England bounced back from the Trent Bridge defeat with mature performances in the last two Tests and with the Ashes on the horizon, Joe Root is keen to harness that attitude consistently

George Dobell at Old Trafford08-Aug-20171:54

Root hails England options in SA series win

As the champagne flowed in Manchester, the pain of defeat at Trent Bridge might have seemed long ago and far away.But it was that pain that inspired arguably the best back-to-back performances England have put together in Test cricket since they defeated Australia in Birmingham and then Nottingham to go 3-1 up in the 2015 Ashes. It was the knowledge that England had not done themselves justice at Trent Bridge that motivated them to play some of the most consistent, tough and mature cricket they have put together since the Andrew Strauss-Andy Flower era took them to No. 1 in the world rankings in 2011.It’s worth reflecting on that Trent Bridge performance for a moment. While it was the result, in the main, of an outstanding performance from South Africa, England were also culpable for some soft, naïve cricket.And nobody was more culpable than Joe Root or Moeen Ali. Both fell to loose – even reckless – strokes in England’s first innings. And while some of their team-mates fell in more defensive fashion, they did nothing to suggest they had developed an understanding of how to pace a Test innings. With two spinners and four seamers, England looked poorly balanced and heavily over-reliant upon two or three players for the bulk of their runs.Some of those issues remain. However, in the two Tests since Trent Bridge, Ben Stokes and Root have provided the mature performances required of the senior players they have become in this side, while Alastair Cook provided key contributions at the top of the order.Not only did England play better at The Oval and Old Trafford, but they also played smarter, tougher, more mature cricket that showed they had learned the lessons from that Nottingham defeat, and that they possessed the hunger and commitment to complement their flair. We already knew Stokes and Root could play devastating, attacking innings. But, over the last couple of games, they have also shown they can play patient, calculated knocks that take into account the quality of the opposition and the demands of the surface. Stokes contributed 224 runs in the final two Tests and Root 180.That is an encouraging development. While previous England teams have reacted to defeat in a variety of ways – resignation (India), denial (Pakistan) and scape-goating (West Indies and Australia) – this unit concluded that if they wanted to avoid such sensations in the future, they had to improve. So they accepted the criticism and demanded more from themselves. There is still a lot of work to do before this team can emulate the success of the Strauss-Flower era, but such honesty and desire to improve bode well.”That’s the most impressive thing,” Root said after victory in Manchester. “The way we’ve responded to a difficult week in Nottingham has been very pleasing.”That week wasn’t much fun. It would have been very easy to sit back and sulk, but we knuckled down and worked hard and came back with a really strong response. Hopefully, that is something we can harness and learn from.”Much of England’s success this series can be attributed to the sense of responsibility exhibited by the senior players collectively•AFPRoot is the first to admit he is fortunate to inherit a team with a couple of unusually strong components. The primary constituent is that he leads a side containing two experienced and skilful seamers. The fact that James Anderson came through four Tests in succession – and finished the series with a lower bowling average, 14.10, than Moeen – is hugely encouraging for England, while Stuart Broad bowled some way better than his figures suggest. In conditions offering assistance, either off the seam or in the air, they remain highly valuable performers. “They’re fabulous,” Root said afterwards. “They’ve done it for years and hopefully they can do it for many more.”Most of all, though, he enjoys the presence of at least two outstanding allrounders in Moeen and Stokes. It is similar to two of England’s better captains of recent times – Mike Brearley and Michael Vaughan – who owe their reputations, in part, to their good fortune in having fine allrounders – Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff respectively – in their sides. In Root’s case, when you add Chris Woakes to the mix – and England surely will within a few weeks – the captain is blessed with a team containing depth with both bat and ball.”It’s a great position to be in,” Root smiled. “We have a few wonderful allrounders in the side.”I said at the start of this series, it was a great opportunity for guys who had played 30-plus Tests to stand up and become senior players. Moeen has taken that on and put in some brilliant performances.”But holes remain. Most pertinently, Keaton Jennings has been unable to take his opportunity at the top of the order, while Dawid Malan has looked uncertain at No. 5 in his few opportunities to date. It is too early to come to any firm conclusions over Tom Westley (or Malan, really), but he has looked the most assured of the new batsmen in the side. With an Ashes series now just round the corner, England want far more certainty in such positions.Perhaps that’s the most encouraging aspect of this victory for England. They have defeated the No. 2-ranked Test side home and away within a couple of years and they have done it without establishing an opening partner for Alastair Cook or settling upon two other places in the top five. It suggests that, if they can fill those holes, there is considerably more to come from them as a side. It will not have gone unnoticed by the selectors that, around the county game on Monday, Haseeb Hameed, Alex Hales and Woakes were scoring runs.”It’s been hard work for the guys at the top of the order,” Root said. “We have batted first on wickets that have done quite a lot. Scores of 20 or 30 have been worth double that. It has been a tough school for guys at the top of the order.”We have three more Tests before we go to Australia and that will be an opportunity for whoever gets the chance to play. Whether that is Jennings or someone else, we will have to wait and see.”This is the start of something. It’s going to take time to develop if we want to be more consistent and make sure we keep challenging the best teams in the world; we are going to have to continue to look to improve individually and as a side. We have to harness that mentality that we’ve had in the back end of the series and repeat it over and over again.”We can’t just be happy with where we are.”That may turn out to be the theme of Root’s captaincy. Even in the wake of a significant success, even when others might be bathing in plaudits, Root is urging his team on to more. Relaxed yet demanding; calm yet urgent; delighted though unfulfilled: this has been an assured start to Root’s period as captain. If they can resolve those top-order batting issues, there’s no reason he should not lead them to more success in the future.

Tom Westley? Ben Foakes? Liam Plunkett…? There are several question marks over the make up of touring party as England prepare to name their Ashes squad

George Dobell26-Sep-2017

Top three

It says much for the fortunes of Alastair Cook’s partners in recent times that Mark Stoneman, with one half-century and an average of 30.00 from three Tests, is seen as a certainty for selection. But with his rivals for the position struggling for form (such as Keaton Jennings, who has a top score of 17 since he was dropped from the Test side) or fitness (such as Nick Gubbins, who currently has a hamstring injury) or, in the case of Haseeb Hameed, both, there is not the competition for places the selectors would have desired. As a result, there may be a temptation to forego the option of a third specialist opener. But with options for No. 3 – notably Tom Westley and Gary Ballance – having struggled, too, it remains unclear which way the selectors will go. Trevor Bayliss has previously suggested England will rely on someone with recent international experience, which might seem encouraging to the likes of Sam Robson, who has averaged 40.89 in Division One this season, but Joe Denly, who plays the short ball well and has scored more than 1,100 first-class runs at an average in excess of 60 in Division Two this summer, might also be worth a look.On the plane: Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman
Waiting by the phone: Keaton Jennings, Tom Westley
Outsiders: Haseeb Hameed, Sam Robson, Joe Denly, Nick Gubbins, Rory BurnsDawid Malan flicks through the leg side•Getty Images

Middle order

Rarely can an England side have left for Australia with so many unanswered questions over its top five. With Joe Root apparently keen to remain at No. 4 and Ben Stokes cemented in at No. 6 (pending the investigation into his arrest in Bristol), the battle for the No. 5 position is hugely competitive. Dawid Malan, with two half-centuries in his eight Test innings to date, is likely to make the trip, with Ballance – prolific in the early weeks of the Championship season – also pushing hard. Both could also bat at No. 3. Alex Hales has a decent average, but it has been boosted by a double-century against Derbyshire and some doubts remain about his ability to play the pace anticipated in Australia, while James Vince has been tipped in some quarters. Of the outside bets, few have a ‘ceiling’ as high as Liam Livingstone. But he did himself few favours in his brief elevation to international cricket during the T20 with South Africa when he seemed a little rattled by the big occasion and it may well make the selectors reluctant to risk him in Australia. Had Ian Bell shown even a semblance of his best form, England would surely have recalled him. A Championship average in the 20s is not especially persuasive, though.On the plane: Joe Root, Ben Stokes
Waiting by the phone: Gary Ballance, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Alex Hales
Outsiders: Ian Bell, Liam Livingstone, Sam Northeast, Dan Lawrence

Wicketkeepers

It seems all but certain that Ben Foakes will be promoted to tour as Jonny Bairstow’s deputy. It is an ascent that has long been expected and might be considered due reward for another season of polished keeping and decent run-scoring. He is averaging 45.33 in the Championship this season and could well have made it as a specialist batsman. It might have been worth considering the man who is (more often than not) winning the gloves at Lancashire ahead of Jos Buttler, though. Alex Davies is not only an accomplished keeper, but he can also open the batting. He has scored 842 runs in the Championship season at an average of 40.09 and, as another option at the top of the order, might be considered more versatile than Foakes. Buttler, averaging 17.16 for Lancashire in first-class cricket this season, has hardly given himself a chance to impress and increasingly looks like a white-ball specialist.On the plane: Jonny Bairstow
Waiting by the phone: Ben Foakes
Outsiders: Jos Buttler, Alex DaviesMark Wood endured a frustrating day•Getty Images

Seamers

With Toby Roland-Jones injured, England’s first choice attack for Brisbane almost picks itself: Stokes will join James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, with Moeen Ali to bowl spin. But England need back-up in case of injury. While they would love to take a fully fit and firing Mark Wood, they may be reluctant to risk him after another summer that has done nothing to refute the suggestion that his body cannot stand the strain of regular first-class cricket. Jake Ball and Craig Overton may lack his top pace, but they are skilful and reliable and, in the case of Overton, can bat a bit, too. Liam Plunkett has had an impressive year in white-ball cricket for England, while Steven Finn took a season’s-best eight-wicket haul at Lord’s last week. Several young, quick bowlers – the likes of Jamie Overton (who has almost recovered from his stress fracture), Olly Stone and perhaps Josh Tongue – might also make it to Australia as part of the Lions squad and could be drafted into the Ashes party as required.On the plane: James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes
Waiting by the phone: Mark Wood, Jake Ball, Craig Overton, Steven Finn
Outsiders: Liam Plunkett, Jamie Porter

Spinners

With England unlikely to play two spinners in many of the Tests, it could be they take Mason Crane to gain experience. But if Moeen should suffer an injury, they may still be reluctant to go into a Test with a 20-year-old legspinner as their only slow-bowling option. So it might make sense to take a spinner they can rely upon to bowl 20 overs a day if necessary and one who could exploit any assistance should it occur. For that reason, Jack Leach must warrant consideration. Liam Dawson and Samit Patel might also be considered as defensive spinners who could add with the bat.On the plane: Moeen Ali
Waiting by the phone: Mason Crane, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, Liam Dawson
Outsiders: Samit Patel

The Delhi batsman opens up on Gautam Gambhir’s mentorship, lessons learnt at Mumbai Indians, mindset changes and success amid internal turmoil within the Delhi set-up

Akshay Gopalakrishnan24-Nov-2017BCCIDelhi was in the middle of turmoil, both on and off the field, during your debut season in 2015-16. How did you thrive in that kind of environment?
As a newcomer, I was fresh. I didn’t have much to lose and everything to gain. I got a lot of experience. I made two fifties, I guess, and one hundred. In my last innings against Karnataka, I scored a century.I spoke to my seniors to learn how to convert my fifties into hundreds, and they told me a simple thing: ‘When you were playing junior cricket, you got a certain quality of bowlers, and you could play them all day. But at the higher levels, like the Ranji Trophy, if the opposition has five bowlers, each of them will be of the same quality, so concentration levels need to be a lot stronger to score hundreds.’My previous Ranji season wasn’t great. In my first match, I made 150 [146 v Assam], but after that I flopped completely and didn’t get a single fifty. These tough times are when I learned a lot, more than the good times.Did you have good people to guide you?
Absolutely. My coach, my father and mother… there was a time last year when I got dropped from the Delhi side, before the IPL. I stopped believing in myself and doubted if I could make it at this level. Then, my family, coaches and the friends closest to me helped a lot. They made me believe that I am the same Nitish Rana of two or three years back and that I can make it.When I got dropped, there were hardly 10 days between the last match and the IPL. So I got called up for the camp 10 days early. For three or four days, I did not lay a hand on a bat because I was so frustrated that I thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to bat. I will go straight to the IPL and see’.I then spoke to Gautam [Gautam Gambhir] and my parents and my coach, and lots of things came out of it. There was a technical flaw that Gautam corrected. By the time I went to the IPL, a lot had changed in my batting. When Mahela Jayawardene [Mumbai Indians’ coach] saw my batting and compared it to the previous year, he asked me how I had managed to make such a major change. I told him about the poor season I endured and the help I received from Gautam and asked him if it was fine. He told me that he had received a DVD of my batting a couple of months back, and when he saw the change from the previous season, it was exactly what he had wanted to correct.Knowing that the effort I had put in before the season was working gave me confidence. If everyone wanted me to implement those changes, obviously it meant good for me. As I played more matches in the IPL, I grew in confidence, because things that had been going wrong in the previous season were now slowly falling in place.

“I am not the kind that would go and talk to every other person about my technique, but I know that even if I call Gautam at 2am to speak about a problem, he will stand up for me. That holds a lot of importance for me.

What were those technical changes?
My stance was a bit too side-on, as a result of which I couldn’t see the ball until the end. So Gautam made me open up a bit and also asked me to work on my backlift. I haven’t made too many major changes to my batting ever, but I felt then that it was the time to change things a bit.IPL 2017 was a sparkling season for you. What did you learn from it?
Before the IPL, I didn’t even know I had the ability to be a powerful striker. But going there and observing others around me hitting the ball, I gradually started developing the same.Who helped you in that process?
My coach, Sanjay Bharadwaj. But most importantly, with the amount of local cricket that happens in Delhi, if I get out today, there is another match waiting for me tomorrow. So I never had the fear of failure. Even if there was fear, knowing that I had another chance coming my way the next day alleviated it. So I started doing new things in every match I played. Eventually, they became ingrained into my system. But had so many matches not been happening, and had I taken these things straight from practising in the nets to the IPL, things would have been very different and very difficult.BCCIYou played a crucial role for Mumbai Indians at No. 3 this year. What did the management expect from you?
I was just asked to enjoy my game because I am young. Had they put too much pressure on me, I probably wouldn’t have done as well. I was just told to back myself and play my natural game. I did that and I was in my zone for the first few matches. In one match, I scored a fifty or something against Kolkata Knight Riders, a match which Hardik [Pandya] and I won. Till the 18th over, I didn’t even know what the team score was, I was so much in my zone. What was happening around me made no difference to me. As a T20 game progresses, your heartbeat goes up and you feel tensed, but I felt no such thing. I was batting so freely in the trust that at some point, something or the other will work in my favour. That belief was very important.The highs of the debut Ranji season were followed by patches of inconsistency in subsequent ones. How did you overcome it?
From what I have realised, I was overthinking. And it also had to do with circumstances and the people around me. People were forcefully pointing out the flaws in me, so I was caught up in myself. I was so trapped within myself that I wasn’t able to concentrate. If I have to be honest with you, when I was batting last year, I couldn’t see the ball. I was practically batting blindly. That is exactly what I discussed with Gautam , and with Sachin sir [Sachin Tendulkar] and Mahela Jayawardene after going to the IPL. Speaking to them cleared up my mind, and I realised, “Right, if they have played cricket this way, why don’t I try the same?” Doing that, I noticed that I was at a lot more ease with my game.You were dropped from Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in controversial circumstances last season. Gautam Gambhir had a tiff with coach KP Bhaskar, because he felt youngsters were being made to feel insecure. Did you feel that way?
No, because I had enough belief in my ability to know that a bad phase was due. But, yes, the help I received from people around me was very important. The technical aspect is fine, but mentally, the way my family, friends and coach helped me was very important. Had I not spoken to those people, it would have made it difficult for me to get back into that zone.What has Gambhir’s overall influence been on your career?
He has been a huge influence. Me and Gautam are from the same club, so the first time I held a bat, he was batting at a net in front of me. And he was such a big name when I was young. I have been seeing him since childhood, whatever I have learned has been from him. I am not the kind that would go and talk to every other person about my technique, but I know that even if I call Gautam at 2am to speak about a problem, he will stand up for me. That holds a lot of importance for me.What are your goals this domestic season?
The first year I played, I had just one hundred, and in the second year, too, I got only one hundred. That is what I am trying to develop: how to convert those fifties and sixties into hundreds. I just want to make as many big scores as I can. That is something I am learning and trying to adopt. I don’t know how it will happen, but until I don’t try it won’t happen. So that’s my goal: if I am playing, I play a big innings, because all around me, I see every other person is scoring a 200 or a 300. I, too, want to do the same: the day I bat, I bat big.What is the work that’s going in to achieve that?
One or two years back, I was young and immature. When I used to bat, till 40 or 50, I used to feel like I have to keep going. But as soon as I crossed 50, I used to relax and play the wrong shots. Whenever I have spoken to Gautam or any other senior, they have all told me to play one ball at a time. That’s where my effort has been. Even if I’m batting at 150 or 300, I have all eyes on the ball I am about to face, and not the previous one or the one after that.

For a few years, D’Arcy Short had lost his way. Western Australia coach Justin Langer had even told him to lose weight and take cricket seriously. His cricket looks pretty damn serious now

Jarrod Kimber10-Jan-2018The ball is short and wide, but it’s not as short and wide as you think. D’Arcy Short has arched his back, making him lower and closer to leg. He has forced the ball to be short and wide, as he has slapped an uppercut. The ball flies over backward point for six.It’s Short’s first real six on the off side this year. He’s leading the Big Bash League in sixes. He is six runs away from Shaun Marsh’s all-time BBL record of 412 runs. Marsh made his in nine games, at a strike rate of 128.This season, Short has made 406 runs from 254 balls, at a strike rate of 160, from six games. On Wednesday, he broke the BBL record score with 122 not out.In the last over of Hurricanes’ innings, Short played and missed at the first ball, he top-edged over the keeper’s head for six. Then he hit the next ball 97 metres, and the next one 86. Six, six, six.There was a fight for Short. Hurricanes thought they’d signed him, Perth believed he’d committed to them, Cricket Australia decided that Hurricanes was his team. Last year, that looked annoying for Perth as Short started with 61 from 29. In another game at Bellerive Oval, he put a ball on the roof, but it felt like it was hit out of Tasmania. He made another 60 that night. But Short’s early impact slowed, and by the end of the year, he only made 198 runs at 25, despite striking at 163.A similar thing happened with Short’s career, he was once a promising junior, still playing in Northern Territory until he was 19. After going to Western Australia in his early 20s, he played in the futures league for Western Australia. He also played Imparja cricket, as Short is an indigenous Australian. But then he lost his way for a few years. WA coach Justin Langer told him to lose weight (he lost 15 kilograms) and take cricket seriously. His cricket looks pretty damn serious now.That’s because while he was decent and exciting last year, this season he’s scored 34, 15, 97, 96 and 42 coming into the game against the Heat. Short has gone from being a forgotten journeyman to the hottest unsigned prospect, then to the most destructive force in the Big Bash in a season and a half. He’ll be bigger than Elvis by this time next year if his career keeps going like this.Wednesday night was pure showbiz.Do you want to hear about the over he hit three straight boundaries from backward point to cover? It didn’t seem to matter that the field was packed there.Two top-edged sixes over the keeper’s head, both of them seemed as powerful as any controlled shot. Short’s hands go so quickly through the ball that for an edge to find a fielder seems lucky.The one time an edge from Short stayed inside the field, it went higher than any building in Brisbane. Joe Burns got under it, but it’s re-entry into earth’s atmosphere was too much, and he dropped it. By this point Short was already 60 off 36, he would go on to more than double it.When the Powerplay ended, Hobart were 56, at 9.3 an over, both the other two batsmen were scoring at slower than a run-a-ball, Short 36 from 17. When Wade and Short’s 50-run partnership came up, Wade had 12. On the microphone Heat captain, Brendon McCullum, joked about getting him off strike.Instead, Short faced more than half the balls. And you got a real show of what kind of batsman he was. A flat bat four over mid-on – that was unnecessarily vicious – meant McCullum changed the field, bringing up the third man. So next ball, Short backed away to a full straight ball to score another boundary through backward point. He was brutal and smart. And he’d been told by Gary Kirsten to bat long into the innings, and he batted right to the end.Then he came on to bowl. Fast, reasonably accurate left-arm wristspin, which has probably been under-used this season, but it’s quite the extra bow. 
Short dismissed the Heat’s top-scorer, Sam Heazlett, with a straight ball. He took 1 for 20, and never went for a boundary, which is huge in a high-scoring game. Short thinks he could be a potential allrounder. At the rate he improves, no one would bet against him. 

He batted the entire innings, bowled all four overs, he even had to wait for a lost Tasmanian scribe for his presser, and still went off to sign autographs. He seemed to be on the field for five hours, all of it was entertaining.When he was 13, Short played baseball. To be fair, he plays baseball now, we just call it cricket. Short’s activity rate (percentage of balls he scores from) is 65%, Despite all the runs he has scored, it’s not that high. But he hits a boundary every 4.3 deliveries., fourth best in the BBL.In 75% of his first innings’, he strikes quicker than the match run-rate. In the Powerplays, worldwide over the last two years, he’s the eighth quickest. If you bowl straight, he can pick you up, whip you, or muscle you. Outside off stump he will go straight, or create more room, and fielding at point to him is like being a victim.Getty ImagesThere was a moment where he played and missed three times from Mark Steketee slower balls. It was the only time he didn’t score from three consecutive deliveries. After the third miss, Short walked away and took a breath. Maybe, just maybe, it is slower balls that bother him. CricViz has data on balls from seamers that they consider to be slower balls, Short averages 44 and strikes at 214 against these balls.Whether the next ball was slower or not, Short aimed to hit it over the fence and down a flight of stairs. Hurricanes players not called Short struck the ball at a strike rate of 94, Short went at 177.Then there’s Short against legspin.For three seasons of the BBL, legspin was practically not bowled in the Powerplay. Then Samuel Badree turned up for the Heat, and over the two previous seasons, 29 overs of legspin were bowled in the Powerplay, and Badree bowled 25 of them.This season, 21 overs of legspin have been bowled in the Powerplay, despite the fact Badree isn’t playing. Players like Adam Zampa haven’t ever bowled early, now they do. In the 2014-15 season, no overs were bowled by them in Powerplays. This season, seven different legspinners have bowled.This all matters because Short doesn’t smash legspin. Against spin, he strikes at a respectable 131, but it’s 147 against offspin, and 128 against legspin. On Wednesday, he faced 21 balls of legspin; he scored 27 runs off it. That makes it 128, again.And while he is slower versus spin, he averages 66. Spin slows him down, but doesn’t get him out. Against quicks, he strikes at 36 while averaging 179.So that means every time he hits a legspinner, you notice it.Mitchell Swepson is containing Short pretty well, he’d taken his edge once, and certainly one of the few bowlers to slow him down. Then he tries to slide one in around leg stump, it’s a pretty decent delivery.Short moved inside the line late, deciding to sweep over short fine leg. He cleared short fine leg, and put the ball into the crowd. It wasn’t a top edge, and it wasn’t just behind square on the leg side. Short managed to sweep a legspinner flat and hard for six to fine leg. How he got that kind of speed and elevation so fine from a bowler this slow is a mystery better worked out by science.It would have been one of the most remarkable shots you had seen, unless you had been watching him this season, or even last season. This was just another six; Short hits a lot of them.

Kusal Mendis showed grit and Dhananjaya de Silva showed flair in rescuing their team from a rocky start in Chittagong

Mohammad Isam01-Feb-2018Bangladesh taking an early wicket in a home Test has meant, at least in the last 15 months, a couple more following quickly. England and Australia found themselves in trouble early as reputable batsmen were riddled with self-doubt at the first sign of a slightly turning ball, close-in fielders and big appeals.When Dimuth Karunaratne fell to Mehidy Hasan in the third over with his side yet to open their account, the home side may have thought of an impending collapse. Judging by the bowling changes and field settings, it was clear that they expected Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva to be roadkill on their way to taking the upper hand in the first Test.But these two Sri Lanka batsmen didn’t take a step back or let the close-in fielders or bowling changes get to them. Mendis and Dhananjaya got down to business rather quickly, and turned the tide in their favour (or as cricketers like to say, shifted the momentum). Dhananjaya finished the day unbeaten on 104, his fourth Test century, and his second successive three-figure score. The pair added 187 runs for the unbroken second wicket, leading a fine recovery from a tough start.By the tea break, Dhananjaya had struck seven fours in his 37, which came off 42 balls. He ended the day’s second session by clattering Taijul Islam, Bangladesh’s most senior spinner in the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, for three fours in an over, two straight and one over cover. Mendis still wasn’t in the groove at this stage, having made 13 off 39 balls. He had survived a dropped catch when Mehidy put down an easy chance at second slip when Mendis was on four.This was a scrappy innings from Mendis, having been dropped on 57 too when Imrul couldn’t grab the edge off Mehidy in the 31st over. He survived three reviews taken by Bangladesh amid plenty of plays and misses against the left-arm spinners. But survive he did, not letting these incidents affect his batting in any way. He just let them pass with a toothy grin, and moved on to the next ball.Mendis struck six fours and a pulled six in his unbeaten 83 off 152 balls, which would be a huge sigh of relief for a batsman returning to the team after sitting out the tour to India. His return to the side didn’t start off well in the tri-series, making just 73 runs in four innings.Dhananjaya meanwhile was sailing smoothly to a fourth Test century. He reached his fifty off 65 balls before hitting five boundaries in the next two overs. Although one of them streaked past the slip cordon, he sweetly timed the other two through point and extra cover. Dhananjaya took nearly the same number of balls to reach his next 50, which gave him consecutive hundreds in Tests. In the previous game in Delhi, his unbeaten 119 was a match-saving effort, compiled while battling breathing problems and a glute injury.Mendis and Dhananjaya got their international breakthrough around 18 months ago when they battered the Australians during a 3-0 home series win. Dhananjaya was the highest scorer in that Test series – his first – having made 325 runs at an average of 65. But he started to lose that form in South Africa last year, ending up with him losing his place in subsequent series against Bangladesh and India.The Delhi hundred marked his return to the Sri Lanka Test fold, but he would be keen to use this innings in Chittagong as a more solid footing to get his career back on track. He looks the more upright of the two batsmen, sometimes looking similar to Upul Tharanga in his uncomplicated ways.Not that Mendis looks complicated in his technique or batting style, but it hasn’t been straightforward for him of late. He had two lowly series against Zimbabwe and South Africa before making 194 against Bangladesh last year. But after a poor series against Pakistan in the UAE where he made 58 runs in four innings, Mendis lost his place through the India tour.Like Dhananjaya, he too would love to get to the three-figure mark on the third morning, and build from this performance. And with the pitch in Chittagong getting spicier by the session, two batsmen with runs behind them would be crucial for Sri Lanka, who are still 326 runs adrift. The first two sessions on the third day will really be a test of determination for de Silva and Mendis.

Will franchises retain the old core set of players or invest in a new group? How will the presence of uncapped players affect teams’ auction strategies?

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jan-20188:38

Five big names who will grab attention – even if not big bids

The IPL has always been about making a deafening noise. This weekend, the two-day player auction in Bengaluru will raise the volume by a few more decibels, with more than 150 players going under the hammer.In the inaugural auction in 2008 the eight franchises spent USD 40 million to assemble their squads. A decade later the eight franchises will have spent close to USD 100 million to assemble squads. About USD 60 million will quite likely be spent over this weekend in addition to the USD 40 million the franchises have already spent on retaining 18 players.Naturally the headlines will capture the millions spent and the millionaires that emerge. Yet it is not just about teams flashing their purses and indulging. The challenge for them, at least the ones that have already retained two or three players, is to spend wisely while trying to reassemble as best as they can their core group of players from past seasons.Old core, new coreThe aim for every franchise is to get a core group of eight to ten players in place and build the rest of the squad around them. Barring Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and to an extent Delhi Daredevils, the other franchises, through retentions, will have half that core in place. But with player contracts lasting for the next three years (2020), is it worth investing in emerging talent rather than falling back on old hands who might be in their twilight years?”Ideally you will say you want everybody,” the head of a successful franchise said. “But you will aim to get about 10-11 players from the old group because you trust this group as they have played a role in winning matches and titles in some franchises’ case.”A franchise analyst, who has sat at the auction table for a decade, said teams will need to balance the old and the new. “Some of the players will be from the old core and some you are looking forward. It does not really make sense for a franchise to invest in a young player who will be with you for three years and next auction somebody else will buy him.”‘Highest-paid player will be an overseas player’The best route for a franchise to retain one half of the core was through retentions. According to the rules a franchise can retain a maximum of five players with not more than two overseas players and three capped Indian players. The IPL reasoned that since it was an Indian domestic tournament the franchises should be allowed to retain as many Indian players as possible. Out of the 18 players the franchises have retained, 14 are Indian.However, some of the franchises felt the retention rule was restrictive. The franchise head said the retention rule could actually harm the Indian players as it could end up inflating the price of overseas players. “All the value players among the Indian lot have been retained,” the CEO said. “What the IPL actually has done is this is going to drive the prices of the overseas players up because more teams are likely to chase fewer quality players.”The franchise head reasoned why he felt overseas players stand to gain the most from the retention cap. “If you are allowed eight overseas players, it is fair to say then that the franchise would be interested in retaining at least three (from the previous squad) if the players are worthy. Now due to the retention cap, you can only get the third overseas player by participating in a bid. Now if other franchises, too, are interested in that player, his worth is going to obviously go through the roof. The highest paid player after the auction will be an overseas player. I have no doubt in my mind. It might be a case including a retained player.”BCCIThe right-to-match-card factorThe difference between this auction and the previous two big auctions – in 2011 and 2014 – is significant. In 2011 the right-to-match card did not exist. In 2014, teams were allowed to retain up to five players before the auction. Teams were allowed one right-to-match card in the auction if they retained between three and five players, two right-to-match cards if they retained one or two players, and three right-to-match cards if they did not retain anyone. This time, teams have only been allowed to retain a maximum of five players through a combination of retentions and right-to-match cards.”The plus point in 2014 was it did not matter who you used the RTM for – it could be on an Indian or overseas player. This time that has also changed,” the franchise head said.The franchise head pointed out that teams would only look to use the right-to-match card if they really wanted a particular player. “If somebody tries to play the game of driving the price up deliberately you forego the RTM and look for another option.”MS Dhoni, who has been retained by Chennai Super Kings, said the franchise would need to leave aside “emotions” at the auction table and figure out whether it would fit its auction strategy to retain a particular player. Dhoni did say the Super Kings still believe in having as much “local flavour” as possible in the squad, and that R Ashwin would be on top of their wishlist. Ashwin is among the 16 marquee players who will kick off the auction.Uncapped players in line for big bucksA new challenge awaits franchise think-tanks, with potentially severe impact on their auction strategies. For the first time in an auction, the IPL has brought forward the bidding of uncapped players. Until last season uncapped players would go up for bidding on the second day, allowing franchises to demarcate their budgets smoothly. But with the success of players who made their names while uncapped, such as Jasprit Bumrah, the Pandya brothers, Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan, the IPL felt alternating the sets of capped and uncapped players would provide an equal balance.”It has never happened before, capped and uncapped alternating,” a franchise CEO said. “So people have to think a lot and it is going to affect people’s auction strategy majorly. The uncapped players will get some money and spoil the strategy. It was clear in the past where uncapped players came in later and you would keep some money for them. This time you need to balance it out.”The franchise analyst, though, has a different view. According to him bringing the uncapped players into the same pool as everyone else will benefit teams like Kolkata Knight Riders who have retained two overseas players and can retain three more Indian capped players through the right-to-match-card option.”If KKR retain their core group along with the RTMs they are likely to get nine players (they will bid for four of their players from the previous group in addition to the retentions). Then they just need two good overseas players, which they will look for from the uncapped category which could come even cheaper.”BCCIEntertainers need to prove performanceOne key factor the franchises are alert to are injuries to players. It does not matter then whether the player is a past great or an impact player. Two examples are Chris Lynn and Dwayne Bravo. Lynn, who has provided robust beginnings as an opener at Kolkata Knight Riders, and has one of the best strike rates in T20 cricket, missed the majority of the Big Bash League – he plays for Brisbane Heat – recovering from a calf injury.In the last year Lynn has also undergone a significant shoulder reconstruction and, according to one franchise official, has begun using his weaker left arm to throw since he cannot throw with his right arm. Lynn is currently desperate to prove his fitness and get back to playing for Australia in the T20 tri-series also involving England and New Zealand. But team owners, the franchise official said, will be sceptical about shelling out big money for Lynn.As for Bravo, he is playing the Big Bash League for Melbourne Renegades after a long recuperation form a hamstring reconstruction. Bravo is one of the best allrounders in the format along with countryman Kieron Pollard, but franchises are keeping an eye on the future. “When you are 34 and coming from such a serious injury teams will be careful not to push themselves too much since this is their livelihood,” the franchise head said.Then there is Chris Gayle, who has established himself in the IPL with breathtaking innings against all sorts of bowling, in front of full houses, without succumbing to pressure. However, Gayle’s age and fitness remain concerns despite his stature. Gayle can possibly still fill stadiums. But will a franchise buy him for just that fact? Not really. “The job of the player is to combine with the team to win matches,” the franchise head said. “The reason Gayle attracts crowds is because he entertains and then he wins matches.”The moment you stop performing, entertainment has no value.‘Raising a paddle does not require a genius’Ultimately the best franchises are those that make smart buys without splurging too much on their bids. In 2014, the last big auction, the purse available to franchises was INR 60 crore (USD 9.4 million approx). This year it is INR 80 crore (USD 12.6 million approx). So franchises have more money which could mean bigger buys and more spending.However, a team director lays out a simple formula for how franchises would look at spending their purse, including retentions. “You spend INR 76 crore on about 15 players, which includes five retentions. The 15 will have about eight Indian players and seven from overseas. The remaining money you can buy different players for cheap.”IPL auctions have never followed a set pattern. The purest measure, the T20 form of a player, has never been the main determining factor while retaining or picking a player. Instead personality and spur-of-the-moment calls by owners have been dominant factors in decision-making at the auction table. “It needs a lot of hard work to identify a player and convert him into smart buy,” the franchise head said. “There are many value players. That is where the skill is. Anyone can pay a top dollar. When you are sitting on a purse, raising a paddle does not require a genius. But you who you raise it for determines how smart you are.”

Sri Lanka’s lively attack, their slip catching, West Indies’ lower-order stonewalling and Gabriel’s fire feature in the talking points of the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Jun-2018Shannon Gabriel: broad-shouldered sledgehammer
Almost without question the visual delight of this series, Gabriel was West Indies’ muscled menace, taking 20 wickets at an average of 14.95 and striking roughly every 27 deliveries. So total was Gabriel’s dominance, that in some spells, his deliveries not only leapt off a good length, many seemed to do mocking circles around batsmen, before seeking out the shoulder of the bat, and a pair of hands in the slips. Frequently breaching 145 kph, he was never short of effort, even in his last few overs of the day.In general, Gabriel is one of the least proficient movers of the ball, relying on pace rather than seam or swing for his wickets – but in this series, he frequently got the ball to jag off the pitch in both directions. It is possible Gabriel enjoys bowling with the Dukes ball, which stays harder and has a more pronounced seam than the widely used Kookaburra. This means bowlers were able to move the ball for longer in the innings, in this series. Whatever the cause of his newfound potency, it does appear as if West Indies now have a strike bowler in their ranks. Since the start of 2017, Gabriel has 54 wickets at 23.63. Thirteen of those wickets came in the St. Lucia Test, where he collected the best figures ever in the Caribbean.Wait… Sri Lanka have a seam attack?
Could it be, that after the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Shehan Madushanka were ruled out through injury, Sri Lanka have chanced upon a future-proof seam attack in Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha?Not since the England tour of 2014, have Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers hunted so effectively in a pack, as they did in St. Lucia and Barbados. Lakmal provided control and the wiles, Rajitha moved the ball more than almost any bowler in the series, and 21-year-old Kumara was the wrecking ball, hurling 145kph+ deliveries at batsmen’s ribs, having them spasm in self-preservation as he claimed an outstanding 17 wickets at 19.88. All up, these three bowlers took 40 wickets at an average of 19 – the second-highest number of wickets claimed by Sri Lanka in a series, only one fewer than in a tour to New Zealand in 1990-91.As Lakmal is 31, and Rajitha and Kumara are much younger, it is possible that this could become Sri Lanka’s pace-bowling battery in overseas tours. But the concern with Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers – as always – is injury. They may all tear their hamstrings and fall in a heap in the Tests against South Africa next month. They might tweak their groins getting off the plane in Colombo upon return. It is even possible that someone has dislocated a shoulder already, turning on the shower in the dressing room after the Barbados match finished. Such are the perils of being a Sri Lankan quick.AFPWest Indies’ lower-order spunkSri Lanka had the hosts reeling at 147 for 5 on the very first day of the series, before Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder combined for a defiant 90-run stand, establishing what would become a feature of the series. That partnership with Holder was followed up by Dowrich’s 102-run stand with Devendra Bishoo, and later his 75-run association with Kemar Roach. On the back of those vital runs, West Indies reached 414 for 8, which in turn became the foundation for their Trinidad win.All through the series, Sri Lanka bowlers scythed through the top order, only to be frequently frustrated by the plucky folks lower down. Dowrich was often the kingpin in this resistance, unfussily defusing the opposition quicks that had blown past the top four. Jason Holder generally contributed a useful innings in support, with Kemar Roach putting together some half-decent hands as well.In the first innings in Bridgetown, West Indies had been 54 for 5 before Dowrich and Holder put on 113 in each other’s company, helping push West Indies over 200 – the highest total of the game. In the second innings, West Indies were 41 for 6, and in danger of being dismissed for their lowest ever Test total, before the lower order cobbled valuable runs together. Had they made another 25, West Indies could have won the match and with it the series.Sri Lanka’s sudden slip-catching skill
In 2017, Sri Lanka fielded and caught like they had wet noodles for arms and papadam for fingers, but under Chandika Hathurusingha, fielding standards are once more on the rise, and this series was ample proof. Where West Indies frequently blew wicket chances in the slips, Sri Lanka were routinely clinical – Kusal Mendis in particular, making predatory dives in front of other fielders, to snatch low, fast chances.With Sri Lanka having given up sizeable first-innings leads in all three matches, it was crucial that the early chances their quicks created in the second innings were grasped, and the standard of Sri Lanka’s catching ensured pressure was relentlessly built through those new-ball overs. Even off the spinners, Sri Lanka were sharp – Dhananjaya de Silva’s excellent overhead grab to dismiss Miguel Cummins off the bowling of Dilruwan Perera, a prime example. It also helped that Sri Lanka did not have wickets discounted due to no-balls, as West Indies did at least twice.

When and where? Who are favourites? Where to watch the game? All the important information about the IPL final

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2018When and where is the IPL final?Sunday, May 27. The final will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.What time does it start?The final will begin at 7.00pm IST.Where can I watch it?India: Star Sports and Hotstar (digital)United Kingdom: Sky SportsAustralia: Fox SportsUSA: Willow TV and Hotstar (with a subscription)South Africa: SupersportBangladesh: Channel 9Who is taking part?Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both teams won nine games in the league stage, but Sunrisers topped the points table on account of a superior net run-rate.BCCIWho is likely to star?Despite an ageing team, CSK have been lifted by good spirits and by MS Dhoni, who has reached his eighth IPL final. Will he lift CSK to yet another title?BCCIRashid Khan has been Sunrisers’ most valuable asset this season. And not just for his bowling. He led Sunrisers to their second final in three seasons, with a sterling all-round performance in the second qualifier, against KKR.BCCIWhat to expect?With the game starting at 7pm IST, dew could be a significant factor in the second innings. Given the Wankhede Stadium’s short boundaries as well, expect the captain winning the toss to bowl first.Who starts as favourites?CSK have had additional rest after winning the first qualifier. Sunrisers, on the other hand, made a trip to Kolkata and went through the emotions of making the IPL final with a scrappy win against KKR. CSK should, therefore, start as slight favourites, especially since they’ve already beaten Sunrisers three out of three times this season.BCCIThe IPL final on Twitter

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Big game, and @rashidkhan_19 was simply outstanding with both bat and ball. Has been a wonderful journey for us on our way to the finals and I wish the boys give it their everything and enjoy the finals. #KKRVSRH

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) May 25, 2018

Nail biting finish! @faf1307 you beauty! @ChennaiIPL back to where we belong. The finals of the @IPL. Can’t wait for Sunday. #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/lf0y4xQDCa

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) May 22, 2018

Congratulations #OrangeArmy another great fight, huge character shown by all. Here we come Mumbai. #Final #SRH

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) May 25, 2018

What is the likely outcome?The chasing side will begin the final with an advantage. If the target is below 160, the most likely result is the chasing side coming away with the IPL title.BCCICSK won their previous game against Sunrisers at the Wankhede chasing 140 in the first qualifier, thanks primarily to Faf du Plessis’ unbeaten 67.

A round-up of the stats that matter from the three matches

Andy Zaltzman19-Jul-2018To mark the end of the white-ball phase of the England v India summer, please enjoy the official ESPNcricinfo Stat of the Series competition.Simply choose your favourite three statistics from the shortlist below to win our star prize – the right to sit quietly in a darkened room and think about: (a) the alarmingly luminous and disconcertingly throbbing question marks raised about the make-up, structure and selection of India’s team; (b) whether or not, in one of the infinite parallel cricketing universes that must exist, Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni have ever combined for 134 runs off 236 balls in an ODI series; and (c) how and why anyone could suggest that England might drop Joe Root from their one-day side, after a microblip in form that left him averaging a mere 58.0, with a strike rate of 91, since the 2015 World Cup.It was a curate’s omelette of a series, an unusual cocktail of interesting, disappointing, curious and undramatic, relatively devoid of the kind of batting thunderings that have become commonplace in the one-day international game. It left England looking ahead to next year’s World Cup with confidence higher than ever, and India wondering whether they should try more batsmen in their mid-30s, or start looking at the fortysomethings instead.STAT A: Adil Rashid was the first legspinner to clean-bowl Virat Kohli in international cricket.Rashid’s legbreak that castled the Indian captain was the kind of delivery that people would have written poems about in 19th century. Kohli’s face, in the seconds after the ball completed its perfect, whirring, mesmerising journey from hand to stump, wore the kind of expression that renaissance artists would have sloshed onto a fresco as the epitome of human embafflement.It was a provably exceptional piece of bowling. This was the first time that Kohli had been bowled by a legspinner in his ODI career. He had had his timbers tinkled by a leggie only once each in Tests (Bangladesh’s Jubair Hussain in June 2015) and T20Is (Cameron Boyce of Australia, in January 2016). Both of those dismissals were played on, rather than clean bowled.Kohli had been almost 50% less likely to end his innings by being bowled than the average top-five ODI batsman (19 of 167 dismissals in ODIs – 11.3%, compared to the average of 16.6% for all top-order batsmen since 2008). He had averaged over 80 against legspin in ODIs, 91 in Tests, and 57 in all T20 cricket. And never had he allowed a ball from a legspinner in international cricket to pass unimpeded onto his stumps. In summary: well bowled.It was one of 17 wickets to fall to wristspin in the series, one more than the seamers of both sides managed collectively – a statistic India would have been delighted with, had it been offered to them before the series. (They would not, however, have bitten anyone’s hand off, as is often suggested in sports punditry today to be the default method of expressing excitement and gratitude at a surprisingly generous offer.)STAT B: India’s seamers took 5 for 510
In the 186 series or competitions in which India have played three or more matches, only once have their seamers posted a worse average – when Debashis Mohanty, Abey Kuruvilla, Sourav Ganguly and Robin Singh combined for a total of one wicket for 352 in a three-match series against Pakistan in 1997-98. The 2018 vintage also conceded 6.59 per over, their eighth worst. India missed Jasprit Bumrah like a unicycle would miss its wheel.STAT C: England’s spinners took 34 wickets in nine ODIs this summer
Rashid and Moeen Ali took eight wickets against India, following their 24 in five matches against Australia, and two in the defeat to Scotland. They thus beat the record haul for English spinners in a home summer – 32 wickets in 14 ODIs, achieved last summer.Even allowing for the increase in ODI cricket since the days when there were only three or four per season (in case the nation got a bit overexcited by all the action and the ’60s happened again), this summer’s English spin harvest has been exceptional, at 3.8 wickets per match. The previous high was 2.3, set in 2017.After their controlled roasting by India’s top order at Trent Bridge, Rashid and Moeen rebounded superbly, for combined figures of 3 for 80 in 20 overs at Lord’s, and 3 for 96 in 20 at Headingley. By the standards of modern economy rates, this qualifies as almost Scroogically ungenerous.Eighteen months ago in India, the last time these two sides played, England’s collective spin analysis in three matches was 0 for 194 in 28.1 overs. In the 2014 series in England, the home tweakers took five wickets in four matches.STAT D: India’s spinners went wicketless at Headingley
Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Suresh Raina bowled 22 fruitless overs as Root and Eoin Morgan cruised to a risk-free victory on the back of Jonny Bairstow and James Vince’s boundary-blattering start. It was only the second time India’s spinners have failed to take a wicket in 44 ODI innings since January 2016. And, in the 77 innings since February 2014 in which they have bowled more than 15 overs of spin, this was the first in which they have taken no wickets.Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid: heroic misers•Getty ImagesSTAT E: India failed to hit a six for 106.1 overs
Between the fourth and final six of Rohit Sharma’s silken century in Nottingham, and the first of Shardul Thakur’s late heaves at Headingley (the ground on which Sunil Gavaskar, in 1974, hit the first six by an Indian in ODI cricket), England bowled 637 balls without being hit over the ropes. Lord’s was only the second time since 2006 that India have batted their full 50 overs without hitting a six. Since the 2015 World Cup, India had averaged one six every 9.3 overs (England have hit one every 7.4 overs). KL Rahul hit seven sixes in 72 balls in the T20 series but was out for a duck at Lord’s, and considered insufficiently too-old for Headingley.STAT F: David Willey’s 30-ball half-century at Lord’s was England’s fourth fastest fifty of the ODI summer
Jos Buttler took 28 balls to reach 50 against Australia in Durham, and Morgan 21 at Trent Bridge; Bairstow took 27 balls against Scotland in Edinburgh. Willey’s series-shifting Lord’s effort does not even make this summer’s Fastest England 50 podium.It was, nevertheless, the fastest half-century by someone batting at eight or lower for England, highlighting a strength that may prove decisive in next summer’s World Cup.If Chris Woakes returns from injury and replaces Mark Wood, joining Willey, Liam Plunkett and Rashid in the bottom four, not only will all of England’s 8 to 11 have made ODI half-centuries, they will all have scored significant runs at significant speed. Willey’s Lord’s innings was the first time he has scored 25 or more at a strike rate over 130. Woakes has had four such innings, Plunkett three, and Rashid, the likely No. 11 in this line-up, five.Since the 2015 World Cup, Nos. 8 to 11 have averaged 22.2 for England, with a strike rate of 97. New Zealand are second best in both average (19.7) and strike rate (93). India’s 8 to 11 have averaged 13.2, and scored at 74 per 100 balls – numbers that, understandably, may play on the minds of India’s stuttering middle order. (South Africa and Australia are at a similar level.)England have had 20 partnerships of 50 or more after the fall of the sixth wicket in that time; India just five.It is not just the runs that England’s tail scores that are significant. It is also the knowledge that they are capable of scoring them. Bairstow can bat with his current devastating freedom not only because of the ballast given by Root at three, or the brilliance of Buttler at six, but because he knows he has Rashid, with ten first-class centuries and several impactfully rapid innings in ODIs on his cricketiculum vitae, coming in at 10 or 11.Rashid might only be needed to play a relevant innings once every ten or 12 matches, but the mere fact that a player as good as him is so low in the order changes the risk-reward calculations of the entire team; just as India’s calculations are skewed by the knowledge that Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Umesh Yadav or Siddarth Kaul are slated to come in at number 8.STAT G: MS Dhoni’s beard was 7.3% greyer at the end of his innings at Lord’s than it was at the start.

New Zealand’s captain recently became her country’s leading run-scorer. But a new star of women’s cricket has just been born

Raf Nicholson20-Jun-2018It’s been quite a month for the White Ferns. First they broke the record for the highest total in women’s ODIs, racking up 491 against Ireland; then, two games later, 17-year-old Amelia Kerr smashed 232* to overtake Belinda Clark’s two-decades-old record.Captain Suzie Bates, who during the series surpassed Debbie Hockley’s record as leading run-scorer for New Zealand in women’s ODIs, is still struggling to take it all in.”It was unbelievable,” she says of that first ODI. “Batting looked effortless – everyone seemed to go out there and find the boundary.”I probably would have predicted four wins against Ireland, but to be setting world records – I would never have guessed that.”All the same, she is perhaps less surprised than some at Kerr’s shock performance. For a player who was selected for her legspin and who has batted as low as 10 in the two years since her international debut, a double-century was hardly on the radar. Bates, though, knew different.”I saw her when she was in an Under-15 Wellington side – she opened the batting and just her cricket awareness and nous, she just looked like she’d been batting for years. So I’ve always known that she’s going to be an allrounder in this side.”I would put my money on her to chase down my record [for most runs by a New Zealander in women’s ODIs] one day.”On Wednesday at Taunton, New Zealand begin their T20 tri-series against England and South Africa. Kerr, Bates says, has made an undeniable case for a move up the order. “You can’t ignore that performance. She will get a few more opportunities with the bat in this series. I’m excited to see how she goes because I know she’s got it in her to perform against any team we come up against.”For New Zealand, it will be their first series in England since crashing out of the World Cup nearly 12 months ago, despite many pegging them as pre-tournament favourites for the title.”It was quite a bitter pill to swallow,” Bates admits. “With the quality of players that we had in that side, to not make the semi-finals was a massive disappointment.”Suzie Bates and Maddy Green get together•Sportsfile/Sebdaly”Every World Cup we go to, people talk about potential but we have got to get across that line. With the experience we have there’s no excuses any more. We’ve had to move on and reset our goals.”Despite their recent heroics against Ireland, she knows this is not the time for complacency: “South Africa have looked like a pretty dangerous side with Lizelle Lee in such good form, and England have got a very strong batting line-up. We’ve got to be better than we’ve been against the top teams.” She has the Women’s World T20 in November firmly in her sights: “I’m still hoping I’ll win a World Cup before I retire.”One challenge in that regard is that New Zealand are currently lagging ever further behind Australia and England in the pay stakes. “We’re not all fully professional as a squad,” Bates says. “New Zealand Cricket are starting to see the value of investing in women’s cricket, but right now we’re still taking small steps. We’re locked into a three-year MOU which comes around next year where I think we’ll have some real bargaining power.” The coming of age of Amelia Kerr will presumably only help their case.Bates herself is one of the lucky ones, her talent meaning she is able to travel around the world with cricket now her career. “I used to think I’d have to quit cricket because I wasn’t making any money. Now we get paid it makes it a lot easier.”For a player who once split her time between cricket and basketball – Bates represented New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympics – it has meant a full-time commitment to the former and a corresponding rise in the rankings. In 2015 she was crowned Wisden’s Leading Female Cricketer of the Year and in a recent poll byThe Guardian of the best international women cricketers she was placed at No. 2.”When I started out I probably didn’t understand my game that well, and I was a bit hit or miss with the bat,” she says. “I feel like in the past four years I’ve worked out my style. The professionalisation of the sport around the world has reinvigorated my game.”One recent opportunity came last month, in the inaugural Women’s Challenge IPL match in Mumbai. Bates represented the Trailblazers, hitting 32 and was awarded Player of the Match. “It was a crazy week!” says Bates. “But once we got there it was just brilliant. It was a great opportunity to train with the Indian players who haven’t been as involved in the KSL or the WBBL.””The world is ready for a women’s IPL.”The match also involved a 45-run partnership with 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, who Bates describes as “a bit like Amelia Kerr – they’ve both got something about them. You bat with them and they’re so competitive already, and you see that they’ve got the world at their feet. When I’ve finished, those will be the two players I’ll enjoy watching.”She has also spent the past three English summers playing in the Women’s County Championship – her side, Hampshire, were recently crowned Champions of Division 1 – and she is set to captain Southern Vipers in this year’s Kia Super League.”I love playing over here,” she says. “Personally I couldn’t have had any better preparation for the tri-series. I’ve faced a lot of English bowlers throughout the season, I’ve played at a lot of grounds, I feel like the last three years I’ve learned a lot about the conditions over here. It all bodes well but the proof will be in the pudding when we get out there on Wednesday.”