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Former England batsman to fill in for injured Allan Donald and could be considered as batting coach

George Dobell14-Apr-2019There will be a familiar face in an unfamiliar role at Edgbaston on Sunday. Jonathan Trott, who retired as a player last September after a decade-and-a-half at Warwickshire, will be back at the ground starting a new position as a coach.But he will not be in Warwickshire’s training gear. Instead he has agreed a 40-day role with Kent – Warwickshire’s opponents in the current round of Championship games – so will find himself, for the first time, in Edgbaston’s away dressing room.ALSO READ: ‘Know when to leave’ – Trott on long-format battingThe role came about, in part, as Allan Donald, the Kent assistant coach, is currently suffering from a shoulder injury that prohibits him from throwing the ball. But the club do not have a full-time batting coach on their staff – head coach Matt Walker fulfils the role when other duties allow – and admit they could be looking to fill the role on a permanent basis at the end of the year.Trott spent part of the winter working with the England Lions side and is understood to be highly thought of by some in the England camp.

As Glamorgan announce ban over suspect bowling action, all-rounder reaches unbeaten fifty

ECB Reporters Network20-May-2019On the day it emerged he had been suspended from bowling over a suspect action, Glamorgan’s Billy Root led a fightback with the bat on the second day of the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.Joe Root’s younger brother arrived at the crease shortly after Glamorgan revealed he had been banned from bowling following a review of his action, and he responded with an unbeaten half-century to steer his team to 214 for 4 at the close in reply to Derbyshire’s 378.Glamorgan released a statement, saying Root had been suspended from bowling in competitive County cricket after his bowling action was reviewed under the ECB’s process for Bowlers with Suspect Actions.”Root’s bowling action was subject to an independent assessment, as set out under the ECB regulations for the review of bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions, on Wednesday 8 May 2019,” the statement said.”The report from the assessment was received by the ECB on Friday 17 May 2019 and concluded that Root’s bowling action displayed elbow extension in excess of the permitted 15 degrees.”Root has therefore been banned from bowling for England and in competitive county cricket from 17 May 2019 until such time he has submitted to a fresh independent assessment in which it is concluded that he has remedied his action.”Charlie Hemphrey made 75, his highest first-class score for Glamorgan, who had earlier been frustrated by Anuj Dal’s maiden 50 which helped Derbyshire secure a fourth batting point.The first target for the visitors was 229 to avoid following-on and Nick Selman and Hemphrey were made to work hard by accurate bowling combined with some hostility from Logan van Beek.Derbyshire’s discipline and patience was rewarded when Selman became Tony Palladino’s 350th wicket for the county in all formats and although Marnus Labuschagne upper cut Rampaul for six after tea, he was lbw offering no shot in his next over.Luis Reece was getting the ball to swing and, although David Lloyd twice drove him through the covers for four, the Glamorgan captain got a leading edge to point as he aimed to play through midwicket.Hemphrey was showing the application required and reached his third consecutive championship 50 as he and Root dug in. Root survived a sharp chance to second slip off Hughes on 16 and he made the most of his reprieve by cover driving the all-rounder for three fours in an over on his way to a 61 ball 50. Hemphrey resisted for 259 minutes until he was lbw to a full-length ball from van Beek but Root was unbeaten on 53 at the close.Glamorgan would have expected to keep Derbyshire below 350 after Lukas Carey, who claimed a career-best 4 for 61, struck three times with the second new ball only for Dal and Ravi Rampaul to add 50 for the last wicket.Daniel Douthwaite claimed his second championship wicket when Matt Critchley steered him to second slip before Carey brought one back to bowl Hughes off a glove.Logan van Beek was beaten by a full length ball and when Palladino skied a pull to deep midwicket, a fourth batting point looked unlikely at 328 for 9.But Dal played impressively after being clattered on the helmet and three fours from a Douthwaite over took the home side to 350. Some uncomplicated blows from Rampaul added to Glamorgan’s frustration. Dal was finally bowled by Michael Hogan, but he had given Derbyshire the chance to put Glamorgan under pressure if they could take early wickets.

Temba Bavuma will lead the one-day side while Aiden Markram will be in charge of the four-day team

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2019Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who was sidelined from the World Cup with a fractured thumb, will have a chance to prove his fitness and form when he tours India from August 24 as part of the South Africa A one-day and four-day sides. Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who was a late addition to South Africa’s World Cup roster as Dale Steyn’s replacement, also features in both the squads while the other Hendricks – Reeza – has been named in the one-day squad.Temba Bavuma, who led the Lions to the CSA T20 challenge title last month, will captain the one-day side, while Aiden Markram will be in charge of the four-day side. This A tour might be a good prep for the international hopefuls to get a hang of Indian conditions before they tour the country again later this year with the senior squad.South Africa will play three Tests in India in October this year, with all three games part of the ICC’s new Test Championship.”This is one of the most important South Africa A tours we have planned for some time as it will focus on several important strategic areas,” selection convenor Linda Zondi said. “One of these is to broaden our leadership group and we see both Aiden and Temba playing an important role in this regard. We will be looking at other candidates during the course of the new season.”Another is the opportunity to give some of our senior batsmen the chance to climatise for the Proteas Test match tour to India in October; and a third is to give opportunity to younger players who have earned their chance through outstanding performance at domestic level.”Lutho Sipamla, who made a splash in the inaugural Mzansi Super League with his rapid yorkers and bouncers, and subsequently broke into South Africa’s T20I squad, will look to stake his claim for selection in the other two formats as well on this A tour.All the five one-dayers will be played in Thiruvananthapuram before the action shifts to the four-dayers. Wayanad will host the first four-dayer and Mysuru the second – and last – game of the tour.One-day squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Gihahn Cloete, Junior Dala, Theunis de Bruyn, Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Janneman Malan, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lutho SipamlaFour-day squad: Aiden Markram (capt), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Pieter Malan, Eddie Moore, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Piedt, Rudi Second, Lutho Sipamla, Khaya Zondo

One of Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood could have to make way with their fellow quick looking in irresistible form

Daniel Brettig in Southampton25-Jul-2019Having seen James Pattinson up close, even Australia’s Test match spearhead Pat Cummins can only agree that it may be the touring side’s best option for the Ashes to break up the hegemony of the “big three” he has comprised with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.In a warm-up match billed as little short of bloodsport between the fringe members of the Australian squad, Pattinson has been a standout performer, confirming the danger he can pose when in rhythm with the Dukes ball in English conditions.As arguably the shrewdest bowler in the Australian attack, and recently joint vice-captain to Tim Paine alongside Travis Head, Cummins could not deny the evidence of his eyes after seeing Pattinson at very near his best in Southampton – room must be found for him to return to the Test team, even if it means one of Starc or Hazlewood make way.ALSO READ: Bowlers pose rare conundrum, snapping at the heels of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood“Yeah, potentially. I think we are blessed at the moment with riches,” Cummins said. “As long as I’ve been playing, Patto’s always been around and unfortunately hasn’t had great momentum the last few years. The four of us have been around. Sids [Peter Siddle] has obviously played a lot and done really well over here. We’ve got Tremain, Bird, Neser who have also done really well for Aussie A. It’s a weird one, because everyone’s been bowling beautifully.”It’s going to be tough to whittle that down to five or six for the selectors. But we’ll see what the selectors go with. I like bowling with all of those guys. I’ve done a little bit with all of them. In the five-Test match series in Australia, we played four of them. But it’s very rare that you keep the whole group together for five Tests so whoever it is, everyone’s in form and bowling well. They all get along. So let’s see what happens.”Speaking specifically about Pattinson, who claimed 4 for 35 across 23 overs over two innings in the warm-up game, Cummins said that with all cylinders firing, the 29-year-old was nothing short of world class. “He’s impressive isn’t he? It’s the first time I’ve seen him live in a couple of years,” Cummins said.”You hear from guys playing him in state cricket, and who’ve faced him in the nets, about how well he’s been bowling. When he’s on fire, he looks that class above. His Test record so far is brilliant. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played for a few years.”I haven’t played a lot with him to be honest. In terms of changes, I haven’t seen a lot. I think, if there’s anything, he’s a bit more patient. He still gets fired-up but he’s not trying to blast teams away. He’s confident in his body and getting through 20 overs in a day and just bowling good areas. When he’s up and running, he looks as good as anyone else in the world I reckon.”Cummins was an important if somewhat low profile performer during the World Cup, often taking on the middle overs while Starc dominated the top and tail, but in Test matches he has a far more central role. With Starc off the field to get precautionary scans on a sore knee, Cummins took the new ball in the second innings, responding with the wicket of Joe Burns.”I hadn’t bowled a long spell for quite a while and trying to learn some of the nuances of bowling in Test matches,” he said. “That first spell I think I bowled seven yesterday. It is kind of weird. You start of fresh and then after three or four, you’re hurting a little bit. So just those kinds of things, trying to bowl a few bouncers and get the pace up. It’s nice. I think there’s probably not too many bowlers going around the world who’ll say they prefer one-day cricket.”I’ve always found there’s something a little bit more in the wicket, a little more with the red ball. It seems to swing a bit more and stay hard a bit longer. And I like the contest of bowling 20 overs in a day and trying to outthink batsmen, use your bouncers. There are so many different phases of Test cricket. It’s my favourite form of cricket. You play cricket because you want to influence games and win games. As a bowler, when you’re sitting at home and chuck on the TV you see a swinging Dukes ball, you get pretty excited so we’re here.”Hopefully, we get some wickets where it’s going to swing and seam. I’m excited. I think the last six months we’ve bowled with the white ball, knowing that once we get the Dukes ball, hopefully it will swing a bit more and be able to adjust to that. And after a couple of sessions, I feel like I am where I want to be. We know not every Test match the ball swings around, but you feel like you’re always in the game.”

The BCCI also approved associate membership for Chandigarh’s Union Territory Cricket Association

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2019The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has appointed the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) as the representative body to run cricket in the state, ending a long-standing dispute in which four different associations (later three, with two of them merging) had pushed their claims to be in charge.The CoA order on August 13 came after it constituted an Affiliation Committee, consisting of Saba Karim, the BCCI general manger, and Anshuman Gaekwad. On the basis of their report, the CoA determined that CAU was the best placed to take charge of cricket affairs. The CAU will have to comply with the Supreme Court judgment of August 9, 2018, and file a compliance certificate with the CoA, appoint an electoral officer, and conduct elections in accordance with the approved constitution on or before September 14.With the infighting among associations, the BCCI had constituted a Uttarakhand Cricket Consensus Committee headed by Ratnakar Shetty to run cricket affairs in the state last year, when Uttarakhand made its debut in domestic cricket. The players did exceptionally well on the field, not losing a single game in the Plate Group and qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Vidarbha. Their showing earned them a promotion, and they will be in Group C this year.The four associations who each staked claim for BCCI recognition were United Cricket Association (UTCA), Uttaranchal Cricket Association (UCA) and Uttarakhand Cricket Association (UKCA), apart from the CAU. In September 2017, UTCA merged with CAU, making it a three-horse race. That was narrowed to two associations – UCA and CAU – with the CoA stating that the documents provided by UKCA to the Affiliate Committee proved “grossly inadequate” to make a fair assessment of the association’s ability to run cricket in the state. The CoA also said the infighting within UKCA showed that promoting cricket appeared to be a “secondary objective” for UKCA.While the Affiliation Committee did not make any recommendation between the two remaining associations (UCA and CAU), the CoA leaned towards CAU due to their superior revenue generation. The CAU’s aggregate revenue from the financial years 2005-06 to 2017-18 was INR 25,980,456, while that of UCA was only INR 1,084,028. The CoA found this to be a significant difference in the ability of both associations to carry out cricketing activities in the state, and awarded membership to CAU.However, the CoA also noted that as per the report prepared by Karim and Gaekwad, UCA had much better administrative infrastructure, more professional management, better connect with former cricketers, and had their documents in order – all of which were lacking in CAU.The Affiliation Committee also granted associate membership of the BCCI to the Union Territory Cricket Association (UTCA), which allows teams from Chandigarh to participate in the 2019-20 domestic season across age groups. Former India bowler VRV Singh will coach the senior men’s team.The BCCI had approved UTCA’s affiliation on August 1, after scrutinising affiliation claims from three organisations: the UTCA, the Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to Punjab Cricket Association) and the Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to Haryana Cricket Association).VRV Singh, who represented Punjab during his playing career, welcomed the move, saying it would be “immensely helpful” for young cricketers based in the union territory, and was excited about his role as coach.”It is a great feeling that Chandigarh will be featuring in the Ranji Trophy for the first time and it will also be my first coaching assignment. I am really looking forward to it,” he told .

The fast bowler nearly took a hat-trick against India and now wants his team-mates to just bat out the two days left and win the Sabina Park Test

Aishwarya Kumar at Sabina Park02-Sep-20191:36

Bowling unit is satisfied with our performance so far – Roach

Two balls. Two edges. Two catches for the wicketkeeper. Kemar Roach had taken out the struggling KL Rahul for 6 and Virat Kohli for the fourth duck of his Test career.

‘Cornwall has a great future for West Indies’ – Roach

The West Indies bowlers bowled 54.4 overs on the third day, with Roach and captain Jason holder sharing 21.4 of them. The longest spell, though, was by debutant offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall. He finished with match figures of 64-17-173-3.
“I thought he bowled really well today and the whole Test match for sure,” Roach said. “Trying conditions against Indian batsmen who are very good against spin. I thought he did a fantastic job holding one end, creating some pressure and allowed the guys on the other end to get the wickets. I think he belongs, I think he has a great future for the West Indies, I hope he stays on and continue to do great things for us.”

And when Ajinkya Rahane edges the hat-trick ball towards the stumps, Roach is sure the ball is going to hit. But it doesn’t. It misses by an inch and the fast bowler slumps to the ground. He sits there for a long moment unable to believe his luck.”Of course!” Roach exclaimed when asked if, for a second, he thought he’d got the hat-trick. “Inside edge and missing the stumps – a bit unlucky, but I am pretty happy with what happened. It was a good feeling. Obviously, the Indian batting line-up is very strong, so to be on a hat-trick against those guys is obviously a good feeling. I’d have liked to get it, but a little more luck the next time it hits on the stumps and it will go my way, but I am pretty happy for what happened.”I think as a bowling group, there is satisfaction in how we have done so far. Kudos to the guys. Happy for myself to be, obviously, be among some of the greats, so it’s a great achievement for me as well.”The focus is on West Indies’ batting now with India setting them a massive 468 to win. But Roach has a plan. “There is more than enough time,” he said. “Two days left in the Test match. bat. Nothing more to be said about that. The guys haven’t had a good score in this Test series so far, so it’s about just applying themselves and going out there and being positive and put some runs on the board.”West Indies can take heart in conditions becoming a little better for batsmen, but Roach said it would still be a challenge with bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma conjuring near-perfect deliveries.”It’s flattened out a bit more. It’s not as bouncy as it was the first couple of days,” he said. “There is still enough there for the bowlers. Still have to apply yourself as a batsman and have to grind and get that score, but I think once you get in it gets way easier – so it’s all about the guys being positive and grinding and obviously getting the score.”Kemar Roach reacts with relief after getting Mayank Agarwal out lbw•Getty Images

Roach is eager to help out in that regard as well. “Yeah, obviously I am pretty confident with the bat recently. Just backing my ability, trust my talent and go there and hit the ball. I have been doing it pretty well and pretty proud of that. I just keep it simple for me – I know my shots and I just wait for the balls to come in that area.”Speaking about the West Indies bowling unit including his relationship with captain Jason Holder and Shannon Gabriel, Roach felt they had been performing exceptionally well in the last two years, and were communicating well as a unit.”I think it’s about bowling in partnerships. I think all teams do that – the Indian team does that very good as well,” Roach said. “I think with us we have been together for a while, so we understand each other, so we understand when it’s time for us to hold and when it’s time for us to attack and give yourself a break and let someone else get involved. I think we have been doing it very well, we are very in sync, and we are communicating very well with what we want to do.”I think the trick about it we stick together a lot, communicate very well, so we know what we are about, what roles we have to play when it comes to certain sessions, so our clarity is very clear when it comes to bowling. So, I think that’s what has been working for us for the last two years. If we stick together and stand apart, I think we have big things coming for us in the next couple of Test matches.”

Tasmania lose 6 for 12 in 16 balls chasing the bonus point to gift Victoria the game after Ben McDermott’s 78 had put them on the brink of a comfortable win

Alex Malcolm23-Sep-2019A staggering, scarcely believable, collapse from Tasmania, who lost 6 for 12 in 16 balls, handed defending champions Victoria their first win of the Marsh Cup at the WACA.Tasmania needed 14 to win with six wickets in hand at the start of the 39th over with Ben McDermott cruising on 71 not out and Beau Webster 20 not out. But they elected to chase a different equation with a bonus point on offer for reaching the target inside 40 overs. Webster holed out trying to loft Chris Tremain over mid-off although McDermott remained composed thumping a huge six to reduce the equation to five runs from six balls for the bonus point.However, that composure disappeared in the blink of an eye. James Faulkner upper cut Jackson Coleman straight to third man with the first ball of the 40th over then McDermott advanced down the pitch next ball and skied a top edge to mid-off. Three balls and two nervy singles later, Gurinder Sandhu sliced high to cover where Matt Short took an outstanding diving catch.Then with three runs to win, Jackson Bird was given out caught down the leg side off Tremain but he furiously gestured that it came off his pad. Riley Meredith pinched a single with his first ball only for debutant Nathan Ellis to be given out lbw next ball. The lbw looked high and a touch leg side to the naked eye and Ellis could not believe he was given out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Victoria will feel they got out of jail they were bowled out for 185. Ellis bagged three wickets to back up the excellent work upfront from and Jackson Bird, who took two wickets apiece with the two new balls.Despite the result, the decision to bat first may well be one Peter Handscomb regrets as the ball nipped and swung on a fresh surface with the early start. Victoria compounded the tricky conditions with some loose shots to slump to 5 for 64. But they were fortunate not to have sunk further into the mire as Tasmania dropped a host of relatively straight-forward chances.Glenn Maxwell rode his luck in a 45-run stand with Short to steady the innings somewhat but a strange shot off Ellis handed the debutant his first wicket as he just glided a ball too close to late cut to the keeper.Will Sutherland played an excellent hand to showcase his all-round skills and help Victoria avoid being bundled out for under 150. He made his first half-century in List A cricket before he was the last man out with 13 balls left in the innings. He added two wickets with the ball and was a worthy Player of the Match.Tasmania were cautious in their chase but McDermott was able score freely enough, despite losing both Caleb Jewell and Alex Doolan cheaply, with a series of useful stands through the middle order.The game was dead and buried until the lure of the bonus point opened the door. Victoria did not so much barge through, as Tasmania invited them in, offered them a seat, and politely handed them the game.

The fast bowler physically attacked Arafat Sunny Jr during a National Cricket league game in Khulna

Mohammad Isam19-Nov-2019Shahadat Hossain, the Bangladeshi fast bowler, has been banned for five years, with two years suspended, following an incident during a National Cricket League (NCL) game in Khulna when he physically assaulted team-mate Arafat Sunny Jr on the field.The 33-year-old Dhaka Division player was withdrawn from the game against Khulna Division after allegedly hitting Sunny, apparently following an argument about shining the ball – Sunny refused to shine the ball for the paceman. Those who saw the incident said it needed the Dhaka players’ intervention to restrain Hossain.His actions amounted to a Level 4 offence and he was handed a fine of BDT 100,000 (USD 1200 approx.) by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.The NCL’s technical committee made the decision on Tuesday afternoon, leaving Shahadat with a chance to appeal against the penalty by November 26.”We have banned Shahadat Hossain for five years with two years of suspended sentence,” Minhajul Abedin, the chief selector who is part of the NCL’s committee, said after their meeting in Dhaka. “He can appeal by November 26. He has been reported with a Level 4 offence, based upon which the technical committee took the decision.”What he did was very unfortunate. These incidents keep happening. BCB has a zero-tolerance policy for these things. No player will be spared. We have considered his previous history before taking this decision. It should serve as an example for all cricketers.”Meanwhile, according to local newspaper reports, Dhaka pacer Mohammad Shahid could also be punished, after it emerged that he had been mentioned in the match officials’ report for starting the scrap with Sunny. Shahid has reportedly admitted to his guilt.Hossain, who has played 38 Tests, 51 ODIs and six T20Is between 2005 and 2015, hasn’t been in the national frame since he was arrested in 2015 for beating up his domestic help, which led to a temporary suspension.

Thumping victory at Napier gives visitors the edge as Auckland’s short boundaries promise more fireworks

The Preview by Andrew Miller09-Nov-2019

Big picture

It’s all up for grabs now! As if we haven’t found it hard enough to separate England and New Zealand on the field in recent months, so it has fittingly come to pass that the first five-match T20I series between senior Test nations is coming down to a winners-takes-all tie-breaker as well.England 2, New Zealand 2. And only the decider at Auckland to come. You can’t say you haven’t been entertained by these two teams of late.Okay, so it’s not the World Cup final. But there’s a special jeopardy attached to games such as these – with a series on the line and that extra pressure to perform – that will doubtless encourage the matchwinners on either side to tap into their A-games. With the World T20 only a year away, performances in contests such as these may be precisely what both captains are looking for as they finalise their 15s and separate the contenders from the also-rans.And England, all of a sudden, are the team that is seemingly on a roll. Momentum is a fickle and over-rated thing at the best of times, particularly in the shortest format, but the bug-squashing dominance that England’s batsmen exerted on Napier’s short boundaries on Friday was a sight to behold.

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In Dawid Malan, they were presented with a statement performance – a century of stunning power and no little frustration, as a man who has been flitting around the fringes of the white-ball squad for three years seized his chance to shine in the absence of the big three, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.Remarkably, his innings of 103 not out from 51 balls may not yet be enough to guarantee a starting berth in England’s full-strength line-up. But in taking his T20I record to five fifties and a hundred in nine innings, he is making the sort of unanswerable case that Jonny Bairstow compiled in the 50-over squad prior to the World Cup. And that, more than anything, is what England were looking on this trip.Can they now close it out and seal the silverware that remains the aim of every touring side, regardless of developmental priorities? New Zealand never really regrouped after their beasting in the field on Friday, but just as Malan and James Vince had hinted at their form in the earlier matches, so too do the Kiwis have a raft of players who’ve got their eye in in the course of the first four matches. Martin Guptill is getting there, Colin de Grandhomme can never be discounted, Tim Southee’s savage range-hitting also hit the spot.But on the bowling front, England will have been every bit as encouraged by the progress they have made on this trip. Chris Jordan’s know-how with new ball and old has been a stand-out feature of every game he has played, and while Matt Parkinson’s legspin endured a few lusty blows over the leg-side, Eoin Morgan is sure to have been encouraged by his wicket-taking gumption – five in six overs in his career to date.Auckland’s awkward dimensions promise another batsman’s game – in particular the short fine-leg/long-off boundary that turns any error in line and length into a freebie. And if it’s anything like the tri-series bunfight against Australia 18 months ago – 243 v 245 – we are in for a treat. And for England fans with nothing better to do this weekend, it’s almost worth getting up in the middle of the night to pay attention…

Form guide

England WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWLL

In the spotlight

It’s been a promising first tour from Tom Banton but Malan’s exploits in Napier have raised the bar for those who hope to crack into the full-strength team in time for next year’s World Cup. He is one day shy of his 21st birthday, so to say that time is on his side is an understatement – and a return of 49 runs from 31 balls in two innings is significantly better than par – but as he showed in seizing the Royal London final for Somerset last summer, there’s more to come from this one. No time like the present to show it.Where’s he really at then? Martin Guptill endured a hellish World Cup, not remotely helped by his cruel role in the decisive moment in the Super Over, but in the course of this series, he’s been swinging back into the zone. The runs haven’t come in a torrent, but the tap looks ready to be turned back on again – as his 27 from 14 balls in Napier hinted. His levers can make a mockery of Auckland’s dimensions, given half a chance.

Team news

It was a chastening day at Napier for New Zealand’s bowlers, not least Daryl Mitchell, whose solitary over was dispatched for 25 runs, and the temptation to mix things up will be extreme. But with Lockie Ferguson’s wicket-taking menace now concentrating on red-ball cricket with a view to a possible Test debut, New Zealand may opt for a return to Scott Kuggeleijn’s extra pace, or the crafty all-round seam option of Jimmy Neesham.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Blair Tickner /Scott KuggeleijnAfter his second TFC of the series, Lewis Gregory might be sweating on his role as England’s designated finisher, although England may be loath to change a winning side, especially if the circumstances offer a chance to truly test his mettle if an opportunity arises. James Vince probably deserves one more chance to show what he’s got after a couple of classy cameos, but the allure of silverware may limit the tinkering. Malan certainly hoped he had given Morgan a “headache”, having only expected to play in the first four games.England (possible): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 Dawid Malan/James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat Brown

Pitch and conditions

Known locally as the “postage stamp”, Auckland offers another drop-in wicket of indeterminate quality, and little respite for error.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won just one of their last seven T20I matches at Auckland, against Sri Lanka in January.
• England have won each of their two previous T20Is at the ground too, by 32 runs in 2008, and by 40 runs in 2013, when Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow made 84 runs from 48 balls between them.
• Tim Southee requires one wicket to become the eighth man to claim 75 T20I wickets.
• Colin Munro requires five runs to draw level with Kane Williamson’s run-tally of 1,505 for New Zealand in T20Is. Munro has played two more games (59 to 57), though Williamson has batted once more often.

Quotes

“I don’t think you can let there be any scarring. You don’t completely sweep it under the carpet and you’ve got to learn from these experiences, but also you dust yourself off and there’s a series to be won in Auckland.” New Zealand’s captain, Tim Southee is looking ahead rather than back“That’s probably why I chanced my arm; I thought if this is the last one I’d better make it count. Thankfully it came off, a few mis-hits went for six and a couple of them just landed in gaps so it worked out really well.”

Nomination announced by Ed Sheeran ahead of live ceremony on December 15

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2019Ben Stokes looks set to miss England’s opening warm-up match of their tour of South Africa next month, in order to attend the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, which takes place in Aberdeen on December 15.Stokes, who is currently in New Zealand with the England Test team, was one of six nominees for the main award, and is the bookmakers’ favourite to lift the trophy after a remarkable year that was capped by his man-of-the-match-winning performance in England’s World Cup final victory over New Zealand.He also produced one of the greatest Test innings of all time against Australia at Headingley in August, scoring 135 not out to secure a thrilling one-wicket win.Writing on Twitter after hearing of his nomination, Stokes said: “Overwhelmed by this and buzzing to be nominated. 2019 has been so good. There are so many people to thank for helping me receive this nomination. Congrats to all the other nominees. Looking forward to being in Aberdeen on the 15th.” Stokes was the first of six nominees to be unveiled, for an award that dates back to 1954. The others were the Great Britain athletes Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, both of whom won gold at the recent World Championships in Doha; the Wales rugby captain Alun Wyn Jones, the formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, and Manchester City and England’s Raheem Sterling.The award has been won on five previous occasions by a cricketer, most recently by Andrew Flintoff following his Ashes-winning heroics in 2005. Jim Laker (1956), David Steele (1975) and Ian Botham (1981) are the other cricketers to have won the public vote that honours the outstanding British sportsman of the year.The musician Ed Sheeran revealed the nomination via a video on Twitter, having attended several England matches in the course of the summer.”Hey Ben Stokes, you are a Sports Personality of the Year nominee, congratulations,” said Sheeran. “I think you should win because you are a World Cup winner and you had one of the most amazing performances in the World Cup final, and just one month later you scored 135 not out to level England in the Ashes, and you were also England’s top scorer with 441.”England begin their tour of South Africa with a two-day warm-up in Benoni on December 17, meaning that Stokes would have less than 24 hours to acclimatise were he to fly out to South Africa on the morning after the awards ceremony. The first Test gets underway at Centurion on December 26.