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Allan Donald, South Africa’s bowling coach, has warned Australia to expect a fully-firing Dale Steyn from the first morning of the first Test of the upcoming series

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg05-Feb-2014Allan Donald, South Africa’s bowling coach, has warned Australia to expect a fully-firing Dale Steyn from the first morning of the first Test of the upcoming series. Although Steyn has not bowled for five weeks, in which he was given extended rest to recover from a rib injury, Donald insisted Steyn would not require any additional time to get back into the swing things.”We cant afford for him to ease into it. Graeme wants him to be full tilt right from the start,” Donald said, after the second day’s play in the tour match. Steyn bowled 8.5 overs to follow up from the three he delivered on Tuesday and came off a slightly longer run-up than the one he used on day one. Quinton de Kock, who faced Steyn early on, said initially “there was no pace there, he was just working on his areas” but Donald noted Steyn got quicker as the day went on.Steyn got rid of the Composite XI’s tail to finish with three wickets and show heartening signs that his self-belief is ballooning. “The biggest thing when you are coming back from a rib injury is confidence,” Donald said. “You do feel hesitant at first. You need to get back that confidence in getting through your action. But for a guy who hasn’t bowled a ball in a month, Dale is looking good.”Although Donald called Steyn a “freakish sort of guy” who can “slot straight back in” after a layoff, he also said Steyn, like any other bowler, needs to work his way back by slowly increasing his load. “Every day he needs to build,” he said.The comeback should be declared complete on Thursday. Donald said Steyn will have one more spell and promised it will be a nasty one. “He will be bowling quicker, running in harder off a nice long run up with full momentum,” he said. “That will give him that confidence and form that you take into a massive series.”South Africa need Steyn at his best because he will be the spearhead in what has been dubbed a battle of the bowlers, which Donald expects to be as explosive as it sounds. “Michael Clarke has every right to say he rates his attack No.1 because what a hell of a performance over five Tests,” he said, referring to Australia’s Ashes triumph.”They’re a good attack, they showed that against England. They have got variation in their attack and so have we. That’s where it will be fantastic viewing from the side to see how these guys match up against each other.”Steyn’s direct competitor, especially where pace and the label leader of the attack lies, is Mitchell Johnson, who will enjoy the knowledge that four of South Africa’s Test batsmen, including Alviro Petersen and Graeme Smith twice, were dismissed by left-armers in the ongoing warm-up match. Donald called Johnson’s recent form the “best I have seen him bowl in a very long time”.Donald was particularly impressed with the combination Johnson’s speed and control. “He never gave England a sniff, he was so tight with the channels he bowled and his pace through the air,” Donald said. “He softened them up with very good short balls and his follow-up balls were the ones that were very quick through the air. His overall control was the best I’ve seen for a while.”That type of discipline is something Donald was hoping from Wayne Parnell and he believes there was a glimpse of it in South Africa’s second innings. “He showed a lot of intent. There was presence in his run up, which is important,” Donald said. “I thought that stood out today, he had good pace and good control.” Parnell appears the frontrunner to slot into South Africa’s Test XI, which would add another speedster into what is already a cauldron of quicks.With so much fire and brimstone in the lead-up to the series, it is easy to get carried away but Donald said South Africa are aiming for the same kind of calm they achieved when they prepared to take the Test mace off England in 2012. “There is no point jumping in with both feet down people’s throats,” he said, the mixed metaphor only emphasising the point. “This team doesn’t stand for that. We built up very calmly towards England. And it feels exactly the same. It feel eerily the same.”Then, South Africa took a trip to Switzerland in the lead-up to the tour where they spent time with explorer Mike Horn. This time, they will spend two days in Hoedspruit, a town close to the Kruger National Park, where they will assist Mark Boucher in his mission to save the rhino. The getaway is aimed to give them perspective and when they return to fine-tune for the Test, Donald expects them, and the attack specifically, to be more than ready.”This South African attack – from where we started our journey against England almost two years ago, to where we are now – we’ve got what it takes to deliver. We know what we stand for, we know what to expect from each other and whenever there has been big questions asked of us in the past, someone, or the whole attack, has stepped up.” Donald believes it will be more of the same again.

Channel Nine will not be picking Australia’s teams nor dictating their schedule over the term of the network’s new $400 million broadcast deal, James Sutherland said

Daniel Brettig19-Jun-2013Channel Nine will not be picking Australia’s cricket teams nor dictating their schedule over the term of the network’s new $400 million broadcast rights deal, Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland has said.Having been pushed to the top of the market by a bold Network Ten bid for all cricket in Australia, Nine clearly expect value for money. Their managing director Jeff Browne told a business lunch in Sydney on Wednesday that there would be “a lot more discussion” of team selection and scheduling between CA and the broadcaster from next summer, particularly around the matter of player rotation.”I understand why sports want to do that but people at home want to see the best players playing and we urge Cricket Australia to pick the best players every time,” Browne said. “I think we’ve got a better understanding on that. Last year that balance was skewed too much in favour of resting some players so from now on there will be a lot more discussion between CA and the broadcaster about that.”The issue of senior Australian players being rested and rotated during the limited overs portion of the summer was a particular sore point with Nine last season. ESPNcricinfo reported in January that the CA team performance manager Pat Howard had two meetings with Nine’s director of sport Steve Crawley and members of the commentary team during the Sydney Test to explain why Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade were to be rested and Michael Hussey dropped.Browne was clearly of the view that such discussions would become more consultative than merely explanatory in the future, but Sutherland was adamant that the national selectors would not be unduly influenced by the commercial demands of broadcasters, no matter how much they were paying to provide television coverage.”Cricket has a long-standing and successful relationship with the Nine Network but team selections and scheduling are matters for Cricket Australia,” Sutherland said. “The National Selection Panel selects the Australian teams. With the volume of international cricket being played, it will continue to be necessary for us to manage player workloads appropriately.”We’ll continue to consult with our broadcasters on scheduling issues. It’s something we have always done. We have a common goal with our broadcast partners to maximise the number of fans watching and enjoying cricket. We’ll consider all ideas and then make the appropriate decisions.”Following the Sydney meetings, Nine and CA were engaged in a public slanging match after the stand-in ODI captain George Bailey responded to suggestions he was leading a “B-team” by contending that it was in Nine’s interests to talk the game down somewhat as it entered broadcast negotiations. This drew a furious response from the network’s executive producer of cricket, Brad McNamara.”Nowhere has Channel Nine ever talked the one-day game down, nowhere have we ever said this is a ‘B team’,” McNamara told an Australian radio station. “It’s rubbish and George should stick to playing cricket and leave rights to the people who know what they’re talking about. I reckon he’s got his hands full as it is. He needs to concentrate on staying in the side.”And he needs to understand where his money’s coming from. Without the TV rights deal, George is probably working in a coal mine or flipping burgers at McDonald’s. All this talk about the death of one-day cricket, it’s not coming from us. Given we were lacking star quality, we were very happy [with the ratings].”At the announcement of the broadcast deal, Nine’s chief executive David Gyngell had rejected suggestions the network would seek assurances that rotations would be reduced. “No, I don’t have those political discussions with James,” he said. “I don’t agree with the rotation policy, but not enough to not buy the cricket. That’s up to James to sort out.”

Chandika Hathurusingha, assistant coach of New South Wales, has brought four young Australian spinners on a coaching tour of Sri Lanka

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Jul-2013Chandika Hathurusingha, the assistant coach of New South Wales, has taken three potential teenage spinners – Soumil Chhibber, an offspinner who has a bowling action like Muttiah Muralitharan, and legspinners Shane Cassel and Daniel Sallens – along with Australian left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe on a 15-day coaching tour to Sri Lanka.The four NSW spinners have been practising and playing in the ongoing SLC Under-23 tournament to gain experience of bowling in subcontinent conditions . They are also due to meet the coaches of SLC’s spin bowling staff, headed by former Sri Lanka spinner Piyal Wijetunge.Hathurusingha, who is assistant coach to Trevor Bayliss at NSW, is on a mission to help the state groom spinners for the future. “The state gets a sponsorship grant each year under the Basil Sellers Scholarship Programme and this year we thought of coming to Sri Lanka and groom some spinners giving them the subcontinent experience,” he said.Midway last season, when NSW sacked their head coach Anthony Stuart, it was Hathurusingha that the state turned towards to take them through the rest of the season.”We won seven out of nine matches and were deprived of a place in the Sheffield Shield final by one point because we had some points deducted for a slow over rate,” Hathurusingha said. He was also part of the coaching staff of Sydney Sixers when they won the Champions League T20 in 2012-13, beating South Africa’s Highveld Lions in the final by 10 wickets in Johannesburg.With Bayliss returning from coaching Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, NSW made him head coach and retained Hathurusingha as assistant coach. In the Big Bash League, where Sydney have two teams, Bayliss is coach of the Sixers and Hathurusingha coaches the Thunder.”It’s a big honour for me to coach arguably the best domestic cricket team in the world – NSW Blues,” he said. “I am more settled and I am quite happy.”Following his success with the NSW teams, Hathurusingha has been appointed assistant coach to Troy Cooley of the Australian A team that is due to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe for from July 18. When asked if the chance to coach NSW was the best thing that had happened in his coaching career, Hathurusingha replied, “It was a good break but there’s nothing like coaching your own national team.”Hathurusingha had been groomed to become the next head coach of Sri Lanka after Bayliss, but was unceremoniously dumped by the SLC interim committee headed by DS de Silva in early 2011, after which he left for Australia with his family.

Alastair Cook’s exploratory first outing in a new helmet ended after five balls but that was the worst of the impermanence from Essex

Alan Gardner at Hove18-Apr-2016
ScorecardAlastair Cook trudges off after making 1 from five balls in his first innings with his ECB-approved new helmet•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook’s exploratory first outing in a new helmet ended after five balls but that was the worst of the impermanence from an Essex side doggedly battling to prove their credentials as Division Two promotion challengers at Hove. Cook scored just 1 in his first innings wearing ECB-approved headgear and spent most of the day ensconced in the changing rooms, barring a quick rendezvous with a familiar face in the shape of England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace.Cook seems resigned to the fact he will have to get used to a helmet with a fixed grille, with England hopeful that he can make the required adjustments before the start of the Test summer next month. While the ECB has been quietly urging Cook to come into line with new safety regulations, the prospect of England’s captain suffering a dip in form over the issue – he made a century for Essex batting in his old England helmet last week – may cause some disquiet at Lord’s.As well as coming to terms with a narrower window in which to sight the ball, there is also the matter of modified helmets weighing more than the old style. Some have pointed out that picking up a delivery early, and therefore being better able to avoid being hit, is as important as physical protection when it comes to batsman safety.Cook is an old-fashioned batsman in more ways than one – although with 24,000 runs to his name in senior cricket perhaps that is unsurprising – and Michael Atherton, another former England captain and opener, has suggested he should be allowed to make the decision for himself.No opener likes to be out in the third over and Cook concealed his emotions pretty well after falling to his first ball from Steve Magoffin, but it was not hard to imagine a fresh blast of salty sea air accompanying his return to the changing rooms. Still, as Essex’s batting coach, Anthony McGrath, pragmatically put it: “As an opener against the new ball you’re going to get a few low scores.”Cook would surely have preferred not to be facing a bowler as metronomically exacting outside off stump as Magoffin for this unwanted trial. Having survived four deliveries from Ollie Robinson from the Sea End, he was dismissed pushing at one in the channel, a thick edge flying low to second slip. The lid stayed firmly on for the slow walk back, although some wag hollering “Wrong helmet!” from the deckchairs probably did not help his equilibrium. Not since David Beckham was pictured in a sarong has there been so much attention on what an England player is wearing.There was far less focus on Essex’s No. 3, though Tom Westley ought to have caught the eye of Farbrace, huddled on a bench at the Cromwell Road End. Westley looked in good touch, having scored a century in Essex’s opening-round win over Gloucestershire and another in the university match at Fenners, and it was something of a surprise when he mistimed a pull against Danny Briggs and gave a simple catch to midwicket.Nevertheless, Westley’s 86 meant he now has 397 first-class runs this season, the most in the country, and he provided the Essex innings with its ballast. He might have been run out on 31, had Robinson’s throw been more accurate, and an edge flashed over the slips for four from the final ball before lunch but his class was otherwise evident. A high front elbow that bore the menace of a shark fin in shallow waters accompanied one straight drive off Robinson, while on another occasion he dealt with George Garton’s pace with the sort of dismissive pull reminiscent of Cook.Garton, 19 years of age and whippy of left-arm action, was not so easily shrugged off by the rest of Essex’s batsmen. Ravi Bopara gloved behind during his first spell and he returned later in the day to strike Ryan ten Doeschate a blow on the arm that necessitated a short delay for treatment from the physio. He also removed James Foster, who played on while hanging back in his crease, and did enough to suggest that Sussex’s pace reserves are not as thin as some have feared.Briggs, meanwhile, enjoyed the sort of extended workout he switched south-coast allegiances for, a 22-over spell of stately twirling and gentle entreaties to the umpire. Briggs looks like he would be an excellent maître d, upright and dexterous, with a suitably enigmatic smile; it would not be a surprise to hear he applies a squirt of L’Air de Panache – as favoured by Monsieur Gustave in – during intervals.He was, however, twice clubbed down the ground for six from consecutive balls by ten Doeschate, an unceremonious attempt by the Essex captain to rally his side from 219 for 7, with the floodlights shining down and a chill wind whipping in from the sea; the slow bowler’s equivalent of being told the cutlery is dirty and needs to be replaced.

Brendon McCullum has been appointed New Zealand’s captain in all three formats after Ross Taylor declined an offer to stay on as leader of the Test side in a split-captaincy scenario

Brydon Coverdale06-Dec-2012Brendon McCullum has been appointed New Zealand’s captain in all three formats after Ross Taylor declined an offer to stay on as leader of the Test side in a split-captaincy scenario. Taylor has also chosen to make himself unavailable for the upcoming tour of South Africa, although New Zealand are hopeful he will be back in the side for the home series against England early next year.The confirmation of the change came at a press conference in Auckland on Friday morning where David White, the New Zealand Cricket CEO, said he regretted the way the captaincy debate had played out in the public spotlight. McCullum, who has previously led New Zealand in eight ODIs and 12 Twenty20s, will become the country’s 28th Test captain when the series against South Africa begins on January 2 in Cape Town.There had been much speculation this week about the future of Taylor since the squad returned from Sri Lanka despite their impressive series-leveling victory in Colombo. In that match Taylor, who took over as captain in 2011 after being preferred to McCullum for the role, scored 142 in the first innings, but it was one of few highlights in a disappointing year for New Zealand, whose only other victory came in the first Test of the year against Zimbabwe.They lost Test series against South Africa, West Indies and India before the draw in Sri Lanka while they have slipped to ninth in the one-day rankings below Bangladesh. They were also knocked out in the Super Eights of the World Twenty20. It was after the review of that tournament, as well as the tours of India and Sri Lanka, that the coach Mike Hesson recommended splitting the captaincy.”Mike Hesson proposed a split captaincy that was endorsed by me as CEO and agreed by the board,” White said. “The original recommendation was for Ross Taylor to be retained as Test captain and Brendon McCullum to be short-form captain. We regret that Ross Taylor has declined the opportunity, therefore Brendon McCullum has been appointed as Black Caps captain for all three forms of the game.”I met with Ross … for about three hours yesterday and we considered a number of different options. One of them was … for him to go to South Africa and even just play the Test matches if he wanted to do that. But he thought about it long and hard and he said that he would like a break and to spend time with his family and we’ve agreed with that and we respect that. It’s not ideal and we would be a stronger team with Ross Taylor in it.”Despite the change in captaincy, White said he did not believe Taylor had lost the support of his players. “I don’t believe he lost the dressing room,” White said. “He is well respected.”Hesson, who took over from John Wright as New Zealand’s coach in July, said he wanted Taylor to stay on as Test captain and his main concern was that the leadership in all three formats was a lot for anyone to take on. Hesson said split captaincy had worked for other countries and he believed McCullum would have been the best man for the job in the shorter formats.”Brendon certainly reads the one-day game well and is very adaptable and changes quickly,” Hesson said. “The one-day game and the T20 game move very quickly. I think Brendon McCullum has attributes to really add value to our team in that area.”Split captaincy is something that works and with the high volume of cricket around the world at the moment, for one person to take on all three forms of the game is an extremely difficult task. It’s very difficult for anybody to be up to that.”We play ten months of the year. In terms of planning from series to series it’s extremely difficult, to look after your own game and worry about that of the team. Therefore my recommendation was for Ross to stay on as Test captain and focus on that, and also focus on his batting in all three forms, and for Brendon to come in as leader of the one-day and T20 squads.”

India’s women will play their first Test since 2006 after a four-day contest was pencilled into their tour of England in August.

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2014India’s women will play their first Test since 2006 after a four-day contest was pencilled into their tour of England in August.In the women’s game the Test format has been exclusively played by England and Australia since 2008; the last Test not involving one of those sides was when South Africa played Netherlands in 2007.India’s previous Test was also against England, at Taunton, when India won by five wickets. Anjum Chopra made 98 in the first innings then England collapsed to 99 all out as Jhulan Goswami took 5 for 33, before the home side hit back through a hundred by Charlotte Edwards to leave a target of 98. India slipped to 74 for 5 in the chase before securing the victory.The Test is part of an itinerary that will also include three one-day internationals before England face South Africa in three Twenty20s. The third ODI will be played at Lord’s on August 25 while the final T20 will be part of a double-header alongside the men’s T20 between England and India at Edgbaston on September 7.Clare Conner, the head of women’s cricket for the ECB, said: “The recent Women’s Ashes Test in Perth was a wonderful demonstration of women’s cricket at its best, and I expect a similarly tight contest when England take on India at Wormsley in August.”Last summer saw record numbers of spectators through the gates to watch England regain the Women’s Ashes, and this year’s international schedule presents a similarly exciting proposition for cricket fans up and down the country to see some of the best women’s cricketers in the world in action.”Cricket South Africa were delighted to have been invited for three T20s which will all be televised live.”This is excellent news not just for our national women’s team but for all women’s cricket in South Africa,” Haroon Lorgat, the CSA chief executive, said: “The privilege of our team competing in England in such a high profile series against one of the undoubted leaders in the women’s game is setting new standards for our women’s cricket.”It is a well-deserved honour and shows the enormous strides we have been making and I am sure this news will inspire and motivate all our players on the eve of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Playing on the same famous international grounds as the England men’s team will surely be a wonderful experience for our women’s team.”

Daniel Christian, the Australia allrounder, will play for Middlesex as one of their overseas players during the NatWest Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2014Daniel Christian, the Australia allrounder, will play for Middlesex as one of their overseas players during the NatWest Blast. Christian, who helped Hampshire to win the Friends Provident t20 in 2010, is expected to be available throughout the season, with most of the matches in England’s new domestic T20 competition being played on Friday nights.Capped 34 times by Australia, Christan was recently in action at the World T20. The 30-year-old has played 125 T20 matches in his career to date and was a member of the Brisbane Heat side that won the Big Bash League in 2012-13. He has also played in the IPL and for Gloucestershire in county cricket.”When we sat down to identify the type of cricketer Middlesex CCC required for this summer’s NatWest T20 Blast a seam bowling allrounder was top of our list,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said. “We are therefore delighted to have attained the services of such an experienced, talented and dangerous cricketer.”Unlike many of this summer’s T20 signings Dan is available for selection for all of our NatWest T20 Blast Group matches, which was important to us. We believe Dan will offer the team experience and match winning performances; assets that any team would want to have. His recent appearances for Australia highlight how highly regarded he is Down Under too.”Christian, who has scored 1644 runs and taken 106 wickets in T20, will arrive in May ahead of the start of the T20 Blast. Middlesex begin their campaign with back-to-back matches against Essex and Sussex at Lord’s on May 17, with newly appointed limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan set to take charge.”I am delighted to have signed with Middlesex for the 2014 Natwest T20 Blast,” Christian said. “The opportunity to play at the Home of Cricket is a dream come true and I can’t wait to pull on a Middlesex shirt for the first time. Kicking off the tournament with a double-header at Lords against Sussex and Essex in front of what I am sure will be a full house promises to be one of the highlights of my career. I look forward to helping Eoin and the boys challenge for silverware this year.”

Preview of the second Test between New Zealand and England at the the Basin Reserve, Wellington

George Dobell13-Mar-2013Match factsMarch 14, 2013
Start time 10.30am (2130 GMT)Stuart Broad’s batting form has fallen away sharply•PA PhotosBig PictureHad the first Test been decided on a points decision, there is little doubt that most judges would have awarded it to New Zealand. After bowling out England for 167 – their lowest first innings score since 2009 – the hosts replied with 460 to take a first innings lead of 293; their third highest against England in completed innings. While a flat pitch and some determined England batting prevented a repeat in the second innings, it was England who benefited most from the first day having been lost to rain.But the fact is that the match was drawn and, bearing in mind the history of England improving after a faltering start, New Zealand may come to reflect that they have missed their best opportunity to strike a telling blow. Worryingly for New Zealand, this pitch is expected to provide more assistance to the England seamers.It certainly proved that way in 2008. After New Zealand won the opening Test in Hamilton, England struck back at Wellington with Tim Ambrose recording his only Test century and claiming the man of the match award as England leveled the series. They subsequently went on to win it by prevailing in the final Test in Napier.It remains to be seen how much the effort in Dunedin took out of the New Zealand side. While they should have taken confidence from some aspects of their performance, the concern is that their three seamers bowled 114 overs between them in the second innings in their pursuit of victory. With so little time to recover between the games, Wellington will offer a stern test of their stamina. The ability of Steven Finn, who went into the Dunedin Test with few pretensions as a batsman, to resist the New Zealand bowlers for nearly five hours in the second innings might also prove sobering for the hosts.Still, any fears New Zealand had over the potency of England’s seam attack should have been eased by the Dunedin performance. Indeed, in three first-class innings on the tour to date, England have yet to bowl out their opposition with the New Zealand XI in Queenstown declaring in their first innings and completing a testing fourth-innings target with three wickets in hand in their second innings.Form guideNew Zealand DLLWL (Completed matches, most recent first)
England DDWWLIn the spotlightHad Martin Guptill been fit, it is highly likely that Hamish Rutherford would not have played in the first Test in Dunedin. Rutherford seized his chance with some style, though, and in scoring 171 set a new high for an opener on debut against England. Only Mathew Sinclair, who made 214 on debut against West Indies in 1999, has made a higher score on New Zealand Test debut. Rutherford’s excellent start has buoyed home hopes that a line-up containing Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and, one day, perhaps, Jesse Ryder, might have the potential to develop into the strongest batting unit in New Zealand’s Test history.Stuart Broad’s form has been the subject of much debate. But while the focus has tended to fall on his bowling – he claimed his first Test wickets since August in Dunedin – his batting has – arguably – fallen away more sharply. Since he last made a half-century – in January 2012 against Pakistan in the UAE – he has had 16 Test innings, passed 20 only four times with a highest score of 37 and averaged only 13.60. Perhaps more remarkably, in that time the average balls he has faced in a completed innings is just under 20. Such statistics do little to support the claim that he can be viewed as an allrounder and suggests that he may be batting too high at No.8.Team newsNew Zealand will be unchanged and England are likely to follow the same route. For New Zealand, Doug Bracewell has not recovered from the foot injury sustained while cleaning up glass after a party while for England Kevin Pietersen is expected to play despite what Andy Flower described as “a little bit of pain in his right knee.” Flower went on to say: “Most of the players play with something sore most of the time. I don’t anticipate it being a huge problem for us at all.”New Zealand 1 Peter Fulton, 2 Hamish Rutherford, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Dean Brownlie, 6 Brendon McCullum (capt), 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Tim Southee, 9 Bruce Martin/Ian Butler, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Nick Compton, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Joe Root, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 James Anderson, 10 Steven Finn, 11 Monty Panesar*.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch is expected to have more pace and bounce than Dunedin, with some claiming it is the quickest in New Zealand. The last time England played here, Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson both gained swing movement and claimed five-wicket hauls and it is worth noting that Chris Martin, with 60 wickets in 14 Tests, is the highest Test wicket-taker on the ground. Bowlers capable of generating bounce should enjoy it.New Zealand have not won any of the last six Tests on the ground. The last two – against South Africa in 2012 and Pakistan in 2011 – have been drawn, though the weather played a role on both occasions.Wind may also play a role. Wellington is a notoriously windy city and some bowlers struggle to adapt to the challenge of running into it. Shane Bond, the New Zealand bowling coach, has admitted it is an experience that all three of his side’s leading seamers are unaccustomed to having developed as strike bowlers running in with the wind behind them.Stats and trivia New Zealand and England have played each other in 10 Tests at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. England have won four times and New Zealand only once, in 1978, when an England side captained by Geoff Boycott were bowled out for a paltry 64 chasing 137 for victory. Nick Compton and Alastair Cook are currently averaging 81 per opening partnership. The sample size is small – they have now played five Tests together – but only Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe – who averaged 87.81 in 38 innings – of regular England openers have a better record. New Zealand have won four of their last 33 Tests against England dating back to 1986. The last one of those game seven Test ago, at Hamilton in 2008, James Anderson needs eight wickets to become the fourth England bowler after Fred Trueman, Bob Willis and Ian Botham to take 300 in Tests. He needs five to draw level with Derek Underwood, currently the fourth highest wicket-taker in Tests for England.Quotes”We always knew the guys are fit, and can bowl a lot of volume, we just need to make sure they are fresh and ready to go.”
Shane Bond, the New Zealand bowling coach reflecting on the fitness of his side’s three seamers, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, who delivered 114 of the 170 overs in England’s second innings in Dunedin.”I’d rather have been batting for 170 overs than fielding, let’s put it that way.”
Matt Prior.*06.40GMT, March 13: The preview had previously listed Graeme Swann in the line-up.

The LA Galaxy defender has made a massive leap this year, with his performances this summer suggesting he could go to the very top

United States men's national team interim coach B.J. Callaghan is still relatively new to media duties, but he's plenty familiar with coach-speak. When leading a team, there are certain things you can and cannot say, and because of that, coaches tend to stick to familiar talking points.

Callaghan, though, deviated slightly this week when asked to name a specific player that has stood out to him. The coach-speak answer would have been to praise the team, to hail the group atmosphere that is bigger than one individual. That's not what Callaghan did, though. Instead, he pointed to one player: Jalen Neal.

"From the perspective of a player that has impressed," he began, "the situation that somebody like Jalen Neal was put into, coming in at half-time (against Jamaica) as a young player against, quite honestly, a really dangerous front four and a top, top international striker in Michail Antonio, I think his performance, I wouldn't say surprised us, but the calm and the maturity that he showed lends to a bright future for him. For me, that was a really great moment and something that we hope to continue to foster as he develops into what we hope is a big player for the U.S. men's national team."

This summer, Neal has become the USMNT's newest star. Playing at the Gold Cup, a tournament the U.S. uses as a chance to try out fringe players, Neal has passed his test with flying colors so far.

But who is Neal and how did he rise so quickly with the USMNT? GOAL has everything you need to know about the young defender…

GettyWhere it all began

Neal has been with LA Galaxy from the start, joining the club's academy in 2016 as a teenager after being raised in nearby Lakewood. He's risen through the ranks, appearing in the former U.S. Soccer Development Academy system before becoming a fixture for LA Galaxy II in 2020. He made 12 appearances for the club in the USL Championship that season, making his debut at just 16 years old.

By 2021, the defender had signed a contract with the Galaxy's senior team, completing his rise from academy starlet to first team. “Jalen is a talented defender who has shown his capability at the professional level last season with LA Galaxy II,” then-GM Dennis te Kloese said in a club statement. “We are excited that he will become another player on our first-team roster that has come through our developmental system. We look forward to Jalen continuing to learn and grow with our club.”

He remained with Los Dos for the next two years, though, making 48 appearances, but was handed his first-team debut in 2022 in a U.S. Open Cup win over California United Strikers.

“These last few years with the second team have been really building my confidence," Neal said prior to the 2023 MLS season. "I’ve gotten to grow physically, mentally, vocally too, and I think my leadership on the field has improved a lot. I think I’m ready to take that step to the next level, for sure.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

Prior to the start of the 2023 MLS season, LA Galaxy coach Gregg Vanney tipped Neal for a big year. "He just has a really calm, cool demeanor about what he does," Vanney said. "He’s never really frazzled and gives us nice quality with and without the ball. The next step for him is exposure. Having to live those moments against top players and work with his team-mates.”

Well, it's safe to say Vanney called his shot. Neal's year began with a call-up to the USMNT for the annual January camp, a gathering often used to integrate some of the younger members of the player pool. Neal, of course, was a notable inclusion as he had not yet made his MLS debut for the Galaxy prior to being called-up.

He, ultimately, featured for the senior national team before his senior club team, as he made his USMNT debut against Serbia during that camp. In the months since, he's certainly built off that momentum, becoming a mainstay for the Galaxy in central defense.

Neal has been so important for the Galaxy, in fact, that the club controversially refused to release him for this summer's Under-20 World Cup. He was too vital to the team, the Galaxy said, as Neal, a regular for the U20s, was prevented from travelling to Argentina as the Galaxy looked to stay afloat after a tough start to the season.

It hasn't hurt his standing with the national team, though, as Neal has quickly become the breakout star of this Gold Cup campaign.

GettyHow it's going

Neal is the third-youngest member of the USMNT's Gold Cup squad. He's also far and away the youngest central defender in the team. The LA Galaxy star, though, has been fantastic so far for the U.S., offering the composure of a veteran despite being a teenager.

After Aaron Long went down with an injury in the opening match against Jamaica, Neal stepped in at half-time and improved the USMNT defense. While the U.S. was shaky against the likes of Antonio and Leon Bailey in the first half, Neal helped the U.S. backline immensely as the team came back for a 1-1 draw.

"Jalen Neal was honestly put into a tough situation tonight and exudes what we preach all the time: when you're number's called, you step up," Callaghan said of the young defender after the draw. "He did it in a calm, composed way and that's what you're most happy about. The stage wasn't too big for him. He stepped right in and did a tremendous job."

He was handed his first start of the tournament in the next game against St. Kitts and Nevis and, once again, he didn't put a foot wrong. The U.S., of course, dominated the game, but, even with that caveat, it was hard not to come away impressed with Neal's performance.

Neal completed more passes than any other USMNT player in the win, including one absurd line-breaking pass from inside his own half to set up a chance, while also winning the most duels.

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LA GalaxyBiggest strengths

It doesn't take long to figure out what those in LA and with the USMNT see in Neal. At 6'3, Neal is the perfect height for a center-back and, at 19, there's still plenty of time for him to fill out that big frame. Thanks to that frame, though, he's already solid enough in the air.

Still, the first thing you really notice about Neal's game is his composure on the ball. He's already got that modern center-back mentality, despite being very, very new to the professional game. He's smooth on the ball and can kickstart attacks. Neal can keep things ticking, but also step forward and hit passes that break lines, making him an evolving weapon even from that center-back spot. There are times where he feels like a midfielder in a defender's body; his vision is simply that good.

Because of that, he's already a great partner for a more 'old school' central defender that can help cover up some of the still-evolving aspects of Neal's game.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said the Pakistan team had the “worst fitness levels” in the world, and hinted at changes after the ongoing Bangladesh tour

Umar Farooq in Mirpur07-May-2015PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said the Pakistan team had the “worst fitness levels” in the world, and that only Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan meet the minimum standard in the country. He added that there will not be any immediate remedial steps as fitness culture has to be developed over time.”None of our first-class teams measure up to the minimum domestic standard of fitness, which makes it difficult to select a national team. These things have to be addressed over time, and it cannot be done overnight. Our fitness levels are not up to the international standards. We have to take drastic steps now because we don’t have a culture of fitness and this has to be installed.”After landing in Dhaka on Wednesday, he gave a 10-minute speech to the Pakistan team, hinting at changes after the ongoing series against Bangladesh, and was also critical of their performance so far in the local media.”I have come here to witness the last Test and give my support personally to the team,” he said. “There is disappointment at the result of this tour but I was not surprised because Bangladesh have shown steady improvement over the last few years and cannot be taken lightly anymore.”There are concerns back home with regard to Pakistan’s performance, and I will talk to the coaches, manager and captain to find out the reasons for our unsuccessful tour. But I am not here to take immediate action. We have decided that we will sit down and assess the situation after the tour to see what is to be done with the team and the strategy.”Shaharyar was particularly disappointed with the gulf in the levels of fitness between Pakistan and the other teams. “I think the problem is very deep, our fitness levels are very poor. We are only at grade 10 while teams like Australia and South Africa are at grade 14. You can see the difference in Bangladesh [too], they are fit. Our minimum level of fitness is only met by Misbah and Younis. None of the others meet this level, which is unacceptable.”Pakistan have had a disastrous tour. They were blanked 3-0 in the ODIs and slipped from No. 7 in the rankings to No. 9. Improvement will be necessary to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Then they lost the T20 and were on the receiving end of a record-breaking batting performance from Bangladesh in the first Test.”We are not pressing the panic button just yet,” Shaharyar said. “We have lost here and lost it badly, but to a very good Bangladesh team. They are doing very well and playing with a lot of spirit as was evident from the way they recovered from a 300-run deficit in the previous Test in Khulna.”But we will abide by our earlier decision and assess what changes are to be made, both in the short run and the long term. A short-run alteration would mean changing the captain and the selection committee, but I don’t think that is the answer. Tinkering with the team will not make much of a difference. We are looking at remedial actions that will address the issues in the long run.”Shaharyar further said that both Pakistan and Bangladesh are determined to improve their ties in future. “We had a problem in the past as they were supposed to come to Pakistan in 2012 but they had their reasons,” he said. “We want to continue building ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh regularly. I know BCB want to reciprocate by coming to us later on, after two years, but meanwhile they are sending the women’s team and we are happy with that”