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Stats highlights from the World T20 match between New Zealand and Australia in Dharamsala

Bharath Seervi18-Mar-20163 Number of times New Zealand had defended 150 or less in their last 16 attempts. They have now done it thrice in three consecutive attempts. They defended 145 against Pakistan in Dubai in December 2014 and 127 against India in the first match of this World T20 before defending 143 in this match.0 Wins for New Zealand against Australia in their first four T20Is. Since then, they have defeated Australia twice. They won the Super Over in February 2010 when both teams tied at 214 before the eight-run win in this match. With this victory, New Zealand continue their good run this year by winning six of their seven T20Is and having the best win-loss ratio as well. Also, this is the second time they have started a World T20 campaign with two wins. They had done the same in 2010 as well but couldn’t qualify for the semi-finals.16 Total wickets lost by both teams in their last 14 overs – eight by each of them. In the Powerplays, they lost only one which was for Australia in the sixth over. The combined run rate in the Powerplays was nine per over but in the last 14 overs it came down to six. The 16 wickets lost in the last 14 overs are the joint third-most in a T20I. There were 18 wickets in Bridgetown between Australia and West Indies in 2011-12 and 17 at the Wanderers between India and New Zealand in the 2007 World T20.54.21 Average opening partnership between Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson in T20Is, which is the second-best among all opening pairs with 10 or more stands. They shared 61 runs against Australia on Friday. They have shared partnerships of 50 or more eight times in the 15 innings they opened together. Their partnership run rate of 8.94 is the fourth-best in the list of 24 partners who have opened together 10 or more times. The pair of Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith tops the charts in both those lists. The average opening stand for Guptill and Williamson in 2016 has been a staggering 82.33.73 Sixes for Guptill in T20Is, which is now the joint fourth-most by a batsman in T20Is. He hit four sixes in this match to move from joint-seventh to joint-fourth. Out of four sixes, he had hit three of those in the third over. Before him, only Stephan Myburgh had hit three sixes by the third over of his team’s innings in World T20s. With those sixes, Guptill now also has the most sixes in T20Is in 2016 – 20.84 Runs scored by New Zealand in their last 14 overs of the innings. In the first six overs they had got to 58 runs for no loss, but lost eight wickets in their last 14. They hit six fours and four sixes in the Powerplays and only five fours and a six in their last 14.42 Runs by Australia in their first five overs, without losing any wicket. They lost their first wicket for 44 runs in the sixth over. In the next five overs they lost another three wickets for 15 runs and called troubles in the chase.3 for 17 Mitchell McClenaghan’s figures in this match – his best in his T20I career of 25 matches. This is also the first time he took three wickets in the format. This also earned him his first Man-of-the-Match award in T20Is and, in fact, his entire international career of 73 matches.4 Ish Sodhi’s economy rate in this World T20, in two innings. He conceded 18 runs for three wickets in their first match against India and 14 runs for one wicket against Australia. He has picked at least a wicket in each of his seven T20Is.14 Bowlers used in this match – seven each by the two teams. Only five times have 15 bowlers been used in a T20I match.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2016His opening partner, Marcus Stoinis, clubbed three fours and a six as the pair added 65 runs in 6.4 overs•AFPChinaman bowler Shivil Kaushil – who bowls with an action similar to Paul Adams – dismissed Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell off successive balls in his first over•AFPVijay, though, brought up his half-century off 36 balls on debut as IPL captain•BCCIJust as Vijay looked to cut loose, Kaushik had him caught at deep midwicket for 55•BCCIDavid Miller chipped in with a slow 31 in his first match after being relieved of captaincy•BCCIWriddhiman Saha made 33 off 19 balls, but Kings XI Punjab lost their last five wickets for 15 runs and were skittled for 154•BCCIBrendon McCullum was bowled for 1 by Mohit Sharma in the second over of the chase•BCCIThree overs later, Mohit dismissed Suresh Raina in a similar manner•AFPIn his first over, Axar Patel dented Gujarat Lions’ chase with a triple-strike, including the wickets of Dinesh Karthik and Dwayne Bravo off the last two balls•AFPAxar then dismissed Ravindra Jadeja off the first ball of his next over to claim the first hat-trick of IPL 2016•AFPJames Faulkner provided some late resistance, but Kings XI’s bowlers struck regularly and secured a 23-run win•AFP

The country’s next generation of talent may emerge from two contrasting academies in Harare

Tristan Holme08-Jul-2016It doesn’t look like much, but the concrete slab at Seke One High School in Chitungwiza might just be a genesis point for Zimbabwe cricket’s recovery. Every weekend dozens of young cricketers gather from around the sprawling township to receive cricket coaching at Ramah Sports Academy from a few dedicated men.Some might hesitate to term it an academy, given the state of facilities. In the middle of a field a concrete strip represents the pitch, but the AstroTurf covering, installed in 2002 by Zimbabwe Cricket, has long disintegrated. The nets that were built at the same time are in a state of disrepair, and because the field has to be shared with other sports such as football and rugby, the cricketers often end up practising on the concrete slab that is meant to be the basketball court.It’s not ideal, but development has to start somewhere, and there is no sign of Zimbabwe Cricket driving it. The board used to install and maintain facilities in township schools around the country, and even pay for emerging talent to attend strong cricketing schools. Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Vusi Sibanda, Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza and Prosper Utseya were all products of that programme, but it has fallen by the wayside over the past decade.Ramah was started in 2012 by Sylvester Mutusva and Cromen Zinyama, both of whom are residents of Chitungwiza, the high-density dormitory town just outside of Harare that 350,000 people call home.Mutusva has a long history in coaching, going back to 1994, when he began performing the role part-time. In 2000 he became a full-time coach with ZC, and rose through their development programme. At the end of the decade, as one of the most respected junior coaches in the country, he was sent to Australia by ZC to complete his Advanced Level Two coaching certificate. He went on to coach Zimbabwe’s women’s team before leaving his post in 2011 for “family and spiritual reasons”.Kids train at the well-equipped Howzat Academy•Howzat AcademyMutusva has used his knowledge to run Level One coaching courses in Chitungwiza, where Zinyama, a former Mashonaland Eagles player, became one of his students after realising that he wasn’t going to make it at the highest level. The courses don’t carry an official certificate, but they are at least providing knowledge to prospective coaches who are subsequently being employed by township schools. All of which is ample evidence of a hunger for cricket.There has been no shortage of opinion in recent weeks about how Zimbabwe cricket has reached the lows that it displayed during India’s recent tour, but not enough positive discussion on how it might be revived. That is in no small part down to the negative vibe around Zimbabwe at present, where a cash crisis has pushed unemployment to an all-time high and protests against the government have flared up over the past week. With ZC crippled by mismanagement and a debt of US$19m, it is difficult to see signs of hope in an increasingly barren landscape.The revolution, it seems, might need to be privatised by those who genuinely care about the game. Mutusva and Zinyama do not rely on Ramah for their income. They both carry jobs during the week and coach on weekends. They have recently expanded their operation to the towns of Chiredzi and Ruwa, and struck a deal to rent fields at Alexandra Sports Club in Harare for the big occasions when their 150 children come from the three areas in which they operate. Although they ask for a $35 registration fee and a monthly membership of $40, they say that not many of the kids are able to pay the full amount.”But we can’t stop them from coming, because they have talent,” says Zinyama, who is the driving force behind the academy. “We want to develop that talent, so at the end of the day they just pay what they can so that there’s continuation in the day-to-day running of the academy.”The pair has also become an affiliate of the National Twenty20 Cricket Federation, which has enabled them to send players to India and host teams from the subcontinent. Mutusva travelled to India in 2013 and 2014, and will be taking some senior players over again this year. “I’ve learnt a lot in India,” he says. “They can play cricket anywhere, in any open field. It’s not all about resources where we say that we don’t have a cricket facility. In India any open space is a cricket facility.”Children play a match in the annual Ramah Winter Bowl tournament•Ramah Sports AcademyOf course that may be good enough at the lower levels of the game, but if Zimbabwe are to truly rise up as an international force once more they will need somewhere to develop their top players. Which is where Howzat Academy on the other side of Harare comes in.With the disintegration of facilities around the country, Howzat feels like a cricketing oasis. Housed at Heritage School in Borrowdale, one of the most privileged schools in the country in one of the country’s most privileged suburbs, this indoor facility has floors lined with fresh green AstroTurf, brand new nets, and an armoury of bowling machines. Although it feels a world away from Ramah’s Chitungwiza headquarters, the two are linked: Howzat regularly hosts coaching sessions for Ramah’s boys free of charge, and arranges matches between the two academies.Howzat has been set up by Sean Bell, who is also Zimbabwe’s fitness and fielding coach, and former Zimbabwe seamer Gary Brent. Both have Level Three coaching certificates from the ECB, and are probably the only Zimbabweans in the country with such a qualification. Zimbabwe used to have an army of well-trained coaches in its schools, providing the foundation for a national team that rose above its station. But that is no longer the case. “I’d guess that 80% of our coaches in the school system are unqualified,” says Bell.Earlier this year Howzat got in touch with the ICC Academy in Dubai to see if they could send Zimbabwe seamer Donald Tiripano over for a coaching course, after Tiripano and Sean Williams got involved in some coaching sessions. The ICC Academy’s response was that, given Howzat’s facilities, it might make sense to send some facilitators to them to run Level One and Two courses. All Howzat need is a letter of approval from ZC, which the board is yet to provide, despite numerous requests. Bell remains optimistic, though, and says that up to 60 coaches could go through ICC programmes at Howzat this year if it comes off. “That’s our big scheme – to develop coaches and send them back into the schools,” he says. If the letter is not forthcoming, he intends to bus a load of coaches up to Zambia to hold the ICC course there.Sean Williams gives batting advice to a youngster at Howzat•Howzat AcademyHowzat, which opened its doors last year, has other big plans. “We don’t just want to be coaching Little Johnny,” says Bell, “although that will still be part of it.” With ZC’s academy at Country Club in Harare now effectively dismantled, it makes sense for Howzat to become the new high-performance centre.Bell suggests that in time the academy could incorporate some of the promising Under-19s and form a fifth franchise. Proposals have been put to ZC, and one imagines that Taibu will be an interested visitor – to both Howzat and Ramah – once he returns from England to begin his role as a development officer. ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani and director of development Givemore Makoni have toured the facility, although attempts by ESPNcricinfo to gain Mukuhlani’s thoughts on Howzat’s proposals – or his plans for the Country Club academy – were unsuccessful.An outdoor net facility is also being established at Howzat, and the school where it is situated recently built dormitories that the academy could use in school holidays. Walking through the accommodation, it’s strikingly unlike the usual Zimbabwean boarding schools. There are four beds per room, each with en suite bathroom, and communal areas with huge flatscreen TVs. Howzat hopes to lure touring teams from abroad – including counties looking for pre-season venues – which would give Zimbabwe’s cricketers some fresh opposition.It all sounds positive and possible, especially if ZC comes to the party. Ramah say that with additional funding they want to take their programme to the rural areas.It is also worth noting that Bulawayo has two academies of its own – one operating in the high-density areas and the other, which was set up by Heath Streak, servicing the higher end of the market.”Let’s look at where we’re at and how we’ve just performed against India,” says Bell. “You go on social media and everyone is cussing us, 100%, but what are guys doing about it? I see it as a bad series, very disappointing, but I still see talent there. There are some guys who have played a lot of games, and there are still some good brains in that changing room. But where’s the next generation? Where are they going to come from?””We’ve got to rebuild from somewhere,” adds Brent. “We’ve got to rebuild from the bottom.”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2016New Zealand’s openers – Martin Guptill and Tom Latham – employed an aggressive approach from the outset•BCCIGuptill survived a close lbw shout off Jadeja in the fifth over, but Umesh Yadav trapped him in front when he played around a full ball•BCCIKane Williamson used his feet effectively to negate the spinners, collecting runs on both sides of the wicket•BCCIA Latham sweep rebounded off his boot to KL Rahul at short leg, but the batsman was reprieved when replays indicated the ball had touched the fielder’s helmet•BCCILatham and Williamson both compiled solid fifties to put New Zealand in the ascendancy in their first innings•BCCIBut the rain came down during the tea break and prevented any further play on the second day•BCCI

An analytical look at key deliveries and trends that emerged from the second day in Kanpur

Aakash Chopra23-Sep-20162:27

‘Rotating strike was excellent’ – McMillan

The Green Park pitch
New Zealand played two left-arm seamers and though they tried to go around the stumps quite often, they still managed to create some rough outside the right-hander’s off stump. Every bowler is different with their placing on the crease and their exit in the follow-through. While Neil Wagner got off the pitch quite quickly, Trent Boult, bowling close to the stumps, stayed closer to the danger area in his follow-through, and that is likely to help R Ashwin.90.4 – The rough comes into play
The rough outside the left-hander’s off stump comes into prominence for the first time. Mitchell Santner bowls quick into the bowler’s footmarks and the ball spins viciously. On this occasion the ball doesn’t bounce much and, with Ravindra Jadeja stretching fully forward, it does not cause harm. But with New Zealand’s batting line-up containing four left-handers, expect Jadeja to bowl over the stumps into the rough quite often. Since bowling quick is key for spinners too, it is critical to strike early in the spell before the shoulder gets tired.On turning pitches, it is not a bad idea to play excessive turn with a horizontal bat, using shots like the sweep•BCCI4.4 – The sweep strategy
It’s is only the tenth ball from Jadeja but that does not prevent Martin Guptill from sweeping for a four. In 97 overs, India’s batsmen attempted only two sweep shots: one from KL Rahul for a six, and another that Rohit Sharma did not connect. Guptill was quick to go down on one knee and sweep. One of the fundamentals of batting is to play the short ball with the horizontal bat and the full ball with a vertical bat. But on turning pitches, it is not a bad idea to flip this theory. The lack of bounce does not allow batsmen to play with the horizontal bat on the back foot and it is tough to play excessive turn with a straight bat. Expect New Zealand to use the sweep to counter spin throughout this series.25.6 – Will India miss Mishra?
Jadeja finds a genuine outside edge off Kane Williamson’s bat but the ball drops well short of Ajinkya Rahane at slip. This is only the second session of the second day and the black soil of this pitch is showing its true colours. The lack of bounce is evident and that will force spinners to bowl even faster through the air, which in turn could force the captain to give shorter spells to spinners as well. India are likely to miss Amit Mishra’s presence, for he might not only have taken wickets but also would have also given a break to the other two spinners.New Zealand’s seamers were liberal in their use of short-pitched deliveries•BCCIThe difference in short-ball strategies
There is a remarkable difference in approach between the two sides. While New Zealand’s seamers used the short-pitched deliveries liberally, India’s seamers used the bouncers sparingly. Till the 30-over mark, India seamers had attempted only a couple of bouncers. Wagner, on the other hand, bowled six short balls in the fourth over to M Vijay on the opening day.Latham, Willamson’s clarity in defence
While all the talk will be around Tom Latham’s use of the sweep and Williamson’s footwork, the thing that stood out for me in their partnership was their defensive skills. Positive intent is not necessarily going down the pitch or playing an attacking shot, but also being decisive in footwork and shot selection. Both Latham and Williamson did that perfectly. They either went fully forward to defend – with bat in front of the pad and not beside it – or used the depth of the crease to go back fully. The slowness of the pitch definitely aided them but credit must be given for the clarity of thought and execution.

Colin de Grandhomme didn’t spit fire or stare batsmen into submission, but broke a 65-year New Zealand record with uninspiring line-and-length diligence

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch18-Nov-2016As the game evolves at warp speed, as cricketers’ bodies become less attainable and skills become ever more honed, it can be comforting for fans when the unremarkable bears fruit.In New Zealand’s attack were Tim Southee and Trent Boult: the big-swinging thoroughbreds. They had Neil Wagner: the grim, tenacious, hatchet man. Yet on Friday, it was a seamer who barely breached 128kph that brought the world’s no. 2 side to its knees. It was uninspiring line-and-length diligence that found success on a pitch prepared for better-equipped quicks.In he came, a modest hero in Colin de Grandhomme, operating off a mid-sized run-up – shorter than a spearhead’s, longer than an Australia innings – all athletic competence, with perfectly-adequate rhythm in his strides, sufficient hip drive when he got to the crease, and satisfactory wrist position when the ball came to be released.Some fast bowling invites comparisons to bolts of lightning and hellfire; much mythologised are quicks who scratch at the ground like stallions about to charge, whose nostrils pour with steam as they advance, who raise the smell of sulphur from the surface when a bouncer has been bowled.Azhar Ali on …

The state of the match
“If you get out for 133, you’re catching up in the game, but on that kind of pitch, you really don’t know what is the best score. You can always come hard and we believe we can come back tomorrow and pick up 1-2 wickets. We need to keep searching for opportunities and see where the game takes us.”
The pitch
“I think there was quite a lot still for the bowlers. If you hit your areas, batsmen still had to work really hard for it. With the ball we started pretty well. We maybe missed our lengths after picking up three wickets. If we bowled a bit more in the business areas, we could have got a bit more result out of it.”
On Wahab’s omission
“The conditions probably suit more seam bowling. He’s more of a quick bowler and in these conditions, we wanted to play someone who can seam it around more”

For much of Friday, de Grandhomme was more a strongly-worded letter than the booming sound of thunder, and yet, none of his more illustrious teammates could rattle Pakistan like he did. He bowled dot balls to Babar Azam until he drew a poor shot twice – the first to gully was dropped, the second to the slips was fatal. He had the great Younis Khan out for 2; Younis’ feet stapled to the crease in a complete reversal of his batting through much of the England tour, as he reached unavailingly for a cover drive.By the end of the innings, de Grandhomme had ripped out the top order and set the tail on the run with his middle-of-the-road, wobbly medium. His 6 for 41 were the best-ever figures for a New Zealand debutant, breaking a record that stood for 65 years.The most impressive wicket among those was that of Azhar Ali, when de Grandhomme weaselled a ball between bat and pad to set off stump on a jaunt, and Pakistan into decline. But although he said he had been quite excited at the sight of the uprooted wicket, raising a single fist into the air in celebration, there still was something innocuous about de Grandhomme, even in his most animated moment. For a Tim Southee or a Wahab Riaz, that celebration would have seemed like the power-pose of a triumphant warrior. De Grandhomme brought to mind a middle-aged protestor walking down the main street, complaining about the rising price of milk.”De Grandhomme was hitting the right areas,” Azhar said after play. “There’s enough there in the pitch, a lot of grass on it, and there was a lot of moisture as well. The lengths and lines were really good. If you hit in that area, you’re going to get a good result. On that kind of pitch you know that even a bowler who’s not as fast can get a lot out of it. He has more control obviously. If you have less pace you have more swing and more control as well.”

In he came, a modest hero in Colin de Grandhomme, operating off a mid-sized run-up – shorter than a spearhead’s, longer than an Australia innings – all athletic competence, with perfectly-adequate rhythm in his strides

As the wickets began to stack up through the day, de Grandhomme’s moustache drew comparisons in the media with those of yesteryear’s great quicks – Dennis Lillee, Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev. But those were moustaches with personality and verve. Lillee, for example, had a malice to his handlebars; Hadlee, a touch of deviousness in his wispy tips. Kapil’s was upstanding and robust, giving off the impression that it would only be too happy to help an old woman cross a Chandigarh intersection. De Grandhomme’s, comparatively, is characterless; it’s as if his short-back-and-sides haircut has been perfectly replicated on his upper lip, the whole thing finished in a matte, standard-issue brown.And while he produced a performance that evoked New Zealand’s proud military-medium tradition, Pakistan produced a vintage batting collapse of their own, replete with Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis having to come together on the first morning with “we’re-getting-too-old-for-this-sh**” looks on their faces. Misbah would grow increasingly frustrated through the innings, as team-mates deserted him.They are so far back in the game now, they must summon more Pakistan stereotypes to pose a threat in the match. The attack must make a charge to spark a New Zealand collapse; the batsmen will likely have to overturn a first-innings deficit.On day two they were undone by a bowler who no one suspected much of, but who did just enough. For Pakistan it was a reminder their quest to regain the top ranking would be a difficult one; for the rest of us, that heroes can emerge from the unlikeliest places.

Duanne Olivier and Wayne Parnell impressed in helpful conditions against supine opponents, as South Africa made strides in their search for a third seamer

Firdose Moonda at Johannesburg14-Jan-2017Kyle, who?Harsh… Harsh, I know, but not exactly untrue.South Africa’s pace pack did not miss their Mr Dependable as they cleaned up at the Wanderers. Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada did as Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada do: teased outside the off stump and drew the drive; ramped up the pace and put it just short of a length. Between them they broke the back of the Sri Lankan challenge. They needed help, of course, but it almost didn’t matter where that help came from. But only almost.Almost, because South Africa will play on far less helpful surfaces than this Wanderers one, against far more challenging opponents; they will not have Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy snatching balls out of the sky in every match, they will not have the Bullring crowd, that bays for blood, behind them every time.Almost because soon it going to matter who the third seamer is, and what they do. Ideally, du Plessis wants that person to be someone who can learn quickly, keep it tight and complement Philander and Rabada while operating at a similarly high standard to them.”KG and Vern are extreme world class bowlers. They are delivering every game and they’re very, very consistent and relentless. Our third seamer must get to that level as soon as possible and hit areas consistency,” he said.”He must make sure he can bowl in the areas you want him to bowl at and, when there are times to keep the scoring rate at 2.6 or 2.7, he can do that. We need to get the third guy to come in and do exactly that because Test cricket is about landing the ball in the right area.”Easy, right? Wrong.Neither Wayne Parnell nor Duanne Olivier did exactly that this time, but it wasn’t the end of the world. They didn’t need to this time, especially not in the second innings. By then, Sri Lanka’s batsmen had confirmed that they were completely unable to deal with the bounce and movement so South Africa could zone in on attacking and in that department, the pair were fairly successful.Duanne Olivier’s use of the short ball was a highlight of his debut•Gallo ImagesParnell’s left-arm angle and Olivier’s mean bouncer were the main weapons on the day and they both offered what du Plessis called “nice pace”. Parnell has dropped some, which was somewhat expected given his remodelled action which focuses on being more front-on and arriving at the crease with more stability.He was in the mid-130s, sacrificing speed in a bid for swing, but disappointingly, he did not find much. Word was that he had rediscovered the ability to move the ball back into the right-hander but, aside from one decent delivery that did for a skittish Kusal Mendis, he struggled to bend it on a regular basis. It may have been nothing more than nerves than stopped him, but it is something he will need to find consistently if he is to present a speciality to the selectors.Where Parnell was much improved was in his consistency. His groupings were on a good length, on or outside off, and he very rarely went wide or down the leg-side. When he did, he was punished which saw his second-innings economy-rate balloon and that will be something he needs to watch for.Olivier’s short ball, on a spicy surface, was the highlight of his debut. He fires it in with proper aggression and follows it up with a stare-down. He has the attitude of a man not to be messed with and that is a quality South Africa values in a quick.Olivier was also adept at pitching it up and the talk is that he is effective with the old ball and on flat surfaces, a consequence of playing his domestic cricket in Bloemfontein. That’s something the selectors will keep in mind when they have matches on more challenging surfaces.In this match, Olivier showed potential and you can’t ask for much more from a first-timer. If there were nerves, and there would have been, he hid them well. When he got it wrong, as he did when dropped Kusal Mendis off his own bowling to deny himself a maiden Test wicket, he did not allow it to get him down, and when he was hit, and he was, he came back well.Given where Olivier is in the queue, it was important for him to have such an impressive debut. Much like what’s-his-name Abbott, he may find himself left out in the next Test and a few after that.Much depends on Morne Morkel, who was set to make a return from a back injury that has seen him benched since the CPL alongside AB de Villiers in a List A match for Northerns next Sunday, but has now suffered a recurrence of the symptoms that sidelined him. Morkel will need to be reassessed before there can be thoughts of a recall and it does not seem entirely convincing. Much more depends on whether the selectors feel Parnell has done more than Olivier.But for South Africa, these are all good problems to have because they are awash with options. Marchant de Lange and Chris Morris have both been in good form in the first-class competition – Morris has only just returned from a knee niggle – and there are several young players coming through. Andile Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Dwaine Pretorius and Dane Paterson are among them. Kyle who, indeed.

From falling trousers to dropped catches and lost balls, plays of the day from the ODI between New Zealand and Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam24-May-2017The gif momentIn New Zealand’s final overs, Matt Henry edged Mustafizur Rahman to third man where Mahmudullah made a tough stop, but suffered a wardrobe malfunction – his trousers slipped as he dived. It was a situation similar to the ones players Lou Vincent, Neil McKenzie and Michael Vaughan had found themselves in. While McKenzie and Vaughan couldn’t stop the ball and managed to quickly pull up their pants, Mahmudullah’s quandary was similar to Vincent’s.Unlike the former New Zealand batsman who didn’t mind throwing back the ball with his trousers down, Mahmudullah ensured he was properly attired before throwing the ball back to the keeper. In the age of the Internet, however, it didn’t take long for meme makers to put together clips and a three-second gif.The belated revengeNasir Hossain was at square-leg when he dropped Tom Latham in the first over of the match. Thirty overs later, he bowled Latham through the legs with a delivery that went straight with the arm. It was his second wicket in the spell, having removed Neil Broom in the previous over. Latham’s 84, however, made Nasir’s payback look rather dry.The incorrect choiceLatham’s second life in this game came in the 15th over when he couldn’t keep an on-drive down. The bowler Mosaddek Hossain only had to avoid non-striker Neil Broom to complete a simple caught-and-bowled chance. However, Mosaddek didn’t go full tilt at it and didn’t even bump into Broom, but appealed instead for obstruction of the field by the non-striker. Replays showed, however, that Broom was at no fault and was simply returning to his crease.The small contributionMushfiqur Rahim’s wicketkeeping has improved by a significant margin since he gave up the gloves in Test cricket earlier this year. As Rubel Hossain kept hammering in his yorkers, the New Zealand batsmen tried to get bat to ball as many times as possible. Every time it took an outside and inside edge, Mushfiqur tried hard to stop the ball and, on most occasions, he was successful. In a fielding performance that was marked by four dropped catches, Mushfiqur’s neat keeping was an encouraging sign.The lost ballThe batsman who loses a ball after just one delivery isn’t really popular at any level, be it , club, first-class or international. So when Tamim Iqbal slammed Jeetan Patel out of the Clontarf ground off the first ball of the Bangladesh chase, he may not have won himself many fans among the organisers. A new ball had to be summoned quickly, while someone went looking for the first one. Incidentally, Tamim is only the third batsman in the last 15 years to have hit a six off the first ball of an ODI innings. One advantage for the bowler in this case, however, was that the change in ball quality was negligible. To his credit, Patel dismissed Soumya Sarkar just two balls later.

Stats highlights from the final day’s play in the third Test between England and South Africa at The Oval

Gaurav Sundararaman31-Jul-20171938 – The last time an England spinner took a Test hat-trick, when Tom Goddard did so, also against South Africa, in Johannesburg. Moeen Ali became the fourth spinner and the 13th bowler from England to take a Test hat-trick. Johnny Briggs and Billy Bates are the other two spinners in this illustrious list. The Oval did not witness a hat-trick in the 99 previous Tests it hosted, and fittingly there was one in its 100th.1957 – The last time any bowler took a hat-trick against South Africa. Lindsay Kline, the Australian left-arm wristspinner, achieved this feat in Johannesburg.7 – Losses for South Africa at The Oval, which is their worst venue in terms of win-loss ratio among the six English grounds they have played Test matches in. They have won one, lost seven and drawn seven of their 15 Tests here. Lord’s is the only other English venue where they have lost more Tests – eight out of 17. The next Test is scheduled at Old Trafford, where South Africa have won only one Test out of nine.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2003 – The last time an England bowler took eight or more wickets on Test debut. James Kirltey took 8 for 114, also against South Africa, at Trent Bridge. Toby Roland-Jones’ match figures of 8 for 129 are the best by a debutant at the Oval since 1965.1960 – The last time England had the lead in a home series against South Africa with one Test to play. This is also the first time since 2003 that England will not lose a home series against South Africa. With this win England retain the Basil D’Oliviera trophy by virtue of winning the series in South Africa in 2016-17.0 – Number of wins for the away team in the 100th Test at any venue. England have won the 100th Test at Lord’s and The Oval, against West Indies and South Africa respectively, while Australia won the 100th Test at the MCG and at the SCG, beating India on each occasion.5 – Centuries scored by Dean Elgar in the last six series he has played. The only series Elgar missed out in was against New Zealand at home, when he missed one of the two Tests. Since August 2016, Elgar has scored four of the 13 hundreds scored by South African batsmen. Elgar has eight centuries and eight fifties in his career so far.4 – England players who have scored a century, taken three or more wickets, and taken four or more catches in a Test match. Ben Stokes scored 112, took 3 for 77, and held four catches to cap off a great game. Ian Botham was the last English player to complete this treble, against Australia at Old Trafford in 1981.

England’s series victory over West Indies is a cause for self-congratulation in the short term. But there are several issues that remain to be resolved ahead of the Ashes

George Dobell at Lord's10-Sep-20173:14

Dobell: England still don’t know their best XI for Ashes tour

As Tom Westley clipped another long-hop to the boundary, it was tempting to believe that some of England’s problems were starting to melt away.Two of England’s new faces had posted an unbroken partnership of 72 – the highest second-wicket stand of the series – and, for the first time in four years, England had won both series in a home summer.But amid the celebrations, some unsettling thoughts remain. Here we review the good, the bad and the ugly from England’s series against West Indies:The goodJames Anderson may never have bowled better than this. While it’s true the pitches could have been tailor-made to suit him, he utilised them as few can. Coming into the season with doubts about his fitness starting to grow, he responded by playing seven Tests in two months and claiming 39 wickets at an average of 14.10. It would be naive to think conditions – or the balls – in Australia will offer him so much assistance. But so good was his control, so impressive his range of skills, that he will surely remain an asset on any surface.In averaging 57 with the bat and 22.22 with the ball, Ben Stokes again provided evidence to suggest he is growing into the top-class all-rounder his talent has long suggested he could become. While few require much convincing about his batting at this stage – he top-scored for England at both Leeds and Lord’s – he also provided further evidence of his ability with the ball. Not only the quickest of England’s bowlers but, for a while at Lord’s, the man who made the ball swing the most, he out-bowled Anderson for a while. And that’s pretty high praise.This was an assured start to the captaincy from Joe Root. It wasn’t just that he continued his consistent form with the bat – he equalled the record for the most consecutive Tests containing a score of 50 or more at Leeds and passed 50 in three of his four innings – but he showed he was a dynamic, motivated leader who was prepared to throw away the formula when necessary. So while there were times – not least at the start of the final day at Lord’s – when he relied upon his champion fast bowlers to shape the game with long spells, there were also times he was prepared to take them out of the attack (Toby Roland-Jones was preferred to Anderson at times during the series against South Africa) if he felt another bowler might prove more effective. Demanding his side combine some rigour with their natural talent, he demonstrated a natural affinity for the leadership that bodes well. Yes, the declaration at Headingley back-fired. And yes, tougher challenges lie ahead. But few would doubt Root is the man to lead England through them.For those of a certain age, a series victory against West Indies was an almost impossible dream. While the decline of Caribbean cricket has been well chronicled – and, quite often, exaggerated – the fact is England won. Not so long ago, a drawn series against West Indies contributed to the sacking of a coach. While keeping this success in perspective, it would be churlish to continually explain away England’s successes.No England batsman scored more runs (304) in the series than Alastair Cook. While nearly all of those came in one innings (243) at Edgbaston, it was a key contribution that broke West Indies’ resistance in that match. If there’s one thing the struggles of his opening partners has taught us, it should be to never take Cook’s prolific run-scoring feats for granted.The statistics may suggest Stuart Broad is an odd addition to this category, but sometimes the statistics lie. Broad bowled beautifully, at times, during this series but almost always without fortune. The final day at Lord’s was a good example: his mean opening spell helped his side build pressure on the West Indies batsmen. While he was not, on this occasion, the beneficiary, he played a full part in the victory. And while his stats this summer were mediocre – 20 wickets at an average of 33.90 – it is worth remembering he has suffered more than most from England’s poor catching. He has had 10 chances put down.It could be easily to ignore amid the plaudits for Anderson, but Roland-Jones finished the series with a bowling average of 16. While he may not retain his place once Chris Woakes has regained his best form, Roland-Jones surely did enough to earn a place on the Ashes tour and looks to be a good addition to England’s seam-bowling ranks. He might enjoy the bounce of Australia’s pitches, too.Mark Stoneman was positive in the chase•AFPThe badTom Westley’s unbeaten 44 on the final day at Lord’s was England’s highest score from the No. 3 position in all seven Tests this summer. Indeed, the last time an England batsman contributed a half-century from that position was when Root made one in Chennai just before Christmas. But while it was a welcome improvement, it was made largely in an increasingly artificial atmosphere in which West Indies had accepted their fate and Kemar Roach, off the field due to an injury, had been replaced by an all-spin attack in conditions offering them nothing. It would be wishful thinking to interpret this as a breakthrough innings. While England continue to use the No. 3 position like a monkey sent into space – you know it will die, but the real astronauts think it’s too dangerous to go just yet – they will be failing to give themselves the best chance. It is unthinkable they can win in Australia without heavy contributions from their No. 3. Westley’s run of score – 8, 3, 8, 8 and 44* – is not entirely encouraging.England’s commitment to the continuity of selection policy is, on the whole, a positive. It puts the days of revolving-door selection behind them with all the inherent selfish, timid play that comes with it. But there is a down side. And, as they reflect on the squad for Australia, the unsettling thought occurs that the three new batsmen in the top five have all done enough to deserve a sustained opportunity without any of them doing enough to cement their place or depart on the tour with any great confidence. None of Westley, Stoneman or Malan average more than 30 in their Test careers and none have yet, despite having played a combined total of 13 Tests, yet passed 65 in a single innings.For all England’s potency with the ball in these conditions, the fear is the skills they have demonstrated may not translate to Australia. Without extreme pace or wrist-spin, England have instead relied upon seam and swing movement that will largely be denied them in Australia. Facing the prospect of flat pitches and fine batsmen (especially David Warner and Steve Smith), the worry remains that England lack the weapons to damage Australia’s batting. Mark Wood, one bowler whose pace might have proved so valuable, was not deemed fit enough to play in this series, while Jamie Overton has hardly played this season. It leaves England short of attacking intent.The uglyDepending on what you believe constitutes a chance, England put down 14 or 15 catches during this series. While some, such as the caught-and-bowled that resulted in the run-out of Kyle Hope at Leeds, were tough, several – such as a couple of the slip catches put down by Alastair Cook or the chances at mid-on and mid-off respectively by Moeen and Broad – were relatively simple. There is no way England can win the Ashes if they put down an average of five chances a Test.England went into this summer with three holes in the batting line-up. While there been some encouraging moments, they will go to Australia with those holes still apparent. Having tried several options at both the top of the order and in the middle order, the failure of any of them to seize their opportunity does raise questions about the gap between domestic and international cricket. Perhaps not since Root, in 2012, has a specialist batsman come into the side and cemented their position. Again, it suggests the production line is not working as it should.