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Matt Henry's broken thumb adds to New Zealand's woes

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The seamer is available to bowl on the second day but his role with the bat will be determined by the state of the game

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney03-Jan-2020New Zealand’s injury- and illness-ravaged tour of Australia gained another casualty at the SCG with X-rays confirming Matt Henry had suffered a broken left thumb on the opening day of the final Test.Henry was struck by a drive from Joe Burns in the first session of the Test and left the field for treatment before returning to bowl and finishing the day with 21 wicketless overs. The thumb has been splinted and strapped and Henry will continue to be available to bowl on the second day but his role with the bat will be determined by the state of the game.Henry was preferred in the New Zealand side ahead of Tim Southee with coach Gary Stead explaining that his extra pace was one of the factors.”I guess the decision making around that, we just felt that we wanted a little more pace out there, what Matt Henry sort of offers over Tim,” Stead said. “And being the workload that Tim has had not just in the last two Tests but if you put the last four together, it’s somewhere around 200 overs in a short period of time, just felt that what Matt offered would have given us a point of difference.”Henry is the third New Zealand pace bowler to be injured on the tour after Lockie Ferguson suffered a calf strain on the opening day of the series in Perth then Trent Boult broke his hand against Mitchell Starc in Melbourne.New Zealand had to scramble to get an XI together for the final Test as flu went through the camp ruling out Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner. The uncapped Glenn Phillips was hastily flown across the Tasman and made his debut. He was surfing north of Auckland when summoned into the squad and almost missed the call from selector Gavin Larsen.”I was way up north trying to find a couple of friends and I thought it was them calling. When I saw it was Gav… he said ‘we’ve got a bit of a situation and we need you on a plane in a couple of hours’,” Phillips said. “I pushed it really fine, traffic played ball and my brother-in-law left five minutes after me and only arrived half an hour later. Thank goodness, I got on where I did.”Phillips hasn’t had much time to soak up the occasion but is determined to make the most of it. “You have to take the opportunities when they’re there,” he said. “You may never get a chance again so I’ll grab it with both hands and enjoy the moment for what it is. Gary [Stead] came over and said ‘hey mate you’re going to be batting five’. I was like ‘whoa this is happening’.”

Aaron Finch likely to stay at top for Sydney Test

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Coach Justin Langer said that Aaron Finch would be better for the experience of learning how to juggle three formats as he goes through a testing series as opener

Daniel Brettig31-Dec-20182:28

Langer backs Finch to come good as an opener

Struggling opener Aaron Finch appears likely to stay at the top of the Australian batting order for the final Test of the series against India at the SCG through a lack of other options in the squad. Coach Justin Langer insisted the white-ball captain would “be better” for learning how to juggle three formats after the fashion of Steven Smith and David Warner.In adding yet another middle-order batsman to the Sydney squad in Marnus Labuschagne, the Australian selectors left themselves short of top-order options. Among the eight batsman now available, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, and Finch have experience as openers. Should Khawaja be moved up to open with Harris in place of Finch, this would create another issue as all of Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh and Labuschagne prefer to bat at Nos. 4, 5 or 6.With this in mind, Langer was left to state that Finch needed to take on the lessons of the series so far, where his technical wherewithal to deal with the likes of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah has been tested to its very limits and beyond. An ill-advised attempt to cut at Bumrah second ball he faced in Australia’s second innings summed up the accumulated mental toll of the series on minds that are unseasoned as to the wages of extended Test match jousting.”Something we’re talking about obviously,” Langer said of Finch’s position. “He’s having a bit of a lean run of it although he’s got a couple of 50s. Got a 100 run partnership one Test match ago and that set up the whole Test match for us. Finch is a really good player, we know that, he’s great in the team, he’s working harder probably than he’s ever worked and as I’ve said to him for some time he’s in this uncharted territory where he’s the only guy playing all three forms of the game.”We saw Warner do it for a while and Smith do it for a while and he’s a great example of how to prepare now. He’s got to somehow recharge his batteries over and over and over again. It’s a great challenge for him at the moment. He’ll be better for this period I think. Test cricket is about toughness and character and he’ll be better for this period,” Langer said.

Langer flags ODI rest for bowlers

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are set to be rested from the limited overs matches against India that sit between this Test series and the subsequent meetings with Sri Lanka in late January and early February, with the coach Justin Langer stating that careful management of fast bowling resources was critical to plans for 2019.
“It’s the great condurum for us, how we manage our bowlers – for example we might not play them in the next three one-dayers so they’re ready for the next two [Tests], to keep them fresh,” Langer said. “[Cummins] has been brilliant, he’s been outstanding. But then – as soon as we do that they want to play, and also then everyone else would be on our back saying ‘why aren’t they playing every single game. But we’ve also got a World cup and Ashes next year. We want him fresh for those things.
“So getting that management right and staying true to the management, we can have him fit and firing – we’ve got to be strong with that because there’s got to be a lot of people with different opinions as to whether they should play every game. But we know it’s really hard to play all year round because they need to keep their bodies as fresh and strong, and be bowling at the level we want them to be at. it’s a real balancing act.”

Among the defining characteristics of a Test series is the sustained nature of contests between opponents, as the same batsmen and bowlers fight each other in different cities and varying conditions. As the former Test opener Ed Cowan wrote in an ESPNcricinfo column about his first series, also against India in 2011-12, “A lengthy timescale in such psychological battles also allows for the pronouncement of “bunnies”. I now understand how the disintegration of Daryl Cullinan by Shane Warne took place. There was simply nowhere to hide.” Langer said it had been challenging to mentor a team where the majority of the batsmen were experiencing this all at once.”I remember at the end of our careers when we had the most experienced [team], I think we got called Dad’s Army in our last Test series and we’d played a bit of cricket and I remember how tiring it was for us, every Test match,” Langer said. “There’s some physical tiredness but just the mental drain of Test cricket, honestly it’s relentless. And then with these guys one of the hardest things about Test cricket is one of the distractions, so they’re learning on the run actually.”Got a lot of guys learning on the run at the same time actually so not easy for them but that’s OK, we’ll collectively be better for it, like Finchy, we’ll collectively be better for it over time. Just got to make sure we stay in this contest and be great at the end of it – India have come here determined to win this series, we know that, we see that in everything they’ve done since day one. It would be nice for us to send them home drawing the series not winning it.”Asked about the system underpinning Australia’s batting production line, Langer acknowledged there was a wider sense that opportunities were being afforded to players, at club, state and international level, who had not earned them in the time-honoured way of churning out consistent runs over time. But he also pointed out that teams still needed to be chosen for matches regardless of performance, adding complexity to the job of the selectors.”Most of our batters who are knocking on the door are averaging in the 30s and that’s probably not… whether it’s the system I’m not sure,” Langer said. “Whether it’s something we’ve got to change in our psyche, I’m not sure. Specifically about the system you’re asking but it would suggest we’ve got – the art of batting, we’ve got some work to do on it.”We’ve got to be careful not to reward poor performances. But again, trust me, try being a selector at the moment. I’m not – that’s part of our job. It’s not as if the guys are absolutely banging the door down. Whether it’s from second grade cricket to A grade cricket, progression is everything that we want. If you’re talking to some A grade or 2nd grade coaches, [they’d say] we’re playing kids who probably don’t deserve to play A grade or second grade. But it’s where we’re at at the moment. It’s something everyone is looking at. We want to work on getting better.”As for the complaints raised by the captain Tim Paine about some of the surfaces offered up to visiting teams in Australia, not least an MCG surface that was slow and to the advantage of India’s methodical, skillful approach, Langer stopped short of similar criticism but agreed he would prefer more bounce and pace than what had been seen in Melbourne. “I love playing at the WACA and I love playing at the Adelaide oval, a bit of pace and bounce,” he said. “I guess all I’d say is all the years we’ve gone to India we haven’t had too many bouncy wickets, it usually spins square. But its also our way in Australia to just produce the best wickets we can.”We’re interested to see what we’re going to get in Sydney next week, we’re not sure, been a bit inconsistent. India played a practice game there and it was very flat and Shield game there a few weeks ago it’s very flat. We certainly hope it’s not. Saw in the press, most important thing in Test cricket aside from absorbing pressure from our batters is the wickets we play on.”Because you want to see a great contest and in Melbourne the last couple of days were more of a contest but that was because the wicket deteriorated and you want to see a good contest. Want to see a contest from bat and ball. From Australian perspective you’ve got three of the best fast bowlers in the world and a gun spinner you’d like to see a bit more bounce.”Apart from setting an example of Finch to follow in terms of the format juggle, Smith and Warner have been in plenty of headlines over the past week, not least due to the interviews Smith and Cameron Bancroft conducted for the host broadcaster Fox Cricket. Langer, midway through his first summer as head coach, responded wearily to the ongoing saga. “It’s all just part of the soap opera we’re in every day,” he said. “I feel like a director of a soap opera at the moment, I honestly do.”That’s part of coaching – it’s man management, looking after people and caring for people. That was just another distraction last week. There’s different ways you can look at those interviews. so it’s just another part of our day to day job. We’re in touch with the boys all the time, there’s a really good process we’re going to go through to get the boys back into the team. It was great to see Cameron playing last night. It’s part of the soap opera.”

Haynes to step up as captain in Lanning's absence

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Rachael Haynes will fill in for the injured Meg Lanning as Australia’s captain for the forthcoming Ashes

Daniel Brettig20-Sep-2017Rachael Haynes will step into the breach as Australia’s captain during the forthcoming Ashes series, with a pressing need to find a way to succeed without the runs and leadership of the injured Meg Lanning.Having already deputised for Lanning when shoulder problems interrupted her World Cup campaign earlier this year, Haynes has some idea of what lies ahead. But the task of leading Australia through a multi-format series against England, including the first-ever day-night Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval in November, will be a considerable one. Lanning has since had shoulder surgery that will keep her out of the entire series.”To be named captain of your country, particularly in such a big series like the Ashes is a huge honour,” Haynes said. “It’s going to be a really exciting series. I think the multi-format points system in particular doesn’t favour either team, so to win the Ashes you genuinely have to be the best team across all three formats.”To be the first team, male or female, to play in a day-night Ashes Test match is going to be awesome. To have that opportunity is really exciting; you can only ever be part of history once.”The decision to elevate Haynes to the captaincy leaves Alex Blackwell to remain vice-captain, a move explained earlier this year during the World Cup as based upon the fact that Haynes’ leadership style for Victoria is not dissimilar to that of Lanning for Australia. At the time, the national selector Shawn Flegler said that Haynes, a left-handed batsman, adapted well to the demands of captaincy.”Rachael has a wealth of leadership experience, including successfully guiding Victoria to back-to-back national Twenty20 titles, and alongside Alex, will ensure the team is led to continue their current form,” Flegler said. “We know that Rachael is capable of coming in and doing the job that is asked of her, as she demonstrated in New Zealand earlier this year, when she scored a half-century after a lengthy absence from the national side.”The series, which takes place in 50-over and Twenty20 components, as well as the Test match, starts on October 22, with Haynes hoping for plenty of vocal spectator support to mirror that enjoyed by England during a home World Cup. “Playing against England on their home turf during the World Cup, you could noticeably tell the crowd was on their side,” she said, “so we’re looking forward to turning the tables this time around and getting the crowd support on our side.”

Rahul's career-best 158 arms India with strong lead

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KL Rahul struck his third Test century, a career-best 158, to thrust India into the lead against West Indies on the second day in Kingston

The Report by Alagappan Muthu31-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:25

Manjrekar: West Indies had a defensive approach overall

Flawless innings are fairly rare in Test cricket. After all, the bowler gets to dictate some of the terms too. KL Rahul listened to them patiently, respected them when they made good points but did not cede his upper hand. His career-best 158 thrust India into the lead.At the other end was Cheteshwar Pujara, who spent a full hour running away from making runs. He was 18 off 57 overnight and stayed on 18 until he faced his 92nd ball of the match. Much was made of his run-out after lunch. Facing 159 balls and being dismissed in that fashion evokes critique but there were mitigating circumstances.Runs and records awaited anyone willing to show a little application on this Sabina Park pitch. But like a grandparent doting on their favourite grandkid in the middle of a party, it did embarrass them on the odd occasion. Notably, when Pujara nudged a short delivery from Jason Holder into the leg side. He meant for it to go a lot finer, but the ball had come onto the bat slower than expected and went off it in the same way, allowing Roston Chase, who was in front of square, to cut across and throw the stumps down. Pujara, who was face-down on the ground at the non-strikers’ end, knew all his hard work had come undone by one dreadful mistake.Meanwhile, Rahul kept cruising. He had driven extremely well and by now wasn’t afraid to extend the arms and hit over the top. A good IPL – whether it makes one ready for international cricket or not – certainly does wonders to his confidence. Rahul had outshone Chris Gayle in the last season and his attacking game was on point in Kingston.West Indies, it seemed, were at the other end. There was no ambition. They did not take the new ball when it was available and instead fed a new batsman with spin. Considering that new batsman was Virat Kohli, who is susceptible to the seamers outside the off stump, it was quite baffling. With very little resistance, a ninth – out of 14 – Indian partnership crossed 50 in this series.Things changed after tea. West Indies took the new ball and put it in Shannon Gabriel’s hands. With him coming back from an ankle injury, it seemed like his team was perennially juggling chances of victory with those of him going out of commission again. Hamstring trouble for Miguel Cummins complicated matters further; the debutant was the only one to consistently aim at the stumps. Ask Pujara, who was beaten on the inside edge, outside edge and rapped on his top hand.Gabriel had had nine overs’ downtime when the new ball had become available, but the additional respite seemed to have helped since he took out Rahul and troubled Kohli too. The India captain had been perturbed by outswingers – 8 off 33 at one point – and while his guard was up for that, he couldn’t prevent an inswinger thudding into the pads. Height saved him in umpire Aleem Dar’s judgment.West Indies got Kohli and R Ashwin in the final hour of play but Ajinkya Rahane took the lead past 150.Things were better in the morning. There weren’t many runs scored – 59 in 26 overs; there weren’t many fans around – sad for a Sunday; there were no wickets but there was a contest.With clear skies welcoming the players on the second day, the likelihood of the ball seaming about had reduced. It was time to go back to camping just outside off stump for as long as it took to spot the rare, flirty Indian outside edge. Gabriel found one in his second over, but it didn’t carry to second slip.Rahul’s scariest moment came when the length was much shorter, a 144 kph delivery that seamed in at his ribs. He probably assumed the line was a lot wider and committed into a cut shot and only barely avoided being caught behind. Gabriel was the aggrieved bowler, and fit the profile too, with a look that loosely translated to “where are my *$&#^ wickets?” His first spell was five overs – the longest he has bowled on the trot in this series – and gave away only three runs.The last time India played in Jamaica a Rahul scored a century. So it was again when this Rahul came down the track and smacked the offspin of Chase into the stands at long-on. It was a shot definitive of the knock, showing how the batsman had read the threat of the ball early and how firm he was with his footwork. The only thing it didn’t make clear was how effective he had been in keeping the good ones out. A delighted fist-pump, an authoritative raise of his bat and a hug from M Vijay, who came out with drinks, were part of the celebrations.Coming into the Jamaica Test, Rahul’s top five scores in descending order read: 110, 108, 16, 7, 5. Symptoms of a good player, but a nervous starter. So even with the 75 runs he had overnight, there were questions that needed answering. West Indies had a set plan at the start – the extra pace of Gabriel allied to Holder’s wide-outside-off lines to restrict run flow and create pressure. An anxious batsman could have been led into a mistake, but Rahul was careful. And decisive too – when he went back, he went right back. When he went forward, he was more or less meeting the ball on the half-volley. Not since Mohammad Azharuddin in 1984-85 had an India batsman converted his first three fifties into hundreds.Rahul is working towards making himself undroppable. Vijay, currently injured, Kohli and Rahane are India’s best Test batsmen. Shikhar Dhawan has shown an improved judgement outside his off stump, an area he had previously struggled with. Pujara hits big hundreds, his inability to do so on Sunday hurt him. Will it hurt his chances for the next too? One of them can’t make an Indian XI with five bowlers.

Gavin Larsen appointed New Zealand selector

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Former New Zealand bowler Gavin Larsen has been named a national selector as a replacement for Bruce Edgar, who stood down from the position in May

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2015Former New Zealand bowler Gavin Larsen has been named a national selector as a replacement for Bruce Edgar, who stood down from the position in May.Larsen will assist New Zealand coach Mike Hesson in picking the Test, ODI, T20I as well as the New Zealand A squads. Larsen’s first task will selecting the squad for the tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa, which will be announced on Thursday.”Gavin will be a real asset,” NZC’s Head of Cricket Lindsay Crocker said. “His breadth of experience – as a player, as a Cricket World Cup administrator and a former chief executive of Cricket Wellington means he’s stayed close and connected to the game.”Larsen, who served as a Cricket Operations Manager for New Zealand during the World Cup, expressed excitement about the new role. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for the way the Blackcaps have moved things forward under Mike’s direction and I’m looking forward to helping that progress continue.”It’s impossible not to be impressed by the consistency and stability of the selection process in recent years, which, I believe, points to excellence in terms of leadership.”Larsen played 121 ODIs and eight Tests between 1990 and 1999.

Wallace appointed PCA chairman

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Mark Wallace, the Glamorgan captain, is to succeed former-England batsman Vikram Solanki as chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2012Mark Wallace, the Glamorgan captain, is to succeed the former England batsman Vikram Solanki as chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), the body that represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales.Wallace will assume the role on January 30, replacing Solanki who has served successive two-year terms and stood in as interim chief executive before Angus Porter was appointed.Solanki guided the PCA through a difficult period where match-fixing emerged as a significant problem in the UK, following spot-fixing in 2010 when Pakistan toured and the arrest of Mervyn Westfield earlier that year. The desire of players to be available for the IPL has also required careful negotiation with counties and the ECB.Wallace’s appointment will coincide with his 15th season as a first-class cricketer, having made his Glamorgan debut in 1999 and gone on to score 8,643 runs at 29.59 with 299 catches. He became Glamorgan captain last season and will continue to lead the four-day side in 2013.”Mark is an outstanding choice to continue the good work Vikram has done, whilst adding a mark of his own.” Porter said. “Vikram has seen the PCA through some challenging times, which makes us grateful for the contribution he has made over the last four years. He is a man of great character and integrity, universally respected throughout the game.”Wallace added: “Filling Vikram’s sizeable shoes is a daunting challenge. I’m a big believer that the PCA is about the players – and by that I mean all the players, from the greenest rookies to the oldest pros. I look forward to playing my part in ensuring that the PCA continues to enhance the careers and lives of cricketers, past present and future.”

Australian attack could become world's best – Arthur

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Australia’s attack could become the best in the world, according to the coach Mickey Arthur

Brydon Coverdale31-Dec-2011

Glenn McGrath on the pace attack

  • Peter Siddle has got great attitude. Aggressive bowler, comes in, doesn’t give anything away. Bowls in good areas.

  • Ben Hilfenhaus swings the ball and bowled up in the 140s. Good pace, good control.

  • James Pattinson has got all the attributes to be a great fast bowler. He is tall. He is strong. He hits good areas at good pace. Fair bit of aggression there.

Australia’s attack could become the best in the world, according to the coach Mickey Arthur. The Australians arrived in Sydney on Saturday ahead of the second Test against India, which starts on January 3 at the SCG, and they go into the game with a 1-0 lead following the strong performance of their three fast bowlers in Melbourne.James Pattinson was Man of the Match for the second time in his three-Test career, Ben Hilfenhaus showed how much he has improved over the past year, and Peter Siddle’s aggression and skill helped him dismiss Sachin Tendulkar in both innings. Australia are expected to retain the attack, which also includes the offspinner Nathan Lyon, in Sydney.However, Ryan Harris has also joined the squad after recovering from his injuries, and as a proven Test performer will be ready should any member of the incumbent trio falter. The 18-year-old Pat Cummins, who made a remarkable debut in Johannesburg in November, will also be in the mix whenever he recovers fully from his foot problem.Over the past few months, Australia have also used Mitchell Starc and Trent Copeland, while Shane Watson’s medium pace will also be important when he returns to the side. Arthur said he was impressed by the depth in the pace stocks.”I thought we had 15 players that can play international cricket at any given time,” Arthur told reporters on Saturday. “Hopefully by the end of the summer we might have 22 guys that can do that because we need to build up our strength in depth, which we are doing now. But I do think this pace attack has the potential to become the best in the world.”Between them, the fast men took 19 of India’s wickets at the MCG, the only exception being the final dismissal of the match, when Umesh Yadav lofted Lyon to long-on. However, Arthur did not expect a four-man pace attack to be on the cards at the SCG, despite the presence of Harris in the squad.”I’m pretty loath to go into any Test match without a spinner,” Arthur said. “Obviously conditions will determine that, but the SCG has normally got a history of favouring spin down the line.”There is absolutely no doubt that they [India] will try and go after him [Lyon],” Arthur said. “But Nathan is a pretty skilful offspinner and I reckon that will develop into a very interesting contest. I think we’ll get a lot of overs out of Nathan if it’s a typical SCG wicket and I’ve got full confidence in his ability.”Arthur was also confident that Australia’s top order could do the job against India, including Shaun Marsh, who was out to poor strokes in both innings in Melbourne. Together with David Warner and Ed Cowan, Marsh is part of an inexperienced top three, but Arthur believes they can become a strong group.”I think we just need to give them time, especially our younger players at one, two and three,” Arthur said. “David Warner is going to be a great player in all three forms of the game, same with Shaun Marsh. I think Ed Cowan gave us that stability that we were looking for, especially in the first innings.”The Australians will train at the SCG on Sunday morning.

Misbah resistance ensures drawn series

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A determined half-century by Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq helped Pakistan draw the second Test and the series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi

The Bulletin by Firdose Moonda24-Nov-2010South Africa 584 (de Villiers 278, Kallis 105, Tanvir 6-120) and 203 for 5 dec (Amla 62, Prince 47*) drew with Pakistan 434 (Azhar 90, Shafiq 61, Rehman 60) and 153 for 3 (Misbah 58*)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Misbah-ul-Haq led by example again•AFP

Misbah-ul-Haq played a captain’s knock for the second successive game to help Pakistan draw the second Test and the two-match series against South Africa. His second half-century of the match, and third of the series, frustrated South Africa after a mini-collapse in the post-lunch session had given them a hint of a win.Misbah was aided by Azhar Ali, and together they spent more than three gritty hours at the crease putting on 87 for the fourth wicket to take the sting out of the South African attack. The match was called off shortly after entering the final hour of play.South Africa will be concerned about their inability to take 20 wickets in each of the two Tests, although they were playing in unfamiliar conditions. The Dubai and Abu Dhabi pitches were hosting Tests for the first time and five days of cricket was untested territory for both surfaces.At the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the pitch was placid and batsman-friendly but showed signs of assisting the spinners. Although Paul Harris and Johan Botha plucked three wickets in a two-over burst after lunch, they lacked penetration and South Africa may have to cast their net for an attacking spinner wider after this series.Pakistan were in a comfortable position at 127 for 3 at the start of the final session and it would have required a supreme effort from South Africa to take seven wickets. Harris and Botha bowled in tandem for seven overs before part-time offspinner Alviro Petersen was thrown the ball. He was used for the two specialist spinners to change ends, but the signs were already there that South Africa thought time was running out.As the desperation grew, and Misbah and Azhar looked well settled at the crease, Steyn was tossed the ball to induce a final hurrah. Steyn certainly looked as though he was returning to his best and bent his back trying to produce some reverse swing. But he couldn’t expose what Mark Boucher called the “underbelly” of the Pakistan line-up, effectively an inexperienced, middle order that would have allowed South Africa to go for the kill.Misbah and Azhar didn’t play a shot in anger, dealing with Steyn’s aggression and Botha and Harris in similar fashions. They showed rare patience and did not give way to the recklessness that has gone hand in hand with Pakistan recently. Azhar, in particular, showed maturity and temperament beyond his years. The wobbles in the Pakistan line-up, who teetered on the brink of a collapse after lunch, seemed a distant memory with the captain and his aide at the crease.Pakistan wobbled in the second session when Botha got the breakthrough in his second over of the day. He trapped Taufeeq Umar in front with a straighter one and broke a steady first-wicket stand of 66 with Mohammad Hafeez, who only lasted four balls after that. He, too, was deceived by a straighter ball, this time from Harris. Younis Khan was the next to go, two balls later, to a delivery that kept straight and low. Harris had given South Africa a tiny window of opportunity, but Misbah slammed that shut.He absorbed the pressure like a sponge, played the ball away from his body, especially against Harris and then broke the shackles with a crisp backfoot drive off Botha. That shot seemed to allow Pakistan to settle slightly and may have prompted the move to bring Steyn back. Misbah’s mind was made up and he was not threatened. Twice, he played the ball to the third man boundary for four. Then he laid into Harris, with back to back boundaries, a drive down the ground followed by a sweep.When he tried the pull, in Harris’ next over, Misbah inflicted damage of a different sort. Hashim Amla, who was fielding at forward short leg, was hit on the left wrist as he tried to take evasive action and had to leave the field. South Africa are already without captain Graeme Smith, who fractured his hand, and losing Amla as well will be a major blow for them before the home series against India.South Africa may come under criticism for giving themselves too few overs to bowl Pakistan out, after they opted to bat for just under half an hour this morning. They had a lead of 323 overnight but were not content with their advantage. The batsman spent six more overs at the crease on the fifth and added 30 runs. That left them with just 82 overs to take 10 wickets, which, for Pakistan, signalled the start of Survivor Abu Dhabi.

Nathan Hauritz meets demands

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The selectors demanded fourth-innings wickets from Nathan Hauritz and in back-to-back Tests he has provided 10 of them.

Peter English at the SCG06-Jan-2010The selectors demanded fourth-innings wickets from Nathan Hauritz and in back-to-back Tests he has provided 10 of them. While Michael Hussey and Peter Siddle set up the victory with a century stand for the ninth wicket, Hauritz delivered the win with a career-best 5 for 53 that swept aside Pakistan for 139, 37 short of their target.Hauritz was seen by the Pakistanis as the bowler to attack and when Mohammad Yousuf planted him for three boundaries in an over the tourists’ charge on the moderate total grew. Ricky Ponting kept Hauritz on because he felt the mood could change quickly and he watched the bowler accept a thundering caught-and-bowled chance that thudded into his chest. “Haury catches their skipper and their most experienced player, things like that can be the difference between winning and losing a game,” Ponting said.The fierce drive also forced Hauritz’s left thumb to bleed and the power of the shot pushed the bowler to the ground. When his team-mates arrived to pull him into the celebrations Hauritz just wanted to lie down. The grimace and the treatment soon turned into pain-free revelry as he picked up Misbah-ul-Haq two balls later after a poorly-chosen cut shot.With the main batsmen gone, Hauritz survived the threat of Umar Akmal and finished the game by removing the tailenders Mohammad Sami, Danish Kaneria and Umar Gul in three overs. He was mobbed by his team-mates again and this time he danced and jumped, knowing he had played a significant role in Australia’s 2-0 series win.”Melbourne last week was a really good learning experience for him,” Ponting said. “To back himself again in a crucial situation like we had today and to come away with five wickets is a great reward again. That’s what you want from your spin bowler, to stand up and back himself and get a couple of wickets. Maybe he goes for a few runs here and there but he ends up winning a game of Test cricket, so that’s special.”

Phillips hundred highlights final-day scramble for bonus points

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Middlesex promotion push takes a hit as Gloucestershire No. 3 notches maiden century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 404 for 9 dec (Phillips 136, Hammond 71, Bancroft 58) drew with Middlesex 445 (Williamson 153, Hollman 60, De Caires 58, Du Plooy 57)Gloucestershire’s Joe Phillips hit his maiden first class century as the rain-ruined Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Middlesex ended in an inevitable draw.After the third day washout, a still wet outfield prevented any play until 1.25pm, with a minimum of 68 overs left in the game. Resuming their first innings on 54 for 1, a deficit of 391, Gloucestershire extended it to 400 for 9 by stumps, 21-year-old Cornishman Phillips making 136 from 182 balls, with 19 fours.Miles Hammond contributed an attractive 71 and Cameron Bancroft 58. But there had been too little time on a placid pitch for the teams to conjure a decisive outcome and both had to settle for 15 points.Following an early lunch at 12.45pm, Phillips and skipper Bancroft played confidently on a pitch still proving surprisingly straightforward to bat on considering it was shaved at both ends.Unbeaten on 11 at the start, Phillips had a scare on 34 when advancing down the pitch to offspinner Josh De Caires and edging between wicketkeeper and first slip for four. It was a rare moment of anxiety for Gloucestershire as Bancroft was first to his half-century, off 104 balls, with nine fours.The experienced Aussie was looking in prime form and it was a surprise when, with the total advanced to 126, he was bowled off a bottom edge aiming to pull a boundary off left-arm seamer Noah Cornwell.By then Phillips was treating the sparse crowd to a range of sweetly-timed strokes off front and back foot, a single to deep cover off Luke Hollman’s legspin taking him to fifty off 92 deliveries, with five fours. Two more boundaries followed from fierce pull shots in the same Cornwell over.Ollie Price was soon looking equally at home on the two-tone coloured surface. A glorious square drive for four off Ryan Higgins took Truro-born Phillips past his previous best first-class score of 80, made on the same ground against Worcestershire in 2023.By tea, he had moved to 96 and, with Price unbeaten on 33, Gloucestershire were 209 for 2, still trailing by 236. A looping full toss from Sam Robson gave Phillips the chance to strike the boundary that brought up his century off 145 balls. It was his 15th four and he raised a clenched fist in the air to celebrate.Price departed soon afterwards for 34, caught behind top-edging a sweep off Robson’s leg-breaks. The dismissal meant a first bowling point for Middlesex on a day their promotion hopes suffered a damaging blow with Glamorgan’s victory over Lancashire.Phillips and Hammond took Gloucestershire to 250 and a batting point. With more bonus points up for grabs, neither team wanted to shake hands on the draw.Using his feet well to attack the spinners, Phillips continued on his merry way, while Hammond also went on the attack at every opportunity. Their entertaining stand of 66 in 12.1 overs ended when Phillips holed out to long-on off Higgins.Cheltenham-born Hammond, who often flourishes at the Festival, advanced to smack a straight six off De Caires as Gloucestershire progressed to a second batting point, losing James Bracey cheaply, caught at mid-on off De Caires with the total on 299.Hollman earned Middlesex a second bowling point when having Graeme van Buuren caught at slip. But Hammond moved to a fluent half-century off 63 balls before Zaman Akhter was seventh man out, caught at backward square leg sweeping a ball from Hollman with eight overs remaining.A Hammond six off Hollman took Gloucestershire to a third batting point before he fell aiming to clear long-on off Higgins. With three overs remaining, Middlesex took the second new ball and Cornwell had Matt Taylor caught behind to give his side maximum bowling points.There was still time for a Josh Shaw six off Higgins as he and Todd Murphy helped the hosts reach 400 in the very last over. Both teams could feel happy at the end of a thoroughly entertaining final hour.