SPORTS Thursday, 15 March, 2018
BluNdell aNd JamiesoN give eNglaNd the ruNarouNd e HaMilton Agencies
NGLAND began four days of Test preparation in Hamilton on Wednesday with the first two days played with the pink ball under lights. The matches aren't first-class, England bowled first by agreement and teams can continue batting a whole day even if bowled out, so the games are essentially glorified middle practice. It all started well for England, reducing the New Zealand XI to 30 for 5, but a chastening afternoon and evening followed as Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson added 163 and both scored centuries. Here are a few things that caught the eye. Stokes-watch has not finished with his comeback in the one-day series. He will sit out the first two-day game with a back problem but it is being played down as nothing serious; England are hopeful he will play over the second two days, he pushed himself hard during the ODIs and may be feeling the effects. However, it is likely his workload in the Tests will need to be managed or he could be considered as a specialist batsman. In that case it would again leave England needing to find a way to balance the side. At the very least, Stokes won't have had any middle time with the pink ball. James Vince, who could be vulnerable if Stokes plays as a batsman, had seven overs on the opening day here, but if he's needed for that many in a Test, things haven't gone well. New Zealand's Test openers, Jeet
Raval and Tom Latham, walked out to open the XI's innings - a chance for Raval to have an early sight of the pink ball and for Latham to adjust from one-day cricket. It didn't work out for either of them first time around. James Anderson, quickly back into the groove, pushed one across Latham to find the outside edge and then Raval had a lazy waft at Stuart Broad's first ball to give Ben Foakes another catches. With Henry Nicholls chipping to
midwicket and Colin de Grandhomme edging Mark Wood behind, it wasn't a great day for New Zealand's Test squad. There was time late in the day for Raval to fall a second time, edging a good delivery from Broad. Not the ideal preparation. Broad is on 399 Test wickets has been working hard between series on trying to regain the outswinger. He had to wait a little while for his first bowl of the tour, though, as Wood was given the new ball
ahead of him. If Stokes and Chris Woakes (rested here with a hamstring niggle) are fit, it's hard to see how Wood would fit into the Test side, so it was an interesting decision from Joe Root. Wood's first spell ended with 3-2-1-0 and then Broad struck with his first delivery. Tom Blundell made a century on Test debut against West Indies but, two matches later, is out of the team with BJ Watling having recovered from his hip
problem to regain his place. That is an unsurprising decision - Watling averages 38.05 in Tests - but Blundell ensured that the pressure will be on Watling to perform. Having come in at 15 for 4, he became increasingly aggressive during the afternoon - his second fifty took just 49 balls - to reach three figures from 149 deliveries. It won't have hurt that New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was at the ground by this time. When he had 131, he felt he had enough and retired to give someone else a chance. This opposition is stronger than what England faced during their warm-ups in Australia, although the manufactured match situation is unsatisfactory. It wouldn't have mattered if New Zealand had been skittled, they would have all come in for another bat. At least, though, this was genuine resistance. The recovery, again, raised the question of what this attack can do when the Kookaburra passes about 25 overs. There was some fill-in bowling used at times, but England went 45 overs between actually taking a wicket themselves, and Moeen Ali was treated with some disdain, conceding over four an over. The fact that that period involved a No. 8 without a first-class fifty will raise a few concerns. The 23-year-old six foot six Canterbury fast bowler, who was part of the New Zealand Under-19s squad in 2014, missed the start of this season with injury, has a highest first-class score of 40, and is more known for his exploits with the ball. A few around the ground raised an eyebrow when he batted ahead of Scott Kuggeleijn (three first-class centuries) in this side, but he certainly didn't look out of place. He took a particular liking to Wood, with a strike-rate of 163 against him, while Anderson did not take kindly to some of his batting - at one stage the umpire had to step in. His century came from 110 balls when he nudged a single off Moeen. It won't class in his official records, but he can tell the story of this innings for years to come.
NZ hold on for narrow win courtesy Kasperek's three-for Mount Maunganui Agencies
NEW ZEALAND 167 FOR 6 (MARTIN 54, BATES 49, DOTTIN 2-23) BEAT WEST INDIES159 FOR 6 (MATTHEWS 53, TAYLOR 51*, KASPEREK 335, DEVINE 2-27) BY EIGHT RUNS
Spinner Leigh Kasperek's three-wicket haul including the late scalps of Kyshona Knight and Kycia Knight in the space of three balls in the 19th over - proved vital as New Zealand prevailed over West Indies by eight runs in the first game of the five-match women's T20I series. Kasperek had earlier also accounted for top-scorer Hayley Matthews, out stumped after teeing off for 53 off 31. Kasperek's wickets ensured captain Stafanie Taylor was neutralised, left stranded on 51. Taylor built on the platform that was set by Matthews, who dominated an opening stand of 42 with Merissa Aguilleira, to which the latter contributed just 5. However, Matthews' dismissal triggered a slide, as 60 for 1 became 97 for 4, until Kyshona partnered Taylor for a 56run stand that took West Indies closer. With 22 required off two overs, Taylor struck Kasperek for six at the start of the 19th. But the bowler recovered to concede just three runs off the remaining five deliveries while picking up two wickets. Akeira Peters used up four deliveries in the final over, by Sophie Devine, before Taylor got strike; by then the equation of 10 off 2 proved too tough even for the well-set batsman. "We're really lucky Sophie bowled the over really well, and I guess having the non-established batter on strike helped us too," Katey Martin, the Player of the Match for her half-century and two stumpings, said. "It was pleasing to get across today." Earlier, New Zealand's top order set them up for a tall score with three solid contributions. Captain Suzie Bates carried over her brutal form from the ODIs and struck 49, before Martin (54) and Amy Satterthwaite (36) consolidated with a 52-run third-wicket stand. West Indies' bowlers shared the wickets around, but fast bowler Deandra Dottin was the most effective with 2 for 23 in four overs. "It was pleasing to get out there and bat a little higher up the order today," Martin said. "The outfield is really super-fast here, so anything that gets through really goes. We did well to set it up and keep the momentum going through and had a good total on the board that we were comfortable with and felt we could defend."
Gayle, Yuvraj worth the money 'even if they win two-three games' – Sehwag MuMBai Agencies
Not many people would consider INR 2 crores (USD 308,000 approx) for two days' good work a worthwhile investment but in T20 franchise cricket, that apparently is "a bargain." One of the more bizarre sights at the IPL auction was a man with 10,000 runs going unsold until he came up for the draw a third time. It seemed like a sign that the Chris Gayle brand had taken a hit. Similarly, Yuvraj Singh was dealt a pay cut of INR 5 crores (USD 772,000 approx) from his 2017 contract. There were indications that both players - aged 38 and 36 respectively - were on the wane but Kings XI Punjab will be happy if they can win them even a handful of games in the new season which begins on April 7. The team's director Virender Sehwag gave his resounding support to both Gayle and Yuvraj on Tuesday, saying "It is great that they have come to us at their base price (INR 2 crore for both). It is surely a bargain. Who knows if there were more bidders, they could have gone as high as USD 1 million. They are big names and match winners, even if they win two-three games for us, we would get the return on investment." Gayle is currently with the West Indies, assisting their efforts to qualify for the World Cup. Last Tuesday, he struck his 23rd ODI century, a boundary-laden effort against UAE.
And in December last year, he pummeled 146 not out off 69 balls in the final of the Bangladesh Premier League and proclaimed himself as the best batsman in history. Yuvraj has not played international cricket since June 2017, but he is eager to perform not only this season of the IPL but a couple more. He also has a deep connect with Kings XI, first being a Punjabi boy himself and second a former captain of the franchise. He now adds to a strong core of local talent. "Last few years, our Indian players were not that good, except Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel," Sehwag said. "That was one gap. If you want to win the IPL, you have to have good Indian players. We have four to five of them this time. We were also struggling with Indian batting line-up, which could hold the innings together. Guys like [KL] Rahul, [Karun] Nair and Manoj Tiwary can hold the middle order. Then, we have explosive openers in Gayle and [Aaron] Finch, and down the order, we have David Miller. Hopefully, they will do well against spinners," Sehwag reiterated his support to R Ashwin, who will lead Kings XI in 2018, saying "I have always felt that a bowlercaptain can win you more games. If 8,10 or 15 runs are needed in the final over, only a bowler can you win that game. The way a bowler-captain thinks, he can also help other bowlers on the field. That is why I am a great fan of Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, who all made great captains."
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