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Also, why did Chahar, Hasaranga and Hetmyer attract such big money?

Dustin Silgardo14-Feb-20225:30

Best and worst buys? Biggest surprise? Missed opportunity?

Why did Wanindu Hasaranga go for so much? Hasaranga fills two crucial roles teams look for. He can function as a wristspinner with variations, and also be used as an allrounder who can strike at 130-plus from No. 6 or No. 7. Hasaranga has established himself as one of the best googly bowlers in the world – his T20I strike rate is 12.9 and his economy rate is 6.32. And spinners with variations have traditionally done well in the IPL.Related

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But why did Hasaranga get a higher price than experienced spinners such as Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin? This is where his second skill comes in. Hasaranga can bat in the middle order and score fast – his T20 strike rate is 136.63. That kind of player was in short supply in the auction. Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja had all been retained, but that still left four teams – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings – desperate to find explosive allrounders. No surprise that three of those teams were battling for Hasaranga. Another point to remember is that his name came up before many of the big-hitting allrounders who were sold on day two. Also, he was the only one of those allrounders who bowls wristspin.There have been questions as to why the Royal Challengers pursued Hasaranga despite having him in their squad last season and only giving him two games. But remember, last season the Royal Challengers had Chahal filling the wristspinner’s spot. This season, by having a wicket-taking wristspinner who can bat in the top seven, they have more options in terms of team combination – they could play four seamers after Hasaranga, with Glenn Maxwell as the second spinner, or make the batting deep with Shahbaz Ahmed as another spin-bowling allrounder at No.8.Why did David Warner and Quinton de Kock go for less than INR 7 crore (USD 926,000 approx)? Three reasons:

• Overseas batters have been among the cheaper buys because the supply is more.
• Every team had at least one opener pre-auction.
• A lot of teams were waiting for Ishan Kishan’s name to come up.

Warner and de Kock would probably both have been better off not being in the marquee set. Clearly, many teams had their eyes on Kishan as a keeper-batter. Once Kishan was sold, the very next keeper, Nicholas Pooran, went for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.4 million) to the Sunrisers. de Kock could have fetched a similar price had he come up after Kishan.Another factor was that of the 31 players picked pre-auction, 11 were potential openers. Every team had at least one player who could open, so those slots were not as much of a priority early in the auction.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn recent auctions, overseas top-order batters have been among the less expensive buys. Think of it this way, if you consider six of the top-eight-ranked international teams (minus India and Pakistan) as your supply pool, each team has around four top-order batters, so the total supply is about 24 international-quality batters. But each team has a maximum of two allrounders, finishers or express pacers, so there your supply is half. It could make sense to spend on those other categories and try to pick up an inexpensive top-order player.For example, Chennai Super Kings, who were in for Warner but pulled out early, ended up getting Devon Conway for just INR 1 crore (USD 132,000), and he is still an international-level player. The auction also had a lot of Indian top-order options, so teams wanted to save their overseas slots for other areas.Of course, Warner is a special top-order player and a three-time winner of the orange cap, so if he hits top form, he could end up being the steal of the auction.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhy did Shimron Hetmyer spark such a bidding war? Again, this is a function of supply and demand. Teams wanted to fill the No. 5 slot in their team with a finisher – someone who can come in and strike quickly from the off, a totally different skill from building an innings from the top. Every team wants to find their own Pollard, Russell or Pandya, but there aren’t too many of those kinds of players around. While the ideal pick is an allrounder who can also be a finisher, teams were willing to pay big bucks even for batters or batting allrounders who can play this specific role.Hetmyer has a strike rate of 150.00 from No. 5 or lower. In 23 IPL innings from No. 5 or lower, he has struck at 160.26. Shahrukh Khan, another finisher, also went for big money, as did Tim David and Liam Livingstone, though he is seen as an allrounder.Hetmyer also benefited from being in the first pool of capped batters, as a lot of the options for this role were only going to come much later on in the auction, so some teams wanted a finisher early so they didn’t have to scramble for one with a diminished purse. Delhi Capitals, the other team bidding for Hetmyer, never ended up finding a proven No. 5 and will have to use Mandeep Singh or Rovman Powell in the role, or push Rishabh Pant down the order. Why didn’t Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin get bigger bids?Ashwin and Chahal are both among the 10 highest wicket-takers in the IPL, and it isn’t like their form has dipped. No spinner took more wickets than Chahal’s 18 last season, while Ashwin’s economy-rate of 7.41 was excellent. So why did Chahal get just INR 6.50 crore (USD 860,000) and Ashwin INR 5 crore (USD 661,000)?It seems that teams came into the auction with the idea that any spinners they picked needed to be allrounders who could bat at No.7 or higher. The reason for this was that there were a lot of spin-bowling allrounders to pick from but few seam-bowling allrounders who could bat in the top seven. So a lot of teams had set up to have multiple spin-bowling options in their top seven and a maximum of one spinner occupying the bowlers’ positions.If you include pre-auction buys, 15 spin-bowling allrounders went for INR 2 crore or more, with nine earning upwards of INR 8 crore. In contrast, just seven specialist spinners earned INR 2 crore (USD 264,000) or more, and that’s including Rashid Khan, who could, at a push, bat in the top seven.ESPNcricinfo LtdHow did Deepak Chahar become the second-most-expensive buy in the auction?Seamers are always in demand in auctions – you need five or six quality seamers in your squad to allow for injuries, loss of form and confidence. But one specific kind of seamer in great demand at this auction was someone that could bat at No. 8 and provide depth, which is becoming more and more valued in T20 cricket. Having someone who can finish games from No. 8 not only adds insurance but can change the way your top and middle order bat, allowing them to be more aggressive. There are not a lot of frontline seamers going around who can also strike at 130 with the bat, and so those players went at a premium.The reason Chahar went for even more than the rest of the seamers who can hit a ball long, is that he is one of the best powerplay bowlers in the IPL and tends to win a handful of games every season just with his early wickets.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhy did Mumbai Indians go hard for an injured Jofra Archer?Archer is unlikely to feature at all in the 2022 season, so why would teams want him in this auction? Why not simply wait for the next auction? By taking a gamble this season, Mumbai have actually ended up paying a lot less for Archer than they otherwise might have. A fully fit Archer in an auction could have earned massive bids. But by picking him up late in this auction, when other teams had used up most of their purses, Mumbai have actually got Archer at a bargain – remember, if he doesn’t play this season, Mumbai don’t need to pay him – and now have a formidable pace attack for 2023. They may also have been thinking of the 26-year-old Archer as someone they can retain at the end of this three-year cycle. The trade-off, of course, is that their first XI for this season is not as strong.The big question, which only Archer can answer, is why he decided to enter this auction. If he had entered the mini-auction next year, he probably would have fetched a lot more money. We will have to wait for him to answer that.Why did Kolkata Knight Riders pick Ajinkya Rahane?In four of his past five seasons, Rahane has struck at less than 120, and he was given just two games by the Capitals in 2021. But the Knight Riders wanted a steady opener to complement the aggressive Venkatesh Iyer. Their outgoing opener, Shubman Gill, also struck at less than 120 in his past two seasons but was consistent. Also, the experience and leadership of Rahane can be an asset in the dressing-room and training ground.

She displayed all the qualities that India thought they would miss with the new ball in the post-Jhulan-Goswami era

Shashank Kishore29-Jul-2022In India’s first outing at a global event in the post-Jhulan-Goswami era, Renuka Singh, 26, displayed all the qualities that India thought they would miss with the new ball: swing, seam, accuracy, large heart.The four Australia batters she nipped out weren’t ordinary wickets. They were of world-beaters who have made a mockery of bowling attacks the world over. Alyssa Healy: one of the hardest hitters of a cricket ball in the women’s game. Beth Mooney: one of the most versatile batters. Meg Lanning: scorer of more white-ball hundreds than any other woman batter, and owner of the most ferocious cut in the game. Tahlia McGrath: among the best young talents in the game currently.Related

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It was meant to be a trial by spin, but Australia’s top order was undone by seam, quite spectacularly, by a rookie, all of seven games old in T20Is, who simply stuck to the very basics coaches impress upon. Of bowling to your strengths, being accurate, and allowing the surface to do the rest.Healy was out nibbling at a delivery she could have either left alone or cut. Mooney played down the wrong line. Lanning was in two minds of whether to bring out her trademark cut or simply steer the ball behind square, only to be caught at point. McGrath didn’t perhaps know that inswing is Renuka’s most potent delivery, and was in no position to drive one that bent in wickedly to beat the inside edge and flatten leg stump.Last year, Renuka had burst through against the same team in Australia. Back then, she was slightly slower, giving batters a little more time to make adjustments against her. Between last October and now, Renuka has worked on becoming fitter and stronger, and has added a couple more yards of pace.Prior to the Commonwealth Games, India had two 10-day camps either side of a tour of Sri Lanka, where she picked up seven wickets in three ODIs, including a career-best 4 for 28.The camps were intense, with a set daily agenda. The fast bowlers were divided into different groups. Each group was put under a dedicated trainer, who logged in their workloads, their bowling speeds, their spells. A dietician worked through their food charts; every gram consumed was meticulously charted. Every evening’s recovery session was planned to the T.Then there were simulations and video analysis of every practice session. This extra emphasis on developing a young fast-bowling group had been in the works for two years, from when WV Raman took over as head coach in 2019.Renuka Singh Thakur (L) celebrates after dismissing Tahlia McGrath•Associated Press”I’ve been working on my fitness for the past month,” Renuka said after picking up her T20I career-best 4 for 18. “We had a dedicated fitness camp, and I’ve worked on speed, agility and endurance; I’m a fast bowler so those are really important skills. That has helped me a lot. I try and hit hard lengths, so that you can get help from the pitch. That has worked for me. I’m predominantly a swing bowler. The more I swing the ball, that much more help I’ll get.”Renuka hails from Himachal Pradesh, a state known for its hilly terrain and adventure sport. Until 2008, there was not a single academy in the state dedicated for girls. That changed after Anurag Thakur, the former BCCI president, developed a state-of-the-art facility in Dharamsala the following year.At 15, Renuka, who was at an age where she had to decide between pursuing academics or trying her hand at sport, was among the first batch of trainees at the academy. At 17, she broke through into the HP senior team.Now, HP is far from a champion team in the women’s circuit. Most players say landing a Railways gig is their ultimate aim. It offers them a competitive environment apart from guaranteeing several perks such as paid leave, government accommodation, a pension scheme, a monthly salary, and training equipment.Renuka too had a similar dream, and it came true in 2021 when she got a job in the Railways. Within eight months of her playing in the set-up, she made her T20I debut in Australia last year, and has since become a regular member of the Indian team.The debut came on the back of an impressive Senior One-Day Trophy, where Renuka picked up nine wickets in five games. But it wasn’t until she picked up four wickets in her first spell against Karnataka in the final, like she did against Australia, that word spread of this seamer with excellent control and the skillset India had been on the lookout for.If the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand gave Renuka an opportunity to apprentice under Goswami, the safety jacket has come off at the CWG. The start has been promising, and India will hope Renuka continues to thrive.

And which bowler has taken the last wicket most often to win a Test or an ODI?

Steven Lynch20-Sep-2022I was wondering about the biggest difference between player numbers in the same Test team. I wondered about Jimmy Anderson, then remembered Brian Close! Is he the record-holder? asked Brian King from England

In the final Test against South Africa at The Oval last week, Jimmy Anderson (who was cap No. 613 in 2003) played alongside debutant Harry Brook, England’s No. 707. That’s a difference of 94 (including the special cap No. 696 given to Glamorgan’s Alan Jones, 50 years on from his appearance against the Rest of the World in 1970).I was surprised to discover that there are actually 73 combinations from all countries that equal or beat 94, including a difference of 122 between Brian Close (England’s No. 344 in 1949) and Mike Selvey (466 in 1976). But top of the list is the Yorkshire and England allrounder Wilfred Rhodes, who was cap No. 121 when he made his Test debut in 1899. During his final series, in the West Indies in 1929-30, the 52-year-old Rhodes played alongside Leslie Townsend (No. 254), a difference of 133. He also played with Bill Voce (253),
Freddie Calthorpe (252) and Les Ames (244), so occupies the first four places on this particular table.The record for a side other than England is a difference of 98, between Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies cap No. 204) and Shai Hope (302), against Englandin Bridgetown in May 2015. It was Hope’s first Test, and Chanderpaul’s 164th and last.How many Test matches have been shorter, in terms of balls bowled, than the one that’s just finished at The Oval? asked Michael Templeton, and many others

The third Test between England and South Africa at The Oval last week was over in just 909 balls, the shortest Test with a positive result anywhere since February 2021, when India needed only 842 deliveries to polish England off in Ahmedabad.It was the shortest completed Test in England since 1912, when the match against South Africa at The Oval lasted only 815 deliveries. The shortest anywhere was the match between Australia and South Africa on a rain-affected pitch in Melbourne in 1931-32, which was done and dusted in 656 balls.For the full list, which also includes drawn Tests (look down the fifth column to see when there was a winner), click here.Which bowler has taken the last wicket most often to win a Test, or an ODI? asked Ahson Atif from India

There’s a tie at the top of this list for Tests, as two bowlers have taken the match-winning (final) wicket on 22 occasions: R Ashwin for India, and Australia’s Shane Warne. Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker Muthiah Muralidaran comes next with 18, ahead of his compatriot Rangana Herath with 14, and Waqar Younis on 13.Things are more clear-cut in one-day internationals: Wasim Akram took the last wicket to win a match no fewer than 27 times, well clear of Murali and Glenn McGrath (21). Waqar, Lasith Malinga and Shahid Afridi all did it on 20 occasions.Arthur Milton (left) had one international cap in football and Mike Smith (right) played one rugby union international for England•S&G/PA Photos/Getty ImagesWhen was England’s batting in a Test opened by a football and a rugby international? asked George Clarke from England

This unusual double happened in the third Test against New Zealand at Headingley in 1958, when Mike Smith faced the new ball with Arthur Milton, who went on to score a century on his debut.Even though he wore spectacles, Smith had played one rugby union international for England, against Wales (who won 8-3) at Twickenham in 1956. “I played as an outside centre during my final year at Oxford,” he said. “But I had a poor game and was not selected again.” Milton – a nippy winger for Arsenal, and later Bristol City – won one England football cap, in a 2-2 draw against Austria at Wembley in 1951. “The attack was spoiled by the relative failure of Milton on the right,” concluded the Times. “The occasion and the tension generally were too much for him.”I noticed that Yuzi Chahal batted only once in his first 13 T20Is. Has anyone batted less often? asked Arun Nissar from India

You’re right that the Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal batted only once in his first 13 T20 internationals – but there is someone who didn’t bat at all in his first 13: the Afghanistan seamer Fareed Ahmad, who didn’t bat until his 14th such match, in which he made 24 not out. Despite that promising start, he’s batted only once more in six further matches.Chahal has now played 66 T20Is, and got to the crease only four times. That’s easily the fewest innings by anyone who played so often – next comes another legspinner, New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi, who batted 12 times in his first 66 T20Is. At the other end of the scale, David Warner has played 91 T20Is so far, and batted in all of them.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

South African cricket has not exactly been switched on for the past few years, but there is every hope that could slowly change

Firdose Moonda07-Jan-2023When the lights come back on after a power cut in South Africa – and they happen as often as four times a day – people cheer. They don’t do it because they’re particularly pleased (who would be, given that the country is into its 16th year of rolling blackouts?), or even with a sense of irony – they do it because they’re relieved that their two-and-a-half hour outage has ended on time, and in the light.”People feel it’s a dark time right now,” Faf du Plessis, in his role as captain of the Joburg Super Kings said, and he wasn’t talking about the electricity.Just like its power utility, South African cricket has not been switched on over the last few years, and their problems are worsening. The Test team is currently in Australia, facing the possibility of being swept 3-0 there for the first time since 2001. Less than two years ago, du Plessis was the most experienced batter in that side. Now, he is a T20 league specialist and part of the brigade that has promised to bring the light back into the country’s game through the SA20. “We need this competition for the game to grow,” du Plessis said. “Hopefully it will make people very optimistic about the future of South African cricket.”Related

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It has already made people more interested in the game. The opening match between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals on Tuesday – which is also the first match with fans at Newlands in the post-Covid-19 era, is a sell-out. More than 20,000 people have bought tickets to the game. Who knows if the same number of South Africans woke up at 1 AM to watch their already-defeated Test team try to save face in Sydney?Ask around and you’ll hear that interest in the national team is lower than ever before. The combined embarrassments of losing to Netherlands and being booted out of the T20 World Cup, teetering on the brink of not being able to automatically qualify for the ODI World Cup and two successive Test series defeats – including seven innings where they could not cobble together 200 – has taken its toll.”That’s been the state of South African cricket for a while now,” Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner, told ESPNcricinfo.But Smith and the tournament he is putting together have taken it on themselves to change that.”One of the things we really wanted to do was to re-energise and revive the cricket fan. It’s a hard job in a negative climate,” he said. “Season one and that first week for us around the country is going to be big for us. I’m not sure when last we had a full house for a domestic game.”And for an entire competition? Maybe never.”Trying to sell out 33 games almost back-to-back is different for South Africa but we are seeing a very positive response,” Smith said. “The goal for us is to bring the cricket community together and to revive those dormant fans.”But they’re also looking to lighten the mood, after three heavy years that saw CSA fall into an administrative abyss, grapple with the much-needed Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings, and begin to rebuild, from the ground up. It’s been a time of introspection and angst, two words that were nowhere near the SA20 captain’s press conferences.Instead, there were jokes about du Plessis wearing a normal-sized (not “mannequin-sized”, as he likes to call the rest of his wardrobe) yellow-shirt, and being envious of David Miller in pink. “This feels like a fashion press conference,” du Plessis quipped at one point.There were giggles when Rashid Khan, the only foreign captain in a team, was asked a question about the Stormers (the Cape-Town based domestic rugby team) and whether MI Cape Town could draw on them for inspiration. “What is that?” Rashid asked, as he looked around at the other captains. “A ballerina,” du Plessis told him. Happily, Rashid was not fooled.Quinton de Kock brought his dry humour when he said his only hope for the Durban Super Giants team he will lead is that they “get some game time in,” referring to the rain that often cancels play at Kingsmead at this time of year and revealed his partnership with coach Lance Klusener has not yet involved much talking. As two of the least chatty cricketers about, they will know that that’s probably not likely to change. “We like to keep things relaxed,” he said.South Africa are on the brink of a 3-0 defeat in Australia for the first time since 2001•Getty ImagesWayne Parnell temporarily shed his identity as an out-and-out Cape Town influencer to head up the Pretoria Capital and already understands what’s expected of him.”Centurion is a place where there has been a lot of success. There’s pressure from the people of Pretoria to do well and we hope we can live up to that,” he said. And Aiden Markram admitted to being “refreshed” (and may also slightly relieved) after being dropped from the Test side and is ready to take a new role as the skipper of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Markram has cut a particularly dejected figure in his last few international outings and to see him upbeat was something of a metaphor for the new frame of mind.The six captains and Smith then headed off to the colourful Bo-Kaap, where they posed with the trophy, which has been designed by the same people who made the Test mace. In a video explaining the process by which the SA20 cup was conceptualised, there was an image of Smith, a decade-younger, holding the mace after South Africa became No.1 in the world in England.

“We want to play our role in reviving cricket. We want to get people into the stadium and cheering again.”Graeme Smith hopes the SA20 can do for South Africa what the IPL did for India

For a moment, time stopped.We were taken back to the glory days, when South Africa won series in England and Australia, challenged India at home, and looked as though they were heading towards a World Cup trophy. The 2010-2016 period was a golden age in the country’s game but they missed one massive step. CSA was slow off the blocks to launch a T20 league and then failed in their attempts to do so, twice. That meant the country’s domestic cricketers, in particular, were not exposed to the innovative thinking of league cricket, and the system has stagnated to the point where the players it produces cannot make the step up to the international stage successfully enough. The Test top six is a clear example of this but now, with them at their lowest ebb, that could start to change.”The professionalism that’s going to come from the franchises, who are the most experienced franchise teams in the world, brings huge credibility on and off the field in terms of coaching, management, medical staff, media,” Smith said. “All of that is now coming into South African cricket.”Much like the way the IPL allowed India to deepen and develop its talent pool, Smith hopes the SA20 can do the same for South Africa. “My wish is that there’s one or two great storylines that come from younger players, that they put in great performances and use this platform and make a name for themselves,” Smith said. “We want to play our role in reviving cricket. We want to get people into the stadium and cheering again.”

“I see a bit of myself in him,” Lewis says of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who he is expected to open with at Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20

Deivarayan Muthu02-Jan-20231:41

Evin Lewis: ‘UAE players should use ILT20 as a stepping stone’

Evin Lewis has called West Indies’ first-round exit from the T20 World Cup in 2022 “a tough pill to swallow”, but says he has moved on and is ready for the inaugural ILT20, where he will represent Sharjah Warriors.During the T20 World Cup, Lewis had also sustained a hamstring injury, which sidelined him from the Super50, West Indies’ premier domestic one-day competition, but he is good to go now.Related

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“Yeah, it [the T20 World Cup] was a tough pill to swallow, to be honest,” Lewis told ESPNcricinfo. “I had the help of my family, which was the most important thing. When I came home, I tried not to dwell on it too much. These things can actually hurt you a lot if you go too deep into it. So, I had to give that responsibility to my family and the support that they’ve been giving me since I reached home… I’m very thankful for that.”I think I’m in a good space now – both fitness-wise and mentally. I’m happy with the way I’m going about my cricket at the moment. I think Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah – all these are pretty good wickets for batsmen. I think, as batsmen, we have to make the best use of it.”Lewis: ‘I see a bit of myself’ in Gurbaz
Lewis is particularly excited at the prospect of combining with Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top of the order for Warriors. Having watched him from close quarters at the CPL – Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Gurbaz played for Guyana Amazon Warriors last season – Lewis saw shades of his own attacking style.”I’m looking forward to batting with him [Gurbaz],” Lewis said. “He’s actually a great guy and as everyone knows, he’s a very aggressive batsman and probably someone who can take a bit of pressure off you [while] opening the batting. So, I’m looking forward to opening with him.”I see a bit of myself in him as he’s a guy who looks to get on with the game and tries to score as fast as possible in the powerplay to give the team a good start. So, I think that’s something teams look forward to as an opening batsman.”Evin Lewis and Rashid Khan were team-mates at St Kitts & Nevis Patriots last season•Getty ImagesLewis has played just 12 T20s in the UAE, returning 260 runs at a strike rate of 142.07, but he believes that his most recent T10 stint with Bangla Tigers in Abu Dhabi and the experience of having faced unorthodox spinners like Rashid Khan and Akila Dananjaya at the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots nets in CPL 2022 will hold him in good stead.”I haven’t played much T20 cricket in UAE, but I think the T10 has actually helped me a lot [to get used to conditions] and how to go about my innings,” he said. “You don’t have much time in T10, like in T20, but you always need to get a good start for the team, which is important.”Rashid is someone different when it comes to bowling legspin. I don’t think there’s anyone who is playing cricket like him at the moment. It’s difficult to pick when you’re batting [against] him, but I try my best to pick his mind at times; probably try to analyse which ball he’s going to bowl when. These guys [Rashid and Dananjaya] are professionals and they go about their games very seriously and I respect them for that.”Lewis: ILT20 ‘can open the way’ for UAE players
In a T20 World Cup warm-up game last year at Junction Oval in Melbourne, UAE made West Indies sweat for victory. Fast bowler Zahoor Khan, who picked up two wickets in that game, turned out for Kandy Falcons in the Lanka Premier League last December. Legspinner Karthik Meiyappan, who bagged a hat-trick in the T20 World Cup proper, will now be Lewis’ team-mate at Warriors. Lewis reckons that impactful performances in the ILT20 will open up more opportunities for UAE’s local players in franchise cricket.

“Sometimes, we, as batsmen, tend to focus more on strengths than weaknesses and it’s something we have to learn to do”Evin Lewis

“It would be great for cricket for these guys, playing a huge tournament like this,” Lewis says. “People all around the world will see what these guys can do and probably can open the way for them in terms of different franchises, so I think they should use this competition as a stepping stone more or less and just go out there and perform.”Earlier, Lewis was vulnerable to the incoming delivery, with his head often falling over, but he has recently tweaked his stance, which could serve him well on his return to the Emirates.”Yeah, I’ve worked on that,” he said. “Sometimes, we, as batsmen, tend to focus more on strengths than weaknesses and it’s something we have to learn to do. I made a slight change in my batting stance and not trying to shuffle as much. I try to stay as still as possible and I think that has been going quite well for me thus far.”I haven’t worked specifically with anyone on this. I just have a couple of friends – supportive friends who will go with me when I want to hit balls. Throw balls at me, use bowling machines – these guys have been very supportive in this aspect.”Warriors will open their ILT20 campaign against MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi on January 14.

And how many Mumbai Indians players have taken IPL hat-tricks?

Steven Lynch18-Apr-2023Is Dwayne Bravo still the IPL’s top wicket-taker? asked Anderson Kentish from Trinidad & Tobago

As I write, Dwayne Bravo is still leading the IPL wicket-takers list, with 183 – but he will probably lose that top spot soon. Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal went past Lasith Malinga (170 wickets) in his second match of this year’s IPL for Rajasthan Royals. His 2 for 27 last week against CSK – where Bravo is now a bowling coach – and one more against Gujarat Titans on Sunday took him to 177, just six behind Bravo’s tally.Ireland’s Ben White made his first-class debut in a Test match in Bangladesh recently. How rare is this? asked Michael O’Riordan from Ireland

The Dublin-born legspinner Ben White became the 35th man to make his first-class debut in a Test match, when he took the field against Bangladesh in Mirpur earlier this month. Most of those debuts came in the 19th century: there have been only six previous instances since 1900, the most recent being by the Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman Zadran in 2018 (Mujeeb has now played 280 white-ball matches in his career, but still only that one first-class game).White was one of seven Ireland debutants in that Mirpur match, including Peter Moor, who had previously played for Zimbabwe (his last Test for them, in November 2018, was also against Bangladesh in Mirpur) . One of the other newcomers, Curtis Campher, had played just one first-class game previously – and joined an even more select list, as only 24 men had previously made their Test debut in their second first-class match, the most recent being the West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales in June 2021.In the latest Wisden there’s mention of a player called “JEBBPQC Dwyer”. Did he really have so many initials? asked Martin Palmer from England

This one rang a faint bell, and it seems I answered a similar query a while ago – but it was back in 2006, so there’s probably no harm in repeating it here. John Elicius Benedict Bernard Placid Quirk Carrington Dwyer played for Sussex – usually appearing on scorecards (presumably for reasons of space!) as “EB Dwyer” – in the early 1900s, despite having been born in Australia. Christopher Lee’s 1989 Sussex history From the Sea End reveals:

He inevitably had a somewhat exotic background. JEBBPQC Dwyer was a great-grandson of Michael Dwyer, a Wicklow chieftain who was described as one of the boldest leaders of the 1798 [Irish] insurrection and who was eventually captured and transported to Australia. It was there, in Sydney, that EB Dwyer was born in 1876. He was a tall, dark and handsome fellow with a ready humour, who bowled with a high right-arm action that produced lift and not a little turn. He was encouraged to come to England by Pelham Warner, and persuaded by CB Fry to play for Sussex. In 1906 his registration was approved, and he immediately proved his worth with 9 for 35 against Derbyshire and 9 for 44 against Middlesex.

Sadly, Dwyer died in 1912, aged only 36. He seems to have admitted to more initials than anyone else who played first-class cricket in England – although he has some rivals in Sri Lanka, where I suspect Rajitha Amunugama might be the record-holder.Dwyer gets a mention in the new Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in a table accompanying the obituary of Robin Marlar, showing the best bowling figures in a match for Sussex – he took 16 for 100 against Middlesex in Hove in 1906.Current Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma took a hat-trick in 2009, but it was for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians•Associated PressIs it right that no Mumbai Indians player has yet taken a hat-trick in the IPL? I thought Rohit Sharma had one? asked Krishna Karthik from India

Rashid Khan’s hat-trick for Gujarat Titans against Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad last week was the 22nd in an IPL match (Amit Mishra has taken three, and Yuvraj Singh two, both in 2009).None of these hat-tricks has been for Mumbai. You’re right that Rohit Sharma took one, but he was playing for Deccan Chargers that year (2009), and his hat-trick came against Mumbai Indians, in Centurion. Rohit joined MI in 2011, and has been there ever since, although he doesn’t bowl much these days (his last wicket in the IPL came in 2014).Which Test cricketer was nicknamed “Horseshoe”? asked Martin Kindsman from England

This was the 1920s Australia batter and captain Herbie Collins. He was not particularly stylish but was very effective: in 19 Tests he averaged 45, with the highest of his four centuries being 203 against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1921-22.Collins was a keen gambler, who in later life became a bookmaker; he was also known as “Lucky”. He captained Australia in 11 Tests, including the 1926 tour of England. He won the toss in seven of those; Wisden recalled that “he was widely known as ‘Horseshoe’ Collins by reason of his good fortune in connection with racing and in winning the toss at cricket”. An excellent book on Collins’s unusual life, written by the Australian historian Max Bonnell, was published in 2015.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

In his maiden international game, on a tricky pitch, Tilak scored a 22-ball 39 that almost took India to victory

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Aug-20231:15

Jaffer: Tilak Varma showed no nerves at all

In Ahmedabad in March 2021, Suryakumar Yadav hit the first ball he faced in an India shirt for six.Just under two-and-a-half years later, he was at the non-striker’s end when another Mumbai Indians batter opened his India account with a six. Tilak Varma did it off his second ball rather than his first, but the shot he hit was every bit as thrillingly nonchalant as Suryakumar’s one-legged pull off Jofra Archer.Alzarri Joseph was the bowler on this occasion, and the ball was the kind a left-hand batter might ordinarily play in the direction of mid-off or extra-cover: on a length, angling across from over the wicket to finish on or perhaps just outside off stump.Related

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Tilak sent it soaring over square leg, standing more or less still and playing a shot that was more swipe than flick, except that verb doesn’t do justice to how languid he made it look, with his bat starting over his left shoulder and finishing over his right and his wrists coming into play at the moment of impact.We’ve seen it in the IPL, this way he has of directing balls to unexpected parts of the field with shots that look almost textbook – until you watch them again. You might remember, for instance, a wristy, inside-out loft over the covers off a Mayank Markande wrong’un, when he met the ball outside leg stump with his back foot brushing the return crease.On Thursday in Tarouba, he brought this ability to international cricket, scoring a 22-ball 39 that was match-winning in all but one sense: it put India firmly on the road to victory, and it wasn’t his fault that they stumbled over its last few miles. In a match where no one on either side scored a half-century, he achieved the best strike rate (177.27) of the three batters who passed 30. He did this on a tricky, two-paced pitch where hitting through the line was far from straightforward, and in conditions where hitting into the wind was often treacherous. And he did this in his first innings in the West Indies, in any format.

Nearly every time he faced up, Tilak passed the eye test. He’s done this right through his career; he’s always seemed to have time to play his shots, and a way of seeming in control of his emotions in tricky situations

None of these mitigating factors were visible in Tilak’s batting. He hit three sixes – that flick-swipe to get off the mark, a swivelling pull off his next ball, and a loft over long-off with his back knee on the ground – and each of them was a six from the moment ball met bat. Of all the ingredients that contributed to the purity of his ball-striking, perhaps the most fundamental was his footwork. There was a smoothness to his movements that at times belied their complexity, most tellingly when he sashayed across his stumps to stymie Romario Shepherd’s wide-line attack, but even in quieter moments such as the single he took off the first ball he faced from Akeal Hosein, when he collapsed his back knee to create space for a square cut against a ball pitching on the fuller side of a good length.Nearly every time he faced up, Tilak passed the eye test. He’s done this right through his career; he’s always seemed to have time to play his shots, and a way of seeming in control of his emotions in tricky situations. It’s why he’s already being spoken of as a future all-format superstar, even though he’s only 20, and he’s only played nine first-class games.The future is the future, unknowable and traitorous, but if the sure-footedness of his Tarouba Thursday was anything to go by, there will be plenty of Tilak Varma in it.

“Over here on good wickets, you have to have a couple of balls up your sleeve that you can go to under pressure”

Deivarayan Muthu14-Oct-2023October 5, 2023, Ahmedabad. Trent Boult vs Liam Livingstone.It’s no secret that Livingstone is particularly strong at pumping the ball over the leg side. The old ball isn’t swinging or reversing for Boult. He denies Livingstone access to the leg-side boundary by darting four balls wide of off stump. He then dangles the bait by angling a ball into the stumps and has him chipping a catch to long-on. This isn’t any ordinary ball. This is a knuckle ball.Just over a week later, against Bangladesh at Chepauk, Boult rolls out another knuckle ball without any discernible change in his arm speed, and has Towhid Hridoy scooping a catch to short extra-cover.Related

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Boult has always been an outstanding operator with the new ball. How outstanding? Since his ODI debut in 2012 in Basseterre, nobody has taken more wickets in the first ten overs of an innings than Boult, who has 88 wickets in 106 innings at an economy rate of 4.16. The ODI landscape has changed since, and Boult is adapting to it by adding some new tricks to his repertoire.He revealed that he has been working on perfecting the knuckle ball for about two-and-a-half years. The variation had also served him well during his title-winning stint with MI New York in the inaugural MLC competition.”Yeah, practice. The old cliché,” Boult said after New Zealand beat Bangladesh in Chennai on Friday. “Yeah, I touched on [it] with Athers (Michael Atherton) at the half-time break that I’ve been lucky enough to play with some decent bowlers over the years, and sharing secrets and asking questions is always the way forward. But yeah, I think over here on good wickets, you have to have a couple of balls up your sleeve that you can go to under pressure, and touchwood, it’s coming out all right; I enjoy bowling it.”The latest knuckle ball brought Boult his 200th ODI wicket in his 107th match in the format. He is the third fastest to the landmark after Australia’s Mitchell Starc (102 matches) and Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq (104).”Yeah, I’m very proud of it,” Boult said. “It’s come with a bit of hard work and, you know, I’ve always enjoyed-one day cricket, and there’s been days where it’s been a lot more successful than others, but very good feeling to tick off 200. It is pretty exciting.”

“It has happened pretty quickly… challenge will be moving around the country with the different wickets and conditions that we face”Trent Boult on New Zealand’s three wins in three games so far

Boult had initially struggled to make the age-group representative teams – he wasn’t even in the Bay of Plenty Under-17 team – the level below Northern Districts, but he kept levelling up. Like, at 18, he made it to New Zealand’s Under-19 World Cup team that also featured Kane Williamson and Tim Southee. Even before he had played senior provincial cricket for Northern Districts, Boult made his first-class debut for New Zealand A against India A in Chennai in 2008. Fifteen years on at the same venue, Boult showed that he continues to evolve as a bowler.Boult also backed the current New Zealand team to adapt to the different conditions that will be thrown at them at this World Cup in India.”Yeah, it [three wins in three games] has all happened pretty quickly obviously,” Boult said. “It’s been a busy schedule, but I think I said earlier in an interview in this tournament that the challenge will be moving around the country with the different wickets and conditions that we face.”But the guys have been clinical so far and delivered the plans that we’ve spoken about with the ball, and yeah, the batting is going nicely as well. So [we] understand there’s a lot of cricket still to come, but it’s a good position to be in three from three.”Boult – and New Zealand – have a well-earned day off on Saturday before they resume training at Chepauk for their game against Afghanistan at the same venue on October 18.

We assess the Division One contenders in our County Championship preview

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2024.

Durham

Last season: 1st in Division Two
Director of cricket: Marcus North
Head coach: Ryan Campbell
Captain: Scott Borthwick
Overseas: David Bedingham, Scott Boland
Ins: Colin Ackermann, Callum Parkinson (both Leicestershire)
Outs: Liam Trevaskis (Leicestershire), Harry Crawshaw, Luke Doneathy, Ross Whitfield (all released), Tom Mackintosh (retired)The home county of Ben Stokes were, appropriately enough, the most Bazballingest across both divisions of the County Championship – scoring their runs at a rate of 4.39 an over and storming to seven wins out of 14 to secure Durham their longed-for return to the top tier after a seven-year absence. As with Stokes’ England, their resurrection was overseen by an affable Antipodean, Ryan Campbell enjoying immediate success with his manifesto of attacking cricket and living your best life.Durham narrowly lost to Sussex in the opening round but went unbeaten through the rest of the season to finish 66 points clear of their nearest challengers, Worcestershire. Alex Lees, an original Bazballer, topped the Division Two run charts with 1347 at 70.89, while Ben Raine and Matthew Potts were out on their own as the two most-prolific bowlers. David Bedingham passed 1000 runs, Ollie Robinson proved an inspired signing, but perhaps the greatest testament to Campbell’s impact was Graham Clark, previously pigeon-holed as a white-ball batter, who played every game and averaged 58.42.With Callum Parkinson and Colin Ackermann arriving to add to the spin stocks and middle-order batting respectively, as well as Australia seamer Scott Boland joining for the first half of the season, they look well equipped to shake up Division One.One to watch: Top-order batter Ben McKinney made a handful of first-team appearances last year and will be pushing for further opportunities. England’s captain and top-scorer at the Under-19 World Cup over the winter, McKinney has been in the Durham system since the age of 10. Impressed on the pre-season tour of Zimbabwe, scoring his maiden first-class fifty. Alan GardnerRelated

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Bet365: 12/1

Essex

Last season: 2nd in Division One
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Tom Westley
Overseas: Simon Harmer, Dean Elgar
Ins: Jordan Cox (Kent)
Outs: Alastair Cook (retired), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Aron Nijjar, Josh Rymell, Eshun Kalley, Will Buttleman (all released)It’s been several seasons now since Essex were indisputably the best red-ball team in the country, but they continued to punch above their perceived weight in running Surrey close in 2023. It remains to be seen whether Tom Westley’s men can remain quite so competitive in the wake of two seismic departures, and yet – on paper – they seem to have landed a pair of incredibly worthy stand-ins for Alastair Cook and Dan Lawrence.Dean Elgar, the former South Africa captain, is about as close to a Cook clone as exists in the world game, while the young thruster Jordan Cox regards the ambition around Chelmsford to be a step-up from the stagnation he had been feeling down at Canterbury.On the bowling front, Essex’s title challenge will once again be spearheaded by their holy trinity of Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer, the prolific South African spinner who played a pivotal role in Elgar’s recruitment. Such a streetwise attack is the main reason they are the bookies’ likeliest challengers to Surrey, who they kept pace with until the penultimate round last year.One to watch: It’s been said so often before, but this could be a crucial summer for Sam Cook, Essex’s new vice-captain and a man with complete command of his brief as a stump-threatening fast-medium seamer – as shown by a first-class record of 265 wickets at 19.94, including 48 at 19.60 in the 2023 campaign. At the age of 26, time is still on Cook’s side if he’s to make his Test debut – especially if England are thinking seriously about succession-planning. Andrew MillerBet365: 5/1 Dean Elgar will be aiming to fill an Alastair Cook-shaped hole at Chelmsford•Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Hampshire

Last season: 3rd in Division One
Director of cricket: Giles White
Head coach: Adrian Birrell
Captain: James Vince
Overseas: Kyle Abbott, Mohammad Abbas, Michael Neser
Ins: Ali Orr (Sussex)
Outs: Aneurin Donald (Derbyshire), Ross Whiteley (Derbyshire), Mason Crane (Glamorgan, loan), Scott Currie (Leicestershire, loan), Jack Campbell, Harry Petrie (both released)Hampshire have been thereabouts for three years now with a hat-trick of third-place finishes. They matched the eight wins of champions Surrey and defeated them in the last game of the season in 2023, having also beaten second-placed Essex in the penultimate match. But by that time it was too late with a mixed bag of earlier results proving costly. That said, they won one more match than Essex and finished just four points behind them, backing up their credentials.They have a vastly experienced team including proven wicket-takers Kyle Abbott, Keith Barker and Mohammad Abbas, as well as captain James Vince and Liam Dawson, the latter having shelved all England ambitions to pursue silverware with Hampshire and franchise opportunities. Add in the prospect of young right-arm quick John Turner, who has already caught the eye of England selectors, with five wickets from his two Championship games last year including a best of 3 for 23 against Essex in July, plus the recruitment of a highly rated young opener from south-coast rivals Sussex (see below), and Hampshire appear to have the ingredients for success. They just need to put it all together.One to watch: Ali Orr was a revelation at Sussex after making his debut in 2021. An injury-hampered 2023 season and departure to a new club will no doubt leave him keen to make an impact once more, which could be very exciting for Hampshire fans yearning for a boost at the top of the order. Valkerie BaynesBet365: 10/1

Kent

Last season: 8th in Division One
Director of cricket: Simon Cook
Head coach: Matt Walker
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond
Overseas: Wes Agar, Beyers Swanepoel
Ins: Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), George Garrett (Warwickshire), Michael Cohen (Derbyshire)
Outs: Jordan Cox (Essex), Michael Hogan (retired), Alex Blake, James Logan (both released)Kent will want to stay up in much more convincing style than last season, where a nail-biting wait of more than an hour on the result of Nottinghamshire versus Middlesex to learn their fate left nerves shredded. Having lost the enterprising Cox to Essex and not recruited voraciously they may come to rely on the usual suspects for runs in the reliable Ben Compton and exciting allrounder Joey Evison, along with captain Daniel Bell-Drummond and Zak Crawley (when available). If Jack Leaning can improve on his 563 runs at 25.59 last season, it’s a plus.Bowling-wise, they’ve signed ex-England legspinner Matt Parkinson from Lancashire looking for “a new challenge and environment” after a successful loan spell in the 2023 One-Day Cup and he brings a wealth of experience and match-winning ability with him. The relatively inexperienced George Garrett and South African-born Michael Cohen boost Kent’s seam-bowling stocks, while Wes Agar is back from Australia for a good chunk of the season and he showed what he could do last year with 21 Championship wickets, including a best of 5 for 63 against Northamptonshire. But they will need all departments firing if they are to go from holding on by their fingernails to serious contenders.One to watch: Jaydn Denly, the 18-year-old nephew of Kent stalwart Joe, made his debut in last year’s One-Day Cup and went on to tour India with England’s U19s and play in the U19 World Cup in South Africa. A first-class debut this year would be another significant step in his development and Kent’s future planning. VBBet365: 22/1Josh Bohannon was the leading run-scorer in Division One last season•Getty Images

Lancashire

Last season: 5th in Division One
Director of cricket: Mark Chilton
Head coach: Dale Benkenstein
Captain: Keaton Jennings
Overseas: Nathan Lyon, Tom Bruce
Ins: Mitchell Stanley (Worcestershire)
Outs: Matt Parkinson (Kent), Danny Lamb (Sussex), Rob Jones (Worcestershire), Richard Gleeson (Warwickshire), Jack Morley (Derbyshire, loan), Dane Vilas (retired)Lancashire managed 55 points fewer than champions Surrey last season, drawing five games out of five at Emirates Old Trafford, and their disappointing mid-table finish prompted an overhaul over the winter. Glen Chapple’s long association with the club has come to an end, with Dale Benkenstein an intriguing choice as his successor after overseeing Gloucestershire’s winless Championship season in 2023. With several homegrown players leaving over the winter, they look like a team in transition.The most eye-catching arrival is Nathan Lyon, whose signing prompted plenty of column inches before he has even played after Tom Hartley’s breakthrough on England’s tour to India. Brendon McCullum is among those hoping that Lyon will not block Hartley’s opportunities – though Cricket Australia’s decision to limit Lyon to seven games should play in England’s favour.Tom Bruce, the journeyman New Zealand batter, has also signed across formats and will effectively replace Dane Vilas, who left the club at the end of last season. Phil Salt made a couple of hundreds last summer but will be unavailable for most of the Championship campaign due to England and IPL commitments.One to watch: George Bell’s young face belies a tough competitor and a true allrounder: he took a Championship wicket with his offbreaks last summer but will compete with Matthew Hurst for the wicketkeeping gloves in Salt’s absence. Bell was part of the England team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final two years ago and spent his winter playing grade cricket for Bankstown in Sydney – this could be his breakthrough season for Lancashire. Matt RollerBet365: 8/1

Nottinghamshire

Last season: 6th in Division One
Director of cricket: Mick Newell
Head coach: Peter Moores

Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Overseas: Dane Paterson, Will Young
Ins: Jack Haynes (Worcestershire), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire), Dillon Pennington (Worcestershire)
Outs: Stuart Broad (retired), Samit Patel (Derbyshire), Jake Ball (Somerset)Another season of transition at Trent Bridge, with the exit of a core of seasoned campaigners, including the captain Steven Mullaney, who is the new player/coach of the second XI. Despite his own modest campaign in 2023, Haseeb Hameed takes over as red-ball skipper, while Joe Clarke’s T20 captaincy is his first taste of leadership since the infamous WhatsApps scandal that has cast a pall over his career.Notts’ new blood comes in the form of a trio of Worcestershire imports in Josh Tongue, Dillon Pennington and Jack Haynes, all of whom have international aspirations having played key roles in their former club’s promotion. Tongue is already firmly on England’s radar, perhaps all the more so since Stuart Broad’s retirement, but with no Test cricket until July, his desire to make a strong impression could make him a shrewd investment. On the batting front, Ben Duckett will doubtless offer a taste of early season Bazball, while New Zealand’s Will Young provides a stamp of overseas class for the first block of Championship matches.One to watch: Of all the attributes that earned Peter Moores two shots at the England head coach role, it was his ability to work with young batters that really stood out. In Haynes, he has at his disposal a richly promising strokemaker whose first three first-class hundreds came in consecutive matches at the start of the 2022 season. Despite a tougher campaign last time out, he still bookended his season with two further centuries. At the age of 23, time is very much on his side to take the next step up. AMBet365: 9/1 Josh Tongue is one of three former Worcestershire players to have joined Notts this year•Getty Images

Somerset

Last season: 7th in Division One
Director of cricket: Andy Hurry
Head coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas: Matt Renshaw
Ins: Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire)
Outs: George Bartlett (Northamptonshire), Steven Davies, Jack Brooks (both retired), Cameron Bancroft (Gloucestershire)It was a familiar story for Somerset in the Championship last season, with their batting line-up’s inconsistency resulting in a third consecutive mid-table finish. James Rew, who turned 20 in January, was the third-highest run-scorer in Division One but found limited support, and the early-season absence of Tom Kohler-Cadmore – who is running the drinks for Rajasthan Royals – will put further pressure on the rest of Somerset’s batters to fire.Tom Abell has resigned the captaincy in order to focus on his own form, with Lewis Gregory taking over after spearheading their T20 Blast triumph last summer. Matt Renshaw, the spare batter in Australia’s Test team, will return for the first couple of months of the season to cover for Kohler-Cadmore’s absence, with George Bartlett and Steven Davies both moving on over the winter.England will be watching the progress of Somerset’s spinners closely. Jack Leach underwent surgery after sustaining a knee injury during their victory in Hyderabad and his likely absence in the early stages should open up Shoaib Bashir’s opportunities in the early summer. If not, head coach Jason Kerr has signalled that he is open to loaning Bashir out in order to ensure he gets regular gametime.One to watch: Tom Lammonby was 20 years old when he hit centuries in three consecutive Bob Willis Trophy fixtures in 2020, including the final against Essex, but has only managed three more since then and is yet to average above 30 in a full County Championship season. A stylish left-hander, he is brilliant to watch when in top form; Somerset will hope that he can reach those levels more consistently this year. MRBet365: 11/1

Surrey

Last season: 1st in Division One
Director of cricket: Alec Stewart
Head coach: Gareth Batty
Captains: Rory Burns
Overseas:Kemar Roach, Sean Abbott
Ins: Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Outs: Dan Moriarty (Yorkshire)The news that Alec Stewart will leave his post at the end of the summer gives extra motivation to a side who have had plenty over the last few years. A tilt at a third consecutive County Championship title – something no county has achieved since Yorkshire in the 1960s – will come with even more feeling in 2024, which should alarm the rest, who have collectively managed just three wins against Surrey in the last two campaigns.The return of Sean Abbott and Kemar Roach bolsters homegrown expertise, characterised by Jordan Clark, whose 48 wickets – joint-top for the club with Dan Worrall – and 427 runs were the backbone for 2023’s triumph. Along with Jamie Overton, who is eyeing up a spot in England’s T20 World Cup squad, they are not lacking for high-calibre bowling allrounders.Dan Lawrence’s arrival from Essex, the most high-profile county transfer in recent times, allows Surrey to boast a front six of Test experience even with Will Jacks at the IPL. Jacks’ absence will also allow Lawrence to ramp up his bowling, but it is with the bat he will seek to make the most noise as he continues a two-year-long knocking at the door of Ben Stokes’ Test side. Such is the talent within the squad that allrounder Aaron Hardie’s withdrawal from a two-month stint at the behest of Cricket Australia was met with a shrug.One to watch: The wicketkeeping berth is the one clear Test spot up for grabs after England’s 4-1 defeat in India, with Jamie Smith already attracting attention. An engaging stroke-maker, even against the red ball, last season’s 736 runs came at a strike rate of 65.30. The one stumbling block is that England incumbent Ben Foakes is Surrey’s designated keeper, but noteworthy scores from Smith can more than cover for that. Vithushan EhantharajahBet365: 13/8Surrey will be hoping to give Alec Stewart a winning send-off•Surrey CCC/Getty Images

Warwickshire

Last season: 4th in Division One
Performance director: Gavin Larsen
Head coach:Mark Robinson
Captain: Alex Davies
Overseas: Hasan Ali
Ins: George Garton (Sussex), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire)
Outs: Ethan Brookes (Worcestershire), Henry Brookes (Middlesex), George Garrett (Kent), Manraj Johal (released)Warwickshire’s ability to sustain a title push for as long as they did last season owed plenty to the wise old men of their attack. Chris Rushworth (37) and Oliver Hannon-Dalby (34) bagged 107 dismissals between them. With neither showing any signs of tailing off and the reliable Ed Barnard likely to pick up where he left off following 29 wickets in 2023, the bowling should take care of itself, especially if they are able to squeeze a combined 10 games out of Chris Woakes and Hasan Ali around their international obligations.The batting, however, remains a live issue given the club did not seek reinforcements in the offseason despite managing the third-fewest bonus points in the division (18). Sam Hain made it beyond 700 runs (just) and Will Rhodes was the only other batter to pass 600. The former was responsible for three of the county’s seven centuries, and the former eventually decided to relinquish the captaincy after averaging a lowly 30.90. Alex Davies picks up the armband, but he, along with the likes of Rob Yates and Dan Mousley, must pick up the slack if Warwickshire are to avoid a less flattering position come September.One to watch: Part of the Edgbaston set-up since 2021, Durham University graduate Michael Booth hails from Zimbabwe and was a former age-group cricketer at KwaZulu-Natal Inland in South Africa. A fast bowler with good pace and skills, as well as being a handy lower-order batter, Booth made his county debut last summer in the One-Day Cup. VEBet365: 7/1

Worcestershire

Last season: 2nd in Division Two
Director of cricket: Ashley Giles
Head coach: Alan Richardson
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Overseas: Jason Holder, Nathan Smith
Ins: Josh Cobb (Northamptonshire), Rob Jones (Lancashire), Tom Taylor (Northamptonshire), Ethan Brookes (Warwickshire), Yadvinder Singh (SACA)
Outs: Jack Haynes (Nottinghamshire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire), Pat Brown (Derbyshire), Mitchell Stanley (Lancashire), Taylor Cornall (released)Worcestershire enjoyed a smooth path in returning to Division One for the first time since 2018, securing the two points needed on a weather-hit second day of their final fixture of 2023, against Yorkshire. The next challenge will be to stay there after their previous stint in the top-flight was short lived. Losing three key players to Nottinghamshire, including England bowler Tongue, could raise concerns but Rob Jones’ arrival from Lancashire will bolster the batting line-up. Allrounder Tom Taylor adds to their seam-bowling options after joining from Northamptonshire, although he was being monitored for shoulder and knee problems after a friendly fire collision with team-mate Ben Gibbon while taking a return catch in a Seconds Championship match earlier this week. Gibbon suffered a concussion in the incident.In Jake Libby Worcestershire had the third-highest run-scorer of Division Two last year, with 1153 runs at 57.65 and a highest score of 198, while Joe Leach was the joint-third wicket-taker. Winter flooding means Worcestershire are not expecting to play at New Road until May 24, when they host Nottinghamshire, with their first two home games to be played at Kidderminster.One to watch: Former West Indies captain Jason Holder has arrived for the first five games of the season on a quest to win back his Test place through domestic red-ball cricket so he’ll have plenty to prove ahead of his return home for the T20 World Cup. He’s at Worcestershire for a good time, not a long one, so it will be intriguing to see if he can make the most of it. VBBet365: 28/1

With the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year, and limited available spots in the India squad, the WPL could be the big chance for some to make heads turn

Sruthi Ravindranath21-Feb-2024

S Meghana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

While India have their opening spots filled in the format, a good WPL outing could keep S Meghana in the fray as back-up for Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Meghana last played for India in the women’s Asia Cup in 2022, where she opened alongside Shafali with Mandhana playing down the order. She was part of Gujarat Giants last year, where she played at No. 3 and had an average season, her highest score being 31 off 32 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore. She was bought for her base price of INR 30 lakh by RCB in the 2024 auction, but it remains to be seen if she will get a chance to open with Mandhana, considering the franchise also has Sophie Devine, who opened last season.Related

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Sneh Rana (Gujarat Giants)

With spin-bowling allrounders likely to be in demand at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, the experienced Sneh Rana, an India regular in the other formats, will be looking to show off her all-round skills at the WPL. Last season, Rana was made the Giants captain after an injury to Beth Mooney, and she endured a rough time in her team’s poor season. She last played for India in T20Is at the World Cup in South Africa in early 2023, where she finished with 34 runs and six wickets in eight games. India already have an experienced allrounder Deepti Sharma in the side along with the likes of youngsters Amanjot Kaur and Shreyanka Patil – who have all been part of recent T20I series – but a strong WPL season could help Rana remain in contention.

Yastika Bhatia (Mumbai Indians)

Richa Ghosh’s excellent performances in the recent home season make her the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in the national side for now, which means Bhatia needs to have another season like the last to compete for a spot.She had a solid season with the bat at the last WPL, where she made three 40-plus scores in Mumbai’s title-winning campaign. A more consistent run this season – with a couple of higher scores – could tilt the scales in her favour. She had below-par performances in the last T20I series she played for India, against Bangladesh in 2023, but is a strong alternative who can bat long and score quickly, as she has shown over the years.Kiran Navgire showed glimpses of her big-hitting ability during the Eliminator last season•BCCI

Kiran Navgire (UP Warriorz)

India need finishers in their white-ball squads. Navgire showed promise with her exploits in domestic cricket, but at the last WPL, she couldn’t quite pull it off, except in the Eliminator between UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians, where she showed what she was capable of, hitting four fours and three sixes in her 43 off 27 balls. But the big-hitter had a poor domestic season as well, where she made just 88 runs in six games for Maharashtra in the Senior Women’s T20 trophy.Warriorz coach Jon Lewis told ESPNcricinfo in December that Navgire had been “working very hard on her physical fitness during the off-season so she can be faster between the wickets”. It might be hard for the selectors to look past her if she brings her best hitting game along with some consistency to the WPL this season.

Vrinda Dinesh (UP Warriorz)

Vrinda Dinesh is just 22, hasn’t played international cricket yet, but has been all the talk ahead of WPL 2024. The top-order batter had teams tussling for her at the auction and was finally roped in by Warriorz for INR 1.3 crore.Karnataka’s Vrinda starred in the 2022-23 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament – 477 from 11 innings at 47.70 – following which she impressed in the final of the ACC emerging tournament against Bangladesh in June last year, where she caught the attention of a few scouts.She also turned out for the India A side for the series against England in December. In the 2023-24 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, she scored 211 runs at 154.01. India do have their top order in place in the format, but Vrinda could come into contention if she replicates what the likes of Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque did last season.