Ahmed Shehzad has said batsmen will have to be careful with their shot selection and not get overly tempted by Eden Park’s short boundaries © AFP Pakistan have spoken about being aggressive with bat and ball on tour, but Ahmed Shehzad has conceded that New Zealand are currently playing cricket that is “awesome to see”. The hosts’ batsmen set New Zealand records during the 2-0 defeat of Sri Lanka last…
Cook concentrating on series victory
Alastair Cook is excited by the prospect of securing a series victory in Johannesburg – although the England captain is waiting to see if opening partner Alex Hales will be fit for the third Test. Hales has been struck by the virus which laid Chris Jordan and Nick Compton low in Cape Town, and although he was well enough to practice on Wednesday, he did so away from the rest…
De Villiers aims to turn up heat on England
Newly-installed South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers has declared that “losing is not an option” as he prepares to keep his side’s series hopes alive against England in Johannesburg this week. De Villiers will take over the Test reins at the Wanderers for the first time after Hashim Amla’s surprise resignation after last week’s drawn Cape Town Test. While De Villiers has admitted he might happily give up the…
Roland-Jones relishing Lions chance
Toby Roland-Jones is maintaining the strong Middlesex representation for the England Lions against Pakistan A this winter – and if he can match the performances of his county team-mates Dawid Malan and Steven Finn before Christmas, he’ll be delighted. Roland-Jones is one of three newcomers to the Lions set-up this winter for the second five-match series against Pakistan A. Somerset’s Craig Overton has joined his twin brother Jamie, and Yorkshire’s…
Napier targets Essex swan song
Graham Napier is keen to go out with a bang this season after announcing that he plans to retire from cricket at the end of the 2016 campaign . Napier will hang up his boots after what will be his 20th season representing Essex in order to become director of the Graham Napier Cricket Academy at Royal Hospital School in Suffolk. The 36-year-old already has plenty to look back on…
Third Test preview: South Africa in Johannesburg
By Steven Jones Momentum is one of sport’s great intangibles; you can feel its surge both positively and negatively but it cannot be quantified. Which team has the unseen impetus at the half way stage of England’s Test series in South Africa is firmly up for debate. England are one-nil up after Moeen Ali inspired a 241-run First Test victory in Durban and looked imperious as record-breaking Ben Stokes and…
De Villiers' comments should ring alarm bells
Play 01:02 ‘I don’t want to commit to captaincy’ – de Villiers At first glance, you could convince yourself that Test cricket is in rude health. The Gauteng Cricket Board hopes for a record crowd – maybe as many as 90,000 – over the five days at The Wanderers and, on the evidence of Cape Town, both these sides contain young players who can engage and inspire a new generation…
Debutant Sangha, Hatcher fashion Australia win
Australia Under-19s 206 (Sangha 102, Sameen 5-44) beat Pakistan Under-19s 183 (Hafeez 48, Hatcher 5-39) by 23 runs (D/L Method)Scorecard A five-for by fast bowler Liam Hatcher and a knock of 102 by debutant batsman Jason Sangha set the base for Australia Under-19s’ 23-run win (Duckworth-Lewis method) over Pakistan Under-19s, their first win in the tri-nation tournament in the UAE. Batting at no. 6, Sangha’s 113-ball century helped Australia recover…
Site visits underway for flood-stricken clubs
The ECB has started a series of planned site visits to clubs affected by the recent adverse weather as part of urgent recovery work to return grounds to a playable condition. North-based ECB Facilities and Investment Manager Dan Musson will tour clubs throughout Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Northumberland with all visits to be carried out before the end of January. The initial visits are aimed at assessing any damage sustained and determining…
Welcome to the Bullring, don't get comfortable
On the Highveld, the cricket is rarely dull © Getty Images Let’s get this out of the way: Johannesburg is not Durban or Cape Town. There is no seaside holiday feel, no mountain as a muse, no accidental tourists. Jo’burg is hard work in every way. It’s where the country’s money is made, where the hussle is, and if you believe the locals, where the energy is electric. It’s the…