He made his first Shield century since February 2021 while Jack Clayton made 96 and Michael Neser was promoted to No. 5

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2023A classy Joe Burns century put Queensland in the box seat against Tasmania on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.The 34-year-old was unbeaten on 127 at stumps with allrounder Michael Neser also in ominous form, as the Bulls reached 293 for 3 after the hosts elected to field at Blundstone Arena.It was the first Sheffield Shield century in 980 days for former Test batter Burns. His previous ton was at the same venue against the same opposition on February 18, 2021, with Burns making 171 in the first innings of a match Queensland won by three wickets.Related

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Batting at No. 3 on Thursday, Burns unfurled the full array of strokes from his repertoire against the Tasmanians and brought up his 20th first-class century from 213 deliveries.He had previously failed to reach 50 in all of his 11 first-class innings for Queensland in 2023.Burns and left-hander Jack Clayton added 187 for the third wicket after openers Bryce Street and Matt Renshaw both fell cheaply as the Bulls slumped to 10 for 2.Burns drove through the covers and behind point off the seamers with grace and control. A late cut from the bowling of offspinner Jarrod Freeman took him into the 90s and was a shot full of class. Burns was equally strong on the leg side and looked every bit the former Test batter who boasts four centuries at the highest level.Queensland were without Test opener Usman Khawaja for the second time in as many Shield games after he was again rested by Cricket Australia to manage his workload.Clayton had made 109 against Victoria in his last Shield innings and was looking good for consecutive centuries. But a short ball by Brad Hope hurried on to the 24-year-old and he spliced his pull shot straight to mid-on. Clayton made 96 off 175 balls in an innings that featured 10 boundaries.In-form allrounder Neser was promoted to No. 5 for the first time in his first-class career and was given a life on 5 when Jordan Silk uncharacteristically dropped a sitter at slip off Freeman.Neser rode his luck but played with aggression. In the closing overs, Tasmania had nine fielders on the fence, but Neser continued to try to clobber just about each delivery he faced.

Gladiators are hoping to turn their form around after finishing in the bottom two of the PSL in each of the last four seasons

Danyal Rasool19-Dec-2023Quetta Gladiators are thinking about Sarfaraz Ahmed’s future as captain of the side. While the timeline on the final decision is not yet clear, ESPNcricinfo understands that the general consensus at the franchise is that he should be replaced, ending an eight-year stint at the helm.Gladiators had announced Sarfaraz as their captain on PSL draft day. It is customary for franchises to announce their captain for the purposes of the draft, though changes can be made after that.The franchise has already reshuffled their backroom staff, most notably with Moin Khan moving on from head coach to a directorship role. He has been replaced by former Gladiators player Shane Watson as coach. Former Pakistan bowling coach Shaun Tait has also been appointed as the side’s fast-bowling coach as Gladiators look to turn around their fortunes – they have gone from being the most consistent PSL side to the most underperforming over the past four years.It is understood that Watson will be sounded out for his opinion on the situation. There is no concrete information around a possible replacement, but Rilee Rossouw, who returned to Gladiators after a stint with Multan Sultans, and Saud Shakeel, whose leadership is rated highly in domestic circles, are likely to be among the frontrunners.Related

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Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar told the Relukattay podcast earlier this week that he remained “double-minded” over whether to replace Sarfaraz as captain. There is no desire to cast out the only captain the franchise has ever known, with Omar criticising the PCB for doing just that when Sarfaraz was sacked as Pakistan skipper. He said it “would be nicer” if Sarfaraz handed Gladiators captaincy away on his own, and that Sarfaraz had even agreed to do so if required.”It is the elephant in the room,” Omar said. “Wherever I go, people ask me this. But our franchise is a bit different from the others in the sense that we have a very intimate relationship with these players. I understand cricketers have a shelf life, but I think over Pakistan history, we tend to dump players unceremoniously.”Sarfaraz has been off the boil over the last couple of years. There are a lot of reasons for that – the way he was unceremoniously ousted by the PCB didn’t help, especially when he had a few more years. We won’t dump him unceremoniously. We haven’t decided yet, but we’ll give him full honours. Sarfaraz told me he would be happy to step aside if Quetta wants to make a change. We have a call with Shane Watson in a couple of days, and then we’ll decide.”Sarfaraz, 36, was appointed Gladiators captain when the league was inaugurated in 2016, and led his side to the final. Weeks later, he was appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain, and led the national side to the 2017 Champions Trophy title. He led Gladiators to the PSL title in 2019, but fading form saw him sacked as Pakistan captain from all three formats within a year, and he was dropped from the national side.But Gladiators’ form has fallen away dramatically since. They have missed qualifying for the playoffs the last four years, and finished bottom or second from bottom each time.Sarfaraz is currently in Australia with Pakistan’s Test side, and played the opening Test in Perth, which Australia won by 360 runs.

He also believes Pakistan needed to invest in depth rather than individuals

Danyal Rasool29-Dec-2023Haris Rauf’s self-imposed absence from the ongoing series between Australia and Pakistan has seen another voice weighing in, with former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi saying the pace bowler “should have been a part of this side”.Rauf pulled out of the series before the squad was announced, citing a desire to manage his workload and his protect his body. He played four games in the Big Bash League in Australia while the series was going on for the Melbourne Stars. Meanwhile, Pakistan went into the series with a squad that possessed very little high pace, with medium fast bowlers Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal playing the first Test, and Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali the second. Shaheen Shah Afridi was the young leader of the pace battery, but even his pace has never quite recovered since a knee injury, and mostly operated in the low 130s kmph.”I think Haris [Rauf] should be part of this side instead rather than [the BBL],” Afridi, speaking to media at the MCG, said.” In these conditions, the kind of pace he has, he would have performed well and enjoyed himself on the kinds of pitches Australia prepared in Perth and here.”Related

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The pitch at the Optus Stadium for the first Test was lively even by Perth standards, with fast bowlers seeming to get extra assistance as the Test wore on. It was arguably at its most unplayable on the fourth afternoon, when Australia stilled Pakistan out for 89 in 30.2 overs to inflict a 360-run defeat. The home side’s seamers have continued to enjoy great success at the MCG, with Pat Cummins taking five wickets in the first innings.Shahid Afridi, who is in Australia for work related to his foundation, also said he didn’t believe Shaheen carried any injury despite the drop in pace, believing Pakistan needed to invest in depth rather than individuals.”I’ve never got the impression that Shaheen has an injury. If you’re injured you can’t play as a fast bowler. He knows his responsibility and how important he is to the team. The fast bowlers, we are expecting a lot from them because they’ve done well in the past. Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen etc. have performed so well we expect them to perform in every match. Relentless consistency is challenging in cricket.”I have always said that unless our bench is strong we won’t be able to take the best decisions. The A team should be as strong as the main team, so if Shaheen or Babar or Rizwan aren’t strong, we shouldn’t have the excuses of players being unavailable, like we do with Naseem now. When our bench is strong, we will no longer have excuses.”Shahid also backed Pakistan to maintain a fighting interest in the ongoing Test, where the visitors need 317 to win. No side has chased a higher target in the fourth innings at the MCG in nearly a century, and Pakistan may indeed have been pursuing a much lower total had they held on to their slip catches.”This Test match they should win. A good opportunity we missed to get them out easily for 150 runs. But it’s a chaseable score. I rate Babar Azam very highly and so does the world. He is the backbone of Pakistan’s batting lineup. The best batters lose form, but I have seen such consistent batters very rarely in Pakistan cricket.”

“They need a little more time, little more freedom as well”, India captain says the youngsters will learn with time

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-20242:48

Have India got their tactics right against Bazball?

India drew level in the five-match series with a 107-run win over England in Visakhapatnam, but the batting performance remains an area of concern. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a double-century in the first innings and Shubman Gill hit a hundred under pressure in the second, but no other batter could get a big score. Captain Rohit Sharma said that is something the team needs to look at, while also pointing out that it is a young squad that will learn with experience.”The wicket was really good to bat on. That’s where, if I have to point anything, a lot of the batters got the start, but didn’t convert into a big score, and [that’s] something that we really need to look into,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation.”But, again, having said that, I do understand they’re very young, [and] they’re very new to this form of the game. So obviously, it will take some time for us. It’s important from our side to give them confidence, and this win, obviously, will give them a lot of confidence, and [tell them] just to go out there and play freely.”Related

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Rohit emphasised on winning against an in-form England side with a relatively inexperienced squad.”Very, very proud of such a young squad in terms of the Test matches that they’ve played. To come up against a team like that, [who] won the first Test match, and then to come out and play like that for us, [it’s] very, very positive,” he said.”Like I said, a lot of the guys are quite young in terms of playing this form of the game for us. So it’ll take some time, obviously, to be absolutely spot on, but you’ve got to give it to them. [They need] a little more time, little more freedom as well. And that is something that we are constantly talking in the changing room that we want these guys to have some time in the middle, go and play freely without any pressure.”Among the Indian players with limited Test experience is Rohit’s opening partner Jaiswal. In just his sixth Test, the 22-year-old followed up his 80-run knock in the first Test with his second Test century, and went on to convert it into a double. Rohit hailed the innings of 209 as “an exceptional knock”, and said Jaiswal is looking to make the most of every opportunity.”Looks like a very good player, understands his game really well,” Rohit said about Jaiswal. “He’s got a long way to go, of course. He’s just coming to the side now, and every opportunity he’s trying to make the most of it.”That was an exceptional knock, what he did in the first day. Long way to go, like I said. He’s got a lot to offer to our team, and I hope he stays quite humble and focuses on what is needed for the team.”

Australia recovered from 80 for 5 to hunt down a challenging run chase in Christchurch

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-20241:29

Cummins: We always found a way to win

Pat Cummins has praised the ability of different players in the Australia side to stand up when the team needed it after they conjured a remarkable run chase in New Zealand to take the series 2-0.Australia were in huge trouble on the third evening at 34 for 4 chasing 279 and then at 80 for 5 early on the fourth morning when Travis Head departed. However, Mitchell Marsh – who had been given a life the ball before Head’s wicket – and the under-pressure Alex Carey put together a match-changing stand of 140 in 29 overs.Related

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Carey, whose position in the side was coming under increased scrutiny after a run of poor strokes, remained unbeaten to the end with 98 after Ben Sears had again rattled the chase with two wickets in two balls.”Think the story of this series was in key moments one guy stood up, we didn’t necessarily play the complete game, but in those pivotal moments someone stood up and made themselves a matchwinner,” Cummins, who struck a vital 32 not out, said. “[We] keep finding ways to win, it’s a pretty awesome squad.”He added that the tempo Marsh and Carey were able to bat at was vital in putting the pressure back on New Zealand’s bowlers. It also meant the second new ball wouldn’t be a factor.”We’ve been on the other side of it plenty of times and if the scoreboard’s not moving you feel in the game, but if they are chipping away it seems like it’s all happening pretty quickly,” he said. “That was goal today, be busy, keep the run rate ticking over and bit by bit getting closer.””[It was] pretty tense,” he added. “Pretty nervous watching for the last couple of hours, everyone trying to keep themselves busy then looking up at the board. Amazing win.”The victory meant Australia finished with six Test wins and one defeat in the season having beaten Pakistan 3-0 and drawn 1-1 with West Indies. They now have a long break from Test cricket before facing India at home in November.New Zealand captain Tim Southee was proud of the way his team fought but was left regretting seeing a golden chance of a first win at home against Australia in 31 years slip away.”The partnership with Mitch Marsh and Alex Carey sort of broke the back of our attack, but then a great little exciting end to the day,” he said. “When you are playing the No. 1 side in the world you need to go that little bit further. But a great Test match…ebbed and flowed throughout the whole match.”

Abi Glen impresses with unbeaten fifty and three-for as hosts hold firm to win by 10 runs

ECB Reporters Network24-Apr-2024A fabulous 103 from new England star Hollie Armitage led Northern Diamonds to a come-from-behind 10-run victory over Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy at Headingley.Inserted, the Diamonds slipped to 89 for 5 in the 21st over before captain Armitage led the fightback to 275 for 9 during her 114-ball innings with 13 fours.Allrounder Abi Glen also crashed a late 53 not out off 46 – her maiden regional fifty – during the first half of an engaging contest and later claimed three wickets with her seamers.Dani Gibson struck twice with the new ball and finished with 3 for 44 for Storm. But it was Armitage who won the battle of the England team-mates, leading her side to a second successive victory after Saturday’s win over Thunder.In reply, Storm were well placed at 127 for 2 in the 23rd over, only to fall to 265 all out in the last over when they needed 12 to win. Armitage will take the headlines, but Phoebe Turner also impressed with three wickets following 32 with the bat.Storm suffered a heavy opening day defeat, by eight wickets against Sunrisers when they were bowled out for 114. So this performance was much improved.Storm made an eye-catching start, led by Gibson’s dismissals of openers Sterre Kalis and Lauren Winfield-Hill. Both had stumps uprooted as the hosts fell to 50 for 2 after 10 overs.Spinners Sophia Smale and Amanda-Jade Wellington claimed three wickets like Gibson, but it was Australian overseas legspinner Wellington who was the pick of the Storm attack with 3 for 30 from 10 overs bowled on the reel through the middle of the innings.She had Bess Heath caught at point, fellow Aussie overseas Burns bowled trying to cut a ball too close to her and Leah Dobson caught brilliantly by a diving Niamh Holland coming in from deep midwicket.That left the Diamonds five down and still short of 100. But Armitage was outstanding.Last month, the 26-year-old made her senior England debut as a concussion substitute in a T20I against New Zealand in Nelson. Western Storm’s Gibson was in the same team.Armitage, who has scored two of her three regional centuries against the Storm, pulled with authority and drove with grace, supported well by Phoebe Turner’s 32 and Glen’s late fifty.She shared half-century stands with both for the sixth and eighth wickets, whilst reaching her century off 112 balls. She was caught at long-on two balls later off Smale as the innings drew to a close.Glen hit three fours off Lauren Filer in the innings’ last over, which went for 15. But the damage had already been done.Storm did, however, start their chase of 276 positively. Openers Smale and Alex Griffiths shared 59 inside 13 overs before the latter pulled Phoebe Turner out to deep midwicket to fall for 26.Turner then bowled Smale for 35, only for Fran Wilson and captain Sophie Luff to steady once more. They shared 47 and were well set at the crease when the off-spin of Aussie Erin Burns was introduced into the attack.And after eight balls, she had bowled both Wilson for 32 and Gibson for 5, leaving the score at 140 for 4 in the 25th over.When legspinner Katie Levick had Luff caught at mid-off for 25 shortly afterwards, Storm were 160 for 5 in the 30th having lost three wickets for 33.Natasha Wraith kept hopes alive with 27, only to be bowled by Phoebe Turner – one of two Turners in the Diamonds team along with Sophia. At 192 for 6 in the 38th, it felt like the decisive moment. So it proved.Wellington hit an aggressive 28 and Niamh Holland a laboured 29, and both were bowled by Glen and Sophia Turner before the former bowled Mollie Robbins. The Storm then needed 12 off the last with one wicket remaining. But Glen had Filer stumped to seal the win.