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The legspinner has had a stop-start international career but produced a remarkable performance

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Aug-20244:45

Takeaways: Vandersay exposed India’s vulnerability against spin

It didn’t take much to win them over.It was only five nights ago that Sri Lanka’s batters tanked what seemed to be an untankable T20I, the middle order collapsing with such seismic ferocity even the batting in the Super Over was shaken. Spectators were incensed, and let the team know it. Hundreds in Pallekele gathered on the edge of the grass banks closest to the presentation ceremony and demanded answers from Charith Asalanka, the only player who emerged from the dressing room. Sticking around until well after the last wicket fell to scream their frustrations. This was after midnight on a weekday – fan feedback driven almost totally by spite.By the second half of Sunday’s ODI, the was blaring, a Lankan crowd was in voice, an India middle order was crashing, the vibes were back. It didn’t take much, never taken much, doesn’t seem like it ever take much. On its best days, Khettarama feels less a cricket ground, more a party that happens to have shimmied up to a cricket ground.Related

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This team crashed out of the T20 World Cup at the earliest opportunity. They haven’t qualified for next year’s Champions trophy. They’re ranked as low as… well… let’s not depress ourselves.Still, this public still looks for reasons to show up. On Friday, only about a third of Khettarama was full, but the team pulled off a tie, which after 10 straight losses to India, felt a little like a victory. On Sunday, expectedly, many more rolled up, clutching Sri Lanka flags. Helped by a strong contingent of India fans, the stands appeared at least 90% full.The middle order, so meek in the T20s, found its spine for the second match in a row in Dunith Wellalage, whose name has been on Khettarama’s lips since he impressed in a series against Australia two years ago.

“As much as we want to play the game and win, we need them supporting us. It’s a process. It will take time. But I believe we are on the right track.”Jeffrey Vandersay

But they truly came alive for Jeffrey Vandersay, shunted into the team at the last moment after Wanindu Hasaranga was ruled out. On the kind of big-spinning surface that tends to narrow the gap between these two teams, he bowled sublime wicket-to-wicket lines, excellent lengths, and vitally changed up the tilt of the seam.Some caught the seam and turned or leapt big – the ball that had Rohit Sharma caught at backward point, the ball to get Shubman Gill caught at slip, the one to trap Shivam Dube in front. Others slid on, like the balls that dismissed Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. His was almost a Test-match mode of attack, on what essentially felt like a dustbowl day-four surface.India had raced to 97 for no loss on the back of another Rohit fast start. But although there were big cheers for Rohit’s departure, it was when Gill was dismissed that the crowd lifted leaping at their seats, almost as spectacularly as Kamindu Mendis leapt to his right to complete the tour’s most exquisite grab, at slip.Jeffrey Vandersay had a night to remember•AFP/Getty Images”Gill was going nicely, so with that blinder of a catch, Kamindu turned everything around,” Vandersay said after the game. This is not a crowd that expects victory exactly, particularly against a team such as India. But it does expect to be made happy, and few acts on the field are as infectiously joyous as an astonishing catch.”People still love us and want to back us,” Vandersay said. “No point if we go and play the game if there’s no backing – if there are no supporters. As much as we want to play the game and win, we need them supporting us. It’s a process. It will take time. But I believe we are on the right track.”Whether the track is right is yet to be seen. This was a single victory, on what may be described as a singular track, given the runways seen much more often in white-ball cricket. Vandersay’s own career is one of significant highs, such as his T20 World Cup in 2016, but also of lows such as the 2019 World Cup, where he was modest in the one game he was allowed to play. It has been no surprise that his presence in squads have been sporadic.And yet, on a night when the rare victories come, the difficult truths feel more manageable. It is possible to imagine a future in which Vandersay makes himself part of Sri Lanka’s spin-bowling core over the next two years. There’s a T20 World Cup Sri Lanka are due to co-host in 2026.More vitally, this was a karate-chop to the monotony of defeat, and the pessimism it is so easy to slip into. If this crowd is a cardiogram, in an era of Sri Lanka’s men’s cricket in which it’s often felt like their condition was critical, in this ODI at least, there was a powerful heartbeat.

His all-out-attack approach has yielded dividends in white-ball cricket, but it may not work the same way in Tests

Ian Chappell06-Oct-2024Talk of Travis Head opening the batting for Australia in Test cricket indicates the uncertain nature of the position rather than being a reflection of the player’s suitability to handle the new ball.If Australia possessed an obvious opening replacement for David Warner then Steven Smith wouldn’t have occupied the position last season. Smith is a very capable No. 4 and that is his best position, so an opponent should welcome him facing the new ball.Head opening in Test cricket is based on his unbridled success facing the new ball in both 50-over and T20 cricket. There’s no doubt Head, with his ultra-aggressive style, is the ideal player to open in the two short forms of the game. However, Test cricket is an entirely different proposition.Head’s promotion to open in Test cricket should be seen as either an extremely desperate ploy or an extraordinarily adventurous move. The desperation involves Head’s penchant for adopting an all-out-attack approach, which can unravel in a Test match. The adventurous part involves his aggression unsettling the opposition field placings and thus creating an advantage for his own team.Related

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The difference between the short forms of the game and Test cricket apply with both field placings and use of the bowlers. The fielding side employing extra catching fielders and being able to unleash a preferred bowler for longer periods makes opening much tougher in Test cricket.The other important aspect is Head’s approach to batting. His decision to mount a full-blown attack is in part to camouflage any weakness in his batting. If the opposing bowlers are bluffed into countering with an economical rather than a wicket-taking plan, then Head’s ploy is successful.If Head is satisfied that an all-out attack is the way for him to bat, that boosts his confidence. However, a few cheap dismissals can see a player’s confidence dwindle quickly.One big flaw in the argument for Head to open in Test cricket is the opposition he’ll face. If it were a lesser opponent it might have some merit but a strong Indian attack will be hard to bluff.Any move to open with Head that is designed to unsettle Jasprit Bumrah is asking a lot of the batter. Bumrah, and to a lesser extent Mohammad Siraj, are unlikely to be battered into altering their attacking mentality.

Head’s promotion to open in Test cricket should be seen as either an extremely desperate ploy or an extraordinarily adventurous move

As well as fine fast bowlers, Head is also vulnerable against good offspin bowling. The wily R Ashwin is unlikely to be panicked by an opponent’s ultra-aggressive approach. The argument could be mounted that opening with Head means he’d be more settled facing Ashwin with some runs on the board. On the other hand, a smart opposing captain can utilise the offspinner with a newish ball.Amongst any argument to use Head as a Test match opener, there’s a compelling counterpoint.Former Australian captain Tim Paine was asked about Smith as an opener. He replied candidly: “As an opposition player I want him at the top of the order because that gives me the best chance of getting him out.” The same logic applies to Head as an opener in Test cricket.In choosing an opening pair for the Test series, Australia need to be acutely aware of India’s attacking intentions under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. It was made abundantly clear in the second Test against Bangladesh that India will seek victory at every opportunity under Rohit.That makes a good start in Tests against India a priority for Australia.Another issue clouding Australia’s choice of opener against India is the concern over Cameron Green’s back injury. The idea behind Smith opening last season was to fit both allrounders, Green and Mitch Marsh, into the team.If Green can only bat because of his back issue and Marsh continues to be questionable as a bowler because of potential injury, then it severely diminishes their allrounder status.There’s no doubt Australia desperately needs to find a capable Test opener, but Head is not the solution to the problem.

Who are the big stars in action, what do the teams look like, and everything else you need to know about SA20 2025

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jan-2025Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions, right?Indeed. Having won the tournament in 2023 and 2024, Sunrisers, under captain Markram and coach Adrian Birrell, will gun for a three-peat. If they manage to do so, they will emulate Jaffna Kings, who had recently won three titles in a row at the Lanka Premier League.Related

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Sunrisers have a particularly strong local core – Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs and Ottneil Baartman – with some talented overseas players complementing them. They have lost Dan Worrall, who was their powerplay specialist last season, to Gulf Giants in the ILT20, but have filled that void by bringing in Craig Overton, who can also swing the new ball from his tall frame, and added Richard Gleeson, who can clock 140kph, to their roster. They have strengthened their batting by snapping up David Bedingham, who is set for his SA20 bow.Markram had a wretched 2024 with the bat in T20Is, but you just can’t look past him and his team in the SA20.Who will challenge Sunrisers for the title?MI had finished rock bottom in 2023 and 2024, but if they perform to potential this season, they could challenge the might of Sunrisers. Before combining with Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Trent Boult will work with Kagiso Rabada in a partnership that promises to be just as mouth-watering.Reeza Hendricks, for whom MI forked out Rand 4.3 million will reunite with his Lions team-mates Rassie van der Dussen at MI in the SA20. This is a chance for allrounder Corbin Bosch, MI’s wildcard signing, to enhance his reputation after having enjoyed a memorable Test debut for South Africa in the Boxing Day fixture.Rashid Khan will lead a side that also has Colin Ingram, George Linde and Nuwan Thushara in its ranks. In a significant blow, however, Ben Stokes is set to miss the SA20 with a recurrence of a hamstring tear, for which he has had surgery.South Africa’s best players can play the SA20 this time without worrying about ignoring international cricket•AFP/Getty ImagesDoes the league clash with SA’s international commitments again?No. Not this time.The SA20’s clash with SA’s Test series in New Zealand caused a stir last year, with the CSA prioritising its league over Test cricket at the time. Any South African player with an SA20 deal was informed of their contractual obligations to play in the tournament ahead of the Tests, which resulted in a squad with seven uncapped players, including the stand-in captain Neil Brand, being selected for the New Zealand tour.The SA20, however, overlaps with other T20 tournaments – Australia’s Big Bash League, UAE’s ILT20, New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Bangladesh Premier League.What’s the format of the league like?The top-four teams in the six-team league will qualify for the knockouts, which will have IPL-style qualifiers and an eliminator. To summarise, the teams placed first and second after the league phase will play in the first qualifier, with the winner going straight to the final. The teams placed third and fourth will play an eliminator with the loser out of contention. Then, the loser of the first qualifier will play the winner of the eliminator to determine the second finalist.Gqeberha is set to host the first qualifier while Centurion will stage the eliminator and second qualifier. The final will be held in Johannesburg on February 8.Tell me about the big overseas names who will be in actionDespite the clashes, the SA20 has some big drawcards, including Rashid, Boult, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Dinesh Karthik.Boult will complete the MI set, having already played for their teams in the IPL (Mumbai Indians), MLC (MI New York) and ILT20 (MI Emirates). For Williamson and Conway, this will be their first stints at the SA20. Williamson will play for Durban’s Super Giants while Conway will reunite with Stephen Fleming at Joburg Super Kings, having already won the IPL title under him at CSK.Having “sold everything” and left South Africa, the Johannesburg-born Conway will have a special homecoming at this SA20. Back in the day, Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi used to be house-mates in South Africa but then their paths diverged. Years later, at the SA20, their paths will converge again.Also, watch out for Pathirana vs Thushara in the battle of the Lasith Malinga clones.Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to take part in the SA20•Abu Dhabi T10Did you mention Dinesh Karthik?Yes, the former India international will rock up for Paarl Royals this season. He’s set to become the first Indian to feature in the SA20 and will also serve as the tournament’s brand ambassador. Since retiring from Indian and international cricket in June 2024, Karthik has been part of the Legends League and the Abu Dhabi T10 league.Family affairsHaving been hit by injuries, JSK have called up allrounder Hardus Viljoen, who will play under his brother-in-law Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to the CPL title in 2024.JP King, who was invited for JSK’s training sessions last season, will join them as a rookie player for this season while his brother CJ King will be part of the Super Giants side.The Bosch brothers – Corbin and Eathan – were on the same side (Pretoria Capitals) in SA20 2024, but Corbin has now moved to MI, which could add some spice to the MI-Capitals clash.Is Imran Tahir still an active T20 player?Indeed. Imran Tahir, who will turn 46 in March, is still going strong in T20 cricket. He will link up with Shamsi and Maheesh Theekshana at JSK. Tahir is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, with 526 strikes in 420 games.What about the Impact Player rule?The SA20 doesn’t have the Impact Player rule in place like the IPL, but teams can name their final XIs after the toss. Captains can take two team sheets to the toss – one with their bat-first XI and the other with their bowl-first XI – and offer up the final list once the toss has been completed.

Even the morning after South Australia’s victory, some of those who took part were still making sense of it

Tristan Lavalette10-Feb-2025Enjoying unexpected time off, South Australia quicks Nathan McAndrew and Brendan Doggett found themselves still in disbelief as they recounted over breakfast what had transpired during a whirlwind previous two days at the WACA.Not long after Australia wrapped up the second Test against Sri Lanka, South Australia celebrated a six-wicket victory over Western Australia before tea on day two in the shortest outright result in Sheffield Shield history after just 763 balls were bowled. The previous record was 822 balls between Queensland and Tasmania in Brisbane in 2001-02.The match aggregate of 376 runs was the third-lowest ever in the competition’s history. WA were routed for just 66 in their second innings with McAndrew finishing with a remarkable career-best 7 for 11 from 9.3 overs. It was three-time defending champions WA’s lowest Shield total at the WACA since 1950.Related

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“Brendan Doggett and I were just talking about how wild it [the match] was,” McAndrew told ESPNcricinfo on what should have been day three of the match. “The game was in fast forward so much that even when we were taking wickets, it sort of felt like that’s what we had to do.”The historic clump of wickets was not necessarily foreshadowed the day before the match despite plenty of grass being left on the pitch amid usual sweltering Perth summer weather.”We had a training session [the day before the match], and it was hot as anything, so we thought that it’s going to be a really good cricket wicket,” McAndrew said. “We were pretty unsure about what to do if we won the toss at that point, just based off the colour of the wicket. We thought we might not be all that disappointed if we lost the toss and got sent in.”But with the fierce sun baking the pitch further, South Australia stand-in captain Ben Manenti had no hesitation to bowl first when the coin fell in his favour. “There was some thatchy grass that we’re not used to seeing at the WACA, where previously we’ve played on thinner grass,” said McAndrew, the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 28 at 18.42.

It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too farNathan McAndrew

“Our only goal was to bowl them out on day one, but the wicket did a lot more than what I thought it was going to do.”Batting was difficult with tennis ball bounce notable, but the match started fairly tamely and, not for the first time on the ground, it appeared an anti-climax was set to ensue. A youthful WA batting-order battled hard and did well to reach lunch at 72 for 2 with opener Sam Fanning closing in on a half-century.”We really struggled as a bowling group to bring the stumps into play,” McAndrew said. “It was actually pretty hard to bowl on and to get the ball full enough to make the batters play without them just being able to leave on length because it was so bouncy. It was hard to get nicks, it was nipping too far.”But coach Ryan Harris gave them a pep talk at the break and they readjusted their line and lengths on resumption to devastating effect as the pitch continued to deteriorate with conditions near 40 degrees Celsius.McAndrew nicked off Fanning for 49 – the highest score of the match – with a back of a length delivery that zipped off the pitch. “The ball started bouncing and skidding through more traditionally, so we could bowl normal lengths,” he said.The WACA scoreboard reflects a extraordinary match•Getty ImagesWA collapsed for 120, but South Australia fared little better in reply and were bowled out for 124 by stumps on day one. McAndrew, at No. 9 but a capable batter with a first-class average of 26.61, started fluently before hitting quick Brody Couch straight to third man to fall for 4 off 6 balls.”Probably a bit rich to say because I only faced six balls…I felt pretty comfortable but played a horrendous shot to get out,” McAndrew said. “Without being too critical, I think there was some really poor shots by some batters in this match but that was probably due to them being indecisive.”South Australia were frustrated by day’s end and thought they had let their advantage slip with the match now effectively a one-innings shoot-out.”Just forget about that batting effort and let’s turn up on day two, fight like hell and try and bowl as well as we possibly can to wrestle back the advantage,” Harris implored his team.South Australia’s meagre lead of four runs suddenly looked like gold when McAndrew immediately hit a dangerous area and had Fanning caught in the slips for a duck in the first over. Soon WA were reeling at 2 for 3 and still trailing by two runs.Unleashing one of the great spells at the iconic ground, McAndrew was in the zone and looking like taking a wicket on every delivery. He continually claimed edges and rattled the stumps, but his best wicket was when he took a superb one-handed return catch to his right to dismiss veteran Hilton Cartwright.McAndrew finished with figures that seemed beyond belief, but there wasn’t any time to take it all in given the surreal events unfolding.’To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special’•Getty Images”My mind was just constantly on what was next, who was the next batter and let’s get him out as soon as possible,” he said. “It was a tough wicket and you didn’t want them to get any more. It was very much just a foot on the throat type mentality.”South Australia only needed 63 runs for victory, but perhaps no team has ever have felt so nervous about chasing such a low target. “I was pretty anxious, just counting those runs down…every single one,” McAndrew said.There were some anxious moments, but Jason Sangha proved that the bowlers could be thwarted on this wicket with a solid method and application. He finished 24 not out on the back of his first innings of 45 to guide South Australia to their first Shield victory at the WACA since November 2017.Relieved players celebrated with gusto during the late afternoon inside the ground’s famed walls as South Australia sit pretty on top of the ladder. They are in the box seat for a home final as they strive to end a Shield title drought that extends three decades.”To win in a day-and-a half at the WACA, it’s special,” McAndrew said. “We haven’t won here in a long time. To get a monkey off our backs is really nice and sets us up for the rest of the season.”South Australia are also well positioned in the One-Day Cup and play last-placed WA on Thursday at the WACA in a low-key fixture that is set to now garner significantly more attraction.”I dare say, you’d expect that wicket to be a little bit flatter, but you never know,” chuckled McAndrew. “If we turn up and the ball’s nipping around and bouncing all over the shop again, I wouldn’t be against it.”

Big chases bring all the drama and here is a list of five from the IPL that had almost everything

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2025Jonny Bairstow made an unbeaten 108 in a chase of 262•BCCIPunjab Kings 262 for 2
In a season where run-scoring and six-hitting scaled new heights, this clash raised the bar for T20 cricket. The match featured a record 42 sixes and produced the highest successful chase in the format – 262. KKR’s 261 for 6 was powered by a 138-run opening stand between Sunil Narine and Phil Salt, with the middle order adding the finishing touches. In reply, Prabhsimran Singh provided the early thrust before Jonny Bairstow’s fiery hundred and Shashank Singh’s 28-ball 68 sealed the mighty chase with eight balls to spare.Sunrisers Hyderabad 247 for 2
It was Abhishek’s night in Hyderabad. A stroke of luck came early when he was caught on 28, but it turned out to be off a no-ball. Most times, when he hit the ball in the air, it either disappeared into the stands or dropped safely in no man’s land. Occasionally, as is the case when playing such high-risk innings, the ball went in the general direction of a fielder but PBKS weren’t able to hold onto their catches. Abhishek dismantled PBKS’ bowling attack with audacious ease. He stormed to his maiden IPL century in just 40 balls and went on record the highest individual score (141 off 55 balls) by an Indian in IPL history. Head played the perfect supporting act, hammering 66 off 37 in a dominant 171-run opening stand.Jitesh Sharma and Mayank Agarwal stitched a match-winning 107 in just 45 balls•Associated PressRoyal Challengers Bengaluru 230 for 4
The night seemed to belong to Rishabh Pant. His blazing 118, off just 61 balls, meant that RCB had to gun down 228 to earn a spot in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings. RCB began well, with Kohli and Phil Salt adding 61 inside six overs, but three quick wickets tilted the advantage LSG’s way. Kohli raised a fine half-century, but his dismissal in the 12th over left RCB with 105 runs still to get from just 52 balls. Enter Mayank and Jitesh. While Mayank’s 23-ball 41 was impressive on its own, Jitesh seemed to batting in a different dimension altogether, blasting 85 off 33 balls, with eight fours and six sixes. Will O’Rourke, in particular, came in for some heavy punishment, conceding 74 from his four overs – the third-most expensive spell in IPL history.The game wasn’t without drama from other corners. Jitesh looked to be out at the start of the 17th over, but a back-foot no ball from Digvesh Rathi handed the batter a reprieve. A few moments later, Rathi, before delivering the ball, clipped the stumps at the bowler’s end with Jitesh well sort of his crease. However, the wicket was not given because the umpire deemed that Rathi had completed his delivery stride before he removed the stumps. Pant also asked for the appeal to be withdrawn. In the end, RCB were not to be denied, as Jitesh himself sealed it with a six to send every Bengaluru fan into delirium.Rahul Tewatia was the centre of attention after his spectacular innings against Kings XI in IPL 2020•BCCIRajasthan Royals 226 for 6
With Rajasthan Royals (RR) needing 51 off the final three overs, Rahul Tewatia’s 17 off 23 balls was turning into a disastrous promotion to No. 4. But what followed was one of the most dramatic turnarounds in IPL history. Tewatia smashed five sixes off Sheldon Cottrell’s over. He and Jofra Archer added three more sixes, and a four, in the next nine balls. RR chased down 224 – the highest IPL chase at the time – with three balls to spare. Earlier, Sanju Samson’s 85 off 42 had kept them in the hunt against PBKS.Jos Buttler pulled off a great one-man rescue act for Rajasthan Royals last year•BCCIRajasthan Royals 224 for 8
The standout performer of KKR’s title-winning campaign, Sunil Narine, smashed his maiden T20 century to lift his side to 223 for 6 and then struck with the ball too. With 103 to defend off 46 balls and four wickets remaining for RR, KKR were cruising. But Jos Buttler had other plans. With a strapped-up hamstring that kept him out of the previous game, Buttler single-handedly turned the chase on its head – scoring 70 of the remaining runs, retaining strike for the final 18 balls, and completing the win with five sixes and six fours.The Pandya brothers run to congratulate Kieron Pollard on taking Mumbai home in a chase of 219•BCCI/IPLMumbai Indians 219 for 6
This was one of those chases that cemented Kieron Pollard’s status as Mumbai Indians (MI) saviour. Ambati Rayudu’s blazing 72 off 27 balls had powered CSK to 218 for 4. MI came out swinging in the powerplay but stumbled with three quick wickets. MI needed 125 off the last eight overs with Pollard batting on 2 off 4. Then the tide started turning – he hit three sixes off Ravindra Jadeja, followed by a barrage against the quicks. Cameos from the Pandya brothers helped bring it down to 16 off the final over. Pollard kept strike throughout and sealed the win off the last ball with a nervy, match-winning double.

The most-capped player in women’s cricket and former New Zealand captain wouldn’t mind adding an ODI World Cup to her trophy cabinet, though

Interview by Vishal Dikshit19-Sep-2025At age 38, former New Zealand captain Suzie Bates is closing in on 20 years of international cricket and her 14th World Cup across formats. She spoke to us about keeping herself fit physically and mentally, her love for the game from since when she was a teenager, the growth of the women’s game, why she gave up captaincy, her aspirations of making a Test debut, and more.You were playing for Durham recently, where you scored 163 against Somerset. You were their first overseas player. What kind of space and confidence levels are you in right now heading into the ODI World Cup?
Yeah, it couldn’t have gone better, leading into a 50-over World Cup campaign. We finished against Australia in March and had no international cricket scheduled in the calendar. I was interested in playing over in England. Then Durham came calling and I committed to a big chunk of their season. I knew there were eight one-dayers in the first month, which hit the body pretty hard, but to be able to play that volume of cricket and just to a really good standard. Most of the English players were playing those one-dayers to start with. [I] loved my time up there. It was just a really refreshing experience. When you play cricket for a long time, to go into a new environment like that and fully immerse yourself in the club and with the people – it couldn’t have gone better. I think I was there 15 weeks and played about 24 games of cricket, so great preparation leading into India.Related

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You’ve been to India several times. You’ve said in the past you love touring the country. Your international debut was against India. In the 2013 World Cup here, you were the Player of the Tournament. You’ve also scored two centuries in India. How are you feeling about the conditions and the format, and the fact that you’re visiting India again?
I just have such fond memories of touring India, and as a cricketer, going to India is almost like the pinnacle and the biggest test for a female player, with conditions being so foreign, the temperature, just different culture for a New Zealand player. It’s something I really look forward to.I actually started my career with a tour in Chennai back in, I think it was 2007, for a quad series and maybe back then we were allowed to get out a little bit more. There was a bit less security and [to be] able to just explore places that you’d never been to and the different food and all those types of things I loved as a 19-year-old. We went to Ahmedabad after the [2024 T20] World Cup but that was a very short, sharp trip and we were pretty exhausted after the World Cup campaign.2:53

“Cricket in India is the pinnacle”

So to go back for a World Cup, it honestly excites me more than anything I’ve done recently. In 2013, we had a great time, and I just love playing there – the way the fans are, the conditions, it just tests every part of you mentally, physically, and when you play well, you really feel like you’ve earned your runs. It’s just really satisfying as a player to succeed over there.You’re closing in on nearly 20 years of international cricket, with nine T20 World Cups and a fifth ODI World Cup coming up. Longevity in any sport doesn’t come easily. How have you had to take care of yourself physically? How have you had to keep up with the changing times and the evolution of the game in the last ten years or so?
The fact that it’s five 50-over World Cups – when I say that out loud, pretty unbelievable. After a disappointing World Cup in 2017 when I led the side in England and we didn’t make the top four, and I sort of stepped away from captaincy, I was thinking I was near the end at that time. ()But we had a home World Cup [coming up in 2022], and I thought: I do want to be a part of that. Then I got injured and Covid hit, but I thought that home World Cup was going to be my last push at a 50-over World Cup as well.For me, I think the key is just keeping myself physically fit. I think being injury-free since I did my shoulder [in 2020], being able to play cricket, not miss games, has kept me mentally fit as well.Bates (first from left) has played four ODI World Cups and every Women’s T20 World Cup, lifting the trophy in the last one in 2024•ICC/Getty ImagesIt’s not always been easy and there’s times you wonder if you’re done or not, and how much you have left in the tank. But whenever I’ve had those thoughts, I’ve had a bit of a break. I just have never wanted to not be part of this White Ferns team. I’ve just always had the motivation to want to get up each day and get better, whether that’s with my fitness or my batting in particular, and even working on my bowling has rejuvenated me a little bit.But I think what has probably kept me going is that the game has changed so much – you were in a phase of your career where one-day cricket was the pinnacle, and then 20-over cricket took over and power came into the game, the athleticism. I guess I found it a bit of a challenge to try and keep up with the game and develop in different areas. And that excites me, always trying to get better. So yeah, it’s been a journey and it’s unrecognisable now where the game’s at to where it was even in 2013 at that 50-over World Cup.I just feel really grateful that my body, my mind, my game has allowed me to keep playing at this level for that long. I’m pretty sure this one will be my last 50-over World Cup (). But as I said, I thought the last two might have been, so never say never! But you know, every four years the 50-over World Cup comes around, and that’s what excites me, as teams for four years [you] build up to this and then the best team wins and everyone plays everyone.You’re the leading run-scorer in T20Is, third on the list in ODIs, and you’re just two ODI centuries away from joining Meg Lanning at the top for most hundreds. How has being a prolific run-scorer changed for you over the years across formats and conditions to keep up with the evolution of the game?
I feel like I’ve sort of had different phases of my career. When I started I was so young and naïve, and I was given a role at the top of the order to just go out and play my natural game and that meant a little bit of inconsistency. Sometimes it came off, but then I got to a point that I didn’t want to be inconsistent anymore. I wanted to be a consistent run-scorer at the top of the order and it was through mainly 50-over cricket [that] we got our opportunity. So I really worked on my game and being able to bat for long periods of time and still score runs, but tactically just being a bit smarter.And then 20-over cricket came on board and I probably just went out there and swung the arms a little bit initially, and then, you know, the game changed and strike rates became really important. When I first started, you could get 50 off 50 and still put your team in a winning position, whereas I think now a 140-150 strike rate is the key to a top-order batter. That’s been a challenge, to bring that power game in and be willing to get out at times, and not fear getting out to take the game on.2:00

“Women, like men, can now make a career out of cricket”

So I’ve tried to go along with the game as it’s progressed and watched other players around me and how they’ve been successful and gone about it. I’ve had to change, I’ve had to dig deep and figure out what my 20-over game looks like and what my 50-over game looks like, and there’s been runs of form and runs of not scoring and starting to doubt what you’re doing and then being able to figure it out again.Yeah, it’s just the whole roller-coaster ride of cricket and trying to stay consistent with how you prepare and how you train – that’s all I’ve tried to do. And when you do that, the runs tend to come back eventually and then you make the most of them.There’s one shot I want to ask you about specifically: when you shuffle around the crease and play the ball behind square. Is that something you started trying out on your own in the nets or did a coach or team-mate suggest it? We hardly see anyone else play it.
In my head when I’m playing it, it’s just like a lap. () But when it comes out on the field, I don’t know what you’d call it – it’s like a jump right across, get front-on. That’s not how I think it is in my head! But I guess it came a bit like [how] Brendon McCullum played a scoop.Yeah, just accessing different areas of the ground, and I think everyone set straight fields for me, so initially [that helped to] play that shot. But I don’t practise it in the nets. It’s like if the field is set and I know there’s pace on the ball, it comes out and it’s almost not how I intend to play it, but that’s how my body gets in that position. I’m just thinking about hitting the ball there and that’s what comes out.You’re also not too far away from 200 ODIs. Is that on your list?
No, I feel like there’s no milestones on my list anymore. I hear other players talk about [it], but as you get older and you know you’re near the end, you honestly do go into every game wanting to contribute to a win, and it’s as simple as that. So if I’m scoring runs at a decent clip and that’s putting our team in a winning position, it doesn’t matter what I’ve done previously or what I’m going to do in the future. That’s all I tend to focus on and those things [milestones] sort of happen.But I know when I do finally hang the spikes up and put my bat away in the cupboard, which will be a sad day, I’ll look back and be really proud of my ability to keep going at this level. Winning the World Cup was the only thing I really cared about, and we managed to do that with the 20-over World Cup. But to get a 20-over World Cup and a 50-over World Cup before I retire would just be the absolute best. I’d sleep very peacefully after that.Bates captained New Zealand for from 2011 to 2018, then stepped away to focus on her game: “You get involved in the politics of the sport, which is not really your scope”•ESPNcricinfo LtdYou played basketball in the 2008 Olympics and now cricket is going to be part of the 2028 Olympics. Are you thinking of having another shot at an Olympic medal 20 years later?
When I heard cricket was going to the Olympics, it excited me, but more for the game and more for younger players in New Zealand. My experience as a 19-year-old athlete from Dunedin growing up wanting to play sport and watching the Olympics, to go to that [2008 Olympics], I remember how inspired I was by all the athletes around me. I just wanted to be an athlete. It didn’t matter what it was. I found that environment so special. We got a little bit of a taste of it as cricketers at the Commonwealth Games. So yeah, it’s a huge step for cricket if I get that opportunity because it’s one of the greatest events you can go to as an athlete. Maybe I’ll be there in a different capacity, but whatever happens, it would just be a great thing for the White Ferns and for cricket.A day before the T20 World Cup final last year you said how proud you were of breaking down barriers in the game by playing in the mid-30s as a female cricketer. There are quite a few in that age group for this ODI World Cup – Alyssa Healy, Chamari Athapaththu, Harmanpreet Kaur, all around 35-36, and Ellyse Perry is getting there as well. What do you think this means for the game, for young girls watching?
I guess it shows where the game is at professionally. I remember growing up in the White Ferns and watching players at 27-28 probably in their prime having to retire because they couldn’t financially justify carrying on with what was almost a hobby. And if you had a mortgage or a family or other things, it just wasn’t financially stable enough to carry on. It wasn’t necessarily by choice that they stopped playing. What makes me so happy and so proud is that players now – like the men – can make a career from it for as long as they want to. And if they are physically healthy, and mentally motivated to play, they can have a 20-year career, which wasn’t a possibility ten years ago.If players want to have families and come back and play, there’s all that support around that. There’s just different options for young females growing up. It was a bit of a battle for some of us, but the ones that are still playing are fortunate enough. Now it’s their job, so they can still do it.I reckon I was just on the edge of becoming professional when I was at an age where I might have had to step away, so just so grateful and lucky that I’ve been born in this generation. It is really cool to see someone like Ellyse Perry, Chamari Athapaththu… We’ve watched the game grow globally, we’ve played against each other, we’ve played on the same team at FairBreak [Invitational T20], at Sydney Sixers [in the WBBL]. Yeah, those players have been through that whole journey, and you’ve watched how their games evolved. And as much as they are competitors, you’re proud of how they’ve gone about their game as well because they’ve been inspirational in their countries and now young girls know that they can do it for as long as they like.Do you think the way you love the game has changed over all these years – like when you were as a teenager, then the captain, now a senior player having won the T20 World Cup?
Yeah, it’s like my game that’s gone through phases as well. I think when I was 18, making my debut in Lincoln against India, I just thought I was in the greatest team in the greatest place in the world, playing international cricket. I just went out there and thought: this is the greatest sport, like the greatest level of cricket that I can play, and I just absolutely loved it.1:10

“Not getting a WPL deal was one of the most disappointing things, personally”

And then you get expectations of yourself as you get older, of wanting to contribute more and be consistent, so you’re a bit harder on yourself. Then I became captain. You get involved in all the off-field [decisions] – you probably can take it a bit serious and everything seems so important.I think that, later on in my career, I wasn’t just thinking about my enjoyment of the game, it was: how can we get better every day and how can we do things differently? You get involved in the politics of the sport and what we need to do domestically, which is not really your scope. So the enjoyment probably suffered a little bit.Then I gave up the captaincy and we had Covid and cricket was taken away and you realise how much you missed it. I was also injured and was like, “Oh, I’ve missed cricket so much.” You kind of have a taste of what it’s like without it. Then you get older and you’re near the end and you just want to enjoy it as much as you can because you know you’re going to be a long time retired and you’re going to miss it. So I feel like that joy has always been there, but I’ve probably dug deep at times.But now it’s just all about the joy of playing, because you just get a perspective of life and you realise how lucky you are to be doing what you’re doing. If you’re not having fun, I think that’s when you know to walk away.Before the T20 World Cup began last year, New Zealand lost ten T20Is in a row, and suddenly you weren’t among the favourites. How was that experience – coming into a tournament with that kind of form and then going on to lift the trophy?
It almost freed us up a little bit, because I know as a senior player, and especially with someone like Sophie Devine, we’ve gone to those World Cups with really high expectations because the potential of our side – if we played our best – is high and then we’ve disappointed at those tournaments. So by almost playing so badly in the lead-up and not being able to get a win off England [on the tour there], it was like other people’s expectations were low and they almost freed us up to make some upsets.Bates featured in the 2018 Women’s T20 Challenge exhibition match, and the 2019 edition of that tournament, but is yet to be picked for the WPL•BCCIYou know New Zealanders love being the underdog, and we went into that tournament knowing we had to play India and Australia in our pool and probably had to beat one of them. So that first game [against India] was really important and we started well and the momentum kind of went with us from there. Then the belief grew – we were still underdogs and we kind of took that tag on.And once we started that tournament, I knew we could win it, because I felt like we’d made progress even though we were failing. We were playing the game plan, we stuck with the players that we had, we didn’t make changes, and the coaches were so sure of what they were telling us to do that we didn’t lose confidence. It was just almost like once we won that [India] game, the momentum just grew, the belief grew, little things went our way. It was just an unbelievable experience to go from being in England and sitting in the changing room wondering where the next win was coming [from] to lifting the World Cup and forgetting about that tour completely. Like, it doesn’t matter when you win a World Cup what happens before. So it was really special.You’ve been playing T20 leagues around the world now – the Big Bash and the Hundred, to name a couple. But you haven’t had a chance to play in the WPL yet.
That was probably one of the most disappointing things, personally, because I just feel like I’ve been part of so much of the women’s games, and I was involved in the exhibition games [Women’s T20 Challenge] and being part of the Big Bash for the first time, and the Hundred and all those competitions.I love being around the best players in the world and playing cricket in India and the WPL was just something that all the players were so excited about. So yeah, you were gutted to not be a part of that, and obviously the first three years players were retained. But it’s something I still would absolutely love to do before I retire.It is just so amazing to see the game grow in India and it’s a little bit daunting for the future for countries like New Zealand, when you see the number of players and the resources, and just playing in those atmospheres and under that amount of pressure that it’s gonna put them in good stead for the future. But yeah, I love watching and following it. India is a special place for a cricketer, so you always want to be a part of those big tournaments.Last year Bates surpassed Mithali Raj as the most-capped player in women’s cricket, and now has nearly 350 internationals under her belt•ICC/Getty ImagesI have to ask you about Test cricket as well because ten years ago in Bengaluru, you had said that you felt a bit cheated that you had not played a Test at that time. New Zealand have not played a Test match since 2004. How do you feel about that now?
I’m envious. I’ve said this in another interview that I watch the [Women’s] Ashes and even when I watch men’s Test cricket and they talk about it being the toughest game – [that] it tests your skills, it tests you mentally, it tests you physically. As an athlete and a sportsperson, I want to be tested. So when there are women’s Test matches on, you’re like, “Oh I wonder what I’d do in this situation or how I’d go about it.” And to not have that opportunity when others are playing it – you do want to experience it.I understand the decisions and the politics of it at times, but as a player I’d love to have a taste of how I would handle that mentally and physically. If it happens and I’m still playing, I will be over the moon. I do think for the future of the game – I think Virat Kohli’s talked about it – that is still where you learn the most about the game and where you are tested. If a young New Zealand player gets to play a four- or five-day Test match in India, in those conditions, with the ball turning, the amount of learning compared to a 20-over game… you just can’t compare. So I think there’s space for it, but those decisions aren’t up to me.You’ve spoken in the past about how you don’t give much verbal advice to youngsters. You prefer to let your game do the talking on the field. But as far as longevity and staying fit and being successful and achieving excellence is concerned, what kind of advice do you have for youngsters?
Yeah, I do find that difficult [to give advice to youngsters] because everyone’s on their own journey and everyone’s motivated differently, and I think I was inspired by watching people’s actions, not what they said.I guess if I wanted to give these young girls advice, it’d be like: work as hard as you can to make the most of this opportunity. They have the world at their feet in terms of [things] like financial support. We have three full-time coaches for the first time as the White Ferns. They have everything available to them if they wanted to get better.And it’s not saying “back in my day”, but you had to go looking for it [back then] and there were barriers and there wasn’t financial support. If you want to play for 20 years, there is every opportunity to do that and if you love the game and you want to see how much you can get out of yourself, then work hard every single day to get better when you’re at training. Yes, have breaks because that’s really important too, because now it’s a job, but don’t leave any stone unturned. I could say now if I stop tomorrow, I gave everything I had to my game. Yes, I made mistakes, and yes, I would maybe have done some things differently, but I gave what I had at that time to be as good as I could be and for as long as I could, so I don’t have any regrets.

Sussex struggle for penetration as big first-innings deficit looms

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025Yorkshire 292 for 4 (Lyth 115, Wharton 85) lead Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) by 70 runsAdam Lyth’s fifth Rothesay County Championship career century on his home ground at Scarborough helped take him beyond 1,000 runs for the summer and put Yorkshire in charge of their clash with Sussex at its halfway stage.Lyth, aged 37, learnt his trade on this ground as a junior and still lives in neighbouring Whitby. He just loves this place, and it showed with 115 off 233 balls, including 16 fours.Day two was almost the perfect day for the ex-England Test opener, who ensured the White Rose county replied strongly to Sussex’s first-innings 222 all out with 292 for four from 90 overs.Lyth and third-wicket partner James Wharton, who contributed 85 off 130 balls, shared 168 either side of tea after Sussex had started the day advancing from 210 for nine. Danny Lamb top-scored with 48, Jack White finished with three wickets.While Sussex, placed fifth before this 11th round Division One fixture, will still be looking over their shoulders, this is a far more important game for ninth-placed Yorkshire, inside the bottom two in the top-flight table.Matt Milnes wrapped up the Sussex innings in the day’s fourth over when he had Lamb caught behind tentatively playing forwards two runs short of his first fifty of the season.Both sides then had success through until lunch, at the start of Yorkshire’s reply.Fin Bean, who made 21 whipped a six over midwicket which was caught by a youngster in the crowd.Lyth, meanwhile, continued his excellent form against the red ball this season and Pakistani debutant Imam-Ul-Haq started brightly. His first three scoring shots in 19 were all boundaries.But Sussex chipped away late in the morning.Lamb’s seam accounted for Bean, caught behind off a top-edged pull, before Jack Carson’s off-spin had Imam caught at slip pushing forwards in the last over of the session, leaving Yorkshire 80 for two.Lyth went to 50 for the eighth time this season in the heart of the afternoon session, off 117 balls.An impressively watchful effort on a pitch with some juice in it, which has not been easy to score runs on, Lyth and third-wicket partner quietly put their county into a very strong position.Wharton claimed a stunning outfield catch at deep square-leg to help White claim the first wicket of the match early on day one. But, as good a fielder as he is, run-scoring is his main suit.And he did it well on day two.He was more aggressive than Lyth, highlighted by successive sixes off Carson to move into the forties and take his side to 161 for two. The first was pulled, the second lofted handsomely over long-on.Wharton reached his seventh fifty of the season shortly afterwards, off 79 balls, and by this stage him and Lyth were upping the ante.Lyth reached the 1,000 mark just before tea where Yorkshire got to in rude health at 199 for two from 58 overs.This is the third successive season he has achieved the feat.Lyth’s third Championship century came up in 200 balls just after tea, with Yorkshire taking the lead moments later.Sussex’s attack, missing the likes of Jofra Archer because of England and Ollie Robinson through injury, came under increasing pressure.But credit to them, they hit back midway through the evening to get rid of Lyth and Wharton inside three overs, leaving Yorkshire 250 for four in the 74th.Lyth was stumped by John Simpson off Carson – two for 70 from 28 overs – and Wharton bowled by the left-arm spin of James Coles.Matthew Revis and Harry Duke then saw the day out for Yorkshire with 22 and 20 respectively.

England have picked uncapped Jacob Bethell at No. 3 for the first New Zealand Test. Alan Gardner is joined by Vithushan Ehantharajah, Andrew Miller and Matt Roller to preview the series

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2024England have pitched up in New Zealand for their Test tour, but are already on to their third wicketkeeper – with Jordan Cox, deputising for Jamie Smith, injured in the nets. That, in turn, has led to a Test debut for Jacob Bethell, batting at No. 3 while Ollie Pope drops down the order with the gloves. Keeping up? Don’t worry, this week’s pod will help you out, as Alan Gardner speaks to Vithushan Ehantharajah in Christchurch and then discusses the latest Baz-call with Andrew Miller and Matt Roller. Is Bethell ready for his sudden promotion? Should Joe Root be doing the job at first drop? And are England getting too funky for their own good. All that, as well as their prospects for the series against a resurgent New Zealand.

Rio Ferdinand has now claimed Thomas Tuchel “has to” select Danny Welbeck in England’s World Cup squad next summer, having emerged as the second-best striker behind Harry Kane.

Captain Kane will almost certainly be a nailed-on starter at the World Cup, should he remain fit, given that the 32-year-old is the Three Lions’ leading all-time goalscorer, having scored 76 goals in 110 appearances.

The Bayern Munich star has also made an incredible start to the season, amassing 20 goals in 13 matches in all competitions, blowing existing records set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the water.

England’s back-up options aren’t quite as reliable, however, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who scored the winner against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final, netting just one goal in nine Premier League appearances this season.

There may also be doubts about the inclusion of Ivan Toney, given that the 29-year-old arguably isn’t testing himself at the highest level week in week out, having signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024.

Ferdinand urges Tuchel to take Welbeck to the World Cup

As such, Ferdinand has now made the bold claim that Welbeck should be re-introduced to the England squad, saying: “He’s second to Harry Kane. If you’re talking form right now and the squad was being picked tomorrow, Danny Welbeck has to go, no?

“I would take him. If he finishes the season in the form he’s in right now, there’s no way you can’t take him because he’s only going there for a month, it ain’t like we’re saying to him he has to play a full season, you’ve got to be ready and that role he can do that, coming in and out, be a support act for someone like Harry Kane.”

“Right this second, right this moment in time, form wise he’s [Welbeck] above all of them [Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney], and playing in the best league in the world. He’s second, for me.”

The ex-Manchester United defender also added: “He’s a class act on and off the pitch, a great guy.”

In fairness, the Brighton striker is in far better form than Watkins, having scored five goals in his last four Premier League games, most recently finding the back of the net against former club Man United with a remarkable free-kick.

That said, it may be a risk for Tuchel to reintroduce the striker to the squad, given that it has been a long time since he was involved in the England set-up, with the 34-year-old’s last cap coming in a friendly against Switzerland way back in 2018.

There is also still plenty of football to be played before the England boss decides his squad, and Toney should arguably be on the plane as the main back-up for Kane, having proven he can handle big-game pressure by coolly converting a penalty against Switzerland in the 2024 Euros quarter-final.

AI has predicted England's squad for the 2026 World Cup No Foden or Palmer: AI predicts Tuchel's England squad for 2026 World Cup

What could Tuchel’s England squad look like in the USA next summer?

ByMatt Dawson Oct 14, 2025