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Mithali Raj and batting coach Shiv Sunder Das say as much after failed chase against New Zealand; Das also explains thinking behind dropping Shafali Verma

Annesha Ghosh10-Mar-2022India captain Mithali Raj and batting coach Shiv Sunder Das have pointed to a need for better returns from their top order if they are to “go deep” in the 2022 ODI World Cup. Speaking after India’s botched chase against New Zealand in Hamilton, Das said he believes India can achieve this, given their “batting firepower”.”We thought it was chaseable but provided we had the top order going,” Raj said at her post-match interview after India, chasing 261, were bowled out for 198 in the 47th over. “But back-to-back wickets put a lot of pressure because we didn’t have batter who can take it deep.”India’s 62-run defeat was the second time their weaknesses as a batting unit were exposed. In their opening win against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, lower-order cameos from Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar bailed India out. Against a tactically dominant New Zealand, No. 5 Harmanpreet Kaur’s 71 off 63 seemed an exercise in futility as the required run rate swelled to over seven by the 20th-over mark. To make matters worse, the opposition kept chipping away with intermittent strikes.In both matches, India’s powerplay scoring was a concern. They made 33 for 1 against Pakistan and even fewer against New Zealand: 26 for 2, their lowest since 2017 across 17 ODIs where overs were not reduced. “The top order has to fire,” Das said after the match. “We have the batting firepower to go deep in the tournament.”Tweaking the make-up of their top three didn’t significantly improve their overall performance. World Cup debutant Yastika Bhatia came in for the run-parched Shafali Verma but even then India were scratchy up top.”She got a fair chance for the last seven-eight games and we thought we could [give her] a bit of break,” Das said, when asked about Verma’s exclusion. “She is a talented batter and I hope in this break she gets going and hopefully she comes back stronger in the [next] few games.”Harmanpreet Kaur’s big hits from No. 5 were all but futile after the meandering start to the chase•ICC via Getty Images

The inclusion of Bhatia, who hadn’t opened in ODIs before, and a reluctance to promote any right-handers up to partner Mandhana meant India stacked three left-handers in their top order, with Deepti Sharma retaining her No. 3 spot.”Looking at the top order, once we get going in the first 10-15 overs, we can put up a good score on the board,” Das said, when asked about the lack of variety in the top three. “If you see our top order, I think it’s an experienced top order. With Smriti batting in the top order, we thought we could get some runs from the top order, but maybe we have to think about this decision in the next game.”Bhatia has been one of India’s better performers with the bat leading up to the World Cup, and scored 58 and 42 in the tournament’s warm-ups. But she struggled to get going in the face of tight fields and tighter lines from the in-sync New Zealand. Having scratched her way to 28 off 58, a leading edge off Lea Tahuhu caused Bhatia’s undoing in the 20th over.”You have to give credit to the New Zealand bowlers [for] the way they bowled to her,” Das said. “What we have seen in the practice matches and the [earlier] matches, she is a really good bat and she has the strokes. As top-order batsman, as an opener, she did well and we thought like, no, she would come good. She has played only one game [in the World Cup]. I hope she comes good in the next matches.”India’s struggle wasn’t limited to just the quicks, who shared seven wickets among themselves, with Tahuhu claiming 10-2-17-3. Against offspinner Frances Mackay, who gave away just seven runs from her four overs in the powerplay, they seemed far from comfortable rotating the strike, let alone scoring boundaries. And when the in-form wristspinning allrounder Amelia Kerr joined the party in the 26th over, India’s struggle to read her variations was evident.”We played a whole series against New Zealand and picked up a few variations of her during the matches and we saw a lot of reviews,” Das said about Kerr’s googly, which accounted for Richa Ghosh – a first-ball duck – and tested several others. “I think it’s just a matter of picking the right line and right length. In the few games we played [against New Zealand], she bowled really well to our batters.”Thursday’s result meant India, runners-up at the 2017 ODI World Cup, slumped to the fifth spot on a closely contested table. Undefeated Australia, New Zealand – who now have two wins from three matches – West Indies and South Africa are ahead of them. India play their next game on Saturday, against West Indies, while New Zealand lock horns in a trans-Tasman face-off, against Australia, on Sunday.

Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K Gowtham to join team bubble too

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2021Shardul Thakur has replaced Axar Patel in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2021. Axar, meanwhile, joins the list of stand-by players for the squad, along with Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar. The BCCI also said eight players would additionally be joining the team’s bubble in Dubai to “assist Team India in their preparations” for the tournament. These are: Avesh Khan, Umran Malik, Harshal Patel, Lukman Meriwala, Venkatesh Iyer, Karn Sharma, Shahbaz Ahmed and K Gowtham.Related

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The T20 World Cup will be played primarily in the UAE – where IPL 2021 is also currently in progress – with some games of the preliminary stage in Oman.Thakur has had a good IPL season with Chennai Super Kings, who finished second in the league and the won the first qualifier against Delhi Capitals to reach the final. He has picked up 13 wickets in the UAE leg of the tournament, joint third in the period. His strikes have been at key moments, which is reflected in a Smart Wickets tally of 17.5, narrowly behind Yuzvendra Chahal’s chart-topping 17.62. He hasn’t had much opportunity to bat, but he was sent up the order at No. 4 in the qualifier against Capitals, with a view to utilising his ball-striking capacity. He, however, fell for a first-ball duck.Thakur could slot into the seam-bowling allrounder role for the Indian team, currently with Hardik Pandya. However, Hardik didn’t bowl during the IPL, and if he’s unable to do so in the T20 World Cup too, Thakur could be in line to fill that void.Axar has also had a good IPL overall and in the UAE leg, being particularly impressive with his economy rate. He has likely been moved to the reserves since Ravindra Jadeja would be the first-choice pick for left-arm fingerspinning allrounder in the team, and Axar provides an almost like-for-like option. Should Jadeja be injured or unavailable, Axar will come into the main squad.Umran Malik is currently at the top of the list for the fastest ball bowled in IPL 2021, clocking one at 153kph•BCCIApart from the reserves, the eight players who are going to be part of the Indian team’s bubble and help with preparations are mostly pure bowlers. Venkatesh Iyer is the only one whose primary suit is not bowling, although he could well be an additional cover for the seam-bowling allrounder’s spot. Among the rest, Avesh, Malik, Harshal and Shahbaz have all been involved in the IPL and have achieved varying degrees of success.Avesh has had a sterling season with Capitals, being entrusted with the tough overs in the powerplay and at the death, and has picked up 23 wickets in 15 games. The value of those wickets has been extremely high, as a Smart Wickets tally of 30.08 for the season shows. Harshal has topped the wicket chart with a record-equalling 32 strikes, successfully donning the role of a death-overs bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore.Malik turned heads with his ability to generate searing pace, and is currently at the top of the list for the fastest ball bowled in IPL 2021, clocking one at 153kph. Shahbaz was used as a utility player by Royal Challengers, chipping in with his left-arm spin and handy batting.The trio of Meriwala, Karn and Gowtham haven’t played a match in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. However, their teams – Capitals for Meriwala and Super Kings for Karn and Gowtham – finished in the top two of the league stages.

علق أحمد حسام ميدو، نجم الزمالك السابق، على فوز الأبيض على سيراميكا كليوباترا بهدفين مقابل لا شيء، والتأهل إلى نهائي كأس مصر.

وقال ميدو عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “ألف مبروك للزمالك وجماهيره، اليوم لعب الزمالك بشخصيته الحقيقية، الفريق يضم لاعبين رجالًا يدركون مسؤولياتهم جيدًا، ويمتلك مديرًا فنيًا كبيرًا صاحب خبرات واسعة، يعرف كيف يدير الـ90 دقيقة واللاعبين”.

طالع.. موعد مباراة الزمالك القادمة بعد الفوز على سيراميكا كليوباترا في كأس مصر

وتابع: “نجم اللقاء هو محمد شحاتة، الذي كان أفضل لاعب في الملعب من حيث استخلاص الكرة والتصرف فيها بشكل جيد”.

وأكمل: “كما شهدت المباراة عودة أحمد سيد زيزو إلى مستواه الحقيقي، حيث سجل هدفًا لا يسجله إلا لاعب كبير يمتلك ثقة عالية في نفسه”.

وأتم: “جمهور الزمالك حضر المباراة لتشجيع الفريق، ولإيصال رسالة واضحة إلى زيزو -نريدك معنا ونحتاج لاستمرارك في الزمالك-، وقد رد زيزو الجميل بهدف رائع، ويمكنه استكمال هذا الرد بتجديد عقده مع الزمالك”.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is "obsessed" with signing a forward for his squad this summer, and it is believed Spurs are willing to offer players in exchange for one very highly-rated star in particular.

Spurs in market for another attacker as deadline day approaches

Summer transfer deadline day comes at the end of this month, so the Lilywhites are running out of time to get more required new additions through the door ahead of Postecoglou's second Premier League campaign in charge.

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One of the rumoured goals for Spurs before August 30 is signing a new attacking option, despite having already sealed a season-long loan extension for Timo Werner.

Son Heung-min and Richarlison scored the bulk of Tottenham's goals last season, helping Postecoglou's side qualify for the Europa League, and they pushed Aston Villa right to the end in the race for Champions League qualification, only to just miss out.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.05

Cristian Romero

7.04

Dejan Kulusevski

7.03

Ratings via WhoScored

The duo scored 29 goals in all competitions, filling the void left by Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich last summer, but uncertainty surrounds their futures. Son's contract is set to expire next year as things stand, while Spurs are open to selling Richarlison amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Tottenham have been linked with a host of strikers and attackers as a result. Lille star Jonathan David has attracted interest from Spurs chiefs, while more marquee options like Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres are also on Postecoglou's radar.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney is also yet to make headway in finding a new club this summer. Spurs are being repeatedly linked with a move for the England international, with talkSPORT recently claiming that Toney wants Tottenham to make a bid for him.

“Toney, that is who Tottenham need to go and sign," said ex-club scout Bryan King to Tottenham News.

“He is worth the extra money, and if Spurs want to move to the next level that is the player they need to convince to join them. Spurs need to make that step and guarantee they will finish in the top four next season, and Toney is the player who will help them do that."

A move for Toney would arguably make sense, considering his contract situation, with Declan Rice even comparing him to Kane. However, a very surprising alternative is now being mooted.

Tottenham willing to make part-exchange bid for Victor Osimhen

According to journalist Wayne Veysey and Football Insider, Napoli star Victor Osimhen is attracting attention from N17, and Spurs have asked to be kept informed about the Nigerian's situation.

Chelsea and Napoli are in ongoing talks over Osimhen, and the Serie A side are growing more open to the prospect of Romelu Lukaku being included in a deal for the 25-year-old.

This has alerted Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange and Co. Indeed, Postecoglou is described as "obsessed" with signing a new forward, and Tottenham are willing to also offer players in exchange for Osimhen if they decide to formalise their intent.

It could still be a costly operation, as the striker's £162,000-per-week contract includes a £110 million release clause, so it remains to be seen how low Napoli are willing to go in terms of cash offers if players are included in a proposed swap deal.

The summer transfer window officially opened for business on Friday and Celtic look set to dip into the market to bolster their squad ahead of next season.

Brendan Rodgers has already been linked with a move for Euros star Dominik Livakovic to replace Joe Hart and Dundee dynamo Luke McCowan this month.

It has also been reported that the Hoops are keen to secure a deal to bring Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney back for a second spell at Parkhead.

Arsenal and Scotland defender Kieran Tierney

The Scotland international is said to be eager to return to Glasgow but the financials around the deal, whether it is a permanent or a loan, make it unlikely at this moment in time.

Why Kieran Tierney would be a good signing

The left-footed whiz knows the club and has already proven himself in the Scottish Premiership, which suggests that he could hit the ground running at Paradise.

Tierney came up through the academy system in Glasgow and worked his way into the first-team set up before completing his move to the Gunners in 2019.

Before his transfer to England, the Scottish talent racked up eight goals and 37 assists in 170 appearances for the Hoops in all competitions.

He is reportedly on roughly £108k-per-week at The Emirates, however, and no current Celtic player earns more than £37k-per-week, which suggests that it could be incredibly difficult for the Bhoys to land him unless Arsenal are willing to cover a large percentage of his wages as part of a loan move.

Rodgers could, however, save the club millions by unearthing Tierney 2.0 from the academy to compete with Greg Taylor for a starting spot, rather than spending money on a new signing to bolster that area of the pitch.

Why Matthew Anderson must be given a chance

20-year-old left-back Matthew Anderson spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Admira Wacker in the second tier in Austria as part of a link-up between the two teams.

The Scotland U21 international described it as being the "perfect" level for him as a first loan move away from Parkhead and his fantastic performances could earn him a chance to impress Rodgers in pre-season.

He placed within the top 10% of his positional peers in the 2. Liga with 0.63 key passes per 90 and 3.97 dribbles per 90 respectively, which shows how forward-thinking and progressive the former B team star is.

23/24 2.Liga	Matthew Anderson
Appearances	21
Minutes played	1,646
Assists	6
Goals	1
Games per G/A	3
Games per assist	3.5
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Anderson provided a regular threat from a left-back position with an excellent tally of seven direct goal contributions in 21 appearances.

Tierney's 37 assists in 170 games for Celtic averaged out as an assist every 4.95 matches, 1.45 games more on average than it took the Admira Wacker loanee to register assists this term.

The Hoops starlet was also named in the 2.Liga Team of the Season last month, which further illustrates how impressive the young defender was in Austria.

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Therefore, Rodgers could save millions by bringing Anderson into the first-team fold and providing him with a chance to prove that he can be the next Tierney to come through the ranks as an attacking left-back who can consistently provide assists.

It will then, of course, be down to the 20-year-old to take his opportunity and step up to the Premiership, but his performances out on loan suggest that the potential is there for him to do just that, which would prevent the club from needing to splash millions on a new left-back.

It has not been confirmed whether the match will be a standalone game or complete the series started in August

George Dobell25-Sep-2021

The Old Trafford Test was cancelled earlier this month due to a Covid-19 scare in the Indian camp•Getty Images

England and India have confirmed plans to play a Test in England, in the summer of 2022. The match replaces the fifth Test at Old Trafford which was abandoned earlier this month.It has not been confirmed at this stage whether the match will be a standalone game or complete the series started in August, but it will avert the majority of financial losses incurred by the ECB due to the abandonment in Manchester. It may also avert any further disagreements between the ECB and the BCCI about the reasons for the abandonment and who should take responsibility for it.Related

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Earlier discussions had included a possibility the Test would be replaced by two T20Is. With India already in the UK as part of a limited-overs tour, that may have been more convenient for the visitors.But it is understood a space in the schedule has been agreed for the Test and it is thought likely it will complete the series which India currently lead 2-1.The ECB has also now received a proposal from Cricket Australia (CA) detailing their plans for England during the Ashes. While the details at this stage are unclear, it is understood the plans – which include details of quarantine arrangements and the requirements for bubbles throughout the tour – are better than had been feared. As a result, it is probable there will be fewer withdrawals from the England squad than had been feared.

A summary of the first six rounds of games at the Dhaka Premier League T20s

Mohammad Isam10-Jun-2021How the table stands
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club lost their top place in the Dhaka Premier League T20 following their three-run loss to Prime Bank Cricket Club on Thursday. Prime Bank and Abahani Limited are now on ten points each, followed by Doleshwar who are on nine points in third place.Partex Sporting Club are the only team without a win after six rounds, while Shinepukur Cricket Club are just above them with two points. Click here for the full points table.Top performers
It is of no surprise that Mushfiqur Rahim is among the top performers in the DPL, after his player-of-the-series winning exploits against Sri Lanka last month. Rahim has batted Abahani Limited into winning positions in nearly every one of their five wins.But it is young Mahmudul Hasan Joy who leads the batters’ leaderboard with 241 runs. He has been dismissed twice in five innings and hit the most sixes. Joy’s strike rate of 136.15 is the highest among batters who have faced 100 balls till now.Rahatul Ferdous of Brothers Union put together the best all-round showing in the tournament when he made 54 after his side was reduced to 57 for 6 against Partex. He followed it up with a four-wicket haul with his left-arm spin that decimated the opposition.Left-arm quicks Mustafizur Rahman and Salauddin Sakil took the only five-wicket hauls in the tournament so far, while Alauddin Babu took the only hat-trick. Fast bowlers have generally done well in this competition, with five of them among the top ten wicket-takers so far.Mustafizur Rahman is one of two bowlers to take a five-for after six rounds of the DPL•BCBPlayers with poor returns
Najmul Hossain Shanto, Anamul Haque and Nasir Hossain haven’t been among the runs despite playing in important positions for big clubs. Abahani’s Shanto, who was dropped from Bangladesh’s ODI side recently, has so far made 85 runs in five innings. Haque, who plays for Prime Bank, averages 15.50 with a top score of 35 runs in six outings. Hossain, playing for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, averages 15 with the bat and 80 with the ball, having struck just one six in his six innings.Pace bowler Shohidul Islam, who was picked as Mohammad Saifuddin’s replacement in Bangladesh’s ODI squad against Sri Lanka last month, has been surprisingly expensive in his five games, conceding runs at 9.21 while having taken just four wickets. Islam’s Abahani team-mate Taijul Islam also hasn’t done too well, having taken just two wickets and conceded runs at seven per over in his four outings.On the national radar
T20 skills are at a premium in Bangladesh, which is why Nurul Hasan’s unbeaten 66 against Mohammedan Sporting Club won’t go unnoticed by the selectors. He struck five sixes and four boundaries in a 34-ball knock that help Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to a 16-run win. Hasan isn’t usually regarded as a big-hitter but his wicketkeeping skills and middle-order ability could be tested in the build-up to Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup campaign.Another who has staked a claim is Kamrul Islam Rabbi, an underrated death bowler. He is among the wickets in this competition, as he had been in the Bangabandhu T20s last year, and during the BPL the past couple of years. Rabbi also hit a 12-ball 38, including four sixes off Rubel Hossain in a last over in which they needed 31 to win. He couldn’t help Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to the win, but very few lower-order batters in Bangladesh have shown this proclivity towards hitting sixes in the death overs.Talking points
BCB’s monetary and logistical effort to ensure a bio-bubble environment for 12 DPL clubs and match officials is commendable. Never before have the Dhaka league players seen such opulence in their accommodation, but the cricket on the field hasn’t quite matched the budget. There have been no more than two or three tight finishes. Pitches have been predictably slow at the Shere Bangla National Stadium while the drainage in the two BKSP venues hasn’t helped in the monsoon.Rain has had a lot to do with the 130-ish average scoring rate in all three venues as matches have been interrupted, reduced and abandoned in the first ten days. Batting line-ups have found themselves out of rhythm. When Dhaka has to host three matches per day from 9am to 10pm, it is clear that the BCB and the clubs are desperate to finish the tournament, rather than worry too much about the quality of cricket.The other disappointment has been the performance of teams like Gazi Group Cricketers, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Legends of Rupganj. Rupganj lost their first four matches before recovering with two wins, while Gazi Group and Dhanmondi Club have been lacklustre. This, despite all three spending big on player salaries.Paying for a bio-bubble that costs more than 7 crore takas (USD $825,000 approx.) isn’t sustainable, but Bangladesh is in the middle of a prolonged lockdown so there weren’t too many alternatives to finish what is essentially the 2019-20 DPL. There are still 30 matches left in the first round apart from the Super League and the relegation playoffs.

Looking to flex their Champions League muscles for the first time, Aston Villa are reportedly in pole position to sign a Euro 2024 star who could slot straight into Unai Emery's side.

Aston Villa transfer news

Of course, whilst it would be easy to assume that Villa are in a position to spend big after qualifying for the Champions League last season, the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules mean that they've got to sell before they can think about spending big, which could result in Douglas Luiz's exit this summer.

According to reports, the Brazilian could swap the Midlands for Italy and Juventus this summer in a deal that would see Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior move the other way in quite the shake-up for all involved.

Once they solve their profit and sustainability dilemma, however, Villa can turn their attention towards potential reinforcements and one Euro 2024 star. According to Il Giorno, Aston Villa are in pole position to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan this summer, with the right-back at a stalemate with the Italian giants over his future.

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Part of the Netherlands squad for the Euros, Dumfries' future is unlikely to be settled before the end of his side's tournament, but Villa will seemingly be there waiting when the opportunity comes their way. A Serie A winner, the Midlands club could be making quite the statement by welcoming Dumfries in the coming months.

Given that Emery will have Champions League football to balance next season too, competition for places will be no bad thing in his ever-improving side.

"Brilliant" Dumfries would be an upgrade on Cash

Whilst Matty Cash enjoyed another solid season at Villa Park, Villa would be doing themselves no harm by welcoming a player of proven Champions League quality in Dumfries, who could be an upgrade on the Poland international. And if those in the Midlands want to continue their recent rise, making ruthless decisions will be an important part.

Assists

4

2

Tackles Won

13

31

Interceptions

12

18

Key Passes

27

13

Given that Cash's numbers highlight his defensive ability whilst Dumfries is better on the ball, Emery would suddenly have two options who can provide two very different traits when needed, which could prove to be crucial next season. The Dutchman has already earned plenty of praise in England too, with Micah Richards saying via TeamTalk:

“Denzel Dumfries. What a player he is. I just thought his whole game was brilliant. It was his timing of his runs… He didn’t sort of mix it up too much but when he did it was the right moments. Down this right-hand side he was just breathless.”

So, once his Euros campaign is over, Dumfries seems like a player to watch this summer, as Villa enter pole position for his signature.

One of five men to debut in nine-wicket win over Pakistan hopes opportunity could lead to World Cup selection

George Dobell09-Jul-2021Lewis Gregory believes England’s success in the first ODI of the series against Pakistan demonstrates the depth of talent within the county game and the strength of domestic competitions.And Gregory, one of five men to make his ODI debut as England cruised to a nine-wicket victory, hopes the unexpected opportunity for county players to show what they can do on the international stage could lead to some of them breaking into the T20 or 50-over World Cup squads.There is a danger that the quality of England’s performances of late could be minimised by concerns over the strength of their opposition. And it’s true that Sri Lanka, who were well beaten in both limited-overs formats in recent days, are a shadow of the team that routinely used to thrash England out of sight.But this Pakistan team actually have an impressive record. Before arriving in Cardiff, they had lost just one of their 12 previous completed ODIs and, if they win at Lord’s, they could still rise to second in the World Cup Super League. They didn’t enjoy perfect preparation, it is true, but England’s success against them is no mean achievement in any circumstances. Coming, as it did, with a hastily-assembled squad lacking around 20 of the best white-ball cricketers in the land, it was even more impressive.Related

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• England return to Lord's with series win in their sights

Gregory, at least, feels that is, in part, due to the quality of domestic cricket in recent seasons and the improvement in wickets used in limited-overs cricket.”I think Thursday’s result shows the strength in depth that there is in white-ball cricket in this country,” Gregory said. “There are a lot of guys who have been brought up with T20 cricket and you see that in the way people go about their white-ball cricket.”It was a fantastic result and it shows the calibre that is in county cricket. There are a lot of guys who are thankful for what county cricket has given them. This is an opportunity for them to showcase what they can do on the big stage.”I think the standard in English cricket is very, very good. I think you see that across the T20 Blast and the Royal London One-Day Cup. The standard is phenomenal.”The wickets you play on tend to be pretty flat and some of the grounds are pretty small, which I think naturally raises the standard. Bowlers have to be spot on or you do disappear.”The call-up was obviously pretty unexpected. It’s an opportunity to show what I can do and put your hand up for selection for the T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup that follows. There’s a lot of excited people around.”All this sounds terrific, doesn’t it? But there should be a note of warning. The county game is currently undergoing huge changes – not least the introduction of the Hundred, which threatens to marginalise the Blast and reduce the One-Day Cup to something approaching a second XI competition – which could undermine the foundations of such performances. In performance terms, at least, English limited-overs cricket seems to be faring pretty well without a new competition.It would probably be unfair to ask Gregory, who is hardly in a position of great authority within the England set-up at this stage, to comment on such matters. But, as a player with experience of the BBL, the PSL and the BPL, he is well-placed to comment on the quality of the respective competitions.Lewis Gregory has played in a number of franchise leagues•Getty Images

“Yes, the standard [of county competitions] compares to these other competitions definitely,” he said. “The only thing with these other competitions is the majority of them their national players are playing in them, which obviously we don’t see a huge amount of with the schedule that the England lads normally have. But yeah, the standard across the UK is phenomenal. Thursday showed the depth of white-ball cricket in England.”While Gregory felt England’s players may well have benefited in coming straight out of a busy domestic schedule, he did admit to feeling “a little bit lonely” as Covid protocols are prohibiting social contact among the squad.”A lot of guys have been playing a huge amount of cricket, which helps,” Gregory said. “They are match sharp and match ready.”But yes, things have tightened up a little bit more. We’ve pretty much been stuffed in our hotel rooms because guys have come together at pretty short notice. It’s a little bit lonely but these are the times we’re in at the moment. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to watch the football together on Sunday. We had to watch the last game in our rooms on our lonesome.”It’s not ideal. But Gregory knows he’s lucky to have this opportunity and he knows if he can back up his positive start in Cardiff over the next few days, he has a chance to win more opportunities in an England shirt.”I hadn’t given up on breaking into the England ODI side,” he said. “But I realised it was going to be pretty difficult to break into that squad. I’d not written it off but I knew it was going to be hard to break into the first 16 or 17 they will take to the World Cup.”But you never know in this current climate. Injuries can happen and then there’s what’s going on with Covid. There are always going to be things that are sprung upon us. I’m thankful to be here and it is an opportunity to showcase what I can do.”

India opener hopes she and her partner Shafali Verma can bat through to the 15th over and set the team up in the decider against England

Annesha Ghosh13-Jul-2021

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana’s 790 runs as an opening pair are the most arcross teams since Verma’s debut•BCCI/UPCA

Smriti Mandhana wants India’s openers – basically her and Shafali Verma – to bat long into the middle overs to ensure better results in T20 cricket.Since Verma’s debut in September 2019, this combination has scored 790 runs in 22 innings, the most across all teams. Australia openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney’s 750 runs in 23 innings are second on the list. Overall, Mandhana and Verma have the seventh-highest tally for an opening pair and the third-highest among Indians.With the third and final T20I on Wednesday set to decide the multi-format series, which England lead 8-6 on the points table, Mandhana hoped for a longer stand between her and her partner.Related

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“It’s been about a year and a half since Shaifu [Verma] and I started opening together in the T20I format,” Mandhana, the India T20I vice-captain, said. “In this tour I also opened with her in the one-dayers and the Test. It’s a lot of fun to be involved in partnerships with her.”Our conversations and communication is [good]; we know what exactly to tell each other, so that helps quite a bit, especially in the T20I format. The one thing we need to work on as an opening combination, as you mentioned, is to carry on till at least the 15th or the 16th over. That will be good for our team. We will be working on that.”India savoured a hard-fought win in the final over of the second T20I in Hove on Sunday and they hope to keep up that momentum. Mandhana identified a key aspect that may help them do so: being on guard against losing wickets in clumps.”We have had a discussion about the middle overs and also the death overs about how we can get better,” Mandhana said. “Definitely one point is that we are losing out two wickets at a time. That really puts a brake on our run rate. That’s something we have to work on as a team.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“That happened in the previous formats as well and it’s happening in the T20I also, that we are getting out back-to-back. That puts pressure on two new batters. That’s a communication thing we need to get better as a batting unit. We have all definitely understood our mistakes, and hopefully we’ll better our mistakes in tomorrow’s game.”India do have a few positives as well that will stand them well in tomorrow’s decider. Like captain Harmanpreet Kaur showing signs of her vintage best in scoring 31 off 25 balls in the last game.”Definitely, Harry coming back and hitting a few balls – that’s a very good thing for the Indian team,” Mandhana said. “So, the win was really important and it puts us in a position to win the T20I series in the next match and draw the multi-format series.”There have been other contributors too. Seventeen-year-old makeshift wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, for example, effected four dismissals in the first T20I and three in the second, with the run-out of Nat Sciver particularly standing out.Having made her international debut last year as middle-order batter, Ghosh was handed the gloves for the first time in T20 internationals back in March, in a match Mandhana was captaining. That decision was taken in part because she had become a liability in the outfield but on this tour of England she has put that criticism behind her.”I think she has improved massively on her keeping and I could see her working hard even when the Test and the one-dayers were on,” Mandhana said of Ghosh. “She was really working hard with her keeping. That’s also showing in the matches. She did pretty well with the gloves and she taking the gloves for us in the long run can be very useful for the combination and the balance of our team.”Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana get together to celebrate a dismissal•Getty Images

Allrounder Sneh Rana has been another key player for India this tour. Back in the side after a five-year gap, she helped save the one-off Test with a stunning 80 not out in the final innings and has continued in the same vein during the limited-overs matches as well.”I think Sneh Rana’s comeback is very inspirational for all of us,” Mandhana said.. “I was in the team when she part of the XV three-four years back. To see her come back in this way and open the doors in all three formats. That’s something really inspirational because when you’re coming back, you have the extra added pressure of performing well and proving yourself once again.”Not only coming [back] in one format, she has performed in a way that she has crashed into and come into the XI in all three formats. That’s something that’s really commendable. She performing that way is going to add a lot of balance to the team, especially the batting skills she has. She can hit the ball really well. That’s going to play a crucial role in the upcoming years or months.”Though India are facing the pressure of a series decider, Mandhana also had time to focus on the big picture. The team’s next assignment is a multi-format tour of Australia in September-October, and with the next ODI World Cup due in April 2022, she highlighted various areas that need working on.”There are lots of things we have to work on as a team, especially, I feel, in the batting department going forward,” Mandhana said. “The next seven months are going to be really crucial and we have to start putting up good scores. In the one-day format, we have to start putting 250- and 260-plus scores consistently when you’re batting first. And, of course, our bowling and fielding can get consistent.”We are probably having one good performance and then one which is okay, so I think we can be consistent in that department. The next seven months are going to be crucial to get ourselves completely ready before the one-day World Cup. The Australia series is also going to be big in terms of preparations for the World Cup.”