All posts by h716a5.icu

The hosts will need more from the likes of Shakib and Mushfiqur if they are to force the series into a decider

Mohammad Isam02-Mar-2023Big picture – Can the likes of Mushfiqur and Shakib stand up?England know all too well the importance of taking a 1-0 lead against Bangladesh in Dhaka. The last time it happened, in 2016, England ended up winning the series 2-1 despite the home side bouncing back with a win in the second game. In fact, the last time Bangladesh won a bilateral ODI series after losing the first match was nearly eight years ago, against South Africa.This simple fact underlines Bangladesh’s dominance at home in the last decade. They have lost just two bilateral series at home in this period. It also means England’s three-wicket win in the first ODI on Wednesday was a big deal. They broke through Bangladesh’s fort by playing in a very different way than they are used to. Conditions obviously varied, with the Shere Bangla National Stadium offering a lot more to the spinners.Still, England used predominantly their seamers to attack and restrict the home side. They bowled Bangladesh out for 209, before Dawid Malan’s unbeaten century arrested their own batting slide to seal the win. It was a great effort from a batter who had a stealthy local experience: Malan has played more than 50 matches in Bangladesh in the last ten years.Related

Malan shows how to play the perfect Mirpur innings

Malan special guides England home in tense chase

Moeen: England 'really looking forward' to thriving in packed Mirpur

But more experienced players of these conditions, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, didn’t quite do justice to their billing. Their dismissals in the middle overs, both out slogging spinners, prompted a readjustment from the rest of Bangladesh’s batting line-up. Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t kick on from his maiden ODI fifty, while Mahmudullah got out batting in first gear.Both teams will therefore look for batting improvements. Malan’s knock was the only innings of substance for England while Bangladesh needs their batters to make best use of the starts. What would however encourage both sides is their disciplined bowling. Taskin Ahmed and the Bangladesh spinners bowled their heart out. They couldn’t take the remaining three wickets, but they were defending a pretty low total.England’s bowlers looked to have understood the conditions well too, particularly Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali who ensured Bangladesh’s scoring never went too far. The second ODI promises to be another tight affair. The home side wouldn’t want to let go of their Dhaka dominance.Form guideBangladesh LLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLWWWIn the spotlightIt has taken Najmul Hossain Shanto 16 ODIs to reach his first half-century in the format, the second-slowest Bangladeshi to the mark (Litton Das took 17 matches to reach the milestone). It is an important stepping stone for Shanto, who has been trying to establish himself in internationals for the last two years. Admittedly, it is still early days but even Bangladesh’s all-time best batters have taken time to establish themselves, so Shanto has some company. Still, his dismissal for 58 in the first ODI could have been avoided with a bit more concentration.What Shanto couldn’t do, Dawid Malan did quite well. He didn’t allow the low run-rate or falling wickets at the other end get to him. Instead, Malan picked up crucial boundaries, and formed small but meaningful partnerships to smother Bangladesh’s charge on Wednesday evening. It was his second successive century, and fourth in 16 ODIs, but more importantly, he handed England a difficult win. Malan has done so well in his short ODI career, that he is now close to locking his place in the World Cup squad later in the year.Team newsEbadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud are options if Bangladesh feel the Dhaka pitch isn’t suited to Mustafizur Rahman. The hosts have also drafted Shamim Hossain in to the squad for the second ODI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Litton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanEngland started the series with Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Rehan Ahmed and Reece Topley on the bench. Rehan has been ill so appears unlikely to play but they are expected to rotate their seamers throughout the tour.England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 James Vince, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Will Jacks, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Saqib Mahmood/Jofra Archer, 11 Reece Topley/Mark WoodShakib Al Hasan reacts to a missed chance•Associated PressPitch and conditionsDew could prompt the team winning the toss to bowl first. It won’t be the worst decision in Dhaka as the ball will still have a bit of variable bounce with turn in the day time. The weather remains dry, but it is getting warm.Stats and triviaBangladesh lost the first match of a home bilateral ODI series for the first time in seven years. Coincidentally, England beat them in the previous instance in 2016, which was also the last time they went on to lose an ODI series at home. Malan is now the fifth-oldest England batter to score an ODI hundred, after Geoff Boycott, Alec Stewart, Graham Gooch and Wayne Larkins.Tamim Iqbal’s eleven catches off Shakib’s bowling, the latest of which came in the first ODI, is the most by an outfielder off Shakib’s bowling.Quotes”There was a lot of help for the spinners to be honest. But England possesses a world-class pace attack, which gave them a good combination. It was the same for us, as Taskin bowled well along with the spinners.””I said to Jos at the time that it was close. He said he didn’t think so. The guard that I bat on, I thought it was bit outside the line or sliding on with the angle. It was bit closer than I thought, so thankfully he didn’t give it out.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted he is “not in full control” of Alexander Isak’s future as Liverpool continue to be linked with the Swedish striker.

Swedish star has tabled transfer requestPlaying no part in Magpies' pre-seasonFormal transfer offers are yet to arriveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Prolific frontman Isak, who has hit 62 goals for the Magpies through 109 appearances, is said to have tabled a transfer request at St James’ Park. He is now in the process of mulling over his options.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle are giving him time to make a big career call, with the 25-year-old playing no part in their pre-season plans. Isak was sent home from a friendly date with Celtic and was not included in the travelling party for a tour of Asia.

DID YOU KNOW?

Isak is nursing a minor thigh injury, with long-haul flights set to do his recovery few favours, but he is also being freed to decide what happens next when it comes to long-term plans at club level.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT HOWE SAID

Howe concedes that he can do little to influence those decisions, with Newcastle’s manager saying when asked for an update on Isak: “He is still our player. He's contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that's not in my full control. We have not received a formal offer for Alex, from any club. My wish is that he stays and we see him playing again next year.”

A win is vital for the home side if they are to retain hopes of reaching the final

AAP03-Mar-2024Daniel Hughes and Oliver Davies struck fighting centuries to give New South Wales a chance to secure victory in their Sheffield Shield encounter with South Australia in Sydney.NSW went to stumps on day three with an overall lead of 178. Hughes (114 off 180 balls) and Davies (116 off 166 balls) were the standout performers on Sunday.Related

New South Wales hit back in bid for final after McSweeney, Kelly impress

Hughes shines but rain and bad light frustrate New South Wales' final bid

Pucovski retires hurt after being struck by bouncer

Given NSW entered the penultimate round in fourth spot, they will fight tooth and nail to secure an outright win on Monday in order to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Shield final.”I think we’ll look to bat on a little bit in the morning, and try to get that lead upwards of 220ish,” Davies said. “I think it’s a 104-over day tomorrow, so [we will try to] give ourselves 90 to 96 overs to try to rock and roll them.”Hughes started Sunday on 71, and brought up his ninth first-class century during the morning session before his knock was brought undone by a sharp diving catch by Jake Lehmann.When NSW slipped to 213 for 4, the Redbacks had a chance to get themselves back into the contest. But the door was slammed firmly shut as Davies, Moises Henriques and Jack Edwards all dug in.Chris Green and Ryan Hadley made it to stumps, and will look to pile on some quick runs on Monday.Nathan McAndrew was the pick of the Redbacks bowlers with 3 for 63 to lift his season tally to 40 wickets, while Ben Manenti snared 2 for 114.”It was a tough day,” Manenti said.  “I thought we toiled pretty hard all day. Credit to Hughesy and Ollie, they batted well and got nice hundreds, and were chanceless. The wicket flattened out, so I think it will be a good wicket to bat on tomorrow.”For 23-year-old Davies, it was his second Shield century of the summer.”To not be picked at the start of the season to scoring my second century, it’s a very good feeling,” Davies said.  “Hopefully I can keep carrying this on.”I felt really good out there. I waited for bad balls, and thought I batted very well. I thought I was a lot more patient than I am in most other innings.”

Offspinner fills gap created after Nathan Lyon was made unavailable

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2024Lancashire have announced the signing of Australia spinner Chris Green for the Vitality Blast. Green will replace Nathan Lyon in Lancashire’s plans after Cricket Australia revoked clearance for Lyon to play white-ball cricket during his spell in England.Green, 30, made his name as a T20 specialist adept at bowling with the new ball – although he made a first-class debut in 2022 and has played for New South Wales over the last two Sheffield Shield seasons. He has T20 experience around the world, notably in the Big Bash and Caribbean Premier League, and has had three previous stints in the Blast, representing Birmingham Bears and Middlesex.Green made his T20I debut for Australia in December but is not expected to be part of their T20 World Cup plans.”Following the news that Nathan would no longer be available to play T20 for us, Dale [Benkenstein] and I were really keen to ensure that when going back into the market for an overseas replacement, they would have full availability across both group stage blocks in the Blast which we believe is important to get some continuity in the team,” Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said.”The attraction with Chris was his full availability combined with his skillset – which is the ability to bowl spin across all phases of the game – and also his batting as Chris has become really effective towards the back end of an innings, an area in which we felt the team could do with a bit of strength.”Chris is also a really experienced campaigner, captain of Sydney Thunder in the BBL, and at times we may field a young T20 side this year so adding experience in that format will be a real help for us.”Across 200 games of T20, Green has taken 164 wickets with an economy of 7.03. He took over the Sydney Thunder captaincy for 2023-24 but saw the team finish bottom, winning just one of their ten games.Green said: “I am really pleased be joining Lancashire for this year’s Vitality Blast and can’t wait to meet up with my new team-mates next month. It’s a really strong squad at Lancashire and after speaking with Mark Chilton and Dale Benkenstein ahead of signing, I am really excited about what we can achieve together this summer.”I have really enjoyed my previous experiences of playing in the Blast in England and I am looking forward to heading to Manchester and playing at Emirates Old Trafford for the first time.”

Simon Jones has had a totally different start to this Ashes series than his last

Jenny Thompson21-Jul-2005

Simon Jones: bouncing, battling… back © Getty Images
Opening sessions of an Ashes series don’t get much different, for Simon Jones at least. The last time England commenced another epic series against Australia, on the first morning at Brisbane in November, 2002, Jones was removed from combat before the session was out, his absence adding to a catalogue of fast-bowling woe that had already made Darren Gough and Steve Harmison ineligible for selection.On that fateful morning at Brisbane, Jones dismissed Justin Langer early on, but that proved to be his sole contribution when, with the series just 28 overs old, he ruptured his knee ligaments in a horrific fielding incident. Jones didn’t return to the Test stage for another 16 months.Today, at Lord’s, a fighting-fit Jones – the very embodiment of a robust England – set out determined to banish such demons. He didn’t have to wait long. With his very first ball, all his bad memories vanished into the ether when he induced Damien Martyn’s edge. For good measure, Jones added Michael Clarke three overs later, leaving him with 2 for 15 before lunch. Jones is back to his very fastest and, with a booming awayswinger added to his armoury, is a more effective battler than ever.

Bruce Talbot reviews Mushtaq Ahmed’s Twenty20 Vision: My Life and Inspiration

Bruce Talbot25-Feb-2007Twenty20 Vision: My Life and Inspiration by Mushtaq Ahmed £16.99
Methuen; 213pp

Reborn as a cricketer, as a person © Getty Images
Mushtaq Ahmed has told hislife story in the same enthusiasticway he has played his cricket forthe last 20 years. And if Mushymeans nothing more to you thanthe bushy-bearded sorcerer whoselegbreaks and googlies have helpedtransform Sussex into the mostsuccessful county in the country,then there is plenty here which willboth surprise and inform.An international at 18,Mushtaq played a key role in thegreatest triumph in the historyof Pakistan cricket when ImranKhan’s ‘cornered tigers’ won the1992 World Cup after Imran hadpersonally intervened to get him inthe squad. That golden generationshould have achieved much more and it often pains Mushtaq to admitit: “Since the days of Imran almostevery player believed he was thestar and that destroyed any chanceof team unity.”There is no attempt to glossover incidents which cast a shadowover the early part of his career.His involvement in the 1994match-fixing scandal and theepisode on a Grenada beach in1993, when he, Wasim Akram,Aqib Javed and Waqar Youniswere held by gun-toting policeaccused of smoking pot, are givenan appraisal which is painfullyhonest.By 1998 Mushtaq had goneoff the rails. He had become tooWesternised, did not want to bowlfor Somerset and regarded himselfas selfish and self-centred. The mostfascinating chapter tells how here-affirmed his faith in Islam, initially at a three-day Muslimsupport group, having been takenthere reluctantly by the formerPakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain.Mushtaq was re-born as a personand eventually as a cricketer,although Sussex supporters will bedisappointed that only six pages- the smallest chapter in the book- are devoted to his amazing successwith the county since 2003.His outstanding county career isstrangely ignored in a statisticalappendix that does not dojustice to his record and it isa shame that the publisher’sbudget did not stretch to a widerselection of photographs. But theseare minor gripes. Mushtaq haswritten that rarity among currentplayers – an honest appraisal ofhis life so far. Sussex supporters inparticular will hope there are a fewmore chapters left to tell.

Will Luke reviews Andrew Strauss’s autobiography

Will Luke30-Sep-2006

Coming into Play by Andrew Strauss (Hodder & Stoughton, 304pp) £11.39
The prospect of yet another autobiography at the fag-end of the season is not cause for much celebration. Expectations are further dampened given the author has spent a mere 28 months in Test cricket. Nevertheless, his column in the has always been a cut above the usual dross – and I approached Andrew Strauss’s with reasonable optimism.Nicknamed Lord Brockett, Strauss’s diffidence and privileged background is extensively compared to that of (most of) his team-mates. Frequent mention of the “jazz hats” (he and his team-mate, and later best-man, Ben Hutton) become a little weary. We get the picture, Andrew. An image develops of a man who – in spite of an upbringing geared to provide a golden, well-trodden path to the City – was unsure of his direction.Cricket, we learn, wasn’t a prominent feature of his future. In spite of the outstanding facilities afforded to public schoolboys, cricket was a bit-part to the “conveyer belt” of school, A-Levels, economics degrees and, ultimately, a city job. It’s what his parents expected and wanted, and there is no shortage of barbed comments about the “sheltered” existence a public schoolboy leads. After visiting a Middlesex team-mate’s flat on a council estate, his obvious pleasure in meeting someone from a different social and educational background was revelatory – for him, and us. Cricket levelled him.Before long, he moves onto the crux of the story: playing for England. Curiosity, or jealously, stir our interest in the luxuries afforded to international sportsmen (mobile phones, cars, preferential treatment at airports and…blazers), but it’s nothing we’ve not heard before. Likewise the nerves, tension and excitement he experienced are all superfluous and quickly forgotten. Fluently written, and clearly from the heart, the book is sadly let down by the minutiae. A near ball-by-ball account of his first few innings for England might make for a tear-jerking Jackanory session for his grandchildren, but it’s tedious for the rest of us. A Middlesex supporter since birth, I celebrated like a buffoon when he scored his maiden hundred on debut against New Zealand in 2004. Even for me, though, the recount was too meticulous.Thankfully, he was an important cog in England’s Ashes victory and he devotes nearly a third of the book to the toppling of Australia. In a revealing conversation with Stephen Fleming (with whom Strauss formed a solid friendship under Fleming’s Middlesex captaincy in 2001) Strauss’s depression (and, we presume, England’s too) following the defeat at Lord’s is put into perspective by Fleming’s straight-talking. Onto Edgbaston, and again Strauss depicts the trauma fondly and expressively – yet we learn nothing new. There have been half a dozen books dedicated to the Ashes, if not the Edgbaston Test alone, and Strauss’s take on it doesn’t offer anything substantially distinct or remarkably interesting.Sadly, that remains the theme of the book. Although it is undeniably well written, something crucial is missing: the second-half of his career. In no sense is this a criticism of the author, nor Angus Fraser whose advice he sought – more a complaint at the trend of premature autobiographies, particularly among sportsmen. Strauss is a fine batsman and clearly possesses an eloquent cricket brain. However, he still has several good years ahead of him. His final story, whenever that will be, ought to be a broader and wiser account…and I’ll buy it, but only then.

The tour got off to a super start when we put one over Australia for the first time in an ODI Down Under in nearly two decades

Charlotte Edwards06-Feb-2008

Well begun: Sarah Taylor gets Karen Rolton out caught in the first ODI © Getty Images
It was a bit of a relief to eventually arrive in Geelong for our second gameagainst the Australian Under-21 side, the Shooting Stars, and the third of ourtour.Among other hiccups, our convoy’s lead car had decided to follow the completely wrong vehicle off the freeway. We finally arrived, for a shorter warm-up than we’re used to. I won my first toss of the tour and elected to bat on what was a fantastic wicket. We made 249 for 9 with Beth Morgan and Sarah Taylor both passing 50. It was good to see Beth get 70: she’s worked really hard on her batting since she’s been in Australia and it’s paying for her.The girls gave a good bowling performance and we bowled the opposition out for174. All in all it was a really good day for the team considering the start we had to the tour, with two losses. Everyone seemed to be hitting their straps and getting ready for the Twenty20 at the MCG.It was fantastic to get the series underway with the Twenty20 at the MCG. We were the curtain-raiser to the Australia against India men’s Twenty20 match, which was great exposure for the women’s game and something we were all really excited about. Our game started at 3.30pm and when I went out to do the toss at 3pm, I was quite surprised to see the stands already filling up.By the end of our game there were 27,000 in there. The atmosphere was amazing and both teams put on a good show for the crowd. Unfortunately, we missed out by 21 runs, but to have a game of that standard to promote women’s cricket was fantastic. There are plans for more women’s games to be played ahead of men’s and that can only benefit our game in the long-run. There was a bit of coverage after the game and a few write-ups in the papers over here the following day. It was also great to have Channel Nine therethroughout to do a highlights package. It’s always good to get the game on TV for more exposure.The other highlight of the day was going into hospitality, courtesy ofCricket Victoria and KFC after the game to watch the men’s international. Itwas there that I got to meet Shane Warne, Cathy Freeman, and also afavourite of all the girls – Kel from . He’s a legend and evenentertained ideas of us getting on the show! It was also the first time we’dmanaged to pull out our lovely Number 1s by the Irish designer Paul Costelloe. They looked amazing on everyone and attracted plenty of compliments.After the carnival that is Twenty20, our attention turned quickly to the one-day series. A good practice session on Saturday meant the girls were ready for their back-to-back ODIs on Sunday and Monday. Both of these were played at the MCG, which was fantastic for everybody. Playing at these great venues is always an experience and something we’ll always remember.The first ODI started with the two national anthems. Though we were very loud, we were a bit out of tune, so I don’t think any of us will be going for auditions on ! It’s always really special to sing the national anthem and makes you feel proud to be wearing the England shirt.I lost the toss again and Australia asked us to bat. We posted 233 for 6 which was a fine score considering the conditions, and a great partnership of 80 between Lydia Greenway and Jenny Gunn was a highlight for me. In reply, our bowlers, especially Jenny and Nicky Shaw, got us off to a good start. They were backed up brilliantly by Holly Colvin who had literally only been in the country for 24 hours.We bowled the Australians out for 177 and we had won our first ODI on Australian soil for the first time in 19 years. It was a real team effort and I was so proud of the girls after a disappointing start to the tour. We showed a lot of bottle and determination to overcome the best team in the women’s game.We were back in our huge changing room the next day for the second ODI ofthe series. I lost the toss again and Australia elected to bat. They posted240 with Alex Blackwell scoring her maiden international hundred. She wasably supported by her twin Kate, who hit her second one-day internationalhalf-century. We got off to a disappointing start and found ourselves 24 for3, which we never quite recovered from. We were bowled out for 156 andAustralia levelled the series 1-1.

The girls, natty in their Costelloes, with their coach Mark Dobson, watch the men’s Twenty20 in the hospitality area at the MCG © ECB
It was a complete role reversal from the day before and we all look forward tothe games in Sydney with everything to play for.We have a practice session on Wednesday before the third ODI on Thursday. We’ll be working hard with our assistant coach Mark Lane and head coach Mark Dobson. It’s Dobbo’s first overseas tour with us and he’s got us working hard. He’s a big believer intraining under pressure, and because of his degree in psychology he has a real interest in the sporting side of that to make us tougher cricketers.Jenny Gunn is a prime example of that with the way she deals with the stick she gets from us about how she’s best mates with all the South Australian players, who she’s played alongside prior to the tour. She’s learned to laugh it all off.All in all it’s been a really eventful couple of weeks with some highs and lows. The girls are a great group to captain because they’re so receptive to everything we tell them. We’re now looking forward to the Sydney leg of the tour, especially the four who have been out here since September and feel like they’re going home.We’ve got a tough week ahead with three one-day internationals to play. We just hope the rain stays away and we can get on with the cricket.

His style and charisma were natural and irresistible to a ten-year-old back in the 1960s

Alan Lee07-Oct-2008
Exciting, always competitive, and he even wrote verse © Getty Images
It started in the back garden, as all good cricket idolatry used to do. Innocent days, the early 1960s, and there was no need for sophisticated computer games to transport a boy into the body of his hero – just a tennis ball, a strip of patio and a dustbin for stumps. Then the solitary dreamer could wheel away for hours, mimicking every bowler he had studied on TV, until the repeated thumping of ball against bin brought either a parent or neighbour to boiling point.I would have been ten when I began shaping my run-up and delivery in hopeful, but no doubt hopeless, imitation of John Snow. And this was odd. Snow, at the time, was no more than a young tyro, uncapped by England. But two events had promoted him in my mind. One was the start of limited-overs cricket, the other a first visit to the ground I still love as no other.Sussex won the first two Gillette Cups, largely because Ted Dexter, as captain, cottoned on quicker than most that tactics needed to be adjusted from the three-day norm. For me, still at junior school, it was a treat – an entire cricket match on TV in a day. And as that first final, against Worcestershire in 1963, came to a thrilling climax, it was Snow and that lithe, flowing action, that caught my imagination.A year later it took on sharper reality. We had family friends in Sussex, and unlike my own dear parents these were sporting types. They took me to Hove, and the intimacy of the place – virtually undimmed today – enchanted me. I sat on the boundary beneath the big scoreboard and the famous Sussex egg. When bad light intervened I spotted Snow on the seats outside the pavilion. Summoning courage I sprinted across the ground, up the steps, and wordlessly thrust my virgin autograph book at him. Thankfully he did not refuse.Sussex were my team from that moment on. Dexter and Jim Parks were heroes too, and I bowed to no one in my admiration for the wiles of Ian Thomson. But the vicar’s son from Worcestershire was just that bit more exciting – too exciting, as it turned out, for some of those who ran cricket at the time.They took a while to pick Snow for England, maybe sensing the untamed side of his nature, which he even conceded with the title of his autobiography, Cricket Rebel. The selectors overlooked him for the Lord’s Test against West Indies in 1966, when I sat in the masses on the Grandstand balcony, relishing my first taste of Caribbean banter. A week earlier, charging down the hill in Hove in righteous fury, Snow had taken 7 for 29 for Sussex against the touring side, and then his Test career was properly launched.”Snowie” would have been a godsend to 21st-century cricket. Unlike some current comparables, his charisma was not manufactured nor imported; it was just part of him. He even wrote poetry, for heaven’s sake!He would have had agents and commercial outlets bickering to acquire his services. And he would have loved it all. Well, apart from the modern training maybe. He never did like to overdo the training, and I’m not sure all that sliding around the boundary would have appealed either.The closest he came to the cricket hotbed we now accept was by playing for Kerry Packer in the late 1970s. It was a no-brainer for Snow, whose Test career was virtually over as he entered his late 30s. Those trips in World Series Cricket also helped him into a post-playing career as a travel agent, in which one of his faithful clients was yours truly.

An “untamed side to his nature”: this collision with Gavaskar cost Snow a place in the provisional squad for the next match © The Cricketer International
It can rarely happen in life that a boyhood idol becomes an adult friend, but it did to me. John not only fixed my flights and hotels when I covered England tours, he willingly presented his creaking limbs in media teams I organised each year. He loved the game, you see, loved it profoundly.Snow turned up ten Septembers in succession to play for me against a racing team at Findon, and in the mid-1990s he turned out on the lovely riverside ground at Henley-on-Thames. He was 55, but when a local batsman hit him for four the glint returned to the eye and the next ball fizzed past the poor chap’s nose. That competitive streak never left him.There were bad times, of course – the brush with Sunil Gavaskar, various run-ins with the Sussex committee that made it all the more ironic that he later became a member – but the good times outweighed them. Snow should have played many more than 49 Tests, and finished with far more than 202 Test wickets, but there were those in power to whom he was never a hero.At least he went out at Lord’s as I would have planned he should back in those childhood days. Against the 1975 Australians he dismissed Alan Turner and both Ian and Greg Chappell in a withering opening spell. The ground was in ferment as he retired to fine leg. “I bloody nearly cried,” he later said. Up in the press box, I felt just the same.

Stats preview to the first Test between New Zealand and India in Hamilton

S Rajesh16-Mar-2009The limited-overs stuff is done, and it’s time to concentrate on the five-day game, with the first of three Tests getting underway in Hamilton on March 18. In the ODIs, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team did something no Indian side had achieved in New Zealand – win a limited-overs series in the country. In the Tests, Dhoni’s team will try to emulate a feat which was last achieved by an Indian side more than 40 years back. When MAK Pataudi led them to a 3-1 win, it was India’s first overseas Test series victory. Since then, India have toured New Zealand six times and haven’t won a single series. In fact, the last time they won a Test in the country was way back in 1976. Since then, they’ve lost four series, the last by a 2-0 margin in 2002-03.

New Zealand v India Tests over the years

PlayedNZ wonInd wonDrawOverall4491421In New Zealand18747In New Zealand since 198011506In the last four series, New Zealand have clearly been the superior team, winning four out of eight Tests. India have had some fine individual performances in those series – they’ve scored as many hundreds as the home team – but collectively they’ve clearly come out second-best.

New Zealand v India since 1990

NZ – runs per wkt100s/ 50sIndia – runs per wkt100s/ 50s38.856/ 2129.566/ 15None of the batsmen who played in 2002 got many runs in the Tests, but those who toured in the earlier years got a few. Rahul Dravid has had a fair amount of success here, including hundreds in each innings in Hamilton in 1998-99. Sachin Tendulkar’s numbers are fairly modest by his standards, with an average of less than 42 in eight Tests. That’s still a lot better than the stats for Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, who, like most batsmen from both sides who played in 2002-03, were completely clueless in conditions which were a dream-come-true for fast bowlers.Among the bowlers, Zaheer Khan had plenty of success last time, taking five-wicket hauls in each of the two Tests, and averaging 13.72 runs per wicket.

Indian batsmen in New Zealand

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sRahul Dravid445264.572/ 1Sachin Tendulkar849841.501/ 3Virender Sehwag24010.000/ 0VVS Laxman2276.750/ 0India may have won the ODI series comprehensively, but the venue for the first Test is one which the home team’s favourite. At Seddon Park, New Zealand have won six matches and lost just two. India, on the other hand, are still searching for their first Test win here – they drew in 1994 and 1999, and lost by four wickets in 2002.

New Zealand and India in Hamilton

TeamPlayedWonLostDrawnNew Zealand14626India3012New Zealand haven’t lost here in nine years. In six Tests during this period, they’ve won four – including two by an innings – and drawn two. The last team to beat them was the formidable Australians, who inflicted a six-wicket defeat on the home team in 2000. (Click here for the list of results in Hamilton.)In terms of win-loss ratio, Seddon Park is easily the best home venue for New Zealand. It’s the only the ground where they’ve won more than they’ve lost. The Basin Reserve in Wellington is next best, with 14 wins and 16 losses.

New Zealand’s performances venue-wise at home

VenuePlayedWonLostWin-loss ratioSeddon Park, Hamilton14623.00Basin Reserve, Wellington4814160.87Carisbrook, Dunedin10340.75Eden Park, Auckland479150.60AMI Stadium, Christchurch408160.50McLean Park, Napier7020.00In 1999, Dravid scored 190 and 103 not out in the Hamilton Test, the only instance of an Indian getting hundreds in each innings in New Zealand. Tendulkar is the only Indian to play three Tests here, but he has only scored one half-century in five innings.

Indian batsmen in Hamilton

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sRahul Dravid2341113.662/ 0Sachin Tendulkar316240.500/ 1VVS Laxman12713.500/ 0Virender Sehwag12613.000/ 0Among the New Zealanders, only two batsmen have scored more runs at this ground than their current captain. Daniel Vettori has scored one century and two fifties in 12 innings, and averages an impressive 44.50. In his last three Tests, his scores read 137 not out, 20, 53, 88 and 35.

New Zealand in Hamilton

BatsmanTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sRoss Taylor112663.001/ 0Daniel Vettori844544.501/ 2Brendon McCullum212742.330/ 2The pitch and overhead conditions have usually favoured fast bowlers here. In Tests since 2000, pace has accounted for 171 wickets at an average of 26, with eight five-wicket hauls; during this period, spinners have only taken 35 wickets at a much poorer average and strike rate. In fact, the only spinner to take five in an innings here is Vettori, in his first Test here in 1997. He had match figures of 9 for 130 in that game against Sri Lanka, and in his first three Tests here he’d taken 14 wickets at an average of 21.71. In his last five games, though, wickets have been much harder to come by: ten wickets during this period have cost him 50 each.

Pace and spin in Hamilton since 2000

TypeWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMPace17126.0050.28/ 1Spin3544.2094.50/ 0

Vettori in Hamilton

WicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMFirst three Tests1421.7153.71/ 0Last 5 Tests1050.00122.00/ 0Among the New Zealand bowlers in the current squad, the three fast men who have played here have all performed well. The spinners have leaked far more runs per wicket.

New Zealand bowlers in Hamilton

BowlerTestsWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMJames Franklin157.2019.00/ 0Kyle Mills1612.8334.10/ 0Chris Martin31318.2339.20/ 0Daniel Vettori82433.5082.21/ 0Jeetan Patel1436.5081.00/ 0With conditions good for fast bowling, it’s hardly surprising that captains winning the toss have favoured putting the opposition in to bat: since 2000 this has happened five times out of seven, though in the two most recent Tests teams chose to bat first. The innings-wise average, too, shows that the second innings is the best one for batting.

Innings-wise runs per wicket in Hamilton since 2000

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings33.2135.5919.5924.80