for the highest percentage of team runs in a completed innings (62.89%).

• Dale Steyn’s 5 for 17 is his 19th five-wicket haul in Tests. It is also his second-best bowling performance against New Zealand after the 6 for 49 in Centurion in 2007. Only Allan Donald (20 five-fors) is ahead of Steyn on the list of South African bowlers with the most five-wicket hauls.

• Among bowlers who have picked up 50-plus wickets against New Zealand, Steyn has the second-best average (17.85) after Wasim Akram (17.01).

• For the eighth time overall (against South Africa) and the fourth time since South Africa’s readmission, nine or more New Zealand batsmen were dismissed for sub-20 scores.

Guptill had been the main run-scorer early on because Brendon McCullum played another innings contrary to his natural instincts, this time so much so that he dug himself into a hole. Clearly the captain feels under pressure not to gift his wicket, and that is understandable, but he has yet to define what sort of batsman he will be while also leading the side.His 11 off 57 balls was his slowest Test innings over 10 (nudging ahead of his first-innings effort here) and was ended when he missed a straight delivery from Peterson which struck the back leg. Peterson settled into a probing, economical spell which allowed Smith to rotate his fast bowlers in short bursts. In the penultimate over of the session a ball skidded low and took the under-edge of Kane Williamson’s cut shot into the stumps.While New Zealand’s top four have, on the whole, struggled painfully over these two Tests, Brownlie and Watling will emerge with their reputations enhanced. Brownlie showed the same counter-punching style he displayed at Newlands and Watling was quick to pick off anything loose, although also escaped with two edges off Kleinveldt – one went through the slips, the other off the inside edge past the keeper. Their resistance led to Smith bringing himself and Alviro Petersen on for rare overs as the day finished amid loud renditions of the national anthem but a slightly more sedate feel on the pitch.During the morning New Zealand appeared to be hurtling towards another double-figure embarrassment as Steyn ripped through the lower order. However, Watling and Trent Boult added 59 for the last wicket, just three less than the other nine wickets beforehand.Resuming on 47 for 6, which soon became 62 for 9, Steyn helped himself to a cheap haul. Doug Bracewell and Neil Wagner received testing, swinging, deliveries but Jeetan Patel again showed no stomach for the battle as he backed away to the leg side. That was too easy for Steyn.Watling stood tall amid the wreckage during a 75-ball half-century and Boult provided unexpected support at No. 11. In the main, Boult at least tried to stay in line and hammered a straight six down the ground which resulted in a smashed window. It is about the only significant damage New Zealand have caused in this series.