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In spite of their inexperience, India’s young batsmen are displaying a capability to adapt and cope with tough situations, as the Tests in Johannesburg and Auckland have shown

Abhishek Purohit11-Feb-2014India made 366 in their second innings in Auckland. It was only the seventh time they had made more than 350 in the fourth innings of a Test outside India. The last time was at Lord’s in 2002, helped by a surprising century from No 8 Ajit Agarkar. Before 2002, it was in 1979 at The Oval. Which means that in the time Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman were part of the side, India needed an Agarkar hundred to make more than 350 in the last innings of an away Test.The four batsmen came together in 1996, and three of them were in the team until the Australia tour of 2012. In that period, India were set 350-plus to win 18 times away from home. They didn’t win a single game, and drew six. The first time they were handed such a target in that duration, by South Africa in Durban in 1996, they crashed to 66 all out in 34.1 overs. The second time, in Cape Town, they managed 144.This is in no way to belittle the efforts of the previous generation, but the statistics illustrate how difficult it is to score so many runs batting last in a Test, something even batsmen of the caliber of the four former Indian batsmen could not do. The efforts from the South African tour of 1996-97 also show how collectively fallible the batsmen, now considered great, were in their early days.Perhaps the numbers will also help us appreciate what the current set of young Indian batsmen did in Auckland. Not only did they come back from a poor first innings, they crucially told us that the promise they had shown in South Africa a few weeks back could be built upon.In part because of the deeds of the batsmen preceding them, the current lot will be measured against high standards. Indian cricket has also entered an age where the expectations from fans are generally elevated. But instead of looking at their failure to break the run of 13 overseas Tests without a win, they should be afforded considerable leeway based on their potential, which has been abundantly on display on their first two tours together, especially in Johannesburg and Auckland.India’s top six batsmen have a collective experience of 77 Tests. MS Dhoni alone has played 82. At both Wanderers and Eden Park, first visits to the countries for most of them, they came back from an average first-innings performance. Both times, there were hundreds from the top-order and support from the middle-order.Also building upon the promise is the exposure they have got on these early tours. The Wanderers match will go down in history as one of the most thrilling draws. The Auckland one was a rollercoaster over days three and four – to concede 503, then get bowled out for 202, then come back to roll over the opposition for 105 and finally, bat so well that at one stage, you had a good chance of chasing down 400-plus, something that has been done only four times ever before.

The current Indian batsmen are on a steep learning curve, and they are not sliding down the slope at the moment.

The current Indian batsmen are on a steep learning curve, and they are not sliding down the slope at the moment. In years to come, the learning will hopefully show. They might in time develop enough to start setting up matches overseas with big totals, as the earlier set did often. India may or may not have the bowling resources to utilise the pressure these totals create, but for now, it is assuring for the side to know that they have a group of batsmen who are picking up things fast. After the Auckland Test was lost by 40 runs, Dhoni hoped his batsmen had come out having absorbed the importance of driving home the advantage when they could. India were 222 for 2, when Virat Kohli threw his bat at a short and wide one to end a century partnership and allow New Zealand back into the game.”Capitalise. It is a very easy thing to say in one word but a lot of thinking and experience goes behind it. They must be learning out of it,” Dhoni said. “Games like these, even if you play one game, it gives you the experience of three-four Test matches, where you start respecting. You start looking ahead into the game. It is a game that goes on for five days, so you start thinking, if we get this partnership going, what needs to be done at the end of the third day maybe.”Of course, you need to break it down and take it session by session. But it is also important to look ahead as to what needs to be done, what will happen to the wicket, whether it will dry down, whether it will assist the spinners or not. These are the kind of learnings you get out of these games. Hopefully there will be plenty in our dressing room who must have learned a lot out of it.”Wellington might turn out to be better or worse than Durban was. However, there will be no taking away from the potential of Johannesburg and Auckland.

Marks out of ten for England and Sri Lanka after the two-Test series

Andrew McGlashan09-Apr-2012

England

Graeme Swann – 16 for the series•AFP9
James Anderson
Was already established as one of the best fast bowlers before this tour and his reputation has now soared even higher. Superb in every innings and could easily have had greater reward. Incredible stamina.Graeme Swann
Went wicketless in the first innings in Galle but was prolific after that. His performance in Colombo was one of his finest for England and he was back beating the outside edge to the right-handers, which added to his threat. Maybe the presence of Monty Panesar has given him a little kick?8
Jonathan Trott
Showed England’s batsmen it was possible to score during the failed run-chase in Galle and helped lay the solid foundation for victory in the second Test.Kevin Pietersen
Few batsmen could have played the way Pietersen managed in Colombo and it made a mockery of his previous struggles in Test matches this year. When the mood takes him he remains irresistible.6
Alastair Cook
Still can’t quite get that 20th Test century after his second 94 of the year but that was a crucial innings to give England a base and also set the tone in the run chase. Missed a few sharp chances at short leg.Matt Prior
Looked comfortable during the Galle run chase until unluckily being caught at short leg off a full-blooded sweep. Kept well in very tough conditions with the missed stumping (which didn’t prove costly) as his only real blot.Andrew Strauss
For the first time in his career he faced a lot of awkward questions and he never lost his composure. Ugly shots in the first Test; showed all his grit in the second. Captaincy does not always please those who want more aggression but used his resources well. Caught well too.Steven Finn
Still a work in progress but showed impressive consistency and kept his pace up in the heat. Not a bad option as first reserve and it highlights England’s depth in pace bowling.5
Samit Patel
Did not look out of his depth. Managed what was asked with him with the ball – his economy rate was very impressive – and batted confidently in Colombo after a difficult start in Galle. Unlikely to see much Test action in England.Tim Bresnan
Eleven Tests, 11 wins. England’s lucky charm worked again. Took useful wickets in the first innings in Colombo and gave Strauss control. Would be perfect if he could be a Test No.7.3
Ian Bell
Showed signs of regaining form in the first innings in Galle but again fell sweeping in the second. Wasted a good platform in the second Test. Needs some time in county cricket before the West Indies series.Monty Panesar
Didn’t bowl badly in Galle but could not conjure the threat he had shown in the UAE. Catching reverted to the bad old days and may have played a part in his omission. Still England’s second best spinner by a clear margin.Stuart Broad
Series cut short by injury and did not look his best in Galle after an earlier ankle problem. Bowled eight no-balls. But a minor blip. He’s a world-class cricketer.

Sri Lanka

Rangana Herath will have a heavy workload in the years to come•AFP9
Mahela Jayawardene
The captain led by example with a Man-of-the-Series display. Ended a lean run in Test cricket with two hundreds and almost defied England single-handedly. Remains a reluctant captain but is giving the job his all. Tough gig with limited bowling resources.Rangana Herath
Confirmed as the leader of Sri Lanka’s attack and surpassed all expectations. Was helped by some reckless batting in Galle but also teased with flight and guile. He’ll have a heavy workload in the years to come.7
Angelo Mathews
Delayed start to the series due to injury and he may struggle to be a regular bowler in Test cricket, if fitness issues continue to plague him. But he twice showed he more than warrants a place as a batsman and appears wasted at No. 6 where he can be stranded with the tail.6
Thilan Samaraweera
Rarely pleasing on the eye but a gutsy performer in the middle order. Two important innings in Colombo to keep Sri Lanka alive. If he’d survived the fourth evening the result could have been different. Surprisingly does not bowl these days.Prasanna Jayawardene
A crucial second innings in Galle which extended Sri Lanka’s lead beyond 300 highlighted his value to the middle order. His team could have done with more of the same in the second Test but he should fend off Dinesh Chandimal for a while longer. Tidy behind the stumps.4
Chanaka Welegedara
Claimed the important wicket of Pietersen in Galle and offered some useful resistance with the bat before a groin injury ended his series early. One of Sri Lanka’s better pace-bowling options.Dinesh Chandimal
Made two starts in the first Test before giving it away on both occasions but Sri Lanka supporters (and management) need to be patient. He is a key part of the team’s future.Suraj Randiv
Very good in Galle, very ordinary in Colombo. Was taken apart by Pietersen, which has happened to many a bowler, but is worth persevering with. Tall offspinners can be an asset.3
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Was more of a threat to England with his offspin rather than the bat. Fined once during the second Test and fortunate not to be done again after the reaction to his dismissal. Debate is starting about how much longer he will be around the Test side.Suranga Lakmal
Found some swing in Galle but was ineffective in Colombo. Maybe worth persevering with. Showed unexpected stickability with the bat.Dhammika Prasad
Frustrated England as nightwatchman more than he hindered them with the ball.2
Kumar Sangakkara
A rare lean series for Sangakkara, including two first-ball ducks. It left a big hole in the Sri Lanka line-up and he never threatened to get on top of the England attack.Lahiru Thirimanne
Out of his depth with the bat although he was facing the exceptional Anderson. But excellent at short leg.

Stats preview to the fifth Test between West Indies and England in Port of Spain

S Rajesh05-Mar-2009After the mountain of runs that were scored in the fourth Test in Barbados, fans of Test cricket – and especially those of the England team – will be desperately hoping that the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain lives up to its recent reputation. If it does, they can gear up for a cracking Test match, with sub-300 scores, plenty of wickets for fast bowlers, and a victory for the visiting side. For those have been the norms in the last 11 years – and 10 Tests – at this venue.Trinidad used to be a venue which was good for batting, helped spinners, and produced plenty of draws, but that was in a different era. Overall, 20 out of 55 matches here have been drawn, but the last ten Tests have all ended decisively, with West Indies losing seven of those. In fact, there was a stretch of eight Tests when they lost seven, with the lone win coming against Zimbabwe. But the last time West Indies played here, they notched up a memorable win against Sri Lanka, with Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul combining to help overhaul a potentially tricky target of 253.England’s recent memories of this venue will be pleasant as well – they’ve won their last two Tests here, including the one in 2004 by seven wickets, when Steve Harmison returned a match haul of 7 for 101.

As mentioned earlier, low scores have been the norm here, thanks to the pitches which have offered assistance to the quick bowlers. Over the last ten Tests, only in the first innings does the average runs per wicket touch 30; in the other three innings, it hovers in the mid-20s, which suggests a fascinating tussle between bat and ball. Only 15 centuries have been scored during this period, which is another indication of how difficult batting has generally been here. There has been one total in excess of 410 during this period, when Australia amassed a mammoth 576 for 4 declared in 2003, with Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist all getting hundreds. West Indies replied with 408, but ended up losing by 118 runs. (Click here for an innings-by-innings list of scores in the last ten Tests in Port of Spain.)The other fascinating aspect is how even matches have generally been after the first innings: the average first innings difference is 68.4, and on six occasions the lead has been less than 60, setting up the second half of the match perfectly. In the last ten Tests, the lead has been shared equally by the team batting first and the team batting second – five times in each instance.

Among the West Indian batsmen in the current squad, four have played here before, with mixed results. Sarwan is the only one to have consistently delivered the runs – his last three innings read 107*, 57 and 102, the last effort winning West Indies the Test and him the Man-of-the-Match award. Given the form he is in now, there’s a good chance he’ll add substantially to his aggregate of 514. In fact, he was remarkably consistent in his first seven innings as well, except that it would have been infuriating for his team-mates – he didn’t score less than 21, but didn’t exceed 41. The scores read: 34, 39, 35, 41, 26, 34, 21.For the rest of the batsmen, this venue has produced forgettable results: Chanderpaul averages only 34.50 despite an unbeaten 86 in that Test against Sri Lanka, while Chris Gayle has a highest of 62 in 12 innings.

Fast bowlers have been far more effective at the Queen’s Park Oval over the last decade – in ten Tests they’ve taken 13 five-fors, and average an impressive 25.37. Curtly Ambrose leads the way in terms of wickets taken during this period – his 28 in four Tests have come at a ridiculous average of 9.71. England have had several heroes too: Angus Fraser’s 20 wickets in two matches have come at a cost of 9.50 each, while Steve Harmison and Simon Jones enjoyed themselves on their last visit in 2004. (Click here for a full list of fast bowlers here since 1998.)Spinners, on the other hand, have had a barren spell, with just 50 wickets at an average of 37.72. The most successful spinner during this period has been Gayle, with ten wickets at an average of 14.10.

With fast bowlers ruling the roost, it isn’t surprising that partnerships for the early wickets haven’t been prolific. The average first-wicket stand has been 30.62, with only three century partnerships in 40 attempts, though one of them was by Gayle and Smith, the current West Indian opening pair, against England in 2004. The average for the second wicket is even lower. The middle order has done much better: the average stands for the third and fourth wickets are significantly higher than for the first two.

Rishabh Pant will start IPL 2024 as Delhi Capitals’ captain but will not keep wicket in the first half of the season, franchise co-owner Parth Jindal has said. In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Jindal also said Capitals were expecting South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje to be fit to play from their opening game, against Punjab Kings on March 23.Jindal said the Capitals think-tank, led by the team director Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting, was confident about Pant starting the IPL, subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI which is imminent.”Rishabh is batting. He’s running. He has started his wicketkeeping. He is likely to be fully fit for the IPL,” Jindal said on Thursday. “I am expecting Rishabh to play IPL and he will lead from match one. First seven games we are going to play him only as a batter and depending on how his body reacts, we will take a call for the rest of the IPL.”Related

• Pant on his comeback: 'Feels like I'm going to make my debut again'

• Rishabh Pant suffers multiple injuries in serious car crash

• Pant on his life-threatening car crash: 'I felt my time in this world was over'

• Ponting: Pant is 'very confident' of playing entire IPL 2024

• Rishabh Pant begins match-simulation exercises in Bengaluru

The IPL will mark Pant’s return to competitive cricket since the Test series in Bangladesh in December 2022. After his horrific car crash on December 30, 2022, Pant has worked hard to make a remarkable recovery post successful surgeries to three major knee ligaments in his right leg. Having told his doctors that he would shave at least six months off their prescribed time of recovery, Pant played practice matches in Bengaluru this week, which were organised by the National Cricket Academy.On Tuesday, Pant also posted a video on his Instagram doing some wicketkeeping and mobility drills, which have become part of his lower-body conditioning over the past six weeks. On Wednesday, he batted and fielded in a 20-over match, which comprised a series of match-simulation exercises. The game was overseen by the BCCI medical staff. There were no visible concerns. Pant is expected to play at least a few more such games before joining Capitals. Once the BCCI clearance comes, he will join the side for a preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam, where the team will also play two home matches.With the second half of WPL 2024 – comprising 11 games including the playoffs – set to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the Capitals men’s team had to shift their home base for the early part of the IPL to ensure they didn’t start on tried pitches. In the 21-match IPL schedule released on Thursday, Capitals are scheduled to play two home and three away matches. Jindal confirmed the team would return to Delhi for their remaining five home games.

Anrich Nortje ‘good to go for first game’

Nortje, who has been out of action for a while because of injuries, is good to go and is also expected to join the camp in Visakhapatnam, Jindal said. Nortje had recovered from a groin injury to play ten matches for the side in the 2023 season before heading home for personal reasons. He was retained by the franchise ahead of the 2024 auction.While he played the inaugural season of Major League Cricket in the USA, he pulled out of the ODI series at home against Australia in September following a suspected stress fracture in the back and was eventually ruled out of the ODI World Cup as well. Doubts about his availability for IPL persisted after he did not play the SA20 either.Anrich Nortje played ten games in IPL 2023•Associated Press

“He’s fit,” Jindal said. “Right now, he is bowing at 80% intensity. Next week, he will bowl at 100%. He’s going to make his comeback in the IPL. He is going to join our camp and should be good to go for our first game.”Jindal also said Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson is unlikely to be fit for the initial part of the tournament as he recovers from a side strain that had ruled him out of the latter half of the BBL as well as the home ODI series against West Indies. Richardson was bought by Capitals at the mini-auction in December for INR 5 crore (US$ 602,000 approx).”He’s touch and go but will definitely be available for some part of IPL,” Jindal said.

Harry Brook set for No. 6 role

Jindal was confident Capitals would make the playoffs mainly because Pant’s return provided the right balance to the team. He also said Tristan Stubbs and Mitchell Marsh made the team a well-rounded unit.”We feel very confident, the balance of the team is a lot better with Rishabh coming back in,” he said. “We have a very good squad and a lot of options with players like Tristan Stubbs, who had a phenomenal SA20 [with champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape], and Mitch Marsh becoming captain of Australia’s T20I team.”Jindal said he was also expecting big things from David Warner, an IPL legend, who is likely to feature for one last season at Capitals with the mega auction in 2025. Jindal also said he was looking forward to England power hitter Harry Brook playing a key role in the lower order.Another key reason behind Jindal’s optimism for this season is the recruitment of a fresh batch of uncapped Indian players who, he said, were scouted and recommended by Ganguly. Among the uncapped Indians bought by Capitals at the auction are Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, Haryana allrounder Sumit Kumar and Madhya Pradesh batter Ricky Bhui (who is currently the leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy).”We know our younger Indian players [better], we know which players to back in what positions a lot better than we did in the last season,” Jindal said. “A lot of credit goes to the systems and processes put in place by [Ganguly].”

Tony Mowbray has blasted Ruben Amorim for wasting Amad Diallo's talent at right-wing back while urging the Manchester United manager to switch to a three-man midfield. Amorim currently deploys a 3-4-3 formation with new signing Bryan Mbeumo playing on the right of the attack and Amad sitting deeper.

• Former Sunderland boss slams Amorim
• Urges Portuguese coach to change his system
• Labels Amad a "genius"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim has come under fire for overseeing a dismal start to United's 2025-26 campaign. The Red Devils managed to collect just one point from their first two Premier League matches before they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town in the second round. However, United somewhat redeemed themselves at the weekend by picking up a narrow win over Burnley at Old Trafford to get up and running in the Premier League.  

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Former Sunderland boss Mowbray, who managed Amad during his loan spell with the Black Cats between 2022 and 2023, has raised questions over Amorim's system, while suggesting he is wasting the youngster's talent in an unfamiliar right wing-back position. Mowbray labelled Amad a "genius" and claimed that his true potential can only be realised once he plays in the attack.

• WHAT MOWBRAY SAID

  Speaking on the podcast, the 61-year-old said: "In my opinion, and can I say this from a position of total humility that he's manager of Manchester United, who am I? Who am I to tell him what to do? But in my stomach, it feels like you don't have to play 5-4-1, whatever you want to call it. You don't have to do it. If the group of players is screaming at you to play a three-man midfield to protect the mobility of a Casemiro, if you want to play him or whoever it might be. 

  "You maybe have to put an extra man in there, so why would you be so stuck on one system and trying to force Amad as a right wing-back? Amad who's a brilliant footballer, Man United class I would suggest. I speak to Gary Pallister a lot about this when we sit and have coffee near my street most days. Amad, he's a genius."

  Mowbray added: "I talked about not having to look at the ball, the ball's stuck to his left foot. He is a brilliant football player, and a brilliant human being. And you're playing him at right wing-back just to fit into your system. He should be bending it in the top corner with his left foot, he should be sitting people on their backside and scoring wonderful goals like I know he can. Why's he chasing people into his own box playing right wing-back?"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ruben Amorim's side will hope to build on the confidence they gained with the win over Burnley after the international break as they take on rivals Manchester City in a crucial Premier League derby clash on September 14.

Former Manchester City and Germany goalkeeper Eike Immel has been sentenced to two years and two months in prison over fraud offences. The former footballer is said to have sold a European Championship ticket that he failed to deliver, in addition to 107 other cases registered against him for not repaying money he borrowed. Immel represented City between 1995 and 1997.

• Ex-City goalkeeper faces jail time
• Fraud charges brought forth
• 107 cases against 64-year-old

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the , ex-City goalkeeper Immel will serve a jail term of two years and two months for fraudulent activities. Immel, who was part of West Germany's 1980 Euros-winning squad, sold a European Championship ticket that he never delivered. 107 other charges also came up for defaulting in payment of borrowed money worth £29,775.

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  Immel played for Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart as well, before ending his professional career in England as he spent two seasons with the Cityzens. During the trial, the 64-year-old's defence cited his financial problems as the reason for not repaying borrowed money.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  A statement from Immel's defence: "Mr Immel is deeply ashamed of what is being discussed here in the courtroom today. He lives hand to mouth. This fact has been publicly known for years. [He is] not a professional fraudster, but a failed former footballer."

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  WHAT ELSE?

  Immel represented Die Mannschaft in 19 international matches and was part of their two World Cup squads in 1982 and 1986. He also won the Bundesliga and German Super Cup at Stuttgart.

MatériaMais Notícias

O lateral-esquerdo Bruno Pacheco concedeu a tradicional entrevista coletiva de apresentação no Fortaleza e, dentre os questionamentos, respondeu sobre o que teria motivado a sua saída do arquirrival, Ceará.

Na avaliação do jogador, o fato se deu por conta do clube onde esteve durante três temporadas ter “outros projetos”, sem dar maiores detalhes do que seriam esses projetos. Por outro lado, ele agregou que a apresentação da proposta feita pelo Leão do Pici também foi determinante para sua decisão.

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>Mercado da bola: confira as negociações dos principais clubes do país

O atleta hoje com 31 anos de idade também fez observações sobre a existência de interesse antigo do Fortaleza nos seus serviços bem como os primeiros contatos e impressões do técnico Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

-Estou feliz porque fui muito profissional durante três anos com o Ceará. Claro que foi uma saída que muitos não esperavam. Mas eu tenho uma carreira, eles estavam com outros projetos. O projeto que me apresentaram aqui me agradou. Fui bem acolhido, estou feliz. Estou focado aqui agora, sou grato por tudo que já passei, mas agora eu defendo as cores do Fortaleza, meu foco agora é no Fortaleza – apontou Bruno, acrescentando:

-Na primeira conversa que tive com o Vojvoda fui cobrado. Já vi vídeos. Só elogios, espero corresponder. Na fase mais difícil que o clube teve, manteve o treinador porque conhecia o trabalho do professor. Ele é muito elétrico, conversava comigo e depois já estava no campo. Ele deixa muito claro e valoriza muito o atleta, o ambiente de trabalho. Ele vai me cobrar bastante e também deixei bem claro que quero ser cobrado.

Com a modificação no regulamento do Campeonato Cearense para 2023, o Fortaleza começa a defender o título estadual, no próximo dia 15 de janeiro, frente ao Iguatu.

Lanning said she hasn’t worked out what she will do next but she will continue to play WBBL, WNCL and the WPL to honour her existing contracts

Alex Malcolm09-Nov-2023An emotional Meg Lanning says her decision to retire from international cricket had been building for quite some time as she realised she was no longer fully committed to doing all that was required to play for Australia.Lanning, 31, made the shock announcement on Thursday that she would be retiring from international cricket effectively immediately. She said she had only realised the decision in her own mind in the last 48 hours but had been thinking about it for 18 months.Lanning’s steely gaze has been a trademark over a glittering career and it was jarring to see her visibly shaken and in tears when speaking to the media outside the MCG on Thursday with a select group of family and friends in attendance.Related

'I was in denial' – Meg Lanning reveals health battle that caused her international retirement

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Meg Lanning retires from international cricket

The five-time World Cup-winning captain said that her time away from the game over the last 18 months, having taken two extended playing breaks for differing reasons had made it easier for her to walk away, after she had battled to find the motivation to keep playing following a 13-year international career.”I’ve come to the realisation that I’ve probably been trying to convince myself a little bit over the last 18 months why I should keep playing and what it is that I want to achieve,” Lanning said.”I’m not someone who can do things half-in half-out. I’ve battled away a little bit trying to work all that out. But it sort of became quite clear, particularly over the last couple of days that this was the right call and what I’m ready for.Meg Lanning announcing her retirement from international cricket•Getty Images

“Since I’ve made the decision I’ve certainly felt a little bit relieved, I guess, to have made a call and be a little bit clearer on what the next little bit looks like.”Lanning revealed she does not know exactly what the next phase of her life will look like. She will continue to play domestic cricket with Melbourne Stars in the WBBL and Victoria in the WNCL to honour existing contracts.She has also been retained by Delhi Capitals for next year’s WPL and will play in that tournament at this stage. “I’ll continue playing domestically and I’ve got contracts with some teams so I’ll keep going with that,” Lanning said. “I haven’t thought too far ahead to be honest.”I took some time to step away a little bit and be outside the cricket bubble and that’s given me the opportunity to think about what else is out there. I certainly haven’t got anything worked out. I’m excited for something new and something different. I’ll keep playing domestically, but obviously with a little bit more time and opportunity to go and discover new things.”It’s all I’ve ever known really for 13 years and I’ve given everything to being as good as I can to help the team win. That’s what it’s really been about, team success, and how I can help that and I’ve given everything to it. And now it’s time to focus on myself and see what else is out there.”Lanning worked as a barista in a café in Melbourne last year during her extended break from the game and also travelled to the United States. She took another extended break in 2023 due to an undisclosed medical issue and on her return revealed she had barely watched any cricket during her time away. She ruled out a move to the commentary box in the immediate future but she had an open mind as to what comes next.”I’ve probably been pretty narrow-minded for a long time in terms of what I wanted to do and in terms of cricket, but I’ve sort of opened up a little bit more to new opportunities,” Lanning said. “I don’t really know what the future holds, but I’m open to trying new things and seeing where it sort of lands. I won’t say no to anything.”Lanning got particularly emotional when thanking her parents, her family and close friends. She also paid special tribute to long-time Australia coach Matthew Mott and his successor Shelley Nitschke.”We had a very successful five years, but we had some lows as well,” Lanning said. “I think sometimes that’s easy to forget that it wasn’t all plain sailing. We had to work really hard to get to where we were and I think that Motty in particular and Shell have had a really big impact on me.”Matthew Mott with the trophy alongside Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning•ICC via Getty Images

Mott, now England men’s limited-overs coach, was Australia’s women’s coach between 2015 and 2022 where he and Lanning combined to win two T20 World Cups, an ODI World Cup, and a Commonwealth Games gold medal.Lanning said her proudest achievement as an international player and captain was helping lead Australia from the bitter disappointment of the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final loss through their golden period.”That World Cup didn’t go to plan,” Lanning said. “But you look back at that, I think we learned so much. I learned so much and we probably wouldn’t have had the success that we had if that moment hadn’t have happened.”While it was awful at the time, it was a really good reality check. And then I guess the successful five years post that, I’ve been involved in a lot of teams and the way we were able to just come together and be on the same page on and off the field just to make things work, it was a bit of magic coming together and I’ve probably never experienced that before or after in terms of just everything coming together.”I guess myself, Rach [Haynes], and Motty were the leaders of that, but the group really stood up through that period, and I’m really proud of how we responded to that which all sort of culminated in a couple of things. That 2020 World Cup here in Australia, that final is certainly something I won’t forget. An incredible experience.”While Lanning is happy to step away from international cricket, she did reveal she will miss the big moments. “I’ll definitely miss that,” she said. The competitive side in me will always be there and I always looked forward to big tournaments and big games.””I felt like that really brought the best out of me and I’ve really sort of prided myself on holding my nerve under pressure and being able to perform when the team needed me and I feel like I was able to do that at different times. I’m super competitive so I’ll certainly miss that side of things.”

Rocchiccioli and Gannon claim three wickets each as the two-time defending champions won by an innings without their frontline pace attack

Tristan Lavalette07-Oct-2023Western Australia’s second-string attack overwhelmed Victoria on a sluggish WACA pitch in an ominous start to their bid for a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles.In a re-match of the last two Shield finals, WA once again had Victoria’s number as they showed off their enviable depth of talent. Without frontline quicks Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Kelly and Joel Paris, WA’s new-look pace attack produced a disciplined performance on the final day to bowl Victoria for a second time out shortly after tea.Fringe quick Cameron Gannon was relentless, while left-arm debutant Liam Haskett shone with fast and aggressive bowling. With Morris and Richardson engaged in centre-wicket practice after the match, selection headaches loom for WA’s hierarchy.Tall offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli conjured sharp spin and found inconsistent bounce on a wearing pitch that finally started to play some tricks having been sedate throughout the match. Rocchiccioli finished with the remarkable figures of 3 for 14 from 26.2 overs, including 20 maidens.Having taken three wickets on day one, Rocchiccioli outbowled Test offspinner Todd Murphy, who took just 1 for 141 off 32 overs in WA’s first innings.”He’s going to keep getting better,” WA captain Sam Whiteman said of Rocchiccioli. “The impressive thing is he’s taking wickets at the WACA which is notorious for [a lack of] spin.”I’m particularly proud of the bowling group, which is a completely different attack than what we finished with last season.”Allrounder Aaron Hardie capped a strong match by taking the early wicket of former Victoria captain Peter Handscomb. Hardie, who recently made his international limited overs debut, claimed five wickets for the match and made 48 at number five in WA’s first innings.WA’s attack set up the victory after bowling out Victoria for 256 on day one before opener Cameron Bancroft scored a century to power them into a big lead.With national selector Tony Dodemaide in the terraces, Bancroft made an early season statement to replace David Warner who is set to retire from Test cricket during the summer.But it was a particularly lacklustre performance from Victoria, who were left to rue gifting wickets on day one and they never recovered. The return of Will Pucovski, who made 39 in Victoria’s first innings, from an extended absence was encouraging, and so too was the final-day grit from nightwatchman Mitch Perry.”Getting sick of losing to them [WA], so was enough motivation to stay out there as long as I could,” said Perry, who made 43 from 173 balls.Resuming at 64 for 3, still trailing by 161 runs, Victoria’s hopes of avoiding defeat largely rested with Handscomb but he fell for 2 after being caught behind off a superb Hardie delivery. It ended a disappointing match for Handscomb, who has been keen to shake being pigeonholed as a subcontinent specialist. He lacked rhythm in a first innings of 31 from 85 balls and fell badly after miscuing a whip to point off a leading edge.Hardie, who had opened the bowling, was in a fiery mood with a searing bouncer smashing into Perry’s body and leaving him shaken. But Perry, something of a nightwatchman specialist, gamely fought on and found a willing partner in Jonathan Merlo, who was intent solely on defence.Pinned back to the crease, Merlo excruciatingly faced 36 balls without a run. He finally opened his account with a push through covers for two runs before being clean bowled next ball by a cracking Gannon delivery.Victoria shut up shop after lunch with captain Will Sutherland, normally such a belligerent batter, continuously blocking alongside Perry. They weren’t particularly looking for runs, essentially taking turns holding up an end. Sutherland’s 75-ball grind of 6 ended when Bancroft snared a sensational catch at short-leg off Haskett. Perry’s rearguard finally ended shortly before tea as Victoria inevitably slumped to a hefty first-up defeat.

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar de não viver um bom momento na atual temporada, o Juventude ainda colhe os frutos de sua permanência na elite do futebol nacional em 2021. Graças a ascensão financeira que o clube teve desde que chegou à Série A, foi possível concretizar a reforma do estádio Alfredo Jaconi, em agosto do ano passado, e finalizar a modernização do vestiário principal da equipe.

Agora, visando otimizar o tempo na apresentação de novos atletas, o Juventude usou parte do aporte financeiro para realizar melhorias no CT. Planejado para acontecer em etapas, o objetivo é permitir que novos atletas sejam apresentados diretamente do Centro de Treinamento, sem que seja necessário o deslocamento até o Jaconi.

Fora das quatro linhas, o clube trabalha com cenários distintos para o próximo ano. Desde a temporada passada, o presidente Walter Dal Zotto segue a estratégia de elaborar dois planejamentos para o ano seguinte: um em caso de permanência na Série A e outro em caso de queda. Precisando de uma reação imediata no Brasileirão, o mandatário garante que, independente da divisão que irão disputar em 2023, o clube manterá as finanças equilibradas.

‘Os nossos planejamentos seguem a mesma linha que adotamos na temporada passada. Nós estamos em uma situação financeira equilibrada e trabalharemos sempre com responsabilidade, esse é o nosso principal objetivo. O Juventude estará em uma prateleira acima independentemente da divisão em que estivermos’.

Reflexo de uma gestão organizada, o clube reduziu em R $15,2 milhões suas dívidas. Em caso de permanência na Série A, dívidas ainda existentes poderão ser zeradas.

‘Não podemos jogar a toalha, matematicamente ainda temos chance de nos mantermos na primeira divisão. Precisamos avaliar os erros que estamos cometendo e entender onde temos que melhorar’, finalizou Dal Zotto.

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