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New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry on how he learned to bowl fast, and what it’s like to bowl with Southee and Boult

Interview by Mohammad Isam25-May-2019New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry talks about on how he learned to bowl fast, what it’s like to operate alongside Tim Southee and Trent Boult, and his idols growing upWhy do you bowl fast?
Growing up, you do a bit of everything – a bit of keeping, spin and batting. Once things started clicking, I really started enjoying bowling. I suppose when you start getting your pace up, it is quite enjoyable.When did it click for you?
Through high school I wasn’t necessarily quick. I was consistent and did a little bit with the ball. I used to bowl long spells. Then at the age of 17-18, I developed physically and started to bowl faster. I could get the ball through, which was quite nice.When are you at your best as a bowler?
I think when I’m hitting the 140kph mark. I think my consistency in using my lengths and bumper has helped me get where I am right now.How does one learn to bowl fast?
I think a lot of it comes down to your natural action. I don’t think there’s [one] action that’s going to work. Thankfully for me, it was quite a compact action, and from there I was able to extract a bit of pace. I want to be consistent around the 140kph mark. That’s where I am effective. I did a lot of strength and conditioning work as I got older, which helped me hold that pace for a longer period of time.At the top of your bowling mark, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?
You are probably more nervous before the game, when you are at the hotel. Once you get to the ground, it is back to normality. That first ball always has the adrenaline pumping. It is always exciting to let it go. It is exciting energy, but there’s always a bit of nerves. I think the more you play, the more you can control that, to a point.Do you try to bowl fast every ball?
I am not a raw pace bowler, like a 150kph bowler; more like late 130s, early 140s. Consistency is key for me, so I look to keep operating at the 140kph mark.”It was amazing to have Bondy [Shane Bond] as the coach when I was coming into the side. He has been really good throughout my career to touch base with”•Getty ImagesHow do you vary your pace in new conditions, like in the UAE, where you have done well?
You want to operate on straight lines. Cut down the width and try to hit the wicket as hard as you can with cross-seam variations. You know it is not going to swing and nip. Try to be unpredictable with your change of pace. When I am operating on the 140kph mark, the changes of pace are effective as well.How do you take on sloggers in the last few overs?
Teams are batting deeper and deeper now, so you must have options. If they are one-pace hitters, change of pace is your option. It could be targeting them with the heavy length of your bouncers or yorkers. It comes down to becoming a bit unpredictable. If the batsmen get a read on you, it shows the power that players have these days. You can go the distance, even if they are No. 10 or No. 5.You made your Test debut at Lord’s and took a four-wicket haul. Were you thrilled or overawed?
It was a crazy experience. Making your Test debut in Lord’s is a cool memory to have. [Alastair] Cook was my first wicket – caught behind with the pull shot down leg.Did being lifetime friends with team-mates Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls help?
It was fun, really. We went through age groups together. We played a lot of cricket for Canterbury together as well. Tommy was the first one [among us] involved in the Black Caps set-up. It was good to have a familiar face. Soon after, Henry came as well. It is always great. Todd Astle has always been there as well.Do you pick up stuff from batsmen?
You have to keep learning and progressing or you get left behind. Trying to develop new skills by talking to batsmen is very important.Bowlers are your best coach, really. You see them day in and day out. They know your action. I think probably the best way to progress is by having those relationships with the fast bowlers and open communication with the batsmen.”It is quite a unique situation to be involved in such a strong squad. You have arguably New Zealand’s greatest bowling partnership with Tim and Trent. It is really exciting to be involved in this group”•AFP/Getty ImagesWhat’s it like bowling behind Tim Southee and Trent Boult?
It is quite a unique situation to be involved in such a strong squad. You have arguably New Zealand’s greatest bowling partnership with Tim and Trent. I think it is really exciting to be involved in this group. I obviously haven’t played regularly but it is important to be focused. Keep trusting in your process and training, and when you get the opportunity, put your hand up. The strength of this unit is the bowling group. It is not about yourself but as a collective. The roles are clear. It breeds success.Who was your idol growing up?
I always loved watching Glenn McGrath bowl. Australian, but his skill set was unbelievable. His consistency was phenomenal.I am a huge fan of Shane Bond. He was more raw pace. Every time he played was exciting to watch. He was taking big wicket hauls and winning games for New Zealand.It was amazing to have Bondy as the coach when I was coming into the side. He has been really good throughout my career to touch base with.What will be your challenge at the World Cup?
It is obviously the pinnacle event. It is a dream for any cricketer to represent your country in a World Cup. It is an exciting time for New Zealand cricket and for this group of players. We have a lot of depth now. England is a great place for cricket as well.What’s your dream dismissal?
You can never beat that faint nick you hear. Beating the outside edge and hitting the top of off is a great feeling.

In showing no bias in pointing out various conflicts, and in naming names, Ramachandra Guha has penned a document that is bold and unprecedented

Sidharth Monga02-Jun-20174:22

Sambit Bal: “Guha saying CoA hasn’t fulfilled its mandate”

When Ramachandra Guha was appointed to the Committee of Administrators, there were sniggers from various quarters. What did a historian living in an imagined utopia know about running Indian cricket, it was asked. Having found the kitchen too hot, it will be said, he has quit. He has quit all right, and arguably without accomplishing the primary objective of seeing the reforms through, but he has left with an important piece of what all his detractors consider him good for: writing.Not many pieces have said more about the state of Indian cricket administration than Guha’s resignation letter to Vinod Rai, the chairman of the CoA. The superstars of Indian cricket, of the recent past and present, stand exposed as lacking accountability and conscience. The BCCI has been reaffirmed as a manipulative body that allows the excesses of these superstars to keep them on its side. In the case of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Kapil Dev, their cheerleading of the board comes as a bonus.Not all of this is new but it is coming from a man who had the mandate from the highest court of the country, a man who spent four months in the system and was clearly frustrated by the inaction.He saw the BCCI subvert a Supreme Court order, and he saw his colleagues not do much about it. He saw the old guard try to hold a world event hostage, and he saw his colleagues let it happen before swooping in at the last minute. He is seeing a coach being shunted out to supposedly appease a superstar captain, and he sees his colleagues – by the virtue of their silence – complicit in it. Perhaps the CoA can provide a counter-argument because the BCCI old guard will be happy with this chaos and confusion.Guha would have done well to mention the irony that Kumble himself was appointed coach through the subversion of another process last year. Otherwise, from Dravid to Gavaskar to Dhoni to Kohli to Ganguly, Guha has mentioned them all. In Dravid’s case, allowance could be made that his BCCI contract allows him to work in the IPL for two months a year; and he has also asked the board for clarity on his role in the past. He might be making a fair point, but Guha might also have been better off leaving Dhoni’s contract grade to the men charged with these decisions: the national selectors.However, in showing no bias in pointing out the conflicts of interest, in naming names, and in the clarity with which it does so, this is a bold and unprecedented letter. It says a lot that such a brave assessment can only be made by someone on the outside and with no designs of gaining materially from Indian cricket.

Rai and Limaye are practical men from the practical world who seem to be looking for practical solutions, but they could have done more to take along with them a man with intentions as noble as Guha’s

These are not concerns that have emerged overnight out of love for Kumble, with whom, and Bishan Bedi, Guha had once taken a selfie and tweeted, “two of my greatest heroes”. Guha has quoted emails in his letter to indicate that he has had these concerns ever since he joined the CoA, and that they had not been acted upon. Those who know him say he has been frustrated for a long time.To be fair to Guha’s colleagues at the CoA, their hands have been tied in certain cases by what is, in parts, an ambiguous order from the Supreme Court. In many instances, the CoA was reduced to going back to the Court for instructions. For example, when the CoA intervened to prevent disqualified members from attending BCCI meetings, the court order put the onus on the members to judge for themselves if they were disqualified or not. Or else. Such “or elses” have clearly not worked because N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah, to name two of the disqualified members, attended the BCCI SGM in Delhi.Perhaps, in a hyper-nationalistic age, the CoA didn’t want to come across as the one who lost the BCCI part of what it used to get from the ICC, though the BCCI’s insistence at the cost of globalisation is a bit like the USA pulling out of the climate deal. Perhaps it was also mindful of any disruptions to India’s showcase event, the IPL, which is why it hasn’t yet shown the old guard the full might of its mandate.The CoA has also been looking at pushing for constitutional changes with minimal controversy as its primary objective. There is nothing stopping the committee from working on the issues Guha mentions – it did take up player contracts – but its bigger concern is the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s reforms, which the BCCI old guard keeps resisting.Even having made these allowances, the CoA has been slow and cautious, arguably overcautious. Whatever the reasons, it had the mandate to block some of these unfortunate events. For example, it intervened only one day before the BCCI was set to pull out of the Champions Trophy.Rai and Limaye are practical men from the practical world, who seem to be looking for practical solutions, but they could have done more to take along with them a man with intentions as noble as Guha’s. If a lawyer was changed – as alleged – without taking Guha into confidence, it could say a lot about what the committee thought of him and arguably, by extension, his concerns. If a man within the committee began to doubt the committee, those outside are bound to question whether the committee has forgotten its mandate.It will be all too easy to say that if Guha cared so much he should have stayed and tried to change the system, but that is also to say that Indian cricket is no place for straightforward men with straightforward intentions, even if they come armed with Supreme Court orders.Perhaps we are better off looking at the circumstances that led to this. Perhaps this jolt will bring the urgency that Guha wanted to see in the CoA. Perhaps this is, as ESPNcricinfo’s editor-in-chief Sambit Bal put it in the video above, a plea to the Supreme Court to unshackle the CoA a little. If that happens, it might be worth a couple of clinking glasses in the BCCI old guard.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2015Shaun Marsh was in at No. 5 on his latest comeback•Getty ImagesA punch towards mid-off was brilliantly fielded by Brendon McCullum, who threw at the stumps without getting up…•Getty Images…to run out Marsh by several yards after he hesitated mid-pitch•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesDoug Bracewell then had Mitchell Marsh caught behind as Australia slipped to 80 for 5•Getty ImagesSteven Smith helped settle Australia but his half-century was hard work…•Getty Images…and Mark Craig had him caught behind as the tea interval approached•Getty ImagesBJ Watling took an excellent catch after Smith had come down the pitch•Getty ImagesSmith left the field having made 53•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesCraig took his second wicket in the over when Peter Siddle was taken at short leg•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood became Mitchell Santner’s maiden Test wicket, Australia 116 for 8 at tea•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesThere was controversy after the break as Nathan Lyon survived a review for a top edge attempting to sweep Santner•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesLyon appeared to think he would be given out after Hot Spot showed a mark on the bat…•Cricket Australia/Getty Images…but New Zealand were left unimpressed when Nigel Llong decided not to overturn the decision, saying the evidence was inconclusive•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesBrendon McCullum queried the decision with umpire S Ravi, to no avail•Getty ImagesPeter Nevill was batting tidily, meanwhile•Getty ImagesLyon helped to add 74 for the ninth wicket, another 72 after he was given not out•Getty ImagesNevill recorded his second Test half-century•Getty ImagesTrent Boult finally removed Lyon for a punchy 34•Getty ImagesDespite an injured foot, Mitchell Starc came out to bat at No. 11 and clattered five boundaries in 24 off 15 balls, helping Australia to 224 and a lead of 22•Getty ImagesAfter the dinner interval, Hazlewood continued a probing spell with the new pink ball•Getty ImagesHe removed Martin Guptill and Tom Latham to leave New Zealand 32 for 2•Getty ImagesMitchell Marsh had to shoulder extra overs due to Starc’s injury and he got the key wicket of Kane Williamson•Getty ImagesMarsh then had McCullum lbw…•Getty Images…and Hazlewood picked up Ross Taylor as New Zealand struggled to 116 for 5 at the close, leading by 94•Getty Images

This diligently researched book is a comprehensive account of all matches of the World Cup, laced with long-forgotten factoids

Russell Jackson27-Sep-2014In , Mark Browning and James Grapsas set out on the Herculean task of chronicling every single fixture in the tournament’s history in a way that is exhaustive but not exhausting. For the most part they keep the run rate ticking along nicely in this, the fifth edition of their weighty and authoritative tome.The theme here is tune in, turn on and nerd out. Each match comes complete with a scorecard and detailed match report, many of which sparkle with overlooked and long-forgotten details. Each preliminary game is given equal weighting in approximate quantity of information, if not enthusiasm. It couldn’t have been an easy task making anything interesting of the 1987 Australians going through the motions against Zimbabwe in Cuttack, but soon Bruce Reid is cracking Andy Waller (appearing here as “Chris”, his middle name) on the bridge of the nose and you’re back in the game.As a primer to the upcoming 2015 tournament, it’s full of the kind of trainspottery factoids vital to ensuring readers don’t doze off. I can see myself using this as a reference text, revisiting many of the match reports. Thanks to Browning and Grapsas’ eye for detail and colour, many entries pop with quirky tidbits. They have also called upon the first-hand accounts of players to supplement their diligent research.We find out that the East Africa wicketkeeper Hamish McLeod was a Slazenger sales rep from Zambia, that Wasim Akram considered the memorable 1992 group photo shoot aboard the HMAS Canberra “a shambles” and the cost of the black-tie launch dinner “immoral”, and then you wince at the story of UAE’s captain Sultan Zarawani striding out to face Allan Donald without a helmet in his side’s first game of the 1996 event and promptly getting sconed first ball.The downsides are a little beyond the control of the authors. Rodney Hogg’s foreword, slightly bizarre to anyone familiar with his usual stream of consciousness, reads like a particularly bland Wikipedia entry and sits at odds with the narrative flourishes on display elsewhere. A tournament as rich in visual stimuli as the World Cup might also have benefited from some photos, but I guess that’s not the point of this endeavour.This type of book, which has been perhaps unfairly sidelined by the broader brushstrokes of online resources, is something of an anachronism this late in the millennium but it’s still a welcome addition to the groaning shelves of us diehards who don’t mind swigging the hard stuff straight and often. Nothing worthwhile is overlooked.

Asif Iqbal lay in a Birmingham hospital recovering from a haemorrhoid operation, something I wouldn’t know were it not for Browning and Grapsas. It’s also possible that I didn’t need quite that much detail, but that’s actually a great charm of this book

Each tournament is given a thorough introduction and later a post-mortem that’s perhaps a little short (incredible as that may seem in a 549-page epic), but the detail is always rich and this volume could well serve as the definitive argument-settler when it comes to World Cup encounters.In regards to the prose, I detected throughout that one of the authors is perhaps more content to pat a few defensive strokes back to the bowler, where the other takes a longer blade to the attack, sometimes within the one essay. Thus, Ted Dexter is “semi-eccentric”, Tony Greig wears “silly gloves”, Ian Chappell’s side is “slightly rough-edged”, and the Headingley wicket for the 1975 semi-final “rather strange”, whereas Andy Roberts is a “cold, unsmiling assassin”, and that same Chappell side boasts “a pre-punk image in their disdain of certain conventions”.Sometimes those stylistic disparities meet in the middle with mixed results (“Gilmour wore a long-sleeved jumper to keep out the chilly wind, yet he immediately warmed to his task”). A question mark might well have “hung over Clive Lloyd’s groin”, but putting it like that conjured unintended mental images, and surely only Alan Partridge would describe a Mike Denness/Chris Old partnership as “batting mayhem”. Still, many of the more intentional attempts to entertain readers come off the middle of the bat.It’s a beautiful thing, the World Cup. What’s not to love about a tournament in which Clive Lloyd was once dismissed, decided his team was beyond salvation against Pakistan, and proceeded to hit the ales, unaware West Indies would pull off a one-wicket win? The result also provided a healthy payday for Lloyd’s accountant Gordon Andrews, who plunged £150 on West Indies at 66-1. Imran Khan had missed that game, taking exams at Oxford, and his captain Asif Iqbal lay in a Birmingham hospital recovering from a haemorrhoid operation, something I wouldn’t know were it not for Browning and Grapsas. It’s also possible that I didn’t need quite that much detail, but that’s actually a great charm of this book.When I think of the World Cup, my mind’s eye conjures crystal-clear footage of Martin Crowe and Mark Greatbatch on the rampage in Napier during the 1992 tournament, which is my favourite for the entirely subjective reason that it was the first I watched on TV and the uniforms were brilliant. What this book does is fill all the gaps, particularly for the tournaments that occurred before my time. Raking up memories of Aamer Sohail, Brian McMillan, Eddo Brandes and Ken Rutherford is just the icing on the cake.I noted that the stats for the original 1999 edition of the book were compiled by Mark Browning’s son Ben, who, my own research reveals, is a member of Australian electro band Cut Copy. I guess that would make him Australia’s only noteworthy rock star/cricket statistician. Given the man hours the authors have logged creating this labour of love, I’m sure they’d appreciate such attention to detail.A Complete History of World Cup Cricket
by Mark Browning and James Grapsas
New Holland Publishers
560 pages, A$17.52 (paperback)

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the third day in Mumbai

George Dobell in Mumbai25-Nov-2012Wicket of the day
Might this have been Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test innings in Mumbai? There was an audible gasp of shock as Tendulkar was trapped leg before by a Monty Panesar delivery that did not spin and may well have been a bit quicker. It was the second time in the match that Panesar had claimed his wicket and sustained a grim run of form for the 39-year-old. Tendulkar has now not reached 20 in his last six Test innings and, as he returned to the pavilion, it was hard to avoid the feeling that, after a career in which he has defeated all opponents, he may have finally met a foe he cannot beat: time.Near miss of the day
Had R Ashwin produced a direct hit, or even a half decent throw, Alastair Cook would have been run out for 90 in just the third over of the morning session. Responding to an optimistic call for a single from Kevin Pietersen, Cook was well short of his ground. As it was, Ashwin threw wide and allowed the England pair to pick-up an overthrow.Milestone of the day #1
A flowing drive through extra-cover for four off Harbhajan Singh was a suitably classy way for Alastair Cook to reach the 22nd century of his Test career. Not only did that mean he had scored four centuries in four successive Tests as captain – a feat that no-one has previously achieved – but that, aged just 27, he joined Wally Hammond, Geoffrey Boycott and Colin Cowdrey as the record century scorer for England in Test cricket.Milestone of the day #2
Cook was soon joined on the landmark figure by Kevin Pietersen. Just as Cook had, Pietersen reached his milestone with a suitably characteristic stroke: a reverse sweep off Harbhajan that went for four. Whatever the controversies that marred the end of the South Africa series, Pietersen has now produced three match-shaping Test centuries in his last eight Tests.Mix-up of the day
Matt Prior one again looked in fine form until, sent back by Stuart Broad, his desperate dive to recover his ground was beaten by a good pick-up and throw from MS Dhoni. There had never been much chance of a run: the ball had only travelled a few yards into the off side as the delivery, from Ashwin, thudded into Prior’s pads and the bowler appealed for lbw. It was a key moment, too. Prior’s departure precipitated a collapse and, with England losing their last four wickets for just seven runs, India were able to restrict the first innings deficit to 86. It might have been considerably more.Controversy of the day
Jonny Bairstow was caught at silly point by Gautam Gambhir as he tried to turn one spinning across him into the leg side. But replays showed the ball, while being juggled by Gambhir, had touched the visor of his helmet and should, therefore, have not been declared a fair. Perhaps neither Bairstow nor Gambhir noticed the ball had touched the helmet, or perhaps neither of them were fully aware of the intricacies of the laws, but neither they, nor the umpires, noticed anything untoward. But, with Bairstow’s wicket also bringing the lunch* interval, England team director Andy Flower, approached the match referee and the umpires. They replied that, as Bairstow had left the playing area and tea had been called, the only way the decision could be reversed was if the India captain, MS Dhoni, rescinded his appeal. Dhoni subsequently declined to do so.*19:13GMT, November 25: The article had previously said tea interval. This has been corrected.

The only consolation for this Bangalore fan was the chance to get to see Rahul Dravid live

Minoshni Pillay18-Sep-2010The game

My usual group of suspects and I snapped up tickets for all the Durban games when we heard that the Champions League would be played in South Africa. Having been a Royal Challengers fan since the inception of the Indian Premier League, it was a given that I would be out in full force backing the boys, especially on my home turf in Durban.Team supported
Although it was a choice between two shades of red, it was not a tough decision. I have backed Bangalore since Vijay Mallya signed on the dotted line as owner of the franchise. His heir apparent Siddarth Mallya (Number 82) was at the game. And with my favourite cricketer of all time, Rahul Dravid, as an icon player, I was champing at the bit to see the boys carry on the form from their fine opening game.Key performer
I will be honest and say that the standout performances must go to the Redbacks. Daniel Christian stole the bowling show with 4 for 23 and Shaun Tait steamed down the track and shone under the Durban lights. South Australia’s opening batsman Michael Klinger proved yet again why he currently holds the tournament’s golden bat. Ross Taylor and local boy Dillon du Preez were the only Bangalore players who had performances of note.One thing I’d have changed
I would have relished the opportunity to see Manish Pandey blaze the ball to all parts of the ground. Pandey replaced the domineering and sublime Jacques Kallis and this was a ripe opportunity for this young talent to cement his place. But he only managed four runs. Robin Uthappa was also lackluster, missing the blitz we have all grown accustomed to watching.Face-off I relished
My eyes always light up when Dale Steyn takes the ball. And I expected him to give the South Australia openers some hell tonight. Alas, I found in hell as I watched him dispatched to all ends of the ground. Nothing seemed to go according to my plan tonight.Player watch
Poor captain Kumble dived in front of our seats to stop a boundary late in the Redbacks innings when they were almost home. Not only did he miss the ball (at which point I threw my hands up in frustration and waved around madly) but then limped about when he did get to his feet.Shot of the day
Ross Taylor, the only Bangalore player who did anything worth mentioning, hit a six over midwicket that was poised, glorious and a perfect example of the why the team relies on him to bring out the big guns.Crowd metre
As is typical for a night game in Durban, the fans were out in full strength, despite it being an uncharacteristically chilly night. As far as the eye could see, the Bangalore flags dominated the ground, alongside the odd Indian, South African and Sri Lankan flags.Fancy dress index
The unwelcome cold forced most fans to don their hoodies and beanies. But one lone South African supporter did come to the party dressed in a South African ODI kit, complete with helmet, bat and pads. Good on him for staying strong till the end!Entertainment
One of South Africa’s most loved cricketers and Durban’s most cherished red-haired fast bowler, Shaun Pollock, delighted the fans with a few swift moves to the music. It was at a time when the game looked thoroughly one-sided and the fans needed the pick-up big time!Marks out of 10
6. Any live cricket match with my mates is always a fantastic experience. We have been through many losses and wins and have come away loving the good and laughing about the not-so-good (like this annoying old man who insisted on bringing a conch and pair of cymbals to this game). So although my team lost, this game gets points for great company, some good opposition and for the fact that I got to see Dravid play live again. That always counts for something in my books!Overall experience
The one aspect missing from this game was some kind of Twenty20 excitement. And the weather can only take so much of the blame here. What we needed was to see Bangalore at least try their utmost to secure a win. The Redbacks knew all they had to do was push the ball into the right gaps. Bangalore lacked the hunger to stamp their authority in this game. So now with the Redbacks through to the semi-finals, all I can do is close my eyes and rely on a hope and prayer come Sunday, when Bangalore take on Mumbai in Durban.

John Bracewell’s approach to selection is similar to that of John Mitchell

Andrew McLean02-Apr-2006

At the start of last season I suggested on this site that John Bracewell’s reign as New Zealand coach bore parallels with that of John Mitchell, the coach of the All Black side that failed to live up to his own hype at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Tenuous as the link may have been then – I was referring to Bracewell’s Mitchell-like disregard for media in Bangladesh – the comparison now is becoming more apparent with each team selected.Back in December, New Zealand chased down a then world-record score to beat Australia in a one-day international thanks in no small part to Scott Styris’ blinding 101 off 96 balls. His reward was a demotion in the batting order for the next match. And the reason: to give someone else a go ahead of next year’s World Cup. The New Zealand selectors are so obsessed with “building” depth for that tournament that team selection for Test cricket seems to be inconsequential at present.I mention Styris here because the stated this week that Bracewell had indicated it is Styris who faces the selectorial axe from the side for the first Test in South Africa on April 15 to allow the fit-again Jacob Oram to assume the No.6 batting position that Styris occupied in Zimbabwe in August and against the West Indies at home this month.With a Test average of 43.56, Oram is the rightful custodian of the No.6 berth as it means New Zealand can field either two spinners with Oram as the third seamer or three specialist quick bowlers can be chosen with Oram providing back up, but for his inclusion to be at the expense of Styris would be truly bizarre. Make no mistake, had Styris not saved New Zealand in the first Test at Auckland with a sublime 103*, the series with the West Indies would have been an unforgivable 1-1 draw rather than 2-0 to New Zealand.What this goes to show is the irreverence to Test cricket on our shores these days. While we build for the World Cup, developing a strategy aimed at making New Zealand a worthy Test opponent – and one that gets invited to play in lucrative series in India at that – appears at worst to be not happening at all and at best an after-thought.Take the opening position for example. Since Bracewell assumed the dual role of coach and chief selector, New Zealand has played 22 Tests. In that period the most capped openers, outside of the now-retired Mark Richardson, have been Craig Cumming and James Marshall with five Tests each and, although they both toured Zimbabwe just one series back, neither is in the running to open now. In total, Bracewell has used nine openers in those 22 Tests.The combination for the just-completed West Indies series included a new cap in Jamie How and a first-time opener in Hamish Marshall. In addition, Peter Fulton was debutant at No.3 and his half century at Wellington was the only significant score the trio could muster. Thus, the mind boggles to think it is Styris, with five centuries and an average over 40 in his 24 Tests, who could be the one on drinks duty.It should never have been this way. If Oram was a certainty to come back in at No.6, then Styris should have filled his more natural position at No. 4, with Stephen Fleming moving back to first drop, the spot he’s held more often than not over his 99-match career. That way the top-order would have had a more experienced look to it and Fulton, or even the out-of-favour Lou Vincent, could have filled in for Oram. Better still, Fleming could have opened in place of Marshall, for he has had a track record and some success there.

Reading between the lines, Bracewell is adopting a similar approach to selection as Mitchell did. First, just as Mitchell argued vehemently that a “panel” selected each team when in reality the other selectors were merely puppets, Bracewell, who doubles as the live-in coach, appears to wield the real selection power. If it were any other way, would Glenn Turner, a Test opener of some repute, really allow the opening position to become the sacrificial lamb it is at present?Second, it seems that new faces are easier for Bracewell to handle than old heads. The reduced role of Fleming as captain since Bracewell replaced Dennis Aberhart as coach has been widely documented. With the squeeze now going on Styris following on from the in-again-out-again run of Nathan Astle earlier this summer while the newer boys Fulton, How and Hamish Marshall are being given every possible chance to cement their places, the comparison to Mitchell’s dumping of Anton Oliver, Taine Randell and Andrew Mehrtens – senior players who unashamedly spoke their mind – is uncanny.Mitchell sought out and found a man who would follow orders in Reuben Thorne to lead the All Blacks and, while Fleming does not fall into that category, he has been given the privileged position of being able to bat at No. 4 despite the fact it upsets the balance of the team and was allowed to take plenty of time off when his child was born in December. As an aside, Vincent has been deemed ineligible for the upcoming South Africa tour because he wants to be at home for the birth of his child.Third, Bracewell is now infamous for what has become known in New Zealand as “Mitch-speak”. Just as Mitchell had a way of weaving his words to say little and confuse, in his latest pearler Bracewell said this week that once Oram had been passed as medically fit, it was up to the selectors to determine whether he was “skill-fit”. If anyone knows what that means, please let me know. As it happens Oram took a career-best 6 for 45 in domestic cricket a few days back so, presumably, those skills that have seen him rack up 17 Tests have not disappeared.

Twelve wickets tumble at Edgbaston with Hannon-Dalby sharing honours

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2023Warwickshire 17 for 2 trail Essex 126 (Westley 47, Hannon-Dalby 4-21, Rushworth 4-26) by 109 runs Chris Rushworth continued his stunning start to his Warwickshire career with another four wickets as Essex’s batting imploded on a rain-affected opening day of their LV=Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.Former Durham seamer Rushworth went into this game, his fifth for Warwickshire, with 22 wickets at 15.27 apiece and enhanced those figures further with four for 28 as Essex folded to 126 all out.Rushworth delivered a triple-wicket maiden in the last over before tea to reduce Essex from a relatively healthy 76 for two to 76 for five. Olly Hannon-Dalby followed up in the final session with four for 21, taking him past 450 wickets in all formats.Warwickshire then encountered turbulence of their own as they reached 17 for two at the close of a day which provided abundant drama and entertainment despite play not starting until 3pm due to rain.After Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes won the toss for the first time this season, Essex’s batters found life difficult in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Only skipper Tom Westley (47, 94 balls) lasted more than an hour.Both Essex openers fell to the new ball. Rushworth, fresh from his dazzling seven for 38 in Southampton last week, sent an inswinger into Alastair Cook’s pads to win an lbw decision. Hassan Ali, recalled in place of the rested Chris Woakes, struck with his fifth ball when Nick Browne feathered a leg glance and wicketkeeper Michael Burgess took a fine catch, one-handed and at full stretch.Westley and Dan Lawrence added 52 in 12 overs before Rushworth’s brilliant over sent the innings into ruin. Lawrence chipped the first ball to extra over. Matt Critchley narrowly survived the second and third then edged the fourth to Rob Yates at slip. Michael Pepper fell lbw to the sixth. It was bowling of a level of control, intelligence and potency which would not look out of place in an Ashes series.Control, intelligence and potency are attributes which Hannon-Dalby’s work consistently displays and he heightened Essex’s distress in the last session with a burst of four for ten in 28 balls. Simon Harmer’s obdurate 39-ball resistance for three was ended by a spectacular rearrangement of furniture, Doug Bracewell edged to slip and Westley was caught at extra cover.After Hassan Ali returned to trap Sam Cook lbw and Hannon-Dalby hit Shane Snater’s off stump the last eight wickets had fallen for 50 runs in 19.2 overs. Who needs Chris Woakes?Essex inflicted immediate damage upon Warwickshire’s reply when Jamie Porter’s first ball trapped Yates in front. Porter added a second wicket with the day’s final ball when Alex Davies edged to third slip to leave the visitors still right in the game despite their paltry first innings total.

All the interesting numbers from the IPL 2019 auction

Srinath Sripath18-Dec-20185:43

Agarkar: Unadkat’s salary of 8.40cr doesn’t surprise me

70 slots available, 60 filledWhile all teams filled their full overseas quota of eight players, only three of them – Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals – filled all 25 slots in their squad. Kolkata Knight Riders ended with 21 players, the fewest in the field.Caribbean hit a 6, England’s fiferWest Indies ended up with the highest representation among overseas sides, with as many as six of their stars attracting bids. With most of them coming at relatively low, below-one-crore base prices, they were all snapped up for a cumulative INR 17 crores, five times their combined base price of INR 3.4 crores. England, despite their players not being available after April 25, 2019 – they will miss almost half the tournament – ended up with five players, all first-timers, being bought. Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Denly, Harry Gurney and Liam Livingstone are all set to make their IPL bow in 2019.