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Second time in Championship history a side has chased over 500 to win, after Middlesex beat Notts in 1925

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2023Surrey rewrote history with almost casual ease in the LV= Insurance County Championship on Wednesday, chasing down a target of 501 to beat Kent by five wickets at Canterbury.What threatened to be a pulsating final day instead turned into a one-sided procession as Dom Sibley and Ben Foakes batted mercilessly, eclipsing Surrey’s previous highest chase of 410, made at this venue in 2002, to finish on 501 for 5.Foakes made 124, while Sibley scored what’s believed to be the slowest ever century in the County Championship over the course of 511 minutes and 368 balls. He eventually finished on 140 from 415 balls, seeing Surry home with Jordan Clark after a magnificent feat of concentration and endurance.Three days of violent momentum swings, luck, individual brilliance and human error had left the match almost perfectly poised at the start of day four, with Kent needing seven wickets and Surrey 238 runs.It was the human factor that added the intrigue: without the dropped catches, the “poor” shots and the “bad” balls this would have been a torpid 700 v 700 bore draw. The final day, however, offered almost none of the drama of the previous three.Only once in the history of the Championship had a side chased over 500 to win: when Patsy Hendren hit an unbeaten 206 as Middlesex scored 502 to beat Notts by four wickets at Trent Bridge in 1925.The reigning champions did it with a determination that belied everything that had gone before. Needing under three an over, they homed in on the target like an armour-plated milk float: slow but bombproof.The morning session was almost ideal for Surrey. Foakes and Sibley saw off the new ball and scored predominantly in singles, at one point going ten overs without a boundary. Foakes survived an lbw appeal from Wes Agar but they were otherwise unthreatened.At lunch it was 335 for 3 and a Surrey win was looking as inevitable as an Arsenal title collapse. There was a fleeting moment of controversy when Kent were convinced Hamid Qadri had Foakes, on 73, caught behind, but it was an isolated outbreak of excitement during an almost catatonic afternoon.Sibley finally reached three figures when he drove Joey Evison for four, beating the previous record, understood to be Jason Gallian’s 453-minute ton for Lancashire against Derbyshire at Blackpool in 1994. He just beat his partner to the landmark: Foakes took two from Jack Leaning in the next over to bring up a relatively quickfire hundred from 198 deliveries.With the target now under a hundred, Surrey swapped the milk float for a Lamborghini. The 130th over went for 20 but Foakes then holed out to Joe Denly and was caught by Matt Quinn on the boundary, ending a partnership of 207.It was 452 for four at tea, by which time Kent’s members had long been delivered from the hell of hope and the smattering of Surrey fans by the Old Dover Road entrance were savouring every minute.Will Jacks was out for 19 caught by Agar off Arshdeep Singh but by then just 40 were needed. Clark sealed the win with a single off Denly and Surrey exited the field to a fully deserved ovation from home and away fans alike.

South Africa’s stand-in captain Faf du Plessis wants to see his boys also win the body-language battle ahead of the Test series

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2016In targeting a clean-sweep over Australia, Faf du Plessis has promised South Africa will assert themselves with more than just bat and ball in Cape Town on Wednesday. South Africa’s stand-in captain wants to see his boys also win the body-language battle ahead of the three-Test series in Australia starting November 3.”As a captain, its important the intensity we play at. That does not always mean verbally, it’s body language and the way you carry yourself on the field,” du Plessis said. “When there is a battle that asks for another battle to come their way, that will happen. We are a team that will stand up against that. If that’s required of us as a team, we will also go into that space, but its a very focused and channeled aggression; more of a body language thing.

Important to build a pool of pacers – Saker

Australia’s assistant coach David Saker has given a vote of confidence to the rookie bowlers who have come under attack on this trip. Chris Tremain, Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall are all on their first tour with the national side.
“I don’t think they’ve marked their card, it’s obviously a very hard place to come and bowl and their batting team has been amazing,”he said. “I think Chris Tremain has shown some really good things, Scott Boland the other day was really good.
“More the number of fast bowlers you’ve got, better it is, because of the injuries. they are one part of your team that does get injuries. So if you can add people to your fast bowling group all the time, it’s always very, very important.”

The only real needle in the ODIs so far came in Port Elizabeth when Matthew Wade and Tabraiz Shamsi had a verbal exchange that earned both of them a a 25% fine of match fee along with one demerit point. Talk became action when Wade took a single and made no effort to avoid running into Shamsi, who protested.Du Plessis took it up with the umpires but was proud of how Shamsi stood up. “It’s just showing the opposition you are here to play, no matter how many games you have played,” du Plessis said. “Shamsi has only played three ODIs but he showed he is there to compete, no matter who is on the other side. It was good to see we can also step it up in that department.”In the other departments, South Africa have exceeded expectation by dominating against the top-ranked ODI side, which is without their first-choice pace pack. However, du Plessis chose not to dwell on that, instead emphasising on how South Africa have out-batted Australia.”I am really impressed with the style of cricket we’ve played,” he said. “The first game set the tone for us where Quinton played one of the best one-day knocks you will see and then out-batting has been a level above what we’ve seen in the past. If you compare that to their batting, which is just as strong possibly on paper, maybe even stronger but they haven’t matched up with our batters at all. We haven’t allowed them to compete at times and even when they looked like they were going to compete, we stuck in and waited for the opportunity.”The third game in Durban was where Australia threatened their biggest comeback. Their only centuries came in that match as they piled on 371 for 6 before reducing South Africa to 217 for 5. Yet, South Africa found a way, which du Plessis was proud of.”In Durban, they were all over us and nine times out of ten, you should lose games like that. It took something magnificent for us to win and it’s happening more regularly in this team that guys are doing amazing things,” he said. “The style of cricket we have played has been a new level, hopefully that’s something we can drive forward. We need to make sure we keep playing like that because that’s the style I would like us to play.”South Africa started the season with a culture camp that addressed their dramatic slide from No. 1 to No. 6 in the Test rankings last summer and their early exit from the World T20. They decided on what they’ve termed a “different direction”, which is not about individuals but the collective, aiming to go “where no other South African team have been”.”We want to reach higher levels and achieve greater things than anyone else. From that perspective 5-0 is very important,” du Plessis said. “The fact that the Test series comes straight after this and 60% to 70% of both teams’ players are the same, the motivation of 5-0 will mean a lot to me.”

Phoebe Litchfield scores unbeaten 42 to see home side to victory in low-scorer

Ciara Fearn03-Aug-2023Northern Superchargers 112 for 3 (Litchfield 42*) beat Birmingham Phoenix 110 for 8 (Devine 46, Davidson-Richards 3-20) by seven wickets England allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards stole the show for Northern Superchargers as they beat Birmingham Phoenix by seven wickets to get their Hundred campaign off to the perfect start.Davidson-Richards took three wickets for just 11 runs from her 20 balls as well as taking two catches and claiming a brilliant run-out in an excellent team display from Superchargers, as they restricted Birmingham Phoenix to a total of 110 for 8 off their 100 balls.Australian Phoebe Litchfield top-scored for the home team with an unbeaten 42 as they eased their way to victory with 22 balls to spare with Marie Kelly also adding a valuable 24 at the top of the order.The visitors had got off to a flying start with New Zealand veteran Sophie Devine hitting England’s Kate Cross for two boundaries from her first set of five balls. But Superchargers quickly pulled things back with Cross claiming the wicket of Eve Jones for 10 before England wicketkeeper Amy Jones became Davidson-Richard’s first victim when she holed out to Leah Dobson on the square leg boundary for 13.Devine took centre stage throughout the Phoenix innings scoring an entertaining 46 runs off 36 balls before she was superbly run out by Davidson-Richards’ direct hit from mid-off. The Phoenix middle-order failed to offer any meaningful support to Devine with Erin Burns, Tess Flintoff and Emily Arlott all falling cheaply with Georgia Wareham’s caught-and-bowled dismissal of Burns a particular highlight.The hosts were brilliant in the field with Phoenix reliant on late-order runs from Abigail Freeborn and Issy Wong to get them up over the 100 mark, Wong hitting a mighty six into the crowd at one point before she became Linsey Smith’s one wicket.Kelly and Jemimah Rodrigues gave Superchargers an ideal start with a partnership of 23 for the first wicket. Rodrigues’ knock of 16 consisted of four boundaries before she was trapped in front by Wong.Kelly was bowled reverse sweeping by Katie Levick for 24 but Litchfield quickly took charge of the innings as she steered Superchargers home with an unbeaten 42 off 29 balls including seven fours. But this was Davidson-Richards’ day and she completed the win with a towering straight six off Hannah Baker to end an excellent showing by Superchargers.

After a promising start from Gloucestershire it all went the home side’s way

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2023Yorkshire young guns Finlay Bean and George Hill posted superb centuries – 114 and 101 respectively – to ensure their side dominated the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Gloucestershire at Headingley.Left-handed opener Bean faced 153 balls for his second century of the Division Two season – and the second of the 21-year-old’s fledgling career. It was the main contribution in Yorkshire’s 393 for 6 from 91 overs.He shared a stand of 57 with Dawid Malan for the third wicket during the morning and then 153 for the fourth either side of lunch with fellow up and comer George Hill, who then faced 180 balls and shared 111 for the fifth wicket with Jonny Tattersall.It was allrounder Hill’s first century of the summer, with Gloucestershire too loose with the Kookaburra ball having been asked to bowl in excellent batting conditions.Left-arm seamer Taylor stood out like a sore thumb amongst his colleagues with three for 43 from 17 overs, including Tattersall late on for 79. Five overs were lost to evening rain.Play was watched by Yorkshire’s new chair Harry Chathli and also their former County Championship title-winning coach Jason Gillespie, the Australian bowling legend who was triumphant with the county in 2014 and 2015.He is back in the UK for the Ashes and back at Headingley for the first time since leaving. Things have changed dramatically since Gillespie departed at the end of 2016, his side having just missed out on a third successive Championship title to Middlesex.Not only has there been upheaval off the field, results have fallen drastically on it as well, highlighted by this being a Division Two encounter.Only Adam Lyth and Matthew Fisher from the current side played four-day cricket during the Australian legend’s golden tenure.But the performances of two young players who were only playing county age-group during Gillespie’s tenure should serve as indication of future promise.Lyth’s opening partner Bean, 21, was playing for Yorkshire Under 14s during Gillespie’s last year in 2016 and Hill for the Under 15s.Bean has enjoyed an encouraging start to life in senior cricket having returned to the club last summer following a brief break to go and work as a mechanic.He earned a rookie contract on the back of a record-breaking 441 in the second team last year and made his first-team bow in August.He played a trio of Championship matches last September, but was a first choice starter at the beginning of April and scored 118 in the opening round defeat here against Leicestershire.Bean watched on from the non-striker’s end as three senior partners departed before lunch, including Lyth and captain Shan Masood within four balls to Taylor as the score slipped to 33 for 2 in the sixth over. Lyth edged to second slip trying to leave alone before Masood was trapped lbw for a three-ball duck.Bean shared 57 with another left-hander, Dawid Malan, who looked in good order for 28 before being caught behind down leg trying pull Ben Charlesworth’s seam – 90 for 3 in the 17th.But Gloucestershire’s good early work was eroded thanks to their inability to limit the fours, especially to the short boundary towards the East Stand side of this ground.Hill, 22, is more advanced in his development than Bean – a right-hander particularly strong against spin. Hill has been frustrated by his inability to build on starts over the last couple of seasons. But he did here. This was his best of four times beyond 50 in the Championship this season.Bean reached his century off 140 balls midway through the afternoon. But he only faced 13 more deliveries and fell caught at deep square-leg pulling at Zaman Akhter – 243 for 4 in the 53rd over.After tea, Hill moved into the nineties and took Yorkshire beyond 300 by helping Tattersall take 19 from the 72nd over against Gohar, including a slog-swept six over midwicket.He reached his century off 177 balls before falling caught behind off Ollie Price’s offspin. And when Taylor, now bowling with the new ball, had Tattersall caught at second slip, Yorkshire were 368 for 6 after 86 overs.

The Sri Lanka batter is enjoying a revival in his career after working on his fitness

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022You have a supremely-talented batter who isn’t the modern-day definition of fit – so what do you do as coach? It’s possible that Chris Silverwood has pondered the Bhanuka Rajapaksa question a few times.But four months since becoming Sri Lanka’s coach, Silverwood doesn’t have to worry about the issue anymore, and for that Rajapaksa deserves some credit. A concerted effort to improve his fitness – with weight loss being one of the by-products – has led to a revival in his career.At 30, an age where cricketers at the crossroads begin to wonder if opportunities will bypass them, Rajapaksa is enjoying a new wind in his young career. This change didn’t seem possible when he retired in a huff, citing differences with then coach Micky Arthur over the prescribed fitness standards, but sanity prevailed and he un-retired with a commitment to work on his fitness.Related

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At the IPL this year, Rajapaksa showed his power-hitting skills for Punjab Kings, even if he couldn’t sustain his aggressive tempo over long periods. His abilities have now earned him a deal in the UAE’s International League T20 with Dubai Capitals, who also run Delhi Capitals in the IPL.As Rajapaksa returns to a familiar venue, one where he began last year’s T20 World Cup with a match-winning half-century against Bangladesh, he is looking forward to carrying the confidence from the IPL and his recent T20 success into the Asia Cup.”For me, the experience I bring after playing in the IPL will create good energy for the side,” Rajapaksa said. “One of the best chats I had with Liam [Livingstone] was when he said, ‘If it’s in the V, make sure the ball is in the trees’. He’d just be that aggressive. Proper slam-bang player.”Coming back to the Sri Lankan side, I have brought in a lot of positivity after speaking to a lot of the IPL players, like Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal and KG [Kagiso Rabada]. I don’t think I have the time to explain in detail the talks we had, but there were a lot of positive vibes. I’m hoping we can take that same brand of cricket to the world.”As Rajapaksa spoke of the “brand of cricket” Sri Lanka want to play, Silverwood, sitting beside him, chuckled. He knows all too well the kind of adjustments England made to become the white-ball powerhouse they are today. Sri Lanka have a long way to go, but having an attacking mindset is a good place to start.It isn’t something Silverwood can instantly make happen, though. He’s barely had any time to settle in as coach. Soon after his arrival in May, Sri Lanka played two Tests against Bangladesh at home, and then played Australia and Pakistan in two intense series.The Asia Cup is going to be tough too, with Sri Lanka in the tougher group along with Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Silverwood, though, is happy with how the team is shaping up during his short tenure.”My experience with Sri Lanka has been excellent,” he said. “I’ve found the guys are open-minded, willing to learn. They want to learn and want to move forward. From a coaching perspective, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the team.”It would’ve been lovely to play [the Asia Cup] in Sri Lanka, but unfortunately it’s not happening there. We’ve embraced the fact that we have to play it here [in UAE]. Our mindset is very much focused on what we need to do to compete and be successful in the UAE. A lot of the guys have the experience of playing here anyway, so we will use that. We’re here to do our best to win the tournament.”While Sri Lanka begin the Asia Cup by playing Afghanistan in the tournament opener on Saturday, the spotlight is already on Sunday’s game – with India playing Pakistan. Silverwood said that flying under the radar could be exactly what Sri Lanka needs.”I think every game is must-win, but if people are talking about something else, you can go about your business [normally], so it is an advantage, absolutely, ” he said. “But at the same time you have to meet these teams [India, Pakistan] at some point. We’re busy working behind the scenes to ensure we’re well prepared, equally we’ll be watching every game with interest to see what to do.”

The fixture was significant for the return of two fast bowlers – Deepak Chahar for Chennai Super Kings and Mohsin Khan for Lucknow Super Giants

Sreshth Shah03-May-20232:06

Tait: Badoni has the temperament to take on international bowlers

Match abandonedRain had the final say in Lucknow, where MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings had taken the upper hand against the Super Giants after 19.2 action-packed overs of the first innings. CSK spinners ran through the home team’s line-up, but 23-year-old Ayush Badoni scored a counter-attacking fifty before the game was called off at 6.56 pm local time.The game had started 15 minutes late due to an afternoon shower, and the surface ended up assisting spin big time. Moeen Ali dismissed Kyle Mayers for the second time in the season, and Maheesh Theekshana accounted for Manan Vohra and Krunal Pandya off successive deliveries in the sixth over. Moeen held on to a tough caught-and-bowled chance to remove Karan Sharma, but the best wicket was Ravindra Jadeja bowling Marcus Stoinis with one that pitched outside the right-hander’s leg stump and spun sharply to hit off, leaving the batter dumbfounded.At 44 for 5 in the 10th over, the Super Giants were sinking but Badoni and Nicholas Pooran steadied the innings. They added 59 for the sixth wicket, but Pooran’s contribution was only 14, with Badoni taking charge. He smashed two sixes off Theekshana and reached fifty with another six off Deepak Chahar in the 19th over to give the Super Giants a fighting chance.Rain forced the players off the field in the 20th over of the first innings and did not ease up enough for play to resume, leaving both Super Kings and Super Giants with one point each from the contest. Both teams are on 11 points after ten games.The fixture was also significant for the return of two fast bowlers. Chahar was fit again for CSK after missing six games because of a hamstring injury and returned figures of 0 for 41 in four overs. Mohsin Khan was named in the Super Giants XI for the first time this season, after spending almost the entire year since the previous IPL recovering from injury, but did not get the chance to bowl because of the bad weather.

The New Zealand batsman appeared to publicly question the legality of the Pakistan offspinner’s action during the first ODI in Abu Dhabi

Danyal Rasool07-Nov-2018Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, has lashed out at Ross Taylor after the New Zealand batsman appeared to publicly question the legality of Mohammad Hafeez’s bowling action during the first ODI in Abu Dhabi.Taylor made the gesture at the end of Hafeez’s first over, when he seemed to look directly at the umpires – or his partner Tom Latham – and mimicked delivering the ball with a bent arm. Whether or not it was an attempt to call attention to Hafeez’s action, it enraged Sarfraz, who had a lengthy chat with the umpires, and had to be calmed down.
That wasn’t the end of the episode as Sarfraz persisted with Hafeez, and kept exchanging comments with Taylor, looking none too happy with the New Zealand batsman. The umpires Shozab Raza and Joel Wilson eventually got involved and had a chat with Taylor.Later, Sarfraz called Taylor’s gesture “disgraceful”.”I will say that Taylor’s action was not correct,” Sarfraz said in his post-match press conference. “It’s not his job to give (the) action which was shown on TV. It was disgraceful, for me.”His job is to do batting and if he concentrates on that, it’s better. I complained to umpires that his action did not come under sportsmanship.”Ross is a professional cricketer and he should not have done that. He did it two or three times – it’s (the) umpires’ job. Hafeez’s action has no problem and (Taylor) was trying to create an issue without a reason.”As well as how it impacts how the officials view Hafeez’s action, Taylor could face the possibility of sanctions himself. They may not relate to dissent but it could come under on-field behavior. Pakistan are understood to have spoken to the match referee Javagal Srinath about it as well.A similar incident had occurred in 2009 when Saeed Ajmal was called for a suspect action and he felt it had been the result of an opposition batsman – in that case, Australia’s Shane Watson – who had directed the umpire’s attention to the way he bowled his doosra.That this one involves Hafeez makes it particularly uncomfortable for Pakistan. The ICC has ruled his action illegal no fewer than four times in his career; three of them in the last four years.Hafeez was first reported almost 14 years ago during an ODI tri-series in Australia in 2005. Regulations concerning illegal actions were different back then and he soon returned. In 2014, his action was reported during the Champions League T20, and then again following a Test match against New Zealand later that year. He was suspended from bowling after results indicated the flex of his elbow was more than the allowed 15 degrees.Hafeez finally got to bowl again in April 2015, but a month later, he was back under the umpires’ scanner. Since that constituted a second report in the space of two years – with the first one resulting in a suspension – the ICC put his offspin on ice for 12 months.Hafeez returned to bowling after his ban, clearing a test of his action in 2016, but the issue cropped up again leading to his latest suspension in October 2017. He eventually received a clean chit from the ICC in April 2018 and now, after a late call-up to Pakistan’s squad for their ongoing home season, he has bowled 19 overs in one Test and six T20Is against Australia and New Zealand, without drawing any attention to his remodelled action before this.November 8, GMT 0400 The article was updated to include Sarfraz’s post-match quotes

Mandhana’s side are eliminated, while Harmanpreet’s team will want to make final tweaks before knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath20-Mar-2023

Big Picture

A week ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore were languishing at the bottom of the table with zero wins. Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, were riding high on top of the table with a perfect five. Mumbai had sealed their top-three spot while Royal Challengers’ chances were hanging by a thread. Earlier in the tournament, Mumbai had inflicted a heavy defeat on Royal Challengers the last time these teams had met.Royal Challengers have roared back in some style since then. After a win against UP Warriorz, they went on to thrash Gujarat Giants by eight wickets in a high-scorer. Mumbai, meanwhile, were handed their first defeat of the tournament by Warriorz.But following Warriorz’s win against Giants on Monday, Royal Challengers have been eliminated from the competition*. Mumbai will have to turn up in less than 24 hours for this encounter, so Royal Challengers will want to make use of this chance to finish the tournament on a high.Meanwhile, Mumbai, for their part, will want to hold on to the top spot which would give them a direct entry into the final. If Delhi Capitals beat them on Monday and go on to win their last league game against Warriorz, then there’s a chance Mumbai might not finish first.The teams’ respective captains – two Indian stalwarts – have had contrasting fortunes. Harmanpreet Kaur has 205 runs with three fifties while Smriti Mandhana has crossed 30 just twice. Can Mandhana outdo her opposite number this time around?

Players to Watch

Having impressed enough with her bowling, Issy Wong showcased her batting skills in the match against Warriorz with a 19-ball 32 to resurrect Mumbai’s innings. She has bowled superbly in the three games Mumbai have played at the DY Patil Sports Academy so far, making the most of the early swing on offer and finishing with figures of 1 for 7, 3 for 10 and 1 for 24 respectively. Her economy of 5.78 in the tournament is the second-best among players who’ve bowled a minimum of 15 overs.Sophie Devine delivered a banging performance against Giants, smashing eight sixes and nine fours on her way to a 36-ball 99. In Royal Challengers’ last two games, she’s been effective with the new ball as well – removing Warriorz’s openers in the first over and sending Giants’ Sophia Dunkley back in the third over.

Possible XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5 Amelia Kerr, 6 Issy Wong, 7 Humaira Kazi, 8 Dhara Gujjar, 9 Amanjot Kaur, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika IshaqueRoyal Challengers: 1 Sophie Devine, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt.), 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Heather Knight, 5 Kanika Ahuja, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Shreyanka Patil, 8 Disha Kasat, 9 Sobhana Asha, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Preeti Bose.

Stats and Trivia

• Saika Ishaque’s economy rate is 5.63, the best economy in the tournament so far (minimum 10 overs)
• Devine’s batting strike rate against spinners during her 99 off 36 balls was 336.36. She scored 74 runs off 22 balls against spin on the day
• Mumbai’s bowlers have taken the most wickets (16) in the powerplay while Royal Challengers bowlers have taken the least (8)

Quotes

“I’m so used to hearing chants for [Ellyse] Perry and [Smriti] Mandhana, and was feeling a bit left out. To hear your name and experience this atmosphere, it will stay with me for a very long time.”
Sophie Devine after her match-winning knock against Giants*1.30pm GMT – The story was updated after UP Warriorz’s match against Gujarat Giants to say Royal Challengers Bangalore have been eliminated from the tournament

The Sri Lanka batsman picked up the injury while fielding in the Durban ODI on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2019Sri Lanka batsman Kusal Perera has been ruled out of the remainder of the South Africa tour following a hamstring tear, sustained in Durban on Sunday. The SLC also announced it won’t be sending a replacement player.Perera had been fielding at mid-on when he dived to intercept a shot hit by Faf du Plessis in the seventh over of the ODI in Durban. Having landed awkwardly, he immediately clutched his knee, and hobbled off the field soon after. He did not return to field, nor did he bat in Sri Lanka’s chase.This is the third serious hamstring injury he has suffered in as many years. In 2017, a hamstring tear at the Champions Trophy had kept Perera out of top-level cricket for several months, before he endured a long layoff last year as well. This injury, however, is not expected to keep him out of the reckoning for the World Cup.Perera had a rewarding run in the Test leg of the tour, scoring 353 runs in five innings, including a fifty and a sensational 153 not-out in the first Test that handed Sri Lanka one of their most memorable victories in the format, and set up their 2-0 series sweep. In his two innings in the ODIs, though, he made only 33 and 8.Sri Lanka have lost all three ODIs so far, by big margins, and will play the fourth ODI on Wednesday, in Port Elizabeth.

While one of the favourites to replace Justin Langer long term, he believes international coaching could be heading into a new era

Andrew McGlashan12-Feb-2022Andrew McDonald insists he has yet to consider the prospect of becoming Australia’s new permanent head coach following the resignation of Justin Langer and believes the game is heading into a fascinating period with how international teams shape their coaching structures.McDonald, who had already been due to take charge of the Sri Lanka T20 series and will now lead the tour to Pakistan next month in an interim capacity, is considered a frontrunner for the long-term position and his calmness was endorsed by limited-overs captain Aaron Finch.While Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has previously said they will be looking to appoint a single replacement for Langer, who resigned last week having only been offered a six-month contract extension, McDonald sees the game could be heading into a new phase with the increasingly crammed nature of international cricket.Related

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“It happened really really quickly with JL and the process there. No thoughts given to it at this stage,” he said. “I think the greater conversation around that at this stage is clearly Australia and England have jobs open but it’s what they’re looking for. Split roles have been mentioned [to manage] all three formats. There’s a lot to work through. I’ll wait to see how that process unfolds and see what happens there.”Firstly you’ve got to see what they’re looking for in the job and then whether it’s the right fit for you. It’s like any coaching role that you put your hat in the ring for. It’s not just as simple as saying ‘there’s a job there, would you like to do it, yes or no?’ I think it’s a great opportunity for a greater cricket conversation that two of the bigger cricket nations are embarking upon. I’m fascinated to see where that lands.”The FTP over the next 12-24 months is not getting any lighter, there’s a conversation to be had there. [Split coaching] has been tried before. We saw Andy Flower and Ashley Giles do a split role, whether that was the right time for it, the game’s changed a hell of a lot since then as well.”In the short term, McDonald does not see a need to reinvent the wheel in the Australia set up with the T20 World Cup and Ashes secured in recent months with Langer at the helm albeit having heeded warnings to take a less hands-on approach.Australia secured a 20-run victory against Sri Lanka on Friday with a particularly impressive performance in the field led by Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa who were both key figures in the World Cup success.”The last six months have been an incredible time,” McDonald said. “It’s been well documented the changing room was in a good space. The World Cup was a great experience, the Ashes was a great experience. I can’t see there being a hell of a lot of change on the back of that. I’ve got an opportunity to do my job for the next month or so to the end of the Pakistan tour then see what it looks like. There will be an element of continuing to run the team with similar fashion to what we have.”McDonald also praised the role Langer had on the team which he joined in late 2019.”The values he instilled in the team, the way he was able to manage things from South Africa forward was an incredible effort,” he said. “He had an incredibly high work rate, that attention to detail, care, empathy, all those types of things. Respect for what he’s done in terms of his playing and coaching career.”