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Qadir and Chris Green set up the win with the ball before openers took over

Tristan Lavalette27-Dec-2022Sydney Thunder overcame their demons with a belligerent chase on a tricky Sydney Showground Stadium surface to thrash Brisbane Heat by 10 wickets and snap a three-game losing streak.Returning to the ground where they were routed for 15 by Adelaide Strikers, Thunder openers Matthew Gilkes and Alex Hales smashed half-centuries to overhaul the modest target of 122 in the 12th over.Thunder won their first game since the season opener, while Heat slumped to a 1-3 record.

Thunder openers exorcise demons

It only took 11 deliveries for Thunder to pass that infamous total. Gilkes had a duck that night and made just six runs in four innings this season but emerged from his drought by fluently attacking star quicks Michael Neser and Mark Steketee.Gilkes dominated early before Hales took over to ensure Thunder would not waste such an impressive platform. Thunder took the power surge in the 11th over and Gilkes capitalised with three sixes and a four, racking up 25 runs from legspinner Mitchell Swepson to reach his half-century in style.Hales shortly after reached his half-century before smashing the winning boundary to ensure the home fans celebrated with gusto – in a contrast to their mocking celebrations during the Strikers match.Thunder recorded just the fifth 10-wicket victory in BBL history and gave their net run rate a much-needed boost.

Heat’s bowlers struggle to fire a shot

Even though they had a modest total to defend, Heat would have been confident given their attack and Thunder’s batting fragilities.Neser, who had claimed six wickets in two prior BBL games including a hat-trick, loomed large and there was an expectation he would produce early problems.But he was uncharacteristically loose and so too was his partner in crime Steketee as Heat never recovered. It looked like they were bowling on a different wicket as Heat’s bowlers appeared rattled by Thunder’s aggressive openers.They fell apart towards the end in a lacklustre performance and will have to get back to the drawing board to revive a stuttering season.

Qadir impresses on Thunder debut

Granted there was assistance, but legspinner Usman Qadir made an impressive Thunder debut with 1 for 19 from four overs. He bowled accurately with his looping deliveries constantly teasing the batters. Perhaps his most impressive feat was not conceding a boundary.The son of legendary Pakistan spinner Abdul Qadir, he was brought into the squad to provide cover for the injured Tanveer Sangha.Qadir, who has played 23 T20Is for Pakistan, last played in the BBL four years ago for Perth Scorchers but only performed modestly.With Heat struggling, he came into the attack in the 10th over and bowled tidily during a period where set batters Colin Munro and Jimmy Peirson looked to put the foot down.Qadir was rewarded with the wicket of Peirson in the 15th over although he had a mixed bag in the field. He took a fine diving catch to dismiss opener Max Bryant in the second over, but couldn’t replicate that effort on the boundary when he reprieved Xavier Bartlett in seventeenth over of the innings.Qadir also dropped a fierce return chance in the penultimate over, but it failed to dampen his strong debut.

Peirson’s nasty blow, Bartlett shows batting potential

It might not have quite been the infamous Gabba pitch of the first Test, but the Showground surface was tough to bat on early.This was evident when Peirson copped a nasty blow on his neck after a rising delivery from quick Nathan McAndrew. He kept batting after receiving medical attention but never looked comfortable.With stalwart Chris Lynn having departed, and Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne on Test duties, Heat’s batting has revolved around recruit Sam Billings but he scored just one run against his old team.Munro, another high-profile recruit, made his best score of the season but the big-hitter was uncharacteristically tied down. He made 43 from 47 balls before falling in the 16th over amid the power surge.Heat appeared like they could barely muster 100 but they were given a late boost from Bartlett, who – 12 months ago – was tipped to become a genuine allrounder before his batting nosedived.The 24-year-old’s cameo of 28 from 17 balls was his highest score this season across formats in a glimpse of his obvious batting talent.

It means for at least four years there will no free-to-air coverage of global events

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2023Australia’s World Test Championship and ODI World Cup defences will be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.The streaming platform has secured the broadcast rights in Australia for all men’s and women’s International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.Foxtel/Kayo broadcast the entire recent ODI World Cup, while the Nine Network screened Australia’s games and a handful of others. But under this new deal there will be no free-to-air element.In Australia men’s home Tests and all women’s internationals remain on free-to-air with Seven, but men’s white-ball internationals are with Foxtel. Men’s away Ashes series in 2027 and 2031 will be shown on the Nine Network.The move comes just days after the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to sport anti-siphoning measures.Communications minister Michelle Rowland last week introduced laws to parliament updating anti-siphoning measures that would require free-to-air services to be offered first refusal for important sporting events.”All Australians regardless of where they live, or what they earn, should have the opportunity to enjoy free TV coverage of iconic sporting events,” Rowland said.ICC boss Geoff Allardice welcomed the partnership with Amazon.”We are very excited to be entering a new four-year partnership with Prime Video for ICC cricket rights in Australia,” he said in a statement. “The recently concluded men’s World Cup has highlighted the interest and passion for ICC events across the globe, and especially in Australia where cricket fans have enjoyed the recent success of their men’s and women’s teams.”We look forward to working with Prime Video Australia to provide an innovative coverage of world class cricket to more fans in Australia.”The new partnership between the ICC and Amazon, who also broadcast New Zealand’s home internationals into India, will begin in January with the men’s Under-19 World Cup with the first senior tournament being the men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. Later in the year, Australia’s women will be involved in their T20 World Cup in Bangladesh during September and October.Meanwhile, Amazon also confirmed a third season of the documentary would be released in 2024 which will cover this year’s Ashes series in England which finished 2-2.”As a cricket fan, I couldn’t wait to see what happened when the unstoppable force of ‘BazBall’ batting came up against the best test bowling lineup in the world. The 2023 Ashes were the most closely contested and memorable of recent times, and I am delighted to be able to relive them along with our customers in Australia and around the world,” said Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand.The first season of the followed the fallout of the 2019 ball-tampering scandal, while the second released last year followed the 2021-22 men’s Ashes and tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan bat out full 50 overs as England struggle to make dominance tell

Valkerie Baynes23-May-2024Alice Capsey set the foundations by finding her 50-over form with the bat before England’s spin twins, Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean, sealed a “scrappy” victory for the hosts in their opening ODI against Pakistan in Derby.Pakistan’s search for an ODI win over England continues after this, their 13th match, which England won by 37 runs with two more games to come, at Taunton on Sunday and Chelmsford on Wednesday.Capsey top-scored with 44, her ODI career-best, as England set a victory target of 244 for Pakistan, who had never scored more than 209 in the format against England, although they gave that a nudge, finishing on 206 for 9 as England failed to finish the game off when they had their opponents on the ropes.Capsey’s innings broke a run of six in ODIs where she had failed to pass 6 and followed scores of 5, 31 and 1 during the T20I series with Pakistan, which England swept 3-0.Pakistan were well in the contest through the first powerplay but struggled against the spin of Ecclestone and Dean – who claimed five wickets between them – in a win Heather Knight, England’s captain, described at the presentation as “scrappy”. Seamers Lauren Bell and Kate Cross finished with two wickets apiece.After being put in to bat, England had a number of moderate contributors, as they did through the first two T20Is, with Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt making it into the 30s but failing to kick on. Capsey – the player of the match in Northampton with 31 and two wickets – threatened to do just that here after overturning an lbw decision off Dar when she was on 35. But she hung her head in disappointment after spooning a return catch to Nashra Sandhu with six overs of England’s innings left.Capsey faced 18 deliveries for her first boundary, picking the gap between extra cover and mid-off beautifully with a well-timed drive off Aliya Riaz and she followed that two balls later with a sumptuous drive for four.Capsey and Jones combined for a 67-run partnership after Knight fell for a laboured 29 from 49 deliveries, which included two chances, before Jones swept Dar and sent a top edge to Ayesha Zafar at square leg for 37.Openers Maia Bouchier and Beaumont had fallen lbw to Nashra and Umm-e-Hani respectively to leave England 61 for 2 in the 14th over.Knight was dropped on nought off Nashra when she skied one towards mid-on where Hani made a meal of the opportunity and Hani was again the culprit when Knight, on 18, struck Dar straight to midwicket only to see the chance spilled.It was Aliya who finally removed Knight, slashing at a wide delivery and producing a thick edge to Najiha Alvi behind the stumps. Sciver-Brunt fell in similar fashion, attempting to drive another wide one from Aliya but managing only to edge behind as England slipped to 118 for 4 just after the halfway point of their innings.Charlie Dean halted Pakistan’s recovery•PA Photos/Getty Images

After Capsey’s dismissal, the wickets fell steadily for an England side missing Danni Wyatt, who had scored a 48-ball 87 in the third and final T20I at Headingley but woke up feeling unwell on Thursday. Dean offered a neat cameo worth 20 before she was bowled, giving Dar her third wicket for the match, and Sarah Glenn remained unbeaten on 16 off 13 balls as England reached 243 for 9 in 50 their overs.In pursuit, Sidra Amin was dropped on 2 by wicketkeeper Jones off Bell but Jones made amends a while later by holding on as Sidra drove at a lovely Bell delivery which nipped away off the pitch outside off stump and brushed the outside edge on its way to the keeper without adding to her score.After 15 overs, Pakistan were 66 for 1 but, immediately after the drinks break, Ecclestone had Sadaf Shamas out chopping onto her stumps for 28.Muneeba Ali survived when Jones failed to hold an edge as the batter attempted a cut shot against Dean. But then Ecclestone pushed a gem through the gap between bat and pad to remove Ayesha Zafar in single figures and, although Muneeba reached 34, she fell driving at another excellent Bell delivery, full and jagging away to catch the edge for caught behind.Pakistan needed to score at around a run-a-ball going into the last 20 overs with four wickets down but when their captain, Dar, slog-swept Dean to Beaumont at deep midwicket it was the breakthrough England needed.Ecclestone claimed her third wicket in the next over when she pinned Fatima Sana on the front pad in line with leg stump as she strode forward and Dean then had Aliya out lbw as Pakistan lost three wickets for seven runs in the space of 15 balls.From there, the task proved too steep for Pakistan, despite Nashra and Najiha proving stubborn with an unbroken 28-run stand for the 10th wicket, underlining England’s inability to fully kill off the match. The hosts faced 157 dot balls compared to Pakistan’s 203, although England gifted them 40 extras, including 31 wides, and so they leave Derby with a good amount of work still to do.

NSW veteran Kurtis Patterson has scored an unbeaten 167 to lift his side to 463 for 9, leading by 252 against WA

AAP08-Dec-2024Sam Konstas has missed out on another century but teammate Kurtis Patterson managed to break a long drought to give New South Wales a chance of pulling off victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the SCG.The Blues went to stumps on day three at 463 for 9 in their first innings, with a lead of 252 after WA were rolled for 211. Heavy rain washed out most of day two, but NSW made up for that lost time by piling on the runs on Sunday.Konstas (88) resumed on his overnight score of 80, but his hopes of scoring his fourth century of the summer were dashed when he edged Lance Morris to second slip.Patterson picked up where Konstas left off, scoring an unbeaten 167 off 255 balls to lift the home side to a big first-innings lead. It marked a big turnaround for Patterson, who was dropped last season amidst a form slump.He now has 527 runs this season at an astounding average of 105.40, thrusting his name back into the national selection puzzle to add to his two Tests.Patterson yelled out in joy upon reaching his century – his first ton in 769 days. The previous highest first-class total by Patterson was 157 on debut as an 18-year-old, but he surged past that late on day three.The 31-year-old struck 15 fours and three sixes during his glittering knock, while Chris Green (35) and Jack Edwards (30) added some handy runs lower down the order.WA paceman Brody Couch finished with 3 for 66, while Morris (2 for 69) and Cameron Gannon (2 for 99) also chipped in.Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who is trying to earn a spot on Australia’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka, returned figures of 1 for 87 off 27 overs.For WA, the final day will be all about survival given there’s no hope the defending champions can win the match. NSW sit second last on the table, and desperately need to win in order to revive their finals hopes.WA, winners of the past three titles, entered the match second on the ladder.

“I just backed my strengths – the yorkers and cutters,” Natarajan said of his impressive performance

Deivarayan Muthu08-Dec-2020India captain Virat Kohli has said that T Natarajan could be in contention for the T20 World Cup next year at home if the left-arm seamer builds on his impressive start in Australia. On his first international tour, Natarajan stepped up with his yorkers and slower variations, in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, helping India to a 2-1 T20I series win. Natarajan made an impact on his ODI debut as well, picking the wickets of Marnus Labuchange and Ashton Agar in another match-winning spell in the third game of the series.ALSO WATCH: T Natarajan ends Glenn Maxwell’s innings (India subcontinent only)“Natarajan – special mention to him because in the absence of [Mohammed] Shami and Bumrah, he’s been the guy who has stood up and really delivered under pressure which is outstanding for the fact that he’s playing his first few games at the international level,” Kohli said during a virtual media interaction. “He’s very composed, very sure of what he wants to do. He’s a very hardworking guy, very humble guy, and you feel happy for guys who are committed and working hard for the team when they get the results and make the team win.”So, I wish him all the best and I hope that he continues to work hard on his game and continues to get better because a left-arm bowler is always an asset for any team. So if he can bowl that well consistently it will be a great thing for us heading into to the [T20] World Cup next year.” The T20I leg of the tour ended with Natarajan posing with both the series trophy and the Player-of-the-Series trophy, which Hardik Pandya had handed over to him, in the team photo. Natarajan wasn’t supposed to be in India’s T20I squad in the first place. He was originally picked as a net bowler, but an injury to mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy opened up an opportunity and he seized it with a chart-topping six wickets at an economy rate of 6.91 in a high-scoring T20I series.Speaking to Sony Pictures Network, Natarajan said that he didn’t burden himself with expectations and simply backed himself to execute his skills.”I’m very happy to have played against a good team in Australia and won the series,” Natarajan said. “I have no words to describe my happiness. I didn’t have many expectations. I just came in as a net bowler and then because of some injuries I got a chance. I just wanted to utilise that chance. I was in good form in the IPL which helped me. Everyone around me supported me and motivated me, so I had the confidence to do well here.”In the second T20I, Natarajan showed that there’s more to him than just the yorker, bowling offcutters into the Sydney pitch and threatening the edges of the bat. On a used Sydney pitch on Tuesday, Natarajan rolled out more cutters to pull Australia back in the slog overs.”I just backed my strengths – the yorkers and cutters. Depending on the conditions, I ask the wicketkeeper or captain whether I need to bowl the slower ones or yorker. I adapt to it depending on that. I didn’t change too much about my bowling. Whatever I did in the IPL, I wanted to do it in Australia and wanted to execute it cleanly.”It has been an incredible couple of months for Natarajan. On the day he became a new dad, he yorked AB de Villiers with what was arguably the ball of IPL 2020. He then received his maiden T20I cap from one of his heroes Bumrah earlier this month in Canberra. If Natarajan continues to evolve, he could well be bowling alongside Bumrah in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the death overs.

Yorkshire claim fourth win in a row despite sliding to 78 for 7 batting first

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2023Beaten in their opening three North Group fixtures, Yorkshire Vikings extended the turnaround in their Vitality Blast campaign to four wins from four, defeating Leicestershire Foxes by 30 runs after the home side were bowled out for 126 at a chilly Uptonsteel County Ground.Having opted to bat first, the Vikings recovered from a perilous 78 for 7 on a green-tinged pitch to post 156 from their 20 overs, allrounder David Wiese finishing on 50 not out from 32 balls and former Leicestershire allrounder Ben Mike 30 from 17 after the pair set a Vikings record by adding 78 for the eighth wicket.Jordan Thompson was the most effective bowler for the Vikings, taking a career-best 5 for 21, with 20-year-old legspinner Jafer Chohan impressing with 1 for 16 from four overs.Wiaan Mulder – playing solely as a batter after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury – top-scored for the Foxes with 46 but although Rishi Patel, with 36 from 25 balls, proved effective in the powerplay, the home side could not build sustained partnerships, dismissed with three balls left of the 20th over.England’s young legspinner Rehan Ahmed took 3 for 21 and left-arm seamer Josh Hull took 2 for 30 – both just 18 years old – as the best of the Foxes bowlers, but strike bowlers Mikey Finan and Naveen-ul-Haq took some punishment as the home attack leaked 69 runs in the last five overs.Dawid Malan’s hot streak ended in the second over as a leading edge to a ball from left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson saw him caught at short third man for 2 following his run of 95 not out, 83 and 81 not out in three innings. James Wharton cashed in on a couple of balls wide of off stump by Hull but there was another success for the Foxes as Naveen beat Adam Lyth’s swinging bat and the Vikings were 42 for 2 from their batting powerplay.Wharton and Shan Masood added 36 in 29 balls but three more wickets before the halfway point had the visitors on the back foot at 65 for 5.Rehan, among the contenders for an England Ashes spot following the injury to Jack Leach, did his prospects no harm by bowling Wharton with one that skidded through before holding an easy return catch next ball as Jonathan Tattersall chipped one back.The Vikings were in more trouble as Masood under-edged a catch behind off the tall Hull before Rehan claimed his third scalp via a catch in the deep on the leg side, well taken by Finan.Yorkshire had no momentum at all at this point and were six overs without a boundary at 75 for 6 when Rehan finished his spell in the 13th over, suffering a further setback in the next over as Matthew Revis nicked one off Hull.But a loose over from Finan gave Wiese a helping hand as he lofted a free hit over long-off for the first six of the Vikings innings and hammered a full toss for four, setting off a strong finish for Yorkshire side and a poor one for Leicestershire, who up to that point had given little away.Wiese and Mike hit eight fours and three sixes from 38 balls after the fall of the seventh wicket, Mike clearing the rope off former team-mates Naveen and Finan to give his old county a tougher chase than they had anticipated.On a roll, Wiese began the home side’s batting powerplay with a maiden and when Nick Welch was grabbed behind the stumps at the second attempt off spinner Dom Bess, the Foxes were 1 for 1. They recovered to put 44 on the board in the opening six but also lost Lewis Hill, who skewed Thompson to third man.At the halfway point, the outcome looked in the balance after a couple of tight overs from Chohan, with 93 needed from 60 balls at 64 for 2. When Patel – hit on the helmet by Revis on 31 – was leg before to Thompson for 36 from 24 balls, and Louis Kimber was bowled by Chohan sweeping, the Vikings looked favourites, an assessment quickly confirmed as Rehan thumped a short delivery from Revis in the air to Wharton at mid-off.Mike held a steepling return catch to remove Arron Lilley, after which a flurry of boundaries by Mulder raised hopes that the Foxes could still make a game of it until Thompson dismissed him and Naveen with consecutive deliveries, both via catches in the deep. Parkinson departed in similar fashion off Mike and Thompson kept steady under another soaring return catch put up by Finan to complete his maiden five-for.

Controversial dismissal of Timm van der Gugten leaves Glamorgan short in thrilling chase

ECB Reporters Network10-Aug-2023Warwickshire openers Rob Yates and Ed Barnard set the platform for their team to maintain their 100% record, though Glamorgan gave them a mighty scare before succumbing to defeat.Teenager Ben Kellaway struck 67 off 41 balls to take the Welsh County within site of victory, when a moment of huge controversy turned the game the way of the visitors in this Metro Bank Cup One Day game. Timm van der Gugten struck the ball towards the midwicket boundary where the catch was well taken by Ethan Brookes, the Glamorgan batter sent on his way despite TV evidence that Brookes just touched the boundary rope before releasing and regathering the ball.When Kellaway was the last man out, caught on the boundary off Barnard, they fell 24 runs short with 17 balls remaining. Half-centuries by Kiran Carlson, Sam Northeast and Billy Root were also in vain.Warwickshire’s imposing score was built on the foundations laid by the opening partnership of Yates and Barnard, which fell just one run short of a record opening partnership for Warwickshire in all List A cricket. Needless to say it was a record opening partnership against Glamorgan, with Barnard the more aggressive of the two early on though Yates caught him up and went past his partner.Their steady progress went up a gear when Glamorgan captain Carlson brought himself on as his first two overs were expensive. Carlson continued to ring the changes in his bowling attack as he searched for a breakthrough, but Barnard and Yates continued their serene progress taking advantage of the short Neath boundaries.Zain-ul-Hassan was the bowler who eventually made the breakthrough when Barnard was caught by van der Gugten for 79 off 88 balls. That sparked a bit of a mini collapse as Michael Burgess went for just 7 and then there was the big wicket of Yates for 102 off 114 balls, all in a three-over period for just seven runs.Will Rhodes was the common denominator as Warwickshire bounced back from that minor setback, but more of the aggression was coming from the other end. Brookes got 38 off 25, Hamza Shaikh 21 off 10, as Warwickshire plundered 129 from the final 14 overs. Rhodes was out just before the close for 44 off 45 balls.Teenager Kellaway continued his promising introduction to List A cricket with 3 for 56 off his seven overs, while Zain and Andy Gorvin both took two wickets.Glamorgan’s innings could not have got off to a much worse start with openers Thomas Bevan and Eddie Byrom both falling early to Oliver Hannon-Dalby as the opening bowler used his height to cause problems.That brought Carlson and Sam Northeast to the crease and their partnership was always likely to be central to Glamorgan’s hopes. Carlson showed his intent from the start, racing to his half-century off just 33 balls. Glamorgan’s hundred came up in the 15th over. When Carlson fell for 61 it came a little out of the blue as Craig Miles got some movement away and keeper Burgess dived to take the low catch.Northeast and Root made steady progress to 181 off 31 overs, but the return of 6ft 8in Hannon-Dalby saw the end of the former aiming over square leg as the extra bounce meant a top edge to fine leg. Root struck an assured 56, but the impetus was provided by Kellaway who launched a series of fours and sixes to put his team ahead of the run rate. He brought up an excellent half-century off 26 balls, with four sixes.Wicketkeeper Alex Horton looked good for a quickfire 14, and it took a world-class catch diving on the boundary by Brookes to dismiss him. Van der Gugten came and went to that controversial dismissal, but there was no doubt about Gorvin being clean bowled to give Hannan-Dalby his fourth wicket.

England wicketkeeper opens up on his controversial stumping by Alex Carey in a new book

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2023Jonny Bairstow has provided his first in-depth reflection on his controversial stumping by Alex Carey in the second Test of the summer’s Ashes.When Bairstow walked out of his crease after the final ball of an over on the last day at Lord’s, wicketkeeper Carey lobbed the ball underarm at the stumps and hit with Bairstow well out of his ground, oblivious to the fact the ball had been thrown. Over had not been called and he was given out by the TV umpire, but Australia’s decision not to withdraw their appeal led to claims from the England players that the stumping, while legal, had not been in the spirit of the game.The Australia players were verbally abused by fans and members in the pavilion as they left for lunch but went on to win the second Test by 43 runs.Related

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The stumping incident underscored a tense drawn series. But Bairstow had remained quiet about it until the release of extracts from Lawrence Booth and Nick Hoult’s new book in the English newspaper the on Monday.”The decision was that I was out, and I moved on,” Bairstow told the authors in an interview after a net session at The Oval prior to the fifth Test of the series. “I’ve not brought it up since. I’ve kept quiet. It’s on them.”If that’s how they want to go about it and win a cricket game or what have you, then so be it.”England allrounder Moeen Ali, who was also quoted in the book, implied Australia and captain Pat Cummins missed the chance to exorcise any leftover demons from the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering saga, after which they were branded cheats.”My view was it was out, obviously,” Moeen told the authors of . “I just thought it was a great opportunity for Pat Cummins to put to bed a lot of the things that have happened previously.”Not just put to bed, but take away that label they have had for a while with ‘Sandpapergate’.”Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow when he walked out of his crease•AFP/Getty Images

Bairstow said there was a difference between stumping a batter sneaking out of their crease for cynical purposes and catching a batter unaware, as Australia did.”If you try to gain an advantage, then it’s fair game,” he said. “But if you’re starting in your crease, you’ve ducked, tap, tap, scratched. I’ve even dragged my bat, looked up, and then gone.”I’ve never seen it happen from someone starting in their crease. I don’t think you want that filtering down into kids’ cricket.”Bairstow also took issue with some of Australia’s behaviour in the field. He cast doubt as to whether the ball hit the ground before Steven Smith controlled it to dismiss Joe Root on day two of the Lord’s Test, and questioned an appeal for a catch by Marnus Labuschagne earlier in the series.”There’s conjecture around everything,” he said. “Fingers underneath the ball when the ball’s still touching the ground. Celebrating when the ball has touched the ground. Marnus celebrated at Edgbaston at short-leg.”Then the one that ‘Rooty’ fell to at Lord’s, when [Smith] said his fingers were underneath the ball. However, they were splayed widely. But that was given out, that’s fine – it’s part and parcel of the game and the decisions the umpires give.”