Month: January 2020

Fantasy Picks – Back spinners to come good at the SCG (4:34) Recommendations to pick your fantasy team for the BBL match between Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes (4:34) 4:15 AM GMT Saurabh Somani Close Saurabh Somani is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo January 16: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney Our XI: Josh Phillippe, Daniel Hughes, Matthew Wade, Moises Henriques, Caleb Jewell, George Bailey, Ben Dwarshuis, Clive Rose,…

3:56 AM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Allrounder Sophie Devine is set to lead New Zealand at the Women’s T20 World Cup, having been named captain on Thursday. Devine takes over indefinitely from Amy Satterthwaite, who recently gave birth to her first child. Devine’s first assignment as full-time New Zealand captain will be the three ODIs and five T20Is against the visiting South Africa team, leading into the Women’s T20 World Cup…

3:41 AM GMT Rajshahi Royals are 80 for 4 in the 14th over in pursuit of 165 in the second qualifier. Their captain Andre Russell munches on some fruits and gulps on coconut water. Russell’s plan is stand still, let the head follow the ball, swing hard, and take the game as deep as possible. “I tried to hit the ball out of anyone’s way,” Russel said of his unbeaten…

10:48 PM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff James Anderson says that the injury that forced his withdrawal from England’s tour of South Africa was the “most pain I’ve ever been in on a cricket field”, but insists he may yet be fit to take part in the tour of Sri Lanka in March, after being diagnosed with a broken rib. Anderson, who claimed 5 for 40 in the first innings of last…

10:21 PM GMT Sophie Molineux has returned to the Australia side after she took mental health leave and the teenager Annabel Sutherland is in line for her international debut at the T20 World Cup that will culminate in the tournament final at the MCG on March 8 – international women’s day. In a squad that will face enormous expectations to defend the title they won in the Caribbean in 2018,…

6:21 PM GMT It’s the expectations that are the problem. If most young cricketers claimed three five-wicket hauls in their first seven Tests, the reports would be glowing. Equally, if most young cricketers achieved a bowling average of 27.40 in that time and showed the skills and maturity to be trusted with the Super Over in the World Cup final a couple of months into their international career, you could…

6:16 PM GMT ESPNcricinfo staff Hamish Bennett, who last played for New Zealand in 2017, has been called up to the T20I squad for the five-match series against India that starts on January 24. Bennett has played one Test and 16 ODIs, with his last match for New Zealand being an ODI against Bangladesh in Dunedin in May 2017. Bennett, the right-arm medium pacer, is part of a 14-man squad…