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As he stands on the brink of 100 Tests, we look at where New Zealand’s jack of all trades ranks in his country’s pantheon

David Leggat25-Mar-2010There’s an advertisement running on New Zealand sports channels at the moment featuring Dan Vettori.He is watching television when several of his New Zealand team-mates turn up, wanting to switch channels. Argument ensues. To cut to the chase, it finishes with Vettori putting his head in his hands and slowly shaking it.It might not have been the intention, but when you consider his importance to the New Zealand cause, and the half-baked efforts of others in the team at various points this summer, it is amusingly appropriate.In this week’s second Test against Australia, starting in Hamilton on Saturday, Vettori brings up his 99th or 100th Test, depending on how you view the ill-starred World XI game against Australia in 2005. Include it, and Vettori’s bringing up his ton this week; treat the relevant mark as nation against nation, it will happen in Bangladesh in a few months’ time. Either way it’s a remarkable achievement for the bespectacled allrounder, who joins the man he replaced as captain, Stephen Fleming, as New Zealand’s only 100-Test cricketer.There are statistics that bear testimony to his influence within the New Zealand game. Consider just one: Vettori’s Test batting average is 30.9; in the period he has taken over the captaincy, 26 Tests beginning in November 2007, that number is 44.07. His bowling average is also fractionally superior in that shorter period. Therefore it is a short hop to contend that the 31-year-old seems to be thriving, in personal terms, with the leadership.Recently a sports commentator posed the question: Is Vettori New Zealand’s finest cricketer?These sort of subjective topics are great for whiling away idle hours, but if there are firm and conflicting viewpoints, you usually don’t get far. In this instance, the answer is no. Here’s a handful of names to ponder, in rough chronological order: Bert Sutcliffe, John R Reid, Glenn Turner, Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe. You’ll find any number of supporters to argue each of those players has credentials superior to Vettori’s.How does he sit among the finest spinners New Zealand has produced? Now we’re talking.The answer is, head and shoulders clear of the rest.New Zealand does not have an especially rich tradition of spin bowlers. Only one other has got to 100 Test wickets, offspinner John Bracewell, who was an immensely competitive, combative player. In his prime, a team of Bracewells wouldn’t lose many matches, but there would be plenty of trips to the match referee’s room.There have been three other left-arm orthodox slow men of note: Tom Burtt, burly and gifted, but a liability in the field, in the years after the Second World War; Hedley Howarth, who churned through a mountain of overs in exhausting conditions in the late 1960s and early 1970s on the subcontinent and in the West Indies; and Stephen Boock, a thoroughly competitive and humorous man, who once kissed the Eden Park pitch en route to one for a bucketload against Javed Miandad and his chums 21 years ago.Vettori is not among the biggest turners of a ball. His strengths include flight and variations, accumulated wisdom gleaned from 13 years in the big time. He is a treat to watch at work. One of his strongest attributes is best seen in side-on replays of an over. He uses changes of pace, with no noticeable change in action, and to excellent effect. As they stretch out, or advance down the pitch, batsmen find they are not quite there.At times Vettori has had to be more defensive than he might wish – a case of necessity rather than preference. Rarely has he marked out his run with 450 or more runs to work with.

One of Vettori’s strongest attributes is best seen in side-on replays of an over. He uses changes of pace, with no noticeable change in action, and to excellent effect. As they stretch out, or advance down the pitch, batsmen find they are not quite there

So try this question for size: How important a figure has Vettori become to New Zealand cricket?Tom Lowry and Walter Hadlee were the early giants of the game. Reid was captain on the occasion of New Zealand’s first Test win, against West Indies at Eden Park in 1956; he added Test wins No. 2 and 3 in South Africa six summers later to his resume, and was a colossus of the game.
Among his claims to a place at the game’s top table in New Zealand was his longevity as a national selector. He wanted a say in who he was leading through the gate and got it.Now Vettori is in the same situation: captain and selector. It is not a double role for which he has received universal support. His fellow selectors are coach Mark Greatbatch and former captain and batting champion Glenn Turner. One advocate in his corner is Reid, who knows why Vettori wanted the extra responsibility, and supports his right to a strong say in who walks onto the field behind him.It is an old argument: should there be a clear line between the occupiers of the dressing room and those who put them there? How do players view their captain when they know he is one of those who hold the key to their immediate place in the side? Vettori has maintained he will make hard calls when required.At this moment he is his team’s best bowler, possesses among their safest pair of hands in the field, and is perhaps their most reliable source of runs. Throw in the captaincy and selectorial roles and he has a full plate. Remember, he was also doubling up as de facto coach during the gap between the departure of Andy Moles and the appointment of Greatbatch, although he didn’t much care for the terminology and didn’t feel he was doing anything differently in his handling of the team.Vettori’s significance to his country’s game can be traced back to his debut, against England in 1997. There was no gentle introduction, no bedding-in period for New Zealand’s youngest Test player, at 18 years 10 days. He bowled more overs than anyone else in England’s only innings, at the Basin Reserve, during a hefty innings loss (and he batted No. 11, below Simon Doull and Geoff Allott, which on reflection is a hoot).A few days later he was asked to square the series in the final Test in Christchurch. Chasing 305, England won by four wickets. Of the 146.4 overs it took, Vettori wheeled through 57, more than double anyone else. It was a ludicrous load on slender shoulders.So, being an integral part of New Zealand cricket is nothing new for Vettori.New Zealand’s finest cricketer? A matter of opinion, so no. Their most influential? Right up there.

Manchester United are drawing up a list of potential targets to strengthen a key area of Erik Ten Hag's squad in January, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

Manchester United's defensive injuries

Manchester United produced a gritty display as they dug deep to defeat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage, courtesy of an injury-time winner from club captain Bruno Fernandes. Moving into eighth position in the Premier League, Red Devils' boss Ten Hag will have been relieved that his side were able to claim three points at a difficult away venue; however, the Dutchman will owe a lot of his gratitude to England international Harry Maguire, who played a major role in their victory despite suffering a head knock during proceedings.

Earning a Sofascore match rating of 7.7/10, Maguire won eight of his ten ground duels contested and completed 49 out of his 60 attempted passes in west London, leading the way for Manchester United, who posted their fourth victory in six games.

Speaking to Premier League productions cited by United in Focus, Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel branded Maguire as the Red Devils' best player on the day, stating: "The best player for me today was Harry Maguire. He was majestic. He was here, there and everywhere. The adversity he has met, the criticism he has been in for, and how he has turned it around. Every coach now will put him in first. He was fantastic and without him today, I can’t see how Man Utd would have won today."

Nevertheless, Maguire has almost been forced into first-team action through necessity, as Lisandro Martinez continues to be sidelined by a long-term hamstring injury, while Raphael Varane has also struggled to stay fit consistently.

Looking ahead, you would assume Manchester United would enter the market for some defensive cover in January and reporter Jacobs has given an update on their hunt to strengthen the position in the New Year.

Manchester United draw up defender shortlist

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs has given an insight into Manchester United's plans to buy a defender in January and the type of profile Ten Hag may elect to pursue at Old Trafford.

Jacobs stated: "They're looking for a younger profile and somebody that, obviously, can be part of a new era of centre-backs because there are plenty of centre-backs at the club at the moment, but they're all ageing and some of the fans may feel they're not quite up to standard.

Manchester United summer signings – all fees courtesy of Sky Sports

Player

Previous club

Fee

Jonny Evans

Leicester City

Free transfer

Mason Mount

Chelsea

£60 million

Altay Bayindir

Fenerbache

£4.3 million

Andre Onana

Inter Milan

£47.2 million

Sergio Reguilon

Tottenham Hotspur

Loan

Sofyan Amrabat

Fiorentina

Loan

Rasmus Hojlund

Atalanta

£72 million

"It's about finding a younger profile and the right profile. We wait and see whether, in terms of availability and cost, there's any possibility of moving in January. But it's definitely true that, internally, Manchester United are drawing up a list which shows you that centre-back is a priority."

Jacobs remained tight-lipped on any names; however, Manchester United seem to have put the wheels in motion regarding their hunt for a new central defender.

Wrexham missed the chance to strengthen their automatic promotion push as they slumped to a 1-0 loss to a dogged Tranmere side at the Racecourse.

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Wrexham fall to 1-0 home defeatTranmere's Norris scores early winnerMiss chance to strengthen promotion pushTELL ME MORE

The home side fell behind in the eighth minute when a long ball forward wasn't dealt with and Luke Norris slotted past goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. Andy Cannon did well to clear Regan Hendry's header off the line for the hosts shortly after as Tranmere frustrated Phil Parkinson's men in the first half. Despite having the lion's share of possession and 25 shots to Rovers' seven, they failed to test keeper Luke McGee enough – with only four efforts on target – as they stayed third in the League Two table on goal difference, ahead of fourth-placed MK Dons.

AdvertisementTHE MVP

While Tranmere keeper McGee made a superb save to keep out Elliot Lee's deflected effort, he wasn't troubled a great deal, ultimately it was striker Norris who proved the difference with his early goal to sink Wrexham.

Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER

Not nearly as cohesive and clinical as they needed to be, Wrexham as a whole were the major losers from this contest. They could have leapfrogged Stockport County into second and kept the chasing pack at bay but now MK Dons are breathing down their neck and Crewe Alexandra are just three points behind.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

Following this result, promotion-chasing Wrexham travel to relegation-threatened Grimsby Town next weekend, before hosting top of the table Mansfield Town at the Racecourse on March 29 in a crucial clash in League Two.

Manchester United have reportedly slapped a £50 million ($64m) price tag on Mason Greenwood ahead of the summer transfer window.

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Forward impressing in SpainWanted by La Liga giantsPermanent move expectedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old forward is expected to see a permanent move away from Old Trafford sanctioned once he returns to England from a loan spell at Getafe. He has been catching the eye in Spain, registering eight goals and five assists.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Erik ten Hag is said to be open to the idea of absorbing Greenwood back into his plans, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ruling nothing out after acquiring a 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils. A parting of ways is, however, considered to be the best option for all concerned.

DID YOU KNOW?

With that in mind, and as interest in Greenwood builds, claims that United will be demanding £50m from any deal. That is the figure said to have been passed on to Atletico Madrid after they enquired as to the one-cap England international’s potential availability.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

La Liga giants Barcelona have also been linked with Greenwood, and United executives John Murtough and Matt Hargreaves recently met with Blaugrana director Deco in Catalunya. Atletico have reportedly made it clear that they will not be meeting the Red Devils’ current valuation and would need demands to be lowered in order for a deal to be done.

This is what BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry wants to know, even as coach Ravi Shastri says the yo-yo test as a measure of fitness is ‘not going to go anywhere’

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-20185:39

Taking on the yo-yo test

How has the yo-yo test become a prerequisite for selection in the Indian team? In an exhaustive letter written to the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry has raised this question about the yo-yo test. The letter comes even as coach Ravi Shastri has suggested the test will be a regular feature for the Indian team going forward. has the full copy of Chaudhry’s letter, which states: “I keep reading about the yo-yo test being a criterion for selection in the Indian team. Is this correct? If so, who took this decision and when and what is the rationale for the same?”At which forum was the decision taken to have a minimum score on the yo-yo test as a prerequisite for selection in a BCCI-selected team? Who all were present in the meeting that decided this?”Most importantly, once this decision was taken, to whom was the same communicated? Was it communicated to all first-class players in India? Was it communicated to all List A players in India? Was it communicated to all state cricket associations to communicate to their players?”Chaudhry’s questions come after a number of players were sidelined after failing the yo-yo test in the lead-up to the England tour. Ambati Rayudu was dropped from the ODI squad for the three-match series in England after he failed the yo-yo test. Sanju Samson was also withdrawn from the India A squad for the one-day tri-series in England after falling short of the 16:1 benchmark.Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, meanwhile, had been sidelined from squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru after failing a fitness test as well; reportedly, he also underwent yo-yo tests, though the results of these tests could not be confirmed. Previously, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh had been the first high-profile players who failed to meet the 16:1 benchmark after it was introduced, and teenaged allrounder Washington Sundar failed it and missed out on selection for a T20I series at home against New Zealand last year.Coach Shastri has often prioritised fitness, even saying last year that he wanted his team to be the best fielding side at the 2019 World Cup. Now, as the senior team departed for England on Friday, he emphasised on the importance of fitness once again, particularly playing up the role of the yo-yo test.”You have a certain ability, but with fitness you can enhance the same ability,” he said. “That is why we emphasise on this yo-yo thing. And whoever thinks it’s a one-off, he’s sadly mistaken. He can go for a walk. The philosophy is simple: you pass, you play; you fail, you fail.”So this is not going to go anywhere and the captain leads from the front, the selectors are on the same page, the entire team management is on the same page, and the boys have responded extremely well.”Shastri’s predecessor Anil Kumble, speaking to the media in Chennai, said that communication is particularly important when it comes to fitness. “It’s about the communication you have with a cricketer,” he said. “If he knows what’s expected of him on the fitness front and what the benchmark is, then what’s the problem?”Last week, Saba Karim, the BCCI general manager for cricket operations, told the that conducting yo-yo tests only after the teams – A and senior – had already been selected for their England tours was a “one-off”, given it was not possible to have the tests beforehand while the IPL was on.

England’s batsmen produced nine scores between 16 and 49, all of which added up to an overnight lead of 128

The Report by Andrew Miller02-Jun-2018

Dom Bess steers into the off side•Getty Images

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe second Test at Headingley has officially been designated the Participation Test – a call to arms from the ECB for everyone with a passing interest in English cricket to get involved, and (so the unspoken reasoning goes…) help dig the sport out of something of an existential crisis.Ever the diligent corporate citizens, England’s Test cricketers have been leading from the front in that regard at least, and will go into the third day against Pakistan with a solid advantage borne of a collective team effort. After a four-way share of the wickets in the first innings, today it was the turn of all the batsmen to chip in for the greater good.A total of nine scores between 16 and 49 – everyone taking a turn but none for so long that their team-mates would get bored waiting – added up to an overnight lead of 128. It is the sort of position that ought, on the evidence of the series so far, to prove decisive. But it hardly added up to a decisive performance.Pakistan simply kept chiselling away, their skilful attack finding sufficient magic at irregular intervals to dislodge a series of well-set players. But England were once again complicit in their own downfalls, and it was telling that their outstanding player of the day was their 20-year-old nightwatchman Dom Bess, whose cover-driving evoked Joe Root at his most fluent, but whose spin bowling – his primary suit – has yet to claim a Test wicket, or even bowl an over in this match.Root himself is becoming something of a past master at the unconverted start, and once again, he inadvertently set the tone for England’s innings with a typically attractive but ultimately underwhelming 45. He was the first man to depart as play got underway at 2.45pm after a three-hour rain delay – snicking outside off as Mohammad Amir’s left-arm line once again exposed a slight weakness in an otherwise enviable technique.His technical issues, however, were as nothing compared to those that Dawid Malan was experiencing by the end of England’s winter in Australia and New Zealand. Like his fellow left-handers, Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings, he appeared to have reached for an off-the-peg remedy, in setting himself up outside of his crease and willing himself on to the front foot at every opportunity.And just like Cook in particular, the approach appeared to be paying dividends for Malan, not least with the clarity of his cover-driving. He went to tea on 28 from 70 balls, with five fours to his name and the air of a batsman who had found the answer to his struggles. But then, from his first ball of the resumption, he received a snorter from that man Amir, which bounced and left him, taking the shoulder of the bat as it did so, before looping invitingly to slip.Bess, by contrast, hasn’t got a care in the world right now. He’d like, presumably, to pick up that elusive first Test wicket at some point in the near future, but at the age of 20, and with the confidence of youth, he’s used his batting to showcase his credentials as a player who is made of The Right Stuff™. A second consecutive Test fifty appeared a done deal, especially when he scuffed a Shadab Khan full toss to ease along to 49. But then one ball later, Shadab bit back with his best ball of the match so far – a fizzing top-spinning legbreak that slammed the gloves and nestled in the hands of slip before the batsman really knew what had happened.Pakistan could – no, should – have taken three wickets for 20 runs in the space of five overs when Buttler, looking to bat with the same controlled belligerence that had briefly raised England’s spirits at Lord’s, clipped Shadab uppishly into the leg side, and straight through the hands of Hasan Ali at short midwicket. But the moment was lost, and so too seemed the momentum, especially when Jonny Bairstow successfully overturned an lbw appeal on 8, after offering no shot to Faheem Ashraf.But that wasn’t quite the end of the resistance. Faheem got his man in his next over instead, as Bairstow nibbled outside off, having just helped himself to three fours in the space of seven balls. The fact that his dismissal came on the stroke of the 80th over rather added to the soft-headedness of the moment, even though Pakistan then chose to delay the new ball, perhaps to give Amir an extra over or two to gather his strength.Either way, Mohammad Abbas didn’t waste it when he was finally handed it, and produced another pearler in the channel outside off to account for Chris Woakes for 17. It was left to Sam Curran to finish the day with a mini-flourish, two fours from the final three balls brought up England’s 300 and underlined their eventual dominance. But it had been a circuitous route to the top.

No sooner had Todd Astle been grasping a rare opportunity in Test cricket than he has been hit by injury

Andrew McGlashan28-Mar-2018No sooner had Todd Astle been grasping a rare opportunity in Test cricket than he has been hit by injury, a side strain ruling him out of his hometown match in Christchurch as New Zealand target just a fourth series win over England.Astle took 3 for 39 in the second innings at Eden Park, but scans the following day showed he had picked up the injury. He had a previous side strain earlier in the season and this one means he still has yet to play consecutive Tests after single outings in 2012 and 2016.”Through some incredibly hard work, Todd’s already overcome some injuries this summer, so for this to happen now is a cruel blow,” coach Mike Hesson said. “Todd played a major role in helping us win the game at Eden Park, so it’s disappointing for Todd and the team that he’s forced to the sideline ahead of Friday.”With Mitchell Santner sidelined by a long-term knee injury, it has opened up the chance for fellow legspinner Ish Sodhi to resume his Test career having not played the format since September 2016 against India in Kanpur. If New Zealand maintain the same balance of attack, rather than going all-seam with Matt Henry, Sodhi will come into the match and high on confidence at that. He took career-best match figures of 12 for 62 against Wellington in the Plunket Shield last week, which included a 7 for 30 in the first innings, and 7 for 98 against Otago in the outing before that.”It was good to get the chance to bowl some overs in the middle so you go into the Test, if I play, with a bit of momentum. It was the ideal scenario,” Sodhi said. “As a young spinner learning your art, the best way to do it is to bowl as much as you can and bowling in the nets is so different to bowling in the middle in games. You have to take the chance with both hands.”It’s awesome to get the opportunity to be part of a winning team. The last game was fantastic and boys got up a great spectacle with the pink-ball Test so to be part of it is fantastic but I feel sorry for Toddy. He’s work very hard in the last game, performed well so it’s heartbreaking.”Astle’s absence will lengthen New Zealand’s tail unless they take a cautious approach and opt to play an extra batsman. Martin Guptill is in the squad but, on Tuesday, Hesson said the team would not go into the match looking for a draw despite the carrot of the series win.On the other hand, spin has only taken 14 wickets in four Tests at Hagley Oval. New Zealand didn’t play a spinner against Australia in 2016, and in Tests against Pakistan and Bangladesh, they used a grand total of four overs with Santner not bowling a ball in the Bangladesh contest.Sodhi hasn’t played a first-class match at the ground since 2015 – and in three matches has a return of 3 for 256 – but believes the surface could offer him something. “It’s normally hard and bouncy and if you gave me the option, and the turn was slow, I’d rather have the bounce so hopefully can extract something out the wicket.”The prize for a win or drawn Test is significant for New Zealand: to join the team of 1983-84 as the only series winners against England on home soil, and the 1986 and 1999 sides who achieved the feat in England. They will be favourites going into the match after dismantling England for 58 in Auckland and overcoming the rain to win in effectively little more than three days, but getting carried away is not the New Zealand style.”I think we saw in the second innings what they are capable of and we expect them to be a lot tougher in this match,” BJ Watling said. “They are a quality outfit and we’ll have to on our game.”

Allrounder unites a USA team defying all odds for their chance on the World Cup stage

Peter Della Penna13-Jan-2023If America can sometimes be seen as a country of extremes, then the USA squad preparing to take part in the maiden Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup is in some ways a microcosm of that, whether by population demographics, culturally or geographically.There are players representing seven states from coast to coast: from New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina in the east, to California and Washington in the Pacific Northwest, to Texas in the south and even two players from Missouri to showcase the Show-Me State in middle America.Culturally, they all share a bond in that every player in the squad is a daughter of at least one parent, and in many cases both, who is a first-generation immigrant from India. But more remarkable is the minor miracle of the sample size they are drawing from.Most casual statistics would deduce that it should not be hard to find 11 quality players in a country of 350 million people, even if the actual number of registered cricketers in the country can range from 25,000 to 100,000 depending on where the data is drawn from. Yet there are only 283 total registered female cricketers of any age group in the USA, less than 1% of the overall amateur player pool, according to data shared during the most recent USA Cricket AGM.Related

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Some of them have been playing cricket for more than half their lives. Others have only started since the Covid pandemic, and in one case, precisely because of it. Some live in cities where there are enough girls to form an entire female team or mini-league to compete against fellow girls. Other players are literally pioneers, the first and in some cases only females of any age group playing in their city or state, forced to join boys’ age-group or men’s teams if they want to get a game.In some sports, the odds would be stacked against not just the individuals but the group making it to this tournament. But these girls will prove to be just one more example of how to live out the American Dream by wearing the red, white and blue when they take the field for their opening Group A match against Sri Lanka in Benoni as part of the first USA cricket team to qualify for any World Cup since 2010, when the U19 boys did it.”The opportunities that we’re getting, it just shows how fast cricket is growing in the US and around the world,” said USA Women’s U19 captain Geetika Kodali.She would know better than most. Just over three years ago, she was making her debut in the USA Women’s senior team at a time when there was no such thing as a USA Women’s U19 team, let alone a Women’s U19 World Cup.But in the time since, she has carved out a name for herself globally, taking part in the Fairbreak T20 in Dubai last May as well as being picked in the Trinbago Knight Riders squad for the inaugural Women’s CPL and 6ixty, where she took a hat-trick that included Hayley Matthews, Britney Cooper and Chloe Tryon.”Women’s cricket has been growing rapidly starting with the new women’s CPL and Fairbreak tournaments,” Kodali said. “It’s an absolutely amazing time to start playing this game now.”

“This team is exactly who America is because America is known for its diversity”Aditi Chudasama

Despite being just 18, Kodali is not just seen as a captain, but an inspiration and a role model by a number of her team-mates. Prior to her debut and that of Maryland native Lisa Ramjit, both at the age of 14 in the same T20 World Cup Regional Qualifier series against Canada, it was practically unheard of for an American-raised and developed player to be in the USA Women’s national team.”Geets and Lisa, them getting into the team, there was like a spark across a lot of the girls in the country because their eyes opened up, of their families and them,” said USA Women’s U19 vice-captain and fellow senior team player Anika Kolan, who grew up playing junior cricket with Kodali in the East Bay of northern California.”These girls, even though they’re young, they were getting somewhere, they’re doing things. When I started, a lot of the uncles thought it was just a waste of time. But both of them getting in, especially being the younger ones to get in, definitely inspired a lot of us to keep on pushing and try to reach that goal to represent a national team like they did.”The only other American-born players in the team at the time, in May 2019, were field hockey convert Erica Rendler from California and Shebani Bhaskar, who was born in Illinois but had travelled the world for most of her life as the daughter of a US diplomat. But in the USA Women’s squad that took part in the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE this past September, 11 of the 15 players were teenagers. All but one of them would double up as part of the squad at the U19 World Cup, and all but two are American born.In Kodali’s first two tours with the USA Women in 2019, she played two matches and mostly rode the bench as a reserve with raw but unrefined fast-bowling talent. But Kodali’s stature has rocketed since then, to the point that she was named vice-captain for the senior team in Abu Dhabi, not to mention U19 captain for the World Cup.”In the past year or so with the experiences and opportunities she’s been getting, it’s amazing how she’s starting to understand her game better,” said USA Women’s senior national team captain Sindhu Sriharsha. “At Fairbreak we did speak a little bit about how she should be using this opportunity for herself and she was loving it.”She spent every minute she could with Shabnim Ismail. She’s definitely looking up to Shabnim as her role model and after she came back from Fairbreak, she was a different bowler altogether.”She was trying to work on different variations and trying to think about the batter, how to play the batter and manipulate the batter. I think she has grown as a person and having that leadership role with the Under-19s, all of the girls really look up to her.”We’ve been working on this for a year because we identified quite quickly that she would be a leader going forward. I don’t think we noticed it growing up, but the way she has developed confidence in herself has come up in the last couple of years.”Kodali has also been someone who has the unique perspective of being part of the cricket culture on both coasts, aiding her ability to bond with many of the players and help form a more cohesive national team. Though she grew up in Fremont, California, her family moved to North Carolina not long after her senior national team debut to access better playing facilities and coaching from former West Indies opener Alvin Kallicharran, who was active in junior cricket initiatives in the Raleigh area. She has been a successful captain of the Eastern Conference team now that she’s based in North Carolina, and wound up leading them to the USA Cricket Women’s national title this year over the Western Conference team captained by Sriharsha.But that’s not the only feather in Kodali’s leadership cap. The USA Women’s U19 squad was invited to participate this past summer in the Cricket West Indies Women’s U19 Rising Stars Regional tournament and went undefeated to win the title, including a resounding victory over Trinidad & Tobago in the de facto final. The successful tour coincided with former West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s appointment as USA Women’s senior and U19 head coach to guide the team on their journey to South Africa. To show that this result was not a fluke, USA hosted a full West Indies Women’s U19 side a month later for a five-match T20 series in Florida and won it 4-1 with captain Kodali ending as one of USA’s key performers with bat and ball.Aditi Chudasama receives the Best Batter Award at the 2022 USA Cricket Women’s National Championship from Shivnarine Chanderpaul•Peter Della Penna”I think that and with the experience that she’s gotten now with Fairbreak and the opportunity at the CPL, she’s very commanding with the players,” Sriharsha said. “I saw it at USA nationals. Isu [Vaghela] and I came out to bat together after a wicket and she’s telling the girls in the huddle, ‘These are the top two batters of the West. If we get these two out, they’re finished and we win the championship. This is when I need the best from you all.’ I was like, ‘Oh wow.’ I even told her, ‘Geets, that was good.’ And she was like, ‘I know, we’re gonna get you!'”She has a never-give-up kind of an attitude. And she also speaks the language of the teenager, which helps me a little bit as well. So she is a true vice-captain for me in such a young team.”But Kodali is not the only leading light in the U19 team. Ritu Singh and Pooja Ganesh were the first two females playing in St. Louis, Missouri. Both of them have risen through the adverse circumstance of non-existent dedicated female cricket opportunities in their state to make it to South Africa. Singh’s journey is especially remarkable because she has done it while juggling Olympic gymnastics ambitions, having competed at a high level nationally in her age group in trampoline.Allrounder Ritu Singh drives over mid-off during USA’s tour of the UAE•Peter Della PennaJivana Aras is the first female to play competitive league cricket in Seattle. Born and raised in the suburb of Bellevue, Aras only started playing organised cricket because the club soccer season – her primary sport at the time – was cancelled in 2020 due to local Covid restrictions. Cricket was one of the few sports that was sanctioned for outdoor activity and Aras joined the same club team as her dad, Yatin. Less than three years later, she’s playing for USA and hopes she is not the only player from Seattle who plays for the country in future.”It’s been an honor to represent the USA, and specifically Seattle and Bellevue in Washington,” Aras said. “I’m really looking forward to helping younger girls come into the sport and not be scared of playing with the boys and being discriminated [against] in a way.”Speaking of discrimination, the U19 World Cup squad caused a stir on the internet when it was unveiled on the USA Cricket social media account in December. A graphic featuring headshots of each player was included, sparking derisive comments mainly from sections of the cricket community outside of the USA who zeroed in on the ethnic background of the entire squad and labelled them, ‘The India B side’.But the players just shrug it off, eager to talk up their pride in wearing the Stars & Stripes as they hope to beat the odds against the Test nation competition they’ll face through January.”These people are saying things because they’re not in our shoes,” said New Jersey native Aditi Chudasama. “I think this team is exactly who America is because America is known for its diversity. We’re known for its culture and inclusiveness. If you look at this team, we’re just that. We’re diverse and we come from different parts of the country. I don’t think that’s anything out of the American norm.”Any cricketer who grows up wanting to play professionally, they all want to have their last name on their back, have the country’s flag on their chest. It’s no different for me. I’ve always wanted to play for the country. I think it’s an honor to be a part of history to play in the first U19 World Cup.”

India have lost the last four times they’ve turned up for a Test at the Basin Reserve, and some of their heaviest defeats against New Zealand have been at this ground

S Rajesh01-Apr-2009After India’s dogged fightback in Napier, they will go into the Wellington Test as favourites to wrap up the series, but if past stats are any indicator, New Zealand will fancy their chances of turning the tables on India despite spending three days in the field in the previous Test without a positive result. More than New Zealand’s good record here, the home team will be encouraged by India’s struggles at this venue.New Zealand have themselves lost about as often as they’ve won here, but India have lost the last four times they’ve turned up for a Test at the Basin Reserve. (They’ve only lost to New Zealand nine times in all, which means almost 50% of their defeats have come at a single venue.) Some of their heaviest defeats against New Zealand have come here too – their innings-and-33-run loss in 1976 is their only innings defeat against them, while they also lost by ten wickets the last time they played a Test at this ground. Their innings-by-innings list doesn’t make impressive reading either, with seven scores of less than 225 in ten innings.

Stats in Wellington

Team and periodPlayedWonLostDrawnNew Zealand – overall48141618New Zealand – since 200210442India – overall5140If the trend from the previous New Zealand-India Tests at this venue continues, expect batsmen from both teams to struggle to get the runs. In five previous Tests, New Zealand’s batsmen average 24.43 runs per wicket, which is four runs better than what the Indians have managed. There have been 13 fifty-plus scores from the home team, but Geoff Howarth was the only one to convert it into a century. The Indians have had three centurions here – Sachin Tedulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajit Wadekar – but they’ve also had many more low scores.

New Zealand and Indian batting in WellingtonTests

TeamTestsRunsAverage100s/ 50sNew Zealand5185724.431/ 12India5183420.153/ 4Recent stats also suggest the conditions here are excellent for seam and swing: in the last ten Tests here, since 2002, fast bowlers average 26.47 runs per wicket. The average for the spinners – who have only taken 55 wickets during this period – is exactly ten runs more.

Pace and spin in Wellington since 2002

TypeWicketsAverageStike rate5WI/ 10WMPace25426.4751.814/ 1Spin5536.4779.12/ 2Among the New Zealand bowlers in the current squad, the fast men have all done well here: Kyle Mills has taken 15 wickets in four Tests; Chris Martin has 40 from nine, with four five-wicket hauls. The strike rates for the fast bowlers is excellent too: it’s in the late 40s for Martin and James Franklin, while Mills, who has the best average but the poorest strike rate among the four, takes a wicket every six overs. The stats aren’t as impressive for Daniel Vettori, though – in 16 Tests he has taken 44 wickets, and average of less than three wickets per match, with each costing him 38 runs. His only five-wicket haul here was against Sri Lanka in 2006 in a rare match dominated by spin – Muttiah Muralitharan took 10 for 118 to take his team to victory.

New Zealand bowlers in Wellington

BowlerTestsWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMKyle Mills41523.9353.40/ 0Iain O’Brien2625.6650.00/ 0Chris Martin94026.4547.54/ 0James Franklin41728.0049.71/ 0Daniel Vettori164438.1182.01/ 1With the stats so heavily in favour of fast bowlers, it’s hardly surprising that teams winning the toss have mostly put the opposition in to bat: in the last ten Tests, the captains have taken this route seven times, and five times they’ve gone on to win the match.The innings-wise average runs per wicket indicates, there isn’t much difference in the first three innings, but in the fourth innings teams have done significantly better, suggesting again that bowling first have historically been a good option here.

Innings-wise runs per wicket Wellington in Tests since 2002

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings28.8728.6424.1343.19The partnership stats too suggest that batting later in the innings is easier than tackling the new ball: average partnership for the first two wickets is less than 30, but it increases to 43.78 for the fourth wicket.Among the Indian batsmen in the current squad, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are the only ones to have played more than one Test at the Basin Reserve. Tendulkar has done well here, with three 45-plus scores in four innings. Dravid, though, averages 27.75.Those who only played in 2002-03 have hardly scored any runs here, which isn’t surprising since India totalled 161 and 121 in their two innings: Virender Sehwag scored 14 in two innings, while VVS Laxman failed to score a run in the match.

Leeds United are reportedly looking to bolster their playing squad when the January transfer window officially opens for business next month.

Leeds transfer news – Bright Osayi-Samuel

According to TEAMtalk, the Whites are one of three English sides in the race to land Fenerbahce defender Bright Osayi-Samuel ahead of the second half of the season.

The report has claimed that Premier League teams Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace are also eyeing up a swoop for the Nigeria international.

It is stated that Palace are currently ahead of Leeds and Wolves in the pursuit of the former QPR star and there is no mention of how much he would cost in January.

Daniel Farke could, though, ditch Luke Ayling by securing a deal to sign Osayi-Samuel ahead of the two top-flight clubs at the turn of the year.

Luke Ayling's season in numbers

The veteran full-back has lost his starting place to 17-year-old Archie Gray, who is a central midfielder by trade, under the German head coach this season.

He has only made eight Championship starts and featured in 14 league matches in total since the club were relegated from the Premier League.

Ayling has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, with a duel success rate of 53%, but has also been dribbled past 1.1 times per match and only been successful with 24% of his attempted dribbles in those 14 outings.

The 32-year-old battler has also contributed with one goal and one assist from right-back, and these statistics have not done enough to convince Farke that he has what it takes to be his first-choice option in that position.

Bringing in a new number two, in Osayi-Samuel, would leave Ayling further down the pecking order and allow the manager to part ways with him in January, or next summer when his contract expires.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Osayi-Samuel

The Whites target has been a regular starter for Fenerbahce and caught the eye with his impressive defensive displays for the Turkish giants.

Osayi-Samuel has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match, with a duel success rate of 59%, and has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per clash across 12 Super Lig appearances.

These statistics show that the 25-year-old, who is seven years younger than Ayling, can win possession back more frequently than the current Leeds defender and does not allow opposition players to get the better of him anywhere near as often as the English dud.

Appearances

23

Starts

Ten

Duel success rate

51%

Dribble success rate

48%

Assists

Zero

The Fenerbahce star, who has improved since his struggles last season, also has experience in English football. During his time with QPR, manager Mark Warburton claimed that he "terrifies defenders" with his sheer pace.

Throughout the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns combined, Osayi-Samuel racked up eight goals, ten assists, and 13 'big chances' created in 54 Championship starts as a winger.

This suggests that the £40k-per-week whiz has the potential to offer quality as an attacking force if Farke can get the best out of him, whilst also being an upgrade on Ayling from a defensive perspective, which is why Leeds could ditch their experienced dud with a swoop for him.