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Taniya Bhatia and Simran Bahadur are the standby players for the squad of 15

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2022Fit-again Jemimah Rodrigues has returned to India’s 15-member T20I squad for the Women’s Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh from October 1-15.Rodrigues missed the ongoing England tour because of a wrist injury that she picked up during her stint at the Women’s Hundred with Northern Superchargers. Since her return, Rodrigues has undergone three weeks of rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.Rodrigues’ inclusion is the only addition to the squad that lost 2-1 in the T20I series against England. Richa Ghosh, who impressed with her lower-order hitting during the series, retains her place as the frontline wicketkeeper.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That meant Taniya Bhatia, who was the first choice wicketkeeper at the Commonwealth Games and didn’t get a game in the T20Is against England, has been consigned to the standby list along with medium-pacer Simran Bahadur. Hard-hitting top-order bat Kiran Prabhu Navgire, who made her debut during the England series, retains her place in the squad led by Harmanpreet Kaur.Meghna Singh and Renuka Singh are the two frontline seamers, with allrounder Pooja Vastrakar being the third-seam option. India’s spin stocks, meanwhile, are significantly varied. They have two left-arm spinners in Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav, while Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, both allrounders, offering right-arm variety.The Women’s Asia Cup is returning after a four-year gap. The seven-team tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team playing six matches in the league phase, before the top four advance to the semi-finals.India begin their campaign on the opening day (October 1) against Sri Lanka, before taking on Malaysia and debutants UAE on October 3 and October 4 respectively. They will then play Pakistan and Bangladesh on October 7 and 8 before rounding off their league engagements against Thailand on October 10.All matches will be held in Sylhet, where India last played during the T20 World Cup in 2014. Bangladesh are the current defending champions, having beaten India in a last-ball thriller in 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Dayalan Hemalatha, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav, Kiran Navgire. Standby players: Taniya Bhatia, Simran Bahadur

England captain falls short of 32nd first-class hundred, but puts Yorkshire on top at Cardiff

David Hopps15-May-2021Glamorgan 149 (Brook 3-13, Patterson 3-27) and 108 for 3 (Carlson 44*, Lloyd 40*) lead Yorkshire 230 (Root 99, Patterson 47*, Neser 5-39) by 28 runs Joe Root moved inexorably towards his hundred with the precision of a ticking clock. An old-time image for an old-time innings. The world could do much as it pleased, nothing would change his tempo. Then, on 99, the clock stopped.Root has 31 first-class hundreds, but only eight of them have come for Yorkshire. Even as a feted international player, one who bears an onerous responsibility as England’s Test captain, his desire to succeed for his county remains implanted. He would surely yearn for more.Medium-pacer Dan Douthwaite, who seamed the ball back sharply between bat and pad, was the bowler who stopped time. What’s more, Douthwaite revealed, his teammate, Kiran Carlson, predicted it.”It was weird how it happened,” Douthwaite said. “Kiran Carlson stood at mid-off two balls before and said I was going to get him out trying to dab it down to third man and he would chop it on to the stumps and he did. I was telling him at the time to go away and let me focus on my bowling. That is the first time I have had someone predict a wicket and it has actually happened.”If Root didn’t quite manage the century that had seemed inevitable, he looked in good trim ahead of the New Zealand Test series. His superbly controlled innings gave Yorkshire a chance of victory. That’s if you don’t believe in weather forecasts – Sunday’s analysis suggests that these sides will be collecting draw points.England’s IPL contingent have spent much of the past fortnight in quarantine while the likes of Root have benefited from an extensive programme of Championship cricket, albeit played in empty stadiums and in largely cheerless conditions. It has not been a cakewalk. Remove his century against Kent at Canterbury and he had made 114 runs in seven innings. That rediscovered rhythm had been hard-won.That Root’s success has been far from automatic illustrates that bowlers have held sway and also points to the difficulties that even the most driven world-class player encounters when the prestige of a fixture diminishes and the pressure relents. Nevertheless, it also tells that this season’s Conference structure has not been a succession of mismatches that many anticipated. It is a format that is gaining popularity and makes the structure for 2022 a debate still to be won and lost.Related

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Glamorgan, down 81 on first innings, and seeded fifth out of six in Group One, might have capitulated when the Australian, Marnus Labuschagne, was bowled for a duck in an awkward 26-over finish to the day, but David Lloyd and Carlson played with typical freedom in slightly easing conditions in giving them a lead of 27 runs with seven wickets remaining at the close. Carlson’s batting approach does not suffer from modesty and, with his 23rd birthday hours away, he looked to be a player worth keeping an eye on.Not that Root defied Glamorgan single-handedly in giving Yorkshire that 81-run lead. At 111 for 8, they were imperilled, still 39 behind in seamer-friendly conditions. For a top-order batsman, eight-down often demands a rethink. Root observed his captain, Steven Patterson, and recognised a mulishness that demanded respect. Between them, another 118 were added in 33 overs. The match shifted.Root was accomplished, his innings stripped down to basics and all risks against the moving ball kept to a minimum. Patterson existed on defiance and an occasional square cut that he delivered with a flourish. He was far from rhythmic: if he had been a ticking clock, nobody would have had a clue what time it was. He survived a tough chance to backward point before he had scored, took several blows to the body and stubbornly insisted on his right to stick around. But his commitment was exemplary and he also deserved – and missed – his own statistical landmark, a fifth first-class 50, when he was left stranded on 47.Glamorgan’s tactics were strange. The Australian, Michael Neser, who had 3 for 15 overnight, soon had a five-for, including the frisky debutant wicketkeeper, Harry Duke, who was treated to a bouncer first ball, took it on, and spliced a catch to square leg. (First-ball duck or not, we will hear more of Duke). But Neser only bowled eight overs all day and must surely have a niggle.Michael Hogan, the other senior strike bowler, spent the day bowling into the wind. The next bouncer of note to the ninth-wicket pair was delivered by Labuschagne, a part-time legspinner, and it disappeared for four byes. Andrew Salter had a spell of off-spin more out of respect than logic. Like Dom Bess, an England offspinner in Yorkshire’s side, he would have been better rendered idle.Root survived a strong leg-before appeal from Timm van der Gugten on 87, but otherwise picked out singles at will. His late cut to third man – the one where he might be picking his own pocket – would have had Fagin singing with delight. But, with Root on 99, Douthwaite cut Patterson in half with a big break-back that went for four byes. The warning was there. Root did not play the shot, but he might have anticipated it. His stumps were disturbed and Douthwaite gestured in triumph towards Carlson at mid off as if he had known the plan would work all along.

The series will also be the first big one for both teams in the year of the T20 World Cup later this year, with over 20 matches to go for each

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit23-Jan-20205:39

Bangar: Understanding ground dimensions key in NZ

Big Picture

New Zealand must be hurting and how. The last time they took the field they had been thrashed 3-0 in the Tests in Australia, and the last time they played a T20I, it ended in, well, a Super Over loss to England. New Zealand were leading that five-match T20I series 2-1 and even though they handed England an innings loss in the Test series later, crossing the Tasman Sea after that dented their confidence considerably. Now, New Zealand face a stiff opposition in India to end their home summer before landing in Australia again for three ODIs.ALSO READ: Tim Southee backs New Zealand to bounce back after Australia setbackThe India series will be “huge” for them, as selector Gavin Larsen said, to work out a few things: a best XI with several players injured and how to restore their reputation. First, they will draw confidence from the fact that they had beaten India 2-1 in the T20Is last year, with a similar bowling attack that is to play in the coming series. The hosts have recalled Hamish Bennett, who last played an international in 2017, to join Tim Southee, Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn in the pace attack, with Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi making up the spin department. Where are the rest? Well, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry are all injured. Another worry for them will be Santner’s form, as he picked only one wicket in four Test innings in Australia. A different format, though, could do it for the left-arm spinner who took his best T20I figures – 4 for 11 – against India, in 2016.There’s more experience to fall back on in the batting department, with Kane Williamson, who returns after missing the T20Is against England, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and Colin Munro making the top and middle order.The series will also be the first big one for both teams in the year of the T20 World Cup later this year, with over 20 matches to go for each.India are also without a few injured players – Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar – but their depth in reserves has hardly ever been stronger. They will have their tails up after drubbing Sri Lanka 2-0 in T20Is and fighting back formidably against a full-strength Australia to win 2-1 in the ODIs. They have a settled bowling line-up with four quicks, two spinners and three allrounders to choose from. With Samson replacing Dhawan in the 16-man squad, it remains to be seen if he and Pandey will get a chance if Rishabh Pant gets to play as wicketkeeper and KL Rahul plays purely as a batsman.

Form guide

New Zealand TLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWLW

In the spotlight

Hamish Bennett will be in line to make his T20I debut with 17 international games to his name already. In the absence of New Zealand’s main frontline quicks, Bennett now has a big task ahead against India’s batting line-up that doesn’t have as much experience in the lower-middle order. Bennett could use his pace, bounce and variations in the middle or end overs to dent India’s progress towards a big total. Bennett comes on the back of figures of 3 for 34 against Auckland in the Super Smash final, New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament, in which he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps from 11 games, and an economy rate of 7.20.ALSO READ: Firebird Hamish Bennett ready for his New Zealand rebirthVirat Kohli and Kane Williamson pose with the T20I series trophy•Blackcapsnz/Instagram

With Pandya not returning to international cricket anytime soon, India need to have his solid back-up for the T20 World Cup. They are carrying three allrounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar – and it will be a good trial for both Dube and Washington in New Zealand conditions after India played their recent games at home. Both Dube and Washington could play in the XI and India need to assess if they will need a batting or a bowling allrounder more in Australia later this year.ALSO READ: India have missed a trick with their allrounder strategy, writes Aakash Chopra

Team news

Ross Taylor said on Tuesday the injuries in their camp has given the fringe players a chance to stake a claim for spots. New Zealand have a fairly stable top half which sees Williamson’s returns. It might mean they will have to pick one of Colin de Grandhomme and Daryl Mitchell for No. 6.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Colin de Grandhomme/Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Scott Kuggeleijn, 11 Hamish BennettIndia played only five bowling options in their last T20I against Sri Lanka, but may now have to pick a sixth on a high-scoring Eden Park. Virat Kohli said on the eve of the match that making KL Rahul keep in T20Is too will give them “a lot more balance” to play another batsman. In that case, they can accommodate Manish Pandey at No. 5 and two allrounders at Nos. 6 and 7 out of Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Shivam Dube 7 Washinton Sundar/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

Auckland is where the Super Over was played against England recently, with both teams scoring at over 13 an over in a rain-curtailed match. A cloud cover and some drizzle is expected in the morning and evening which could affect the 7.50pm local time start. With no heavy rain expected, we should get a game even if with reduced overs.

Stats and trivia

• With legspinner Adam Zampa coming into focus against Kohli in the recent ODIs, New Zealand will probably want to bowl Ish Sodhi to him early. Sodhi has a decent record against India, having dismissed Kohli and Rohit once each: he has taken 11 wickets in seven innings, averaging 16.18 with an economy rate of 7.73
• Ross Taylor is batting too low to play an anchor role in this format. He has primarily batted at No. 5 for New Zealand since 2018, but at a strike rate of just 119.40, he is scoring slow for that position. Among 31 batsmen to score 100 or more runs batting at No. 5 or lower in T20Is since 2018, Taylor’s strike rate of 125.80 is 10th worst (there are 21 other batsmen that score faster than he does).

Quotes

“Honestly, even if you think of revenge, these guys are so nice you can’t get into that. We get along really well with all these guys.”

Raj makes battling half-century before spinners take over; Pakistan, New Zealand knocked out

The Report by Sreshth Shah15-Nov-2018India cruised into the semi-finals of the Women’s World T20 after demolishing Ireland by 52 runs in Providence. The result meant that Group B’s top-two spots were decided, with Australia being the other semi-finalist. For Ireland, it was their third-straight loss of the tournament. The result also meant New Zealand and Pakistan were knocked out.

Our total was not good enough – Mandhana

India opener Smriti Mandhana believes India’s total of 145 against Ireland was not good enough as their plan was to score at least 20 runs more.
“Definitely we were looking at 165 to 170,” she said after the match. “I didn’t think that 140 (145) was good enough because in T20s you can’t keep thinking about wicket and outfield because it’s such a fast game that, and we have 10 wickets to play. So I think we were aiming at 165 to 170, but unfortunately we could not do that.
“The first two matches I definitely felt we were good, but today I felt batting could have been better. But bowling and fielding I think we are really good, and we dominated the opposition.”
Mandhana went on to say that India’s batting line-up, especially the top four, could play a crucial role in the upcoming matches.
“Well, I think the first match was enough warning for everyone. Everyone has been in good form the last seven-eight months, so coming into the World T20, we all were really confident as a batting unit. So yeah, I think if our top four bat through the 20 overs, I think we will always be putting a good total up.”

On a day where torrential rain in the morning made batting conditions difficult, Mithali Raj battled her way to a 17th T20I half-century to help India post 145. With the outfield slightly wet and a damp pitch to boot, Raj anchored India’s innings till the 19th over, collecting four fours and a six in her 56-ball 51.Openers Smriti Mandhana (29-ball 33) and Raj added 67 after Ireland asked India to bat. This partnership gave India a platform that allowed young Jemimah Rodrigues (11-ball 18) to inject some momentum. But a flurry of wickets in the middle overs forced India to lose their way and eventually limited their surge in the death overs. Kim Garth, the medium-pace bowler, was the pick of the Ireland bowlers, dismissing Raj and Mandhana to finish with 2 for 22.Mithali Raj’s battling 17th T20I fifty helped India seal a semi-final berth•ICC/Getty

The lack of pace from the Ireland bowlers forced Raj to reply on late dabs and glances. Later in the game, there was an injury scare when she hurt her knee while diving at square leg. But at the end of the game Raj, who was named Player of the Match, put it down to just a minor niggle and hoped to be fit for the Australia game on Saturday.Ireland started their chase of 146 positively, going wicketless till the sixth over. Clare Shillington (23-ball 23) and Gaby Lewis added 27, but once the opening stand was broken, the India spinners continued to rattle Ireland. Barring Shillingford, only Isobel Joyce (33) reached double digits for Ireland, as they played out the 20 overs.But Ireland were nowhere in the contest after the Powerplay. The duo of Deepti Sharma (2 for 15) and Radha Yadav (3 for 25) began to choke Ireland as the field spread out, and regular wickets meant they could not put together any useful partnership.At 84 for 4 in the 16th over, it looked like Ireland’s batsmen would respectably see the game out, but a flurry of late wickets – one apiece for Harmanpreet and Poonam Yadav – and a run-out from D Hemalatha ensured Ireland finished their innings with only two wickets in hand. Taniya Bhatia had an excellent day with the gloves. Three of the eight Ireland wickets were due to her quick glovework.The winner of the India-Australia clash will determine the Group B topper. For Ireland, their last game against New Zealand will be a chance to leave the Caribbean with at least one win.

Bangladesh also strengthened their seam-bowling options by adding Subhasis Roy and Rubel Hossain to the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-20171:16

‘Confident of Mahmudullah’s ability on fast South African pitches’ – Abedin

Mahmudullah has been recalled to Bangladesh’s 15-member squad for their two-Test series against South Africa, which begins on September 28. Bangladesh also strengthened their seam-bowling options by adding Subhasis Roy and Rubel Hossain to the squad.Shakib Al Hasan, who was granted a break from the South Africa Tests, and Nasir Hossain, who underperformed in his comeback series against Australia, were excluded. It will be the first time Shakib won’t be part of the Test team since the series in 2014 against West Indies.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said it was a concern that Shakib opted out of the squad, but felt that a player’s mentality must be considered.”I respect his decision but of course it is very hard to replace him,” Minhajul said. “We have to take into account his mental state because as a player I understand what he may be going through physically and mentally.”Bangladesh’s squad for the Test series in South Africa•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Minhajul also said that Mahmudullah was his personal choice, based on his ability to adapt well on bouncy pitches and seaming conditions. Mahmudullah last played a Test in Sri Lanka in March earlier this year. He was subsequently dropped for the second Test.Despite struggling against Australia, Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes kept their place in the squad, primarily due to a lack of opening options. Mosaddek Hossain remained out of contention as his eye infection hadn’t improved, and will be sent to Bangkok on Monday for further medical attention.Bangladesh squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Roy, Mominul Haque

Liam Dawson smashed a 68-ball century and Glamorgan were then blown away with the ball to lose by 186 runs in Swansea

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016
ScorecardLiam Dawson thumped his way to a century from 68 balls•Getty Images

Liam Dawson smashed a 68-ball century and Glamorgan were then blown away with the ball to lose by 186 runs in Swansea. They slipped to 29 for 6 against the seam of swing of Gareth Berg and Ryan McLaren, the pair finishing with eight wickets between them to keep Hampshire’s hopes of a Royal London quarter-final alive.Forty runs came from the final two overs of Hampshire’s innings, with Dawson reaching an unbeaten hundred by hitting the last ball of the innings, bowled by Michael Hogan, for six. Having been 70 from 61, he cleared the ropes four times in six deliveries at the death to record the second List A hundred of his career.Glamorgan made a terrible start when David Lloyd was leg before to McLaren to the first ball of the innings and, despite the slow pitch, the Hampshire seamers repeatedly beat the bat, as Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg edged balls to the wicketkeeper.Colin Ingram, who struck hundreds in both one-day competitions against Essex last week, was the next to go when he top-edged a hook to fine leg. When Graham Wagg was leg-before to a perfect yorker from Berg, the home team, playing the first day of the festival at St Helen’s, had lost five wickets for seven runs, with Berg taking 4 for 2 from 16 balls.There were ironic cheers from the sizeable crowd in the 15th over when Mark Wallace became the first Glamorgan batsman to reach double-figures by driving Brad Wheal to the boundary. Craig Meschede top-scored with 45 and his partnership of 30 with Tim van der Gugten enabled Glamorgan to pass three figures, but it was little consolation for the home side or their supporters.In complete contrast, Hampshire scored freely after winning the toss. Tom Alsop, who has struck a hundred and three fifties in the competition this season, made a fluent 35, before chipping Meschede to mid-on while Will Smith made the most of being dropped on 23 at midwicket off Andrew Salter to an anchor the innings with 84, putting on 61 with Joe Weatherley and 86 with Dawson to take Hampshire to 223 for 4 in the 43rd over. Dawson then hit the accelerator during a partnership of 60 in 34 balls with McLaren.Dawson, captaining the side in the absence of Sean Ervine, said: “The win sets us up nicely for the final game against Somerset on Tuesday, and a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals. We were undecided what to do after winning the toss, but knowing the history of the Swansea ground, it was a good decision, as the pitch doesn’t get any better in the second innings. We thought that around 270 would have been competitive, but to reach 316 was a massive bonus.”

Australia may be strong favourites to retain the Ashes, but Graeme Swann believes there is little to fear from them

George Dobell21-Jun-2015Australia may be strong favourites to retain the Ashes, but Graeme Swann believes there is little to fear from them.Swann, the highest wicket-taker when England won in 2013, suggested that Mitchell Johnson, who played such a key role in the whitewash of 2013-14, was unlikely to retain his place in the side, and suggested Steven Smith, the No. 1 rated batsman in Test cricket, could struggle against the swinging ball. But he does fear the influence of Mitchell Starc who, he believes, could define the series.”I don’t think Mitchell Johnson will play in the team,” Swann said at a Chance to Shine school in Nottingham where he helped launch a new card game for the charity. “He’s not the Mitchell to worry about. Mitchell Starc is above and beyond the best match-winning player they’ve got at the minute.”Forget about the batsmen. If Mitchell Starc bowls well, I don’t think England have got any hope of winning the Ashes. If they nullify him in some way, then they’ve got a chance.”While Swann described Smith’s form over the last 18-months as “incredible”, he remains unconvinced by his technique and suggested flaws would emerge as his career continues.”I didn’t think he was a great player,” Swann said. “I still don’t think he’s got a great technique. He bats five. I don’t think he would score runs at three if it’s swinging.”He’s a very good player of the short ball. He picks it up extremely quickly for his pull shot. He pulls the length that most people just fend at and nick. And he’s been incredible over the last 18 months. He must have surprised himself, as well as everyone else, with his output. The trick for him is to try to keep that going. Whether he can, time will tell.”In Australia, when we were going through them, he still hung around a lot. Normal balls that get normal batsmen out don’t get him out because of his weird technique.”But a bit like Jonathan Trott, how he was stellar at the start of his career, the more people study, the more they find weaknesses. Weakness will emerge with Steve Smith. He’s not like a Steve Waugh, where there’s no obvious ways of getting him out. He doesn’t strike fear in you like the Aussies used to, with Matt Hayden or Adam Gilchrist.”Chance to Shine Schools and Yorkshire Tea are giving young people the opportunity to play and learn through cricket. Download Switch Hits for free at bit.ly/switchhits

Offspinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman Ajinkya Rahane will join their respective Ranji Trophy teams for the next group game that begins on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2012Offspinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who have been part of India’s squad for all three Tests against England, will join their respective Ranji Trophy teams for the next group game that begins on Saturday. The third Test of the four-match India-England series is currently underway in Kolkata, but neither player is part of the Indian XI.This decision is in line with the policy adopted by the India team management over the past four seasons, by which as many players as possible are released from the national squad for Ranji games during home series’. This is done with a view to help the reserves remain match-fit.Harbhajan and Rahane will fly from Kolkata to Mumbai on Thursday, to join Punjab and Mumbai – these teams will play each other at the Wankhede Stadium in the next round of Ranji games. The pair, along with most of the other India regulars, featured in the season-opening round of the Ranji Trophy matches from November 2. While Harbhajan could make little impact with the ball as the Punjab captain against Hyderabad, Rahane scored 129 and 84 for Mumbai against Railways.The players’ availability will be a major boost for both teams, in particular Mumbai; Punjab, with young batsman Mandeep Singh at the helm, have already assured themselves of a place in the knockouts with four victories in five matches, but Mumbai are yet to win this season.Harbhajan, having recovered from a viral infection, featured in India’s humiliating ten-wicket defeat against England at the Wankhede Stadium. Rahane is yet to play in the Test series. The final game of the four-Test series will begin in Nagpur on December 13.

Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has become the first recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, an honour given to the country’s best player of the year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2011

New Zealand Cricket Awards winners

• Chris Martin – Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, player of the year

• Brendon McCullum – Test Player of the Year (527 runs at 58.55)

• Ross Taylor – ODI Player of the Year, (798 runs at 39.90)

• Tim Southee – Twenty20 Player of the Year, (eight wickets at 12.12)

• Sara McGlashan – Women’s Player of the Year

• Sophie Devine – Women’s domestic Player of the year (Four fifties, 24 wickets)

• Rob Nicol – Domestic Player of the year (top scorer in Twenty20 and one-day competitions)

• Peter Ingram – Redpath Cup, best first-class batting (965 runs at 50.47)

• Chris Martin – Winsor Cup, best first-class bowling (60 wickets at 25.60)

• Neil Wagner – Fans’ Choice for outstanding individual performance (Taking five wickets in an over)

• Simon Hickey – Young player of the year

• Ces Renwick – Bert Sutcliffe Medal, for outstanding services to cricket

• Nick Craig – Sir Jack Newman Award, outstanding junior cricket administrator

Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has become the first recipient of the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, an honour given to the country’s best player of the year. There was another gong for him at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in Auckland, winning the Winsor Cup for first-class bowling.Martin, 36, was also a finalist for the Test player of the year and a nominee for Fans’ Choice award for his devastating spell in Ahmedabad when he had India pinned at 15 for 5. He took 60 first-class wickets in the 2010-11 season, including 18 in Tests and 31 for Auckland.”Chris works very hard and has strongly led the BLACKCAPS and Aces bowling attack for this past season and the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal is well deserved,” NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said.”There were a number of individuals who put their hand up for the supreme award but no one can deny that in the past 12 months Chris has been a stand-out performer in international and domestic First-Class cricket.”The other major winners in the revamped NZC awards were: Brendon McCullum as Test Player of the year, in a season where he took the gamble of becoming a specialist batsman in Tests, and moved up the order; new captain Ross Taylor as ODI Player of the year, in a season where he was the highest run-getter for New Zealand with 798; Tim Southee as outstanding player in Twenty20s, in a year where he took a five-for including a hat-trick against Pakistan which won him the ICC award for Best Twenty20 performance; Sara McGlashan as women’s Player of the Year.

Prasanna Jayawardene has rued not being able to avoid the follow-on but said his team could finish on a positive note after the encouraging start provided by openers in the second innings

Sa'adi Thawfeeq in Galle18-Nov-2010Prasanna Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper, has rued not being able to avoid the follow-on against West Indies in Galle but said his team could finish on a positive note after the encouraging start provided by openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana in the second innings. Prasanna, who was the last batsman to fall in the first innings, battled his way to 58 but holed out, top-edging a sweep, to Kemar Roach off the bowling of offspinner Shane Shillingford with the hosts just three runs short of avoiding the follow-on target of 381. But Sri Lanka finished the day on 89 without loss in the second innings, still 113 behind.”We wanted to save the follow-on but unfortunately it didn’t happen. Our openers have done well. If we can bat like this tomorrow in the first session we have a great chance to end up well,” Prasanna said. “Against the offspinner we were trying to sweep because I thought if I defended, there was a chance of a bat-pad catch. So I kept on sweeping. I wanted to sweep and get a four. If there was a single I wasn’t going to run. I was in too minds and as I swept the bat turned a bit and I got an edge.”I know that (Thilan) Thushara (the No.11 batsman) can bat, but the issue was that the offspinner bowled the best. You have to handle the pressure and I thought against the spinner I had to take strike.”Prasanna admitted the batsmen initially found it difficult to deal with Shillingford, who picked up four wickets. “When others bowl the offbreak they flight, but Shane darts the ball sending it down. There is a change in the way he bowls,” Prasanna said. “He was troubling us at the beginning, but as he got tired he failed to bowl a good line. Our openers had to issues tackling him in the second innings.”Sri Lanka had been struggling at 295 for 7 when Prasanna was joined by fast bowler Dammika Prasad, who supported him in a stand of 72 with a quickfire 47. “Dammika batted really well. There’s no point in blocking thinking of the follow-on. You have to be attacking. I thought both of us could avoid the follow-on but once Dammika got out we got into trouble.”The key to winning the series, Prasanna said, was to dismiss Chris Gayle, who smashed 333 in the first innings, early. “The lower order is not batting well and if we get Gayle I think we have a very good chance in the rest of the series.”Prasanna also acknowledged he was under pressure to perform, though he has represented Sri Lanka in 34 Tests so far in a staggered 10-year Test career. He scored a century during the tour of India last year in Ahmedabad, made 29 in the first Test against India in Galle this year and failed in the final Test of that drawn series at the P Sara Oval. “I didn’t get a chance to bat at SSC and in the third Test, I failed in both innings. Overall if you take my performances I have failed in those two innings only, but there’s always pressure for me to perform ahead of a Test,” he said.”It doesn’t affect me. I take it match by match and I try to give my best. My average is around 30 and if you can’t handle pressure you can’t play cricket. I started playing for the country in 2000 and I have always performed. It doesn’t bother me. I am used to pressure and I try to do well at every opportunity I get.”