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Stats highlights from the third ODI between West Indies and South Africa in East London

Bishen Jeswant22-Jan-20159 Number of wickets by which South Africa won this ODI, their biggest margin of victory against West Indies when chasing. South Africa have won five ODIs by a margin of eight wickets against West Indies.152 Balls remaining in South Africa’s innings when they achieved victory, in the 25th over of their chase, the most for them against West Indies and the third-most against a top-eight side. South Africa had never previously beaten West Indies with more than 50 balls to spare.151 Wickets taken by Dale Steyn in ODIs, making him the seventh South African bowler to reach the 150-wicket mark. His fast-bowling partner Morkel also has exactly 151 wickets. Morkel reached this mark in the previous ODI of this series, his 89th match. Steyn needed 96 matches.122 The score for which West Indies were bowled out, their second-lowest against South Africa. The only time they were bowled out for fewer was in 2004, when they folded for 54 in Cape Town.4-28 Imran Tahir’s figures in this game, his best in ODIs. It was also the sixth-best bowling performance by a South African spinner in ODIs.124 Runs scored by South Africa to win this ODI, the fourth-lowest in an ODI innings including individual fifties by two batsmen. Hashim Amla (61) and Faf du Plessis (51) made fifties in this game. The lowest such score is 113, also by South Africa, when AB de Villiers (50) and Graeme Smith (56) made half-centuries in an easy win against Pakistan in 2007.7 Number of bowlers used by West Indies to bowl 24.4 overs, the fewest in an uninterrupted ODI between two top-eight teams. The only other instance where seven or more bowlers bowled fewer overs in any ODI was when Netherlands used seven bowlers to send down 20.3 overs against Ireland in 2010.

While Australia have been regulars in World Cup finals and have won the title four times, for New Zealand this is their maiden entry

Shiva Jayaraman28-Mar-20151 Number of World Cup knockouts played between Australia and New Zealand before the final in this World Cup. Australia won the quarter-finals in 1996. New Zealand’s win in the league match in Auckland earlier was only their third over Australia in World Cups out of nine matches.7 Number of times Australia have made it to a World Cup final. No other team has featured in more than three finals; New Zealand will be playing their first.1981 The last time New Zealand won the final of a multi-team tournament against Australia, which was the first of the three finals of a tri-series. Since then, New Zealand have lost 12 finals to Australia, the last of which was in the 2009 Champions Trophy.3-2 New Zealand’s win-loss record in the last five ODIs against Australia at the MCG, the last of which was won by New Zealand in 2009. But besides the three wins, New Zealand have won only one other game, way back in 1983. Overall Australia have a 14-4 record against New Zealand at this venue for a win-loss ratio of 3.5, which is their best against any team they have played more than two times at the venue. Australia’s record against New Zealand in the finals of any tournament at the MCG is 5-0.6 Number of consecutive ODI wins for Australia at the MCG. The last time they lost here was against Sri Lanka in 2012. Australia have won 8 of their last 10 games here.4 Wickets taken by Tim Southee in five games since his 7 for 33 against England. Southee has conceded 294 runs from 46 overs since then at an economy of 6.43. Southee averages 85.50 against the batsmen in the current Australia squad.

Tim Southee – World Cup 2015

Wkts BBI Ave Econ First-3 matches 11 7/33 10.09 4.11Last-5 matches 4 2/65 74.00 6.4361 Total runs scored by Australia’s top-order (No. 1 to No. 3) against New Zealand in ODIs as opposed to their middle-order (No. 4 to No. 7) which has 2216 runs against them. While Michael Clarke has hit 944 runs at 39.33 against New Zealand, Brad Haddin has hit 692 runs against them – the most he has against any team in ODIs. Both of Haddin’s ODI hundreds have come against New Zealand. Watson has done well too, scoring 550 runs at an average of 45.83.

Australia batting v New Zealand – top and middle-order

Inns Runs Ave SR 100s/50sTop-order 5 61 12.20 68.53 0/0Middle-order 61 2216 42.61 85.39 3/14208 Runs scored by New Zealand’s openers – Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill – off Mitchell Johnson in ODIs. While McCullum has scored 113 off 102 Johnson deliveries and has been dismissed only once, Guptill has 95 from 132 balls and has been dismissed twice by the bowler.

Mitchell Johnson v New Zealand openers in ODIs

Batsman Conc Wkts Balls Ave EcoBrendon McCullum 113 1 102 113.00 6.65Martin Guptill 95 2 132 47.50 4.3265.61 Aaron Finch’s batting average at the MCG. He has scored two hundreds and one fifty in six innings at this venue, with 135, 96, 22, and 121 his last four scores. However, Finch’s opening partner David Warner hasn’t done too well at this venue having scored just 129 runs from his seven innings.10 Number of fifty-plus scores by Steven Smith in 19 ODI innings since October 2014. He hadn’t scored a fifty in his first 38 ODI innings. Since October 2014, Smith has scored 1016 runs at an average of 67.73 including four hundreds and six fifties. Smith’s 337 runs in this series are the third-highest by an Australia No. 3 in any World Cup.

Steven Smith – ODI career

Runs HS Ave SR 100s/50sFirst 38 ODIs 477 46* 20.73 86.56 0/0Last 19 ODIs 1016 105 67.73 91.44 4/63 Number of times Shane Watson has got out on a duck in his last-five ODIs innings at the MCG. In spite of his three recent ducks, Watson averages 35.66 from 15 innings at what has been his most productive venue in Tests. He has hit six fifty-plus scores from nine Test innings at the MCG, scoring 517 runs at an average of 73.85.9 Number of innings since the last time Martin Guptill hit a fifty against Australia in ODIs. In nine innings since then Guptill has managed 154 runs against Australia at an average of 17.11 and a highest of 40. Among the bowlers in the current Australia team, Shane Watson has dismissed him thrice in 29 deliveries.16.17 Ross Taylor’s batting average against the bowlers in the current Australia team. Taylor has scored 194 runs against them at a strike rate of 62.78. Taylor has been dismissed five times by Johnson in 132 balls and four times by Watson in 82 deliveries. Overall though, Taylor has hit 764 runs against Australia – his highest against any team in ODIs – at an average of 36.38 including a century and six fifties.

Ross Taylor v Australia bowlers

Bowler Runs Dis Balls SRMitchell Johnson 92 5 132 69.70Shane Watson 45 4 82 54.88Michael Clarke 52 2 81 64.20Mitchell Starc 0 1 1 0.0017 Sixes hit by Brendon McCullum out of the 58 that have been hit in the mandatory Powerplays in this World Cup. He has hit none after the tenth over. McCullum’s 17 sixes are the fourth-highest by any batsman in a World Cup. Out of his eight innings in this World Cup, McCullum has batted beyond the 10th over only once, against Sri Lanka in Christchurch. Of the 150 balls he has faced inside the first-ten overs, he has hit 59 boundaries scoring 308 runs at a strike rate of 205.33.1 Number of century stands conceded by both Australia and New Zealand in this World Cup – the least among teams. Oppositions have averaged 20.77 per wicket against Australia – the least against any team in his World Cup. New Zealand have conceded 22.97 runs per wicket in this World Cup.25.71 Australia’s average opening stand in this series – the second-worst their first wicket has averaged per dismissal in any World Cup. They had averaged 24.83 runs per dismissal in 1983. Australia’s openers have put on only one fifty stand in seven innings.14 Maidens by Boult out of the 75 overs he has bowled in this World Cup – seven more than the highest bowled by any other bowler. Boult has bowled 296 dot-balls, which is also the most by any bowler in this World Cup. However, in terms of dot-ball percentage, Boult’s 65.78% is only the third-highest for any bowler who has bowled at least 50 overs in this World Cup. Mitchell Starc leads this list with 228 dot-balls out of 335 deliveries (68.06%). Boult is the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup with 21 victims, while Starc is a close-second with 20 wickets.

Plays of the Day from the Pakistan v South Africa World Cup 2015 Group B match, in Auckland

Nikita Bastian in Auckland07-Mar-2015Steyn takes the plunge
In the ninth over, at 30 for 0, Pakistan already had what was by far their biggest and longest opening stand of the tournament. It was still a slow start, but Ahmed Shehzad was beginning to look comfortable, having pulled and driven Kyle Abbott to the boundary in the space of six balls. An opening partnership can’t flourish too long with Dale Steyn in the opposition though. Shehzad mistimed a flick and Steyn ran to his right from mid-on, while looking over his shoulder, and ended his sprint with a spectacular dive. He came up with the ball clutched in his fingertips, but was floored again by his team-mates piling on top of him in celebration.De Villiers’ dollies
South Africa had the scoring rate under control with Pakistan 35 for 1 in 10 overs. AB de Villiers tried to slow things down further, bringing legspinner Imran Tahir on at one end, and his own gentle half-trackers at the other. The experiment was quickly aborted though, after one of his deliveries barely reached half-way up the pitch and sat up for Younis Khan to flat-bat down the ground. Two balls later, de Villiers sent one down that was just as short and even loopier. Sarfraz Ahmed was waiting, then wound up and eventually swatted it to long leg for four more. To de Villiers’ credit, he was not put off and returned an hour later to take Younis’ wicket.Seeing triple
The second 10 overs, runs wise, did not go as well for South Africa. Pakistan added 72 more. Sarfraz was playing his first game of the tournament, brought in to shake up a flagging batting line-up and he made quite the statement. He greeted JP Duminy with two confident pulls – both times, he took a few steps down the track before unleashing – and both times the man at deep midwicket was interested for an instant before watching the ball sail over his head. Sarfraz could not complete a hat-trick, but he did get a third six later in the over, a carbon copy of the first two: two steps down, almighty swing, midwicket left ball-watching.Goliath v Goliath
How often do you see Morne Morkel run up to a batsman in his follow-through, only to be dwarfed? Such was the case after a couple of frustrating rain breaks, as Mohammad Irfan faced up to him in what was the final over of Pakistan’s innings. First up, Morkel got one to climb quickly on the seven-footer, forcing him to duck hurriedly to avoid one that went buzzing past his ears. Irfan was not pleased, and it was made clear the following ball when he backed away and slashed angrily at a length ball. Next up was a yorker, which Irfan French-cut for one. Sadly, that was the end of that intriguing mini-battle, with Pakistan all out the following delivery.Stamping on stumps
Two overs into the chase, Faf du Plessis committed a costly error – he took out the ICC’s flashing Zing wickets in his rush to make his ground ahead of Misbah-ul-Haq’s throw from short mid-off. He’d set off for the run and had Misbah hit at the non-striker’s end, it looked like he would have been out. That probably would not have been as costly a loss for South Africa, though, as it could have been for the ICC if the stumps were damaged, given a kit of nine stumps and 14 bails sets them back by roughly $40,000.Sarfraz’s stretch
The pacy Wahab Riaz has been one to watch this World Cup, and today he was helped along with a first-ball wicket courtesy a spectacular take from Sarfraz behind the stumps. As a wicketkeeper Sarfraz often comes across as a bit heavy-footed, safe more than athletic, but today he showed he can put in the sharp dive when needed, throwing himself low to his right to hang on to a chance, one-handed, from the in-form Hashim Amla. It was Sarfraz’s third catch of the night, and not his last – having taken over keeping duties from part-timer Umar Akmal, who had his fair share of slip ups with the gloves in Pakistan’s first four games, Sarfraz finished with six catches, equalling the world record for ODIs.

Mark Footitt has had a rare opportunity to impress a man who matters by bowling against England’s captain Alastair Cook with England selectors in attendance. is he the left-arm quick England need?

Tim Wigmore15-Jun-2015Not for the first time, English cricket is gazing covetously upon an Australian side ahead of the Ashes. Having seen the damage inflicted by Trent Boult in the opening Test series of the summer, England now face the challenge posed by two more left-arm quicks – Australia’s two Mitchells – knowing that it is a strength they cannot match.In the five years since Ryan Sidebottom’s last Test appearance, no left-arm pace bowler has played for England. Other English left-armers, notably Bill Voce and John Lever, have made a significant contribution, yet none has ever taken 100 Test wickets.Enter – perhaps – Mark Footitt.At first glance he does not look much like the left-arm hope tantalising England. His run-up begins rather diffidently, only gaining speed in his last few strides. When he gets to the crease, his right-arm falls away.It all provides little indication of what comes next. Footitt can move the ball both ways at a speed near 90mph, has a formidable bouncer, and is skilled at bowling either over or around the wicket.In his approach he draws inspiration from an Australian star of 2005. “One of my favourite bowlers was Brett Lee. All the time he ran in, hit the wicket hard, and tried to be aggressive,” Footitt said. “That’s what I’m in the team for – to be a strike bowler, break a partnership or try and mop up the tail.”The sight might yet be spotted against Australia this summer. Should England’s phalanx of right-arm over-the-wicket bowlers struggle in the opening Tests, the selectors might seek out the greater variety Footitt would provide. There are few other contenders. “Left-armers are a bit like gold dust,” he said.”It would be a great opportunity and great experience for me to play in the Ashes. Obviously I would back my ability to play Test cricket.” So he should. Since the start of 2014, Footitt has taken 116 first-class wickets at a smidgeon under 20 apiece.

“I’ve run out of breath speaking to them about him. He’s international class. He’s left-arm, he swings it, and he can bowl fast.”Graeme Welch advances the Derbyshire view

Last winter Footitt was selected in the England Performance Programme squad. He also bowled in the nets to England as they readied themselves for the challenge of facing Boult. “I bowled really well, and I think they were really impressed,” he said.But to Graeme Welch, the Elite Performance Director at Derbyshire, the selectors are still not taking him quite seriously enough. “I’ve run out of breath speaking to them about him,” Welch said. “He’s international class. He’s left-arm, he swings it, and he can bowl fast.”Welch is aghast when he recalls a visit to Derbyshire by Kevin Shine, the lead fast bowling coach at the ECB, last year. “He complained about Derby wickets doing a little bit too much. We looked at Mark’s wickets and he got just as many away as he did at home.”Shine’s reservations hint at the wider challenge for Footitt. Derbyshire have not produced an England debutant since Dominic Cork in 1995. The challenge is particularly acute while they remain in Division Two of the County Championship.Not that Footitt regards Division Two cricket as inadequate preparation for a Test match. “The England captain plays in Division Two. There’s still a load of good cricketers in Division Two. The gap’s not as big as everyone says it is.” He said: “If you’re doing well, scoring runs, taking wickets, I think there should be the opportunity to play for England.”In an age when potential future England cricketers are marked out as separate from their county contemporaries, given tailor-made development programmes and spend copious time at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough, Footitt has followed a more circuitous route.As a 19-year-old on first-class debut for Nottinghamshire in 2005, he took 4 for 45 against Glamorgan. But injuries, inconsistency and Nottinghamshire’s formidable pace attack limited him to nine first-class games in five years, until Footitt was released after the 2009 season.Only Derbyshire were interested. He is a poster boy for the merits of the 18-county structure: with fewer teams, his career would long ago have been toast. “If they’d put it down to 16 or 12 counties or whatever, it wouldn’t give people opportunities to have a second chance,” he recognised.At Derbyshire he played more, but old problems remained. When Footitt turned 27 after three years at the club, he had still taken only 72 first-class wickets.Alastair Cook has the chance to experience Footitt at first hand•Getty ImagesHe could easily have never taken another. In October 2012, he had an operation to remove a disc from his back: “a nervewracking time.” Though he was not told as much at the time, the operation could have ended his career.He has scarcely missed a Championship game since, benefiting from a personal fitness programme developed by James Pipe and Jamie Tallent, Derbyshire’s physio and the fitness coach; he no longer does squats or lifts weights to protect his back. He also rarely plays Twenty20 cricket, which he credits with being able to maintain his pace until deep in a Championship game.After eight years as a professional had failed to marry potential and performance, and with a serious injury to overcome, he understandably struggled, in his own words, “to recognise that my talent was good enough to play first-class cricket.” But 42 wickets in Division One in 2013 assuaged the doubts.”You always have that little doubt in your mind when you have a bit of an off-day,” he said. “But you’ve still got to keep yourself going. Self-belief is something that I try and concentrate on massively to keep myself going.”Since Welch joined Derbyshire before the 2014 season, Footitt has ascended remarkable heights, taking more first-class wickets than anyone else in England. He has put an end to the tinkering with Footitt’s action. “He told me to leave things and told me to realise how good I am,” Footitt said. “He’s just basically just said ‘do what you do.’ “The only tweak Welch has made has been to liberate him from fretting about no balls. “I always looked at the front foot, instead of looking at where the ball was supposed to go,” Footitt reflected. No longer. “Now I look at where I’m bowling instead of where I’m going to land.”Footitt speaks with a palpable affection for Welch, who he credits with becoming more adaptable as a bowler. “Sometime you come in and you’re going to have a four-over burst trying to bowl full, full-speed, and others you just want to sit in there and maybe hold it back a bit and just try to bowl maidens.”Yet, for all his delight at his recent form, he speaks slightly ruefully. “If I knew what I know now when I was 20 years old I think the world would be my oyster.”Perhaps it still could be. Despite his lack of batting aptitude – Welch calls him “definitely a No 11 – and it’s a good job there’s not 12 or else he’d be 12″ – Footitt is becoming increasingly difficult for England to ignore.”I think he could be good enough to play for England, yes,” said Leicestershire’s Niall O’Brien, who saw plenty of left-armers for Ireland during the World Cup. “Footit is a very talented bowler who over the last two years has improved more than most on the county circuit. Able to bowl at 90mph, and with good control and the right mix of aggression, he is a deadly weapon.”Even if the Ashes come too soon, England have another 21 Tests by the end of 2016: ample opportunity for Derbyshire’s 20-year wait to produce an England player to end. Footitt’s compelling story would make him an apt man to end that unwanted run.

The suspension of the owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years from all IPL related activities has left the future form of the league shrouded in uncertainty

Amol Karhadkar15-Jul-20154:37

What are the BCCI’s options?

A day after the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises were suspended for two years by a Supreme Court-appointed panel, BCCI and IPL team officials had discussions across the country to try and figure out a way forward.IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla met with BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata to discuss the implications of the Lodha Committee’s order, and the Super Kings top management huddled with legal experts in Chennai around the same time. Royals remained tightlipped about their plans for a second day running, but word in the BCCI was that the franchise had no option but to appeal.While Shukla was sure that “IPL-9 will take place”, former IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah said a special general body meeting was the need of the hour instead of an IPL governing council meeting.Here are five options the BCCI might have to choose from for IPL 2016, and the reasons why some of them are unviable.A six-team IPL
Two teams – in their existing form – cannot be part of the next two seasons, but why can’t the IPL comprise only six sides in 2016 and 2017? Fewer teams mean fewer games, and a drastically shorter tournament is not commercially viable for the BCCI.The broadcast deal signed with Multi Screen Media says each IPL season will contain at least 60 matches. A six-team competition will have only 34 matches, severely compromising the BCCI’s revenue. The shortfall will affect the central revenue pool, a large chunk of which is distributed equally among the teams. Such a scenario would make it virtually impossible for all the stakeholders to make a profit from the tournament.Invite bids for two new teams for two years
If two teams can’t play for two years, can’t the BCCI invite bids for two new teams to take their place for the duration of the suspension?This option is unattractive because it is unlikely that an investor will spend so much money – irrespective of the valuation of the franchises, a team needs to pump in at least INR 125 crore every IPL season – when it is uncertain that it will be recovered in such a short time span.As for the question of offering to bring back the Kochi and Pune franchises: the Pune team owners, Sahara India, are dealing with legal problems concerning their chief, and the consortium that owned Kochi has no interest in entering the IPL again, especially after the result of an arbitration process directed the BCCI to pay them a large sum of money.Invite bids for two new teams for a longer duration
For several BCCI members, this seems the most logical option. Not only will it solve the financial muddle, new owners’ interest could also help BCCI restore the faith of fans. Adding two new teams, however, will not be straightforward because the two suspended teams can return after two years. That would mean the revenue model will have to be drastically altered and the BCCI will have to start preparing for a nine or ten-team IPL from 2018.The BCCI runs two teams for two years
Some BCCI officials have reportedly been floating the idea of the board fielding two teams – perhaps as Team Chennai and Team Jaipur. While a precedent exists – the BCCI ran the Rajasthan state team in India’s domestic tournaments – such a move is not possible in the IPL.In the case of the Rajasthan Cricket Asssociation, the BCCI suspended RCA and RCA challenged that in court. Because time was running out, the court directed the BCCI to protect the players’ interest and form Team Rajasthan under the BCCI banner in domestic cricket.In the IPL mess, the Supreme Court had to step in because the BCCI failed to act satisfactorily on breaches committed by team owners and officials. If the BCCI, with its history of conflict of interest issues, considers this route, it could lead to a fresh set of litigations.Suspend IPL for two years
One of the more extreme reactions, coming from outside the BCCI. “You have to be in the system to change the system,” said a BCCI official, hoping that stringent action against teams will lead to the board becoming more alert and following its rules.Suspending the IPL would not only affect the brand, it would have huge ramifications on the BCCI’s revenue, and as a result the revenue of state associations and players.

Two successive Championships and a strong White Rose flavour to the national side and already they are wondering in the Broad Acres whether Yorkshire would beat England

Alan Gardner22-Sep-2015During the 2012 Olympics it became a popular exercise to work out where Yorkshire would be on the medal table if it were an independent country. For a good stretch of the Games they were ahead of Australia and, to general delight in the Broad Acres, the efforts of Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams and the Brownlee brothers saw Yorkshire finish a very respectable (and entirely theoretical) 12th.That same summer, Jason Gillespie got started on the business of reviving Yorkshire cricket. Relegation in 2011 had provoked another famous Yorkshire characteristic: plain speaking. Colin Graves, the club’s chairman, called performances a “disgrace”, and although what followed was hardly the doldrums – a year in Division Two, during which they were unbeaten – it was easier to express pride in Yorkshire’s Olympians than their cricketers.Three years on and Yorkshire have celebrated back-to-back Championship titles for the first time since the 1960s, when God’s Own County seemingly had a divine right to the trophy. To the surprise of no one, Yorkshiremen all over the land are rather happy again. Their bubble may have been burst by defeat at Lord’s three days after retaining the pennant – thus allowing Yorkshire supporters the existential ambrosia of being able to crow and grumble at the same time – but by then the nationhood question had raised its flat-capped head once again.Essentially, could Yorkshire beat England?Club-versus-country arguments in English cricket have become less vociferous since the advent of central contracts but the rumblings were there at the start of the season, when six Yorkshire players were whisked off to the Caribbean just as the Championship began. To make matters worse, England only deigned to pick three of them against West Indies. In all, Yorkshire donated seven of their number to the national team over the summer but shrugged off such privations (eventually) to win the title with two and a half games to spare.Where would Yorkshire rank as a Test nation, asked the agents provocateur excitedly on Twitter. Joe Root had led the way with the bat as England regained the Ashes but what if he swapped his brilliant-whites for the White Rose and took guard against Jimmy and Broady?It is here we move back into the realms of the hypothetical. England would clearly have to allow the likes of Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid to turn out for their county – you might say they began the process this summer by unceremoniously handing back Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance – but who would take their places? And where would the match be played? Headingley would only provide one of the two with home advantage, while Lord’s, the only place Yorkshire have lost over the last couple of years, seems the natural counterbalance. Perhaps the Midlands could host a series decider.England actually lined up against county opposition in recent years, generally avoiding embarrassment during drawn Ashes warm-up matches, against Warwickshire in 2009 and Essex in 2013. This would not be quite the same as making a few runs against Naqaash Tahir or struggling to dismiss Jaik Mickleburgh, however.Many feel that Ryan Sidebottom is still wily enough to perform in Tests and he would surely give Alastair Cook, who is regularly troubled by left-arm seam, a thorough working over. Rashid has not yet been trusted at that level, but given how often English batsmen have been befuddled by legspin over the years, he would have a decent chance of upstaging Moeen Ali.While the first-class stats of England’s Yorkshire replacements in the batting order* – Alex Hales, James Taylor and James Vince – stand up to scrutiny, the inclusion of all three in the Test side would perhaps best be described as experimental. And while Jos Buttler is the England incumbent behind the stumps, Jonny Bairstow’s 1071 Championship runs at an average of more than 100 suggests Yorkshire would have the form man.Yorkshire can rely on passionate support at Headingley, as Gary Ballance can testify•Getty ImagesShould James Hildreth get a mention? Who decided to drop Steven Finn? Could Yorkshire still field an overseas player? These are all imponderables that I am going to ask here before you do.It’s unfortunate, at least in the matter of petty parochial rivalries, that there is only one Lancastrian in the England XI – though Jimmy Anderson would happily wage a War of the Roses on his own. This selection also features a broad mix of north and south, which might produce an inclusive and harmonious environment that blends together the best aspects of the United Kingdom; or quite possibly see their weak regional bonds torn apart by the juggernaut belligerence of England’s largest county.Then again, as David Cameron alluded to in his surprisingly astute/gravely offensive (delete as preferred) comments about Yorkshire folk last week, membership of the White Rose is hardly a guarantee of unity. Both the Yorkshire committee and the ECB seem to have put the infighting behind them but the chances of the cricket not being overshadowed by a barney must be minimal during what many are already calling the hold-a-grudge match.Anyway, the lobbying for this fixture to replace the MCC-Champion County match at the start of the season begins here. The only thing that we can agree on is total disagreement. You can, of course, have your druthers below.*As selected on last week’s county blogEngland (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell, 4 James Taylor, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonYorkshire (probable) 1 Adam Lyth, 2 Alex Lees, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root, 5 Andrew Gale (capt), 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Adil Rashid, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Jack Brooks, 11 Ryan Sidebottom

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2015Neil Wagner then bustled in and broke the resistance when he knocked out Mathews’ middle stump•AFPSoon after, Mitchell Santner had Chandimal lbw for 58•Getty ImagesMilinda Siriwardana and Kithuruwan Vithanage counterattacked briefly, adding 48 together…•Associated Press… but Trent Boult and Tim Southee struck with the second new ball•Associated Press

Steven Finn’s combination of pace, bounce, control and movement ensured England wrested the advantage on a tough day, even as several of his team-mates struggled to shake off an illness

George Dobell at the Wanderers14-Jan-2016It might be exaggerating to suggest England evoked memories of Bert Trautmann, the goalkeeper who played the last 17 minutes of the 1956 FA Cup final despite having sustained a broken neck, or Sam Burgess, who suffered a fractured eye socket and cheekbone in the first tackle of the game but went on to win the Man-of-the-Match award in the 2014 NRL Grand Final. But it is something of an irony that on the first day of the Johannesburg Test, England ended in a relatively healthy position.A little while after lunch, with South Africa on 117 for 1 and half of England’s team looking as green as the outfield, it seemed that this would be the day they allowed their grip on the series to slip.It was not that they had bowled poorly exactly. It was just that they had failed to fully take advantage of conditions that were so encouraging for seamers that, a couple of balls into his first over, Stuart Broad actually rubbed his hands in glee like a pantomime villain stumbling upon a pot of gold.But while James Anderson, in particular, was some way below his best – only three deliveries in his first 12 overs would have hit the stumps and, for much of the time, he had the demeanour of a man with severe toothache – this is probably not the day to be critical of him or anyone else in the England side. For, as player after player nipped off the field for a ‘comfort break,’ it soon became clear that England’s insistence that the squad had shrugged off a recent bout of illness was wishful thinking. Suffice it to say, many of them will have spent a good portion of the last couple of days in their bathrooms.While that may seem more of an inconvenience than a serious impediment, in these conditions – with a hot sun, heavy outfield and relatively large step up to the pitch for bowlers just before the delivery stride – it could make the small percentage difference that separates sides in international sport. Ben Stokes required treatment for cramp and Broad looked as if he should be tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle.In some ways, England were fortunate. South Africa’s batsmen fell, on the whole, to a variety of soft, oddly reckless dismissals on a relatively low-quality day of cricket. They may well rue their failure to exploit England’s weakness.But South Africa are not out of the game. Only once in the previous eight Tests at this ground has a side posted more than 300 in their first innings, and an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 42 has kept the hosts’ heads above water. If the cracks on this surface open, batting last could prove tricky, even against an attack that has not included a spinner. The sense persists that had England bowled a little fuller with the new ball – and both Broad and Anderson were seduced by the bounce in the surface into bowling a little short – they may have caused a great deal more trouble. England’s top order may face a sterner examination.

Both Anderson and Broad have been immaculate over the last year, but there have been times when England seemed overly reliant upon them. It bodes well that Finn is beginning to bowl with the consistency that should make him a fixture in the side for several years

But to have fought back after an unimpressive first session, to take all but one of the chances offered to them in the field – Stokes missed a fiendishly tough chance at gully offered by Chris Morris on 9 – represented a decent day’s work in far from ideal circumstances.It was noticeable once again that Steven Finn was the most impressive of England’s seamers. While he did not quite generate the pace of Stokes – whose quickest delivery was 92.7 mph – his combination of pace, bounce, control and movement troubled the batsmen more than any of his colleagues.He also claimed one of the key wickets. As England have found to their cost before, removing Hashim Amla once set is like trying to persuade Table Mountain to move a little to its left. But here, forcing a stroke from a full delivery on off stump, Finn found the edge with a terrific ball that shaped away. Perhaps, at his best, Amla’s feet might have moved a little more and he may have made contact before the ball had the chance to leave him. But it was a fine delivery.If the wicket of Faf du Plessis owed something to fortune – the batsmen clipped a short ball off his hip to deep-backward square – it was no more than Finn deserved for all his beautiful deliveries that have beaten the bat or the other times that chances off his bowling have gone to ground in this series.There is encouragement here for England. Both Anderson and Broad have been immaculate over the last year, but there have been times when England seemed overly reliant upon them. While they could be forgiven a rare off day, it bodes well that Finn – who was preferred to the ailing Broad with the second new ball – is beginning to bowl with the consistency that should make him a fixture in the side for several years.We knew he generated decent pace and bounce from his first spell in the side. But the ability to shape the ball away from the bat, an ability picked up through hours of working with the Middlesex bowling coach Richard Johnson, brings a new dimension to his bowling and offers England hope for life after Anderson.This was also a markedly improved performance with the gloves from Jonny Bairstow. While none of the catches he took was especially testing, the team management believe his problems to date have largely been caused by lapses of concentration. So to retain the awareness to hold on to all four offered was admirable. Bairstow was also quick to reach the stumps and gather a sharp throw when completing the run-out of Temba Bavuma especially as, judging by the number of times he was obliged to leave the field of play, he is also among those suffering.All things considered, England will be delighted they made it through the day without suffering more damage.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2016Tamim Iqbal struggled for timing and fell to Jasprit Bumrah for 13 in a slow start•Associated PressAshish Nehra sent Soumya Sarkar back as the hosts suffered an early wobble•Associated PressShakib Al Hasan then flourished briefly before he top-edged a sweep off R Ashwin to short fine leg•AFPSabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah, however, added 45 together in 20 balls to muscle Bangladesh to 120 for 5•AFPIndia were hurt early in their chase as Rohit Sharma fell to Al-Amin Hossain the second over•Associated PressShikhar Dhawan then combined with Virat Kohli to add 94 for the second wicket and set India’s chase up nicely•Associated PressDhawan fell with India on 99, but Kohli and MS Dhoni took India home with eight wickets and seven balls to spare•Associated Press

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ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2016