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Car park to be used as drive-through test site by NHS

George Dobell02-Apr-2020Warwickshire have donated their Edgbaston stadium for the use of the NHS in a bid to help in the battle against COVID-19.The ground – more specifically, the car park – will be used as a drive-through testing centre for NHS staff. Those requiring tests will drive in through the Edgbaston Road entrance and undergo the procedure while remaining in their vehicle. They will then leave via the Pershore Road exit.Warwickshire also plan to offer NHS staff free entry to a Vitality Blast fixture later in the summer. Details of this offer will be released as and when the schedule for the 2020 season is announced.The UK has witnessed something of an outpouring of gratitude towards NHS staff in recent weeks. As details of the severity of the crisis have become clear, it has also become apparent that many staff – some of whom are not especially well paid – are working in desperately demanding conditions without adequate protective equipment or access to testing. Sam Curran and Jos Buttler are among the England players who have begun their own fund-raising efforts for NHS related charities.With little immediate prospect of cricket or any of the events that usually occupy Edgbaston, staff at Warwickshire have been looking for ways in which they could help the community through the pandemic. The offer to host a testing centre was gratefully accepted by the Department of Health and Social Care and will be utilised by staff throughout the West Midlands region.”With our county cricket programme and conference and events business closed until 29 May, our staff have been exploring various options which enable the club to keep supporting our local community during these difficult times, whether that be through making calls to our elderly members and ex-players, volunteering and by offering Edgbaston Stadium for use in the wider civil contingency effort,” Neil Snowball, the Warwickshire chief executive, said.”Whilst it is a small part to play in grand scheme of things, we are pleased that our stadium can be utilised to support the fantastic efforts being made by all of our NHS staff in response to the coronavirus crisis.”We are also very grateful for the support that we have received in delivering this project from Patrizia and Homes England, our development partners.”The NHS staff COVID-19 testing station will start operating within a few days and will remain at Edgbaston until further notice. While these are not the type of tests anyone expected to see at the ground, they will, at least, ensure Edgbaston continues to play some part in helping the local community.

They put on an unbroken 201 runs for the fourth wicket to deflate Karnataka, who at one stage had reduced Saurashtra to 23 for 3 in their chase of 279

The Report by Saurabh Somani at the Chinnaswamy27-Jan-2019The sub-plot of a second caught-behind appeal against Cheteshwar Pujara not given by the on-field umpire threatened to overshadow an exemplary partnership between him and Sheldon Jackson, but at the end of the fourth day’s play, Saurashtra had marched inexorably towards the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 final.Saurashtra were in a deep hole at 3 for 2, and then 23 for 3, when Jackson joined Pujara. Both men ground Karnataka to dust, and stayed unseparated for the rest of the day to take Saurashtra to 224 for 3 at stumps, just 55 runs away from victory.Pujara was batting on a serene 108, with Jackson on 90 in a partnership that’s been worth 201 runs so far. Pujara’s concentration and deft use of hands was the calm pillar around which Saurashtra built their chase, while Jackson showed equal composure in dealing with the Karnataka bowlers.ALSO READ: Left-arm wristspin to left-arm orthodox: the other Jadeja finally gets it rightTheir partnership wasn’t without incident though. A passionate 1000-plus strong crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium made its displeasure vocal, as Pujara’s fifty was greeted with boos. When both batsmen walked in for lunch, tea and stumps, there was a vociferous chant of “Cheater, cheater”. It stemmed from a caught-behind decision that was turned down by umpire Saiyed Khalid in the 25th over, the second over after lunch. Vinay Kumar got one to shape away from Pujara, and the batsman was drawn into a push. On replays, there was an audible sound as the ball passed bat, though it was impossible to say without the aid of technology if that was indeed a sound made by ball hitting bat.Pujara, on 34 then, appeared unmoved even as Vinay and the Karnataka fielders almost pleaded with the umpire, but to no avail. Saurashtra were still on their lunch score of 68 for 3 at that stage. This followed from Saurashtra’s first innings, where too a confident appeal for caught behind had been turned down against Pujara.ALSO READ: Pujara gets unexpected gift on 31st birthday That moment apart, Pujara was in supreme control during his innings. He nudged and pushed the ball into gaps as is his wont, played close to his body, and capitalised on anything too full with leg-side flicks. Even when he pushed at the ball he did so with soft hands, ensuring that the rare edge didn’t carry. He had started with a more attacking mindset. Getting the shine off the ball and riding out the first session has been key in this match, and Pujara’s initial aggression could have been an attempt to counter that. Once Harvik Desai became the third wicket to fall, caught brilliantly by KV Siddharth diving to his right at gully, Pujara reverted to caution.In Jackson, he found the perfect ally. He has been Saurashtra’s leading run-getter this season, with his tally at 828 runs now, and he showed excellent temperament. He didn’t try to rush the spinners, even when their bowling wasn’t particularly threatening, and had a straight bat to the seamers, keeping the ball out. As he settled, he did play a few more shots, but kept the ball along the ground. His judgment of length held him in good stead, as he cut and drove with precision.The same pair had put on an unbroken 136 in Saurashtra’s quarter-final win against Uttar Pradesh, when the team chased down a Ranji record 372 in the fourth innings.At the start, left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja had wrapped up Karnataka’s innings in his first over, the second of the day. Shreyas Gopal couldn’t add to his overnight 61 and was caught off a leading edge, while last man Ronit More was trapped in front as Karnataka were bowled out for 239, setting Saurashtra 279 to win.It wasn’t going to be an easy chase on a fourth-day pitch that had already seen uneven bounce on the first three days, but Saurashtra had the confidence of their quarter-final chase, albeit on a much truer surface. That confidence didn’t count for much when three wickets fell in the first six overs, but the team’s two most pedigreed batsmen then rose to the occasion to put them on the brink of a third Ranji final in six years.

England’s tour has been thrown into turmoil by allegations of another off-field incident involving Jonny Bairstow and Cameron Bancroft

George Dobell in Brisbane26-Nov-20171:45

Getting drunk is the best form of team bonding – KP

Andrew Strauss, the England team director, says that allegations that Jonny Bairstow “headbutted” Cameron Bancroft in a bar in Perth last month have been “blown out of all proportion”, as the ECB seeks to draw a line under the latest off-field incident to have rocked their Ashes campaign.The incident is alleged to have occurred in The Avenue bar in Perth almost a month ago after members of the England squad bumped into members of the Western Australia squad by chance during the early weeks of the Ashes campaign.Bairstow is alleged to have made contact with the side of Bancroft’s head and later apologised. Bancroft was not a member of the Australia squad at the time.Speaking to journalists in Brisbane, Strauss insisted that the incident had occurred out of “playfulness”, adding that there was “no malice”, and that it had been “blown out of all proportion”. There will be a de-brief of players and staff after the Brisbane Test, he added.There is no police involvement and no official reports were made by anybody involved, including by a member of the ECB security staff who was present throughout in the bar.England, privately, are adamant that the incident is being deliberately exaggerated to destabilise their squad.An ECB spokesman said: “At close of play in Brisbane today, we were made aware of allegations of an incident in Perth four weeks ago.”There has been no report of any incident from the venue, security or police and there was no injury reported.”Following an initial conversation with Jonny Bairstow tonight we understand the context and will follow up with England players and management after the Brisbane Test.”Bancroft went on to score heavily in first-class cricket following the incident and won a Test debut at the Gabba.Jonny Bairstow in private conversation with England security officer Sam Dickason•Getty Images

Bairstow was one of those fined and warned about his future conduct by the ECB after accepting a charge of “unprofessional conduct” for his behaviour in Bristol the night that Ben Stokes was arrested for his part in a brawl.Neither he nor two other players fined – Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett, who is not in the Ashes party – were with Stokes at the time.The new allegations came to light when Bairstow came out to bat in the second innings of the first Test at the Gabba. While no England player is welcomed to the crease with smiles, Bairstow received a particularly ferocious reception which led to questions being asked as to the motivation.England will suspect that the sledging, picked up by a stump mic, was a deliberate set-up intended to leak the story.England initially refused to comment on the validity of the claims, but the ECB has been keenly aware that the behaviour of the squad would be under fierce scrutiny from the moment they set foot in Australia.It is understood the management only became aware of the allegations during play on the fourth day of the Gabba Test. Strauss was among those who spoke to Bairstow at the close of play.The claims against Bairstow comes as the police investigation continues into Stokes’ actions in Bristol in September.While England’s players decided not to impose an alcohol ban for the Ashes tour, they had agreed their behaviour off the field would be followed closely following the Stokes incident and decided they would not drink in the immediate lead-up to matches.England’s coach, Trevor Bayliss, explained at the time: “The players sat down and had a chat. They are the ones who have come up with this.Cameron Bancroft is giving his Baggy Green at the start of the Gabba Test•Getty Images

“There are no set curfews, they are just sensible rulings. To me, it’s what we should have been sticking to anyway as players or people around a professional set-up.”Not drinking between matches is just sensible. We certainly don’t want to keep players in their rooms because it is a long tour. You have to get out and experience what the country you’re touring has to offer.”It’s about picking the right time to have a couple of drinks, but knowing to stay away from it if you’re preparing for a match.”If there is any truth in the allegations, the consequences could extend well beyond the Ashes tour. If a third England player (after Stokes and Alex Hales) is shown to have been involved in any sort of violent incident while in a social environment, it would raise questions about the culture and management of the England squads.In particular, it would lead to renewed scrutiny about the leeway given to players and their misuse of such a policy. It would also raise further questions about their use of alcohol and, perhaps, ask questions of both Bayliss and Strauss about their failure to control the players.It would not be the first time there had been an incident involving England and Australia players in recent years. Four years ago, the attention was on David Warner who was banned after an early morning stand-off with Root in an infamous night at the Walkabout Bar in Birmingham.

Andhra completed their second victory in the fourth round of Group C while Jammu & Kashmir’s lower order ensured three points for the side

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2016Duvvarapu Siva Kumar and Bhargav Bhatt cleaned up Haryana‘s lower order to deliver a 77-run win for Andhra in Mumbai, their second of the tournament. Siva Kumar took 4 for 71 while Bhatt had returns of 3 for 82 as Haryana collapsed in their chase, crumbling from 242 for 4 to 293 all out. Opener Shubham Rohilla’s maiden first-class century was in vain. Haryana began the fourth day with Rohilla at the crease, batting on 75 alongside Yuzvendra Chahal. While Chahal fell early, Rohilla and Chaitanya Bishnoi kept Andhra at bay with 92-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Rohilla’s dismissal – for 118 off 274 balls with 10 fours – triggered Haryana’s collapse and they went on to lose their last six wickets for 51 runs. Bishnoi remained unbeaten on 69.Samiullah Beigh’s maiden first-class century and fifties from Parvez Rasool and Aamir Aziz helped Jammu & Kashmir walk away with three first-innings points from their match against Services in Jaipur. J&K began the final day trailing Services by 98 runs and lost both overnight batsmen, Rasool (70) and Ram Dayal, with the lead still 29 runs away. With only two wickets in hand, Samiullah and Aziz first ensured the lead for the side before going on to build an unbroken 163-run stand for the ninth wicket. Left-arm spinner Vikas Yadav picked up both J&K wickets on the fourth day to finish with 4 for 188.Opener Sahil Gupta’s 123 not out helped Chhattisgarh salvage one point against Kerala in Jamshedpur. Set a target of 328, Chhattisgarh, who resumed from an overnight score of 15 for 0, were on 249 for 6 when play ended.Kerala’s spinners, Iqbal Abdulla, Karaparambil Monish and Jalaj Saxena, took five wickets between them to prise out Chhattisgarh’s middle order but Gupta held steady, staving them off in a 334-ball knock which included 14 fours. Gupta had support from Ashutosh Singh, who struck 45 and shared an 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Bad light dented Hyderabad’s push for an outright win; they had to settle for three points in the end against Himachal Pradesh after ending the fourth day on 200 for 6 in pursuit of 212 in Guwahati. Balchander Anirudh and Kolla Sumanth struck fifties for Hyderabad, steadying the side after the openers had fallen with only 35 on the board. Balchander’s 100-ball 63 was his second half-century of the match. Earlier, Robin Bist’s unbeaten 84 shepherded Himachal to a second-innings score of 301, after they started the fourth day on 232 for 6. Bist stitched useful stands with Mayank Dagar and Shresth Nirmohi in his 171-ball knock which included seven fours and two sixes.Goa‘s middle order chipped in with fifties in the side’s drawn match against Tripura , who walked away with the first-innings honours, in Bhubaneswar. Having set Goa 343 to win, Tripura managed to dismiss eight batsmen but Saurabh Bandekar’s 55 not out steered Goa to stumps. Sagun Kamat top-scored with 78, while Snehal Kauthankar and Darshan Misal scored 63 and 59 respectively. Tripura began the day on 226 for 7 and the overnight pair of Rajat Dey and Gurinder Singh stretched their eighth-wicket partnership to 161 before Dey was dismissed for 82. Gurinder carried on and brought up his maiden first-class century, remaining unbeaten on 103 off 180 balls when Tripura declared on 328 for 9. His knock included 11 fours and a six. Gurinder then took two wickets in the second innings to take his match haul to 6 for 133 and claimed the Player-of-the-Match award.

Captain Regis Chakabva’s 92 led Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI to a 34-run win over Afghanistan in the final 50-over tour warm-up match at Bulawayo on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2015Captain Regis Chakabva’s 92 led Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI to a 34-run win over Afghanistan in the final 50-over tour warm-up match at Bulawayo on Monday. Chakabva top-scored in his side’s 215 after being sent in to bat to deny Afghanistan an undefeated record in the visitors’ three-match warm-up series.Chakabva played a part in two key half-century stands to get the Chairman’s XI to a defendable total. Ryan Burl, who made 20, teamed with Chakabva as part of a 59-run third wicket stand before the captain added another 54 for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Joylord Gumbie. He was the sixth wicket to fall, two boundaries short of a hundred, in the 44th over to Mohammad Nabi.The opening bowling combo of Fareed Ahmad and Shapoor Zadran then returned late to wipe out the tail, bowling the hosts out in 49 overs. Ahmad claimed 3 for 27 while Shapoor took 2 for 28 in his seven overs.In reply, Afghanistan struggled to string together a solid partnership beyond the 50 put on by Mohammad Shahzad and Asghar Stanikzai for the third wicket. Both batsmen made 31 before being dismissed. Samiullah Shenwari was the only other batsman to cross 20 and nearly took Afghanistan a third win with 57 off 75 balls.Afghanistan needed to score 35 off the final 29 balls with two wickets in hand and Shenwari still at the crease, but Donald Tiripano had him caught behind off the second ball of the 46th over to snuff out the victory threat. Tiripano bowled Shapoor on the ensuing delivery to end the match to finish with figures of 3 for 15.The first of five ODIs between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe begins on Friday at Bulawayo.

Graeme Swann is on course to return to action early in the English season after undergoing elbow surgery in the United States

Andrew McGlashan14-Mar-2013Graeme Swann is on course to return to action early in the English season after undergoing elbow surgery in the United States.The ECB described the operation in Rochester, Minnesota, during which bone fragments were removed from the elbow, as “uncomplicated” and said Swann will now begin a six-eight week recovery period, which gives him a timescale of returning to cricket in May.England’s first internationals of the season are two Tests against New Zealand, the first of which begins on May 16, but the realistic aim for Swann would appear to be the Champions Trophy in June, which precedes the Ashes. A decision will need to be made over whether it would benefit him more to play first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire instead of ODIs.Swann, 33, was ruled out of the current tour of New Zealand on the opening day of the series in Dunedin after it was decided he needed a second operation on his right elbow, which was previously dealt with in 2009. He had felt pain – to a greater degree than he has managed over the last four years – during the warm-up match in Queenstown and was sent for scans.The ECB statement said: “England and Nottinghamshire offspinner Graeme Swann has undergone an uncomplicated operation on his right elbow to excise excess bone formation that had re-accumulated following his previous operation four years ago.”Swann will now commence a six-eight week rehabilitation and back to bowling programme before returning to competitive cricket early in the summer.”The surgeon, Dr Shawn O’Driscoll, who earlier this year operated on Tim Bresnan’s elbow, told the . “The operation went exactly as we had planned, and no complications have been experienced. So we’re hoping it will be a routine rehabilitation programme and following that we’ll be able to say better what his return to fitness will be.”Before heading home from New Zealand, where he spent a couple of days before travelling to the US, Swann was feeling positive about his prognosis and said that the problem did not feel as bad as when he had his first operation in 2009. “It doesn’t seem anywhere near as dire as last time around when it was like a bomb had gone off in there.”Swann’s recovery will involve being strapped into a machine that keeps his elbow moving constantly. Bresnan used the same process during his recent recovery and it was the part of the rehab Swann was not looking forward to after it “drove him around the bend” in 2009. If the reward is being fit for a potentially career-defining back-to-back Ashes campaign any sacrifice will be worth it.

Chris Gayle has arrived in South Africa carrying a grade two groin strain that could keep him out of action for the Dolphins for at least another week

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2012Chris Gayle has arrived in South Africa carrying a grade two groin strain that could keep him out of action for the Dolphins for at least another week. Gayle is contracted to the Durban-based franchise for the entire MiWAY T20 Challenge but missed their first match on Sunday because of an injury sustained while playing for the Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).Gayle’s injury was assessed in Durban on Monday, and both he and the Dolphins are remaining tight lipped about when he will be fit to play. The usual timeframe for an injury of this description to heal is two to three weeks and Gayle has already had a week’s healing time.”We will have to look at how the rehab goes,” Gayle said in Durban. “I’m feeling a bit better. The last couple of days I was feeling a bit on the negative side, but I’m walking much better than when the injury happened. It’s slowly progressing but, as a sportsman, I have to look after myself properly and try and get back on the park as quickly as possible. We will take each day as it comes.”The Dolphins play three matches this week, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and then have a four-day break before their next match on March 2nd. They opened their campaign with a three-run win over the new seventh franchise, Impi, on February 19. Gayle is their only overseas signing after Australia quick Shaun Tait pulled out with an elbow injury.Gayle is aware that he is marquee player of the event, which has ten internationals spread across the seven franchises, and is determined to live up to the hype. “I know that the expectations are very high. I try not to overdo things and keep it as simple as possible,” he said. “It’s cricket and you never know when you are going to have a bad patch but once I get a start in a particular series, I try and maintain it as much as possible. You have to try and be consistent and score as many runs as you can.”While Gayle recovers from his injury, he will still be involved with Dolphins the camp. Interim coach Lance Klusener, who called him a “legend”, said Gayle would play an important role in mentoring some of the young players in the squad. Gayle has played in 20-over leagues across the globe, having participated in Australia’s Big Bash, Zimbabwe’s Stanbic T20 and the BPL in just the last three months.After the tournament in South Africa, he will play in the IPL. It’s this vast experience that the Dolphins hope to gain from and Gayle seems more than willing to share. “I try and deal with the mental aspect of my game first of all, make sure that I am very strong upstairs and ready for the challenges,” Gayle said.One of the people who may be most interested in Gayle’s tales is not a member of the Dolphin squad at all. Richard Levi, who shares the record with Gayle for the highest individual Twenty20 international score and broke his record for the most sixes in an innings on Sunday, plays for rival franchise, the Cobras.Gayle heard the news of Levi’s innings on his arrival in South Africa and announced his thoughts on Twitter.
He was full of kind words for Levi even days after. “Hopefully he can go from strength to strength, and do bigger and better innings in the future. He will have a lot on his shoulders now,” Gayle said. “I’ve been there, you might score a lot of runs on the international scene as a youngster but there is a lot of technology involved now and it’s going to get harder.”So you have got to learn how to manipulate bowlers. They are working you out, so you have to try and be a step ahead of them.” Levi, who returns home after Wednesday’s Twenty20 against New Zealand, will have the opportunity to meet Gayle on February 26, when the Cobras play the Dolphins in Paarl.

The president of Cricket Canada has asked the ICC to step in and resolve the delay in granting Indian visas to three players in their World Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2011The president of Cricket Canada, Ranjit Saini, has asked the ICC to step in and resolve the delay in granting India visas to three players of Pakistani origin in their World Cup squad. The team left for Dubai for a 10-day training camp ahead of the tournament, but vice-captain Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan and Hamza Tariq have still not received permission to travel to India.”We seek your kind help and attention to this matter in assisting our players to obtain their visa in Dubai, Dhaka or Colombo,” Saini wrote in a letter to ICC president Sharad Pawar. “We also do hope that the ICC has contingency plans to ensure that the matches are played elsewhere if the visa will not be processed on time or rejected all together.”Canada made a pre-World Cup preparatory visit to India in November and the visas were applied for before that. While the rest of the team had no trouble, the three Pakistan-born players were ruled out of the trip, forcing the team to go ahead without them. “We couldn’t take these players to India and as a result our training plans have suffered,” Saini told the Pakistan’s earlier this month. “[It’s] a source of distraction and is hurting team morale in general.”Canada will play practice matches against Ireland and Afghanistan in Dubai before heading to Bangladesh for their two official warm-up games against Bangladesh and England. They will face Sri Lanka in their opening game of the tournament on February 20 and their first game in India is scheduled for February 28 against Zimbabwe. While the ICC already assured Canada that the visa’s will be granted, the association said in a statement on its website that the current situation left it in an awkward position.

Cricinfo’s preview of the second Test between New Zealand and Australia in Hamilton

Brydon Coverdale in Hamilton25-Mar-2010

Match Facts

Brent Arnel was the only local bowler to take more than one wicket in Wellington•Getty Images

March 27-31, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Start time 11am (2200 GMT)

The Big Picture

By winning the first match Australia have done enough to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy, which they held coming in to the series, but they are keen to end their Test summer with seven wins instead of six. Their chances of taking the series 2-0 will be boosted by the inclusion of Shane Watson, who has declared himself fit after missing the first Test with a hip injury that he picked up during the one-day series. Watson batted for nearly an hour in the nets at Seddon Park on Friday and will take back his spot from Phillip Hughes on Saturday morning. “In the last four or five days it has come together really well,” Watson said. “I’ll be right to go at full speed.”The visitors will need another big effort from the attack after the fast men toiled over four consecutive days in Wellington. Watson was confident that he could bolster the bowling group despite his lay-off. “I’ve had a fairly big workload in the last six months with my bowling so a week off, not bowling, won’t make much difference to my workload,” he said. “I’ll be able to bowl the overs that Ricky wants me to bowl.”For New Zealand, there’s not much to lose at 1-0 down in a two-Test series. However, questions have been raised over whether they have the belief that they can beat Australia in the five-day format, a theory that the captain Daniel Vettori didn’t entirely dismiss on the eve of the match. “Maybe in the Test match form of the game that’s fair,” Vettori told Radio Sport. ” I think we’ve proved ourselves in the other forms of the game but Test matches has been the part of the game that we’ve struggled in. And coming up against one of the best teams in the world is a real test of that ability. Our ability to hang in there longer and persevere longer as we did on that fourth day [in Wellington] is the only way we’re going to compete against Australia.”The match is also Vettori’s 100th Test and at his home ground he will be desperate for a strong individual performance. New Zealand might need some Vettori brilliance to end their 17-year Test drought against Australia.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW

New Zealand LWDLW

Watch out for…

Most of the attention will surround Vettori but there is another Hamilton lad who could prove important for New Zealand. Brent Arnel bowled well on his Test debut with accuracy and subtle movement. Match figures of 2 for 120 don’t look impressive but bear in mind no other New Zealand bowler took more than one wicket for the game. Arnel was chosen based on his first-class success and much of his cricket over the past few years has been played at his home ground of Seddon Park, so New Zealand will look to him for valuable contributions.


Doug Bollinger struggled in the one-dayers but turned his form around dramatically in the first Test, grabbing 5 for 28 in the first innings and seven wickets for the match. He extracted more bounce from the Wellington pitch than any other bowler and his ability to swing and seam the ball will make him a handful if Hamilton produces a surface with a touch of grass. New Zealand need a stronger first-innings effort to really challenge Australia and Bollinger is the key to ensuring that doesn’t happen.

Team news

The Watson-Hughes swap is the only likely change for Australia. Marcus North eased doubts over his place with a century in the first Test and Ryan Harris’ six wickets on debut means he will stay ahead of Clint McKay in the pace pecking order.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 Doug Bollinger.New Zealand’s line-up is not quite so settled. Vettori said Jeetan Patel would play, while the teenager Kane Williamson was unlikely to make his debut. That would mean only one question remaining – Mathew Sinclair or Peter Ingram at No. 3? Ingram’s lack of success during the series so far could mean a recall for Sinclair, who has the support of the batting coach Martin Crowe.New Zealand (possible) 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 BJ Watling, 3 Mathew Sinclair, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Martin Guptill, 6 Daniel Vettori (capt), 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Jeetan Patel, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Brent Arnel, 11 Chris Martin.

Pitch and conditions

Two days out from the Test there was a lot of grass on the pitch and the outfield was moist but Vettori expected good playing conditions. “It’s still quite dry,” he said. “The greenness is probably misrepresenting the wicket. We’ve played here enough times to know that it will probably have a little bit in it early on, but it’s not going to be anything too terrible. It may be a tough first session but I think it will get lower and slower as the game goes on.” The forecast for the first day is fine and 24C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and New Zealand have met only once in a Test match at Hamilton, back in 1999-2000 when Australia won by six wickets. The only man from either squad who took part in that match was Mathew Sinclair
• This match will be Daniel Vettori’s 100th Test, while Simon Katich and Michael Hussey are each playing their 50th
• Two of Vettori’s five Test centuries have been scored at Seddon Park, where his Test batting average is 43.25
  

  Quotes

  “We can’t afford to be on the back foot at any stage against Australia in Hamilton.”
  
  Daniel Vettori
  
  
  “There’s no doubt our bowlers put their top order under a lot of pressure. Our opening bowlers will pose the same questions this week of those guys.”
  Simon Katich

Chamari Athapaththu has been named captain of the 15-member squad

Madushka Balasuriya10-Sep-2025Veteran left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani has returned to the Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup after nearly a year-long injury layoff.Batter Imesha Dulani, who was dropped for the home tri-series against India and South Africa earlier this year, is also in the 15-member squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka beginning on September 30. Teenagers Rashmika Sewwandi and Manudi Nanayakkara, batter Hansima Karunaratne, and spinner Inoshi Fernando were not picked.Prabodhani, 39, last represented Sri Lanka during the Women’s T20 World Cup in October last year and hasn’t played an ODI since the tour of Ireland in August 2024. She was recovering from a persistent hamstring injury and her return will boost Sri Lanka’s seam attack, which includes 35-year-old Achini Kulasuriya and 24-year-old Malki Madara.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Dulani, 23, replaced 17-year-old Nanayakkara in the squad and will likely serve as back-up batter. The captain Chamari Athapaththu heads a settled batting unit that includes Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Piumi Wathsala and Anushka Sanjeewani.Even with the exclusion of Inoshi, Sri Lanka still have plenty of spin options in Dewmi Vihanga, Inoka Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari, and also the allrounders Athapaththu and Dilhari.Sri Lanka begin their World Cup campaign against India in Guwahati on September 30 and then play their next four games in Colombo before travelling to Navi Mumbai to take on Bangladesh. They then return home for their final league game against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka squad for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025

Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Achini Kulasuriya, Piumi Wathsala, Dewmi Vihanga, Malki Madara, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera.