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Miller has played in 12 ODIs and averages 26.50, slightly more than Kallis did at the same stage, but has not set the stage alight as much as was expected

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg14-Jan-2011″Can you imagine if we wrote Jacques Kallis off after his first 12 ODIs?” HD Ackerman, former South Africa Test batsman, asked. It would have meant aborting a career that has, so far, spanned 307 ODIs, seen over 11,000 runs, including 17 centuries, and boasts an average of 45.84.It’s unfathomable to think that such an illustrious career should have been cut short based on Kallis’ first 12 ODIs; in those, he only managed 203 runs, at an average of 25.38, with one half-century. That’s Ackerman’s answer when he is asked if he thinks David Miller has done enough in his short time as a national cricketer to warrant a place in the South African team. Miller has played in 12 ODIs and averages 26.50, slightly more than Kallis did at the same stage, but has not set the stage alight as much as was expected.In a shaky-looking middle to lower order, that consists of Miller, Johan Botha and the tail, it seems Miller is the weakest link. Ackerman has been one of Miller’s strongest backers and said that in time, he can become the strongest member of the middle order. “The selectors and the fans are going to be have to patient with him. He is only 21-years old but he has massive potential to represent South Africa in all forms of the game.”Patience is not something South Africa can afford to have in abundance for the next few weeks, because the World Cup is looming. “People are going to ask questions about him [Miller] because of the World Cup. South Africa are desperate to win the World Cup, so they want the best side possible,” Ackerman said. Miller’s position, at No.6 or 7, will be a crucial one according to Ackerman, because it will require batsmen to be able “to play spin well.”Ackerman saw the two places being contested between Miller, Colin Ingram and Faf du Plessis, with du Plessis guaranteed a spot if Ackerman was the man choosing. “Faf hasn’t played yet but he has the advantage of being able to bowl, which neither David or Colin do. He is also a fine fielder. The other two are also good fielders, but Faf is better than both of them.”Essentially, that means Miller and Ingram will fight it out for the remaining berth and Ackerman backed Miller to take it, saying his true batting style had not been allowed to come out at national level yet, but was lurking. “The David Miller I saw get out on Wednesday was not the David Miller I know. He is a good, clean hitter of the ball and he was trying to nudge and nurdle and he got out.”Miller made a name at the Dolphins for being a big hitter but Ackerman said that didn’t mean Miller can’t rotate the strike in the middle overs if needed. “When I say he is a big hitter, I mean that he gets the ball to the sweepers, the deep covers, the mid-offs. He doesn’t just drop the ball and run, he hits it well and far. He can still take a single or a two off those shots.” As for sticking to that skill and not getting bogged down into playing differently to what he is used to, Duncan Fletcher, the team’s batting consultant, felt that ability would come with time. “All it needs is a little bit more experience I guess,” he said.Ingram, who has more of that experience at the domestic level and has fared better in his nine ODIs than Miller has in his 12, may be the more automatic choice in the subcontinent for that reason. Ingram is currently standing in for Kallis in No.3 position, and it may be a tricky task for him to move down the order, according to Ackerman. “For him to be taken to the World Cup and have to bat six could be difficult. The No.3 and No.6 roles are completely different and it will need a total change of mindset.”Kallis is not going to play any part in the ODI series, which means Ingram will probably stay at No.3 for the remaining four matches and not have any time lower down the order.
Ackerman felt that experience was vital but added that the line-up may shift as South Africa get within sniffing distance of the ICC showpiece. “If South Africa go three-nil up in the series, then we will start seeing them use their game-plan that they want to carry into the World Cup.” With conditions in South Africa very different to what they will experience in the subcontinent, they can’t afford to experiment with their World Cup combinations before securing the series. Whatever happens, Ackerman hopes Miller will be part of it.

Bangladesh now have it in their control to put up a tough, competitive show against the No. 1 side in the world

The Preview by Sidharth Monga16-Jan-2010

Match facts

January 17-21, 2010
Start time 0930 (0330 GMT)

Big picture

Tamim Iqbal has yet to play a Test against India, but fancies his chances of tempering his game•AFP

It’s reality-check time for Bangladesh. This is the first time they will be playing Tests after their historic series win against a replacement West Indies side last July. Opinions were divided on whether to see that success as a big step forward for Bangladesh cricket, the opposition notwithstanding.While they couldn’t control the murmured asterisks that were being put next to the most glorious moment of their young cricket life, Bangladesh now have it in their control to put up a tough, competitive show against the No. 1 side in the world.In a harsh sort of way – such is the nature of the beast – Bangladesh will add more credibility to their West Indies success by pushing India in this series. They know if they are rolled over without a contest, time will not be wasted in reminding them of the pedigree of the team they beat in the Caribbean.Their opponents, who are without their captain MS Dhoni, out due to a back strain, know better than to take them lightly, not least because of the 2007 World Cup debacle which they can never forget. What is less documented, however, is how immediately after that exit India struggled to put Bangladesh out in their last, albeit rain-affected, Chittagong Test. The first Test of the 2007 series started with Wasim Jaffer shouldering arms and getting bowled first ball, and ended with India never being able to create enough distance to win the match. Normal service was resumed in the next Test, but India know that if a No. 1 side takes so long to warm up, it is not allowed to remain at the top for long.

Form guide (last 5 completed matches, most recent first)

Bangladesh WWLLL
India WWDDD

Watch out for

Virender Sehwag doesn’t have an international century against Bangladesh. In two Tests against them, he has managed 23 runs, and even his ODI average against Bangladesh is lower than his overall average. Some correction of those stats might be in order.Tamim Iqbal’s case is inverse. When playing India in ODIs, his average, his strike-rate, and his adrenalin, all shot up. In the lead-up to his first Test against his favourite opponents, Tamim has been talking about the importance of bringing more patience to his game, of “controlling” his mind. This Test won’t be a bad time to start.

Team news

The one big change for Bangladesh from the ODIs will the inclusion of Enamul Haque jnr for Abdur Razzak. One of the part-timers should make way for another specialist batsman, Junaid Siddique in all likelihood. Shahadat Hossain, who was in the squad for the tri-series but not used, should take back his Test spot.Bangladesh: (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Mohammad Ashraful, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Raqibul Hasan, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 9 Enamul Haque jnr, 10 Shahadat Hossain, 11 Rubel Hossain.Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik will replace Dhoni, while Sehwag takes over the reins. The other selection issue will be whether to play two spinners or one, and if they opt for two, then who to pick as the second spinner. Tradition suggests they will go with two spinners, and Amit Mishra won the toss-up between him and Pragyan Ojha for the first Test. Ojha played in India’s last Test, and then lost his place in the ODI team to Mishra, who had originally lost that place to Ojha after having only travelled with the squad without getting a game.India: (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8, Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Sreesanth 12th man Ishant Sharma

Pitch and conditions

The Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, previously the Chittagong Divisional Stadium, and even more previously Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, has traditionally been good for spinners. This is the same venue where Shakib Al Hasan took 7 for 36 against New Zealand, the best innings figures by a Bangladesh bowler in Tests. Despite the ground’s proximity to the sea, there is nothing in the forecast to suggest any loss of play over the next five days.

Stats and trivia

• When Bangladesh won the series in the West Indies last year, it was the first time in their 61-match career that they had won back-to-back Tests.
• Outside the matches against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh have managed three draws, and one of them came against India.
• Gautam Gambhir scored his first Test century against Bangladesh, and then started his international comeback with an ODI ton against them, his second overall.

Quotes

“We might possibly go with three quicks and have Shakib [Al Hasan] and Mahmudullah share the spin bowling. The pitch might keep low on days three, four and five and seamers might be handy. But again, nothing is fixed, we might go with three spinners.”
“In one-day [cricket] they can surprise anybody but not in Test matches. It’s an ordinary side. It’s difficult for Bangladesh to take 20 Indian wickets. The kind of batting line up we have, I don’t think so. Even Sri Lanka can’t do that.”

On his poor run with the bat, Rohit says, “Sometimes it doesn’t come off, and this series it hasn’t come off, which I am very disappointed with”

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-20245:00

Rohit: This will be a low point in my career

India captain Rohit Sharma has admitted after a forgettable and India’s first ever 3-0 whitewash at home that he was “not at my best” as both captain and batter, and that his team “failed as a unit” because they made “lots of mistakes.”Chasing 147 to get any possible WTC points from a series already conceded, India crashed and burned to 121 all out against the spin of Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips.”Definitely, you know, something like this will be a very low point in my career, you know, having lost three games at home,” Rohit said at the post-match press conference. “And, yes, we, I fully take the responsibility for that as a captain and as a leader as well. I have not been at the best of my abilities right from the start of the series. And yeah, with the bat as well, I’ve not been good enough.”Related

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For a while, when Rishabh Pant was counterattacking with a 57-ball 64, there was hope for the hosts. But before that it was 29 for 5, and after Pant fell, to a contentious third-umpire’s decision, it all unravelled quite quickly. Rohit looked back on the series as a whole and felt let down by his own decision making.”Right from the start, I said it. You know, I made a decision about batting first on that Bangalore pitch, which was not right,” he said. “And certain tactical errors also, which didn’t go my way. You obviously take chances with those decisions. Sometimes it comes off. Sometimes it doesn’t. And this time around, it didn’t come off, the certain decisions that I took. So, yeah, I was not at my best of my leadership. And probably cost us the series as well.”Rohit’s poor series coincided with an excellent one for Tom Latham – who assumed full-time captaincy of the team just last month – and his men.”New Zealand played better than us throughout the series,” he said at the presentation. “There were lots of mistakes that we made throughout the series, and we have to accept it.Virat Kohli has also been going through a lull•AFP/Getty Images

“The first and the second Test, we didn’t put enough runs on the board in the first innings. And we were very much behind the game. This game, we got that 30 [28]-runs lead and we felt that we were a little bit ahead of the game. That target was chaseable. All we had to do was a little bit of application, which we failed to do as a unit.”Questions about Rohit’s own batting form have been cropping up this series. Apart from a 52 in the second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru, he has managed scores of 2, 0, 8, 18 and 11. On ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar also spoke about Rohit’s captaincy, and what he called T20 tactics in a Test match.In this chase in Mumbai, Rohit hit two fours in a run-a-ball 11, but fell when he couldn’t get his favourite shot – the pull – right against Matt Henry.”Look, when you’re chasing a target like that, you want runs on the board as well. And that is something that was there in my mind,” Rohit said. “It just didn’t come off. When it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look that great. There are certain ideas, certain methods that I go into bat with. Sometimes it doesn’t come off, and this series it hasn’t come off, which I am very disappointed with.”The other senior batter in the side – Virat Kohli (93 runs in six innings) – has also been going through a lull, which has forced a need for serious introspection. India will be facing the reigning Test match champions Australia in just over two weeks’ time.”Obviously, it’s [his and Kohli’s lack of runs] a cause of concern without a doubt,” Rohit said. “If the batters are not performing, that is a cause of concern. But what’s done is done now. I think as a player, as a captain, as a team, we all have to look forward and see how we can correct what we didn’t manage to achieve here. There is a good opportunity for us to go and do something really, really special in Australia.”But right now, it’s just trying to understand what we didn’t do right [against New Zealand], what are the things that we need to do better as a team. We made a lot of mistakes, so I think those mistakes need to be addressed and something that we will talk about. And then moving forward, when you land in Australia, I think it’s important to just focus on that particular series, the first Test match. You know, it’s a five Test match series, so it’s important to break down those Test series, those Test matches and focus on one Test and then just take it from there.”As always, there were positives. In the batting department as well, where the younger players – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, and Washington Sundar showed, at various points, that runs could be scored on tough pitches.”Those guys showed how to bat on these surfaces,” Rohit said about the younger lot. “You have to be slightly ahead, and be proactive when you’re playing on a pitch like that. Which we all know. Which we have discussed many a time in the last three or four years. We are aware of what we need to do. It’s just that, this was an unfortunate series where it didn’t come off. We tried to do certain things, it didn’t come off. Which is why we lagged behind in the series.”

The match between RCB and CSK in Bengaluru on Saturday will decide the final playoff spot

Ashish Pant17-May-2024The weather in Bengaluru could impact the crucial IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday night.It’s a game that will likely decide the final qualifier for the playoffs, but it’s not impossible that the game could be affected by rain.The Indian Meteorological Department has said “heavy rain/thundershowers associated with gusty winds (40-50kph) are very likely” in some parts of Bengaluru on May 18.Related

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The city has received consistent rainfall over the last couple of weeks after a spell of uncharacteristically hot weather. While it was relatively dry on May 15 and 16, central Bengaluru, where the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is located, had overnight rain that continued into the morning on Friday. It was cloudy all morning on the eve of the match and the forecast had rain and thunderstorms in the evening. But, as it turned out, the promised rain did not arrive with the clouds giving way to relatively clear skies in the evening. Both the teams had long nets sessions without any disruptions.The forecast for Saturday does not look promising either with accuweather.com saying there could be thunderstorms in parts of Bengaluru, accompanied by showers, in the evening. The temperature around 7.30pm, the match start time, is expected to be around 23°C with a 100% cloud cover.It should be noted that the Chinnaswamy Stadium has an excellent drainage system. It is one of the few grounds in India with a subsurface aeration system, which allows play to begin 30 minutes after rain stops.A washout will end RCB’s chances of making the playoffs. Having lost seven of their first eight games, they have won five matches in a row to remain in contention. They currently have 12 points and a net run-rate of 0.387, while CSK are on 14 with an NRR of 0.538. To go past CSK’s NRR and make it to the playoffs, assuming a score of 200, RCB need to beat CSK by 18 runs or chase down the target with about 11 balls to spare. A truncated game will make that task tougher.For CSK, the equation is simple: a win, a washout, or even a narrow defeat is enough for them to join Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final four.”The weather and these kind of things we don’t have control over,” Dwayne Bravo, the CSK bowling coach, said on the eve of the game. “We don’t try to bring up things that we don’t have control over. It’s another game for us to push for a playoffs spot and we’re really looking ahead to the challenge against a very good team tomorrow.”

Elsewhere, Rohit Motwani’s career-best 189 helped Maharashtra put up 481 after they had been put in

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2017Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar continued the Uttar Pradesh fightback with 4 for 54, with an economy rate under 2, as Assam finished the second day on 279 for 6, still trailing by 70 runs. He had already struck a century from No. 8 to lift his side to a more than respectable 349, but clearly it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. Coming on as the second-change bowler, he knocked over four of the top five in Assam’s line-up to make sure the visitors retained the upper hand in Guwahati. Only Sibsankar Roy (72) and Rishav Das (52) were able to progress past fifty. Assam’s hopes of a first-innings rest rather heavily on Swarupam Purkayastha (34 not out) and Pallavkumar Das (10 not out).Wicketkeeper-batsman Rohit Motwani built on his overnight half-century to make a career-best 189 to help Maharashtra put on 481 against Railways in Pune. Railways responded with an unbroken stand of 88 for the opening wicket that took them to stumps 393 runs behind on the second day.Maharashtra had begun the day on 249 for 5. They lost Chirag Khurana and Nikit Dhumal in quick succession and were reduced to 287 for 7, before Motwani dominated partnerships with the tail enders, putting on a combined 194 runs for the last three wickets. It began with 94-run stand for the eighth with debutant Mukesh Choudhary, during which Motwani brought up his fourth first-class hundred. He was the last man out, eleven short of a double-hundred, having struck 24 fours and three sixes.

Club president Jayantha Silva has denied the occurrence of anything untoward during the Tier-B game under question

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Sep-2017Administrators of Panadura Sports Club have demanded that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) rescind the bans handed out to its players, while several players themselves have formally asked the board to reconsider its ruling.On Saturday, SLC had announced that 22 first-class players would be banned from “cricket-related activities” for one year, for their supposed role in manipulating the result of a Tier B first-class match in January. Captains Chamara Silva and Manoj Deshapriya were given two-year bans.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that at least six of these players have retained the services of a lawyer, and that those players have lodged a formal complaint to the board.Those players contend, effectively, that they had not had adequate opportunity to defend themselves at the inquiry that found them guilty of misconduct – a claim the board has already vehemently denied. The players have also raised the possibility of a getting the club to launch a fresh inquiry.Meanwhile, Panadura Sports Club has said that the match in question – in which 605 runs were scored off 60 overs on the final day – did not feature unfair play. They pointed to alleged irregularities in the match referee’s report to support their claim.”What we are saying is that nothing untoward happened in this game,” Panadura SC president Jayantha Silva said. “Our cricketers didn’t do anything untoward, and as a club we didn’t do anything untoward.”If something did happen, the people who have to bear that responsibility are the umpires. The charge sheet was founded on unlawful documents provided by the umpires. There is some unseen conspiracy being carried out against us here. We suspect the umpires and the match referee for that.”The club also asked that the points that were stripped from them on the basis of SLC’s ruling be reinstated, meaning they would secure promotion to Tier A of the Premier League Tournament for next season.It is for promotion-relegation purposes, in fact, that the result of match is suspected to have been manipulated. At no stage is money thought to have changed hands.

At the recent ICC board meeting in the UAE, chairman Shashank Manohar discussed the possibility of giving 6% of India’s 22% share of ICC revenues back to the world body, according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan

Mohammad Isam and Nagraj Gollapudi06-Feb-2016At the recent ICC Board meeting in Dubai, chairman Shashank Manohar discussed the possibility of giving 6% of India’s 22% share of ICC revenues back to the world body, according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan. The BCB president made the statement while speaking to TV reporters in Bangladesh on Saturday but did not respond to calls from ESPNcricinfo for comments. Manohar, too, could not be reached.According to Hassan, and two other directors of Full Member boards who attended the meetings which finished on Thursday in Dubai, Manohar told the ICC Board that he would speak to the BCCI about giving 6% of the revenue earned by the Indian board to other Full Members outside the Big 3 group.”Mr Shashank Manohar has said he wants to give away a percentage from India’s behalf. He said he will speak to his board and if he gets approval, he said he will give around 6% of the money,” Hassan told reporters in Bangladesh. “Shashank Manohar is a logical man. He thought that if India gives away 6%, it would help those countries below them. But first he has to get this approved by the board.”About a month after he became the BCCI president and, by extension, the ICC chairman, Manohar made a statement in a personal capacity, disagreeing with the constitutional revamp carried out in 2014 in controversial circumstances which allowed the BCCI, the ECB and Cricket Australia more authority and a greater share of profits in the ICC.”I do not agree with the Big 3 countries bullying the ICC,” Manohar said upon returning from Dubai after his first visit to the ICC headquarters in Dubai in November. “Because it is nice to say that India (BCCI) will get 22% of the total revenue of the ICC but you cannot make the poor poorer and the rich richer, only because you have the clout. The ICC runs cricket throughout the world.”After the Board meeting on Thursday, the ICC stated in a media release that Manohar would head a five-member steering committee that would review the 2014 restructure of the ICC carried out by the trio of Srinivasan, then ECB chairman Giles Clarke and former CA chairman Wally Edwards in 2014.”We need to revisit the Big 3 decisions. And stop calling it Big 3 from now onwards. He [Manohar] was very, very particular about that. Every member has equal rights,” a Full Member director, who was present at the ICC Board meeting, said.According to this official, Clarke, who is now the ECB president, remained quiet throughout the board meeting. Cricket Australian chairman David Peever, though, is understood to be on board with Manohar’s idea to roll back the revamp.The steering committee will have on board chiefs of the BCCI, the ECB and CA, and Manohar has asked all 10 Full Members to give their own comments on the issues they had with the resolutions passed in 2014. The committee will present its first report at the next round of ICC board meetings, scheduled to be held from April 16.”There is a genuine appetite to revisit the financial model to better share the ICC funds,” said a senior official of second Full Member country.

ESPNcricinfo previews the latest round of matches in the T20 Blast as a bunched field heads towards the final straight

Freddie Wilde10-Jul-2015

North Group

Worcestershire v Birmingham, New Road, Worcester, 5.30Second-placed Worcestershire host top-of-the-table Birmingham in what promises to be a hard-fought, high-quality match. With 16 points, defending champions Birmingham are the most successful team in the country this year, while only Kent in the South Group can match Worcestershire’s tally of 14 points. Both teams should qualify comfortably for the quarter-finals but a win in this match would all but confirm it and both will also be keen to guarantee a home quarter-final. History favours the defending champions with Birmingham having won five of the last six matches between the two teams.Leicestershire v Lancashire, Grace Road, Leicester, 5.30Leicestershire are in sixth place and Lancashire are in fourth but both teams are level on ten points in a very tight North Group. Indeed, given their proximity in the league table, this match could prove to be pivotal for both teams.Leicestershire and Lancashire have both had inconsistent seasons. Leicestershire were arguably playing some of the best cricket in the country when they registered three convincing wins in four matches; Lancashire’s victories, by contrast, have generally been tighter, but they have a formidable record against Leicestershire having gone unbeaten in the last eight matches, with six wins and two ties.James Faulkner is set to return to Lancashire’s squad following his drink-driving charge after he was involved in a collision in a Manchester suburb while Leicestershire will miss Kevin and Niall O’Brien who are playing in the World T20 Qualifiers for Ireland and seamer Rob Taylor who is playing for Scotland.Yorkshire v Durham, Headingley, Leeds, 7.00Durham, who are fifth, have had one of the more bizarre campaigns this season, and have not won twice consecutively since their opening two matches. Five of their matches have been either won or lost by less than 20 runs; fine margins define the position they find themselves in now. They have an opportunity against a struggling Yorkshire to turn themselves into serious contenders for a quarter-final place.Yorkshire promised to give T20 greater importance to the NatWest T20 Blast this season, but such emphasis has not translated into results and they will need a miracle to qualify for the quarter finals, having registered just three wins in nine matches so far. They do welcome back Liam Plunkett from injury and have included Adil Rashid in their 14-man squad after he was released by England. Youngsters Ben Coad, Ryan Gibson and Josh Shaw have all been included and could make their senior T20 debuts.Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire, 6.30Derbyshire’s quarter-final chances are over with them having won just three times in 11 matches. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, are not much better placed, having won four from 10 and none consecutively. The addition of Peter Moores to the coaching staff brought no miraculous change in fortunes last week. However, sitting in seventh place, they are just two points off the quarter-final places. “We’ve backed ourselves into a corner where we need to win all four,” said Nottinghamshire head coach Mick Newell. “If we do that, I’m pretty sure we’ll get through, but we have no room for manoeuvre.”Can Steve Finn pump up ailing Middlesex?•Getty Images

South Group

Hampshire v Surrey, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 7.00This crucial match in the South Group brings together Hampshire who have lost three in a row and Surrey who have won three in a row. Only a fortnight ago Hampshire were seemingly well on course for a quarter-final place alongside Essex at the top of the table while Surrey were languishing right at the very bottom. Two weeks on and how things have changed.Hampshire are seeking their sixth consecutive appearance at Finals Day and began the season strongly, but close observers noted cracks appearing in their tried and tested formula. Seam bowling in particular has been a problem.Surrey’s season turned around following a stunning comeback victory away to Glamorgan on an inauspicious cold Friday night in Cardiff. They will be without Gary Wilson who is playing for Ireland in the World T20 Qualifiers, while Matt Dunn is ruled out with a side injury. Hampshire, who have won their last six home matches against Surrey, have named an unchanged squad from last week’s match against Glamorgan.Sussex v Glamorgan, The County Ground, Hove, 7.00Sussex in second and Glamorgan in fourth are in strong positions in the South Group and are both just a win away from top spot. However, with just two matches left after this fixture they will recognise the importance of a win over a quarter-final rival.Sussex’s defeat against leaders Kent last week ended their streak of four consecutive victories and they will be keen to recapture their form against Glamorgan, who have included Michael Hogan in their squad.”We’ve tended to play better away than at home in T20 so far this season,” said Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford. “So we’re looking forward to the game at Hove off the back of two good wins on the road against Somerset and Hampshire.”Kent v Somerset, The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence, Canterbury, 7.00Although Somerset are languishing in eighth place in the South Group they are only three points off Essex in third and still have a chance to make a late push for a quarter-final spot.”Every game is important,” said head coach Matt Maynard. “We have to look to try and win all four of our remaining matches to make sure that we qualify for the quarter finals. To do that we need to get out of the powerplay with the ball and with the bat because that has cost us big time. If we can get out of those first six overs in good shape we tend to win the matches. We have had a chat about it and we have put a system in place.”Somerset will have their work cut out against Kent who are have surprised many onlookers with their strong form this season, winning seven of their ten matches so far despite not signing an overseas player. Kent have made one change to their squad from their victory against Sussex last week, with Calum Haggett replacing the injured Ivan Thomas.Middlesex v Essex, Old Deer Park, Richmond, 5.30Middlesex won two matches in Game Week 2, but either side of that have not managed a victory and have now lost seven in a row. With four points from ten matches their quarter-final chances are all but over. With two top-four sides, Sussex and Glamorgan, in opposition, third placed Essex will sense an opportunity to move one step closer to the quarter-finals against a struggling team.Essex have turned their season around excellently having lost three of their first four matches and head coach Paul Grayson is thrilled with the progress. “If someone had said seven or eight games ago that we could have a chance of finishing in the top-four, we would definitely have taken that,” he said.Liam Dawson, on loan from Hampshire, is expected to make his T20 debut for Essex while Tom Westley has been included in their squad after recovering from injury. Middlesex welcome back international pace duo Steven Finn, released by England, and Mitchell McClenaghan, back from injury.

A preview of the third South Africa-New Zealand T20 in Port Elizabeth

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria25-Dec-2012

Match facts

December 26, 2012
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)Boxing Day scrap: Martin Guptill will be key with his gloves on•Gallo Images

Big Picture

The traditional Boxing Day Test has been replaced by a Twenty20 and although it may not match up to the drama or the prestige of a serious contest in whites, it is a decider. For the young South African side being led by Faf du Plessis, a win would reiterate the quality of the No. 1 Test side’s bench strength. But New Zealand need this one more after all the pre-series controversy regarding the captaincy and the main course of the tour – the two Tests – just a week away.The importance of the coming challenges was not lost on Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, who said after the win in East London that the game was not a “one-off” and that the team needed to keep similar tempo through the tour. There were other bright signs apart from Martin Guptill’s match-winning hundred. Rob Nicol and McCullum played responsible supporting roles to Guptill, Nathan McCullum was economical, and Doug Bracewell picked up wickets despite being expensive. These are the players the team will rely on through much of the tour and from New Zealand’s perspective, it is critical they take the confidence of a win in the T20 series forward.With no Boxing Day Test, the South African fans would have to contend with a four-day void after the match and would hope for a small Christmas present from their team. South Africa have had more balanced performances in the two matches so far, with du Plessis leading from the front, and still are favourites to wrap up the series.

Form guide (Completed games, most recent first)

South Africa LWLLL

New Zealand WLTLT

In the spotlight

Coming back from sickness, Martin Guptill produced an innings of such significance in the previous match that it lifted spirits like only a last-ball win can. He took his time to get settled and then selectively took the bowlers apart, being especially severe on Aaron Phangiso, the debutant spinner, whom he countered with his brutal sweeps. Can he jingle all the way?David Miller has played 10 T20s for South Africa in the last two years and has largely been kept out by a settled batting line-up. But South Africa have one eye on the future and T20s are a chance for him to impress. He certainly did in the 18 balls that he played in the last match as he effortlessly cleared the infield a few times with his timing.

Team news

South Africa have only 12 players at their disposal and with Richard Levi struggling for form, it could be a toss up between him and Justin Ontong.South Africa: (likely) 1 Richard Levi/ Justin Ontong, 2 Henry Davids, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Quinton de Kock (wk), 5 Farhaan Behardien, 6 David Miller, 7 Robin Peterson, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Aaron Phangiso, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Rory KleinveldtNew Zealand reaped the benefit of experience with the addition of Guptill in the last match. Trent Boult, the left-arm seamer, who sat out the first two matches due to sickness could make a return.New Zealand: (likely) 1 Rob Nicol, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Brendon McCullum (capt & wk), 4 James Franklin, 5 Colin Munro, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jimmy Neesham, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Ronnie Hira, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan/Trent Boult

Stats and Trivia

• Martin Guptill’s hundred in the last match was only the second in the second innings of a T20 international. The first one was scored by Richard Levi earlier this year.
• Levi scored a sensational 117 in only his second T20 international innings. Since then, he has scored 106 runs in 11 innings with eight single-digit scores.
• The head-to-head record between the teams is 7-3 in favour of South Africa

Quotes

“It’s going to take one person or a couple of people to take the game away from the other team and hopefully that’s going to be us again. It was the same situation last summer back home. It was one-all leading into the third match, so it will make for a great finale.”
“David [Miller] came in and hit the ball sweetly to all parts of the field. It’s great to have him back, he is a young talent and he brings a lot to the team. It was a fantastic innings, to come in at that stage when conditions made it difficult to come in and start scoring was great, I certainly struggled when I came in.”

Northern Districts stayed top of the table after thrashing Canterbury, while Wellington picked up their first win of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2011Northern Districts thrashed Canterbury by 241 runs at Seddon Park in Hamilton. In a low-scoring first innings, Northern Districts gained an 18-run lead after being bowled out for 169. They capitulated against a five-for from seamer Matt Henry but Brent Arnel put them ahead with 5 for 43, skittling out Canterbury for 151.The Northern Districts batsmen ensured they consolidated that advantage, making amends for their failure in the first innings by piling up 436 for 9. No batsman from either team managed a half-century in the first innings. This time, Hamish Marshall top-scored with 138, added 163 with his identical twin James, who fell just two short of a century. Brook Hatwell, too, chipped in with a half-century. Set a target of 455, an early burst from seamer Graeme Aldridge reduced Canterbury to 67 for 5 at one stage, but there was some resistance from the lower order. Andrew Ellis fought, making 86, and was supported by Todd Astle and Ryan McCone but their efforts weren’t enough. Aldridge and Arnel shared nine wickets, bowling their opponents out for 213.Northern Districts took 16 points from the game and lead the table.

Wellington‘s new-ball pair of Andy McKay and Scott Kuggeleijn took 13 wickets between them to give their side a 286-run win over Otago at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The win was Wellington’s first of the season and got them off the bottom of the table. They had two solid batting efforts, reaching 312 in the first innings and 371 in the second. Otago had responded to their first-innings effort with 242 but, set a target of 442, crumbled to 155 all out.The 19-year-old Kuggeleijn took 4 for 50 in the fourth innings to seal the victory. Craig Cumming, coming off a century in Otago’s Ford Trophy match against Northern Districts, scored 61, but that was the only decent contribution. In the first innings it had been McKay who took four wickets, while Kuggeleijn took three. The duo had reduced Otago to 53 for 4 before contributions from the middle and lower-middle order, including a half-century from Neil Wagner, revived the visitors’ innings. Wagner’s 61 followed his seven-wicket haul in the first innings, which had threatened to skittle Wellington for a low score. James Franklin scored 50 and Luke Woodcock’s form with the bat continued as he went past fifty for the third time this season.Their second innings was steadier, with Stephen Murdoch’s 74 laying a solid base before Woodcock and Franklin again made the telling contributions. Franklin got his first hundred of the season while Woodcock’s second fifty of the match means he finished the game with an average of 99.75 after four games.

Auckland came out of their high-scoring match against Central Districts at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland with seven points, while the visitors had to settle for six. Both sides received three points each for going past 350 within 110 overs of their first innings; Auckland picked up four points for taking nine wickets within 110 overs of Central District’s first innings while the visitors managed just seven wickets in the first 110 overs of Auckland’s response.Central Districts were in trouble at 139 for 5 after being put in before Kieran Noema-Barnett’s maiden first-class century led a fightback, and they went on to score 367. Auckland’s response was led by centuries from Jeet Raval and Colin de Grandhomme. It was the second hundred of the season for both and they helped take Auckland to 447.Central Districts’ openers were back at the crease in the second session of the third day and Peter Ingram seemed to be pushing for a win with his quick century. The rest of the batsmen scored slowly, though, and they reached 367 for 6. Mathew Sinclair got his second unbeaten century of the season as the game ended in a draw.