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Paceman one of the few changes to South Australia’s contract list for next season

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2019Young paceman Wes Agar has returned to South Australia after spending two seasons in Victoria as one of the few changes to the Redbacks squad for next season.Agar, 22, the younger brother of Ashton Agar, had a rookie contract with the Redbacks in 2016-17 and played five List A games before returning to Victoria. He earned a rookie contract with Victoria in 2018-19 and played two JLT Cup games last season but has yet to play any first-class cricket.He re-joins South Australia where he already plays BBL cricket with Adelaide Strikers.The Redbacks scarcely made a change to their contract list despite not winning a single Sheffield Shield game last season and just two JLT Cup matches.”We have faith in our experienced players but we need more consistency from this group and we also need the young players in our system to keep growing and developing if we are to build success at domestic level,” South Australia high performance manager Tim Nielsen said.Top order batsman Kelvin Smith and fast bowler Elliot Opie were cut from the main squad along with rookie Michael Cormack.The Redbacks signed three new rookies, Jacob Dickman, Henry Hunt and Tim Oakley. Dickman has been rewarded for performances in SACA premier cricket while Hunt hails from Canberra and was the leading run-scorer in the Futures League last year. Oakley was the leading wicket taker in SACA premier cricket last season.South Australia Men’s 2019-20 squad Alex Carey, Travis Head, Adam Zampa, Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Tom Cooper, John Dalton, Callum Ferguson, David Grant, Jake Lehmann, Conor McInerney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Patrick Page Jnr, Kane Richardson, Luke Robins, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall Rookies Jacob Dickman, Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Tim Oakley, Lloyd Pope, Ben Pengelley

Defending champions have eight wickets in hand, chasing season’s first win on last day

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2019An exciting, absorbing third day’s play at Guildford saw 17 wickets tumble and ended with Surrey, the 2018 champions, still believing that a remarkable first victory of the season is possible against Somerset, last year’s runners-up.Needing 267 to win, Surrey will start the final day on 99 for 2, with Scott Borthwick on 35 not out after adding a determined 72 in 27 overs for the second wicket with Rory Burns, who slog-swept left-arm spinner Jack Leach for six and also hit eight fours in an excellent 48.Jack Brooks, who also bowled Mark Stoneman for 12 in his second over with the new ball, struck a potentially crucial blow just before the close, however, when he had Burns, Surrey’s captain, caught at first slip. Scoring the remaining 168 runs Surrey require will not be an easy task.In seam-friendly conditions, under overcast skies, Surrey had earlier resurrected their chances in dramatic fashion, Matt Dunn taking a career-best 5 for 43 as Somerset’s last seven second-innings wickets fell for 39 and they were bowled out for 153.James Hildreth’s silky 64 from 80 balls, including 11 fours and by far the best batting of the day, had threatened to put the game beyond Surrey’s reach after a hostile new-ball spell of 6-2-12-2 from Morne Morkel had removed openers Tom Abell and Marcus Trescothick.Tom Banton then fell to Dunn, leg-before for 12 on the stroke of lunch, to leave Somerset 50 for 3 but Hildreth and first-innings centurion George Bartlett added 64 for the fourth wicket to put the visitors seemingly in complete control.Ryan Patel, however, who was last out for a defiant 63 when Surrey slid from their overnight 188 for 5 to 231 all out, then shaped one into Hildreth’s pads to win a leg-before appeal – the ball appearing to hit pad and then bat – and, suddenly, Somerset were struggling to build the lead of above 300 that would surely have made them overwhelming favourites.Bartlett, on 16, edged Rikki Clarke to be athletically caught to his right by keeper Ben Foakes, and then Morkel and Dunn sparked the Somerset collapse. Still, the victory target is a stiff one on a pitch that makes batting a testing business, especially against the new ball.At the start of the day, Craig Overton’s opening spell of 5-1-12-3 had set the tone for what was to follow, with Surrey losing their last five wickets for 41 runs in 14 overs.But Somerset’s second innings began with Abell and Trescothick, respectively, caught at gully for 9 and behind the wicket for 12, although the latter clearly did not think he had touched the ball. Morkel, however, was extracting fearsome lift and, even with an older ball when he was brought back in mid-afternoon, facing the giant South African was not for the faint-hearted.Morkel, on his return, had Craig Overton caught and bowled for 1 with his first ball – which spat from just short of a length to take the shoulder of the bat and loop so high into the air that the bowler could run forwards and take the catch just beside the batsman.Dunn then finished off the innings in some style, having Jamie Overton caught behind for 2, trapping Steven Davies leg-before for 16 and, after tea, bowling Jack Leach for 5 and also swinging one back into Tim Groenewald’s stumps to dismiss him for 10.Craig Overton’s early morning burst earned him final figures of 5 for 38 in Surrey’s first innings. Will Jacks did not add to his overnight 13 before edging to second slip, Clarke steered to gully after a bright and breezy 20 and Morkel miscued to mid-on without scoring.Jamie Overton ended with 3 for 46, with Patel skying an intended pull to mid on, and Groenewald picked up the other Surrey wicket to fall, that of Gareth Batty for a duck, as the seamers of both sides dominated the day.

Under the duo, KKR made three straight playoffs from 2016 to 2018

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2019Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL campaign next year will have a new think-tank after the management announced changes to the franchise’s coaching set-up. The two-time IPL champions parted ways with head coach Jacques Kallis and assistant coach Simon Katich on Sunday, the former ending a nine-year relationship – as player and then coach – with the franchise.Kallis was appointed Knight Riders’ head coach in October 2015, taking over from Trevor Bayliss, the current England coach. Since his appointment, Knight Riders made three consecutive playoff appearances but failed to make the cut in 2019. Under Kallis and Katich, Knight Riders won 32 of their 61 games – a win-percentage of just over 50. In IPL 2019, the side finished fifth, losing out on playoff qualification based on net run-rate, after a six-match losing streak midway through the season.Katich was appointed around the same time as Kallis, and the former Australia batsman also coached the team’s Caribbean Premier League franchise, Trinbago Knight Riders, helping them win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. The tenure with Trinbago also comes to an end for Katich, who will now coach the Manchester Originals team in the inaugural season of The Hundred.Kallis, however, could remain a part of the Knight Riders brand, according to team CEO Venky Mysore.”Jacques Kallis has been an integral part of the KKR family and will always remain so,” Mysore said, while announcing the changes. “We will be exploring ways of working with Jacques as we pursue our vision of establishing the Knight Riders brand as a global brand.”Kallis, too, released a statement following the decision.”After nine fantastic years with KKR since 2011, as a player, mentor and Head Coach, it’s time to explore new opportunities,” he said. “I would to like to thank the owners, management and fellow players for many happy memories.”Knight Riders are yet to announce replacements for the two coaches.

The quick bowler is eager to get back into the Test side for Lord’s where he expects there to be a bit more life in the surface

Daniel Brettig in Worcester09-Aug-2019Josh Hazlewood has effectively dared England to prepare green, seaming pitches for the remaining four Ashes Tests, arguing that the balance of the visiting 2019 squad – featuring Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Michael Neser and himself – is far better than the combination chosen four years ago.In 2015, Hazlewood was part of a squad that toured England with a surfeit of fast men, featuring Mitchell Johnson, Starc and Cummins in addition to himself, following the forced retirement of Ryan Harris. But the bombing raid approach only worked for one of the five Tests at Lord’s, as slower, seam-and-swing friendly surfaces did not suit the attack elsewhere, leading finally to a belated recall for Siddle.Having taken 3 for 34 against Worcestershire at New Road, Hazlewood indicated that the bowlers were both content to be used as a flexible squad and confident the right combinations would be found irrespective of what surfaces are prepared at Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval. The success of Siddle, Cummins and Pattinson in Birmingham, on a pitch that started out as seam-friendly but swiftly dried out into a haven for Nathan Lyon, will force England to look at other options for their pitches.”We’ve got three guys with proper air speed and we’ve got three guys who seam and swing it a little bit, so I think that’s what they’ve got six quicks for, to have all bases covered. And I guess it’s just who’s bowling the best at that particular time and who gets the nod,” Hazlewood said when asked if the balance of bowlers meant England would not be able to prepare pitches unsuited to the Australian bowlers this time around. “I think every quick really feels the pressure of the other five or vice versa, and it’s great competition to have within the squad.”It depends on what the wicket dishes up. If it’s a dry wicket that reverse swing might come into play [on] or very flat, then someone like Mitch Starc can come in to play. If it’s nice and green and seaming around, then it’s myself and Sidds. It just depends on what conditions are, to be honest. They’ve definitely gone a different way to 2015 and I think that’s because of how tight [together] the Tests are, that’s why we’ve got six here, and anyone can do a different job on a different day. It’s getting that balance in the attack.”I think there’ll be a little bit more in it [at Lord’s], but in saying that, probably their best exponent, Jimmy [James Anderson], is not going to play. So that might weigh up different options, but I think there’ll be more in it, maybe just to try to get [Steven] Smithy out. But him batting on those sort of tracks is very hard work. I think it suits us as much as them if there is more in the wicket, so we’ll weigh it up.”At Edgbaston, Hazlewood and Starc had the unusual experience of being left out of a Test match in which both would have been fit to play, something the former admitted he had not experienced since a combination of niggling injuries and declining performance saw him replaced by Siddle for the aforementioned Oval Test in 2015.”Yeah it would be, especially for a Test match – probably last time here I think at The Oval, maybe four years ago. So a while ago,” Hazlewood said. “Coming back from a pretty serious back injury, back-to-back stress fractures, it can take a while to get back in the swing of things, and I feel I’m getting better and better each bowl and last night and today felt really good, so if I can keep improving there and keep putting my hand up every time I get the chance then that’s all you can do.”Sidds has obviously been playing a lot of cricket and I think the other guys picked themselves. Jimmy [Pattinson] has been bowling fantastic for Nottinghamshire and on the Australia A tour and in Southampton as well bowled incredibly. So it’s pretty stiff competition at the moment, and we’ve got Mitch Starc and Michael Neser as well. It’s a great group of guys, we all want everyone else to do really well as a group, and try and win the Ashes as a group of six not just us and them playing.”Lord’s four years ago was arguably Hazlewood’s best match of the series, as he found better control with the Dukes ball and claimed key wickets in each innings in concert with Starc, Johnson and Mitchell Marsh. He is understandably eager for a recall at the home of the game.”I’ve just played the one Test there but thought I got used to the slope pretty quickly and felt pretty comfortable there,” he said. “I think the conditions have been quite bowler friendly there the last few Test matches, so I’d love an opportunity. Obviously I was quite young or inexperienced the first time I played there in a Test match, and it probably passed me by pretty quickly, but just playing at Lord’s in an Ashes Test it doesn’t get much better to be honest and I’m looking forward.”

The fast bowlers replaced Beuran Hendricks and Anrich Nortje in the squad for the four-day games against India A

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2019Fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen have been added to the South Africa A squad for the four-day matches on their upcoming tour of India. Ngidi and Jansen were named in place of Beuran Hendricks and Anrich Nortje, who are part of the senior T20I squad that will take on India in a three-match series starting from September 15. South Africa A’s two four-day matches against India A, meanwhile, will be played between September 10 and 13, and September 17 and 20.The call-up to the senior T20I squad has also ruled out Temba Bavuma, and he will be replaced by Theunis De Bruyn only for the second four-day match. Earlier, wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen had been added to the South Africa Test squad and the four-day A squad in place of the injured Rudi Second. Corrie van Zyl, Cricket South Africa’s director of cricket, had said the four-day series would help Klaasen’s preparations for the India Tests.CSA also made changes to the A squad for the one-dayers in India. Jansen replaced Wiaan Mulder, who is recovering from an injury, although the latter is expected to be fit for the four-day matches. Another injury-enforced change was the inclusion of Kyle Verreynne, who replaced Gihahn Cloete.The four-day series will also serve as good preparation for Ngidi, who is part of the Test squad. Ngidi had struggled with a hamstring injury during the World Cup and played only four of the side’s nine matches in the tournament in England.There were also changes to the South Africa A coaching staff. Malibongwe Maketa replaced Russell Domingo as the South Africa A coach, following the latter’s appointment as the Bangladesh head coach. Andrew Puttick was named assistant coach, replacing Enoch Nkwe, who was recently appointed as South Africa’s interim team director.South Africa A will begin their tour of India with the five-match one-day series against India A in Thiruvananthapuram from August 29, followed by the two four-day matches.South Africa A one-day squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Kyle Verrynne, Junior Dala, Theunis de Bruyn, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Janneman Malan, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lutho Sipamla.South Africa A four-day squad: Aiden Markram (capt), Theunis de Bruyn, Zubayr Hamza, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Pieter Malan, Eddie Moore, Senuran Muthusamy, Marco Jansen, Dane Piedt, Wiaan Mulder, Heinrich Klaasen, Lutho Sipamla, Khaya Zondo

A top-order stutter did not hamper India A’s chase of 48, with the home side taking less than ten overs to seal the win

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2019India A routed South Africa A by seven wickets in the first unofficial Test in Thiruvananthapuram, chasing down a target of 48 in 9.4 overs after having bowled out the visitors for 186 in the second innings.Resuming day four on 179 for 9, South Africa A’s innings didn’t last long as Shardul Thakur bowled Lutho Sipamla in the fourth over of the day. Shahbaz Nadeem was the most successful bowler for India A, picking up 3 for 21, while Jalaj Saxena and Thakur bagged two wickets each.India A stuttered in their chase, but there were not enough runs for South Africa A’s bowlers to make a match out of it. Lungi Ngidi dismissed Shubman Gill and Ankit Bawne cheaply. KS Bharat didn’t last long either and was caught off Dane Piedt, leaving India A 37 for 3. Shivam Dube though hit the next two balls for two straight sixes to wrap up the game. Ricky Bhui, who was promoted to open the batting, remained unbeaten on 20.Saxena, who was a last-minute inclusion in the squad, was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 61 in the first innings and 2 for 22 with the ball.The second four-day match will begin on September 17 in Mysore.

Wicketkeeper puts county over country after change to ECB eligibility rules

Andrew Miller09-Oct-2019Stuart Poynter has effectively called time on his international career with Ireland after committing to Durham in a new two-year deal.Poynter, Durham’s wicketkeeper and captain during this season’s Vitality Blast campaign, was forced to choose between club and country following a change to the ECB’s eligibility rules in September, in the wake of Ireland’s promotion to a Full Test Nation in 2017.Prior to that change, all Ireland players – along with other passport-holders from EU member countries – had been permitted to play as homegrown players in county cricket. Now they would have to register as overseas players, which Poynter has chosen not to do.Born in Hammersmith, London, Poynter has previously spoken out about his disappointment at the change of ruling, telling The Telegraph “it is a strange scenario when you are born British and have entitlement to work as a local in your own country.”Poynter’s decision was perhaps made easier by the disappointment he suffered earlier this year when he was dropped by Ireland following a run of poor form. He made 15 runs in four ODI innings in their series against Afghanistan in Dehradun and followed that with scores of 0 and 1 in the one-off Test that followed against the same opponents.He was omitted in favour of Gary Wilson for the subsequent tri-series against West Indies and Bangladesh on home soil, and Wilson – who left Derbyshire last year to play full time in Ireland’s domestic competition – then kept his place for their maiden Test against England at Lord’s in July.Richard Holdsworth, Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, thanked Poynter for his services to Irish cricket.”He has certainly been one of a cohort of players who has been part of the rapid climb of Irish cricket over the last decade from Associate Member to Full Member with Test match status, and I’m pleased for Stuart personally that he played in a Test match before he finished with international duties,” Holdsworth said in a statement issued by Cricket Ireland.”We wish Stuart and his family well with the next phase in their lives and hope that we see him regularly supporting the Irish team as we ourselves move into the next phase of our development.”Poynter’s decision comes a month after his Ireland team-mate, Paul Stirling, chose the alternative route, and ended his 10-year association with Middlesex to further his international aspirations.Stirling’s Middlesex team-mate, Tim Murtagh, is the other county-based Ireland player who has yet to confirm his decision. At the age of 38, Murtagh is nearing the end of his career either way, but remains a formidable performer, as shown by his haul of 5 for 13 on the first morning of the Lord’s Test, when England were bowled out for 85.With a highest score of 36 in 21 ODI appearances, Poynter never quite showed his best form in his Ireland career, although he did enjoy one notable moment in a T20 against the Netherlands in February, when he struck a last-ball six to seal a one-wicket win.However, at the age of 28, he could also have anticipated plenty more opportunities in international cricket, given that Wilson turns 34 in the new year, and that Ireland’s long-term keeper, Niall O’Brien, retired last year.The announcement of his two-year deal with Durham comes as the club offered the same extension to two other players: Liam Trevaskis, who has cemented his status as the club’s first-choice spinner across formats, and Jack Burnham, who served a year-long suspension for recreational drug use in 2018, but recorded four Championship half-centuries on his return to the team this summer.

Cameron Gannon and Mark Steketee produce fighting knocks to hold Victoria’s attack at bay

Alex Malcolm at the MCG14-Nov-2019Peter Siddle’s three wickets weren’t enough to keep him in the Test squad nor bowl Victoria to victory as Queensland’s tail produced a fighting display to give them a chance of a fourth-day victory at the MCG.Cameron Gannon made 45 as nightwatchman before Mark Steketee and Jimmy Peirson produced an unbroken 64-run stand to takes Queensland’s lead beyond 150 with a day remaining.Gannon stonewalled admirably in the first session alongside Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne. A pair of 50-plus stands steered Queensland safely past lunch, but James Pattinson, who was called up to the Test squad, threatened to end the game inside three days when he blasted out fellow Test squad member Labuschagne and Gannon in consecutive overs shortly after the interval.Siddle bowled impressively after missing out on Test selection. He trapped the obdurate Charlie Hemphrey infront for 26 with a ball that nipped back sharply off the seam and by that stage Queensland had slumped to 6 for 178, with just a slender lead of 59 and more than 31 overs left in the day. Siddle also removed Jack Wildermuth with the second new ball after the allrounder had produced a stubborn 34.Peirson and Steketee took control of the last hour. Steketee hit out with seven boundaries in his unbeaten 45 and Peirson was sharp with his decision-making against the second new ball to take the game into the fourth day.

New Zealand will visit Edinburgh for an ODI and a T20I, while Australia will also play a T20I in June

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2019Cricket Scotland has announced fixtures against New Zealand and Australia for the home summer of 2020. New Zealand will play an ODI and a T20I ahead of their trip to Ireland, while Australia will arrive for a T20I before travelling on to England.New Zealand had been due to visit for an ODI on June 26, but have changed their itinerary and will be in Edinburgh for games at the Grange on June 10 and 12. Australia will now play at the Grange on June 29, ahead of three ODIs and three T20Is against England in July.”The opportunity to play against two of the best teams in the world is an exciting prospect,” Scotland men’s head coach, Shane Burger, said. “We have beaten teams of this calibre previously and we will be looking to push them all the way on all occasions.

Scotland 2020 fixtures

• T20I v New Zealand, June 10, Edinburgh

• ODI v New Zealand, June 12, Edinburgh

• T20I v Australia, June 29, Edinburgh

“Cricket Scotland has set big goals for the year 2020 and this is part of that vision of playing against the world’s best and challenging players and staff to keep improving both on and off the field.”Scotland memorably beat England in an ODI in Edinburgh in 2018, although their recent form in World Cup League 2 has been patchy with losses to USA and UAE earlier this month. In October, they secured qualification for next year’s T20 World Cup, despite finishing fourth in their group behind Papua New Guinea, Netherlands and Namibia.Cricket Scotland CEO Gus Mackay said: “We are delighted to welcome Australia and New Zealand to Scotland for three summer internationals in 2020.”To host these high-profile matches further demonstrates Cricket Scotland’s ambitions of playing more fixtures against Full Member opposition and also provides our fans and supporters with more international cricket. In addition, it presents a great opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in Australia the same year.”

He made this intriguing comment on Wednesday, without elaborating on what he exactly meant

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2019MS Dhoni has added to the speculation on his future with an intriguing comment – when asked the question by a reporter at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday, Dhoni simply said, “January (don’t ask until January).”Dhoni did not elaborate on what was meant to happen in January, leaving his words open to interpretation. This is the first time he has spoken about his future – even in this cryptic manner – in the time that he has spent away from India’s limited-overs teams.Dhoni hasn’t played any competitive cricket since India’s World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand at Old Trafford in July. He opted out of the West Indies tour that followed the World Cup, in order to spend a fortnight with the Indian territorial army, and since then has not featured in the squads for the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh and the upcoming one against West Indies. He hasn’t played domestic cricket in this period either.The selectors have kept faith in Rishabh Pant as the limited-overs keeper in this time, with Sanju Samson picked as his back-up for the last two T20I series. In October, chairman MSK Prasad had said the selectors were “moving on” from Dhoni.On Tuesday, India head coach Ravi Shastri also weighed in on the Dhoni question. Asked whether there was still a chance of Dhoni making a comeback for next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, Shastri said it would depend on the form of the incumbents as well as his own form, particularly during the IPL.”It all depends on when he starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL,” Shastri told IANS. “What are the other people doing with the wicketkeeping gloves or what is the form of those players as opposed to Dhoni’s form. The IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last tournament after which more or less your 15 is decided.”