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They had some extreme batting lows last season before falling in the Shield final but won the Marsh Cup

Andrew McGlashan26-Oct-2021Captain Kurtis Patterson
Coach Phil JaquesFixtures
October 27-30: Victoria (Sheffield Shield), Drummoyne Oval
November 5-8: Victoria (Sheffield Shield), MCG
November 12: Victoria (Marsh Cup), MCGWinter moves
With a further emphasis on the push for youth that was evident at the end of the last season, Baxter Holt, Tanveer Sangha, Oliver Davies and Lachlan Hearne were upgraded from rookie to full contracts. The changing of the guard has seen batters Nick Larkin and Daniel Solway dropped along with spinner Arjun Nair while Nathan McAndrew has moved to South Australia.Squad
R=Rookie, CA=Australia contract
Sean Abbott, Josh Baraba (R), Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Pat Cummins (CA), Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley (R), Ryan Hackney, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Lachlan Hearne, Moises Henriques, Baxter Holt, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon (CA), Peter Nevill, Jack Nisbet (R), Kurtis Patterson, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc (CA), Chris Tremain, Hunar Verma (R), David Warner (CA), Adam Zampa (CA)Related

Kurtis Patterson hopes New South Wales captaincy aids batting revival

Eye on the Ashes (hopefully): who could push their Test claims in the Sheffield Shield?

Last season
The Sheffield Shield, which saw them unable to defend the title when they were comprehensively beaten in the final by Queensland, was a campaign of extremes – particularly when facing Tasmania. In the first stage of the competition they were bowled out for 64 but, astonishingly, went on to secure victory by 145 runs. There was no repeat in the return fixture in Hobart when their batting fell apart for just 32 in the first innings. Another match, against Queensland, finished with them edging across the line by one wicket. The batting was led by Moises Henriques (633 runs at 70.33) and Sean Abbott (570 runs at 63.33) which was an indication they did not get enough from the top order. They made use of having Nathan Lyon for every match and he claimed 42 wickets at 25.97. In the Marsh Cup, captained by Pat Cummins through the group stage, they were unbeaten as they claimed the title with a thumping win over Western Australia.Player to watch
New captain Kurtis Patterson had a poor 2020-21 season barring a century against South Australia. Having been handed the leadership full time after filling in for Peter Nevill it will be interesting to watch whether the captaincy can help him lift his batting returns. It feels a long time since Patterson made his Test century against Sri Lanka but, at 28, he has time to come again. It will also be worth noting the development of legspinner Tanveer Sangha who has yet to make his first-class debut (or List A) debut but has been named in the first squad of the season.Australia radar
As so often, New South Wales will provide a large portion of the Australia squad. Outside of the main names (which includes the likely Test attack), Sean Abbott will be pushing hard for inclusion especially after the retirement of James Pattinson. Moises Henriques, who was in the squad for the aborted South Africa tour, could push for a batting slot although won’t be available until next month.

The international break can either bring a player's form to a complete standstill or hand it another major boost ahead of their return to domestic action. For one Liverpool star, in particular, the latter has certainly been the case.

Liverpool's flying start under Arne Slot

The Reds couldn't have asked for a better start under new boss Arne Slot, who has the near-impossible task of replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. The Dutchman is not attempting to simply replicate the Liverpool legend, however. He arrives his own man with his own techniques. Gone are the fist bumps, replaced instead by the more reserved thumbs up, job done attitude of Slot.

Liverpool "machine" who was sold by Klopp outscored Diaz & Nunez in 23/24

He’s a Premier League icon…

By
Angus Sinclair

Sep 10, 2024

More classical than heavy metal thus far, Slot's side have been as stylish as the Premier League gets, winning three from three without conceding once in a run that includes a stunning 3-0 mauling of Manchester United at Old Trafford. Even without Klopp, things quite clearly haven't changed all too much when it comes to the modern history of that rivalry.

Alas, Old Trafford victory aside, what has been most impressive is how Slot has transformed Ryan Gravenberch into the defensive midfielder that he was craving at the heart of his Liverpool side. The Dutchman has stepped up for his club and more recently for his country to win over a harsh critic in Rafael van der Vaart.

Van der Vaart's praise for Gravenberch

As the Netherlands held Germany to an entertaining 2-2 draw courtesy of goals from Denzel Dumfries and Tijjani Reijnders, it was one particular pass from Gravenberch that caught the eye of Van der Vaart. The Liverpool man unleashed a stunning half-volleyed pass into the path of Xavi Simons, who failed to convert to hand his teammate what would have been the ultimate assist.

Earning the praise of Van der Vaart, the former Tottenham Hotspur star said via The European Lad: "That pass by Ryan Gravenberch. I actually wanted to go home after he gave that pass because it ain't going to get any more beautiful than that."

The former Bayern Munich man may have finally discovered his best form after a difficult few seasons, and that could leave Ronald Koeman with no choice but to hand him a permanent place in his Dutch side. Of course, the ex-Everton boss didn't hand Gravenberch a single minute at Euro 2024 in a move that he may now be regretting.

The task for Gravenberch is now to pick up where he left off for Liverpool. As things stand, he's set to save the Reds from spending what could likely be over £50m on a defensive midfield solution by handing Slot the perfect option. With Nottingham Forest up next, Liverpool, Slot and Gravenberch have the chance to make it four from four in the Premier League.

Deepti Sharma, one of the chief architects of India’s eight-run win over England in the second women’s T20I, says she has got better at reading and handling difficult match situations and enjoys playing under pressure.Chasing 149, England were cruising with opener Tammy Beaumont (59) and captain Heather Knight (30) in the middle but Sharma was involved in the dismissal of both the batters – the former lbw, and the latter via an unusual run-out – off successive balls in the 14th over to bring India back into the match.Related

• Mandhana: 'It's a lot of fun to bat with Shaifu'

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• Report: India spark England slide to keep series alive

“I like playing in pressure situations, whether it is in any position in the team – batting, bowling, or fielding. As an allrounder, I just want to contribute to my department and take the team forward,” Sharma said at the post-match virtual press conference. “I like leading from the front, like in domestic tournaments when I play as a senior player and win matches for my team, that gives different confidence.”When you bring that confidence here, of course this platform is not easy but it depends on how you handle it. I now know how to read and handle situations, so I find it easy to play because I know I can handle things easily now.”After that 14th over, England were left needing 43 off the last 36 balls with six wickets in hand, but they fell short – a fatal slide had been triggered by Sharma.

India penalised for slow over rate

India were fined 20 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over rate. They were ruled one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

“In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time,” the ICC said in a release on Monday.

India T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Ian Blackwell and Paul Baldwin, third umpire Sue Redfern and fourth umpire Tim Robinson levelled the charge. Phil Whitticase of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction.

“It was a crucial over and crucial wicket [of Beaumont]. Earlier [in the same over] also we had taken a DRS [review against Beaumont] but we were unlucky [as the had ball pitched outside off],” Sharma said. “Next, when I bowled [Beaumont was given lbw, England reviewed and this time] it was umpire’s call and it was hitting the stumps. It gave us a lot of confidence.”We bounced back after that and then the run-out helped us to pull back the match.”The 23-year-old also contributed with the bat, scoring 24 off 27 balls as India posted 148 for 4. Opener Shafali Verma (48 off 38) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (31 off 25) were the other major contributors.”When I was batting, I was looking forward to building a partnership and also score six to seven runs per over,” Sharma said. “That was the mindset but we couldn’t score as much as we wanted. We had got a good start, we thought we can score 160 but the 140 total wasn’t bad because we knew as a bowling unit, we bowl in partnership and we were supporting each other and we could defend the total.”She said the conditions were slightly difficult for batting at the County Ground in Hove. “Actually wicket was holding up a bit. In the last match, ball was coming onto the bat but today it was holding, it was slightly slow off the pitch, so it was little difficult batting.”With the series tied at 1-1, India will take on England in the third and final T20I on July 14 to wrap up their UK tour.

كشف مصدر بـ اتحاد الكرة عن سبب غياب هاني أبو ريدة رئيس مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة المصري، عن حضور حفل الإعلان عن استاد الأهلي الجديد في الأقصر.

الحفل يشهد حضور العديد من الشخصيات العامة والرياضية، ويعد جزءًا من خطة النادي الطموحة لبناء استاد عملاق ومدينة رياضية متكاملة.

طالع.. مباشر | حفل الإعلان عن استاد الأهلي الجديد

وقال مصدر بالجبلاية لـ بطولات : “وعكة صحية منعت أبو ريدة من حضور حفل الإعلان عن تصميم استاد الأهلي الجديد”.

وكان مجلس إدارة الأهلي برئاسة محمود الخطيب، قد استكمل جميع الإجراءات اللازمة للمضي قدمًا في المشروع، حيث حصلت شركة القلعة الحمراء المسؤولة عن تنفيذ المشروع على رخصتي الحفر والبناء بعد سداد الرسوم المقررة، ومن المنتظر أن يُعلن عن موعد بدء الأعمال في الاستاد خلال الحفل.

CA is yet to confirm the make-up of the postponed series, but an announcement is expected soon

Annesha Ghosh16-May-2021India Women are set to tour Australia for a bilateral series in September. The tour, originally comprising three ODIs and slated for January this year, was officially postponed in December 2020. A report on the Cricket Australia website at the time said the series, rescheduled for the 2021-22 season, would be expanded to include three T20Is.While CA is yet to make an official announcement on the dates or make-up of the series, Australia pace bowler Megan Schutt said on a recent podcast that her side’s next assignment would be against India.”We have got a tour against India in mid-September,” Schutt said on , hosted by Kate Cross and Alex Hartley, in an episode aired on May 13. “So, there’s a couple of camps. I believe we are doing one in Darwin, which will be really cool… and then the tour against India. And then pretty much from there things get crazy with Big Bash, WNCL, Ashes, World Cup, and hopefully the Commonwealth Games.”It is understood the Australian board will make an announcement regarding the new dates for the series soon.Related

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India Women to play their first day-night Test during Australia tour

Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav set for maiden WBBL deals

Shafali Verma gets maiden ODI, Test call-ups

India women's January tour of Australia postponed

India are due to tour England next month for a multi-format assignment that gets underway on June 16 with a one-off Test in Bristol. Three ODIs and as many T20Is follow, with the tour ending on July 15. At least five India players – Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, and Shafali Verma – are expected to then stay back to participate in the inaugural edition of the Hundred, which will take place from July 21 to August 21.A number of India players, including Verma and Radha Yadav, are also set to be part of the seventh edition of the WBBL, which is likely to run in its usual October-November window.

Reporter Graeme Bailey has provided an exciting update on Leeds United's potential move for Norwich City winger Jonathan Rowe.

Leeds make opening verbal bid for Rowe to replace Summerville

The Whites are on the hunt to replace Crysencio Summerville after his move to West Ham was announced over the weekend. Daniel Farke admitted after Leeds’ final pre-season game against Valencia on Saturday that the club are working to find “good solutions to compensate his loss”.

"Obviously he was not just named but also in general I would say the best player in this league last season, with many goals and assists, it will never be easy to replace him, especially one on one. We have to be aware to bring a player in, in his position definitely, but as a team and a group we have to make sure we share his goals and assists.

“To bring a new player in who will be the new best player in this league will be pretty difficult, you can't have so much money as you need to spend in order to bring in a new Summerville. I've spoken about how much I like and value him and of course we'll miss him but a club never relies on just one person, not on player, one coaching staff member or even the manager, the club and the team is always bigger.

“We work to find good solutions to compensate his loss and try to be in other areas perhaps even a bit stronger. This is what we will do once this business happens but I expect this to happen."

Farke's own Klich: Leeds express interest in signing "exciting" £12m star

The Whites are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the Premier League youngster.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 5, 2024

Rowe is emerging as the top target to come in at Elland Road, with talks being held with Norwich over a potential deal. Football Insider have gone one step further and claimed that Leeds have made a verbal £7m offer to Norwich which was swiftly turned down.

Bailey shares update on Leeds’ move for Rowe

Speaking to LeedsUnited.News in the last 48 hours, Bailey has been told that Leeds are looking to seal a deal for under £10m, with those at Carrow Road seemingly willing to cash in this summer.

“Leeds are talking to Norwich about Rowe, came up in Sara talks. I’m told they want him for less than £10m overall and it seems they [Norwich] are willing to let him go.”

The 21-year-old is into the final 12 months of his Norwich contract, although the Canaries have the option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.

However, it looks as if a deal is there to be done following this promising update from Bailey, and Rowe appears to be a fan of Leeds as a club also, saying about the Elland Road atmosphere previously: “Elland Road had the most noise that I can remember. It was a crazy game. Even though we lost I was just in awe of the atmosphere.

"I couldn't believe it, this was what my dream was literally about. Even though we lost, it was just like, 'wow'. Imagine being on the opposite side to that. I feel like that's a feeling that I always chase. Those kinds of moments, they kind of keep you motivated and hungry for trying to make yourself feel that emotion in the future."

The Kopa Trophy winner paraded his award before the game and showed why was named the world's best goalkeeper as Villa drew 0-0 with the Bianconeri

Aston Villa were denied a famous Champions League win over Juventus by a controversial refereeing decision, but they were indebted to the brilliance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in a goalless draw with the Italian giants.

It took 36 minutes for either team to create a major opening but Ollie Watkins was denied by Michele Di Gregorio after being sent through on goal.

The hosts came within inches of opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time, but Lucas Digne's free-kick rattled the crossbar.

After the hour, and a tense, tetchy opening to the half, Francisco Conceicao was denied in astonishing fashion by Martinez, the Argentine goalkeeper sensationally diving to keep his low header out of the bottom corner from point-blank range.

Soon after, at the other end, John McGinn saw an effort cleared off the line as, suddenly, the contest spluttered into life.

And Morgan Rogers thought he had won the game in injury time with a fine finish after Diego Carlos challenged Di Gregorio, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul on the stopper in a chaotic end to the league phase encounter.

GOAL rates Aston Villa's players from Villa Park…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Emiliano Martinez (8/10):

  Not tested as much as he would have expected but made an astonishing save just after the hour to deny Conceicao, securing Villa's clean sheet and their point.

  Matty Cash (7/10):

  Saw a goal-bound shot blocked in the first half. Rarely beaten down his side and tried to push forward where possible. A good performance.

  Diego Carlos (6/10):

  Very good on the ball and can launch Villa attacks with ease. Did that and stood up to Juve's admittedly laborious attacks. Put off the Juve defence with his presence before Rogers' finish, which was controversially disallowed.

  Pau Torres (6/10):

  Headed just wide early on. Was rarely stretched and never really looked troubled.

  Lucas Digne (7/10):

  Hit the crossbar with a superb free-kick on the stroke of half-time. Like Cash, played well, as Villa effectively limited Juve's flanks and pushed them inside.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Boubacar Kamara (5/10):

  Terrible passing accuracy slowed Villa down at times. He was effective defensively but on the ball, less so. Subbed with 12 minutes to go.

  Morgan Rogers (4/10):

  Struggled against Juve's physicality in midfield and couldn't embark on his trademark lung-busting runs. Kept plugging away though, and thought he had the winner, before it was bizarrely ruled out.

  Youri Tielemans (6/10):

  Booked early. Did fine thereafter, keeping Villa ticking as he toed the disciplinary line.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Leon Bailey (4/10):

  Booked in the first half. Went at Juventus when he could but met resistance in defence and couldn't get beyond them.

  Ollie Watkins (5/10):

  Ploughed a lone furrow. Won a couple of fouls, tested the goalkeeper once, and did nothing else of note. A frustrating night.

  John McGinn (5/10):

  Just not skilful enough to make the left-wing spot his own. Saw an effort cleared off the line but his influence was negligible.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Ross Barkley (5/10):

  On for Kamara. Couldn't pick the lock.

  Jhon Duran (5/10):

  Asked to perform his usual rescue act but barely touched the ball.

  Jaden Philogene (N/A):

  On for Bailey. Didn't have time to swing the game Villa's way.

  Unai Emery (6/10):

  Will be happy with a point, as his side defended resolutely and never really looked like losing the game. Will also be fuming at what was undoubtedly a soft decision to rule out Rogers' winner.

نجح مانشستر سيتي في تحقيق فوز كبير على نظيره إيبسويتش تاون، بسداسية نظيفة، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه مانشستر سيتي نظيره إيبسويتش تاون، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “بورتمان”.

وشارك الدولي المصري وقائد إيبسويتش تاون، سام مرسي، أساسياً في مباراة اليوم وخاض اللقاء بشكل كامل.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف هالاند أمام إيبسويتش تاون وهاتريك كلويفرت ضد نيوكاسل

افتتح فيل فودين التسجيل لصالح مانشستر سيتي في مرمى إيبسويتش تاون بحلول الدقيقة 27.

وضاعف ماتيو كوفاسيتش أهداف مانشستر سيتي بتسجيل الهدف الثاني بطريقة رائعة عند الدقيقة 30، من صناعة فيل فودين.

وبتمريرة حاسمة من دي بروين، تمكن فيل فودين من تسجيل ثنائيته الخاصة وثالث أهداف الضيوف بالدقيقة 42.

ومع بداية الشوط الثاني تحديدا الدقيقة 49، أحرز جيريمي دوكو الهدف الرابع للسيتيزن بصناعة من كيفين دي بروين.

ونجح إيرلينج هالاند في تعميق جراح أصحاب الأرض بتسجيله للهدف الخامس بحلول الدقيقة 57، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من دوكو.

جيمس ميكاتي استطاع أن يوقع على سادس أهداف مانشستر سيتي برأسية رائعة سكنت شباك إيبسويتش، بصناعة من ماتيو كوفاسيتش.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى النقطة 38 في المركز الرابع مؤقتاً في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد إيبسويتش تاون عند النقطة 16 في المركز الثامن عشر. اهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وابسويتش تاون (6-0) الدوري الانجليزي

Now into July, Manchester United are finally starting to get a move on as Sir Jim Ratcliffe presses ahead with plans to make the Red Devils a force to be reckoned with again.

A deal to bring Dan Ashworth to Old Trafford is finally complete and with that said, incomings and outgoings could begin to gather pace in the transfer window.

There have been a host of rumours already, most notably in recent days linking the club with a move for Dutch titan Matthijs de Ligt.

United are keen to bolster their defence having also reportedly made a bid for Jarrad Branthwaite in recent weeks, although that has been rejected.

So, what's next on the agenda? Well, it's believed a midfielder is top of their shopping list.

Man United's midfield shopping list

Rumours have been rife over recent months linking Man United with a swoop for Benfica sensation Joao Neves. However, with a release clause of over £100m that feels unlikely.

So, where next? Well, according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, PSG star Manuel Ugarte is a 'serious target' having been told he can leave the French club before the window closes.

Claims from Ugarte's native Uruguay report that 'positive talks' have been held between United and PSG with a deal now said to be moving 'closer' according to some in Italy.

A £51m fee has been mooted for his services.

What Ugarte could offer to Man Utd

One of the biggest issues in 2023/24 for Erik ten Hag was a lack of spine. Not his spine, of course, but the team's spine.

Having to get through the season with a crippling injury list that saw them robbed of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane for large parts of the campaign, it meant that building out from the back was tough.

Combine that with Casemiro's disastrous term, with Jamie Carragher memorably saying he should be playing out in Saudi Arabia, and there was no hope for any fluid play down the centre of the pitch.

Fortunately, they are looking to address that. Talks have been held to sign the aforementioned De Ligt and in the Dutchman, they'd be acquiring a player who has the world at his feet. After all, he appears twice on the list of the most expensive defenders of all time.

10. Achraf Hakimi

£60.9m

9. Marc Cucurella

£63m

8. Ruben Dias

£65m

7. Lucas Hernandez

£68m

7 = Matthijs de Ligt

£68m

5 = Wesley Fofana

£75m

5 = Virgil van Dijk

£75m

3. Matthijs de Ligt

£77.1m

2. Josko Gvardiol

£77.6m

1. Harry Maguire

£80m

So, he's a pretty good player based on those valuations. But what would he offer? Well, the 24-year-old is one of the most composed centre-backs around, succeeding with 93% of his passes over the last year, a tally that ranks him in the best 4% of positionally similar players in Europe.

Furthermore, De Ligt is among the 10% for progressive passing, suggesting he knows what it takes to bring the ball out of defence and find a man.

So, let's get back to Ugarte, how would this be advantageous for him? The Uruguayan is a defensive midfielder by trade and would benefit greatly from playing in front of De Ligt, as opposed to someone like Jonny Evans or even Casemiro, who had to play as a makeshift centre-half at times last season.

Ugarte would know he's got a composed defender behind him, someone willing to give him the ball to dictate play from deep.

Importantly, they're both incredibly strong defensively too. Although the PSG star was playing in a possession-dominated team, he still got through plenty of work off the ball.

Ugarte sits inside the top 2% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for tackles won and the best 1% for ball recoveries, suggesting that he'd certainly make United's spine sterner.

It's vital that Ratcliffe and Co bolster those central areas this summer and in these two players, they could well solve one of their biggest problems.

Man Utd plot concrete move for their own Van Dijk in £42m talent

Erik ten Hag is a huge admirer of the Dutch international.

ByTom Lever Jun 28, 2024

Versatile batsman explains importance of “standing still and reacting, to go for the right option at the right time”

Deivarayan Muthu21-Dec-2020

Tim Seifert has all the shots in the book, ranging from the scoop over the keeper’s head to the down-the-track leg-side slog to the perfect straight drive. But, until recently, he didn’t seem to have the clarity to pause and reflect on the game-scenario before pulling out his trick shots. For instance, in the Super Over against Chris Jordan at Eden Park last year, he searched for the scoop when he might have been better off trying to clear the shorter straight boundary. Jordan knew that Seifert would go searching for that shot and darted a wide yorker away from his reach. It resulted in another Super Over heartbreak for New Zealand.

****

A year on, Seifert understands his strengths better and knows when to play the right shot at the right time. This mindset change came to fore during his back-to-back half-centuries in the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan.In the series opener at Eden Park, Seifert shelved his scoops and ramps and instead focussed on timing orthodox shots like defensive push off Faheem Ashraf which whistled past extra-cover for four. The in-form Glenn Phillips holed out in the next over, but Seifert still played within himself, gliding a rapid short delivery from Haris Rauf to the third-man boundary. He fell for 57 and after the game said that he was disappointed at not finishing off the chase. Two days later, Seifert remedied that.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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The conditions at Seddon Park were strange. The new ball didn’t swing, but then Tim Southee got a semi-new ball to move both ways. Then, in the second innings, Pakistan’s seamers got spongy bounce from a good length. Wary of that bounce, Seifert realised that scooping the ball in the ‘V’ behind the wicket would be a better option than looking to hit it in the ‘V’ in front of it.After plays-and misses against Shaheen Afridi and Ashraf, Brendon McCullum, who has coached Seifert at Trinbago Knight Riders and Kolkata Knight Riders, called it on the commentary that the batsman would “pick up the ball” behind the wicket. The scoop found the boundary, as McCullum predicted, and Seifert was off and running. He would be unstoppable on Sunday, finishing with an unbeaten 84 off 63 balls.”There was a tricky little period when Kane [Williamson] came in,” Seifert said at the post-match media conference. “But, you know in T20 cricket if you just ride that wave, the tough little period could just be one or two overs. Then you get one good ball out of the middle – that gets your innings underway.”Personally, [I] felt like I chewed up a couple of balls and then that’s when I did my scoop and got my second half of my innings underway. I just felt on that wicket, hitting through the line over the top of the bowler was a tough option with the ball popping up a little bit. I thought it was a good time to bring the ramp out and it worked.”Seifert felt that he went too hard at the top against West Indies at the start of the international home summer and tossed his wickets away. In the first T20I against West Indies, he backed away and spliced a catch to mid-on, and in the second he jumped across off and dragged the ball back onto his stumps. Against Pakistan, he learnt from those errors, he said, and maintained a stable base while meeting the ball.”Being able to play 360 [degrees] – sometimes a lot of shots are going through your head, which can be a downfall as well,” Seifert said. “So, I think it was a big learning from the West Indies series that I got off to a good start, but I didn’t really push through. The two times I got out, I got myself out with trying things.Tim Seifert hooks during the course of his half-century•Getty Images

“So, it’s just a matter of standing still and reacting. You know when you need to bring those shots out like tonight there were a few dots balls that built up, so I knew it was the right time and right option. I’ve just learnt over experience and obviously not doing as well as I wanted last series as to when to actually play those shots and when to go hard and what bowlers to attack.”The experiences that have contributed to Seifert’s evolution include stints under McCullum at both the Knight Riders franchises in the CPL and IPL. Even during Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ) in Christchurch following his return to New Zealand, Seifert was doing shadow-keeping with McCullum. Indeed, McCullum was particularly pleased with Seifert’s ability to adapt over a short period of time.”There are people who want to learn and then there are people who go and get what they desperately want in the game,” McCullum told the host broadcaster. “He picked up the phone and tried to get some help around him but then I was lucky enough to spend some time with Seif over the past six or seven months. I’ve seen his work ethic up close and his ability to develop quickly is something very few players have. Not just his batting but his wicketkeeping has been one of the most improved aspects that I’ve seen. His best years are in front of him. The rest of the world needs to see over the next couple of years to see how good this guy can be.”Seifert’s progress has also caught the attention of Chennai Super Kings coach and commentator Stephen Fleming who said: “There’s a team in yellow that might have a look at you as well. Not just Brendon’s team, there are other teams out there!”From having been ignored for the 50-over World Cup in 2019, Seifert is now becoming too hard to ignore.