Month: January 2017

James Sutherland: “Anything can happen between now and then, and we continue to monitor what’s happening in Bangladesh, but we work on the assumption that we’re going to play and we start to plan accordingly.” © Getty Images Australia are almost certain to tour Bangladesh for two Tests later this year unless further security issues arise in the meantime, Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland has said. Australia postponed their…

Australia 4 for 454 (Renshaw 184, Warner 113, Handscomb 83*) v PakistanLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Matt Renshaw added 17 to his overnight 167 before falling to Imran Khan © Getty Images Pete Handscomb maintained his Test match honeymoon phase and Hilton Cartwright made a useful Australia debut after Matt Renshaw’s long occupation was finally ended by Pakistan on the second morning of the SCG Test. Australia progressed steadily towards…

Vernon Philander wrapped up the tail before South Africa chose to bat again © AFP Giving South Africa’s three-pronged pack pack some time to put their feet up after a quick turnaround between the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests was the main reason behind Faf du Plessis not enforcing the follow-on against Sri Lanka in Cape Town. Although the Port Elizabeth Test ended early on the fifth morning and…

Niranjan Shah and Saurashtra cricket: inseparable? © ESPNcricinfo Ltd The New Year at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Khandheri, on the outskirts of Rajkot, has begun on a sleepy note. There is a Ranji Trophy semi-final in progress between two heavyweight sides – Mumbai and Tamil Nadu – but not many people have gone through the trouble of commuting nearly 15 kilometres from the city to watch the…

Niranjan Shah and Saurashtra cricket: inseparable? © ESPNcricinfo Ltd The New Year at the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium in Khandheri, on the outskirts of Rajkot, has begun on a sleepy note. There is a Ranji Trophy semi-final in progress between two heavyweight sides – Mumbai and Tamil Nadu – but not many people have gone through the trouble of commuting nearly 15 kilometres from the city to watch the…

L Balaji picked up 44 wickets in 42 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders © AFP Kolkata Knight Riders have named former Indian seamer L Balaji as their new bowling coach for the 2017 IPL. He replaces Wasim Akram, who said “professional commitments and time constraints” have prevented him from being with the team this year. Balaji, who represented Knight Riders between 2011 and 2013, is currently in his first season…

Morris was named in Australia’s team of the century in 2000, and in the following year, was inducted into the Australian hall of fame © Getty Images Arthur Morris, the former Australia batsman, has been inducted as the 82nd player into the ICC hall of fame. He played 46 Tests and was the highest scorer among Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ in the 1948 Ashes. Noted for his elegance at the crease,…

South Africa 392 (Elgar 129, de Kock 101, Kumara 6-122) v Sri LankaLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details Quinton de Kock’s century powered South Africa’s morning © AFP Quinton de Kock secured his third Test century as South Africa secured a strong position in the second Test in Cape Town. They were dismissed in a slightly extended morning session for 392 with de Kock falling for 101, one of six wickets…

Gujarat 390 and 100 for 4 (Juneja 2*, Patel 0*, Nadeem 3-36) lead Jharkhand 408 (Jaggi 129, Kishan 61, Kaushal 53, RP Singh 6-90) by 82 runsScorecard Shahbaz Nadeem, the season’s highest wicket-taker, increased his tally to 54 in 10 matches © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Ishank Jaggi has been the face of Jharkhand’s batting for the last five seasons. He has rarely failed in a crisis, and his side was certainly…