All posts by n8rngtd.top

The 19-year-old Trinidad & Tobago quick could make his Test debut despite having played just one first-class match

Sruthi Ravindranath09-Jun-2021Jayden Seales has played just one first-class match, but the 19-year-old quick has impressed the West Indies selectors enough to be drafted into the 13-man shortlist for the first Test against South Africa. It’s already “a dream come true” for Seales, and he is hoping for more.”Firstly, it’s a dream come true being in the set-up. Being in the final 13 obviously was a goal of mine,” he said in a press interaction. “Just a matter of me now hoping that I get to play the first Test match and do my best for the team.”The Trinidad & Tobago bowler made his first-class debut last December, turning out for West Indies A in New Zealand, where he picked up one wicket.Related

• Clash of pace attacks in favourable conditions under new leaders

• Jason Holder on losing Test captaincy: 'It has been a strange transition'

• Keegan Petersen ready for Test debut

• In Rabada's dip is the story of SA's decline in Tests

More recently, he took 4 for 40 playing for Team Hamilton in a four-day intra-squad game against Team Blackwood. He had also picked three wickets in the first innings during an intra-squad tour match ahead of the series against Sri Lanka in March.In all, he has played only ten games at the senior level across formats.”I didn’t play much first-class cricket but I think being in the set-up and training with the team from New Zealand to now I think I’ve put in a lot of hard work and my body is ready,” he said. “Now I’ve to go out there and perform for the team.”As far as chief selector Roger Harper is concerned, the lack of experience at the senior level should not be a hindrance for Seales.”I saw a young bowler perform in games where Test players and the best of our best of our regional first-class players were playing and he performed exceedingly well,” Harper said. “Better than a number of players who have been playing first-class cricket for a number of years. The thing is the match wasn’t classified as first-class match but those were played by the best of our first-class players.”I would like to think that if he can perform well in those games against those players, he has the potential to transfer that onto the Test scene.”Seales had attracted attention at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa last year, taking ten wickets in six matches with an average of 18.30 and an economy rate of 3.89. That helped him secure a CPL deal with the Trinbago Knight Riders for the 2020 season, and he picked up eight wickets in six matches then. He has been retained by the franchise for the new season, and while he isn’t looking for idols he is learning from watching his team-mates closely.”Honestly, I never really try to adapt from any other bowlers,” he said. “It just came naturally. I’ve been told I have an action similar to [Kagiso] Rabada. In terms of internationals, I look at old West Indian bowlers and now in the set-up I look at Jason [Holder], Roachy [Kemar Roach] and Shannon [Gabriel] closely. I try to hear as much from them, learn as much from them and take it under my game.”With Gabriel missing out on selection because of an injury, Seales is happy to take his cues from Roach. “There has been no conversation whether I would take the new ball,” he said. “For me, if selected, if given a new ball, follow Roachy. If Roachy is bowling good areas it’s just my job to do the same and try and get the early wicket for the team.”

Australia had asked the VCA Stadium ground staff if they could leave the centre wicket and training pitches untouched for players to train on Sunday afternoon

Alex Malcolm12-Feb-20233:35

Smith: Don’t think our first-innings 177 was enough

Australia’s training plans for the day after the Nagpur Test ended have been scuppered after the ground staff at the VCA Stadium watered the centre and practice pitches overnight despite a request from the visitors to use the facilities on Sunday.Australia’s team management asked the VCA ground staff if they could leave the centre wicket and training pitches up in order for players to train on Sunday afternoon. But the ground staff were watering the centre wicket on Saturday night after the team had left the ground. Australia had planned to have an optional session with five players in the squad set to head to the stadium on Sunday afternoon but those plans were cancelled with the practice pitches having been watered too.Related

• Difficult questions are coming for Australia, but not just yet

• Third India vs Australia Test shifted from Dharamsala to Indore

• Question mark over Dharamsala as venue for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

• Australia need to forget the pitch-doctoring allegations and adapt asap

• Cummins: 'I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel'

ESPNcricinfo contacted the VCA for comment but was simply told both teams would train tomorrow.The cancellation of training is a blow to Australia as they scramble to find a way to get back into the series with their batters needing to find a method to handle Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin after the pair scythed through the visitors in both innings to bowl them out for 177 and 91.Head coach Andrew McDonald identified that Australia’s batters needed to be more proactive after a host of players got caught on the crease during the second innings collapse.”We felt as though we probably weren’t as proactive as what we needed to be in the extreme conditions,” McDonald said on Sunday. “In Galle [last year] we showed that in Test match one [against Sri Lanka] where we were really proactive. And in this instance, we probably weren’t and that showed up in the second innings.”If you stand still and look to defend for long periods of time against that quality spin line-up you’ve got pretty much a ball with a number on it and unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into the method that we wanted to apply.”We saw very little sweeping which is something that we valued leading in as well. So we’ll review why that was the case. And there’s no doubt that when you’re under extreme pressure like that, and you’re behind the game sometimes you narrow in and we need to be more expansive than that.”I thought Steve Smith summed it up really well after he came off and said we’re going to have to be brave, take some risks, take the ball down the ground, push some fielders out and give ourselves the ability to rotate the strike. They were able to crowd us, swarm us and we weren’t able to push the fielders back. You look at the way they played, they were able to push the fielders back, they took calculated risks. So you can always learn from the opposition, but you don’t want to be them in the same instance as well. We’re going to have to do it slightly differently.”

‘Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc back on the selection table’

Australia are also considering whether to make changes for the second Test with Queensland left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann flying in to join the squad for the second Test in Delhi as Mitchell Swepson flies home for the birth of his first child.Mitchell Starc is also likely to be available after flying into Delhi yesterday. Cameron Green is pushing to play the second Test but it might be a stretch as continues to recover from his broken finger while Josh Hazlewood remains unavailable due his Achilles issue.But McDonald was wary of making wholesale changes after one defeat.”If you feel as though your preparation was good and the way you want to go about it is good then you re-commit to that,” McDonald said.”If you shift and try to change too much that’s when you get lost as a touring team. We’ve seen teams come to Australia and try to do the same. We need to be committed to what we want to achieve.”Will there be changes? Potentially, we have Green and Starc back on the selection table so that will totally change the balance of how we want to go about things. However, we feel as though when we came here we had a clear vision of how to play, how we want to go about it and we need to reinvest into that.”We feel as though it can work and the players within the changeroom are very capable for the challenges ahead. We had a slight setback in the first Test match, we got behind in the game. We clearly know where we need to improve. If we improve those areas the margins will narrow very quickly.”

Lahore and Multan to host a total of four matches; Colombo the other venue in Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-20230:45

Rahul Dravid: Would be ‘fantastic’ if India meet Pakistan thrice in Asia Cup

The 2023 Asia Cup will kick off in Multan with Pakistan taking on Nepal on August 30, a day earlier than originally planned by the Asian Cricket Council. The first-round Pakistan-India game will be played in Kandy on September 2, and if both teams make it to the Super 4s, the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will be the host for that game.Lahore is the other venue in Pakistan that will host the matches. The final is scheduled in Colombo on September 17, with the provision of a reserve day.The original draft schedule, prepared by the PCB (the hosting board), went through several iterations, mainly because of the six-nation tournament being played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka based on the hybrid model approved by the ACC recently.As per the original draft, Pakistan were meant to host four matches in just one city. However, Multan was added as the second venue after a new PCB administration, under new chairman Zaka Ashraf, took over this month.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In all, 13 matches will be played in the tournament across four venues. Pakistan are grouped with India and Nepal in Group A while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4s with the top two teams in this phase advancing to the final. The Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-overs format this time, is essentially a preparation run for five of the six teams – barring Nepal – for the ODI World Cup, which begins on October 5 in India.Bangladesh are slotted to play Afghanistan on September 3 in Lahore followed by Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on September 5. Regardless of where they finish in the first round, Pakistan will remain A1 and India A2, while Sri Lanka will be B1 and Bangladesh B2. In case Nepal and Afghanistan qualify for the Super 4s, they will take the slot of the team knocked out (Pakistan or India in Group A, and Sri Lanka or Bangladesh in Group B).The only Super 4s match listed to be played in Pakistan is on September 6 in Lahore, between A1 and B2.

His 6 for 49 hands Essex a 47-run win as Jack White’s six-for goes in vain

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2022Simon Harmer claimed six wickets for 49 to spin Essex to a 47-run victory over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road and finish as leading wicket-taker in this year’s LV= County Championship Division One.Harmer extracted prodigious turn to run through Northamptonshire’s middle and lower order after Sam Cook set up the win with three wickets in two overs to shatter Northamptonshire’s hopes of chasing 211.A breezy 30 from Ricardo Vascconcelos boosted the hopes of the home fans before six wickets fell for 29 runs. Despite a belligerent 39 from Gareth Berg, Northamptonshire’s highest individual score in the match, the hosts were bowled out for 163, meaning they finish in sixth place in the Championship – their highest in 27 years.Harmer finished with 58 wickets for the season, one ahead of Kyle Abbott of Hampshire while Cook passed 50 for the season at an average of just 16.1.The result meant Jack White’s career-best bowling figures were in vain. White took 6 for 38 to skittle Essex for 110 as the visitors lost their last five wickets for 47 runs in the morning session and set up a tantalising run chase.Essex had resumed on 63 for 5 in the morning, in perfect overcast bowling conditions with White taking full advantage and obtaining plenty of movement outside off-stump.He struck early when Michael Pepper edged a low catch to Emilio Gay at second slip and Gay was in action again when Harmer (16), who had played a few lusty blows, played a wild slash and edged White into the cordon.White claimed his second career five-fer when he trapped Shane Snater lbw and then recorded his best figures when the ball flew once more to Gay who took a tumbling catch to dismiss Matt Critchley (20). White’s figures eclipsed his previous best of 5 for 14 achieved against Lancashire in July. Tom Taylor then wrapped things up when he nipped in to claim the wicket of Cook.In the run chase, Snater and Cook bowled a probing spell with the new ball before lunch, making an early breakthrough when Gay prodded at one outside off-stump from Snater and edged behind.Vasconcelos got off the mark with a streaky four down to third but found the boundary off consecutive balls from Snater in the over before lunch including a glorious drive through the covers.Northamptonshire began the afternoon session with a flurry of boundaries with Vasconcelos crunching the ball through extra cover and finding the ropes three times in one expensive over from Cook.Will Young was soon into his work and greeted Harmer by hitting him over his head for another boundary. Harmer had his revenge later in the over though when he got one to turn sharply out of the rough. Young shaped to pad it up only for the ball to spin past his legs and smash into leg stump.That wicket sparked a Steelbacks collapse. Vasconcelos attempted to pull Cook but the ball did not bounce as much as he expected and hit the top of his off-stump. Rob Keogh left Cook’s next delivery which nipped back and trapped him lbw. Northamptonshire had lost three wickets in four balls.Wickets continued to fall with Cook striking again in his next over when Luke Procter edged behind to leave Northamptonshire’s hopes in tatters.James Sales was the next to go, adjudged lbw to Harmer to a ball which looked like it would have gone over the stumps. Saif Zaib struck three boundaries before he was next to go, leaving a ball from Harmer which spun back and hit the stumps with the Steelbacks reeling on 93 for 7.Berg took the offensive approach, clubbing Harmer through the covers for two boundaries and hitting a six all off one over and he continued to take the attack to the spinner as he was joined in a partnership of 49 with Taylor who also looked to be positive during his 26. Taylor eventually departed after coming down the wicket to Harmer and giving Nick Browne an easy catch at short-leg.Berg then fell in similar fashion with Browne taking an excellent diving catch before White was the last batter to go, trapped lbw by Harmer.

Gladiators have replaced him with Qais Ahmed thus far, but are open to finding other replacements

Umar Farooq21-Feb-2023Wanindu Hasaranga will not be joining Quetta Gladiators this PSL season as Sri Lanka look to manage his workload. Hasaranga was partially available, having been scheduled to play in six games before leaving on March 3, but the franchise confirmed he has been ruled out of the league altogether and they are now looking to find a replacement.Hasaranga was supposed to join the team at the start of the PSL and after his stint, Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmad was slated to take over. But Hasaranga’s absence has forced Gladiators to play Qais in two games, though they remain open to finding a replacement for Hasaranga with seven of their group stages games still remaining.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo that Hasaranga “wouldn’t ask” for a No-Objection Certificate, as he had domestic commitments with the National Super League, as well as international series to play in New Zealand. Even though neither SLC nor Hasaranga’s management mentioned it outright, there is also the IPL coming up, which given his success last year and the money he earns at the tournament, is likely to be a priority. Essentially, the issue comes down to workload: the IPL and national duties are an inevitability, and there is significant domestic pressure to play in SLC’s local tournaments, even the four-dayers, leaving the PSL lower down the priority list.Related

• Islamabad possess overwhelming batting firepower; Quetta are well-balanced

Gladiators came into this season in poor form, having lost six games last season. Over the last three seasons, they have the fewest number of wins (10) of all franchises, having not made it into the play-off since 2020. They were edged out last season on net run-rate (-0.708) by Islamabad United (-0.069). They have already lost two games out of the three they played this season.Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis – who was signed up to replace Jordan Cox by Lahore Qalandars – is also now unavailable. Mendis is part of Sri Lanka’s Test outfit, and as such has officially been part of Sri Lanka’s red and white-ball preparations for that tour. His not being part of the PSL despite having been picked by a franchise are clear cut – there is a clash with his international commitments.” Qalandars have found a replacement for Mendis in West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope.This is the second time that Hasaranga has been denied the opportunity to play in a franchise league in the last eight months, after he had to withdraw from his Hundred contract with Manchester Originals at short notice.

Said player and the visiting India squad are staying at different hotels

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2021A Sri Lankan player from the alternative limited-overs squad and bio-bubble in Colombo, which was training as a back-up for the India series, has tested positive for Covid-19. This comes as another setback for the Sri Lankan set-up because the first-choice squad to take on India had already been hit by two Covid-19 cases this week: batting coach Grant Flower and team analyst GT Niroshan.The player who tested positive on Saturday was staying with the alternative group at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. The visiting India squad is staying at a different hotel.The two back-up squads were training in different bio-bubbles in Colombo and Dambulla, and players from both groups could be called up to play the series against India, which has been pushed back yet again, and is now set to begin on July 18.Related

• Sri Lanka allowed to come out of isolation as players return negative tests

• Sri Lanka-India series to begin on July 18; new fixtures announced

• SL team's data analyst GT Niroshan tests positive for Covid-19

• SL batting coach Grant Flower tests positive for Covid-19

The recent Covid-19 cases in the main Sri Lanka squad, after they arrived from England, where the home limited-overs squad was also hit by seven Covid-19 cases, has forced the ODIs and T20Is against India to be rescheduled. As of now, the ODIs are set to be played on July 18, 20 and 23, followed by the T20Is on July 25, 27 and 29.Both Flower and Niroshan were moved to intermediate care facilities, and both had contracted the Delta variant of the virus, which is particularly contagious as well as dangerous. The Sri Lanka squad was expected to come out of isolation and enter the team’s bio-bubble on Friday, but will now be forced to spend at least two more days in isolation, and face another RT-PCR test, the results of which will determine whether the main squad can viably play the series against India.

Sekhukhune, Mlaba tie down hosts on gusty day in Dublin as Goodall and Bosch breeze past target

Firdose Moonda08-Jun-2022On a day so windy that it was too dangerous for the broadcast cameras to be mounted on the stanchions, it was Ireland who were blown away in the series decider against South Africa. After Ireland took the lead in the opening match on Friday, the contest between the two sides became progressively less intense as South Africa’s bowlers adjusted to the slower, lower surfaces and proved difficult to get away.

Brits receives demerit point for dissent

South Africa opener Tazmin Brits has received an official reprimand for a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct during the third ODI against Ireland. Brits was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the code, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.”
Brits, according to an ICC release, “showed displeasure while staying on at the crease” and “expressed her dissent when she walked past the umpire” after she was adjudged caught behind for 3 in the second over of South Africa’s chase of 105.
Brits admitted to her offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Graham McCrea, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Ireland made a positive start and were 64 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings but career-best hauls from Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tumi Sekhukhune, and able support from Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka, restricted them to 104 and bowled them out with nine deliveries left in their innings. That total included South Africa’s 11 wides, as the gusts challenged their control of the ball. Ireland were more disciplined and sent down only three wides but South Africa swatted away the score in 13.5 overs.More for Mlaba After opening the bowling in the first two matches in the series – with just one over upfront – left-arm spinner Mlaba was given a second over in the Powerplay after her first cost just two runs. One of them was a wide, and she didn’t bowl to Gaby Lewis, who had taken her on in the first two matches, so with Lewis off strike at the start of the third over, Mlaba continued. She conceded two singles and then had Mary Waldron out lbw to leave Ireland in a shaky position on 11 for 2. She even got rid of Lewis, but only when she returned in the 11th over and had Lewis caught at mid-on, and ended with career-best figures of 2 for 15.Get Gaby on strike Ireland’s stand-in captain did not face any of the first 10 balls of the innings but watched from the other end as her opening partner Leah Paul struggled against Mlaba and was then caught at wide slip off Khaka. Lewis faced two balls off Khaka but was soon back to the non-striker’s end for Mlaba’s second over. After five overs, Lewis had scored only six off 12 balls. She went on to score 23 more runs off the next 20 balls she faced, including five fours and shared in a 54-run second-wicket partnership with Shauna Kavanagh. They set Ireland up well but, as was the case in the previous two matches, Lewis was unable to bat through and her dismissal caused a mini-collapse. Ireland lost their last eight wickets for 39 runs in eight overs to fall away in the second half of their innings.Tazmin’s tirade Without many to defend, Ireland needed an early breakthrough and Jane Macguire got it. She had Tazmin Brits caught behind off her second delivery, which moved away from the right-hander and appeared to take the outside edge. All the Irish players were in celebration, when Brits’ unhappiness became clear. She stood next to the pitch, with her arms outstretched, as if to ask why she had been given out, and then left muttering. She may yet be sanctioned for her disbelief at her dismissal but it did not do too much damage to South Africa’s chances. Good, better, but not yet best Lara Goodall’s promotion to the top of the order saw her dismissed for a duck in the first match this series, score her first T20I half-century in the second and could have seen her bat South Africa to victory in the third. She was two short of fifty, and had played an aggressive knock laced with nine fours, when Anneke Bosch asked her to hustle through for a single but Lewis’ throw came in quickly to Waldron. Goodall was short of her ground when the stumps were broken and her second-wicket stand with Bosch ended on 72, but she left in good spirits. She fist-bumped Bosch before making her way off and smiled as she left the ground, leaving Bosch and Laura Wolvaardt to seal the deal. Bosch was unbeaten on 44 at the end.

Young quick impressed on recent Australia A tour of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2023Australian fast bowler Jordan Buckingham has joined Northamptonshire.Buckingham, 23, impressed for South Australia in the most recent Sheffield Shield season, and has a record of 25 wickets at an average of 26.56 in his first seven first-class matches. That includes being selected for the Australia A tour of New Zealand in April, where he took 6 for 58 in his first appearance, dismissing the New Zealand A top six.”I’m really grateful for the opportunity to represent such a proud club in Northamptonshire during my first stint in the UK.” Buckingham said. “I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting stuck into it this week and to winning some four-day cricket with my new team-mates for the next few games.”Related

• Back injury ends Lance Morris' Ashes dream, IPL key for Josh Hazlewood

• Lance Morris, Chris Tremain sign for Northants

• Jordan Buckingham runs through New Zealand A with six-for

Buckingham trained with Northamptonshire’s squad this week ahead of their trip to Somerset and is available for the club’s next three LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures.John Sadler, Northamptonshire’s head coach, said: “We’re delighted to have Jordan on board. He’s an exciting young prospect who’s rated highly by Cricket Australia. He showed his quality for Australia A recently and we think he’ll complement our bowling attack well.”Northamptonshire had signed Australian seamers Chris Tremain and Lance Morris, who were due to split six Championship games between them. Tremain has finished his stint while Morris has suffered a back injury, ruling him out of his planned cameo as well as Ashes calculations.

Gloucestershire’s long wait for home victory goes on after draw

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2024Gloucestershire 322 (Hammond 81, van Buuren 75, Brooks 3-55) and 127 for 3 (Price 52*) drew with Middlesex 203 (de Lange 6-49) and 449 for 7 dec (Higgins 155, Holden 111, Eskinazi 65*)Gloucestershire’s long wait for a Vitality County Championship victory on home soil continued as their Second Division match against Middlesex at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol petered out into a draw.On a day which began with all three results still possible, Middlesex did their utmost to force a result by declaring their second innings on 449 for 7 and setting the home side a target of 339 to win in 58 overs on a hybrid pitch offering negligible assistance to the bowlers.The visitors still fancied they had an outside chance of prevailing when reducing their opponents to 102 for 3 in the final session with 27 overs still available, but Ollie Price displayed resilience in compiling an unbeaten 52 as Gloucestershire reached 127 for 3 to frustrate London ambition.Resuming their second innings on 262 for 3, Middlesex had earlier played positively in adding a further 187 in 36 overs, Ryan Higgins top-scoring with 155 and sharing in a stand of 202 for the fourth wicket with Max Holden, who contributed 111. Stephen Eskinazi’s breezy 65 not out prompted the declaration, which came half an hour into the afternoon session.Forced to contend with a cold and blustery wind and battleship grey skies – hardly conditions conducive to a successful run chase – Gloucestershire were never in a position to realistically pursue a first red-ball win since September 2022. Their 11-point haul from this game saw Middlesex overtake Sussex and assume leadership of the table after four matches, while Gloucestershire collected 13 points to move off the bottom.Starting the day with a handy lead of 143, Middlesex were intent upon hastening to a point where they could declare their second innings and set Gloucestershire a target. As such, Holden and Higgins picked up where they left off the previous evening, going for their shots and looking to carry the attack to the bowlers.When Holden slashed at one delivery outside off stump too many and was held by Price at second slip off the bowling of Ajeet Singh Dale, the fourth-wicket partnership stood at 201 from 39.4 overs. Having added just six runs to his overnight tally, Holden fell on 111, his transformative innings spanning 154 balls and containing 15 fours and a six.Undeterred by the departure of his long-time partner, the ebullient Higgins went to 150 in the grand manner, hoisting Graeme van Buuren high over deep mid-wicket and into the car park for his fifth maximum. He was out to the next ball, again attempting to hit Gloucestershire’s captain out of the ground and skying a catch to mid-off.In terms of its longevity, this latest innings might not have matched the career-best 221 Higgins compiled against Glamorgan at Lord’s three weeks earlier, but it certainly exerted a more profound impact upon proceedings. Having arrived in the middle on day three with Middlesex in some discomfort at 79 for 3, he departed with the score on 352 for 5 and the visitors in a position to dictate terms for the first time in the contest.Gloucestershire trailed by 234 when they took the new ball which realistically represented their last opportunity to wrest back control of the game. Marchant de Lange and Singh Dale bent their backs, only for the flow of runs to continue as Eskinazi and Jack Davies joined forces in a progressive alliance of 45 in nine overs. Davies eventually holed out to mid-on off the bowling of De Lange, but only after plundering five fours and a six to put a dent in the South African’s figures.Deploying a characteristically unorthodox approach, Eskinazi contributed an unbeaten 65 from 96 balls with eight fours, his innings a hit and miss affair that served to raise the tempo. Gloucestershire’s best efforts with the new ball would have done little to encourage the Middlesex bowlers in the belief that they could take 10 wickets on a hybrid pitch to win the game, but the declaration arrived nevertheless, Leus du Plooy calling the batters in with the scoreboard on 449 for 7 shortly after lunch.Required to score at a little under six an over, Gloucestershire were no doubt mindful of the alarming second-innings collapse that sent them spiralling to defeat at the hands of Sussex in their last game. When Chris Dent succumbed to a leg-side strangle at the hands of Tom Helm without scoring in the second over, the home side could have been excused for harbouring negative thoughts.Any fears of a repeat performance were allayed by Cameron Bancroft and Price, the second-wicket pair proving reassuringly obdurate in the face of testing spells from Helm and Henry Brookes to see Gloucestershire through to the tea interval at 69 for 1.Although the prospect of the home side scoring a further 262 runs to win in the final session remained no better than notional, there appeared to be precious little in the pitch to offer Middlesex any encouragement. Clearly undeterred, Helm removed Bancroft for 32 shortly after tea, locating the Australian’s outside edge and presenting an opportunity for du Plooy to demonstrate his athleticism at second slip.Price was fortunate to survive when dropped by Eskinazi at first slip off the bowling of Ethan Bamber, but the seamer breathed new life into the contest when inducing Miles Hammond to pull straight to midwicket soon afterwards. When Price and James Bracey proved obdurate, the two sides shook hands at 5.25pm with 18.3 overs unused.

Australia have a successor lined up in Jake Fraser-McGurk but Warner will leave “really big shoes” to fill

Andrew McGlashan and Nagraj Gollapudi05-Jun-20240:32

Ponting: Australia play their best cricket at World Cups

Ricky Ponting believes David Warner will be missed for more than just the runs he scores when he brings the curtain down on his international career at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024.Warner’s stage-by-stage retirement from Australia duty will be complete when the team’s campaign ends in the West Indies – barring an unlikely comeback in next year’s Champions Trophy – following his final Test against Pakistan at the SCG earlier this year.Related

• David Warner is polarising opinion till the very end

• Oman captain on playing Australia: We don't think we are going to play someone extraordinary

• Australia begin quest to unite silverware across all formats

He is coming into the World Cup on the back of a lean and injury-hit IPL for Delhi Capitals, where Ponting was the head coach, which coupled with Jake Fraser-McGurk’s blistering form was enough to have his spot talked about even though he was never going to be left out. Warner made a brisk half-century in the warm-up match against Namibia and has been backed to find form with another global trophy on the line.If Australia do end up holding trophies in all three formats at the same time, Warner could be one of just four players – alongside Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Travis Head – to have played in all three finals.”He’s the sort of character you want to have around your team, especially in big tournaments like World Cups,” Ponting told ESPNcricinfo from New York. “And he’s just one of those natural winners. Everything he does, he wants to win. You can see that with his attitude in the field and the way he goes about his cricket.”So there’s more than just the runs that we’ll be missing when Warner finally is gone. But hopefully the depth of Australian cricket is good enough to find someone to come in and fill that void.”In terms of replacing Warner, Ponting was confident that the “extreme talent” of Fraser-McGurk, who will be a traveling reserve during the World Cup, will soon slot in at the top of the order.”It’s going to be really big set of shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about that. They have got a lot of depth there. I’d be very surprised if he [Fraser-McGurk] doesn’t go straight into the T20 team when David’s finally done. And for that matter, we saw Jake debut for Australia in the one-day stuff in the last Australian summer. I was lucky enough to coach him at the Delhi Capitals this year as well. He’s got extreme talent.”In terms of the 15 players on duty for the T20 World Cup, where Australia’s campaign begins against Oman on Wednesday night, Ponting said they could achieve something “very special” by uniting three trophies across formats.”It’s a really good group of players and it’s starting to get spoken about a little bit more,” he said. “Certainly, even internally, you hear a lot of the players in these current teams [are] actually recognising and talking about how lucky they are and what a special team that they know that they are playing in.”When you are involved in a group like that, it’s really important that you make every post winner. So they have got an opportunity here in a T20 World Cup to do something really special. And I know they will leave no stone unturned to give themselves the best chance to do that. They have got some very experienced players on their side.”They have got a few leaders in the side as well. Mitchell Marsh being the captain of this team and Pat Cummins obviously being the one-day and Test captain, and Pat’s just come off a pretty successful captaincy campaign with Sunrisers [Hyderabad] as well in the IPL. So they have got a lot of bases covered and they won’t want to let this opportunity slip knowing that it could be the last World Cup that a few of these guys play as well.”