Category Uncategorized

Reece's century delays Durham's victory push

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Derbyshire put up a much better fight in their second innings and Durham were grateful to their part-time bowlers for a couple of breakthroughts

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2017Luis Reece stood firm for Derbyshire•Getty Images

Luis Reece’s second Specsavers County Championship century of the season kept Derbyshire afloat on the third day of their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.The former Lancashire left-hander batted until the 73rd over to make 106 as the visitors reached 305 for 6 after following on 316 behind.Derbyshire found conditions more favourable under clearer skies than when they were dismissed for 164 in two sessions in the first innings, and they were also able to take advantage of the absence of Paul Coughlin.The allrounder went for a scan on a side injury and with 18-year-old Matthew Potts unable to replicate the rich promise of his first four appearances Durham lacked resources.He did, however, take his first wicket of the match six overs from the close when he swung one in to have Alex Hughes lbw for 39.There was a period in early afternoon when Reece began to play with almost casual elegance, often stroking the ball straight to fielders. But any hint of lack of application proved misleading as he accumulated patiently to reach his century off 215 balls.He got there by pulling Potts behind square for his 12th four, having been struck on the helmet when trying the same shot on 69. That was a rare moment of discomfort at a time when Potts appeared to have been told to bowl short, which suggested Durham were running short of ideas.They might have been encouraged when two balls from Graham Onions shot along the deck in early afternoon, but there was no repeat on the placid surface.Reece finally pulled Keaton Jennings straight to midwicket and there was a wicket for another occasional bowler when Cameron Steel’s legspin accounted for Wayne Madsen with his third ball.Madsen contributed 48 to a third-wicket stand of 106 before being caught behind by Michael Richardson when attempting to sweep.Good running was a feature of an opening stand of 99, in which Ben Slater made an attractive 57, his first half-century of the season. He was yorked by a ball from offspinner Ryan Pringle, which drifted in to hit the off stump.Then for the second successive day Derbyshire lost a wicket two balls before lunch as Billy Godleman shuffled across and inside edged Chris Rushworth via his box on to the leg stump.Only one wicket fell in the second session, followed by three in the evening. Reece’s exit left Hughes and Matt Critchley to face 16 overs of the new ball, but in the sixth Critchley played back to a ball from Onions which moved in sharply to have him lbw.Hughes was beaten several times and lost his early fluency before Potts snared him to expose a tail which Durham should knock over on the final morning.

Warner, bowlers script Australia's comeback win

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

David Warner set up Australia’s 36-run win against South Africa at Basseterre with his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia

The Report by Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIf there is any venue outside Australia where David Warner should feel at home it is the ground in Basseterre on the island of St Kitts. It is tailor-made for him with its short boundaries and hard surface. It is even named Warner Park. In his first international match at his namesake venue, Warner struck his sixth ODI hundred, and first outside Australia, to set up a 36-run victory over South Africa.Australia thus became the first team to win two games in this tri-series, which has now moved on from the slow, spinning surfaces of Guyana. Steven Smith had no hesitation in choosing to bat first and Warner’s 109 was the dominant contribution of the match, setting Australia on the path to 288 for 6.South Africa’s bowlers seemed to have done well to keep Australia under 300, but those same bowlers also formed a long tail that was unable to offer much resistance after Australia’s attack got through the middle order. Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood picked up three wickets each and the lower order collapsed, the last seven wickets falling for 42 runs.For a while, South Africa looked to be cruising in their chase. They had lost Quinton de Kock early, when he pulled Hazlewood to deep square leg for 19, but Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis set about building a typically solid platform that should have been adequate. They made it to 140 for 1 in the 26th over before Amla (60) was sharply taken by Smith at cover off Hazlewood.Life became tougher for the South African batsmen as Australia’s fast men found some reverse swing, which helped Starc get rid of du Plessis, who sliced to backward point for 63. AB de Villiers and JP Duminy then had the job of steering the rest of the innings, but de Villiers was also done by reverse swing when Hazlewood tailed one in to bowl him for 39.The loss of Duminy, through a somewhat lax sweep to deep midwicket off Zampa for 41, precipitated the lower-order collapse. Zampa had Farhaan Behardien lbw for 4 and had Wayne Parnell caught at long-on for 3, leaving too much work for the tail. Kyle Abbott had already been bowled, done by Starc’s reverse swing, before Aaron Phangiso also fell to Starc and Imran Tahir was run out to end the game.South Africa’s seamers had found almost no reverse earlier in the day. Like Australia, who dropped Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell, South Africa strengthened their pace group at the expense of their spin attack, and while Abbott and Parnell especially were tight enough, they couldn’t manage to string enough wickets together, even after ending Warner’s innings.Warner’s previous five one-day international hundreds had all come in Australia, where the quick and bouncy pitches tend to suit his preference for the ball coming on to the bat. He started this one with two boundaries in the first over of the game and in all struck 11 fours and two sixes, and he was typically harsh on any width offered by the quicks.His opening partner, Aaron Finch, found no momentum and was bowled for 13 off 28 when he missed an attempted sweep off an Imran Tahir straight ball. Warner and Usman Khawaja put on 136 for the second wicket and a total well in excess of 300 looked like a strong possibility.Warner brought up his hundred from his 109th delivery when he cut a single off Abbott, and two deliveries later Khawaja raised his half-century from his 58th ball, but neither man was to go on much further. The second drinks break came at just the right time for South Africa, as Warner pulled Parnell to midwicket off the first ball after the resumption.Khawaja had swept the spinners effectively but the shot eventually brought his downfall on 59 when he top-edged off Phangiso and skied a catch that was taken by Amla from short fine leg. George Bailey was lbw to Tahir for 11 and Mitchell Marsh holed out deep midwicket for 10 off an Abbott full toss, and South Africa’s fightback was looking strong.However, Smith managed to steer the Australians into the high 200s with a half-century at better than a run-a-ball, with some assistance from Matthew Wade, who scored 24 off 14 balls. Smith ended up unbeaten on 52 from 49 deliveries, and Australia had enough to hold off South Africa.

Bayliss and Farbrace have unbreakable bond

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Trevor Bayliss’ appointment by England will reunite a coaching unit whose bond was strengthened through one of the darkest moments in modern sport

George Dobell26-May-20151:41

Farbrace backs ‘old-fashioned coach’ Bayliss

Trevor Bayliss’ appointment by England will reunite a coaching unit whose bond was strengthened through one of the darkest moments in modern sport.Paul Farbrace, who remains as England’s assistant coach, fulfilled a similar role with Sri Lanka under Bayliss. But as well as guiding the team to some success – Bayliss was still there when they reached the 2011 World Cup final and rose to No.2 in the Test rankings – the pair were both in the team bus when it was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009. Six members of the team were hurt and six policemen and two civilians killed.Having experienced such a traumatic event together, it is perhaps not surprising that both Bayliss and Farbrace take a relatively relaxed approach to coaching. It is not that they don’t work hard and demand that their players do, too. It is that they understand that there are more important things in life.They have kept in touch since Farbrace left to coach Kent at the end of 2009. Indeed, they met for a drink during the World Cup when Farbrace asked Bayliss why he picked him as his assistant. “He said I was a bit noisier than he was,” Farbrace recalled, “and that I was someone he enjoyed spending time with me. Which probably doesn’t say a lot about my coaching qualities.”All of which bodes well. For it was noticeable at Lord’s that, even with the match tense, England played a style of aggressive cricket that not only brought the best out of several players, but produced some of the most attractive viewing an England side has provided for several years.”Something like Lahore certainly does bring you closer together,” Farbrace said. “We’ve always had a good relationship but we were just grateful we got through that to be honest. It’s not something we dwell on.”So, what sort of coach is Bayliss?”Trevor’s a good guy and an excellent coach,” Farbrace said. “He’s a very calm guy. He’ll do an excellent job.”He’s an old-fashioned cricket coach. He likes being in the nets, hitting balls and throwing balls. He works well with players – he is a good one-to-one worker – and he has good knowledge and good experience. When you look at what he’s won and what he’s achieved with players, it is fantastic. He is popular with all the players he has worked with.”While Farbrace will happily relinquish the interim role of head coach after the limited-overs series against New Zealand, he could do so with his reputation boosted significantly. England will rise back to No. 3 in the world if they win again at Headingley.Just as importantly, there have been some encouraging signs that a young team is emerging who could not only enjoy success on the pitch – they have won five of their last seven Tests – but play a brand of cricket that re-engages with a general public that has, in some instances, lost affection for the England side.England have not always been easy to love. Poor results combined with a sometimes dour – even joyless – approach created a sense that the playing international cricket was a pretty grim business. England’s players, scowling and sledging, earned a reputation as some of the most unpopular in the world among the opposition.While a move away from being “dogged” and towards being “skilful” – a move that began under Peter Moores – may sound subtle, Farbrace believed some England players may have forgotten just how talented they are. So desperate have they been to win – or, more accurately, not lose – that they have often played timid, cautious cricket.”It’s easy to talk about getting stuck in and fighting when you’re struggling,” Farbrace said. “But sometimes you forget to show that you do actually possess a lot of skill.”We’ve not talked about end results. We’ve not talked about where we get to in sessions. We’ve just talked about the process of playing with a high level of skill.”And rather than talk about scrapping and fighting and getting stuck in, we talked about skill levels. We talked about showing people how skilful you are, showing people how good you are. And if you play cricket that is enjoyable for you as a player you show off your level of skill.”It really is important that you don’t forget as an international cricketer that you do have skill. It isn’t just about fight and being dogged. Over the five days we saw that high level of skill. If you have that much ability, it’s really important that you enjoy having that high level of skill”Look at the best players around the world they enjoy showing that skill level off, and at the end of the day, if you’ve got a full house at Lord’s there’s no better place for showing that skill level off.”None of this means England will win again at Headingley. Or that the Ashes can be regained. But it might well mean more attractive, watchable cricket than England have produced in several years. Marshalled by two friends reunited.

Ritchie dumped from Adelaide Test gig

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Greg Ritchie has been dumped from a planned speaking engagement at the annual Adelaide Test match dinner after his offensive comments at the Gabba

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane12-Nov-2012Greg Ritchie has been dumped from a planned speaking engagement at the annual Adelaide Test match dinner after his offensive comments during a Gabba function on Friday.Ritchie was due to take part in a discussion on fielding at the black-tie event in Adelaide on November 20 and on Sunday night, the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) indicated that his appearance would go ahead. However, the SACA chief executive Keith Bradshaw said that once the organisation became aware of Ritchie’s speech and his lack of contrition, it revoked his invitation to appear at the function.”Details about Greg Ritchie’s comments at a Brisbane Test lunch were brought to SACA’s attention on Sunday evening and subsequent comments made by him came to light early this morning,” Bradshaw said. “Cricket Australia representatives in Brisbane contacted SACA early this morning to advise of the situation and immediate action was taken.”SACA and Cricket Australia are proactively committed to their formal obligations to the ICC Anti-Racism Code and to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s anti-racism campaign, of which cricket is a formal partner. SACA actively promotes details of the ICC code at all international cricket matches played at Adelaide Oval.”Cricket Australia’s spokesman Peter Young said on Adelaide radio on Monday morning that both CA and the SACA agreed that Ritchie was not an appropriate guest speaker at the function.”In the conversation that we had this morning, their view was that it’s just not tenable for him to be part of that dinner given what they now understand to be the facts from Brisbane,” Young said on ABC radio. “What we are doing today is sending a letter to all of the venues and also to all the state cricket associations reminding them of the Australian cricket commitment to the ICC anti-racism code.”After his Gabba speech was reported in South Africa’s , Ritchie expressed little remorse and claimed that his comments had been taken out of context. Ritchie also defended an anti-Muslim joke that was part of the repertoire overheard at the Gabba on Friday and Young said Ritchie would not be welcome at official functions this summer.”Effectively we are,” Young said when asked if Cricket Australia was banning Ritchie. “We do not believe that it’s appropriate for him to be speaking at international cricket events, particularly after not only the incident itself, but his follow-up comments.”

Handscomb impresses but Bulls eye lead

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The debutant batsman Peter Handscomb showed impressive composure to keep Victoria steady on the second day at the Gabba, where they chipped away at Queensland’s first innings of 355

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2011
ScorecardChris Rogers made 72 for Victoria•Getty Images

The debutant batsman Peter Handscomb showed impressive composure to keep Victoria steady on the second day at the Gabba, where they chipped away at Queensland’s first innings of 355. But despite Handscomb’s half-century, the Bushrangers faced a tough challenge to take first-innings points, still trailing by 143 runs at the close of play, with only the bowlers still to bat.The last two recognised batsmen were at the crease, Alex Keath on 16 and Ryan Carters on 4, as Victoria reached 5 for 212 at stumps. They had lost Handscomb for 71 late in the day when he edged Ben Cutting to slip, to give Cutting a well-deserved second wicket, as he finished the day with figures of 2 for 37 from 20 overs.Batting at No.3, Handscomb had stayed at the crease for four and a half hours and put on a valuable 90-run stand for the second wicket with Chris Rogers, who eventually lobbed a return catch to the legspinner Cameron Boyce for 72. Scott Walter picked up two wickets, including Victoria’s captain Andrew McDonald for 33, after he finished unbeaten on 14 in Queensland’s innings earlier in the day.The Bulls resumed at 6 for 306 and added 49 to their overnight total, with Peter Siddle collecting two wickets on the second morning. Darren Pattinson finished with 3 for 75.

Australia call as Doherty takes five

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Xavier Doherty should enter his first series for Australia full of confidence after his five-wicket haul put Tasmania on top on the second day against Victoria

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2010
Scorecard
Xavier Doherty finished with 5 for 83 to cap a memorable day on and off the field•Getty Images

Xavier Doherty should enter his first series for Australia full of confidence after his five-wicket haul put Tasmania on top on the second day against Victoria. Doherty has not been a regular first-class player for the Tigers in recent years and his national call-up came in the 50-over format, but he proved he has plenty to offer in the longer version as well with his best bowling since 2004-05.Doherty finished with 5 for 83 and was largely responsible for giving Tasmania a strong chance of collecting first-innings points as Victoria ended the day at 8 for 261. Rob Quiney was on 51 and Darren Pattinson was on 23, but the Bushrangers need some serious tail-wagging in order to overhaul Tasmania’s 326.Doherty collected both openers, the left-handers Michael Hill and Chris Rogers caught at short leg, and followed with three more victims. Luke Butterworth was the only other Tasmanian bowler to claim a wicket, while Ben Hilfenhaus enjoyed a lengthy if unsuccessful stint ahead of the first Ashes Test.Quiney, who batted at No. 7, reached his half-century late in the day after Aaron Finch (41) had been the leading scorer among the top order. The Tigers began the morning with one wicket in hand and the final pair added a further 11 before Peter Siddle grabbed his second wicket to complete the innings.

An unhappy homecoming for Nash

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Brendan Nash managed only 18 in his first game at the Gabba since being dropped by Queensland in 2006-07

Peter English at the Gabba27-Nov-2009Out walks Brendan Nash, the West Indies No. 6, for his first game at the Gabba since he was dropped by Queensland in 2006-07 and the man holding the ball is Mitchell Johnson. Nash’s former house-mate is a sensitive brute but was not being friendly.”They are booing you mate,” Johnson said sneakily before following up the verbal welcome with a slightly misguided bouncer. “It was always going to happen, bowling a short one first up,” Johnson said. “I think he expected it as well, but I probably wish it was a bit more towards his helmet.” Johnson is smiling but that doesn’t mean he won’t repeat the method again the next time he runs in. Nash knows it too.As Nash took guard Shane Watson, another former team-mate, was standing in the slips and Nathan Hauritz was hovering in the field. Nash and Hauritz, the offspinner, went to school together at Brisbane’s Nudgee College and played together for the Norths club. The reunion of the quartet is even stranger considering none of them live here anymore.Johnson and Watson followed their girlfriends interstate while Hauritz and Nash realised their cricketing lives lay elsewhere when squeezed out by Queensland. Hauritz followed the spin to New South Wales and Nash returned to his family roots in Jamaica, with both embarking on amazing journeys that earned them international status and a life of perks.All four achieved something on the second day of the first Test but the three Australians were in the better place. Johnson’s two wickets helped reduce West Indies to a wobbly 5 for 134 at stumps. Nash struck a couple of cut boundaries before edging Watson behind on 18 after Hauritz’s unbeaten 50, his maiden half-century, had pushed Australia to a formidable 8 for 480 declared.The brief battle of the housemates was the most fun. It’s always awkward when friends oppose each other and the bond between Nash and Johnson was strong during their lives sharing washing up duty and fighting for the best spot on the couch. Both were on the outer with their states and Johnson appeared to be in a lost battle with his fragile back. Nash, who was then working as a mortgage broker, was one of those who assisted Johnson on the journey from delivery driver to the ICC’s Cricketer of the Year.”I was walking back to the top of my mark and it was quite strange,” Johnson said. “The first couple of balls I was laughing on the inside to myself that I was bowling to him, but after he cut me I wasn’t too happy. I thought I have to get a bit more serious about this.”Denesh Ramdin, the West Indies vice-captain, felt Nash was more worried than usual as he went out to face his old team-mates in front of small group of supporters wearing “Team Nash” shirts. Nash’s parents still live in Brisbane and his wife Hannah grew up here too.”I’m sure he went out there today with a few nerves,” Ramdin said. “He hit a couple of boundaries there and I’m sure he wanted to press on and get some runs in front of his people and his fans. Unfortunately that’s cricket. Hopefully he gets another chance in the second innings.”

Jadeja credits domestic cricket for ODI rhythm

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

“I bowled almost 30 overs in that match [against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy]. So I never lost my rhythm”

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-20251:09

Jadeja: Rohit hundred ‘set the platform’ for India

Ravindra Jadeja has credited the domestic cricket he played for his rhythm in ODIs, the first he has played since the World Cup final in 2023. In two matches, against an explosive England side, Jadeja has conceded just two boundaries in 19 overs while also picking up six wickets. He has played a key role in India’s series win, which they achieved even before the final ODI, which will also be his 200th.”Feeling very good,” Jadeja said. “Especially playing ODIs after almost two years. You have to adapt quickly in this format. I believe that the domestic game that I played [against Delhi] helped me a lot. I bowled almost 30 overs in that match. So I never lost my rhythm. And I am trying to bowl Test lines and lengths in ODIs as well. What we call the rhythm, the continuity, was in place because my break from cricket wasn’t that long. So in my view, I have benefited from the domestic match that I played.”Jadeja retired from T20Is after India’s World Cup win in June last year, which left him with no cricket between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which ended in the first week of this year, and this ODI series. Jadeja played two Ranji Trophy matches in this period but bowled in only one of them: 30 overs for 12 wickets across two innings.Related

  • Jadeja and Axar give India a good headache to have

India’s domestic cricket, especially the Ranji Trophy, has been in the news because of the board’s edict to its players to not skip matches unless injured or having their workload managed. Virat Kohli turned out for Delhi for the first time in 12 years and Rohit Sharma for Mumbai for the first time in ten. The board also received some criticism for what was seen as headmasterly treatment, especially when the cricket India was expected to play after the break was a different format.Staying in touch with cricket doesn’t seem to have done any harm to Jadeja, which the decision-makers will take as vindication as they have maintained that the best way to improve as a cricketer is by playing matches.

Owen leads Tasmania fightback after Neil-Smith finishes with seven

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Jackson Bird made early inroads for the home side in what remains a very even contest on a helpful pitch

AAP29-Nov-2023Lawrence Neil-Smith took seven wickets for Tasmania in a rollercoaster of a Sheffield Shield match with New South Wales, whose own bowling attack inspired an early collapse in reply on day two.Bad light and rain prevented play from going ahead in the third session after Mitchell Owen helped Tasmania recover to 166 for 6 at the SCG.Neil-Smith picked up where he left off following a rain-affected first day, dispatching of veteran quick Jackson Bird to break a 52-run partnership with unbeaten Ollie Davies (81).Related

  • New South Wales hit back as Neil-Smith takes five

  • Warner's Test retirement could lead to batting order reshuffle

The Tasmanians made light work of the Blues from there and when he bowled Chris Tremain for a duck, Neil-Smith had career-best bowling figures with the hosts bowled out for 224.In a sour note for NSW, and potentially also the BBL’s Sydney Thunder, batter Davies suffered a hairline fracture in his left little finger while fielding on day two but could appear further down the order in the second. The 23-year-old came off after suffering his injury and did not return to field.”I don’t think he’ll take any part in fielding for the rest of the game,” NSW captain Moises Henriques told AAP. “I don’t think he can come in before seven, but from there he’s going to be OK to bat. I don’t know how long after this game [he might be sidelined].”Neil-Smith’s figures were the sixth-best in a first-class match for Tasmania since the turn of the century and the best since fellow paceman Sam Rainbird took 8 for 21 two summers ago.But just as their NSW counterparts did on day one, the Tasmanian batting order misfired early. Bird took the first three wickets against his former team-mates as the visitors fell to 30 for 3 on a tricky deck, having survived a dropped catch and appeal on their way to 29 without loss.Things threatened to spiral further out of control when Moises Henriques, enjoying a great summer with the ball, had rival captain Jordan Silk caught behind in the over before lunch.In at No. 8, Owen inspired a fightback, partnering with Jake Doran (42 not out) in an unbeaten 96-run stand that helped the visitors bounce back from 70 for 6.When the covers came on, 22-year-old Owen was four runs shy of equaling his best first-class score.

Ollie Robinson's 'extreme' hard work earns him chance to exploit Manchester bounce

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

England hand seamer first cap since January as straight swap for Matthew Potts

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Aug-2022Ollie Robinson will make his first appearance for the England men’s side since the fifth Ashes Test in January when he plays in the second Test against South Africa in Manchester on Thursday.The seven months between Hobart and Emirates Old Trafford, his ninth and tenth caps, have been tough, damaging on body and reputation of a seam bowler whose 39 wickets at the highest level have come at a miserly 21.28. Having left that tour of Australia with questions over his fitness, he was unable make it on the park during the West Indies series in March because of back issues which persisted into the English summer.Then came a bout of Covid-19 and dental issues, both curtailing hopes of starting the English summer afresh. But after returning to professional action with Sussex at the end of July, taking match figures of 9 for 110 against Nottinghamshire, and a decent run-out for the Lions against South Africa, showcasing a leaner figure and more robustness across spells of 2 for 76 and 3 for 29, a return to the fold represents the start of a new chapter for Robinson.

It is a period in his career that Ben Stokes, England’s captain, hopes will push Robinson to achieve more in this new stanza, still early in his career. Stokes kept an eye on Robinson during the Lions match while on a city break in London – “Clare [Stokes’ wife] didn’t appreciate me tuning into the YouTube stream” – and while buoyed by his progress, he has since reinforced to the quick what the expectations are going forward.”I was very honest and truthful with Robbo,” Stokes said. “I feel that’s something people deserve. Rather than just have a conversation to get through it easy, I’d rather let him know exactly where I stand.”It enables him to go away and work on what has been asked of him. All I can say is he’s done that to the absolute extreme. He’s worked hard behind the scenes which is something that is probably not going to get reported, unfortunately.”When you are in the position we are in as international cricketers and stuff goes wrong, it’s very easy to get put out there. But something I’ve made a very firm point on with the team is just to remember that what we say to each other in the dressing room is the most important thing. Let’s not try and let outside noise get in here and influence what we do.Related

  • Robinson's off-broadway return proves he is Test ready

  • Lord's haul pushes Rabada to No. 3 in ICC rankings

  • Root bats for Stokes after 'powerful' documentary revelations

  • Nicholas: Go hard when it suits – but dig deep under pressure

  • Robinson 'needs to be fitter' to survive at Test level

“All the feedback Robbo has got from myself, the coach, the people who have helped him get where he is now has been nothing but positive. That’s what he should be listening to.”It’s obviously been a very difficult time for Ollie because it wasn’t the fact that his form was letting him down. It was his body. That’s obviously a very tough thing to deal with when you want to do something, but the thing that needs to work for you to do that doesn’t. But I think he can look back on that and use it as something to always to look back on and to gain experience from that, because he’s here in the team and he’s playing this week.”The logic behind Robinson’s selection is to utilise what is expected to be a quick surface at Manchester which has not been used this summer. At 6ft 5in, he offers a taller release point and, as such, comes in for Matthew Potts.Ben Stokes speaks to the press•Getty Images

Dean Elgar, South Africa’s captain, admitted his surprise that Potts will miss out, “considering he’s had a really good summer”. Indeed, the numbers – 20 dismissals at exactly 28 apiece – and the manner of the Potts’ work mark him out as one of the finds of the summer. In explaining the logic behind the change, Stokes made sure to praise how Potts took on the news.”We think what Ollie offers as a bowler is he gets the most bounce out of our attack,” Stokes said. “At Old Trafford, generally, with it being a slightly quicker wicket than other grounds we play at, it then obviously offers a lot more bounce. Obviously it’s very tough for Matty to miss out, but what he’s done in the five games that he’s played is he’s taken himself from a county cricketer with a lot of promise, really announced himself on the big stage.”We’ve got to give him a lot of credit and to handle the decision so professionally at such a young age. I think that is a real indication of where we’re at, at the moment, as a team. The selection was based around what we thought was the best bowling attack to suit this particular ground and he completely understood that.”For a 22-year-old to understand the bigger picture of what we’re trying to achieve here and not be sort of throwing his toys out the pram was honestly something that I think shouldn’t be overlooked.”