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Pakistan wristspinner Shadab Khan has been fined 20% of his match fee after being found guilty of verbal abuse during the second T20 international against West Indies in Karachi. Shadab’s offence amounted to a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, which also earned him one demerit point.The incident occurred in the ninth over of the West Indies chase, when Shadab dismissed Chadwick Walton. After being taken for 11 runs in his first over by the batsman, Shadab returned to clean him up with a wrong’un off the first ball of his next over. Shadab then followed up by pointing his finger at the departing Walton, and made an inappropriate comment. Shadab, who is Walton’s teammate at Islamabad United, admitted his offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee David Boon.As per the ICC’s code, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, and a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. This is the first time Shadab has been caught breaching the player code. If he accumulates three more demerit points within a 24-month period, it will translate into suspension points that will earn him a one-match ban.Pakistan are presently hosting West Indies in Karachi, and have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-T20I series. The third and final game takes place on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain was pleased to take points from the game, but felt his side could have taken the bonus point too if only his batsmen did not waste the starts they got

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jan-2018Sri Lanka’s bowlers dismissed Zimbabwe for what both captains agreed was a sub-par score, but Dinesh Chandimal felt Sri Lanka’s batsmen could have executed the chase better.His grouse is perhaps with Sri Lanka’s middle-overs stutter, which delayed victory and probably cost Sri Lanka a bonus point. Having been 103 for 1 in the 22nd over, they lost four wickets for 42 runs, and the rate of scoring consequently slowed. There were 52 boundary-less deliveries at one stage in the innings, and a 10-over stretch in which only 31 runs were scored.Chandimal suggested all this could have been avoided, if only set batsmen capitalised on their starts. Kusal Perera and Kusal Mendis – whose 70-run stand was the foundation of Sri Lanka’s chase – were out in quick succession for 49 and 36, sparking that mini-collapse.”We are pleased with the win, but we should have played better,” Chandimal said. “The bowlers did their job very well. When batsmen get us a good start, they need to do a slightly better job of finishing the game.”Before we went in to bat, we had a plan to get bonus point before 40th over. But after the 25th over, we changed our minds since it was a tough wicket to bat on. The first aim was to win the game.” A finish before the 40-over mark would have earned Sri Lanka a bonus point.Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer too was critical of his batsmen. Only Brendan Taylor made a fifty following quick top-order wickets, and the tail offered little resistance. Cremer had won the toss and batted first expecting there to be runs in the surface, but his side could not muster a competitive score.”I thought we were 30 runs short with the bat,” Cremer said. “The wicket played a lot different to the last game. I thought we adjusted well when Brendan was in. We thought it was 230 that was par instead of 270. We just lost too many wickets in the middle overs. It didn’t help when Sikander Raza got out. I thought it was a crucial point in the game. If we got 230, we would have a really good chance of winning.”Although at the toss Cremer had expected batting conditions to become worse as the match wore on, he suggested the opposite was true, after the game had ended. Sri Lanka used the bouncer to good effect, with Thisara Perera taking three top-order wickets with short deliveries. Zimbabwe’s quicks had less success with short balls.”With the wicket being a little bit two-paced, I think Sri Lanka saw that quite early, and used [short balls] to their advantage. I think, in the evening, there was a little bit of dew, and it came on to the bat better – not like in the afternoon when it got stuck. We will keep that in mind when we bowl in the next game.”

They may have ended at 75 for 7 and been saved from defeat by bad light, but for most of the five rain-interrupted days at Eden Gardens, Sri Lanka were the dominant side. While concerned by his team’s batting collapse on the final afternoon, interim coach Nic Pothas was pleased overall with their performance to begin their tour of India.It was the continuation, he said, of a process of improvement that began when India visited Sri Lanka in July-August and whitewashed them 3-0.”The process absolutely began there, in Sri Lanka,” he said. “The day the Indian team got on a plane and flew out, the process started. It probably started before that, because of the amount of planning that goes on, so that we were ready. Things like that don’t happen overnight and certainly we’re not going to be counting our chickens.”We’ve played a couple of good Tests against Pakistan [against whom they won 2-0 in the UAE], we’ve played pretty well here. But we’ve got a long way to go. But this side is going to be a very good side in the future, there’s no doubt.”Pothas hoped Sri Lanka could keep this positive trend going through the rest of this series.”I think you always set a goal to improve,” he said. “We had a series in Sri Lanka where we did not compete at all. We’ve come here, and we’ve actually been very competitive in the first Test match. That’s a huge positive, and it’s a credit to the support staff, the players, the way they got about preparing, about strategising for this game.”You know, it’s only one game of cricket, this series is three games long. But the takeaway is going to be that we played a series against them, we got tougher. We obviously had some success; we played some very good cricket. So we’ll see if we could continue to ride that wave.”In the fourth innings, set a task of either surviving 47 overs or chasing 231, Sri Lanka crumbled against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. Pothas said India’s quicks maintained intense pressure on the batsmen, and that they would only learn to deal with such pressure by experiencing it more often.”I think there always are concerns if you lose seven wickets,” he said. “That’s going to be a concern for any team. But you look at three very good quicks, you’re going to be under pressure, but the more often you play, [the better you will get at handling it.] I think these two series back-to-back against India is going to be the making of the Sri Lankan team in the future, because if you play against quality under pressure you become better.”So yes, it’s a concern but I’m more excited about how we fought and came out the other end. Actually, you’re looking at one day or a couple of hours of cricket; I’m looking at four days of cricket where we played very good cricket.”India were in trouble in the morning session when three quick wickets from Suranga Lakmal left them four down while only leading by 91. Sri Lanka continued to chip away at the wickets, but India pulled away thanks to Virat Kohli’s 18th Test hundred, a knock that Pothas termed “fantastic”.”I don’t think it went wrong [for Sri Lanka],” Pothas said. “You’ve got to look at it in two ways. There was a fantastic innings played by a world-class cricketer. I thought we bowled very well, we fielded very well. The intensity was good. Yes, we had India under some pressure. Virat played a fantastic innings and actually set up a very good game of Test-match cricket. I don’t think anything went wrong. I think there was some very good cricket on both sides.”Kohli’s innings set up a tense finish, with Shami and Bhuvneshwar steaming in backed by the noise of a large Monday crowd, and sparks flew when Shami exchanged words with the combative wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella.”That’s fantastic, isn’t it? That’s Test-match cricket,” Pothas said. “It’s a tough environment, it’s a cauldron, and that’s how players earn respect from each other. I thought it was played fantastically well. Very tough, high-pressure. Very enjoyable. Great for the spectators.”

Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has admitted there is "pressure" surrounding the title race ahead of a crucial clash against Newcastle United.

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Gakpo key player for LiverpoolOne year since arrivalOpens up on title race pressureGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old Netherlands international has claimed although there is pressure ahead of hosting the Magpies at Anfield, he and his Liverpool team-mates are preparing in the same way and are ready for the test.

AdvertisementWHAT GAKPO SAID

Speaking ahead of the upcoming clash against Newcastle, Gakpo also talked up the collective spirit in the Liverpool camp. "I think we are doing really good from the beginning of the season and we have a good group," he told the official Liverpool website. "This game, even though we are in first place, we just go into this game like it's a really important game – like every other game.Of course it brings pressure to be in the top position in the league but I think we don't see it like that. We are just really focused on that one game we have to play in that moment, and I think that's also a strength of the team.

"They [Newcastle] have a really good team. Obviously we have to work really hard, we have to fight together, stick together even through the difficult moments maybe that will come in the game – hopefully not but it's a world-class team as well.It's hopefully going to be a great game with us on top at the end."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Gakpo arrived at Liverpool in the January transfer window for around £36 million ($46m), and he is now approaching a year at the club ahead of the game on New Year's Day.

The versatile forward has made just under 50 appearances for the Reds in the short time he has been on Merseyside, as he looks to secure his first bit of silverware at the club in the near future, further outlining why he is remaining focused when commenting on a possible title race in 2024.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GAKPO?

Gakpo, as well as other players in the team such as Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, will all have to step-up in the coming weeks as they prepare to lose star-man Mohamed Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool will play their final fixture with the Egyptian against Newcastle, before he jets off to the Ivory Coast to join up with his international team-mates. Following his departure, Gakpo will need to prepare for an FA Cup meeting against Arsenal and a Premier League game against Fulham.

Southampton could soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief in regards to the future of Nathan Tella, with reliable journalist Darren Witcoop reporting that Burnley are now looking at former Saint Nathan Redmond instead.

How many goals did Nathan Tella score for Burnley?

The 24-year-old spent the 2022/23 season out on loan with the Clarets in the Championship, helping them to storm to the league title under the stewardship of new manager Vincent Kompany. Having never managed more than 18 league games in a season before his move to Turf Moor, he went on to feature in 39 games for the side in the second tier and was a key member of their first-team. He bagged 17 goals, with five assists along the way, and ended the campaign with a rate of 0.79 goal contributions per 90 – the best rate of his career.

Prior to this spell with Burnley, he had spent the entirety of his career playing for Southampton and their reserve side. He was handed his league debut for the Saints back in 2019/20 and has so far managed 33 games in the Premier League with them. However, his goal and assist rate at St Mary's Stadium hasn't been as exceptional as what he managed with Burnley, as he has just one goal and two assists over those fixtures with the club.

Are Southampton selling Nathan Tella to Burnley?

Having finally realised his potential and shown his ability in that Clarets team, Kompany has been keen to reunite with Tella again for the 2023/24 campaign. He has already expressed his interest in adding the winger on a permanent basis, but as of yet there has been no deal done to send him back to the club.

And it now appears as though Burnley could be moving on from the Southampton man. According to a report from reliable journalist Darren Witcoop, the Saints have whacked a large price tag on the head of the 24-year-old after his displays for Burnley.

It means that the Clarets are currently being "priced out" of a transfer move for the forward this summer. With no end in sight in terms of sorting out the financials, it appears as though they could now be looking elsewhere to boost their wings as the journalist also adds that they have turned towards Redmond. He also formerly played for Southampton, but has most recently spent time with Besiktas and is now a free agent.

It's no surprise that Burnley have been desperate to try and bring Tella back to Turf Moor, with their current boss Vincent Kompany viewing the winger very highly. During his tenure with the Clarets, the manager stated that the forward was a "raw diamond" and was able to help the side "in so many ways" because he "has all the tools".

Tella really did shine at Championship level then, so if Southampton can hold on to the 24-year-old, it could do their chances of an instant promotion the world of good next season.

The new coach hasn't officially started yet, but there's plenty to keep an eye on in this first camp since her hiring was announced

The first U.S. women's national team camp of the Emma Hayes era is here. Well, kind of. Hayes won't actually be leading the team; she's still got a Chelsea campaign to worry about. Still, this is the first camp with some sort of direction since Vlatko Andonovski's departure and there's finally some certainty around the USWNT after the World Cup disaster.

The U.S. will face China in a pair of friendlies, with interim boss Twila Kilgore remaining in charge. She'll hold onto her post until Hayes' arrival ahead of the Olympics and, in the months until then, the USWNT will be building and building towards their new coach finally joining up.

That makes these games the first of several friendlies the U.S. will play pre-Hayes, but her fingerprints will likely be all over whatever the USWNT does. The camp is already an interesting one, with several veteran faces being left out of the squad, while several young stars have been handed opportunities to impress the new coach, wherever she'll be watching from.

But what will Hayes be looking for? What sort of things will she be keeping an eye on on her way to the Olympics? GOAL has you covered…

GettyThe goalkeeper situation

Alyssa Naeher isn't here, which is a clear signal that the USWNT is starting to plan for the future.

Naeher has been the starter since the 2019 World Cup cycle but, at 35, her time is coming to an end. The bad news is that there's no clear-cut successor, but the good news is that there are plenty of good goalkeepers in the pool.

Casey Murphy, Jane Campbell and Aubrey Kingsbury are the three called into this camp, with the first two being particularly intriguing.

The 27-year-old Murphy has gotten some experience, earning 16 total caps and going to a World Cup, but has never really been the starter. She has started three games so far this year, though, indicating that the pre-Hayes regime saw her as next up.

Campbell, meanwhile, joins the team fresh off a NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year win. Campbell was outstanding for the Houston Dash this season, nearly setting a record for fewest goals conceded, but has just seven camps to her name. She was on the roster for the 2021 Olympics but seems due for another shot after a strong season.

As for Kingsbury, at 32, she doesn't seem like she'll be a long-term successor, although she could be the bridge through the Olympics next summer. The same could be said for Naeher, though, who you wouldn't write off ahead of one last tournament.

Overall, it's an interesting position with plenty of good choices, and Hayes will be keeping a close eye on the keepers as she prepares to choose a direction to go with when it comes to her No.1.

AdvertisementGettyAn inexperienced midfield

The three most experienced midfielders in the squad have 309 caps between them. The bottom five? Just 11. Knowing that, we're going to learn something new about several key players in the pool.

We'll start with Savannah DeMelo and Sam Coffey, the two we've actually seen before. DeMelo responded to her World Cup challenge in a big way and, despite having only six caps, feels like she's a part of this group. Coffey, meanwhile, is pushing for a spot, having been ignored for long stretches last cycle. Can she be the No.6 the USWNT has been looking for?

And then the final three: Korbin Albert, Olivia Moultrie and Jenna Nighswonger.

Albert joined PSG a year ago and has started to break through, while Nighswonger is fresh off an NWSL title with Gotham FC. All eyes will be on Moultrie, though, the Portland Thorns teenage prodigy who seems destined to play a part for the U.S. sooner or later.

Which of those three can join Coffey and DeMelo to push for an Olympic spot? It's one of the more fun positional situations in the U.S. pool.

GettyAnother go for Fishel and Shaw

We saw a hell of a lot from Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw last camp. Both newcomers scored goals to open their USWNT accounts, and the hope is that they were the first of many.

Now's the tough part. Can they do it again?

Fishel, of course, already has a relationship with Hayes as she plays for her at Chelsea. Hayes won't need to learn too much about Fishel's game, but she will learn about how she handles stepping into this USWNT environment. The international level is a totally different game and Fishel, who has scored goals in bunches in her young club career, has to prove she can carry that over.

As for Shaw, she faces insane competition on the wings, but can you really bet against her? The Olympics may come a bit too soon but, then again, maybe they don't. A strong camp here would put her right into contention.

Fishel and Shaw are the two youngsters with the best chance of breaking through by next summer, and both can take a big step forward with a strong camp this month.

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Getty ImagesA Morgan-less attack

Speaking of Fishel, it seems she'll get minutes as the starting striker. For years, those minutes have belonged pretty exclusively to Alex Morgan. She's not in camp though. What will that look like?

It's one of the biggest storylines of this camp, Morgan's exclusion. It doesn't mean the writing is on the wall with her, as she very well could be back in the picture by the Olympics, particularly if the young players don't prove they're ready. However, we haven't seen a USWNT without Morgan in over a decade, so it's hard to imagine what it even looks like anymore.

Her absence will leave a leadership void, particularly among the forwards. Who steps up there? Her creativity and composure, despite her goal drought, could leave a hole atop the field. Which striker can fill that?

Fishel, Sophia Smith or Ashley Hatch will be playing in that spot, and all three have different sorts of points to prove. So will Morgan, whenever she does come back into the fold.

Luke Fletcher ‘feels lucky to be here’ after his blow on the head while bowling in the NatWest Blast and he fears he may not be the last to be injured in this way

George Dobell12-Jul-20172:35

‘I’m lucky to be here’ – Luke Fletcher

Luke Fletcher feels “lucky to be here” after sustaining a ferocious blow to the head during Saturday’s T20 Blast match at Edgbaston.Fletcher, the Nottinghamshire seamer, sustained the injury when his first ball of the match was struck back at him by Birmingham batsman, Sam Hain and hit him on top of the head.While Fletcher didn’t lose consciousness, subsequent scans showed bruising and a small bleed on the brain with a decision taken to rest him for the remainder of the season. He will have a further MRI scan in the coming days to assess his recovery and currently sports a cut held together by eight stitches under the hairline.But while he is naturally disappointed to miss the rest of the season – Nottinghamshire are well-placed to push for promotion and are among the favourites in the Blast – and frustrated at being told he must not drive a car, he accepts his is a story that could have had a far more serious ending.Indeed, he has warned that something similar “will happen again” and said that, at Notts, the bowlers no longer take-part in net sessions with batsmen to avoid such injuries.”I’m really lucky to be here now and speaking to you today,” he said. “The doctors said I pretty much dodged a bullet. A few inches to the left or right and it could have been a completely different story. If it had hit the temple or straight in the face then…. I don’t really want to think about what may have happened.”In a weird way, I suppose I’ve been lucky. It’s hit me on a part of the brain or skull that the surgeon said you don’t use much.”He remembers every moment of the incident. And, having not seen the ball hit back at him – his head was down as he completed his delivery stride – or felt much pain, it was only when he saw the reaction of his teammates and then saw footage of the moment of impact that he started to realise how serious the episode was.”I remember letting go of the ball and I could see that Hain backed away,” he said. “The next thing I remember being hit on the head and thinking ‘I may be in a bit of bother here.’ I didn’t see the ball one bit. I just felt it.”When it hit me I went down and was waiting to go unconscious. When I realised I was all right, I had my hand on my head and the physio, James Pipe was asking ‘How are you?'”I said ‘I don’t feel too bad to be honest.’ And then I lifted my hand off my head. Steven Mullaney ran off – and a few other lads ran off – because of the bleeding. But I got to my feet pretty quickly and never really felt unstable at all and walked off. Which is absolutely amazing having watched it back. You’d probably expect a bit more, really. Having such a big ‘swede’ probably helped me out a bit.”In a weird way, I quite enjoyed watching it back. I quite like stuff like that. As long as I knew I was all right, it was quite good. It was just amazing how far the ball went. I couldn’t believe it. The first time I saw it, I was a bit like ‘off’ and that’s when I realised why everyone was so concerned.”The concern of Fletcher’s teammates was understandable. Not only is he a popular member of their squad, but it is only just over a year since the club was jolted by news of James Taylor’s illness.”Having spoken to a few of my mates – Mullaney and Jake Ball – that’s what was going through their minds,” he said. “And then there was Phil Hughes as well….”But once the lads came off the field and saw I was fine, they got on with the game. James Pipe has been unbelievable throughout; he stayed by my side for the next 48 hours, really. He’s been amazing.”Fletcher is guided from the field at Edgbaston•Getty Images

It doesn’t take long to understand Fletcher’s popularity. He has a good line in self-deprecating wit – “I don’t know how the ball is,” he says at one stage. “Someone had better check up on it; the lads said it was reversing a bit later” and, later “My mum and dad were a bit annoyed as they had paid £30 and they only saw me bowl one ball” – and knows many of his team-mates well having come through the club’s system from his teenage years.He didn’t have things easy, either. When he was initially offered a place on the staff as a 16-year-old, he was obliged to turn it down as it didn’t pay as much as the job he was currently in – he was a grill man at Hooters – so the club arranged for him to have a stint on the gates letting lorries come in and out as the Radcliffe Road Stand was redeveloped. “It was freezing,” he recalls with a smile. “It was much better in the kitchen.”But he has developed into a fine cricketer. While not an especially fast bowler – probably somewhere around 80 mph – he can move the ball in the air and off the pitch, is considered one of the best death bowlers in the county game and was recently run-out just eight short of a maiden first-class century. He is out of contract at the end of the season but the club will look after him: a new contract will be announced shortly.The worrying aspect of this incident is that it could easily have ended much worse. Indeed, Fletcher warns that in training, bowlers are already reluctant to bowl at batsmen practising their T20 skills.”I think it’ll happen again,” he said. “Most bowlers – certainly at Notts – in the nets tend to go away and do target practice on the side in one-day and T20, just because balls are coming back at a speed you can’t react to. You get hit all over your body. I certainly think the chances are it will happen again.”I’m sure after this people will come up with some sort of theories and some sort of technologies or protective equipment. You can’t be running in with a helmet, can you? But maybe something to protect your head?”I’ll certainly bowl again. I’d bowl now if I could.”There are huge questions here for the game. While some level of risk may be considered unavoidable, incidents such as this – coming on top of the incident that caused such devastating damage to club cricketer Alex Tait a few months ago – might be considered warnings. With bats better, batsmen seemingly more powerful and the aggression of the game having undergone a transformation since the introduction of T20, it seems inevitable that, sooner or later, we’re going to see a bowler killed by a return hit. The game, or at least the look of the game, might have to change radically to counteract such a threat.

Kusal Perera made a roaring return to Sri Lankan colours, cracking 77 off 53 balls to lead the hosts on a successful hunt of Bangladesh’s 155 for 6

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsUpul Tharanga and Kusal Perera struck a 65-run opening stand•Associated PressKusal Perera made a roaring return to Sri Lankan colours, cracking 77 off 53 balls to lead the hosts on a successful hunt of Bangladesh’s 155 for 6. That Sri Lanka had so few to chase was partly the work of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who made breakthroughs whenever a partnership threatened, though they were helped to that end by off-colour Bangladesh batting.Mashrafe Mortaza, who as it turned out, was playing his penultimate game in the format, was by a distance the visitors’ best bowler. He claimed 2 for 32 from his four overs, and only one other bowler – Taskin Ahmed – mustered a breakthrough. Sri Lanka sauntered to the target with seven balls and six wickets to spare.This match was Kusal’s first international since his unseemly Test outing in Port Elizabeth, for which he was dropped from the Test XI, then subsequently axed from the limited-overs squads altogether. Having returned to national reckoning via good innings for Sri Lanka A, Kusal outlined his value to Sri Lanka in an innings that showcased a little batting nous as well as characteristic brutality. The bludgeoned drives and whipped pick-up shots over midwicket did eventually come, but not before he had laid low for the first four overs; and the big shots were, in any case, well devised as well as nicely executed. Instead of trying to clear fielders as Kusal often does, he strove to hit even his most ambitious shots into gaps.Over-rate fine for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka were found to be one over short of their target in the first T20I, and have been fined by the ICC. While captain Upul Tharanga was fined 20% of his match fee, the rest of the team were fined 10%.

Having made only 5 off his first eight balls, Kusal smoked four fours and a six off his next seven, to help move Sri Lanka to 57 for none at the end of the Powerplay. Upul Tharanga, who had given the innings its initial impetus, departed in the seventh over, but Kusal stayed long enough to almost see the chase through. He reached his fifty off 31 balls, and when he fell in the penultimate over, Sri Lanka needed only nine runs, which they would proceed to gather over the next four balls. Seekkuge Prasanna was not out with 22 off 12 at the close.Though their bowlers responded poorly to Kusal’s shellacking, Bangladesh may reflect that it was with the bat that they made the more substantial mistakes. They had flown to 57 for 1 after five overs, for example, but then Sabbir Rahman ran a poor line to get himself run out, and Soumya Sarkar holed out in the same Vikum Sanjaya over. Suddenly, at 57 for 3, all that momentum they had developed was surrendered.Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan fell playing expansive shots to slow bowlers, who should, in fact, have been less effective on this track, which retained a little grass and had been rolled until hard. Mosaddek Hossain and Mahmudullah put on 57 off 42 together to lift their side from 82 for 5, but could not quite crack enough runs through the back-end of the innings to lift Bangladesh to a winning score.Lasith Malinga was especially good through this period, giving away seven and eight in his last two overs, in which he took the wicket of Mahmudullah with a searing yorker, having also done the same to Tamim Iqbal with the second ball of the match.Rain before play had delayed the start by 45 minutes, but no overs were lost.

South Africa want more batsmen going on to a significant score after a number of loose dismissals in the previous match

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan24-Feb-2017Match FactsFebruary 25, 2017
Start time 2.00pm local (0100GMT)Big PictureSouth Africa are back to zero, but they didn’t let their winning streak go without a fight. New Zealand have only beaten them twice in nine previous bilateral series and it would have been very difficult to see them coming back from 2-0 down. Now, though, they prepare for the Wellington match with an air of confidence.The difference in Christchurch was that New Zealand had Ross Taylor take control of the innings while no one for South Africa could play the dominant innings. In their 12-match run, they had 10 individual centuries from six different players but there was an air of wastefulness about some of the shots during the run chase at Hagley Oval. Better now, though, than in the Champions Trophy.Mike Hesson said there were “more answers than questions” for New Zealand but added that you can’t tick every box at the same time. That was a reference to Tom Latham’s form, the one significant issue they have to decide on, and whether to retain him as wicketkeeper ahead of Luke Ronchi.Form guideNew Zealand WLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWWIn the spotlightNeil Broom shelved the relative security of his county deal with Derbyshire for another crack with New Zealand. It was a memorable comeback against Bangladesh with scores of 109 not out and 97, followed by a crucial 73 against Australia. In this series he has had two loose dismissals; cramped for room on the pull and then slapping a short ball to point. He could yet become the fall-guy if there is a reshuffle in the batting to retain the six-bowler balance.Is South Africa’s shot selection starting to let them down? Quinton de Kock has twice thrown his wicket away with a half-century to his name, Faf du Plessis fell to a big sweep in the opening match, and then left an even bigger gate in the second, and JP Duminy, although twice defeated by clever pieces of bowling, has been a little soft with his dismissals. There is immense power in the order, time for a touch more responsibility.Team newsHesson indicated that New Zealand were getting closer to knowing their best combination. That appears to signal maintaining the two quicks, two spinners, two allrounders balance.New Zealand (probable) 1 Dean Brownlie, 2 Tom Latham (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultKagiso Rabada is available after missing the previous match with a knee niggle. If he returns, Wayne Parnell could be the man to make way after Dwaine Pretorius’ impressive outing in Christchurch.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Andile Phehulkwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirPitch and conditionsAfter the beautiful ground at Hagley Oval it’s back to a stadium. ODI cricket returned to the Basin Reserve for the first time in 11 years last January, but this match is at the Westpac – or Cake Tin as it’s known. It has one of the lower first-innings scoring rates of New Zealand grounds – 5.02 – but the totals can range from the sublime (New Zealand’s 393 in the World Cup quarter-final against West Indies) to the ridiculous (England’s 123 in the same tournament). The forecast is set fair with some warm sunshine.Stats and trivia AB de Villiers now needs five runs for 9000 (he has scored his 8995 runs from 9000 deliveries) The teams have played twice at the Westpac: New Zealand won by five runs in 2004, South Africa by six wickets in 2012 Tim Southee is the leading wicket-taker at the Westpac with 23 wickets from seven matches, one ahead of Daniel Vettori who claimed 22 in 21 outingsQuotes”It’s great to be involved in games that go down the wire and, as a death bowler, it’s something you look forward. It won’t come off every time, but when it does it’s very satisfying – especially in those very close ones.”
“As a batting unit we understood nobody in that top-six took responsibility. That’s the disappointing part of the result. Especially myself, getting in and not taking it home for the team. That’s something we pride ourselves on.”
JP Duminy was clear on one area of improvement for South Africa