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The tournament was a grand success but there are ways in which it can be improved upon

Melinda Farrell26-Nov-2018As they say in parts of the Caribbean… party done.The first standalone Women’s T20 is now part of cricket’s history. In some ways an outstanding celebration of women’s place in the sport and, in others, a set of markers showing both how far the game has come and how much further it could – and should – go.So what worked and where can improvements be made?Low and slow is never the way to goLet’s shout it loudly for the people in the back row and then repeat it until their ears beg for blessed relief: if pitches are important to the men’s game, they are 10, 20, make it an even one hundred times more important for women. This simply can’t be emphasised enough and should be the first topic discussed for major women’s tournaments and series.This competition was a mixed bag: there were decent runs to be made in Guyana and the groundstaff in Saint Lucia were dealt a nasty hand with the heavy rain that caused one washout and a persistently soggy outfield. But it was a shame to see the climax of the tournament play out on such a slow wicket in Antigua. Sure, it challenged teams to adapt and that became a defining factor in the knockout stages. But the Women’s World T20 should showcase the best the players can offer and if that is a series of paddles, sweeps and nudges for singles it’s in trouble.We know that’s not the case though. Pace with the ball and off the bat encourages and enables more power-hitting and exciting play. There will always be plenty of room for spinners in the women’s game and this isn’t an argument against varied pitches in general. But this is a T20 tournament. Fans want to see Deandra Dottin smash a 30-ball 50 or the sublime strength of Ashleigh Gardner. They also want to see what Shabnim Ismail and Ellyse Perry can do if they have some helpful wickets to work on. How about we give them some?Javeria Khan tries to sweep•International Cricket CouncilDo the hokey pokeyOkay so sometimes the pitches may not be helpful to batters. In those cases why not bring the boundaries in a touch? No one wants to see women’s cricket played in the space of a bread plate but if the pitches are slow they could, conceivably, be brought in from the maximum 65 metres to something that encourages batsmen to go over the top. The officials did bring the boundaries in at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground because of the wet outfield but perhaps this flexibility could be applied more generously. If you know a venue is going to be slow, bring the boundaries in. If it’s going to be quick, push the boundaries out. You can shake them all about if you want but there could at least be some balancing measures to even up the contest.Legendary ambassadorsThe ICC used Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Darren Sammy and Sir Vivian Richards as ambassadors in their native countries of Guyana, Saint Lucia and Antigua respectively, and each former player was instrumental in stirring up interest and support through media appearances and appeals to fans. The sight of Sammy cheering on West Indies from his box in the ground that bears his name, or that of Sir Viv and Andy Roberts offering advice and support to the West Indies at Coolidge Cricket Ground was inspiring and helped connect the local women’s team to the legendary teams of the past. On top of that, a social media campaign based around the idea that jerseys have no boundaries gained international traction, no doubt helped by the fact it was kicked off by Virat Kohli.Spectators show their support for women’s cricket•International Cricket CouncilIf you don’t notice them, they’ve had a good gameSo goes the cliche about umpires and if that is the marker of success then there was a very mixed bag of under-the-radar and the wrong kind of attention-grabbing. The third day of the tournament was overshadowed by controversy surrounding three penalties given for running on the pitch in two games. Whatever the technicalities of the laws and playing conditions, the ‘crackdown’ – if it was one – made the women’s game look amateur during one of its showcase tournaments. All the teams were taken by surprise, even though the umpires reportedly discussed the issue as a problem in women’s cricket. Technically it could be argued that the teams transgressed, but if there is going to be a particular emphasis on running on the pitch, time wasting, or throwing the ball back on the bounce, for example, tell the players and the coaches before the tournament. It gives them time to address any problems and save the game from descending into farce, as the India-Pakistan game did. It wasn’t just that incident: at times it seemed the on-field officials were too nervous to make a call and the third official was given plenty of work. A rib-high no-ball was missed in the final and other questionable decisions became talking points, making the focus on running on the pitch seem even more laughable. It’s one thing to give deserved opportunities but this is a world tournament and it deserves to have at least some of the most-experienced and best umpires officiating.Mind The GapWhen it comes to investment and professionalism there are basically three groups in women’s cricket and this is reflected by the recent FICA report into that part of the game. At the top of the pile is Australia, with its strong domestic competitions and talent pathways, followed by England. In the second group you find India, West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa, with decent central contracts for the national team but little to provide a base underneath the elite players. The rest fall into a third pool of varying benefits and financial rewards for international players who, in some cases, are only semi-professional or fully amateur. That the tournament played out largely along those lines should sound alarms. Too many games had predictable results and were one-sided. It emerged that Pakistan’s players hadn’t been paid their monthly retainers in more than six months while the Ireland players receive minimal financial compensation for playing. The ICC is working on expanding the women’s championship and creating more opportunities for all countries to play, but while there is such contrast in investment and funding, there’s a danger that gap could widen to a point where it’s all but impossible to bridge.Standing aloneThe 2017 World Cup in England showed a women’s tournament could hold its own and the West Indies experience confirmed it. This tournament had a distinct personality; the kind you’d invite to any party. For the first time every match of a women’s ICC event was broadcast on television. The attendances, local media coverage, marketing, social media, and general atmosphere were all outstanding (A small caveat: it was a shame to see so few journalists representing major media outlets from the leading countries). The World T20 captured the Caribbean imagination, helped largely by the joyful performances by West Indies themselves. An impressive 10% of the populations of Saint Lucia and Antigua attended matches and the irresistibly catchy official anthem by Patrice Roberts and Shenseea, Watch This, could be heard everywhere you turned. And if it inspires a new generation of West Indies fans to fall in love with cricket again, it deserves to be hailed a success for that alone.

Thrilling, edge-of-the-seat spell gives England the edge after change of run-up gives new lease of life

George Dobell at Gros Islet10-Feb-2019A few days ahead of this Test, Mark Wood spoke to the media in the team hotel in Antigua.It was the latest in a series of conversations in which Wood insisted that, this time, he really had regained full fitness and he really could bowl fast again.You wanted to believe him. You really did. But we had heard it all before and, when he said he could “maybe bowl as quick as” Shannon Gabriel, there were some rolled eyes. Those days, we thought, were long gone and several previous recalls had seen the talk unmatched by the reality. He invariably looked a good, whole-hearted amiable fast-medium seamer. And England aren’t short of those.But Wood was right. And here, in St Lucia, he showed what England have been missing all series. What they missed in Australia. What they dearly need to give their attack some bite: well-controlled pace bowling.For make no mistake, this was quick. Thrillingly edge-of-the-seat quick. At one stage, Wood was timed at 94.6mph (that’s 152kph) and, for the first six overs of his first spell, his average delivery was over 90mph. Gabriel’s quickest delivery of the series has been 93.9mph. Yes, that means in this series dominated by West Indies’ fast bowlers, a slim and not especially tall man from Northumberland has delivered the fastest ball. Less Fire in Babylon; more Fire in Ashington.We do have to apply a little caution with such statistics. There has been little standardisation of the measurement of bowling speeds over the years and a tiny change in calibration might make a huge difference. At one stage on Sunday, Moeen Ali was timed at 90.1mph.There was no mistaking the reaction of West Indies’ batsmen, though. There was no mistaking the manner in which Roston Chase fenced one to gully or Shimron Hetmyer spliced one to first slip. There was no mistaking Shai Hope’s dismissal, either. Rattled by previous deliveries – the ball before had been a well-directed bouncer which scudded past his helmet, the one before that reared past his outside edge – he pushed hard at a full one outside off stump and sent an edge to gully.There were other good performances for England. Moeen Ali bowled as well as he has at any time on this tour – he has a good chance of finishing as England’s highest wicket-taker for two tours in succession – and both Rory Burns and Stuart Broad held outstanding catches. From a West Indies’ perspective, Kraigg Brathwaite’s inexplicable slog to deep midwicket – a real shocker of a shot – was the catalyst to collapse.But this was all about Wood and his well-directed pace. For pace can unsettle batsmen. It can rob them of their composure. It can make all the difference. Especially on surfaces like this which offer a bit of variable bounce. There is a real danger West Indies could be penalised for their pitch for the second Test in succession.So, where has this pace come from? Well, for one thing, Wood has lengthened his run-up a little. He feels this puts less stress on his body and helps him retain his fitness. In 12 previous Tests, he had shown flashes of pace – there was a memorable spell against Yorkshire on T20 Finals Day in 2016, too – but he had never claimed more than three wickets in an innings.”I thought I bowled faster on T20 Finals Day,” he said. “That felt quicker. There was one – the Hetmyer wicket – that flew through to Rooty. That felt pretty fast. He’s a huge talent so to get him out and make him look uncomfortable was really pleasing. And 95 mph… that was past expectations.”He might also be benefiting from some smart man-management. He was left out of the team at the start of the ODI series in Sri Lanka and was challenged by the coach, Trevor Bayliss, to put his potential into action. The sense was that Wood was just a little too amiable for the role of mean fast bowler. That he needed a bit of stick as well as a bit of carrot.He responded exactly in the way Bayliss intended. He delivered some blistering spells in the nets and then went away on the Lions tour to show he could sustain such aggression. He claimed five wickets (four were in the first innings) in the only unofficial Test against Pakistan A in the UAE, and put himself in pole position to claim a place on this tour should injury rule out any of the first choice bowlers.When Olly Stone – who really does look every bit as quick as Wood – had to return home with a stress fracture, Wood won another chance. There was every chance, aged 29, it might even be a last chance. Even he admitted he had started to have doubts. It was no surprise he rated it as the best day of his career; even better than claiming the winning wicket in the Ashes series of 2015.”Trevor challenged me to go and show I was a step above the lads in the Lions and really set the bar high,” Wood said. “In most the games I feel I did that and proved I was an international class bowler.””It’s nice to show some people who’ve probably doubted me in the past. I’ve even doubted myself that I can do it.”Everyone wants to take the winning Ashes wicket, don’t get me wrong, but if I could trade that feeling in for a few more five-fors I would. For me, this is better.”There is a concern, of course. Wood’s fitness record is poor and, combined with his slim frame, there are doubts about how much bowling he can take. It might be relevant that, just before this tour, he married and went on honeymoon.Maintaining the balance between rest and play is crucial for everyone, but for Wood the balance may be more towards rest.For that reason, Joe Root has to look after him carefully. Here he bowled an eight-over opening spell – albeit one split by the tea interval (3.1 overs before; 4.5 after) – with his pace dropping to the mid-80s in the latter stages. Wood himself admitted at the end of the day that he had probably bowled two overs too many.”The plan was to be three-four over bursts,” he said. “But because I was taking wickets I probably bowled two overs too many. At the end I was getting a bit tired.”Root has little experience of managing fast bowlers – few England captains do – and has, in recent months over-bowled James Anderson and Ben Stokes to an alarming degree. He might do well to reflect on Michael Clarke’s use of Mitchell Johnson during the 2013-14 Ashes when, whatever the match situation, Johnson operated in three- and four-over spells. It kept him fit, fast and fantastic. Root has to show the same discipline now.As an aside, this was a spell that did nothing to enhance Jofra Archer’s World Cup aspirations. His best chance of coming in to the reckoning is for one of England’s experienced seamers to suffer a loss of form or injury. When Wood bowls like this, he is a great asset who also has the benefit of experience. Archer, who has only bowled in 13 List A matches, may have to wait.Wood deserves this day. A more pragmatic fellow would have shelved their Test ambitions in a bid to stretch their limited-overs career. He’s had three ankle operations, after all. But his boyhood dream was to play Test cricket and some dreams outlive pragmatism.”I would never give up my hope of playing Test cricket,” he said in Antigua. “Growing up it’s the pinnacle.”This was a day in the sun he deserved. But the days in the sun England need are still to come in the World Cup and the Ashes. They have a gem in Wood, but he needs looking after carefully in the coming months. He could make all the difference.

Virat Kohli’s century was overshadowed by two other performances in a high-voltage game in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo stats team19-Apr-2019Virat Kohli scored an outstanding century, but in a match of several superlative performances, he was only third in terms of Match Impact, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats, which evaluates player performances based not only on runs scored and wickets taken, but also on the context of those performances.In this game, Andre Russell was clearly the standout performer. To begin with, he went for only 17 in his three overs, achieving an economy rate of 5.67 and a Smart Economy rate of 3. (Smart Economy rate takes into account the overall economy rates of other bowlers, and the pressure on the bowler when he bowled his overs.) Both those numbers were the best among all the bowlers in the match.ESPNcricinfo LtdThen, he came in and slammed an astonishing 65 off 25, almost pulling off a win from what looked like a lost cause. Adding his batting and bowling contribution, his total Match Impact score was 134.6, easily the best among all the players in the game. Match Impact takes into account the following:- The Smart Runs scored, plus the extra runs scored by the batsman, compared to what his team-mates would have scored off the balls he faced- The runs saved by the bowler in the overs he bowled (calculated by taking the difference of runs he conceded versus how many the other bowlers in the team would have gone for), plus the runs saved by dismissing the batsmen they didKohli was judged Man of the Match, but according to the Match Impact scores, Moeen Ali was also marginally ahead of him. Moeen had a score of 116.3 to Kohli’s 113.9. Moeen made 66 runs off just 28 balls, and provided the impetus to the innings which first allowed Kohli to bat within himself, and then turn it on later.During the period when Moeen was at the crease – from the ninth over to the 16th over – Royal Challengers Bangalore’s run rate lifted from 6.66 to 9.31, and it was largely due to him: he scored 66 off 28 in that partnership, while Kohli’s contribution was only 22 from 15. After the game, Kohli acknowledged Moeen’s huge contribution too, when he said: “Moeen took the momentum from them and landed it back in our lap. He said, ‘I’m going to go now’ and I just asked him to go for it. In the absence of AB, I had to bat long, but Moeen allowed me to settle in.”When Moeen departed, Royal Challengers were 149 for 3 in 16 overs, and Kohli then turned it on to ensure that the returns from the last four overs would be maximised, as he scored an incredible 45 from 16 balls in that period. That took Royal Challengers to what should have been a safe total, but Russell’s stunning onslaught meant that it was just barely enough.

Four players the team could turn to after the defeat to India

Firdose Moonda17-Oct-2019Oh, to be a national selector. It’s the job everybody says they can do but nobody wants. On one hand, its the ultimate cricketing power trip, choosing who will play and who will not; on the other, its a job that can be lost simply by doing it because picking someone does not guarantee they will perform well enough to justify their place. And even if the players do meet expectations, selectors are dispensable. Just ask Linda Zondi.South Africa’s former convener of selectors was let go in the post-World Cup cleanout, despite being widely praised for his picks over his four-year tenure. Under Zondi, Kagiso Rabada debuted, Keshav Maharaj became the team’s premier spinner and a host of talented youngsters such as Lungi Ngidi and Aiden Markram made their debuts. But, there’s no space for Zondi in the new structure and South Africa went to India without any officially appointed selectors and some would argue that it shows. ESPNcricinfo decided to help them out. Here’s a look at four players South Africa could have considered for the India Tests and may want to look at for the home series against England:Wiaan Mulder South Africa are still trying to find the right balance for their XI, which currently includes six specialist batsmen and five bowlers. The allrounder roles have fallen to Vernon Philander, Maharaj and Senuran Muthusamy, all of whom have been more impressive with bat than ball, and that’s where Mulder could come in. The 21-year old has played just one Test, against Sri Lanka last year, but should come into consideration for many more. He offers more pace than Philander and comes with a strong batting record. He was the leading run-scorer in the unofficial Test series between South Africa A and India A, where he scored a century in Mysuru and has a first-class average of 38.84. Rassie van der DussenAfter his impressive transition from the franchise system to the International stage at the 2019 World Cup, where he was second to du Plessis on South Africa’s run charts, van der Dussen has earned a lot of praise for his temperament. He is 30, has had more than a decade in the domestic game and has a first-class average of 43.48, which includes 15 centuries. Van der Dussen stayed with the Test team after playing the T20s, leading to speculation he would be added to the squad but was sent home to play franchise cricket after the first Test. He scored 68 and 1 for the Lions in their clash against the Warriors this week and if he can find consistency over the next few rounds, expect to see him in the mix against England.Lutho Sipamla is all smiles after taking a wicket•MSLLutho SipamlaWith Ngidi still searching for Test match fitness, South Africa could have used another option in the fast-bowling department, especially to give Rabada a break. That’s where Lutho Sipamla could come in. He is only 21 but has already established himself as a key part of his franchise’s attack and currently leads the first-class wicket table with 12 wickets at 19.75, including eight from this week’s fixture. Given the concerns South Africa have about their domestic depth, Sipamla will be one to keep an eye on as the season progressed.Kyle VerreynneHeinrich Klaasen is the back-up wicket-keeper batsman in the squad – and is likely to play in Ranchi – but South Africa could do worse than to have options. That’s where Verreynne comes in. He has a first-class average of 48.74 and while it must be remembered that a lot of his runs came at the lower, provincial, rather than franchise level, he is still one to be watched. It helps that he piled 155 in the Cobras ongoing fixture against the Titans and has been hailed by his coach, Ashwell Prince, as a future star.

The allrounder backed up his swag with performance, and his elevation also showed India were ready to step out of their comfort zone

Deivarayan Muthu09-Dec-2019Two days before the T20I series opener against West Indies in Hyderabad, allrounder Shivam Dube sounded out a warning to West Indies and asked the press and public to not worry about his form. The 26-year-old didn’t have too much to do in Hyderabad, but in the second match in Thiruvananthapuram, he walked the talk and even had his India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli excited at the other end.The start, however, wasn’t too rosy for Dube, with the ball not coming on and the left-hand batsman not finding his range. But there was a genuine sign of India breaking away from their safety-first approach.ALSO READ: Swaggering Shivam Dube unfazed by all-round expectationsIn September, in a T20I series decider against South Africa in Bengaluru, Kohli became the first captain to decide against chasing at the venue in T20Is and challenged his side to step out of their comfort zone.Shikhar Dhawan opted to take more risks at the top in that match, but India ended with an underwhelming total, having aimed too high. The experiment tore open the portal to the 2000s, when Rahul Dravid had challenged India to improve their chasing record by opting to bowl first in ODIs whenever he won the toss.On Sunday, India tried another experiment by bumping up Dube to No. 3 on a slow, dry pitch. This, after KL Rahul had holed out for a run-a-ball 11. The capacity crowd waited in anticipation of Kohli’s entry, but Dube walked out instead windmilling his arms. This was also the first time that he was batting at No. 3 in his professional career.

This ground is big but I’ve the capability to clear any ground. You might have seen today also, and that’s the capability I haveShivam Dube

Left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre had just removed Rahul and was finding substantial turn with the new ball. At the other end, Jason Holder was bowling a tidy spell and drew a top-edge when Dube threw his hands at a roundhouse swipe across the line. West Indies captain Kieron Pollard then introduced himself into the attack and exploited the grippy track with a variety of cutters and rollers. Dube kept throwing his hands at the ball and kept falling over.Having struggled to 12 off 14 balls, Dube was feeling the pressure. However, he released all of that by backing his strengths: sitting back and clearing the long leg-side boundary. When Holder banged a chest-high short ball, Dube went deeper in the crease and pulled it over square leg for six. The next ball, a full delivery, was stylishly shovelled away between deep midwicket and wide long-on.Pollard’s pace – or the lack of it – soon became too predictable, and Dube clubbed him for three sixes off three legal balls in the ninth over. The pick of them being the second pull off a 112kph cutter that soared over the midwicket boundary and had Kohli punching his fist in the air.Shivam Dube raises his bat after smashing a maiden international fifty•BCCI”I think this ground is big but I’ve the capability to clear any ground,” Dube later said at the post-match press conference. “You might have seen today also, and that’s the capability I have.”In the next over, Dube raised his maiden international fifty off 27 balls and put a little smile on his coach Ravi Shastri’s face in the dugout. From 12 off 14 balls, he had hit his way out of trouble and later credited Rohit Sharma for helping him break out of the early funk.”I was under a bit [of] pressure I think,” Dube said. “I just backed myself and Rohit told me, ‘Don’t worry and just back your strengths’. That’s what you need [from] a senior and that helped motivate me. And he did that and I showed my innings. I think that [hitting the ball] is my strength and I always go like that only.”Dube was reprieved on 50 at long-on, where Pollard lost the ball under lights, but two balls later, he spliced a wrong’un from Hayden Walsh Jr. to extra cover. The lower-middle order couldn’t launch from the platform Dube had set them, but such a flexible approach indicates that India are adapting to the changing T20 landscape. Further proof of that is India’s batting depth – they have had Bhuvneshwar Kumar listed at No. 10 in this series so far.Kohli has also promised a similar flexible approach when it comes to India’s bowling attack. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, the two wristspinners, haven’t played together after the Edgbaston nightmare. However, on the eve of the series opener against West Indies, the India captain reasoned that it would be difficult for the opposition to hit the two wristspinners for sixes on the bigger grounds in Australia.The past two experiments haven’t yielded the results that India have been looking for, but they may have helped them understand the pulse of T20 cricket better.

Tottenham Hotspur are now determined to win the race for a “fantastic” Premier League forward, and they are willing to fork out £43m to get a deal over the line, according to a report.

Spurs return to winning ways against Saints

Tottenham’s four-game winless run in the Premier League came to an end yesterday afternoon, securing a 3-1 victory against Southampton at home, which meant the visitors’ relegation was confirmed at the earliest stage in history.

It was a game Spurs were expected to win, despite their poor form, and they got the job done in relatively comfortable fashion, with Brennan Johnson bagging a brace and Mathys Tel picking up his first Premier League goal.

Ange Postecoglou is likely to be happy with the performances of his forwards, but there are signs the Australian could look to bolster his attacking options in the summer, should he manage to retain his job.

Tottenham may green light move for "Levy character" to replace Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou’s time in north London could be coming to an end…

By
Dominic Lund

Apr 6, 2025

Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the most recent striker to be linked with a move to north London, while the Lilywhites are also keen to strengthen in wide areas, and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is among the potential targets.

Eze is not the only Premier League winger they have their eye on, however, with a report from Spain revealing Tottenham are now determined to win the race for AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

Manchester United are also interested in the Bournemouth winger, with the two clubs set to battle it out for his services this summer, and they are willing to shell out €50m (£43m) to get a deal over the line.

The Cherries aren’t completely against cashing-in on the Ghanaian, should they receive a suitable offer, despite his importance to Andoni Iraola’s side.

"Fantastic" Semenyo impressing for the Cherries

It would be fair to say Bournemouth have surpassed expectations this season, given that they still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, and the 25-year-old has been one of their key players.

The London-born winger almost always plays the full 90 minutes, and he has regularly provided goals and assists in the Premier League, with 12 goal contributions to his name in 30 appearances.

Journalist Thomas Hammond has also been left impressed by the Ghana international this season, lauding him as “fantastic” after an impressive performance against Newcastle United back in January.

That said, Semenyo hasn’t been in the best form in recent weeks, having now gone six games without a goal or assist in the Premier League, so Tottenham should continue to monitor his performances between now and the end of the season.