All posts by n8rngtd.top

The fast bowler faces an uncertain future and remains out of contract with Hampshire at the end of the season

George Dobell28-Jul-2018Reece Topley is to undergo surgery on his back on Monday.Topley, who was diagnosed with a recurrence of a stress fracture earlier this month, will have a pin inserted in his lower back during the procedure at Wellington Hospital, just next to Lord’s. If his rehabilitation progresses well, he hopes to be fit to play not long after the start of the 2019 English domestic season.He faces an uncertain future, though. Not only is this the fifth stress fracture he has suffered in his lower back in six seasons as a professional cricketer, but he is out of contract at Hampshire at the end of this season and most unlikely to be offered a new deal. Any future county may require some persuasion before taking a chance on him in 2019.It is, however, the first time he has undergone surgery on his back. And while the procedure has been complicated a bit as the company that produced the screws preferred by surgeons in such situations has gone into receivership, it is thought he has a good chance of making a full recovery.While Topley has been plagued by back trouble throughout his career, he has represented England in 10 ODIs and six T20Is and remains highly-rated by the England management. Only a month ago, they considered recalling him as a replacement for the injured Tom Curran in the T20I squad facing India.

The Sri Lankan coach said that of the 64 times Mathews was involved in a run-out, his partner was dismissed, while the chief selector said fitness was an issue

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-2018Poor running between the wickets, and a particular propensity to run his partners out is among the main reasons Angelo Mathews has been left out of Sri Lanka’s ODI squad. Sri Lanka chief selector Graeme Labrooy told ESPNcricinfo that Mathews had been “sluggish” between the wickets during the Asia Cup, but coach Chandika Hathurusingha went further, detailing the number of times he felt Mathews had been involved in run-out dismissals. He also said that Mathews had a tendency not just to participate in run-outs, but to particularly run the opposite batsman out.While both Labrooy and Hathurusingha have suggested that Mathews lacks the match fitness to field for 50 overs and then perform as a batsman, that Hathurusingha used the phrase “team dynamics” in describing Mathews’ shortcomings is especially telling. Essentially, the team management is suggesting that Mathews’ teammates have begun viewing him as a liability when it comes to running between the wickets.”Running between the wickets is a very big concern for us at the moment – for the whole team, not only for [Mathews],” Hathurusingha said. “We want him to get fitter. His average since 2017 is 59 – I know that. And he scored 97 runs against South Africa three matches ago. But there are certain concerns. If you look at his record, he has been involved in about 64 run outs, and 49 times the opposite guy got run out. That’s a world record. Those are the things that we’ve been looking at. But I want him back as fresh as possible, and clear as possible, to serve the Sri Lankan team.”Mathews had reminded SLC in a letter to the CEO that he had in fact been the highest scorer in the recent five-match one-day series against South Africa, but Labrooy suggested those performance were not necessarily meaningful, given they had come in a series defeat. That he made other batsmen in the team uncomfortable, is also something Labrooy suggested.”Unfortunately, we lost to South Africa – although [Mathews is] the highest scorer, we ended up on the losing side,” Labrooy said. “We would have expected someone who scored the highest runs to be on the winning team. With Angelo, we knew that he had a hamstring injury right throughout and he’s been nursing and treating it. We saw that he had slowed down in the game, and his cricket fitness was not up to the mark. He had the challenge of him taking quick singles and running twos. Also he transferred pressure on to the rest of the batters.”One of the selectors’ key problems with Mathews was that in their view, he was especially slow between the wickets when his team was batting second, as they did in both matches at the Asia Cup. “We weren’t convinced that Mathews was able to field for 50 overs and then come and bat for 30 overs, and do both those things well, based on his fitness,” Labrooy told ESPNcricinfo. “So we decided to ask him to step down and focus on his fitness, without the added pressure of captaincy.”Upon hearing that the selectors wished to drop him, Mathews is also understood to have demanded a test to prove his fitness. But the outcome of such a test would be besides the point, Labrooy suggested.”The issue isn’t that he has failed a yo-yo or a skinfold test,” he said. “Our concerns were about the players’ ability to perform their jobs on the field. In the Asia Cup, we thought he was sluggish between the wickets.”Labrooy also said that Mathews had not undertaken a yo-yo test before the Asia Cup because he had had a note from a doctor that stated a fitness test could put him at risk of further injury. According to Labrooy, Mathews had travelled to Australia for treatment on his hamstring, as well as some injections, four days prior to the Asia Cup. This recent treatment made it inadvisable for him to undergo a yo-yo test, even though the selectors would have preferred him to take one at the time. Aside from Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera and Suranga Lakmal were also exempted from a pre-Asia Cup yo-yo test, in order to minimise the risk of injury to those players.The ODI series against England begins on October 10, in Dambulla.

Australia lost 10 for 60 after a solid 142-run opening stand to concede the advantage on a platter to Pakistan

The Report by Danyal Rasool09-Oct-2018
The model remains the same, only the specifics vary. This Test match, like most in the UAE, is beginning to take shape around a resounding Pakistan victory.On a day where they were every bit as dominant as any in the lopsided 2014 series between these two, Pakistan sliced through Australia with consummate ease. Once the opening partnership of 142 had been broken – thanks to intelligent field placing and a magnificent low catch at silly mid-on from Asad Shafiq – Pakistan were all over Australia. Debutant Bilal Asif did a bulk of the damage to pick six wickets in a magnificent spell of offspin on a surface that has just started to wake up.Usman Khawaja and debutant Aaron Finch helped themselves to half-centuries after overcoming a probing opening burst early in the day. Then the familiar Australian subcontinent collapse came about as they lost 10 for 60 to make it the seventh time since July 2016 that they lost all 10 wickets for under 100. Asif took six and was supported superbly by fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who bowled with characteristic discipline to pick four wickets.There was never a question of enforcing the follow-on in this weather with the pitch beginning to take sharp turn. It meant Pakistan had to bat 17 overs to see out the day, but at the end of it, lost three of their own, including those of batting lynchpins Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali. In between those two, they also had to see Asif walk off after being sent in as nightwatchman with 30 minutes remaining. Pakistan ended on 45 for 3, leading by 325 overall, not even the late collapse being any reason for them to fret yet.The crucial breakthrough earlier in the day was the wicket of Khawaja. His foot movement was impressive against both pace and spin, and he looked comfortable with most of the shots he played. The early signs suggest the positive mental space he talked about occupying is already paying dividends.While Finch had fallen to the consistency of Abbas and the brilliance of Shafiq, Khawaja continued his assured progress towards what looked like an inevitable first hundred in Asia. He had been playing the sweep shots – paddle and reverse – chancelessly all day, but in the 62nd over, he was punished for misjudgment. He attempted to paddle a Bilal delivery that was far too short to sweep, and could only get the leading edge on it. It scooped up to short leg, and a despondent Khawaja found himself trudging back 15 runs short of a hundred.That exposed the middle order on a wicket it appeared hard to get a start on, and a confident Bilal was on the prowl. After troubling debutant Travis Head for much of the left-hander’s embattled nine-ball stay at the crease, he found his outside edge as Head looked to drive with the spin, only succeeding in guiding the ball to second slip. Two balls later, another debutant, Marnus Labuschagne, was walking back without scoring, having inside edged a straighter one onto his pad to short leg.There was negligible resistance after tea, the bottom half folding for 19 runs in under 11 overs. As with the previous session, Asif and Abbas were the only ones among the wickets, Yasir Shah went wicketless for the first time in his career in the UAE.Before lunch, Finch and Khawaja had looked positive and undaunted, and ensured Pakistan began the day with a wicketless session. They took the attack to any bowler, no matter his reputation, both scoring an unbeaten half-century by lunch. Where Pakistan’s run-rate stayed under three throughout the innings, the Australians were much more positive, adding 107 to their overnight score as they took lunch having chiseled 137 runs out of Pakistan’s colossal 482.Pakistan would have had plenty of reason to be confident this morning with a Test debutant at the crease with a player who averaged under 15 in Asia. But Finch and Khawaja played like men to whom those descriptions didn’t apply.Finch made it a point to consistently come forward to Yasir Shah, never really allowing the bowler to settle on a length. A smashed six down long-on from Finch off him was the shot of the morning, evocative of the player who’s established such a fearsome reputation in the limited-overs game. He brought up his half-century on debut with a commanding sweep off Bilal.It had looked so promising for Australia then, but Pakistan demonstrated, just as they had with the bat, that they were willing to be patient. As they inexorably move towards taking a 1-0 lead here, Australia will be left to wonder what more they have to do to stem the catalogue of collapses that have blighted their Test performance for the past few years.

The England one-day captain would not let personal achievements stand in the way of team success

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2018Eoin Morgan has said he would be willing to drop himself from England’s one-day side during the World Cup if it gave the team a better chance of winning.Morgan has been a pivotal figure in England’s revival since the 2015 World Cup, instilling a belief and positivity as captain which has carried them to the top of the world rankings. In the period Morgan, who is England’s leading ODI run-scorer, has averaged 41.79 but such is the batting strength available that any blip in form stands out.The riches at England’s disposal are highlighted by the fact that Alex Hales, who made 147 against Australia earlier this year in the world record total of 481 at Trent Bridge and previously held England’s highest individual score, is unlikely to find a spot in the starting XI when the series against Sri Lanka begins in Dambulla.Morgan has previously left himself out of England white-ball sides to allow others a chance – Jos Buttler has taken on the captaincy – and if he does not feel he is contributing enough to the team cause it is a move he would making even at a World Cup.”It’s a brave call but we’ve come a long way with this team. With the potential, with this World Cup or the next one, we need to put ourselves in the best position in order to be contenders,” he told . “If that means I’m not good enough to be in the team, both as a captain and a player… I’m a pretty honest guy. If I’m not supposed to be in the team I’ll be the first one to say it. If it means making a tough decision I’m more than capable of doing that.””In the past I’ve dropped myself to create opportunities for guys in order to see if they can play at international level or give them an extra chance to prove themselves. When you drop yourself as captain it almost sets that example, that nobody’s place is cemented in this side.”We’re trying to build a squad of 16 or 17 guys to win the World Cup, that’s the objective. It’s not an individual trying to get runs, not an individual trying to get wickets. It’s a team collective and everyone needs to buy into it.”

West Indies have been unbeaten so far in the World T20, and will be coming into the semi-final high on confidence and form

The Preview by Varun Shetty21-Nov-2018

Big Picture

Through its sudden flaring up at the back end of the group stage, the Women’s World T20 is now certifiably a blockbuster. We’re into the semi-finals: two matches featuring the reigning champions in limited-overs cricket, and their respective runners-up. To start, it’s a straight rematch of the 2016 final.Back then, Australia were the team coming into the final without any losses in the tournament. On Friday, West Indies will be that team, but barely. England gave them a scare and questions about their middle order that they’ll be grateful to have had time to think about. While it wasn’t as resounding as Australia’s 48-run thrashing at the hands of India on Saturday, it was the wake-up call they needed.

Viv Richards, Andy Roberts at WI nets

The West Indies women’s side had a bit of a pep talk from two Caribbean legends leading up to their World T20 semi-final, and that went some way in helping calming the players down ahead of the big game, according to captain Stafanie Taylor.
“It was nice to see Sir Viv and Sir Andy Roberts there,” Taylor said on Wednesday. “They talked to us a bit going into tomorrow’s semi-final. It was really nice to hear some encouraging words. At this stage, there’s a lot of nerves flying around, and it’s good to hear encouraging words to kind of settle that down.”

Australia will be the better-rested team, heading into this fixture with six days of no cricket and time to re-energise in Guyana, which has been far more pleasant over the course of the tournament than rain-hit St. Lucia, where West Indies played all their games. They had some issues with their top and middle order against India, but will know their strength lies in the pace duo of Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt. There are many ways to view this contest, and in most of them, the best-case scenario for Australia depends on this question: how quickly can they dismiss Hayley Matthews, Deandra Dottin, and Stafanie Taylor at the top of West Indies’ batting? It is a sureshot way of getting on top against this West Indies team, and it might even help quiet down a packed home crowd.

Form guide

West Indies WWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWWW

In the spotlight

Stafanie Taylor is West Indies’ most prolific batsman, but she’s not had a great year with the bat. The captain and No. 3 has one fifty in 12 innings in 2018, and has largely been a bowling allrounder in this tournament based on her numbers. She has two ducks in four innings so far, and if West Indies ever needed her to step up, now is the time. They felt severe tremors when Matthews and Taylor fell in the space of three balls against England, and she’ll be keen to not only prevent that from happening but to join the openers among the runs.Alyssa Healy was Player of the Match in the first three matches and could have made a big difference at least to the start of Australia’s chase against India if she hadn’t suffered a concussion. Word from Australia’s camp is that she has been training during the break, which is an encouraging sign. Healy has recently emerged as one of Australia’s most consistent batsmen, and has got them off to quick starts routinely over the last two months or so. Should she be back to full fitness, Australia’s batting will hinge on whether she can keep her epic run of form going when the stakes are raised even higher.

Team news

West Indies have made a change only once in this tournament, and that was right at the start against Bangladesh, when they brought in Anisa Mohammed for Chinelle Henry. They don’t have injury worries and should field the same team as the England game.West Indies women (possible XI): 1 Hayley Matthews 2 Deandra Dottin 3 Stafanie Taylor (capt) 4 Shemaine Campbelle 5 Natasha McLean 6 Britney Cooper 7 Kycia Knight (wk) 8 Chinelle Henry 9 Afy Fletcher 10 Shakera Selman 11 Shamilia ConnellHealy was in the nets in the lead-up to the game and should walk back into the team. They could also bring Georgia Wareham back in place of Tayla Vlaeminck, who made her debut against India.Australia women: (possible XI): 1 Beth Mooney 2 Alyssa Healy (wk) 3 Meg Lanning (capt) 4 Ashleigh Gardner 5 Elyse Villani 6 Rachael Haynes 7 Ellyse Perry 8 Sophie Molineux 9 Delissa Kimmince 10 Georgia Wareham 11 Megan Schutt

Pitch and conditions

North Sound hasn’t hosted a T20I in five years, but results in other formats in men’s cricket suggest it will not be an easy pitch on which to make runs. India failed to chase 190 in a 50-over match last year, and Bangladesh lost a Test by an innings and 219 runs earlier this year.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have beaten Australia only once in T20Is – in the final to win the last edition of the World T20
• Ellyse Perry is three away from 100 wickets in T20Is, and 52 away from 1,000 runs

Quotes

“Five months ago, I’m not sure anyone or a lot of people [in the West Indies] would know about women’s cricket, and to see that amount of people coming to the game is elating. I hope that it continues, so not just for tomorrow, but it continues for a longer time.”
“It’s a really great time to be involved in the women’s game. I think it’s growing all the time, and this World Cup is really showing that. Yeah, we’re excited to be in a really big game, and I think the crowd has been amazing so far, and we’re looking forward to them coming and watching the show.”

Play was suspended for eight minutes in Mirpur after umpire Tanvir Ahmed made wrong no-ball calls off Oshane Thomas

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur22-Dec-2018West Indies’ T20I captain Carlos Brathwaite reacted strongly to on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed erroneously calling a no-ball off Oshane Thomas and even said that he was prepared to risk sanctions for protesting against it and holding up play for eight minutes.The incident occurred in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s 191 chase, when Tanvir wrongly pulled up Thomas for overstepping. Replays later confirmed that Thomas had some part of his foot behind the line.After Liton Das miscued the ball to mid-off, West Indies wanted to review the on-field not-out decision, only to be told by match referee Jeff Crowe that they couldn’t opt for it, as it was confirmed that the delivery wasn’t a no-ball only after they had heard from their dressing room.

What the laws say about reviewing

• 3.1.1 A player may request a review of any decision taken by the on-field umpires concerning whether or not a batsman is dismissed, with the exception of ‘Timed Out’ (Player Review)

• 3.1.2 No other decisions made by the umpires are eligible for a Player Review with the exception of Fair Catch/Bump Ball (even after the third umpire has been consulted and the decision communicated).

The incident came minutes after Tanvir had called another no-ball off Thomas erroneously, off the fifth delivery in the fourth over. The free-hits of both no-balls were hit for sixes.”Sanctions may come and go, but if you don’t stand for something, you fall for everything,” Brathwaite said at the post-match press conference. “If the sanctions are to be handed, I would gladly take it. My team-mates need to be stood up for and as the captain of the ship, I will stand up for them.”Brathwaite said that he had already informed Crowe about the dubious umpiring decisions during the series after the second T20I on Thursday. During that game, umpire Tanvir and Gazi Sohel had given one lbw decision each, though both were off inside edges. West Indies managed to overturn the on-field calls successfully both times after opting for reviews.”I went to the match referee after the second game. I didn’t think the 50-50 decisions were going in our favour,” Brathwaite said. “Those decisions went for Bangladesh. I never ever want to accuse someone of cheating. I will stop short of that. They are professionals as well. I don’t think they would go out there to be biased or, for lack of a better word, cheat.”I didn’t accuse them of cheating but I made my point clear to the match referee that every 50-50 decision in the ODI series and T20I series up to that point went against us. Traditionally, we haven’t played the best cricket, whether red or white ball. But I found that every time I have been playing for the West Indies, the decisions have hampered us. It happened earlier in the fourth over, so a point needed to be made.”Brathwaite explained that he was asking Crowe about what the laws say about reviewing in that intense discussion and said that he had to take the responsibility by taking a stand for his team.”Everyone saw that it was not a no-ball,” he said. “For a young man who is inexperienced, Oshane Thomas was under the pump. To finally get a dismissal but the ball has gone to your name as free-hit, to bowl the extra ball with an extra run, obviously it messed his mindset. As captain I had to take fall for the team. I had to make a stance not just for myself or the team but for West Indies cricket.”Brathwaite also clarified that he had not planned to take his team off the field and had instead asked Crowe for five minutes to allow his team to regroup. “I must commend the match referee,” he said. “After we had some stern words, it was resolved. We worked too hard for my team to walk off the field or forfeit the game or series. The decision was to stay on, fight on and finish the game.”But I also asked the match referee for five minutes that our team can get their head around playing a cricket game, forget the debacle that has just happened, get past the event and let us just finish the remaining 16 overs. Thankfully it was allowed.”While Brathwaite said that making the third umpire check every delivery for a no-ball will “hamper the pace of play”, this incident in Mirpur has reopened the debate about laws.”I think the pace of play is important. As teams we often take longer to finish the overs,” he said. “I haven’t given it a serious thought but off the top of my mind, if we check every single ball, it may hamper the pace of play. There must be more strategic ways to do these things.”I don’t know what all the rules are pertaining to reviews so I don’t want to tell them how to do their job. But it can be looked at. The laws may be put into question after this incident.”

Eighteen wickets fall on thrilling second day of first Test with West Indies in control against England

The Report by Valkerie Baynes24-Jan-2019West Indies 127 for 6 (Dowrich 27*, Holder 7*) lead England 77 (Jennings 17, Roach 5-17) by 339 runs
England were entitled to stride off the Kensington Oval after less than an hour’s play on day two with their chests thrust forward and grins on their faces, a job well done. They had, after all, restricted West Indies to a total of 289 on a pitch both captains wanted to bat on first.Three and a half hours later, the entrance to the field had become a dizzying turnstile for touring batsmen with shoulders hunched and jaws slack, trying to fathom what had just happened.What had just happened was an absolute demolition job as West Indies’ pace attack, led by Kemar Roach, bowled England out for 77, the lowest Test total to be posted in Bridgetown and 212 runs short of the home side’s modest first-innings score.Roach’s stunning spell of five wickets for four runs in 27 balls left England reeling at 48 for 6 and, with Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph contributing two wickets apiece, the scene ended in carnage for the tourists, who had only four batsmen reach double figures with none of them making it to 20.On a day when 18 wickets fell, however, there was much more to come as England’s Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali combined to put West Indies under some pressure at 61-5.Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies’ top-scorer with 81 in the first innings, threatened to steady the second with Shane Dowrich, until Hetmyer fell for 31 late on a spectacular day of action.Dowrich remained unbeaten on 27 at the close along with Holder (7 not out) as the West Indies held a lead of 339.After James Anderson had claimed 5 for 46 to move level with Ian Botham’s record of 27 five-wicket hauls for England, and Stokes’ 4 for 59, England looked to be in a comfortable position at the end of the West Indies’ first innings.Then came Holder and Roach.West Indies captain Holder had Keaton Jennings caught cheaply, slicing a drive straight to gully to send England to lunch at 30-1.At the resumption, Roach cut loose. He flummoxed Rory Burns and Jonny Bairstow, forcing both to chop onto their stumps. At the other end, Joe Root was lbw for 4.Roach then claimed the wickets of Stokes and Moeen with consecutive balls. First to go was Stokes with an lbw that withstood England’s review. But when Roach caught Moeen on the hop with a blazing short ball next delivery that found a thick top edge, Joseph was there, on the boundary at fine leg, to pluck the catch from mid-air and add to the day’s spectacle in thrilling fashion.By the time Roach had Jos Buttler caught behind by Dowrich off a short, sharp delivery it seemed as though mere moments had punctuated the West Indies quick’s haul and, in the scheme of things, they had.Joseph combined with Dowrich to dismiss Ben Foakes for just 2, while Sam Curran was bounced out, caught by Shai Hope off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel, before Adil Rashid was last to fall.While the day belonged to Roach, Moeen and Stokes added intrigue where no more was needed. As in the first innings, West Indies’ batsmen have so far failed to build on starts, with openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell falling early and Darren Bravo making a forgettable return to Tests after two years by adding just 1 to his first-innings total of 2.At stumps Moeen had 3 for 41 off 12 overs and Stokes 2 for 31 off 11.A talking point before the match was West Indies’ decision to pick just one spinner and four quicks, while England opted for two slow bowlers and left out Stuart Broad. Given the success of the home side’s fast bowlers, selection must remain at the forefront of England’s analysis.Anderson added Joseph’s wicket to his four from day one and Stokes ended West Indies’ first innings with the wicket of Hetmyer but, by the time Hetmyer fell again, caught by Buttler off the bowling of Curran, who had edged Broad out of the team, all that seemed so long ago.

Fast bowler made debut against India recently, and is rated one of the best prospects in the Caribbean

George Dobell in St Kitts06-Mar-2019Obed McCoy is set to be called into the West Indies squad.McCoy, the 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler, replaces Andre Russell who has been forced to pull out after a recurrence of a long-standing
knee problem.McCoy, blessed with pace, control and one of the best slower balls in the business, has long been seen as one of the most exciting bowling
prospects in the Caribbean. He made his international debut in India in October and, while he has played just three first-class games, impressed with St Lucia Stars in the CPL and for West Indies B in the Global T20 Canada.He played for the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI in the limited-overs warm-up match in Barbados in February and, having flown into St Kitts on Wednesday, is expected to be available for the final two matches of the T20I series against England.

Nick Winter took four wickets to leave the first-innings scores almost level before the South Australia captain held firm

Alex Malcolm04-Mar-2019A fighting unbeaten 72 from South Australia captain Travis Head helped the Redbacks propel their lead beyond 200 against Western Australia at the WACA.Head became the first player in the match to pass 50 and remained unbeaten at stumps alongside Daniel Worrall after Warriors paceman Matt Kelly had taken four wickets.The Redbacks started their second innings with a lead of two runs after left-arm seamer Nick Winter claimed 4 for 23 to wrap up WA’s first innings. five
Redbacks opener Jake Weatherald fell early, caught behind off Kelly for 5, before Conor McInerney and Jake Lehmann prospered with a 67-run stand.Much like the first innings, Hilton Cartwright was called into the attack to make the breakthrough, and it worked as McInerney fell caught behind within sight of 50 for the second time in the match.Lehmann was Kelly’s second scalp for 30 before Cartwright picked up another, rattling Callum Ferguson’s stumps.But Head stood firm as wickets tumbled at the other end. Kelly was on a hat-trick at one stage but the Redbacks skipper kept the scoreboard moving, reaching a fluent half-century that featured 11 boundaries.He found an ally in Worrall as the pair put on 39 in the last 12.3 overs of the day to reach stumps unscathed with a lead of 220.Earlier, Winter and Worrall took the last six wickets between them to leave the Warriors all out for 157 with a two-run first-innings deficit.Winter bowled nightwatchman Kelly early in the day before Cartwright and D’Arcy Short both fell caught in the slips driving at Worrall. Josh Philippe rode his luck for an enterprising 47. He hooked a six but was fortunate that three outside edges found the third-man boundary as South Australia opted for only two slips instead of three.Philippe and Joel Paris put on 51 for the eighth wicket and looked set to give WA a lead but Winter picked up Paris and Liam Guthrie in three balls before Philippe holed out to mid-off an over later off Worrall.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are still waiting on Kane Williamson’s fitness, but the regular captain is likely to be good to go

The Preview by Ankur Dhawan28-Mar-20193:59

Hodge: Jos Buttler’s form will be key to Royals’ chances

Big Picture

A year after picking up bans for the infamous ball-tampering episode, Steven Smith and David Warner come face to face. Too much time has passed for the Newlands scandal to remain relevant in the IPL context, of course, but Jos Buttler’s mankading incident has – albeit unwittingly – kept the spirit of controversy alive.If Rajasthan Royals – Smith and Buttler’s team – had hoped for the seeming injustice of it to have inspired them, the signs weren’t encouraging. Instead of a steely resolve to get home, on view were panic and self destruction. Those are precise feelings that Sunrisers Hyderabad have traditionally sparked in their opponents. Although Sunrisers’ well laid-out plans came a cropper against a rampaging Andre Russell, it was only the third time they lost after posting a total in excess of 180 – that says something about the abnormality of their display in Kolkata on Sunday.David Warner has a hard kick at the football•PTI

Now, they are back home, where they have won 15 of their last 21 matches since 2016 – the best win percentage for any team at home during the period. Plus, they should have regular captain Kane Williamson – who missed their first game with injury – back, although the final decision on him will only be taken on match day. Williamson hit the nets in Hyderabad on the eve of the match and even the day before that. If he’s back, whom do they leave out? Warner batted like he was never away for a 53-ball 85, and his partner, Jonny Bairstow aided him nicely on debut, contributing a 35-ball 39 in a 118-run opening stand. They might feel slightly bittersweet about separating them so soon, but it seems like the only viable move.For Royals, who made a late surge for the playoffs last year through Buttler’s exploits at the top, the problem of a misfiring middle-order appears chronic. They need a little more consistency from their batting support cast – the likes of Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal. Given the spin-friendly nature of the Hyderabad surface, there could be a case for Ish Sodhi’s inclusion. But for that they’ll have to leave out the highly-rated Jofra Archer.

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Kane Williamson/Jonny Bairstow, 3 Vijay Shankar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth KaulRajasthan Royals (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Rahul Tripathi, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jofra Archer/Ish Sodhi, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Dhawal Kulkarni

Strategy punt

• In 13 IPL innings, Ajinkya Rahane has fallen to Bhuvneshwar Kumar six times, managing just 71 runs from 78 balls. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, when Bhuvneshwar plays, Rahane has just two fifties in nine appearances, falling to the seamer on four occasions, and thrice for a duck. Given that the two are bound to come up against each other by virtue of opening the batting and bowling for their respective sides, seeing Bhuvneshwar off might be Rahane’s best bet to come good against Sunrisers.
• Since last season, both Sunrisers and Royals have been heavily dependent on a contribution from the top three batsmen. Royals marginally more so, with the top three accounting for 61.6% of their total team runs as opposed to 60.8% for the Sunrisers.

Stats that matter

• Sunrisers and Royals were the worst in terms of scoring rate in the death overs last season.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar is four wickets away from becoming the first Sunrisers bowler to 100
• Ajinkya Rahane is 56 short of aggregating 2500 runs for Royals in the IPL
• Jaydev Unadkat is four short of 150 T20 wickets