Brendon McCullum’s tenure as England white-ball coach has gotten off to a shaky start, with the British media already sharpening their knives ahead of this month’s Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan.
Ireland on brink of historic first as spinner skittles Zimbabwe on rain-affected day
Ireland spinner Matthew Humphreys took four wickets to reduce Zimbabwe to 7/183 on a rain-hit fourth day on Sunday, leaving them well-poised for victory in the one-off Test in Bulawayo.
Why Smith doesn’t think Marnus is ‘out of form’ as Aussie flies to embattled star’s defence
Steve Smith has predicted that runs are “just around the corner” for the struggling Marnus Labuschagne, with the Australian stand-in captain referencing his own resurgence with the willow while defending his teammate.
Virat Kohli flops again as Rohit Sharma’s hundred seals Indian series triumph over England
Skipper Rohit Sharma defied a floodlight failure to return to form with a cracking 119 as India swept to a four-wicket, series-clinching win over England in the second one-day international on Sunday.
‘Steep decline’ leaves big Marnus question as WTC decider, ‘final frontier’ loom — Series Talking Pts
With a brief flourish in Galle on Sunday, Australia completed a clean sweep of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy series to put the exclamation mark on an outstanding summer of cricket.
Australia crush Sri Lanka in second Test to complete rare series sweep
- Sri Lanka 257 and 231; Australia 414 and 75-1 in four days
- Spinners Lyon and Kuhnemann take seven wickets each
Australia have capped off a brilliant summer with a nine-wicket defeat of Sri Lanka that confirms their first clean sweep of a subcontinent Test series in almost 20 years.
Chasing just 75 runs in sunny Galle on Sunday, Australia (75-1) secured victory in the second Test and two-match series when Marnus Labuschagne (26 not out) hit the winning run to square leg just before lunch on day four.
Continue reading...Aussie batters’ insane numbers amid three perfect 10s… and one glaring fail: Series Player Ratings
Australia sealed a whitewash with a nine-wicket victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle to pick up a series win in the island nation for the first time since Nathan Lyon’s debut tour in 2011.
Vic prodigy’s huge debut as fellow teen Konstas struggles; WA skittled for 66 — Shield wrap
Victorian prodigy Harry Dixon has made a whirlwind start to his Sheffield Shield career on Sunday, hitting 66 off 72 balls against Tasmania in Hobart.
Aussies end 14-year drought with historic series whitewash as stars quickly complete Day 4 chase
Australia have won their first Test series in Sri Lanka in 14 years after another thumping victory in Galle.
NZ cricketer suffers sickening head injury after freak fielding accident
New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra suffered a sickening blow to the head after he appeared to misjudge a catch during his team’s ODI victory over Pakistan on Saturday.
Australia close on series triumph after swatting aside Sri Lanka resistance
- Sri Lanka 257 and 211-8;Australia 414 after day three
- Tourists only trail by 54 runs in the second Test
Australia need only two wickets and a bit of gusto from the top order to defeat Sri Lanka and claim their first series whitewash on the subcontinent in nearly 20 years.
Sri Lanka went to stumps on day three of the second Test only 54 runs ahead of Australia in their second innings, with Kusal Mendis (48 not out) their last recognised batter. Australia could seal the win in the morning session on Sunday, but won’t want the run chase getting out of hand given the tricks the Galle pitch played early on day three.
Continue reading...Questions grow over debut vanishing act; no doubt over key Aussie spot: Talking Pts
Australia faces the prospect of a potentially tricky run chase on Day 4 of the Second Test of the tour of Sri Lanka after the hosts produced their best performance of the series to date on Saturday.
Konstas’ Shield return overshadowed; 20 wickets fall in a wild west day – Shield Wrap
Queensland batsman Jack Clayton, not NSW opener Sam Konstas, was the headline act at the Gabba on Saturday.
I was wrong to say Bazball is a cult. It’s actually a death cult | Barney Ronay
As defeats pile up Brendon McCullum’s brand of cricket now has the feel of a cool music video on the deck of a sinking ship
Two summers ago, with interest in the England Test team’s seductive new energy reaching an early peak, I wrote an article suggesting that Bazball was a cult.
There were some parts of the clinical definition of a cult that seemed analogous. A sense of mission. Charismatic, dominant individuals in charge. Presents itself as innovative and elitist. Aggressively hostile towards any kind of outside questioning.
Continue reading...Late drama as Aussie gamble pays off; ‘brainfade’ burns SL in brutal collapse: Day 3 Wrap
Australia is in the box seat to pull off a series whitewash with three late wickets turning the tide back in the visitors’ favour after an admirable Sri Lankan fight back for much of day three in Galle.