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The 22-day tournament will feature 16 teams and will be played between January 13 and February 3

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-2017Defending champions West Indies will begin their 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign against hosts New Zealand in Tauranga on January 13, the opening day of the tournament. West Indies and New Zealand have been placed in Group A, along with South Africa and the Africa qualifier, Kenya. Tauranga will also host the tournament final, on February 3.

2018 Under-19 World Cup pools

• Group A: West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, Kenya

• Group B: India, Zimbabwe, Australia, PNG

• Group C: Bangladesh, England, Namibia, Canada

• Group D: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ireland

Sixteen teams will participate in the 2018 edition, including the five qualifiers – Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Canada, Afghanistan and Ireland. The ten Test teams [prior to Afghanistan and Ireland’s elevation] and Namibia, who finished as the best Associate team in the 2016 edition, had gained automatic qualification.Runners-up of 2016 and three-time champions India, who blanked England 5-0 in the recently-concluded series, have been slotted into Group B with Zimbabwe, Australia and Papua New Guinea. Australia will make their return to the tournament, having pulled out of the 2016 edition in Bangladesh due to security concerns.Bangladesh, who were semi-finalists in 2016, will compete with England, Namibia and Canada in Group C. Two-time champions Pakistan and 2016 semi-finalists Sri Lanka are in Group D with Afghanistan and Ireland.The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League, while the remaining eight teams will feature in the Plate competition. Twenty matches, including the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, will be televised, with the final scheduled to be played at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. Both Super League semi-finals will be held at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval.The 11th edition of the Under-19 World Cup will be played across seven venues in four cities – Whangarei, Tauranga, Christchurch and Queenstown – over 22 days. This is the third time the tournament is being held in New Zealand, after 2002 and 2010.

Seekkuge Prasanna’s 95 almost beat Sanath Jayasuriya’s fastest ODI hundred in history and Kusal Perera struck a hundred as Sri Lanka thumped Ireland for a second time in Malahide

The Report by Tim Wigmore in Malahide18-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSeekkuge Prasanna clubbed nine sixes during his 95 off 46 balls•Getty Images/Sportsfile

When he walked out as Sri Lanka’s No. 3, his eighth batting position in 24 ODI innings, Seekkuge Prasanna had an ODI average of 9.19. No one would have imagined that he would come within one blow of breaking one of Sri Lankan cricket’s most cherished records.On April 2, 1996 in Singapore, Sri Lanka played their first match since the country’s World Cup win, in Lahore. Liberated by the moment, Sanath Jayasuriya doubled down on the methods that had contributed to Sri Lanka’s most famous day, and ravaged a 48-ball century.The record has held for two decades without serious challenge: besides Jayasuriya himself, no other Sri Lankan has scored an ODI ton in under 70 balls. Yet Prasanna belied his lack of batting pedigree to come closer than anyone else.His very first ball hinted at the violence that was to come. An offspinner from Andy McBrine looped up invitingly, and was smited over long off for an emphatic six. The shot spoke of how the situation empowered Prasanna to heave from ball one: he was promoted up the order after Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka had added 147 for the opening wicket.Each of Prasanna’s heaves over the legside boundary seemed more emphatic than the last. If the shots lacked finesse, they made up for it with timing and power: one nonchalant pick-up off Boyd Rankin over square leg was particularly imperious, seeming to mock the man stationed for the exact shot.Few situations will lend themselves so gladly to empowering Prasanna to heave without regard for his wicket as today, but the innings holds out the promise that he will establish himself as a dangerous floater in the line-up. The only shame was that, attempting another smear over the legside to hit his 10th six, he was bowled by Tim Murtagh five runs shy of Jayasuriya’s record with two balls to beat it.

Smart stats

• 377 – Sri Lanka’s total, their fourth highest in ODIs.

• 293 – Runs added by Sri Lanka’s first three batsmen, their fifth best in ODIs. The top six such scores have all been in away games.

• 308 – Sri Lanka’s score at the fall of the second wicket, only the fifth time in ODIs that they have passed 300 before losing their second wicket.

• 95 – Seekuge Prasanna’s score, his highest in 102 List A innings; his previous best was 92*, way back in November 2007.

• 135 – Kusal Perera’s score, his third hundred and his highest score in ODIs.

• 86 – Runs conceded by Boyd Rankin, the most he has ever leaked in ODIs.

Overshadowed by Prasanna, Perera’s innings came to seem almost like a throwback to a more genteel age of ODI cricket; his shirt was nameless, which seemed to embody his relative anonymity.Not that he was remotely prosaic: 135 came at well over a run-a-ball. If Prasanna’s innings was defined by clearing the legside ropes, the abiding image of Perera’s was of crisp driving through the offside, often over the heads of those in the 30-yard circle.The upshot of their contrasting innings, and of Gunathilaka’s carefully compiled innings, was that Ireland needed some admirable death bowling – just 15 runs came from the final three overs – to restrict Sri Lanka to under 300.On a benign pitch, Ireland’s bowlers were too often guilty of bowling full tosses. Less tangibly, Ireland are a less abrasive side to play against than in the days when Trent Johnston, John Mooney and Niall O’Brien – the latter two reunited in the commentary box, O’Brien torn calf rendering him unable to play for another month – combined to antagonise batsmen.At times during Sri Lanka’s assault, Ireland seemed alarmingly quiet. At least Ireland just about retained their sense of humour: when Prasanna and Perera had fallen in quick succession and Sri Lanka were 310 for 3, Kevin O’Brien chirped: “Come on lads, make it 320 for 5 here”.Ireland have built their cricketing reputation upon chasing steep targets, but here was a task of a different order to their heists in Bangalore or Nelson. After the top three were dismissed early on – Maharoof ending a wait of 1556 days for an international wicket when Ed Joyce lashed a wide delivery into the hands of Gunathilaka at point – the rest of the day was so lacking in intensity that it was possible to imagine this was not a full-fledged ODI, but merely an exhibition match, the sort of game that used to be Ireland’s lot when Test teams deigned to visit.Rather incongruously given the size of Ireland’s beating, five Irish batsmen notched their highest scores. The most significant and heartening contribution came from McBrine.His stylish drives though the offside, the hooked six that brought up his half-century and a contemptuous pull off Angelo Matthews when he dropped short, were not the futile shots of a late-order swinger, but rather those of a player with the capacity to bat in the top seven against Test opposition. Sage judges reckon that, having played his first innings in an ODI at number eleven, McBrine will develop into a batting allrounder.At least McBrine’s crisp late shots, and a huge towering straight six by Boyd Rankin, gave the Malahide crowd some cheer on a day when three Irish sports teams were defeated in the space of one afternoon. But with next week’s ICC meeting, which Ireland will hope will see the world game move towards more inclusive structures in both Test and ODI cricket, looming, Ireland’s emphatic defeat was ill-timed.

Fidel Edwards’ ferocious bowling spell made good a rapid century from Adam Wheater and left Hampshire anticipating a first Championship win of the season

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove08-Jun-2015
ScorecardAdam Wheater’s century gave Hampshire control before Fidel Edwards rounded off a satisfying day•Getty Images

A pumped-up Fidel Edwards made ferocious use of the Hove slope to take four cheap post-tea wickets and give Hampshire every opportunity to achieve their first victory of the season and escape their position at the foot of the table as a consequence.Hampshire established a first innings lead of 141 thanks to their first century of the season, brought up by Adam Wheater in 82 balls, an innings including back-to-back reverse sweeps, top edges over the slips and some punchy drives. Of those 82 balls, 16 brought boundaries.Edwards was just as eye catching as the second day drew to a close. Before a ball had been bowled, the West Indian marked his run-up and ran through all the way to Luke Wells, who was busy, head down, marking his guard.Edwards mimicked the tall left-hander before rubbing his hands in the debris in an almost auspicious fanfare. Still on zero after 10 balls, having been pushed back by some superb short-balls from Edwards, Wells was hesitant in coming forward to his 11th and nicked to Will Smith at third slip.Machan then miscalculated the pace and length to pull Edwards onto his off-stump before Michael Yardy fell to an lbw decision that he was not in agreement with.Just as the first audible grumbles were coming from the home faithful, three of their own came and steadied. Ed Joyce and Chris Nash stemmed the flow with 71 for the fourth wicket, before Joyce uncharacteristically flirted with one from Berg through to Vince.But Nash was then joined by Wright, and both looked like seeing the day off before Edwards was reintroduced in the 37th over and produced a blistering spell of hostile bowling that would have made even the most adept of batsmen question their life choices.Wright had a short leg, deep backward square, fine-leg and, after top-edging a hook, then also a back-stop for company, as Edwards began pushing off from that nourishing Cromwell Road End. Nash, at the non-striker’s end for the first assault, was on back foot when he faced Edwards and was subsequently trapped in front by a full ball that fizzed through the air.In came Steve Magoffin, unlucky enough to have only taken one wicket, and rueing his luck once more as he had to see off what remained of Edwards’ fire. After five balls that must have felt like an eternity, he met Wright halfway down the pitch and punched gloves in relief.Edwards walked back with him and offered a pat on the back.They’ll meet again first thing in the morning.Wheater’s rapid hundred was seemingly an innings that had been earmarked for James Vince, who reconvened in the morning on 52, added 24 runs and then flayed Matt Hobden to Ed Joyce in the cordon.He was more than ably assisted by Gareth Berg, who is having one of his best games of his career. He fell one short of his first hundred in four years, urging No 11 Jackson Bird to hurry back for a second, only to find himself a good foot short of his ground with a direct hit from Hobden throwing from square leg.Together, Wheater and Berg put on a record eighth-wicket stand for Hampshire against Sussex, beating a previous best of 135 set by Nic Pothas and Shane Warne. The new record, 165, came off 153 deliveries, was superb in the context of this game and, barring a herculean effort from Sussex’s lower order, may have already determined the outcome of this match.It was a pretty wayward effort with the ball from Sussex, who have had to shuffle their pack more than they would like because of injury and availability.As Wheater and Berg played their respective hands, Ed Joyce seemed unsure who to turn to. Fynn Hudson-Prentice on debut was expensive and, as such, ended up bowling as many overs as Luke Wells – a part-time off-spinner who was bowled ahead of the 19-year-old for four overs when Gareth Berg was fresh to the crease. It was only when Wells went for 35 in those four that Hudson-Prentice was reintroduced. That first over back in the attack disappeared for 12, as a now settled Berg picked him off.The predicament for Mark Robinson is an unfortunate one. For years, he has cultivated something of a fast bowlers haven at Hove. Like India to gap year students, befuddled or disenchanted quicks have “found themselves” on the coast.
The most notable in recent years has been Chris Jordan, whose newly found inner peace has seen him scale to international cricket, hence his unavailability until the end of the ODI series with New Zealand.Unleashed down the hill from the Cromwell Road End after time on the sidelines at Surrey, with a reworked gym programme and some technical refinement, he is a poster boy for Hove’s healing properties, so much so that his friend and former Surrey teammate George Edwards sought his opinion on pastures new, and life at Sussex, before eventually moving on from the Oval to Lancashire. “You look at what he’s done there and it’s pretty incredible,” commented Edwards at the beginning of the season.Ajmal Shahzad is the latest to experience a renaissance by the sea, on a roll with 22 wickets at 17.86 before an injured pectoral muscle during an impressive spell on day one of Sussex’s match with Middlesex. That was back on May 10 and, while it was thought he would be back in two weeks, the recovery has taken a little longer. It is thought that he will make his return in the seconds tomorrow.Then there’s the less fortunate Tymal Mills, diagnosed with a narrow spinal chord just a month into the season which requires constant assessment and a lightening of his workload. Rotten luck all round.

Sri Lanka were still a long way off from matching New Zealand’s score at the end of the third day, but gained a psychological boost by edging past the follow-on target of 213, thanks to a dogged stand between Thilan Samaraweera and Suraj Randiv

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran27-Nov-2012

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThilan Samaraweera dropped anchor and ensured Sri Lanka passed the follow-on mark•Associated Press

Sri Lanka were still a long way off from matching New Zealand’s score at the end of the third day, but gained a psychological boost by edging past the follow-on target of 213, thanks to a dogged stand between Thilan Samaraweera and Suraj Randiv. New Zealand would have fancied their chances of bundling out the hosts before that target and possibly making them bat again, but were held up by the pair and the fading light in Colombo that forced an early finish with another 25 overs remaining.It was attritional cricket on the third day, because of the pressure created by the loss of wickets before lunch and shortly after. Like Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson had done on day two, Angelo Mathews and Tharanga Paranavitana kept the bowlers at bay for the majority of the morning session, but couldn’t hold their guard till the break. Tim Southee’s opening spell on the second evening gave New Zealand the initiative, and he proved to be just as incisive with the older ball, removing the set pair and making Sri Lanka’s march towards the follow-on target a little tougher.Samaraweera and Randiv came together at 128 for 6, after Prasanna Jayawardene top-edged a sweep to fine leg after lunch. The pair focused on wearing down the spinners, at a time when the seamers – Southee in particular – were given a rest. Randiv, who was shaky as a nightwatchman in Galle, appeared more at ease in his familiar position down the order and focused on supporting Samaraweera.Samaraweera, who had injured his finger while fielding on the first day, didn’t appear in discomfort against the ball that turned and bounced. All his boundaries in the second session came off Doug Bracewell, including a delicate dab wide of gully, a square cut and a flick past midwicket. Bracewell looked out of his depth, either bowling too short or too full. Bracewell likes to hit the deck hard but he often strayed too wide of the off stump. He failed to create chances, like Southee and Trent Boult had done. At one stage, he ran in from round the wicket with a slip, short leg, silly point and leg slip but Randiv was happy to evade the short balls.Patel got turn and bounce off the rough and Samaraweera wasn’t afraid to cut against the turn. The sluggish outfield and sweepers on either side of the wicket checked the scoring, but Sri Lanka eventually got past the follow-on mark, via an edged boundary past slip. New Zealand waited to take the new ball after tea, but couldn’t break the partnership, which had extended to 97 before the umpires took a call on the light.The majority of the morning session had been just as frustrating for New Zealand. It was a steady build by Mathews and Paranavitana, who gave the seamers some respect earlier in the morning with the movement on offer. Paranavitana needed a good innings to gain some more confidence ahead of a tough tour of Australia, and was strong square of the wicket, cutting Boult and Bracewell past point. Mathews offered the full face of the bat with his straighter drives. Mathews greeted Patel with a massive six over long-on but the bowler nearly had him leg before on 36 with one that pitched on middle and looked quite adjacent to the leg stump. Also, Ross Taylor fluffed a straightforward catch at first slip to give Paranavitana a life.Southee’s second spell changed the complexion of the morning. He ensured that dropped chance didn’t cost much as he drew Paranavitana forward and induced an edge to Kruger van Wyk. Southee managed to squeeze in one more wicket, in his following over, when he got Mathews driving and edging behind. What looked like a regulation fourth-slip catch was taken spectacularly by Martin Guptill at third slip, diving full length to his right.New Zealand picked up just one more wicket, shortly after lunch, and then failed to dislodge the seventh-wicket pair. They would have to make the new ball count on the fourth morning and secure a big enough lead before setting a target for the hosts to chase on the fifth day. They will also be fighting against time, given that all three days have been curtailed by the elements.

Kenya’s National Selection Panel has named a 20-man national training squad and a new emerging players group, also featuring 20 players

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2011Kenya’s National Selection Panel has named a 20-man national training squad and a new emerging players group, also featuring 20 players. The panel met following the completion of the East Africa Cricket Competition group stages and selected the two squads with a view to expanding the pool of players competing for national selection and developing players who have shown promise during the domestic competition.The national training squad is made up of contracted players, including those who are currently based overseas. Those available will train full time with coach Mike Hesson. The emerging players squad will also work with the Cricket Kenya coaching staff and some will be invited to train full time, play in inter-squad fixtures, and could well be selected for international matches if performances merit inclusion.”We are very pleased to have been able to identify this expanded group of players, all of whom we believe have the ability to represent Kenya,” said chairman of selectors Alpesh Vadher. “All the players named in both squads will be monitored closely and be involved with the national coach and other Cricket Kenya coaches. This group provides more competition for places which will drive players to perform at their best.”Outside this group there are players such as Rajesh Bhudia and Ramesh Mepani, who we are also very keen to involve when professional commitments allow. Players outside this group still have the opportunity to force their way in through consistent performances in provincial leagues.”National Training Squad Ragheb Aga, Duncan Allen, Runish Gudhka, Irfan Karim, Alfred Luseno, Tanmay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson Odhiambo, Lucas Oluoch, Elijah Otieno, Morris Ouma, Rakep Patel, Hiren Varaiya, Seren Waters, Dominic Wesonga, Ibrahim AkelloEmerging Players Squad Emmanuel Bundi, Peter Kituku, Nick Oluoch, Raj Savala, Dhiren Gondaria, Rahul Vishram, Benjamin Oluga, Martin Okoth, Paramveer Singh, Martin Mworia, Karan Kaul, Joseph Onyango, Harrison Ambani, Mitesh Sanghani, Gagandeep Singh, Narendra Kerai, Rakesh Hirani, Bhavya Thakker, Raj Shikotra, Rajiv Sutaria

Australia’s two spinners are Nos. 1 and 2 on the wicket charts in the two-Test series

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Feb-2025Whatever happens on what is likely to be the final day of the series, it is clear that Australia’s spinners have been spectacular in Sri Lanka.So far, the hosts have lost 37 of the 40 wickets they can lose in two Tests. Of those, Australia’s two frontline spinners – Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann – have taken 29 wickets.Left-arm Kuhnemann has been especially impressive, taking 16 wickets at an average of 16.50. He was a serious doubt to play any part of this series, having suffered a compound dislocation and fracture in his thumb while playing in the Big Bash League. He has played one of the most definitive roles so far, and Lyon, who is currently on 552 Test wickets, felt Kuhnemann had been Australia’s chief weapon.”Kuhney’s been exceptional, and he deserves all the praise that he actually gets,” Lyon said after the third day’s play in Galle, where Australia need three more wickets to win the series 2-0. “I hope he gets a lot of it, because the way he broke his thumb three weeks ago, and showed the courage to come out here and bowl – I know it’s hurting him, but he’s there, he’s showing a lot of courage, and he’s bowling exceptionally well.Related

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“He’s bowling his best ball over and over, and challenging the guy’s defence, and that’s all we can ask. He’s playing his role to his best ability, and I’m extremely proud of him. This is his fifth Test match, is it? For him to take 16 wickets thus far in this series, with a couple still out there, I think he’s been our best bowler.”Lyon, one of Australia’s greatest spinners, has taken 13 wickets and on Saturday became the third Australia bowler – after Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath – to go past 550 wickets. But others have contributed too. Todd Murphy, Travis Head, and Beau Webster, have all taken a wicket apiece in Sri Lanka.”Well, we pride ourselves on improving on our skills – each and every one of us,” Lyon said. “For someone like Travis Head, too – we all know he’s an X Factor player with the bat – to keep putting his finger in the ice and keep doing those breakthroughs is special.”But everyone works hard on their game, and they want to play their role. They want to have an impact for the Australian cricket team, and that’s something that they should be proud of.”It’s been a resounding success in Sri Lanka for Australia’s spinners, and Lyon suggested simplicity was at the heart of what they tried to do on these pitches.”Honestly, we’ve just been talking about sticking to the process of bowling your best ball, and hopefully that will lead to a couple of chances here and there.”

“It’s important that we stay in the moment. That’s the constant talk from game one, it’s not like we want to change anything,” he adds

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-20231:51

Kumble on India’s massive win: Perfect, amazing, outstanding

In the end, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill went so hard at South Africa’s new-ball bowlers that India scored more in their first ten overs – 91 – than South Africa did in their entire innings.Rohit was the firestarter as India raced past fifty in the fifth over and he finished with 40 off 24 balls, having provided the ignition needed to score 326 for 5, a total that was well above par on an Eden Gardens pitch that helped spin. But after the game, he said his approach was not pre-meditated.”Not really, that is something we didn’t discuss, to be honest,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation when asked whether there was a conscious effort to be aggressive against South Africa. “Gill and I have been batting together for a long time now and that’s how we have batted for the majority of our innings together. We let our instincts do the talking for us, we let it take over in the middle and not pre-plan everything. If the wicket is good, we want to go out there and play the kind of cricket we are playing and everything falls in place.”Related

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And everything did fall in place for India. After he and Gill were dismissed, Virat Kohli went on to score his record-equalling 49th ODI century and his 134-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer ensured that India were always above par even when the pitch got harder to bat on.”If we look at how we played in the last three games, we played better [against South Africa] in terms of adapting to the situation,” Rohit said. “We were put under little bit of pressure against England where we lost three wickets upfront and then we got ourselves collected and got a decent score and the seamers did the job for us. In the last game as well, we lost a wicket in the first over, but we stitched a very big partnership there and then again got to a good score, and again, seamers came to the party.”Again today as well, it was not an easy pitch, you needed someone like Kohli to go out there and bat the situation. Not to forget [Shreyas] Iyer, creating that partnership for us and getting the runs on the board and then we knew we had the runs on the board and it was time to keep the ball in the right areas, and the pitch will do its thing.”After scoring 326 at Eden Gardens, India dismantled South Africa for just 83•ICC via Getty Images

Rohit had words of praise for Mohammed Shami and Iyer. Despite not playing the first four league games, Shami is India’s leading wicket-taker at the World Cup, with 16 wickets in just 26 overs, at an astonishing strike rate of 9.7, average of 7.00, an economy of 4.30. Iyer, meanwhile, has scored consecutive half-centuries against South Africa and Sri Lanka, after scoring just one in his first six innings of the World Cup.”Honestly, even if they wouldn’t have repaid, I would have still kept that faith,” Rohit said. “It’s important to let guys have freedom in the middle. It is important to make them understand what is expected of them. And I also understand it’s not going to happen every game. You have to keep the trust in the guys who have done the job for the team. It cannot be done every day but when it happens, everything looks good.”That’s what happened with Shami. In the first few games, he was not part of the XI, but for him to come back the way he has in the last four games shows the mindset and the quality of the player. Same with Iyer, wasn’t getting the runs he was expecting by his own standards but [in] the last two games, showed the kind of class he has.”In Hardik Pandya’s absence, Ravindra Jadeja has stepped up to deliver as India’s sole allrounder. After not batting in the first four games, he helped seal the chase against New Zealand (39* off 44), and provided powerful finishes while batting first against Sri Lanka (35 off 24) and South Africa (29* off 15). He’s also taken 14 wickets with an economy of 3.76, including a five-wicket haul against South Africa.”Jadeja has been really good,” Rohit said. “He is a big match-winner for us, playing in all three formats for us for many years now. He keeps doing the job, goes under the radar a lot but today was a classic case of what Jadeja is for us – scores runs at the back end and then to come out and take wickets. Very important player. He knows exactly what is expected of him from the team.”With eight wins in eight games, India have secured the top spot in the league with a game in hand, against Netherlands in Bengaluru on November 12. After that, they will play their semi-final against the team that finishes fourth in the league, but Rohit isn’t looking too far ahead just yet.”This is something that we have been talking constantly in our changing room. Not to get ahead of ourselves. There is still a long way to go in the tournament,” Rohit said. “It’s important that we stay in the moment. That’s the constant talk from game one, it’s not like we want to change anything or we are talking about anything else. When we turn up for the game, we want to play well and to our potential.”

Stand-in captain Powell added the finishing touches after a below-par batting display from New Zealand

Associated Press14-Aug-2022Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks shared a 102-run opening partnership as West Indies struck a winning formula at last, beating New Zealand by eight wickets in the third T20I on Sunday to prevent a sweep of the three-match series.After making the bold decision to rest captain Nicholas Pooran, the hosts also played more than one spinner for the first time in the series and their bowlers flourished on a slow pitch at Sabina Park.New Zealand made only 145 for 7 after winning the toss, falling well short of its 185 for 5 in the first match and 215 for 5 in the second.West Indies reached their target with an over to spare, as stand-in captain Rovman Powell hit Jimmy Neesham for six to clinch the win and leave the series 2-1 in New Zealand’s favor.Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, playing for the first time in the series, took 2 for 28 while allrounder Odean Smith took a career-best 3 for 29.King, who missed the first two matches of the series with injury, provided impetus for the run chase by taking 53 runs from 35 balls. Brooks carried his bat throughout the innings, finishing on 56 while Powell hurried the end by striking 27 from 15 balls.”It was very special being able to do this at home in front of everybody,” King said. “The support is incredible, my family is here and I’m happy to be able to deliver. I think consistency is the key. When you’re an opening batsman you try to give your team a good start.”Today credit has to be given to the bowlers. They did an excellent job for us and made my job that much easier.”New Zealand failed to replicate its performances of the first two victories when it made strong starts and built partnerships around Kane Williamson who made 47 in the first match and Glenn Phillips who made 76 in the second.On Sunday, Hosein came on in only the third over and immediately knocked over Martin Guptill to leave New Zealand 18 for 1.Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner and Williamson all made starts but struggled to impart momentum to the innings. That task fell again to Phillips who made 41 from 26 balls and was Player of the Series.Phillips needed to bat through but was out at a critical stage when New Zealand was 125 for 5 in the 17th over. New Zealand made big finishes in the first two matches, putting on 64 in the last five overs of the first two matches but managing only 39 in the last five overs this time.West Indies innings stood in complete contrast with the opening partnership between King and Brooks occupying 13.1 overs and making the result a foregone conclusion. King reached his half century from 30 balls and Brooks hung around to anchor the innings, posting his 50 from 52 deliveries.”The West Indies adapted to the conditions nicely,” Williamson said. “With the bat we felt if we could get another 15 or so we could get a bit of momentum but they were able to take wickets throughout an execute their plans beautifully.”They did the same thing with the bat and we couldn’t open up an end with the ball. We knew that with 140 things would have to go well for us with the ball and they outplayed us today.”The teams meet in the first of three ODIs on Wednesday.

Robinson’s former Sussex coach believes seamer can stake claim for Ashes involvement

Valkerie Baynes07-Apr-2021Jason Gillespie says Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson deserves an England Test berth and believes he could prove more than handy on the Ashes tour at the end of the year.As Robinson prepares to spearhead the Sussex attack in their County Championship opener against Lancashire, starting at Old Trafford on Thursday, he has in mind the importance of a good season kick start for his prospects of earning a maiden Test cap this summer.Having spent time on the fringes of Test selection as part of numerous bio-secure squad bubbles over the past year, Robinson revealed last week that he had been advised by England to aim towards selection for the two Tests against New Zealand in June.Related

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• Head, Handscomb turn thoughts to England

• Lancashire, Yorkshire go head-to-head in pursuit of glory

Gillespie, the former Australia quick who played 71 Tests, coached Robinson initially at Yorkshire and more recently at Sussex, and he believes Robinson is ready for higher honours.”He wouldn’t let anyone down. If he was thrown the ball in a Test match, he wouldn’t let England down, he would perform a role very well,” Gillespie told ESPNcricinfo from Adelaide, where he is now head coach of South Australia and Adelaide Strikers. “He’s one of the most researched bowlers that I’ve worked with.”What I mean by that is he comes very prepared to every session, every team meeting, he does his research on the opposition batsmen, he watches a lot of footage, he pores over statistics, which may surprise a few people. And I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t necessarily see that in the short time Ollie was at Yorkshire, but once I got to Sussex I’d seen a lot of growth in Ollie as a player and person.”Having reached this point on the back of two hugely successful Championship seasons in 2018 and 2019 and a match-winning contribution against Australia A on England Lions’ tour of Australia early last year, Robinson knows first-hand how crucial the coming weeks can be.Could Robinson feature during this winter’s Ashes series? Gillespie believes he should.”I think he’s good enough,” Gillespie said. “I certainly believe he could perform a role for England. I think he’s certainly someone England should have in their squad for the Ashes because I think he could have an impact.”England have got some fine bowlers, there’s no doubt about that, and I think he deserves to be in those conversations to be a part of that tour and a part of that squad. Speaking to Australian batsmen who played in that A series, they were very impressed with him.”It wasn’t always this way with Robinson. Some observers may have been surprised by his progress, namely those who remember him as a youngster at Yorkshire with loads of talent but less aptitude for discipline, which ultimately saw him released in 2014 at the age of just 20 for a series of misdemeanours relating to punctuality, training and commitment.Ollie Robinson has been tipped for an England spot•Stu Forster/Getty Images

Gillespie, Yorkshire’s coach at the time, believes Robinson’s problems stemmed from a struggle to settle after moving north from his native Kent.The stepson of Paul Farbrace, who was then Yorkshire’s second-team coach before going on to become England assistant coach and now Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Robinson missed his friends, according to Gillespie, who remembers Robinson driving back and forth four-and-a-half hours each way in an unsustainable attempt to maintain his social life back in Kent. Robinson’s cricket suffered – he would be late for training or not turn up at all and Yorkshire lost patience.But by the time the pair were reunited at Sussex – when Gillespie took over as coach in 2018 – Robinson was thriving, having adopted a truly professional approach to his game.”It’s fair to say Ollie, being from Kent, he didn’t quite settle into the environment at Yorkshire,” Gillespie says. “He was quite young and he missed his life down south so it just didn’t quite work out. Everyone saw that the skills and the talent were there.”He’s a real leader around Sussex. That’s probably something that I think may have surprised a lot of people at Yorkshire.”Full credit to him. Ollie being released by Yorkshire, he had a choice to make – he could either mope around and be disappointed about it and ‘woe is me’ or do something about it.”He sought opportunity elsewhere, he did the hard yards, he got offered an opportunity to trial at Sussex and he did everything he could to make the most of that opportunity. He deserves a lot of respect around the county circuit for how he’s gone about things.”

The best of the action from Sunday’s play in the WBBL with a familiar pair taking the headlines

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2019Alyssa Healy, who scored a 52-ball century, and Ellyse Perry rewrote the record books at the WACA with an unbroken opening stand of 199 in what became a 45-run victory for the Sydney Sixers against the Melbourne Stars. It was the highest stand for any wicket in the WBBL comfortably surpassing the previous best of 156. Healy began the final over on 89 and regained the strike with three balls left, sending them all to the boundary to finish on 106 – her third century in a month after T20I and ODI tons against Sri Lanka. Perry, meanwhile, marked her 29th birthday with 87 off 68 balls and she is now averaging 139.50 this season. Lizelle Lee, who made a century the previous day, gave the chase a rapid start with 25 off 17 balls but after she fell to Ash Gardner the Stars didn’t threaten. Captain Elyse Villani top-scored with 59.The Sydney Thunder returned to the top of the table with a well-crafted six-wicket victory the Hobart Hurricanes in Burnie. Rachel Priest gave the chase of 149 momentum with 50 off 34 balls and though the Thunder were 3 for 81 when she fell the required rate was in hand. Alex Blackwell and Phoebe Litchfield again joined forces with Litchfield unbeaten on 26 when the win came with 11 balls to spare. The chase was aided by 21 wides from the Hurricanes attack. Their innings had come to life in the final 10 overs which brought 108 runs after they reached halfway on just 2 for 40. Heather Knight hit an unbeaten 77 off 49 balls while Chloe Tryon again showed her hitting power with 21 off 12. Pakistan allrounder Nida Dar took 2 for 16 off four overs.Beth Mooney’s prolific WBBL continued as her unbeaten 77 off 51 eased the Brisbane Heat to a commanding nine-wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers following their batting collapse the previous day. Mooney, who is comfortably the leading run-scorer so far this season, added 65 for the first wicket with Grace Harris then completed the job alongside Jess Jonassen with the Heat having 17 balls to spare. Georgia Prestwidge had played a key role with the ball to finish with 3 for 29, two of those wickets – removing Bridget Patterson and Lauren Winfield – helping reduce the Strikers to 5 for 75 in the 13th over. Sophie Devine (65) held the innings together but the total proved well short of challenging the Heat.