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South Africa’s head coach knows the fast bowler could be undercooked following his long injury layoff and doesn’t want him breaking down mid-Test

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town02-Jan-20184:43

Know your opponent: Dale Steyn

At least one of South Africa’s selection conundrums appears to have already been solved with Dale Steyn’s comeback likely to be delayed by another week. Conditions at Newlands usually call for a three-seamer, one spinner attack (to which South Africa might add an allrounder). Given Steyn’s lengthy absence from international cricket, coach Ottis Gibson appears reluctant to include him in that combination.”Dale Steyn is fit again. But I don’t know just yet whether we will see him this week,” Gibson said. “He has had a year’s layoff. I don’t think if we were to pick a three-man seam attack plus a spinner that you would want to put him in that three-man attack, in case something happens and that leaves the team vulnerable if he can’t finish the game. That’s not to say that he won’t finish the game, but you don’t want to take that risk in the first game of the summer. He will come into the discussion but it depends on the formation of the team that we put on the field.”Those who have been waiting to see Steyn steaming in may not have to wait much beyond the first 10 days of January. Gibson has described his use of South Africa’s full strength squad as being a “horses for courses” approach and suggested that the pace spearhead will be unleashed on the Highveld, where the second and third Test will be played.”You’re looking at three different sets of conditions,” Gibson said. “Down here on the coast, the wicket tends to dry out quickly so you might play an extra bowler [allrounder] here. Further up into the Highveld, it might be different. We have to take each set of conditions as we find them now and then pick the best team for them.”The extra week could also be used to get Steyn properly match-fit. Though the franchises are involved in the one-day cup, Steyn could play in a three-day provincial round of matches which would allow him to bowl several spells in competitive conditions to prepare himself to compete on equal terms with the other five quicks – Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo – in a team that should have an attack for every occasion.”This is a world-class bowling attack and we’ve got to come up with the best combination to win this match and then think about the next one,” Gibson said. “But certainly this attack, if all those guys are able to take the field then this will be up there with the best ones.”It is this attack that he hopes South Africa will be able to call on as they aim to challenge for the top spot in Test cricket again. Currently, they lie at No. 2 and will need a clean sweep over India and to beat Australia by a margin of at least two Tests in order to reclaim the mace. While this may be a long shot, it is also probably the only shot Gibson will get at making a serious challenge in Tests.South Africa’s schedule peters out after this summer, with only a tour to Sri Lanka and home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before the 2019 World Cup, which Gibson has been tasked with winning. While the ICC tournament remains Gibson’s major focus, he understands this Test summer could also define his tenure as coach.”In one-day cricket, I don’t worry too much about rankings because it’s built around a four-year cycle of World Cup cricket,” he said. “You can be No. 1 in the world and you don’t win the World Cup. It doesn’t matter where you are once you go to the World Cup. In Test cricket it’s different. You play a series against the best teams in the world and then the prize at the end of it is to reach the pinnacle and be called the best team in the world – even if it is just for a series or a week. The objective for this team is to try and get to No. 1. We feel strongly that if we win the next two series that will put us somewhere very close to being No. 1 again. The next two series will tell us [where we stand] or take us somewhere towards where we want to go. Everybody understands what we are trying to achieve.”Gibson has a full strength squad at his disposal with all the previously injured and ill players now available for selection. Apart from Steyn, South Africa also have AB de Villiers back from a self-imposed sabbatical, Chris Morris has been included in the squad after a lengthy back problem, Quinton de Kock has recovered from a hamstring strain and Faf du Plessis is healthy after a viral infection. There is a slight concern over Hashim Amla, who has picked up “sniffles”, but Gibson expects all 15 members of his squad to be in contention to play the opening Test at Newlands which starts on Friday.

The pair added an unbroken 141 to ensure their team finished top of the group with a convincing victory

Valkerie Baynes03-Aug-2022An unbroken third-wicket partnership worth 141 between Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney rescued Australia from a shaky start against Pakistan to secure a third win from as many matches at the Commonwealth Games.Australia – already assured of a place in the semi-finals – had slumped to 19 for 2 inside the first six overs before McGrath hammered her way to 78 not out off 51 balls and Mooney reached an unbeaten 70 off 49 at Edgbaston. It was the fourth time McGrath has gone unbeaten in her six career T20I innings. McGrath also took 3 for 13 from three overs as Pakistan’s pursuit of 161 faltered.Pakistan were bundled out of the tournament after going winless from their three matches, meaning that the winner of the evening match between India and Barbados would progress to the knockout stages with Australia from Group A.Dream start for PakistanPakistan couldn’t have hoped for a better beginning after restricting the gold-medal favourites to 22 for 2 in the powerplay, having claimed the prized wickets of Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, both for just four runs each.Healy was dropped off the bowling of Diana Baig in the first over when she sent a thick edge to first slip, where Omaima Sohail failed to hold on. The damage was limited, however, when Healy fell without adding to her score in the next over edging an excellent delivery from Fatima Sana which angled in, found the inside edge and clattered into leg stump.Sadia Iqbal, playing her first match of the Games, then struck in the sixth over with a gem to beat Lanning and pegged back off stump. After six overs, Australia had found the boundary just three times and were scoring at a run rate of 3.67.Omaima Sohail lost her leg stump off Alana King’s first ball, much to the delight of Alyssa Healy•Getty Images

McGrath, Mooney issue wake-up callMcGrath and Mooney began to regain control, adding 36 runs in the next four overs to recover to 58 for 2 at the halfway point of the innings. After reaching 30 from 24 balls, McGrath was adjudged lbw to Iqbal when she was struck on the back pad attempting to reverse sweep, but overturned the decision on review with replays showing the ball had brushed her glove on the way through.McGrath’s shot-placement was sublime. She stroked two fours in three balls off Sohail, muscled over cover and swept through backward square leg before moving to a 37-ball fifty in the next over with a powerful drive to the rope at long-off from the bowling of Iqbal.Mooney brought up her fifty in 42 balls with a single off Aiman Anwer to also raise the century stand. The 19th over, bowled by Sana, went for 21 runs, including a six each to Mooney, launched over deep square leg, and McGrath finer but with plenty of power behind it. Twelve runs off the final over, by Anwer, including four from McGrath through cover off a full toss to close the innings, had Australia in command.Pakistan’s pursuit falls flatPakistan were 8 for 2 after just two overs with Megan Schutt removing Muneeba Ali with the third ball of their reply, slashing straight to Darcie Brown at backward point. Brown then chimed in with the wicket of Iram Javed in the next over, skying an attempted pull to Grace Harris at short midwicket.After six overs Pakistan were ahead of the curve at 32 for 2 but needed something massive from captain Bismah Maroof. She enjoyed a let-off when she spooned Ash Gardner straight to mid-off where Harris shelled a simple chance.Alana King, who took a career-best 4 for 8 in Australia’s nine-wicket victory over Barbados, entered the attack immediately afterwards and struck right away, bowling Sohail with a beauty that brushed the pad and hit leg stump two-thirds of the way up. When Aliya Riaz was run out, effectively sacrificed by Maroof who sent her back halfway through a second run, Pakistan slumped to 47 for 4 in the 10th over.McGrath shines with the ball tooMcGrath capped a wonderful all-round effort with three wickets, includuing two in two balls. She had Ayesha Naseem well caught by King, running round to long-on to take a high one just inside the rope.Then she ended Maroof’s laboured innings of 23 from 32 balls when a miscued drive sailed to Jess Jonassen at mid-on and, next ball, trapped Tuba Hassan lbw playing across a straight one. When Baig left the hat-trick ball alone outside off, Healy shot a smile from behind the stumps at first slip, where Lanning stood once more, having dropped a catch there which would have given King a hat-trick in the previous match. Sana finished unbeaten on 35, but her team fell well short.

Smriti Mandhana leads Indian batting effort again, just two days after retiring hurt when she was struck by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2022India beat West Indies in their second warm-up fixture ahead of the Women’s World Cup, and now enter the main tournament on the back of successive warm-up wins after also beating South Africa on Sunday. While half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma set them up for a total of 258, a solid all-round effort with the ball ensured West Indies stopped at 177 for 9.Mandhana and Deepti added 117 for the second wicket after Shafali Verma fell for a second-ball duck, the opener’s relatively dry recent run continuing – she made 0 and 9 in the last two ODIs against New Zealand last week after having hit a 57-ball 51 in the third game, her first score of note in some time.Related

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But India would be relieved with Mandhana’s innings, as she cracked 66 from just 67 balls just two days after being forced to retire hurt when she was hit in the helmet by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer that caused “a mild soft tissue injury to her left earlobe which caused discomfort while batting”.Mithali Raj and Yastika Bhatia also chipped in with decent hands, of 30 and 42 respectively, after Cherry-Ann Fraser dismissed Mandhana and Deepti. Despite the good contributions, it was a worry for India as they slipped from 142 for 2 in the 27th over to 195 for 5 by the 37th. Fraser finished with 2 for 24 from five overs.Karishma Ramharack and Hayley Matthews picked up two wickets apiece too, but West Indies’ batters didn’t quite come to the party during the chase, losing their top four with just 53 on the board.Pooja Vastrakar struck twice up top, while Deepti and Meghna Singh picked up a wicket each. A brief recovery between Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle took West Indies to 122, before Meghna got rid of Matthews for 44 in the 38th over.By then, West Indies’ required rate had shot up, as they needed another 137 from the remaining 73 deliveries. And Vastrakar pretty much sealed it for India after she bowled Campbelle for 63.Sophie Devine smashed 161 not out in just 117 balls•ICC via Getty

New Zealand chased down a steep target of 322 seemingly with ease against Australia, getting to 325 with nine wickets in hand and nearly seven overs to spare. Captain Sophie Devine led the show with an unbeaten 161 off just 117 balls, an innings that featured 23 fours and four sixes. She got great company from fellow opener Suzie Bates, who hit 63 in a stand of 119 for the first wicket.There was no respite for Australia even after Alana King got rid of Bates, as Amelia Kerr continued her excellent form to remain undefeated on 92 from just 75 balls, cracking 13 fours on her way. The New Zealand batters took a special liking for Annabel Sutherland, smashing her for 41 in three overs, and Ashleigh Gardner, who went for 34 in her three.Before that, four half-centuries from Australia’s top six took them to what seemed like a winning total of 321, with captain Meg Lanning leading the way with 87 at just over a run-a-ball. Opener Alyssa Healy hit 64 and Beth Mooney struck a 51-ball 55, but the real impact came from Gardner at No. 6, as she clattered 60 from only 32 balls with six fours and four sixes.But Hannah Rowe, with 4 for 49, cleaned up Australia middle-order to help bowl them out with three balls left.In the end, though, the total wasn’t enough for Australia, who had beaten West Indies in their first warm-up. New Zealand, meanwhile, hit their straps after losing to Pakistan on Sunday. They will play the tournament opener against West Indies on Friday.

Jamaica’s spin duo of Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs spun a web around Leeward Islands to register a massive 157-run win in St Kitts

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2017WICB

Jamaica’s duo of Nikita Miller and Damion Jacobs spun a web around Leeward Islands to register a massive 157-run win in St Kitts. Left-arm spinner Miller collected 10 wickets while Jacobs picked two three-fors to bundle out Leeward for 232 and 144. Jamaica, however, are still second from bottom on the table after picking 18.4 points from the win.Jamaica put on a respectable score of 342 after winning the toss, on the back of half-centuries from Paul Palmer (86), Assad Fudadin (58) and John Campbell (57) as offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s 4 for 86 meant Jamaica didn’t put on a competitive total. The Leeward batsmen could not capitalise though, as Miller’s 5 for 56 and Jacobs’ 3 for 35 allowed only one batsman – Montcin Hodge – to reach 50, and they conceded a lead of 110.Cornwall took four wickets again and troubled Jamaica’s middle order to restrict them to 191, as No. 7 Derval Green provided resistance with his 51. Jacobs and Miller troubled Leeward with the bat too, putting on 46 for the ninth wicket before combining to take eight wickets as Leeward chased 302 for a win. With only two batsmen reaching 30, they were kept to 144 for only six points but are still second on the table behind Guyana.

Barbados Tridents needed a massive win to remain in contention for the Playoffs but could only muster a 16-run victory despite Wayne Parnell’s excellent performances with bat and ball

The Report by Peter Della Penna03-Sep-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWayne Parnell revived Tridents’ innings and then snuffed out three wickets in the chase•Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / Getty

Wayne Parnell’s terrific display with bat and ball hauled Barbados Tridents to a 16-run win over table-toppers Trinbago Knight Riders at Kensington Oval. However, the narrow margin of victory still left Tridents on the brink of elimination. They are placed fifth, behind Guyana Amazon Warriors, with net run rate of -0.405, and face the improbable task of having to win their final league match by 220 runs to qualify for the play-offs.Parnell’s unbeaten 44 at No. 9 rescued Tridents from 62 for 7 in the 10th over. He followed up his highest T20 score with figures of 3 for 31, and sent Brendon McCullum to the hospital with a blow to his left arm to wreck the Knight Riders chase. McCullum later confirmed that he won’t be taking any further part in the tournament, tweeting “@CPL over for this year unfort. Been a ride with @TKRiders brothers! Many thanks to all for your support! Luck team!”Hero to zeroDwayne Smith, Tridents’ centurion in their previous match, fended an edge off Anderson Phillip to Denesh Ramdin second ball after they were sent in to bat.Kane Williamson’s forgettable debut season continued with him caught behind for 6. The New Zealand captain has now failed to reach double-figures in more than half his innings this CPL.Nurse ratchets up the pressureOffspinner Ashley Nurse had gone wicketless in his first two matches after coming on as a mid-season addition to the Knight Riders squad. He was still named in the West Indies T20I squad to face England later in the month, and celebrated his recall with a wicket off his first ball, suckering Nicholas Pooran into an ill-advised slog to long-off. Two more wickets from Shadab Khan, along with a pair of run-outs, left the Tridents looking grim at 62 for 7 in the 10th over.Wayne’s worldTridents were in danger of being bowled out for double-digits for the second time in three matches when Parnell entered. It wasn’t the most glamorous knock, with several miscues falling in no man’s land, but he showed grit that the recognised batsmen before him lacked, and ensured his team had something to bowl at.Just as vital was his new-ball spell that decimated the Knight Riders top-order. Parnell claimed Sunil Narine in the second over before Colin Munro slogged a catch to deep square leg. He then pinged McCullum on the elbow, forcing him to retire hurt and effectively left Knight Riders 41 for 3. Two balls later, Ravi Rampaul had Darren Bravo fending a short ball to backward point.Follow the leaderNot for the first time this season, Pollard produced a disciplined and inspired display with the ball, building on Parnell’s early spell to keep Knight Riders in check. He had Ramdin caught behind in the 10th over and Shadab followed suit as the score flagged to 67 for 5.There was a brief swing in momentum when Parnell, returning in the 17th over, was smacked for 19 off five balls by Javon Searles. Knight Riders now needed a far more manageable 31 off 21 balls.But Parnell hit back, bowling Nurse to wrap up his spell, and the match ended with Searles splicing a slog to short third man and McCullum unable to resume batting.

Under pressure to retain his spot with the Ashes looming, Matthew Wade says it’s just a matter of time before he comes good with the bat

Alagappan Muthu in Nagpur30-Sep-20171:24

‘My performances with the bat haven’t been good enough’ – Wade

Having made his debut in 2012, Matthew Wade scored his maiden ODI century earlier this year, an innings of exactly 100 that helped Australia recover from 5 for 78 to eventually win that match, against Pakistan, by 92 runs. However, his performances since then read 35 (off 56 balls), 5, 8, 2, 9, 2 and 3 not out.Despite being the only specialist wicketkeeper in Australia’s squad, Wade was left out, with Peter Handscomb taking over the duties for one of the four ODIs in the ongoing series against India. He knows he needs to respond to that situation, especially with the Ashes looming, and competition heating up – Peter Nevill scored three first-class centuries in 11 innings since being dropped in November and 26-year old Alex Carey set a Sheffield Shield record of 59 dismissals for South Australia last season.”There is no point sitting up here and thinking about what has already happened,” Wade said on the eve of the Nagpur ODI. “My form with the bat has not been good enough. The selectors have told me that I need score runs if I need to be picked.”A lot has been made about me failing in the Bangladesh and couple of times here. But before I played in India I was batting really well. I would have liked to score more runs in this series but that’s not happened. If I think back to the way I was batting in India [during the Test series] I played quite well. It is not panic stations yet and I know what I have to do.”Wade was brought back into the XI in Bengaluru, but he could only face three balls as the Australian innings ended. He is not part of the T20 squad and so will have to focus on making an immediate mark in the 2017-18 Shield season, which begins on October 26.”They will be crucial for my chances. I’m not worried about the matches, I have to score runs any time I have to go bat. I have to score runs regardless of if I’m trying to score runs for the Ashes or getting picked for Australia or whoever I’m playing for at the time. Doesn’t faze me, I have been doing all the hard work it just hasn’t happened for me yet.”Wade insisted that he has not heard any complaints about his wicketkeeping. He had given away 30 runs in byes during the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka, but came back in Chittagong quite strongly, effecting three catches and two stumpings, including one off a ball that reared up towards his chest.”I thought I kept quite well in Bangladesh, I know there was lot of talk especially during the first Test with the number of byes I conceded. But if you look at their keeper [Mushfiqur Rahim conceded 22 byes] and given the conditions I thought we were quite similar. I felt in the second test especially, I took some good chances. I have been pretty good here, on the back of India where I felt I kept quite well. Selectors have told me there have been no concerns with my keeping. They just want me to score more runs.”Having represented Victoria since the age of 19, Wade will return home to Tasmania for the 2017-18 domestic season. He said he took the decision to end a 153-match association with the Bushrangers, whom he had captained for the past four seasons, keeping in mind his young family.”I was picked in the Test team I was travelling quite a lot and just had a baby girl at the time so I wanted to be around the family,” he said. “My partner Julia and the baby – to have a lot of family with her has been really good. I’m looking forward to playing for Tasmania, I will have a few days off then play one-dayers followed by the shield games. It is a bit of fresh start but I’m really looking forward to.”

Former head coach admits build-up has been less than ideal for England and Australia

Matt Roller30-Nov-2021Trevor Bayliss’ only away Ashes series during his five-year tenure as England’s head coach ended in a 4-0 defeat and was overshadowed by off-field distractions amid questions about his squad’s drinking culture and the absence of Ben Stokes due to his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub.Four years later, both teams have endured rough build-ups to the series on and off the field, with English cricket engulfed in a racism crisis, Australia reeling from Tim Paine’s sexting scandal, and La Niña reaping havoc with scheduled warm-up games in Queensland.Bayliss, speaking to reporters in his capacity as Sydney Thunder’s new head coach ahead of the BBL season, said that while the build-up had not been ideal, both teams would be fully focused on the series rather than the sideshow around it once they step onto the field at the Gabba next Wednesday.

Bayliss reunites with Hales

Alex Hales’ positive test for recreational drugs on the eve of the 2019 World Cup nearly derailed England’s tournament but he finds himself working with Bayliss again for the first time since at the Thunder this season.
The pair have linked up ahead of the start of the BBL this weekend, and Bayliss said that he was excited to see Hales have another prolific season.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen him for a couple of years and he doesn’t seem any different,” Bayliss said.
“He’s in a good space – he didn’t hit the golf ball very well yesterday but I’m looking forward to him scoring some more runs for the Thunder this year.”

“It probably makes a little bit of a change,” Bayliss said, asked about the spotlight on Australia following Paine’s resignation and subsequent decision to step away from the game for an unspecified period of time. “Normally when the England team comes here, all the focus is on them and the one or two small pick-ups they might have along the way get blown out of all proportion.”With what’s going on in England at the moment, there’s obviously a bit in the background there as well. I think both teams will be more than happy for the cricket to start and all of that can get pushed into the background and they can concentrate on their cricket.”I fully expect with both sets of players, that’s exactly what will happen. Once the cricket starts, there might be talk behind the scenes with commentators and journalists and that type of thing but I’m quite sure that once things get underway out on the field it’ll be all about the cricket.”The first day of England’s second intra-squad warm-up game was washed out on Tuesday after only 29 overs were possible in the first, while Australia are set to cancel their practice fixture due to inclement weather. Bayliss said that the lack of a proper preparation period might lead teams to rotate their fast bowlers throughout the series, but stressed that for England, combating the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc would be a major challenge.”Playing games would be the No. 1 criteria but both teams would be trying to do what they can through practice and making sure they’ve got the workloads up to scratch with the number of balls or overs bowled in the build-up,” Bayliss said. “It might force the hand a little bit of bringing in replacement guys every Test or two, making sure that the workload on the bowlers is not over the top.Related

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“The three big, tall pace bowlers Australia have got have done a lot of damage over the last few years and have bowled extremely well on these flat Australian pitches. They’re able to bang the ball in, they’ve got good pace, they’re tall, and they’re able to get a bit more out of it because of that pace and extra bounce.”So that’ll be something that the England batters will have to negate. But as we saw on the last tour, they might have lost 4-0 but on different occasions they showed they could score runs against that attack. It’s about that consistency and doing it Test after Test, which I’m sure they’ll be looking for.”As for Stokes, whose absence proved costly in 2017-18 as England struggled to balance their side, Bayliss said that it was a “massive bonus” for them to have him available for this summer’s series, not only due to his ability as an allrounder but also as a talisman who galvanises others in the side.”It’s not just his batting, his bowling or his fielding,” Bayliss said. “He’s one of those guys who is a leader within the group. He’s a very positive influence. There were times where he didn’t play because of injury in England and I think the team felt his loss when he wasn’t there. Certainly when he plays, he’s able to drag a lot more of the players along with him. He’s got a great attitude, a never-say-die attitude.”

After limiting Kenya to 177 for 8, Nepal’s lower order clinched a thrilling three-wicket win over Kenya, helping them recover from 82 for 5 in a chase of 178

The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Feb-20181:40

‘I was the first to run into the ground’ – Lamichhane

Nepal moved a step closer to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe with a nailbiting three-wicket win off the final ball over Kenya at Wanderers Sports Park. At 82 for 5 chasing 178, and with their batting core of Paras Khadka, Gyanendra Malla and Sharad Vesawkar back in the pavilion, few would have bet on Nepal’s historically shaky middle and lower order to salvage a victory. But an 87-run sixth wicket stand did just that, propelling them to their third win. Nepal now need just one more over Canada on the final day of the group stage to advance to next month’s qualifier.Nepal appeared set to pay the price for a subpar fielding performance. Irfan Karim was dropped in the first ball of the match, as the Kenya wicketkeeper went on to top-score with 42 off 100 balls. Alex Obanda took the lead in Kenya’s opening stand while Karim settled down, smashing 41 off 46 balls to take their side to 65 for 1.But the legspinning sensation Sandeep Lamichhane put another stamp on a dominant tournament with the ball – he’s currently the leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps – dismissing Obanda in his first over for the first of his five wickets. Lamichhane’s five maidens nearly ground the Kenya innings to a halt, but after surviving his spell, Kenya’s tail added 38 off the final five overs.Emmanuel Ringera gashed the top order for wickets in each of his first three overs after taking the new ball for Kenya, but Khadka once again rescued Nepal from embarrassment, holding firm with 42 off 44 balls. However, when he and Vesawkar fell, the inexperienced duo of Aarif Sheikh and Rohit Kumar stepped up with an improbable partnership, taking the target down to 10 off the final 10 balls when Sheikh fell slogging a skier in the circle off Shem Ngoche’s spin.Paudel was then runout to a poor call from Sompal Kami, leaving Nepal with two to get off the final two balls. Kami swung and missed at the first, but drove the final ball from Nelson Odhiambo to deep midwicket. The pair took on Ngoche for a dicey second, and a fumble from the fielder as he charged ahead put Kenya out of the promotion hunt after their third straight loss.

Joe Root passes 150, Matt Fisher claims maiden Test wicket with second ball

Valkerie Baynes17-Mar-2022Ben Stokes made a welcome return to the ranks of Test centurion with a belligerent display against West Indies as England set a commanding first-innings total.It had been well over 18 months and 23 Test innings without a ton for Stokes and much has happened in that time – from losing his beloved father, Ged, to a four-and-a-half-month absence from the game during which he had two operations to repair a serious finger injury and took time out to manage his mental health. But once he got going on the second morning in Barbados, it was something to behold.He struck four sixes and 11 fours as he reached 89 off just 92 balls by lunch, having started the day on nought after Dan Lawrence fell on the last ball of the opening day.A quieter period ensued after the interval as Kemar Roach and Jason Holder put the lid on England’s scoring for a time, but Stokes went out swinging once more, for 120, after bringing up his 11th Test hundred with a scampered single and celebrating with his crooked-fingered salute to the heavens in memory of his dad, who died in December 2020. Stokes’ last Test century had come against West Indies at Old Trafford in July of that year.Meanwhile, his captain, Joe Root, was at the other end of the pitch for the most part, during a 129-run partnership for the fourth wicket, having brought up his second consecutive Test century the evening before, his eighth in 19 Tests since the start of 2021.Root ended up with 153 on this occasion, before leaving Stokes to carry on and then seeing a 75-run seventh-wicket stand between Chris Woakes and Ben Foakes, allowing him to on 507 for 9 shortly after tea.Debutant Matthew Fisher, drafted into the squad after the Ashes debacle and handed his chance when Craig Overton fell ill on the eve of this match, struck with just his second ball in international cricket before Kraigg Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks resisted further damage to steer West Indies to 71 for 1 at the close.Having seen John Campbell thread his first ball to the rope through backward point, Fisher elicited a prod outside off-stump and the ball flew off the toe-end of Campbell’s bat to Foakes behind the stumps. Poignantly, as he celebrated his maiden Test wicket, Fisher raised his finger skyward in tribute to his own father, Phil, who died when Matthew was just 14.Fisher thought he had his second wicket when Brooks jabbed in the direction of second slip, where Zak Crawley stooped very low to grab the ball in his fingertips, although he came up looking uncertain as to whether it had been grounded in the process and replays showed it had, confirming the not-out soft signal.Brathwaite was then given out lbw on 14, Jack Leach skidding one into his back pack – but not before it had grazed the bat, as the DRS confirmed to reprieve West Indies’ captain.Earlier, Stokes and Root had England innings looking like London buses as they carried their side past 300. That mark had evaded them for 12 innings and more than six months, until the first Test in Antigua, when they racked up 311 and 349 for 6 declared.Matt Fisher struck with his second ball in Test cricket•Getty Images

Having begun the day on 244 for 3, with Root on 119, Stokes lit up the morning. He twice advanced on left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul to launch him down the ground for six in consecutive overs, bringing up his fifty in the second instance. He later muscled Permaul over the fence at midwicket before clubbing the very next ball over cover for four.Stokes took to Alzarri Joseph in the following over with three consecutive fours, bringing up the 100-partnership with Root via a powerful drive through cover before launching him over long-off and through midwicket. But Stokes wasn’t done, passing 5000 Test runs with a mow down the ground to clear the fence by some distance.Root passed 150 for the 12th time in his career, the most by any England batter, but then Roach, with his first ball back into the attack and the seventh after lunch, ended his stay with one that nipped back from outside off and rapped the front pad. Initially adjudged not out by umpire Nigel Duguid, the hosts reviewed and Hawk-Eye showed the ball crashing into the top of leg stump to move Roach past Sir Garry Sobers and clear into seventh on West Indies’ list of all-time wicket-takers.Jonny Bairstow crashed Jayden Seales down the ground and through the covers before holing out to deep midwicket off Joseph, and with that Stokes threw the bat again. He heaved Brathwaite over the fence at deep midwicket for his first boundary since lunch, some 13.2 overs after the resumption, and was very nearly out on the next ball, lofting Brathwaite to long-on, where Campbell spilled a tough chance while stepping on the rope. Stokes came undone going big again one ball later, this time skying Brathwaite to Brooks at long-off.West Indies took three wickets for eight runs in the space of 14 balls, prompting Root to call his men in six overs into the evening session. Permaul, who had come in for some tough treatment, particularly at the hands of Stokes, had Foakes and Leach stumped by Joshua Da Silva to bookend Woakes’ dismissal, sending Roach high into the air on the leg side to be caught by Seales.

Virat Kohli knew that if India’s batsmen could stand up and fight, they had the bowling to win the Test and keep the series alive

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2018India were behind by 2-0 going into the Trent Bridge Test, but it seems there wasn’t too much panic in the dressing room. After sealing an emphatic 203-run victory, that kept India alive in the series, Virat Kohli revealed that the only thing the team was concentrating on was “putting runs on the board” because “the bowlers were doing so well”.”We only spoke about the fact that we were outplayed in only one Test out of the last five overseas, which was at Lord’s and there was no need for us to change anything because Birmingham was close,” he said at the post-match presentation. “As a batting group, we spoke about how the bowlers are doing so well and if we just stepped up as batsmen we will definitely be on top and that’s exactly what we did.”India made 329 in the first innings, having overcome a tough period in the morning to make runs in the sunshine. Then in a reversal of events from the last Test, the clouds returned when it was England’s turn to bat. Harnessing the help on offer, Hardik Pandya picked up five wickets in six overs to bundle the hosts out for 161.”The bowling group was eager to take 20 wickets again. It was just a question of as batsmen what we can do to provide them with that cushion of going hard at the opposition and that’s exactly what we did in this game. When both skills come together with slip catching, you win Test matches and I’m really happy to see everyone taking the responsibility at the right time. Couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”James Anderson shakes hands with Virat Kohli after the match•Getty Images

An important contributor to the victory was India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane. He came out to bat on the back of a string of low scores – 15. 2. 19 and 13 – but changed the “complex of the game” with a fine half-century, his first in 14 innings.”Jinx was very clear with his mindset. That’s something that we really love about him. He’s very positive in his set up. He prepares that way and when he goes out and plays like that he’s very attractive to watch and he changed the whole complex of the game. Exactly what he did. We just kept talking about how we need to keep building a strong and a big partnership and just march on from there. It was all about getting stuck in, not throwing our wicket away, having that patience to grind out the opposition. They’re a quality bowling attack but you need patience grit and determination to score against them. I think Jinx in the first innings and Puji in the second showed that immensely.Kohli and Rahane put on 159 runs in 40.2 overs and then tagged in the bowlers and this time it was Jasprit Bumrah’s turn. Long considered a white-ball specialist, he broke through England’s resistance in the second innings dismissing the centurion Jos Buttler and hastening India’s rush to victory with figures of 5 for 85.”We dominated the game because we put runs on the board and then the bowlers were waiting and ready as always. Someone like Bumrah stepping in, Pandya taking five, Ishant experienced as always, Shami running in as well, Ash as well with his injury bowled so well.”The most pleasing thing for me to see in the morning was the four fastest bowlers in the series so far have been all Indians. That’s something that we’re really proud of. We’ve worked on our fitness levels. We’ve worked one our mindsets and we’re just eager to go out there and make a play for the team. Cutting down any loose deliveries or loose phases. We want the opposition to bat well to get runs, not gift them any. So these guys are getting into that kind of mindset as they’re playing more and more Test cricket. It’s just such a delight to watch guys running in and going hard at the batsmen because as batsmen you understand how hard it is to get Test runs and you want to make it as hard for the opposition as well and these guys are doing it beautifully.”