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The ECB could be about to lose one of the key architects of their new T20 competition more than two years before it is launched.ESPNcricinfo understands that Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, has been shortlisted for the role of chief executive at MCC. Derek Brewer, the current MCC chief executive, has already announced his intention to retire at the start of 2018.Hollins has been with the ECB since 2007. In that time, he has performed the role of Head of Venue Partnerships (2007-2012), Managing Director – Professional Game (2012-14) and, since 2014, the COO role which gives him responsibility for professional and recreational cricket in England and Wales.In those roles, he has been heavily involved in the major match allocation process as well as the Morgan Report (2011-12), which saw the revival of 50-over cricket, the re-scheduling of T20 cricket on an ‘appointment to view’ basis and recommended a cut to the County Championship programme. Before joining the ECB, he was commercial director at Durham CCC.Often acting as the bridge between the ECB executive and the counties, it was noticeable that the relationship between them deteriorated sharply during a period when Hollins was absent due to ill health. Now fully recovered, he has been heavily involved in thrashing out something approaching an agreement between the ECB executive and the counties over the introduction of the new T20 competition in 2020.With his experience across the game and his relationships with those in power at the ECB, the attraction of Hollins to MCC is not surprising. Concerned at the prospect of losing one of the two Tests they currently host most years, MCC seem increasingly keen on being at the forefront of the new domestic T20 competition.Others favoured for the MCC role are understood to be John Stephenson, who is currently head of cricket at the MCC, and Guy Lavender, who is currently chief executive at Somerset CCC.

Super Over
ScorecardStafanie Taylor struck her first fifty of the season•Getty Images

In the end, not even a Super Over could separate the Sydney Smash.Having elected to bat, the Sydney Sixers made 138. In reply, the Sydney Thunder managed the same. In the Super Over, the Thunder made eight, then the Sixers did too.Confusion reigned, but the Thunder had won – on the basis that they had hit more boundaries in the 40 overs (16) than the Sixers (14). So, in a game normally won by a number of runs or wickets, the Sydney Thunder had beaten the Sydney Sixers by two boundaries. Eh?The first 40 overs had been an undulating, exciting advert for the Women’s BBL, and the Super Over had the national news on Channel Ten delayed – who knows how many new fans will have stumbled across the game as a result – and as many as 17,000 people watching at the ground.The main event
The 40 overs that were unable to separate the two sides were dominated by fine innings from two top-order batsmen, and the timing of their wickets decided the outcome.First came Ashleigh Gardner, whose stellar competition continued. She came to the crease in the first over with Alyssa Healy gone, and scored a fine 54 from 41 balls, including sixes down the ground and to cow corner. She shared a stand of 65 with Sara McGlashan, who was scratchy early on but grew into her innings. When McGlashan was caught and bowled by Erin Osborne, though, they lost five for 30 from the final 21 balls. Gardner was stumped by Alex Blackwell – making a rare appearance as a wicketkeeper – off Stafanie Taylor (who had earlier taken another key wicket, Elysse Perry), and Sixers hopes of making 150 were over.Ashleigh Gardner continued her fine form•Getty Images

Taylor’s excellent game continued as she made 68, he first half-century of the season, to dominate the chase. Blackwell, who fell to the excellent Kim Garth, then Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in, but Taylor rode her luck (she was dropped three times) to keep her team in it and looked to be guiding them to victory. The late introduction of Lisa Sthalekar in the 15th over put the brakes on the Thunder as she picked up two wickets, then Taylor fell slogging Sarah Aley in the penultimate over. Naomi Stalenberg and Osborne could only manage seven of the eight they needed from the final over; Super Over it was.Super finishSo, how did that Super Over pan out, then? The Thunder batted first. Garth, an Associate rookie and replacement for the absent South African duo Marizanne Kapp and Dane van Niekerk, limited Taylor – who earlier made an excellent 68 before falling in the final over – and Rachael Haynes, who was run out off the last ball, to just eight. Garth, continuing the beautiful line and length she had bowled when taking 17 for 1 earlier) had denied them any boundaries, which was a superb effort.Knowing that they had fewer boundaries in regular tim, the Sixers knew they needed nine to win, but the Thunder knew eight would work for them. Healy smote Rene Farrell down the ground for four, but was then carelessly run out. Perry found two through cover, then was caught at long-on. Needing three off the last two, Angela Reakes was run out turning for a second. Gardner, so brilliant earlier, could only scramble her first ball for a single. No one really understood why, but it was not enough.What it all meansBefore the Sydney Smash, the Sixers had won three games (in a run of seven straight victories). The Sixers still sit four points clear at the top of the table, and need to win one of their two remaining fixtures to qualify for a semi-final. The Thunder are sixth, and their hopes of defending their title remain alive.

Match facts

January 13, 2017
Start time 1320 local (0320 GMT)1:12

Pakistan face an upward challenge in ODIs

Big Picture

After Pakistan’s losing streak last week extended to 12 consecutive Tests in Australia, they must be hoping that a change of format will bring a change of fortunes. Perhaps it will, though much remains stacked against them as they begin a series of five ODIs with the opener at the Gabba on Friday. Their record in ODIs against Australia in Australia isn’t a whole lot better than their Test history, having lost their last eight. In fact, across all formats, Pakistan have lost their last 15 games against Australia in Australia, their last win having come in an ODI at the WACA in 2005.Adding to the challenge for Pakistan, they are facing the No.1-ranked ODI side in the world, and are themselves ranked eighth. It is a precarious position for Pakistan, who are at serious risk of failing to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup. The eight highest-ranked sides as at September 30 this year will earn automatic qualification, while the remainder will be forced to take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh in 2018. Every ODI win in the next nine months is therefore critical for Pakistan.And they will begin this series with a weakened squad, having lost both Mohammad Irfan and Sarfraz Ahmed, who have both flown home to Pakistan for family reasons. But Australia also enter this series with a new-look side, which might give Pakistan a glimmer of hope. The tall and very raw fast bowler Billy Stanlake will make his debut at the Gabba, along with middle-order batsman Chris Lynn. And David Warner will have a new opening partner – Travis Head – after Aaron Finch was dropped. George Bailey has also been axed, and it means that for the first time since June 2012, Australia will play an ODI with neither Bailey nor Finch. Josh Hazlewood is also out of this first game, being rested after a heavy workload in the Tests.

Form guide

Australia: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan: WWWWL
After a difficult summer, Glenn Maxwell has finally broken into the playing XI•Getty Images

In the spotlight

It has been a difficult summer for Glenn Maxwell, who was named in the squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series in December but was left out of all three games. Before the series, Maxwell had caused controversy with comments about batting behind Matthew Wade in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield side, and was fined by Australia’s team leadership group. But perhaps it’s a case of new year, new beginnings. Finally, he is back in Australia’s XI, and will play his first ODI since the tri-series in the West Indies last June. And expect him to be ahead of Wade in the batting order.Nearly two years have passed since Umar Akmal has played an ODI. His most recent appearance was in the World Cup quarter-final between Pakistan and Australia at Adelaide Oval in March 2015, a match best remembered for Wahab Riaz’s fiery battle with Shane Watson. But Umar is back in favour, and is coming off an innings of 54 from 39 balls in the tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. Having spent so long out of the ODI setup, he may just have something to prove.

Team news

Steven Smith confirmed Australia’s XI on the eve of the match, with Head named to open alongside Warner, and Lynn and Stanlake set to debut. Legspinner Adam Zampa and batsman Usman Khawaja miss out.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Chris Lynn, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Billy Stanlake.Mohammad Hafeez was a late addition to the squad and could be rushed in for the first game. With Sarfraz unavailable, Mohammad Rizwan is expected to take the gloves. The make-up of Pakistan’s attack is uncertain, though it is likely only one of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz will play.Pakistan (possible) 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir/Junaid Khan, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Hasan Ali.

Pitch and conditions

High scoring is possible at the Gabba – in the two most recent ODIs there, targets of 300-plus were successfully chased down. However, if the conditions suit, the ball can also swing around a lot – in 2013, Australia were rolled for 74 by Nuwan Kulasekara and the Sri Lankans in a Brisbane ODI. The forecast for Friday is for a hot day and a top of 34C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have dominated recent encounters between these sides, winning 16 of their past 20 ODIs against Pakistan
• It may not quite match Australia’s Test record at the so-called Gabbatoir, but of their past nine completed ODIs at the ground, Australia have lost only one
• Pakistan would need to win the series in order to move ahead of Bangladesh and into seventh position on the ODI rankings

Quotes

“It’s nice to have three guys who can get it up around 150kph – it’s never nice to face.”

Virat Kohli has said he would love to play county cricket in the lead-up to the tour of England in 2018, but only a short stint might be possible with current schedules. Kohli wanted at least a month’s time to get used to conditions, but the IPL ends in the last week of May, and India tours to the UK generally start in the last week of June.”If I have a chance, I would love to do that; love to be there, say a month or a month and a half and get used to playing in those conditions, understand how the wickets behave in that particular phase of the year,” Kohli said. “I think those things matter a lot. Preparation time is something, which is very crucial for any side. So yeah, if I have the opportunity to go there a few days before the start that will be great. I have actually been thinking about it, trying to work out how I can make it happen. Most definitely, if I have the time I’ll go and play there.”This was a great sign from the captain of a side that had become blasé about the lack of preparation time before Test tours in the recent years. If Kohli manages to squeeze in even a couple of county games before the first Test in 2018 – as opposed to nothing – he would be better equipped to handle the swing and seam prevalent in English grounds. In the 2014 tour, Kohli scored 134 runs at 13.4 in India’s 3-1 defeat.India have bounced back from that crisis with five successive series wins, but Kohli knew the regrouping won’t be complete, that his side won’t match his ambition, until it did well in certain conditions.”We still understand we have to play a lot of cricket everywhere in the world,” he said. “It’s not only about this one period we are going through. It looks really good because we have come out of transition and immediately started winning games. But I wouldn’t take it as overconfidence. It’s an on-going process, which needs to be sustained for the next five to seven or eight years for us to become a top-quality side and leave a mark on world cricket; maybe be known as one of the best teams to have assembled on the field.”We want to do it across formats and make that mark for Indian cricket on the world stage. But it requires a lot of persistence and skill, a lot of hard work on your fitness, and those are the key factors that will decide where we go as a unit and as a team. We don’t feel invincible, to be honest. We respect every opposition, we admit it every time we are put under pressure, and we know teams are going to put us under pressure. We appreciate that, we accept that and we try to find a way out of it. I think that’s been key for us, and it’s a process that should go on for another seven or eight years.”Virat Kohli enjoyed the rivalry he has with Joe Root, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson•AFP

Kohli spoke of his own batting with similar modesty. He has scored three double-centuries this year, has 640 runs in this series, has played scarcely believable knocks in limited-overs internationals too, and broke every record in the IPL. But he considered Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steven Smith as better batsmen in Test cricket. Kohli, who was No. 2 on the ICC Test rankings, felt the four of them raising the bar for each other enriched the sport.”They [the fans] put us in a group of young players coming up in world cricket,” Kohli said. “That healthy competition is great for the game. People like talking about it. It is a great topic of debate. I see people enjoy talking about it a lot and they mention it to me as well. “You four-five players are exciting to watch” and those sort of things. You feel good you are in a bunch of batsmen that is taking world cricket forward, not just having that healthy rivalry between us.”As an individual, I don’t focus on those things. It is a massive distraction. When you are going through a good phase, you want see the rankings, you want to see what people are talking about, ‘am I in the race,’ and stuff like that. But you get so addicted to it that when you are not doing well, and saying things backfires and it can really put you down. To me all these are world-class players, and I have always rated each one of them higher than me, in Test cricket especially, because of the way they have performed in the last two or three years.”I understood my limitations and never tried to outdo them in the longest format of the game. In shorter formats, yes, I have been doing very well. I understood what I needed to do in the longest format for me to be able to contribute the maximum for my team. That’s been my aim. My aim was never to go about Joe or Steve or Kane. I respect them equally and I think there is equal amount of respect between all of us, David [Warner] included. All of us understand and like our games.”Kohli has scored runs in Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies. If he doesn’t rate himself as highly as the other three in Tests, his performance in England must be the only reason behind it. County cricket could go a long way in correcting it.

Match facts

November 6-10, 2016, Harare
Start time 10.00 am (0800 GMT)Sean Williams’ dismissal for 40 on the final day of the first Test hastened Zimbabwe’s loss•Associated Press

Big Picture

In July, Zimbabwe hosted New Zealand for two Tests in Bulawayo. Considering this is only the third time in 11 years that they’re playing four Tests in a season at home, Sri Lanka’s tour ought to have provided continuity. Instead, the players were involved, not for the first time, in a protest with Zimbabwe Cricket over non-payment of match fees. When matters were temporarily resolved in September, the board was grappling with issues surrounding their annual audit which was yet to be submitted to the ICC more than three months after it was due.That delayed the appointment of a new head coach. When Heath Streak finally took over from Makhaya Ntini, who briefly held the role after Dav Whatmore’s sacking, he had a little over three weeks to prepare a side that that was once again short on cricket in the lead-up to a major series, with the domestic season yet to be finalised. Considering all this, Zimbabwe’s performance in the first Test, also their 100th overall, in Harare was seen as a massive improvement even though they eventually lost by 225 runs.They batted close to 200 overs in the Test – something they’ve done just twice in the last five years – and took it into the final hour before Sri Lanka dug deep into their reserves to eke out a win. The resistance in both innings was led by Graeme Cremer, the captain, who followed-up his maiden Test century with a gritty 43 in the second dig. It somewhat made up for the top order’s inability to build on starts, something the team management would have taken note of.The one aspect that has always been encouraging – even in Zimbabwe’s cricketing decline over the last decade-and-a-half – has been the fielding. That came a cropper in Harare – as many as seven catches were dropped in the first innings. Their bowling effort, typically restrictive, was led by debutant medium-pacer Carl Mumba, who took four wickets in the second innings. The other bowlers were largely ineffective. Therefore, a shot at equalling the series seems far-fetched for Zimbabwe, although walking away with a draw is possible, like they showed last week.For Sri Lanka, time spent in the middle here will take them a step closer to narrowing down on their combination for the bigger battles in South Africa next month. Strong performances from Kusal Perera and Upul Tharanga will add to a healthy selection dilemma once Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, the designated captain, return from injuries.Rangana Herath’s delayed declaration in the second innings may have been scrutinised had Zimbabwe managed to hold on. For now, it’s a decision that can be firmly put on the back-burner as Sri Lanka aim for a clean sweep to cap Herath’s first – and possibly last – series as captain.The implementation of DRS, for the first time in Zimbabwe, will add an element of intrigue. Zimbabwe have been at the centre of a number of poor umpiring decisions in recent times.

Form guide

ZimbabweLLLLL (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWWDDilruwan Perera’s utility could be tested on surfaces that don’t turn as much as the ones in Sri Lanka•Associated Press

In the spotlight

Malcolm Waller came into the fray for selection for the first Test on the back of 37 and 87 for Zimbabwe A in a four-day fixture against Pakistan A. Prior to that, he recorded three successive half-centuries in the 50-over format. He made scores of 22 and 0 in the first Test; the timing of his dismissal in the second innings even as Zimbabwe fought to save the Test was crucial. With Tarisai Musakanda, who also made runs against Pakistan A, breathing down his neck, there could be pressure on Waller to make a significant score here.Dilruwan Perera‘s utility in this Sri Lankan line-up, especially at home, can’t be understated. He’s a more-than-capable lower-order batsman, and a tidy offspinner. But on surfaces that aid swing and seam movement, like Sri Lanka could encounter in South Africa, it remains to be seen how effective he would be. Perhaps another solid performance in the second Test could go a long way in convincing the team management that he could be a contender for a spot even if Sri Lanka decide to play an extra fast bowler.

Team news

Streak and Tatenda Taibu, the selection convenor, have spoken of the need for continuity, which means Zimbabwe are likely to field the same XI despite their top-order batsmen failing to convert starts. That could mean Musakanda, who made 87 against Pakistan A to earn his selection in the Test squad, may have to wait longer for his first Test cap.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Tino Mawoyo, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Peter Moor, 7 Malcolm Waller, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Carl Mumba, 11 Chris MpofuSri Lanka picked up 20 wickets, but were stretched a fair bit. With the top order among the runs in both innings, there could be a temptation to bring in left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan to boost their bowling stocks. That could mean Asela Gunaratne, who made 53 and 16 not out, may have to make way.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Perera, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga, 6 Dananjaya de Silva, 7 Dilruwan Perera, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lakshan Sandakan/Asela Gunaratne 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

A similar pitch to the one last week is expected, which points to another workout for the bowlers. There is solace, though, in the fact that conditions are expected to be a lot cooler following intermittent spells of summer rain since the conclusion of the first Test. There could be brief rain interruptions from time-to-time in this Test.

Stats and trivia

• Herath will surpass Anil Kumble and have the second-most number of wickets by a spinner in his first 75 Tests if he takes nine wickets in the match. Kumble had 346; Herath, after 74 games, is on 338. Muttiah Muralitharan tops the list with 420 wickets after 75
• Cremer aggregated more than half of his career runs (258 runs in 26 innings) in the first Test alone through scores of 102* and 43

Quotes

“We know that we can’t control what decisions go our way, but as long as we’re playing that positive brand of cricket then hopefully a few things will go our way. We’ve just got to do the best we can with bat or ball.”
when asked about his team being rather luckless with umpiring decisions in the first Test”From the beginning it was a different challenge and a different experience but I’ve enjoyed every moment. I’ve had a lot of confidence from my playing career, so that has helped as well.”

In the practice match in Fatullah on Tuesday, England will be facing two young pace bowlers in the BCB XI who are such unknown quantities that even the BCB didn’t know one of their names correctly when announcing the 13-man squad on Saturday.The BCB named one “Md Manik” which turned out to be Ali Ahmmed (whose nickname is Manik). The 20-year-old, 6ft 2in pacer is from Gopalganj, and is a regular at the Shere Bangla National Stadium nets. He caught the eye of Bangladesh’s new bowling coach Courtney Walsh, who suggested him to the national selectors.”This is a very big deal for me,” Ahmmed said. “I have been excited since I heard about it couple of days ago. I have spent four days under Courtney Walsh. He has worked with me about a few things, and I am focusing on those. My main strength is outswing. He told me to use my height. He worked on a mistake I have in my run-up. I have improved quickly so maybe he saw something in me.”Ahmmed made his first-class debut for Dhaka Division in October last year, and has only played two List-A matches for Cricket Coaching School in the Dhaka Premier League.The other rookie, Ebadot Hossain, made his first-class debut this season and has never played in the DPL. He is a volleyball player employed by the Bangladesh Air Force but he was picked in this year’s High Performance squad after impressing scouts in the pace bowlers hunt earlier in 2016.He impressed Aaqib Javed, who came for a week as a fast bowling consultant, during the HP camp in August. After making his first-class debut, he was also picked up by Rajshahi Kings in the BPL draft.He hopes to use this practice match as a platform for better things, though he is having a hard time getting past the excitement of sharing a gym with the Bangladesh players.”I have been trying to get better since the Robi Pacer Hunt,” he said. “I made it to the HP team and then played in the NCL. I now have a chance to bowl against England in the practice game. Hopefully I can do well and catch everyone’s attention. I got to do gym with the national players, which is thrilling for me.”

Allrounder James Faulkner and batsman Shaun Marsh have both been ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour of South Africa due to injuries. Usman Khawaja has been called into the squad in place of Marsh, while Faulkner will not be replaced in the squad, which as a result will be reduced from 15 men to 14.Marsh suffered a fractured finger during the recent tour of Sri Lanka and while he was initially named in the ODI squad to visit South Africa, further x-rays have encouraged Australia to take a more conservative approach with him. Faulkner suffered a calf strain at Australia’s training session on Thursday, and is expected to be sidelined for up to a month.

Australia’s 14-man squad

Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade (wk), Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa.
In: Usman Khawaja
Out: Shaun Marsh, James Faulkner

“Shaun undertook a follow up x-ray and was reviewed by specialists this week,” David Beakley, the team physio, said. “Unfortunately due to the fracture being in the joint of the finger we have decided to take a more conservative approach, therefore he will not be available for the ODI series in South Africa.”James suffered a low grade calf strain during a fitness session in Sydney today which we expect to take three to four weeks to recover. Unfortunately this means he will also be unavailable for the South Africa series.”Australia’s first ODI in South Africa is against Ireland on September 27, before they begin a five-match series against South Africa on September 30.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said that wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi could be one of the contenders for a place in the Test XI as the side looks for an opening batsman who can combat spin on the tour of India.Hesson said that New Zealand’s regular opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tom Latham were likely for the first Test in Kanpur, from September 22, but Ronchi was a back-up option. Ronchi has played only one Test so far – against England at Headingley last year.”It’s not your traditional New Zealand opener that you require over there; you need guys who can score against spin, find ways to rotate the strike and keep the game moving,” Hesson was quoted as saying by . “It does [bring Ronchi into the mix]. Luke’s there as a back-up batsman as well as a back-up keeper. His ability against spin certainly makes him an option.”Hesson said the selection of the line-up would be influenced by the likelihood of spinners, particularly R Ashwin, opening the bowling for India or being brought into the attack early on.”Seamers if anything might bowl two-three overs up front and it’s more likely they’re going to have spin at one end to start with if they’re going to play three of them,” he said. “And if you’ve got two left-handers against Ashwin at the top it’s going to be a big challenge for us. We have to assess conditions and pick what we think is the right mix.”Hesson also stated that New Zealand could consider three spinners if the Kanpur pitch looks dry. If implemented, the three-spinner strategy will see offspinner Mark Craig’s return to the New Zealand side. Craig has played only one of New Zealand’s six Tests this year – against Australia in Wellington – but Hesson felt the offspinner had come back well from the 2015-16 season where he took 10 wickets in four Tests at an average of 66.60.Between them, Craig, Ish Sodhi and Santner have played only 34 Tests but Hesson said that all three had evolved well. Sodhi and Santner had an impressive run during the World T20 in India earlier this year, leading the wicket charts for New Zealand with 10 dismissals each.”They’re a young spin-bowling group. Probably Ish and Mitch have found white-ball cricket a little easier than Test cricket,” Hesson said. “They’re both evolving nicely and it’s about giving them opportunity.”I’ve been really pleased with the way Mark Craig has come back from last season. He’s made a few changes technically and the ball seems to be coming out really nicely.”One worry for New Zealand is Guptill’s form in 2016. In the home series against Australia, he scored 81 runs in four innings at 20.25, while his record in South Africa was worse – 15 runs in three innings. His only Test fifty in six matches this year came against Zimbabwe. In India, Guptill has scored 187 runs in four Tests at an average of 23.37 with two fifties. Hesson encouraged Guptill to play the natural, attacking game that has brought him success in limited-overs cricket.”That message has been out there a long time,” Hesson said. “It’s important for Martin that we can see that out on the field and he can transfer what he’s been training onto the park. I know he’s working hard at it.”Guptill too admitted he needed to show more intent in Test cricket. In an interview to , he said: “Test cricket is the pinnacle and it means everything to me to play. I’ve had a bit of a survival mode about the way I play Test cricket but the intent needs to be there about scoring runs so I just need to go out there and have the intent to score runs in my batting.”Allrounder Jimmy Neesham will be another important player as New Zealand look to balance their attack on spin-friendly pitches. Neesham’s previous international appearance was the Brisbane Test against Australia, and he was ruled out of subsequent matches due to a back injury. Having made his return to the Test squad, Neesham is confident he can cope with the workload of the five-day format.”We’ve gone about things a little different this time, been more thorough and hopefully that will give the chance of a successful comeback,” Neesham said. “I feel a lot fresher now, both while batting and with my bowling.”I’ve been able to get my loads up now to a level where I should be able to get through Test cricket. The proof will be in the pudding, but I’m confident.”New Zealand will play a three-day tour match against Mumbai in Delhi between September 16 and 18, before the first Test in Kanpur. The second and third Tests will be played in Kolkata and Indore from September 30 and October 8 respectively.

ScorecardChris Rogers overcame the threat of a lush, green pitch with a fluent fifty•Getty Images

Harry Podmore claimed four wickets on his first County Championship appearance for Middlesex as Somerset were bowled out for 236 on the opening day of the match at Taunton.Having made a late decision to switch from a dry looking strip to a very green one, the hosts were indebted to Chris Rogers, Jim Allenby and Marcus Trescothick for securing a bonus point in testing conditions.Podmore, James Harris and James Fuller profited from excellent seam bowling conditions after the visitors had not surprisingly elected to field.By the close of a rain-affected day, Middlesex had replied with 51 for 1 from 16 overs, losing Sam Robson lbw to the second ball of the innings from Craig Overton. Nick Gubbins was unbeaten on 31.Explaining the late change of pitch, Rogers said: “We were caught off guard because we didn’t know Tim Murtagh was unavailable for Middlesex. That being the case we felt our best chance of winning was to back our seam attack against their inexperienced one.”Middlesex bowled not so well in the morning session, but very well after lunch. We were poor when we bowled at them and I expect us to be a lot better and more patient in the morning. We have played on so many flat pitches that our bowlers probably got excited. But I still feel the change of pitch was a gamble worth taking and that we are in a decent position.”Graham Cowdrey, the Cricket Liaison Officer at the game, said: “At this stage the umpires have found no problem with the pitch and it is Somerset’s call which pitch they play on.”Somerset had put only six runs on the board when Johann Myburgh edged Fuller through to wicketkeeper John Simpson and departed for a duck.But Rogers and Trescothick then produced the most positive strokeplay of the day, punishing anything loose in their second-wicket stand of 71.Trescothick looked at his imperious best as his first eight scoring strokes brought boundaries before he got an inside edge onto his stumps to give Harris his first wicket.The Middlesex bowlers failed to make the most of the conditions in the morning session. James Hildreth hit a six over backward point off Fuller before being adjudged lbw for 19 to a delivery from the same bowler.Rogers moved to an attractive half-century off 68 balls, with ten fours, and was still there at lunch, with his side 125 for 3 off 27 overs.Soon after the interval came the first rain break, with 30 minutes lost. When play resumed Middlesex bowled a better line and length, reaping reward with four wickets.Rogers was caught by the diving Simpson leg-glancing a ball from Podmore, who had played in the competition only while on loan to Glamorgan earlier in the season.He followed up by having Peter Trego caught behind for 4 off a full, swinging delivery. And it was 154 for 6 when Craig Overton fell for a duck, chasing a wide one from Harris and offering Simpson his fourth catch.Alex Barrow contributed 10 before being caught at second slip by Ollie Rayner off Harris and when rain forced an early tea Somerset were 184 for 7.The final session saw 27 runs added before Jamie Overton was caught at first slip aiming a full-blooded drive at Podmore. The players followed him off as rain brought a third interruption.All the time Allenby had been compiling a valuable knock, riding his luck at times and surviving a tough one-handed chance to Rayner at slip off Podmore when on 35.He had battled away for 115 balls when finally getting one with his name on it, edging Podmore behind to give Simpson a fifth victim. Rayner then took a fine diving slip catch to dismiss Jack Leach for 12 as Fuller took a deserved third wicket.

MS Dhoni has said the limited shelf life as an international cricketer is his greatest driving force to keep playing at the highest level, and that maintaining peak fitness is his top priority towards achieving that end.There has been speculation around Dhoni’s future for quite some time, and it is likely to continue considering India’s limited-overs calendar is fairly thin following the Zimbabwe series – they aren’t scheduled to play a limited-overs series until October-November when New Zealand tour the country. Dhoni, who will turn 35 next month, has answered questions about his future in different tones, ranging from humour to indignation, but ahead of India’s departure to Zimbabwe for a short series featuring three ODIs and three T20 internationals, he zeroed in on what he felt needed to be done to keep playing at the highest level.”It’s only a brief period where you can actually represent your country and that’s the biggest motivation for me,” Dhoni said at the team’s pre-departure media session in Mumbai. “More than what you’ve achieved in your career, the fact that you are representing your country [motivates you]. And to achieve that, I have to keep myself fit. I am 35 right now, and I know the day I’m not able to run as fast as I’m running right now, I know the guns where they are coming from. Form will keep going up and down. You can’t control that, but fitness is very important. At this point of time, my only concern is fitness, but so far it has been good.”Quite a few people think wicket-keeping and batting is considerable load on the body. But often I tell them, right from Under-16, once you start playing [multiple] days cricket… other players don’t have a defined work[load]. A fast bowler may bowl 12, 13 or 17 overs. A wicketkeeper will maximum keep 90 overs in a day. So your workload doesn’t vary.”Former India team director Ravi Shastri had recently suggested that Virat Kohli be appointed captain in all three formats. Given India play mostly Tests, starting from June – 17 scheduled matches until March – Shastri had said “the gaps” in play would be hard on Dhoni. “He can still contribute massively as a player,” Shastri had said. “I think the time has come for to allow him to enjoy himself and enjoy the game.”When Shastri’s observations were presented to Dhoni in a two-part question, he responded diplomatically and swiftly veered towards the other question on the Zimbabwe series. “It’s not like I am not enjoying the game,” Dhoni said. “But it’s a decision that BCCI will take. It’s not up to me to decide that.”While Dhoni felt it was premature to look ahead to the 50-over World Cup in 2019, he said series such as the one in Zimbabwe would be ideal preparation for the Champions Trophy in England next year. “The fact is that we won’t be playing a lot of ODI cricket. After this we play against New Zealand and maybe another five to seven ODIs more,” he said. “We play a lot of Test cricket this season. So I feel every game that we get will be very crucial. We will try to see what is the best thing for the squad overall. Zimbabwe is challenging because it’s one venue where the toss is vital. There are not many places in the world where you play day games, so you have to accordingly adapt.”Dhoni, however, admitted it would be a different experience to lead a side that doesn’t feature most of the regular players, and that he would have to size up things quickly. “You keep playing with almost the same group of players, so you almost know the roles and responsibilities and what each player’s strengths are,” he said.”There will be quite a few players in this bilateral series with whom I’ll be playing for the first time. So I have to quickly assess their strengths and, at the same time, according to the team composition what is the best possible manner in which each individual can be utilised.”When it comes to the talent part, the squad looks good. All of them have been rewarded for their [performances in] domestic cricket. It will be exciting to see them on the field. Most of them are very good fielders, so that will be good.”Dhoni said the bowling department had better exposure to international cricket than the batsmen, and the challenge was to find the right batting slots for players in the squad. “I feel they [the bowlers] are much improved as of now,” he said. “[Jasprit] Bumrah has improved in whatever games he has got. He’s had a good IPL. Barinder [Sran] got a fair amount of exposure in the IPL and we saw him improve from the first game till the last. When it comes to spinners, [Yuzvendra] Chahal and Axar [Patel] have been veterans in the limited-overs setup.”Batting… we have to see what is the slot available for a particular individual. Where you get to play in your domestic scene is very different [to where you bat] when you play for the national side. That is a good thing because you can show your adaptability. If the team needs you to bat at a particular position, how you adapt and show what you can actually do and contribute to the team’s win.”