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Welcome back, Confectionery Stallers, just in time for the official Confectionery Stall preview of the end of the 2011 Indian tour of England

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Welcome back, Confectionery Stallers, just in time for the official Confectionery Stall preview of the end of the 2011 Indian tour of England. The final match in a damply curious ODI series will bring the curtain of mercy down on one of the most unsuccessful tours ever to fail to grace these shores. It might be a good game, it might not be, and either side could win it and/or lose it. Duckworth-Lewis, in fine form after their spectacular win at Lord’s, cannot be ruled out. No one will mind very much either way, I imagine. The schedule of the English international summer is specifically designed to maximise the chances of a prolonged anti-climax, and the weather has chirped in this year to assist the achieving of this oddly conceived goal.On then to the official Confectionery Stall review of the 2011 Indian tour of England.At the start of the summer, there had been rich anticipation for a titanic showdown between two of Test cricket’s leading forces. Titanic showdowns, however, as early-20th-century maritime historians will vociferously testify, can end with something that was widely lauded as indestructible and magnificent sinking rapidly and disastrously. The good ship India rammed repeatedly into Iceberg England, and the rest is now statistically alarming history that will be sifted over by curious students in decades to come. (If there are any curious students of Test cricket in decades to come.)Back in April, as India briefly celebrated their iconic triumph in Mumbai before looking at their fixture schedules and thinking that they had better get some kip whilst they had the chance, and England recuperated from their Ashes megavictory and their barking-mad World Cup campaign, some mesmerising contests loomed – Zaheer against England’s batting machine; Sehwag against England’s demon swing attack; Tendulkar versus Statistical History.The first flickered tantalisingly on the first day at Lord’s before Zaheer’s not overwhelmingly well-honed body rebelled. The second began (a) too late, as injury ruled out the Evel Knievel Of Opening The Batting from the first two Tests, and (b) too early, as he rushed back with insufficient preparation to face brilliant, in-form swing bowlers in swingy conditions. I am sure even Albert Einstein after a prolonged break from science needed to ease himself back into things with some basic physics – a couple of frames of snooker, at least, or juggling some tomatoes – before launching into the serious quantum stuff. The third saw Statistical History fighting a brave rearguard against the Little Master (whilst taking its eye off the majestic Dravid, allowing him to put on one of the finest displays of batsmanship in a losing cause and become only the second player after Bradman to twice score three centuries in a series in England).India were underprepared, knackered and unlucky, but their response to their misfortunes is unlikely to have the world’s poets wielding their quills in excitement, ready to poet out some stirring tales of steadfast heroism in the face of adversity.Consequently, as a contest it has been strange and unsatisfying, like eating a plate of high-quality filet steak lathered in a once-delicious lemon mousse that had been left out of the fridge for a couple of weeks. For England, the Test series was unremittingly glorious. Players reached or maintained peaks that a year ago had seemed inconceivable. They were ruthless, dazzling, thrilling. Those are three adjectives that have not always been applicable to English cricket over the last 30 years. They have slap-hammered their opponents for seven innings victories in 14 Tests over 12 months – one more than England managed in 211 Tests over 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s. England have averaged 59 runs per wicket with the bat in 2011 – the best year ever for England batting, and the best by any team that has played more than six Tests in a year. Their pace bowlers have collectively averaged 24 this year – the second-best such figure by England since 1979, behind 2000, when Gough, Caddick, Cork and White eviscerated the hapless West Indians.England had an almost supernaturally stellar Test summer, to follow a similarly successful winter, and ascended to the official top of the Test rankings with ease. Reaching summits is often considered tricky in mountaineering circles (I am reliably informed). England scaled the ICC Rankings Peak in the the manner of Hillary and Tensing unicycling the last few hundred metres up Mount Everest whilst juggling apples and singing Viking drinking songs.It is hard to know exactly how good this England team is currently and can become in the future – they have had a happy knack of playing opponents who are in transition, meltdown or need of a holiday, and have exploited weakness, misfortune and fatigue with merciless power and precision. A winter in various parts of Asia will give further evidence, and next summer’s annoyingly brief showdown with South Africa could prove to be the crucial exhibit.EXTRAS
Lancashire clinched a staggering triumph in the County Championship, with two bone-jangling late victories in their final two matches. Last time Lancashire won the championship outright, in 1934, it heralded a 19-year spell in which Britain fought a World War, saw a king abdicate, and presided over the collapse of its empire, and in which, more importantly, England failed to win the Ashes. So whilst this extraordinary and long-overdue triumph will be rightly celebrated across Lancashire, the rest of the country and the government may be understandably more muted in its response.When I was a cricket-obsessed boy, I patiently endured a four-year period from 1986 to 1989 when my country won three Tests out of 40. Fortunately, two of those wins were in one Ashes series, so the late ‘80s seldom get the credit they deserve as the absolute nadir of English cricket history. It was often said at the time that county cricket was not producing Test-quality cricketers. This was not entirely true. It was producing them, but they were mostly playing for England’s opponents. County cricket is still producing Test-quality cricketers, and England’s opponents, too busy to allow their players be properly schooled in English conditions, as they once were, are suffering the consequences, trying to learn on the hoof in the Test arena, like schoolchildren trying to cram in some desperate post-last-minute revision after a crucial exam has already started.Following the trial of a pink ball in a County Championship game, the ICC has announced that in the forthcoming Sheffield Shield season in Australia, umpires’ index fingers will be painted fluorescent green, and topped with a flashing light. “We want to make the moment of dismissal a more spectator-friendly experience,” explained the secretary of the ICC Tinkering Around Committee. A further proposal under consideration is forcing batsmen’s helmets to be coated in a bronze casing, to ensure that a bowler clonking a batsman on the noggin with a bouncer makes the metal clang loud and amusing enough to prevent the crowd drifting off and thinking about gardening.Apologies for my lengthy absence, which was caused by a range of factors: (1) spending a month telling jokes at the Edinburgh Festival; (2) taking my wife and children on holiday to compensate for spending a month away from home at the Edinburgh Festival; (3) trying to explain the difference between cricket and football to my two-year-old son; (4) Statsguru asking me for some time apart to think about where our relationship is going; and (5) a rest and recuperation period advised by my doctor to help adjust psychologically to the fact that England are now officially the universe’s leading Test Match cricket team, a state of affairs for which cricket supporters in my age bracket in this country have not been adequately conditioned. In fact, medical staff at cricket grounds have reported cricket fans complaining of a range of previously unimaginable ailments, including disbelief, delirium, smugness, an unshakeable suspicion that it is all an elaborate trick, terror that England’s ascent to the summit of the world’s greatest sport is an unarguable sign of impending apocalypse (it is all in The Book Of Revelations, if you read it backwards in John Arlott’s accent), and in several cases “feeling disconcertingly Australian”.

It is no shame for a veteran to strip things back, and at 36, Ricky Ponting should consider his hook-less, pared-back knock against India as an example of the way he should play in his cricketing twilight

Brydon Coverdale at Motera24-Mar-2011The day before Australia’s quarter-final, Ricky Ponting said he was planning to watch the footage of the 2003 World Cup decider. He wanted to revisit his brilliant 140 in the triumph over India, and draw whatever inspiration he could from the memory. He won’t want to see many replays of this loss, but he should keep the video all the same.He can use his fighting 104 as a template for how to bat in the next phase of his career, given that he and the selectors want him to play on. It is not easy for a batsman of such immense talent to resist his natural urges, and there were hints of Ponting’s flair during his first international century for 13 months. But mostly, it was a pared-back innings that relied on the fundamentals.In his later years, the country singer Johnny Cash released a series of albums with a stripped-back production, all unnecessary instruments and distractions removed. What listeners heard was simply a man and his voice, and the world was reminded of his raw talent. It is no crime for a veteran to go back to basics. In fact, it can be a refreshing change.In the early stages of Ponting’s innings, there was little that was flashy. Singles were knocked around, gaps found and his eyes adjusted to the conditions and the bowling. When he did take a risk, it was calculated, and came against the part-timer Yuvraj Singh, who was clipped over midwicket for a boundary and then swept forward of square leg for four more.It helped that Ponting hardly had to negotiate a bouncer. Zaheer Khan was the only member of India’s attack with genuine pace, and he preferred to bowl full than dig it in short. That meant Ponting didn’t have to make the decision on whether to play the hook, the shot that was once a great strength but over the past couple of years has become an Achilles heel.Against Canada last week, Henry Osinde hurried Ponting in to lobbing a catch from an attempted hook, and with due respect to Osinde, he is no Shaun Tait. During Sachin Tendulkar’s lean times, when the cover-drive was proving a weakness, he shelved the stroke and found his runs in other ways. Perhaps Ponting can look at a hook-less innings like this and follow suit.At Motera, the failures of Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey and Cameron White, and the inability of Brad Haddin to capitalise on another strong start, forced Ponting to be Australia’s anchor in the biggest one-day match they have played in years. Far from dragging the ship down, he kept it steady. He turned the strike over with 47 singles, and chose the right balls to go after.In his prime, it would have been a point of honour for Ponting to go after the best opposition bowlers, show them who’s boss. Here, he displayed the utmost respect for Harbhajan Singh, who has dismissed him more times in international cricket than anyone else, and attacked weaker links like Munaf Patel.And as impressively as Yuvraj has bowled in this tournament, Ponting knew he too was a man who could occasionally be dispatched. His drive over cover for six off Yuvraj was all class. When he eventually did try something new and perilous, an uncharacteristic reverse sweep, he perished.That came soon after Ponting reached his century, his first international hundred in any format since February 2010. There was no outpouring of emotion. He raised his bat, but didn’t remove his helmet. Truth be told, he barely cracked a smile. There was a job still to be done. He believes there still is.At 36, Ponting is in his cricketing twilight, although he has no desire to take his final bow any time soon. The one thing that might have forced the hand of the selection panel was a continued lack of runs. Australia are at the end of a World Cup cycle and he should move on from one-day cricket. But in whatever formats he plays from now until retirement day, this innings should serve as his template.

Crab-like and inelegant he may be, but it is his gritty determination and stomach for a fight that are more worth remarking on. “Tiger” Chanderpaul is a man driven by the simple mantra of just doing the best he can

Fazeer Mohammed02-Jan-2008

On the face of it, the nickname just doesn’t seem to fit. Shivnarine Chanderpaul The Tiger? Rampaging, mauling, utterly
destructive? No man. It’s got to be someone else. Not that dour nudger and deflecter with the crab-like shuffle across the stumps. Chanderpaul The Crustacean maybe, for surely those big cats would be deeply offended to be associated with someone who apparently lacks their feline grace, blood-curdling snarl and the ability to pounce like lightning and rip an
unsuspecting victim to shreds.Then again, maybe it’s not so far-fetched, for in the same manner that stealth and determination are primary attributes of the tiger, so has the durable Guyanese left-hander emerged in his own understated manner as one of the most prolific and reliable batsmen in the midst of the darkest era in the long, proud history of West Indies cricket.Brought up in an environment that cherishes a legacy of larger-than-life batting champions from George Headley to Brian Lara, Chanderpaul inevitably suffers in comparison with those legends. Not that he isn’t capable of lifting the tempo
when required, but even when he does, it lacks the panache, the flair and the almost regal arrogance associated with the maestros of yesterday, whose flashing blades typified the marriage of joyful exuberance and technical excellence that is celebrated as definitively West Indian.As the first cricketer of East Indian descent to play over 100 Tests for the Caribbean side, he has been content to ply his trade in the shadows of the incomparable Brian Lara – and anyone else who happens to come along and shine brightly for a brief period before the indiscipline and inconsistency that have dogged the former kings of the game poison the latest pretender to the throne of batsman supreme.Indeed, it is only since Lara’s surprise retirement at the 2007 World Cup that Chanderpaul’s value has become blindingly apparent. A tally of 446 runs at an average of 148.66 just two months later in England placed him in a different stratosphere from his struggling team-mates. And even when they all finally got it together as a team to produce a stunning series-opening victory at the end of year over South Africa in Port Elizabeth, the 33-year-old former captain remained a cut above the rest, with his 17th Test hundred anchoring the side to what proved a match-winning first-innings total.He may not look the part, but this is one case where statistics don’t lie: 7294 Test runs (average 46.75) and 7141 one-day international runs (average 39.67) to the end of 2007 are not figures to be taken lightly. But they only tell part of the story. It is Chanderpaul’s single-minded determination to excel as a batsman for West Indies from a very young age that offers a greater understanding of just why he carries a nickname that seems so much at variance with his personality on and off the field.Born in Guyana, Chanderpaul is the product of a society defined by economic hardships and racial divisions fuelled by inflammatory politics. In such a society, every opportunity for advancement is not only grasped with both hands but guarded with a jealousy that borders on selfishness. For a land of such bountiful natural resources and enormous economic potential, the harsh realities of everyday life have meant that those with the means to do so invariably take flight.

Three former West Indies captains, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd and Alvin Kallicharran, are among the most notable of Guyanese natives who have made their homes in the United Kingdom, while another from that South American
nation to have led the regional side more recently, Carl Hooper, now lives in Australia. In essence, the theme for most Guyanese seems to be to work hard, make good and get out.It is difficult to see how such imperatives would not have had a deep influence on Chanderpaul’s approach to his cricketing career. Just as talented boys on the other side of the country’s southern border with Brazil see football as their ticket out of humble circumstances, the skinny little youngster from Unity Village on the east coast of Demerara River was obsessed with cricket not just for the aesthetic delights of batsmanship, but as an avenue to fame, fortune and a better life for himself and his family.While others with much more natural talent from the relatively affluent tourist havens of the Caribbean squandered their many opportunities at making it on the big stage, Chanderpaul’s credo has been pretty much the same as when he first strode out at Bourda for his Test debut as a 19-year-old against England in 1994. It is not for him to play with the
extravagance of a millionaire, even though he can obviously afford to live the good life now as he heads into his 14th year as an international cricketer. His wicket is still to be guarded jealously. Runs are still runs, whether acquired by flair or graft. And even as the senior man by some distance in the West Indies squad, he is still prepared to do whatever is necessary for the cause of the team and his own pivotal role in it.On the basis of his vast experience and status as a former captain, it would probably be expected that he should demand every now and then to have his own way. Yet he has returned in the last year to opening the batting in ODIs, not so much because it his favoured position but because it is in the best interests of the West Indies. In his own way he is very much a team man without being the loud-mouthed, cheerleading type that seems so much in vogue in this modern, media-driven era. But his comparative silence in the dressing room or limited, faltering comments in front of the microphones should not be mistaken for a lack of conviction – far from it. As one of his fellow countrymen, Lloyd, publicly commented during his term as manager on the 1996-97 tour of Australia, Chanderpaul will stand his ground in any situation when he has to.

That fierce determination and willingness to take on any challenge was very much in evidence on that arduous campaign, where the 22-year-old relative newcomer took on the responsibility of the No. 3 spot in the batting order from a struggling Lara. It was also during that series that he launched a scintillating assault on Shane Warne on the final morning of the Sydney Test, racing to 71 before being undone by a sensational ripper that the legspinner has since often described as one of the best deliveries he has ever bowled in his outstanding career. It was therefore ironic that the same batsman had been ignored for the entire home series against the same Australians in 1995, partially on the premise that he would have been unable to cope with the wiles of Warne. It was not the first time, and certainly not the last, that he has been underestimated.Chanderpaul doesn’t fit into the standard mould of the modern cricketing superstar and has suffered for it. When all the popular, chatty, fashionably attired pretty boys were selected for the ill-fated ICC Super Series two years ago, no serious protestations were raised about the omission of the crab-like left-hander, who just happened to have one of the best Test averages of the previous 12 months.But that will always be his lot, because he isn’t bothered by it enough to attempt to reinvent himself for the sake of being more marketable. Whether or not anyone cares to notice, his is the business of batting, batting and more batting. From living in the considerable shadow of Lara for more than a decade (he will forever be associated with Lara after having partnered him to his first world record-breaking Test innings of 375 in Antigua in 1994) to carrying the frail West Indies batting on his shoulders in the last English summer, Chanderpaul is driven by the simple mantra of just doing the
best he can, whatever the circumstances.He knows the game, as someone who has played at the highest level for as long as he has should, but is not comfortable as a leader, as his brief tenure as West Indies captain confirmed. That painful experience in 2005-06 showed that while he may be able to adapt to any challenge in the middle – his generally phlegmatic style is belied by a 71-ball Test hundred against Australia at Bourda in 2003, among other examples of quick scoring – the burden of such overall responsibility was too much for him. Whatever his shortcomings as spokesman, skipper or tactical wizard, all of his opponents respect him for that tigerish determination and ability to creep along almost unnoticed towards another significant score. Despite never figuring in any discussion about contemporary batting greats, he has compiled 15 Test centuries in the last five years.So it seems the “Tiger” nickname is right on the ball after all, for by the time anyone really takes notice of Chanderpaul, it’s too late: he has already pounced on the chance to devour the bowling in his own deliberate, undemonstrative style.

England batter Nat Sciver-Brunt showed she is warming up nicely for this summer’s Ashes with a brutal unbeaten 96 as The Blaze crushed Central Sparks by 56 runs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup in Leicester.It’s three wins from three in the tournament for Blaze after a powerhouse performance with the bat saw them pile up 212 for 5. Sciver-Brunt led the way with her high-class knock from 50 balls and it was her third-wicket partnership of 94 off 49 with Georgie Boyce that took the game away from Sparks.The flow of the match never changed after that as accurate bowling restricted Sparks to 156 for 6. Sciver-Brunt’s England team-mate Amy Jones made a sprightly 55 but Kirstie Gordon’s 1 for 19 from her four overs and Lucy Higham’s 1 for 12 off three kept a brake on the scoring while Nadine de Klerk picked up 2 for 26.Blaze were put in but imposed themselves from the start. Tammy Beaumont chipped the fourth ball of the innings over mid-wicket for six and former Sparks batter Marie Kelly struck three successive fours in the second over.The openers added 35 in four overs but then fell in the space of three balls. Grace Potts bowled Beaumont through a quixotic ramp and Kelly chipped Georgia Davis’s second ball to mid-off.Sciver-Brunt and Boyce were sooner scoring rapidly against bowling which offered them too much width. The former greeted Hannah Baker into the attack with a sweet six over long-off on the way to a 28-ball half-century.Issy Wong broke through with a slower ball that bowled Boyce but Kathryn Bryce and Sarah Glenn batted brightly for a brief time to offer Sciver-Brunt valuable support and keep the momentum high.With 200 on the board already, the question going into the last over was whether the England star could reach 100. She began the over on 90 and hit the first ball for four, her 15th to go with two sixes, but then lost the strike for three of the last four balls.Under immense scoreboard pressure, Sparks lost Bethan Ellis in the third over when she chipped Higham to mid-off. Higham conceding just four runs from two overs to deny the Sparks the flying start they desperately needed.Skipper Eve Jones’s quest for rhythm was not helped by facing just 16 balls in nine overs and when she lifted de Klerk to long-on, she departed with her side needing 147 from 11 overs.Amy Jones struck seven fours and two sixes but when she fell lbw slog-sweeping, Sparks were left needing a miracle. Erin Burns departed in similar fashion to Gordon and the visitors entered the last five overs requiring 102. Abi Freeborn struck three fours in the first of those overs but, even then, the over came in well short of the required amount and, in glorious sunshine, Blaze cruised to victory.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo deu adeus ao Campeonato Paulista. Na noite desta segunda-feira (13), o clube do Morumbi, atuando diante de sua torcida no Allianz Parque, caiu nos pênaltis para o Água Santa. Nos vestiários, o técnico Rogério Ceni lamentou o fiasco, mas evitou fazer comparações com outra derrota doída aos tricolores: a da final da Copa Sul-Americana, no ano passado, para o Independiente del Valle, do Equador. Confira no vídeo acima:

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MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Thomas Augustin segue se preparando para a estreia do Corinthians na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Juniores. Maior campeão do torneio (dez títulos), o Timão, que está no Grupo 12, estreia no dia 3 de janeiro contra o Zumbi, em Araraquara.

O argentino fez parte de alguns treinamentos no CT profissional do Timão.

> Veja a tabela do Campeonato Paulista 2023

continua após a publicidade

> Acompanhe a movimentação do Mercado da Bola do L!

– Estamos com a expectativa muito boa para a Copinha. Tivemos amistoso com a equipe profissional, conseguimos fazer nosso jogo bem. Além disso, treinei alguns dias com eles e aprendi muita coisa que com certeza colocarei em prática aqui – disse Thomas Augustin.

DATAS E HORÁRIOS DOS JOGOS DO CORINTHIANS NA COPINHA

03/01 – Terça-feira – 21h45 – Corinthians x Zumbi – Onde assistir: SporTV
​06/01 – Sexta-feira 21h45 – Fast x Corinthians – Onde assistir: Rede Vida e SporTV
09/01 – Segunda-feira – 21h45 – Ferroviária x Corinthians – Onde assistir: Rede Vida e SporTV

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo já está focado na próxima temporada. Após empate sem gols com Crystal Palace no amistoso em Londres, Luís Castro concedeu entrevista diretamente do Selhurst e afirmou que equipe alvinegra precisa crescer de nível em 2023.

– Precisamos fazer um upgrade à equipe. Sabemos que para disputar o conjunto de competições que teremos, precisamos ter um elenco muito bom. É esse upgrade que temos de fazer para olhar para as competições como uma boa oportunidade de seguir a disputar todos os jogos, para nos levar a boas classificações. É isso que temos de fazer, um trabalho muito grande neste mês e meio, com vista ao início da nova temporada – declarou Luís Castro paraTVI/CNN Portugal.

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+Botafogo recusa acordo do Carioca e cita ‘privilégios individuais’

A Sul-Americana é uma das competições que serão disputadas pelo Glorioso na próxima temporada. Para Luís Castro, é possível ir em busca deste título internacional.

– O futuro não depende só de nós, no futebol. Depende também dos adversários. Isso é inquestionável. Naquilo que depender de nós, vamos dar o nosso melhor e queremos ter sucesso. Se esse sucesso for também na competição sul-americana… É uma competição que vemos como uma oportunidade boa de ganhar, de percorrer um caminho longo que nos leve à parte final da disputa.

+John Textor agradece torcedores do Botafogo após amistoso em Londres

O Botafogo ficou cerca de uma semana na Inglaterra. Após compromisso com o Charlton e Crystal Palace, os jogadores alvinegros entrarão de férias e retornarão para as atividades nos primeiros dias de janeiro para iniciar a pré-temporada.

Kyle Walker has ended his eight-year association with Manchester City by signing for newly-promoted Premier League side Burnley.

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Kyle Walker signs for BurnleyExtends Premier League careerLeaves Man City after eight yearsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Walker has signed a two-year deal at Turf Moor, linking up with his former Tottenham team-mate Scott Parker. The full-back spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan from City, where he won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League after signing from Spurs in 2017.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

GOAL understands City will make a saving of roughly £10 million ($14m) in salary due to Walker leaving. The full-back fell out of favour midway through last season and was loaned to AC Milan in January before being left out of the squad for this summer's Club World Cup.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT WALKER SAID

Walker told Burnley's website: "I'm delighted to be here. When I spoke to Scott and heard about his plans for next season, it was an opportunity I jumped at. He's done an amazing job here, guiding the Club back to the Premier League with a 100-point haul, and now we're looking forward, together, at being back in the greatest league in the world. Burnley had a tremendous campaign last season, built on an incredible defensive record, and I can't wait to come in and add my experience and quality to what looks an exciting squad."

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WHAT NEXT FOR WALKER

Walker could make his Burnley debut against his former club, Tottenham. The Clarets travel to north London on the opening weekend of the Premier League season in the middle of August.

After skipping the Pakistan tour, Chloe Tryon is back in the South Africa squad that will play three ODIs and five T20Is against New Zealand at home. Laura Wolvaardt will continue to lead the side, having taken over in an interim capacity for the tour of Pakistan after Sune Luus stepped down from the position last month.Tryon, the vice-captain under Luus, had asked for a “leave of absence” for the games in Pakistan, where South Africa were swept in the three-match T20I series before bouncing back to win the first two ODIs. The last ODI will be played on Thursday in Karachi, where the entire series has been held.Tryon is the only addition to the squad that is in Pakistan.”We are very happy to have Chloe Tryon back within the space and excited to see how she will further improve the squad with her all-round qualities,” Clinton du Preez, the women’s convener of selectors, said in a statement. “We go into the New Zealand series on a high and we want to carry the momentum into the tour at home.

South Africa vs New Zealand fixtures

September 24: 1st ODI, Potchefstroom
September 28: 2nd ODI, Pietermaritzburg
October 1: 3rd ODI, Durban
October 6: 1st T20I, East London
October 8: 2nd T20I, East London
October 10: 3rd T20I, East London
October 14: 4th T20I, Benoni
October 15: 5th T20I, Benoni

“It was always going to be very difficult to adapt to the conditions in Pakistan. However, I’m pleased with how the team competed in the T20Is, where they narrowly missed out on winning games. It remained small margins and one can see how the players have learned from their shortcomings and brought it into the ODI format. There are many positives, and one that stands out for me is the shared individual performances of the players.”The ODI games against New Zealand, part of the Women’s Championship, will be played in Potchefstroom, Pietermaritzburg and Durban, while the T20Is will be held in East London and Benoni. The third ODI, in Durban, will form the latest edition of the Black Day ODI, where South Africa will wear their black outfits and armbands in support of the fight against gender-based violence.CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe said, “As we eagerly prepare to welcome the team back home [from Pakistan], our hearts are filled with excitement as we anticipate the clash against New Zealand in the three ODIs, including the significant Black Day, and the five exhilarating T20Is.”When Wolvaardt was named the interim captain, it was for the Pakistan and New Zealand series, with CSA saying that her position would be reviewed after the New Zealand series, which ends on October 15.South Africa women’s squad Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker

Essex squeezed past defending champions Hampshire to reach the Vitality T20 Blast final via a rain-affected chase at Edgbaston. Simon Harmer, who hit the winning runs when Essex lifted the title in 2019, again applied the this time around as he drilled Nathan Ellis into the stands at long-on to complete a five-wicket victory.Having restricted Hampshire to 170 for 7 from 20 overs, Essex were then handed a revised target of 115 from 12 overs, following an extended delay for rain shortly after the start of their innings. Although Hampshire made quick inroads after the resumption to reduce Essex to 50 for 4 after 6.2, the arrival of Australia allrounder Daniel Sams brought a vital injection of power as he and Matt Critchley added 45 in 22 balls.Sams could not finish the job, well held on the boundary by Ross Whiteley, but despite Liam Dawson only conceding seven off the penultimate over to leave 13 needed from the last, Ellis – the hero in Hampshire’s dramatic victory a year ago – was hit for two sixes in three balls to end hopes of a defence.Hampshire’s innings had been a stop-start affair, held together by Joe Weatherley’s 63 off 39 balls. Spinners Critchley and Harmer picked up combined figures of 3 for 55 from their eight overs but a spirited finish from Weatherley and Benny Howell helped get Hampshire up to a par score.The rain delay took eight overs out of the Essex innings and seemed to tip the balance back towards the chasing side, with the requirement now 96 off 55 and the ball skidding around on a greasy outfield. They threatened to squander the advantage by losing 3 for 3 in the space of six ball, but Sams smashed three sixes in an innings of 29 from 17 to put them back on course for only a second Blast final appearance.Essex come out on top of DLS equation
Essex have based much of their approach to this year’s Blast on attacking come what may, so losing a wicket from the third ball of the innings would have been priced in. Adam Rossington’s flip off the hip went fine but Weatherley’s good day continued as he raced around the rope for a tumbling catch. But Essex’s start was scratchy as the clouds began to roll in, with Dan Lawrence dropped off a steepler by Dawson shortly before a heavy downpour took the players off for an hour with the score 19 for 1.The revised target left Essex needing to go at just above ten an over, and that had come down to 68 off 40 when James Fuller struck twice in the space of three balls: Michael Pepper caught at deep third off a wild hack and Lawrence edging a pull to the keeper. When Paul Walter was palpably lbw to John Turner in the next over, Essex were four down with the required rate climbing.”With wickets in hand and a smaller total, you would back yourself to get there,” Harmer said. “But in saying that when you lose wickets it’s tough to start again. You got to have your foot on the accelerator from ball one. So the way that guys like Critch and Dan Sams played, coming in there and striking from ball one was huge for us in the context of that chase.”Weatherley, meanwhile, described Hampshire as “bitterly disappointed” with the outcome. “With Duckworth-Lewis, it only takes is a couple of guys to hit a couple of sixes,” he said. “We still took wickets, if we hadn’t have done it would have looked a lot easier. It certainly feels unfair when they’ve got nine wickets in hand to get ten an over.”Hampshire start well, then stutter
Aaron Beard’s only over, the first of the Hampshire innings, went for 14 as both Ben McDermott and James Vince opened their accounts by whipping leg-side deliveries to the fence. McDermott then picked off Sams’ first two balls, the second via a domineering stride down the pitch before launching over long-off. An edged four wide of the keeper and two more off Sam Cook – one scooped over the head of short fine leg – took McDermott to 29 off 11 but he fell to his next delivery, pulling Cook straight to deep square leg.Hampshire at that point were 39 for 1 after three overs but Vince departed in the next over, chipping Shane Snater to mid-off, and Essex got a hold on the scoring to make it 55 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. The spinners then kept Hampshire in check, with Tom Prest, Dawson and Fuller all falling for middling scores and only five boundaries coming between the seventh and 16th overs.Weatherley, Howell add finishing touch
With wickets falling regularly, Weatherley had to take a circumspect approach, although he did hit one sweetly struck six down the ground off Harmer. Whiteley’s miscue off Walter left Hampshire 130 for 6 after 17, but the arrival of Howell added much-needed impetus at the death, as the seventh-wicket pair mirrored McDermott’s opening burst by lashing another 40 runs to the total. A wide full toss from Sams saw Weatherley bring up his fifty from from 34 balls, and the Hampshire No. 4 then spoiled an otherwise-decent penultimate over from Cook by going deep in his crease to slog-sweep a slower ball for six.Howell then helped plunder 14 off Sams’ closer, including a towering six over long-on the ball after being dropped by Snater, and although he was dismissed off the final delivery his 22 off 11 had given Hampshire something to bowl at. Thanks to the rain, however, and Sams late blows, it would not be quite enough.