Haseeb Hamid will be England’s fifth-youngest Test debutant overall © Getty Images Haseeb Hameed will become the youngest debutant to open for England in Test history when the first Test against India begins in Rajkot on Wednesday. Hameed, aged 19 years and 297 days by the time the game starts, will become England’s fifth-youngest Test debutant. Ben Duckett, who opened the batting in Bangladesh and made a sparky half-century in…
Southee, Sodhi lift Northern Districts to first place
File photo – Tim Southee marked his first Plunket Shield game of the season with a five-wicket haul © Getty Images Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi took fourteen wickets between them to lead Northen Districts to a 21-run win in a low-scoring match against Canterbury in Hamilton. The win took Northern Districts to the top of table. Northern Districts batted only 29.5 overs in the first innings after being put…
Deshpande's five-for seals Mumbai win
Jiwanjot Singh’s 82-ball 69 was his 18th first-class fifty © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Mumbai took just five overs to wipe out the 24 runs they needed to beat Railways in Mysore. They did so by 10 wickets to secure a bonus-point win, the groundwork of which was done by Tushar Deshpande, the right-arm seamer, who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Railways, resuming on 135 for 4, were…
Ranji Trophy matches shifted out of smog-hit Delhi
The India Gate is barely visible in the Delhi smog © Hindustan Times via Getty Images Two matches scheduled in Delhi during the next round of the Ranji Trophy from November 13 have been moved out of the city because of high levels of air pollution. The Group B fixture between Assam and Odisha, originally scheduled at the Karnail Singh Stadium, was shifted to Hyderabad, while the Hyderabad-Services game in…
Australia's Erin Osborne out for first three South Africa ODIs
Erin Osborne is not part of the 13-player squad named for the first three ODIs against South Africa © IDI/Getty Images Australia Women have named a 13-player squad for the first three ODIs of their upcoming home series against South Africa, beginning on November 18. There are no additions to the 14-member squad that toured Sri Lanka in September, but offspinner Erin Osborne has been left out from the reduced…
Siddle out of Hobart Test, Mennie in line for debut
Peter Siddle was successful on day one of the Test but pulled up sore by the end © Cricket Australia/Getty Images Fast bowler Joe Mennie is almost certain to make his Test debut in Hobart after Peter Siddle was ruled out due to a back injury. Australia’s selectors have also called on Jackson Bird as cover for the bowling unit but he is not officially part of the squad, which…
Pollard barred from SA T20 league as WICB imposes NOC levy
Kieron Pollard has been prevented from travelling to the Ram Slam © WICB Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa’s Ram Slam T20 Challenge, after the West Indies Cricket Board made the unprecedented move of levying 20% of the contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to participate in an overseas T20 tournament. Pollard, who signed a two-year contract last…
Harris, Haddin to mentor Australia in New Zealand
Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin will be back together in the Australia setup © Getty Images Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin will join Australia’s coaching staff for the Chappell-Hadlee Series in New Zealand early next year, with batting coach Graeme Hick and bowling coach David Saker instead flying to India ahead of time to prepare for Australia’s four-Test tour. Australia play three ODIs in New Zealand from January 30 to…
South Africa reap rewards for country-first mindset
Russell Domingo: “Every single time you play for your country, that space has got to be honoured and respected.” © Gallo Images There could soon be fewer current South African cricketers in T20 leagues as a result of a renewed focus on the national team. The pre-season culture camp, in which South Africa addressed the issues of their worst season since readmission in 2015-16 and plotted a new path, resulted…
Abbott likely to replace Steyn in Hobart
Kyle Abbott could find himself back in the Test side later this week © Getty Images Kyle Abbott looks set to step into Dale Steyn’s shoes in the second Test in Hobart, ahead of Morne Morkel and new call-up Dwaine Pretorius. With Morkel yet to be declared fully match fit following two months on the sidelines with a back injury and, Pretorius only due to jet in once he receives…