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Alex Hales made 99 and Jos Buttler an unbeaten 48 from 28 balls as England took a 2-0 lead in their five-match ODI series against South Africa

The Report by David Hopps06-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSt George’s Park, the oldest of South Africa’s international venues, stayed true to its nature by overseeing a one-day international with an old-fashioned flavour on an inhibiting surface. A keenly-fought affair, in which both innings seemed locked together throughout, had the makings of a last-over nail-biter. Instead, thanks to Jos Buttler’s sudden lift of tempo, it fell England’s way by five wickets with 20 balls to spare.Inhibitions? Not when you have just won your first IPL contract and are nearly £400,000 richer. Buttler gave the impression he would have played just as freely on the cobbled streets of his native Somerset as he logged an unbeaten 48 from 28 balls.Three successive fours off Kyle Abbott, the first of them streaky (where was South Africa’s slip?) then three sixes in a row off Imran Tahir in the following over sent England scooting to victory. South Africa’s pace bowling had gone up a notch since their defeat in Bloemfontein but they now trail 2-0 in the five-match series.It was Alex Hales’ 99 from 124 balls that placed England for victory, although there was work to be done when he was fifth out with 59 needed from 52 balls – caught down the leg side pulling at Abbott with visions of a hundred. Front-foot pushes and crafted singles had supplanted what has become the common avalanche of sixes but the incoming Buttler recognised only a day of dreamy blue skies.Hales has played more exciting innings, he has played fine innings in more draining conditions, but this was one of his most judicious ODI affairs. The Test series did not advertise the emergence of a rounder game, but his selectivity did here. With the exception of AB de Villiers, whose 73 from 91 balls was a notable return to form, he managed the conditions better than anybody.Abbott, fit again after hamstring trouble, put in a combative shift, a bowler of great physicality, nipping one through to gate to bowl Jason Roy for 14 – Norton anti-virus would insist on a patch to stem that weakness. Root was at his most conservative, labouring 64 balls over 38 before he tried to advance to Abbott and deflected a rising ball into his stumps.Eoin Morgan came in at No 4 – shrewdly, no promotion for Buttler on this occasion with grafting to be done – and kept England in touch with the rate with judicious sixes against Imran Tahir and Farhaan Behardien before Morkel defeated his blow-down-the-ground shot with a wide cutter.Stokes’ fate was an eventful duck. Tahir nearly had him twice in an over, sweep and reverse sweep both failing in turn with a review needed to spare him on the second occasion. In the next over he deflected Morkel into his stumps. The pressure was on England, but not, it became evident, on Buttler.Financially, Chris Morris was even better served than Buttler by the IPL auction – he was sitting on a cool million dollars after a bidding frenzy that eventually saw him move to Delhi Daredevils. No matter: he had to watch from the outer. South Africa, seemingly of different persuasion, dropped both him and his Bloemfontein new-ball partner Marchant de Lange.The match did not turn solely on Buttler’s late merrymaking – Chris Jordan also played a crucial part in South Africa’s innings. De Villiers came into the match with three successive ducks to end the Test series and 8 in the opening ODI, but he did the hard yards, his form flooded back and he signalled his intentions as South Africa reached the last 10 overs by lashing Jordan over midwicket for six.But Jordan is a multi-faceted cricketer, dangerous with the bat, outperformed by few at slip and in the deep, and when de Villiers failed to middle another mighty hit over the leg side off Ben Stokes in the following over, Jordan was equal to the challenge.It was a hugely difficult catch, a white ball falling out of a blue sky, a swirling breeze strong enough to fleck the sea and shake the branches of the trees outside the ground holding the ball just within range: Jordan’s range anyway as he dashed back full tilt to take the ball over his shoulder at mid-on with remarkable poise.De Villiers had built his own stage in the early part of South Africa’s innings but the final onslaught which could have carried the game away from England never materialised. Only 64 came from the last 10 – respectable but not a game changer.By the 20th over, South Africa had been three down for 98, Hashim Amla bowled when Reece Topley’s semblance of inswing developed into something straighter, Quinton de Kock’s bountiful run of form ended when Stokes had him lbw with a fullish delivery, and du Plessis’ confident innings fell just short of a half-century when Adil Rashid found drift and turn to have him caught at slip.Rashid and Moeen Ali throttled the mid-innings, both stints completed by the 37th over. That left a lot of onus on Jordan, and he could have done without Buttler spilling a very acceptable catch, one-handed to his left, when JP Duminy tried to run him to third man on 37. Five overs for 33 did not flatter him, but the catch released him from his troubles and Topley, maintaining a full length, squeezed South Africa to a chaseable total.A slow pitch was to get slower still. The breeze was lifting. The match was in the balance. Hales got a break on 17 when he scrunched a full toss from Tahir into no-man’s land and played with great responsibility. Then came Buttler, the liveliest breeze of all.

Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach, believes that some of the players could be playing for their careers come the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval

Brydon Coverdale13-Aug-2013Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach, has said that some members of the squad could be playing for their careers during the final Investec Ashes Test at The Oval next week. Lehmann said the loss at Chester-le-Street on Monday was “bloody hard” and that Australia should have won “quite comfortably” given the strong platform set by the openers Chris Rogers and David Warner, who contributed to a start of 147 for 1 in a chase of 299.But the loss of No.3 Usman Khawaja, lbw to Graeme Swann, then Michael Clarke to a ripper from Stuart Broad, Steven Smith hooking a bouncer down onto his stumps, and Shane Watson and Brad Haddin walking across their stumps to be lbw meant a collapse of 6 for 34, leaving far too much work for the tail. Lehmann said the continued failure of the Australians to stand up at the big moments meant there was much on the line at The Oval.”Yep. There is nothing wrong with that. I’m happy for you to write whatever you write there,” Lehmann said when asked if players could be playing for their careers. “To play for Australia, you have to perform to a level that’s acceptable to everyone in our team, and also the Australian public and the media, and at the moment we’re not doing that.”I think they’ve fought really hard and they’ve shown glimpses of challenging a really good side obviously, but we haven’t done that consistently enough. So we’ll back them as we have and we will continue to back them, but at the end of the day performances count.”From our point of view the blokes have got to learn. If they don’t learn we will find blokes that will … If they’re not, and making the same mistakes, then we’ve got to change, and that’s a simple fact of cricket and results.”The manner in which several of the Australians got themselves out during the chase was especially frustrating to Lehmann, who simply wanted his men to play straight. England’s bowlers, Stuart Broad in particular, bowled well after tea and dried up the runs, but Lehmann said several of the Australian batsmen had contributed just as much to their downfall.”Blokes are missing straight ones. That doesn’t help,” Lehmann said. “I thought Warner got a good ball, to be fair, Clarke got a ripper and probably Rogers got a decent ball. The rest should have played a lot straighter and they know that.”The one silver lining for Australia on the fourth day was the 109-run opening stand between Warner and Rogers, Australia’s best opening partnership in a Test chase since 1995. Warner played a mature innings that mixed defence with a desire to score, and Rogers added to his first-innings 110 with a tenacious 49, leaving them locked in as the opening combination for the time being.”The way they played today, yes,” Lehmann said when asked if Warner and Rogers could stay at the top for the next year or so. “Warner was very good today. I was very impressed with him today and Rogers has been probably the find of the tour for us, the way he has gone about it, and his demeanour off the field and what he brings to the playing group as an experienced player. So I have been really impressed with both of them.”So much so that when Lehmann was asked if Watson would be considered at The Oval if he was unable to bowl due to his hip/groin injury, he responded that “no-one’s guaranteed, apart from Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers, I would think”. The Australians travel to Northampton this week for a two-day tour match ahead of the final Test.

Trent Johnson will captain the Ireland squad for the Intercontinental Cup and the RSA Series one-day internationals against The Netherlands in August

Cricinfo staff30-Jul-2010Trent Johnston will captain the Ireland squad for the Intercontinental Cup and the RSA Series one-day internationals against The Netherlands in August. He will be standing in for William Porterfield, who is unavailable due to county commitments with Gloustershire.Ireland will also be without opening bowler Boyd Rankin, who will be on duty for Warwickshire, and wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, who underwent surgery on his damaged finger last week and is expected to be out of action for about two months.Gary Wilson, who top scored for Ireland in their last ODI against Bangladesh, will don the gloves in place of O’Brien.Ireland Squad: Trent Johnston (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, James Hall, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson (wk), Craig Young, Nigel Jones (ODI’s only)

Ireland are targeting victories in their two ODIs against Bangladesh this summer

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2010Ireland are targeting victories in their two ODIs against Bangladesh this summer – at Stormont on July 15 and 16 – as a chance to gain valuable ranking points and as an important benchmark for the side as they attempt to assert their readiness to step up to cricket’s top level.”For the last three years or so, we have targeted matches against the lower-ranked full members as the most important means of measuring our progress and determining our readiness to step up to the elite level,” said Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive.”All our players will be aware of the perception that strong results against Test-playing countries create, and will be keen to maximise home advantage to good effect in the year that we are applying to move higher in the international firmament.”Ireland coach Phil Simmons sees the games as a chance to test his side ahead of the World Cup in 2011, where they will meet Bangladesh in the group stage at Dhaka. “It’s great that we have a chance to play them on home soil,” he said. “We lost to them badly in 2008 in Bangladesh but on our home turf I’d be confident of doing well.”We have beaten them in both the 2007 World Cup and in the World Twenty20 last year, so I don’t think there’s much to choose from between the two teams. It’s a great opportunity for us to gain valuable ranking points.”

Third-wicket stand of 141 with Haseeb Hameed overhauls Glamorgan with ease

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-Aug-2025Nottinghamshire 282 for 3 (Haynes 124, Hameed 58*) beat Glamorgan 278 for 9 (Byrom 62, Root 56) by seven wicketsJack Haynes starred with a century as Notts Outlaws kept their qualification chances at arm’s length with a comfortable run chase against winless defending champions Glamorgan.The 24-year-old Haynes struck a well-timed 124 with some late acceleration to chase the sub-par 278 for 9 set by the hosts.Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed played supporting roles in the seven-wicket win, the latter combining with Haynes for a 141-run third-wicket stand.

Eddie Byrom notched up back-to-back half-centuries with 62 while Billy Root also passed 50 to hold together the Glamorgan innings. One positive for the winless side was 18-year-old Romano Franco picking up a first professional wicket at the third time of asking.After being inserted, Glamorgan got off to a racing start, as has tended to be their way in this competition. Byrom and Asa Tribe’s 71-run opening stand left Notts’ bowling attack – hit by the absence of players in the Hundred – with cause for concern before Tribe’s fun was ended by 18-year-old debutant Byron Hatton-Lowe.Byrom, the steadier of the two openers in terms of strike rate, continued calmly as he watched on for Henry Hurle, playing a first Glamorgan game of 2025, to be dismissed.Kiran Carlson was unable to kick on, as was Will Smale who suffered a ball-watching run out to leave the hosts with just five wickets in hand with more than 20 overs to bat, a theme too common in their campaign.Root held the fort in a knock of few boundaries for 56 before Dan Douthwaite’s blistering cameo added some impetus, the hosts still left short.Zain Ul Hassan was able to contain in a seven-over new-ball spell while Ned Leonard leaked at the other end, Slater enjoying a rather comfortable start.After Ben Martindale was dismissed, a period of experience was due with Slater and Haynes adding 75 before Hameed struck an unbeaten 58 to ice the run chase.Franco impressed in his 10 overs but poor fielding, including a drop by Andy Gorvin with Haynes on 68 proved costly.Tribe followed as the third player in the game to take a first wicket for his club, after Hatton-Lowe and Franco, although the damage was done.

Former WBBL title-winning captain moves into high performance role after time as a broadcaster and Queensland Cricket director

Alex Malcolm20-Jun-2025Former Brisbane Heat WBBL title-winning captain Kirby Short has been appointed as Cricket Victoria’s new head of female cricket.Short, 38, captained heat to back-to-back WBBL titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and played 67 matches in the WBBL as a spinning allrounder. She also captained Queensland Fire in a lengthy WNCL career. She takes over as Victoria’s new head of female cricket under general manager of high performance Graham Manou after Sharelle McMahon resigned from the job last year to return to netball in a high performance role.Short retired as a player in 2020 but has remained in the sport as a director with Queensland Cricket and a commentator with Fox Sports and Channel Seven. Despite being a Queenslander, Short said she is excited to join Victoria where she has a family connection.”My grandfather, Mick Harvey grew up in Fitzroy and was a proud Victorian, so it seems very fitting that I have the privilege of contributing to the advancement of women’s cricket in this state,” Short said. “Victoria has a rich history in the sport, and I’m eager to take on this new challenge in Melbourne, working with the talented players and dedicated staff to build on that legacy.”Manou was pleased to get a person with such a strong leadership record into the role to oversee the women’s programs within the state.”We’re pleased to welcome Kirby to Cricket Victoria for what is a critical role in our cricket performance program,” Manou said. “Kirby’s leadership qualities, combined with her extensive experience in elite cricket, will be invaluable as we continue to invest in and elevate women’s cricket in our state.”

Warwickshire’s winless season continues despite setting visitors 369 on final day

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Jack Leach gave England’s selectors a reminder of his skills as Somerset’s Vitality Championship match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston ended in a rain-affected draw.The left-arm spinner has been overlooked by England in favour of Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir since the opening Test against India in Hyderabad in January but chose a dark day in Birmingham to prove that his talents still shine brightly.On a pitch offering only slight turn, Leach took five wickets for 18 runs in 49 balls, finishing with 5 for 77, to truncate Warwickshire’s second innings at 270, Alex Davies leading the way for the home side with 131 from 225 balls.The 33-year-old’s work set up a potentially exciting final afternoon with Somerset, facing a target of 369 from 68 overs. They were on 13 without loss at lunch only for the rain, which robbed the match of 51 overs on the third day, to return. The loss of another ten overs turned the chase from improbable to impossible and Somerset ended on 206 for 4 (James Rew 55 not out from 24 balls).The draw cost Somerset valuable ground on Division One leaders Surrey who beat Lancashire at The Oval. For relegation-threatened Warwickshire, the frustration was deep after rain prevented them from trying to turn a strong position into their first victory of the season. They remain the only team in Division One without a win, though they have a good chance to change that situation next week when bottom-of-the-table Kent visit Edgbaston.Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 179 for 5, 277 ahead, and advanced to 218 before Leach unpicked the lower order. He started the slide with three wickets for nine runs in 18 balls. Davies, having compiled a measured century, his 11th in first-class cricket, went back to a full-length ball and was bowled. Dan Mousley charged at one cleverly delivered wide on the off side and was stumped. Michael Rae was bowled second ball, heaving to leg.Olly Hannon Dalby edged to wicketkeeper Rew before Michael Burgess, one of the better No. 8s in county cricket history, left with only the tail for company, lifted to extra cover to complete Leach’s 27th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.Warwickshire’s collapse gave the visitors a glimmer of opportunity. Six weeks earlier, Somerset had amassed 410 for 5 – their second-highest ever run chase – to beat the Bears at Taunton, so a target of 369 did not daunt them. They started purposefully but then yet another rain interruption sentenced the match to stalemate.Openers Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Andy Umeed were caught at deep midwicket. Tom Lammonby and Tom Banton perished to faulty pulls at Rae. Rew helped himself to a 23-ball half-century as match meandered to a draw before the light mercifully closed in once and for all and the tiny crowd departed wondering if, entertainment-wise, they would have been better off salmon-fishing in Sasolburg.

Experienced allrounder Lata Mondal has been left out

Mohammad Isam30-Oct-2023Young batter Sumaiya Akter and uncapped offspinner Nishita Akter have been named in Bangladesh’s women’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Pakistan, starting next week. Nishita is just 15 years old while Sumiaya, who has featured in one T20I, is 18 and is yet to make an ODI debut.From the last ODI series against India at home, which they drew 1-1, only the experienced allrounder Lata Mondal has been left out, with Bangladesh naming Salma Khatun, Shorifa Khatun and Sharmin Akter as standbys.The ODI series is part of the ICC Women’s Championship cycle 2022-25, where Bangladesh occupy the ninth position on the table with just one win from nine matches. Pakistan, meanwhile, are fourth with six wins from 12 matches, and suffered back-to-back series defeats against South Africa (home) and Australia (away) before this series. India are currently the table-toppers with seven wins from nine games.Bangladesh are coming off a 2-1 series victory against Pakistan from earlier this week in Chattogram. Left-arm spinner Nahida Akter was adjudged the player of the series for her eight wickets.The three ODIs against Pakistan will be held on November 4, 7 and 10 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.Bangladesh ODI squad: Nigar Sultana Joty (capt & wk), Fargana Hoque, Sobhana Mostary, Murshida Khatun, Shamima Sultana, Disha Biswas, Rabeya Khan, Ritu Moni, Sultana Khatun, Shorna Akter, Nahida Akter, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Sanjida Akther Meghla, Sumaiya Akter, Nishita Akter.Standbys: Salma Khatun, Shorifa Khatun and Sharmin Akter.

Extra day vital as Australia wrap up points on back of Ashleigh Gardner eight-for

Andrew Miller26-Jun-2023Australia’s hard-fought 89-run victory in the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge was a vindication of the decision to stretch the contest over a full five days, according to Alyssa Healy and Heather Knight, the opposing captains, as well as the Player of the Match, Ashleigh Gardner, whose 12 wickets included the outstanding second-innings figures of 8 for 66.Australia duly wrapped up victory shortly before lunch on the final morning, as Gardner claimed each of the final five wickets to fall for the addition of 62 more runs, and have now taken a huge leap towards retaining the Ashes for fifth series in a row, with England potentially needing to win five of the remaining six matches, starting with the first of three T20Is at Edgbaston on Saturday.”It just shows having five days in the Test match to actually get a result is super-important,” Gardner said at the post-match presentations, having played out draws in each of her previous three appearances in the format.Related

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“We obviously need to celebrate this because it’s super-special,” Gardner added. “This is the first time that I’ve been involved in a Test match where we’ve got a result, but then we also turn our attention pretty quickly onto the T20s. We know how good England are at T20 cricket, so we need to be ready for that first match in Birmingham.”For Healy, captaining Australia in the absence of Meg Lanning, there was pride at overseeing a famous result, but also relief – both at ending her own barren run of form in Ashes Tests with a vital second-innings fifty, and in not messing up in her stand-in role.”It was stressful,” she joked. “I’ve got a few more grey hairs. But I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and I’m really honoured to have been able to do it in Test match, and obviously win one as well. I’m pretty chuffed standing here, but I really thoroughly enjoyed the experience.She added: “First and foremost, how good is it to have a result, and I’m pleased to be on the right end of it. I guess, when you take the pressure off the captains and the teams to try and manipulate a result, it probably makes a little bit easier, but we’ll have to wait and see how [five days for women’s Tests] pans out. Even if it’s just a potential of a reserve day, if there is rain, that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”Knight, meanwhile, has been one of the loudest advocates for a fifth day in women’s Tests – not least since her brilliant performance in the last Ashes Test at Canberra in January 2022, where her first-innings century set up the game, only for England to have to settle for a draw, nine wickets down, after a thrilling fourth-innings chase.”I’ve been quite vocal about having five days and I think today – and the whole five days, actually – showed why that was,” she said. “Credit to Australia. They were outstanding, but our girls went toe to toe with them for a hell of a long time. And that was really impressive.”In particular, Knight called out the efforts of Tammy Beaumont, whose England-best 208 carried the fight after Australia had posted a daunting 473, and their star spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who picked up a brace of five-fors in each innings, and carried the bowling for a total of 77.1 overs after Nat Sciver-Brunt’s involvement with the ball was hampered by a knee injury.”Sophie, we called her Merlin [like the bowling machine], she just kept going from one end,” Knight said. “Obviously with the loss of a bowler to a niggle, we had to have bowlers that stepped up and really take the job on and they’ve really grafted hard there.”She’s a captain’s dream, I’ve been able to get the ball to her and just for her to hold up an end, she’s so consistent. And, on that pitch, she was a real wicket-taking threat. I did wonder whether I was over-bowling her at one point, but she came back and again and again, and hardly bowled a loose ball all Test match.”She’s pretty tired but she’s done an amazing job for the team. She’s really dug deep and done a real job for us.”The final word, however, went to Australia’s own star spinner, as Gardner took confidence from Ecclestone’s success and ripped the contest her team’s way at the crucial moments.”I couldn’t have dreamt of it, to be honest,” she said after her 12-wicket haul. “There was a little bit of luck involved with the conditions out there, but I think as a whole bowling unit we bowled really well throughout and just tried to bowl in partnerships. I guess I was the lucky one to come away with wickets.”We just said to keep the stumps in play as often as possible, to keep all modes of dismissal in play. Thankfully for me some kept low, some turned – most of mine didn’t turn – but it was just awesome to be able to put a performance on for the team.”

The wicketkeeper-batter is in quarantine and will not travel with the team to Durham on Thursday

PTI15-Jul-2021Rishabh Pant, who is part of India’s touring party in England, has tested positive for Covid-19. He will not travel with the team to Durham as it reassembles ahead of next month’s Test series against England.A BCCI source confirmed that Pant had tested positive and had been in isolation for the past eight days. He is, according to the source, asymptomatic at this point. “He is in quarantine at an acquaintance’s place and won’t be travelling with the team to Durham on Thursday,” the source said without divulging when the 23-year-old would join the squad.”Yes, one player has tested positive but he has been in isolation for the last eight days. He was not staying in any hotel with the team, so no other player has been affected,” BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told PTI. “As of now no other player has tested positive. Also you must be aware our secretary Jay Shah has written a letter to all players to maintain protocols.”Related

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The development came close on the heels of Shah sending an email to the Indian contingent, warning it about the rising cases of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom. The players were given a break after the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, which the team lost last month.It is understood that Pant has been afflicted by the Delta variant, which has led to rising number of cases in England. He was seen attending a Euro 2020 football match last month and had even posted pictures on his social media accounts.Shah, in his letter, told the players to “avoid” crowded places as Covishield, the vaccine that has been administered to the players and other members of the team, only provides protection, not full immunity against the virus.In fact, Shah’s letter had specifically stated that players should avoid going to Wimbledon and the Euros, both of which recently concluded in the UK.The Indian team is due to take on England in a five-match Test series starting August 4. It will play a practice game starting July 20 as a build-up to the high-intensity series. The India-England showdown marks the beginning of the second cycle of the World Test Championship.Recently, the England team too was hit by the virus and was forced to field a second-string side for its limited-overs series against Pakistan.