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West Indies captain happy to close out the chase, but says lacklustre performance in the field was “a bit disappointing”

Mohammad Isam08-Jul-2022Nicholas Pooran might have won the Player-of-the-Match award for his unbeaten 39-ball 74 in the third T20I against Bangladesh, but he feels Kyle Mayers’ 55 off 38 balls at the top of the West Indies chase made his job simpler than it might have been otherwise.Set 170 to win the three-match series, West Indies were 43 for 3 just after the powerplay, and Mayers, who had opened the batting, was on 18 from 16 at that stage. But with Pooran for company, Mayers opened up, and the next 22 balls he faced went for 37 in an 85-run stand for the fourth wicket.”I was telling Kyle how well he was batting out there,” Pooran said afterwards. “It was a top innings. He was putting away the loose balls. The bowlers were under pressure even though they were on top of the game. We want to continue to do that as a batting unit. He made my job easier, to build the partnership with him.Related

• Hosein, Motie and Seales among notable talents who could challenge India

• Pooran, Mayers fifties hand West Indies 2-0 win

“Our template was always to put the bowlers under pressure early in the over. Kyle put away anything loose from their offspinners. I think I fed off that today. In T20s, a partnership is the most important thing.”Faced with a lot of spin up front, Mayers said he needed to balance aggression with good decision making when approaching the chase. The first eight overs were bowled by spinners: Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan sent down three each in the powerplay, and Shakib Al Hasan and Mosaddek Hossain bowled the next two before the first sighting of a quick bowler in Mustafizur Rahman in the ninth.It was the first time Bangladesh had bowled spinners in the first eight overs of a T20I innings. And it worked, keeping West Indies down to 56 for 3.Kyle Mayers: “I thought we made some very good decisions in terms of shot selection. It was crucial”•AFP/Getty Images

“I thought we approached it very sensibly,” Mayers said. “But still we were aggressive. We needed to put pressure on the bowlers. I thought we made some very good decisions in terms of shot selection. It was crucial. We closed out the overs very well [the win was achieved with ten balls in hand].”I just tried to put away the loose deliveries. It didn’t matter who was bowling at the time. Just staying in the moment and choosing the right deliveries to go after.”Pooran rated his own innings highly, because, as he said, he managed to close out the game. But he wasn’t pleased with the effort in the field earlier – the stump mics caught him expressing his frustration more than once.”It is one of the best innings I have played for West Indies just because of the fact that I was there till the end,” he said. “It is something that I have always wanted to do.”I just felt like we didn’t come out with the right attitude [while fielding]. It was a bit disappointing. We will definitely have a chat about it. We will have a better attitude in our next game. That’s the only thing we can control. We will definitely work on it.”

252 overseas players will compete for seven spots in next week’s draft

Matt Roller17-Feb-2021252 players will compete for the seven remaining overseas spots in next week’s draft for the men’s Hundred, with Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Shakib Al Hasan and David Warner among those to have put their names forward for selection.The Hundred, the ECB’s new 100-ball competition, will finally launch in July 2021 after its inaugural season was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Teams were able to retain as many players as they wished from the squads selected at the initial men’s player draft in October 2019, at a mutually agreed salary band. Wages have been cut by 20% from their original level, with the highest salary now set at £100,000 ($140,000 USD approx.) rather than £125,000.Most teams opted to retain the majority of their squads, with Rashid Khan (Trent Rockets), Andre Russell (Southern Brave), Aaron Finch (Northern Superchargers) and Kane Williamson (Birmingham Phoenix) among the overseas players to re-commit to the competition. 35 players will be selected in next week’s draft – 28 domestic, seven overseas – with Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire making nearly half the picks between them after opting for overhauls.Related

• The Hundred – full 2021 squad lists

• Smith, Starc released as Hundred teams finalise retentions

• Lammonby backed for Hundred draft after breakthrough season

• Hundred teams set to finalise retentions ahead of draft

As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, the draft will be staged virtually and behind closed doors, rather than in a live studio setting, with picks due to be announced on Tuesday, February 23, the day after the draft itself.The availability of overseas players will be a major factor in who is picked up in the draft. New Zealand and South Africa currently have clear schedules for the tournament’s window from late July to late August, though the pandemic has left the Future Tours Programme unclear. West Indies are due to play home series against Australia and Pakistan which overlap with the start and end of the Hundred respectively, but Pooran and Pollard could be picked up for short stints with a view to long-term retention.Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc, who were both contracted to Welsh Fire for the 2020 season, have not put themselves forward for the draft. Trent Boult, Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga are another notable absentees, after they went unpicked in the first draft, while AB de Villiers has again opted not to enter.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

10 players have entered with a reserve price of £100,000, meaning at most four of them will be picked up. They are: Shakib, Babar Azam, de Kock, Lockie Ferguson, Jason Holder, Tamim Iqbal, Pollard, Pooran, Rabada and Warner. Teams may be wary about selecting Warner due to the overlap with Australia’s series in the Caribbean, and following his withdrawal ahead of the 2020 season after Southern Brave had selected him.Other players who might attract interest include Shahid Afridi, Jhye Richardson, Imran Tahir (all £80,000 reserve price), Shadab Khan, Chris Morris, Dan Christian, Dale Steyn (£60,000), Dwayne Bravo, David Miller and Mitchell Santner (£48,000). Colin Ingram, Heinrich Klaasen, Tabraiz Shamsi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are among those without reserve prices.Overseas players from 13 different nations have entered, including Ireland, Netherlands, Oman and USA. Sandeep Lamichhane, the only Nepalese player involved, was previously retained by Oval Invincibles. No Indian players have put their names forward, after Harbhajan Singh’s late withdrawal from the 2019 draft.How the squads stack up before the Hundred draft•The Hundred

254 domestic players have registered for the draft. Several players who were not retained including Saqib Mahmood, Tom Abell, Harry Gurney, Ravi Bopara, Danny Briggs, Ben Foakes and Richard Gleeson will feature on teams’ shortlists, while those who went undrafted in 2019 – including Olly Stone, Tom Lammonby, Ian Cockbain, Jamie Overton, Colin Ackermann and Samit Patel – will also attract interest.Only three domestic players have entered with reserve prices: Tim Bresnan, Ryan ten Doeschate (both £48,000) and Richard Levi (£32,000). Agents have been in discussions with teams for several months, and it is understood that a handful of players have been given assurances that they will be picked at certain salary bands in the draft.After the draft, each team will have 14 players in their men’s squad, including three overseas players, as well as either one or two England players with red-ball central contracts who will be available for a handful of games at the start of the season and for Finals Day, depending on the biosecurity requirements in place for international fixtures. They will pick one final player following the group stage of the T20 Blast as a ‘wildcard’ selection.Recruitment in the women’s competition falls under a different system, with players able to negotiate directly with teams and agree deals until the end of June. Further players will be announced next week.Rob Hillman, the Hundred’s head of operations, said: “We are delighted with the level of interest we’ve had from both overseas and domestic players. The calibre of the players involved means that it’s going to be an exciting men’s draft, with a lot of competition for spaces amongst really top-drawer names.”

Delhi, Baroda and Punjab also register victories in Syed Mushtaq Ali Super League matches

Saurabh Somani21-Nov-2019Karnataka, Delhi, Baroda and Punjab opened their Syed Mushtaq Ali 2019-20 Super League matches with victories on Thursday. The first day of the Super League games had several teams putting up big scores, while Karnataka were the only team to win while chasing. Among others in attendance for the matches were John Wright and Malolan Rangarajan, both on scouting duty for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively, with the IPL auction slated for December 19.In other news, Shikhar Dhawan suffered an injury while batting when he dived for his crease to avoid a run-out, and will miss Delhi’s next game.Karnataka v Tamil Nadu
Unbeaten half-centuries by captain Manish Pandey and opener KL Rahul led Karnataka to an easy nine-wicket win after Tamil Nadu had been restricted to 158 for 7. This was the only game played at night, and dew was a factor in the chase, with Tamil Nadu’s bowlers unable to grip the ball properly at times. However, the target was too meagre to challenge a strong batting line-up.Put in to bat, Tamil Nadu sent in the makeshift opening pair of Hari Nishanth and B Aparajith, but the move didn’t work with both batsmen struggling for timing and not picking the gaps. Both fell in the sixth over, Aparjith caught in the circle and Nishanth run out via a direct hit by Pandey, to leave Tamil Nadu 26 for 2. Dinesh Karthik and Washington Sundar led the recovery, immediately hitting their stride and lifting the sagging run rate. They put on 76 in 7.4 overs before Karthik became Ronit More’s second victim for a 29-ball 43. Tamil Nadu’s hopes of a finishing kick were dealt a further blow when Washington was caught off J Suchith for 39 off 25 balls. Vijay Shankar sparkled briefly and dragged the score past 150.Karnataka’s in-form opening pair of Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal then raced to 70 in seven overs, with none of the bowlers troubling them. Padikkal fell against the run of play, sweeping M Ashwin straight to short fine leg for a 20-ball 36. However, Pandey joined Rahul for an unbroken 91-run stand in only 9.2 overs. Rahul ended with 69* off 46, while Pandey had 52* off 33.Delhi v Maharashtra
Nitish Rana took a career-best 4 for 17 to bowl Maharashtra out for just 90 in 17.2 overs and hand Delhi a 77-run victory.Put in to bat, Delhi’s opening pair of Dhawan and Hiten Dalal were steady more than spectacular, and when both fell within a few minutes of each other, the score was a shaky 44 for 2 in the seventh over. Dhruv Shorey, the Delhi captain, played a crucial knock, steering the innings with an unbeaten 48 off 37 to ensure Delhi’s second half was much better than their first. Rana, who had a good all-round day, made 21, while Himmat Singh gave the innings the boost it needed with a 16-ball 32.Maharashtra’s innings stuttered from the start. Only Ruturaj Gaikwad got into double figures, and his 42 off 32 stood in stark contrast to the rest of the line-up. Kedar Jadhav being run out for 8 didn’t help Maharashtra. Gaikwad was the eighth wicket to fall, bowled by Rana, who then picked up the remaining two batsmen too.Delhi’s only sore point in the match was a gash on Dhawan’s thigh, acquired when he dived to make his crease while completing a run. Dhawan was taken to a nearby hospital to be patched up, and ESPNcricinfo understands that he is likely to miss only one match for Delhi.
Baroda v Rajasthan
A high-scoring thriller saw Baroda edge Rajasthan by 15 runs. The foundation was laid by Baroda’s opening duo of Kedar Devdhar, the captain and wicketkeeper, and Aditya Waghmode.Devdhar (64 off 44) and Waghmode (88 off 50) put on 150 runs for the opening wicket at almost ten runs per over, as Baroda racked up 201 for 5. Aniket Choudhary was the only Rajasthan bowler to emerge unscathed, picking up 2 for 27 in four overs.Rajasthan had useful contributions throughout the order, with opener Ankit Lamba (54 off 37) and middle-order batsman Arjit Gupta (41 off 21) leading the way, but they needed one of their batsmen to go big. The required rate eventually proved too much for them, as they ended on 186 for 8. Atit Sheth was the most impressive bowler, with 3 for 34.Punjab v Jharkhand
Punjab routed Jharkhand by 109 runs, the bowlers completing the good work started by the opening duo of Abhishek Sharma and Mandeep Singh.Jharkhand’s decision to field backfired with Abhishek (72 off 44) and Mandeep (81 off 52) piling up 124 runs in 12.3 overs, setting the stage for Punjab to eventually reach 199 for 4. Jharkhand’s two left-arm spinners – Shahbaz Nadeem and Anukul Roy – were the only ones to have a measure of success, with Nadeem taking 2 for 27 and Roy returning 1 for 35.Jharkhand’s reply was punctuated by a rash of wickets, as they were all out for 90 in just 14.2 overs. The highest score was opener Utkarsh Singh’s 24, with no other batsman crossing 20. Leggie Mayank Markande spun a web around Jharkhand, picking up 3 for 13 and dismantling the chase in the middle overs.

Dom Sibley gorged plentifully upon a meaningless day, but the real action takes place next week at Edgbaston

Paul Edwards21-Sep-2018
ScorecardAt 4.20 this afternoon Tim Ambrose played an innocuous ball from Ben Brown into the on side. The bowler fielded it, Paul Baldwin called over and Warwickshire declared. The game ended in a draw and the players shook hands. Receiving particular congratulations, perhaps, was Dom Sibley, who had batted through the day for 144 not outThe handshakes marked two events, one of them specific to the moment, the other curiously timeless. They confirmed Warwickshire’s promotion and they brought the first-class season at Hove to an end. The first of these had been certain for hours barring the intervention of God or Jofra Archer. This draw leaves Jeetan Patel’s side equal on points with Kent, who have won two matches more. Whichever side takes more points from next week’s game between the sides at Edgbaston will be Second Division champions.And across England cricket is softly drawing down its blinds. All the counties are playing next week but there are matches at only nine grounds, of course. Most of the season’s serious work is done. Monday afternoon in Brighton seems suddenly distant with its warmth and careless leisure: the aroma of cannabis in North Laine; beach volleyball near Kings Road; the glittering water. Then there were catamarans drawn up on the shingle, their names a curious confection of aggression, fondness and titillation: Tiger, Ethel, Seymour Butts.

Time now to earn the right – Gillespie

Jason Gillespie, Sussex head coach: “We’ve had a couple of losses in the past month but we feel some progress has been made. I wanted to give some young guys the opportunity to show what they can do and they’ve done that. Now I’ve got to find the balance between giving lads games of cricket and earning the right to play first-class cricket. We’ve got to find the right balance between potential and performances. It’s a difficult balancing act but we’ll get there. The lads have played the game the right way, been positive and looked to win games.”

Some mornings this week there have been floodlights, mild air and the churn of the Channel glimpsed through the great arcade of trees on Selborne Road. Today, though, the atmosphere was not so clotted and the sun was in generous attendance. Only the temperature reminded one this is autumn. “Seaward the water / Is satin, pale emerald, fretted with lace at the edges / The whole sky rinsed easy like nerves after pain,” wrote Alan Ross in his poem, “Cricket at Brighton.”Sussex supporters were presented with three wickets as rewards for their loyalty this sparkling day. In the fifth over of the morning Will Rhodes shuffled much too far across his crease and was leg before to Ollie Robinson for 88. Then Ian Bell suffered bruising to his right thumb when hit by a ball from Robinson and had to retire hurt.Out strode Jonathan Trott, a batsman who had spent over five hours earlier this week scoring his seventh career century against Sussex. “Jesus Christ!” exclaimed a blasphemous Sussex adherent with a passing knowledge of the Book of Hebrews. “The same yesterday, today and for ever more.” But his fears were misplaced on the two latter counts: Trott made only 8 before clipping Chris Jordan to Harry Finch at midwicket and he is retiring next week in any case.Despite these two dismissals and one injury, the game was soon ambling quietly towards stalemate. In the afternoon session Robinson sent down some fairly respectable off-spin and Sussex used three wicketkeepers, albeit not all at once. Phil Salt and Michael Burgess bowled their maiden spells in first-class cricket. The flagpoles bent in the breeze and some players’ caps blew off. The game drifted into late afternoon and the over rate was plus 12 at one stage. A draw could have been agreed at teatime and perhaps it should have been.Sibley spent the rest of the day filling his boots which, if his feet are in proportion to the rest of him, was some achievement. He put on 168 for the third wicket with Sam Hain, who had made 90 when he chased a wide one from Salt and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Harry Finch. The ecstatic Salt raced off like Mick the Miller but was eventually mobbed by his equally delighted team-mates. If you had told the uninitiated that the cricket had a gentle, addictive beauty about it, they might have called for an unmarked van and a straitjacket.

Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels blitzed fifties to lead St. Lucia Stars to 173, but couldn’t prevent Jamaica Tallawahs from completing the fourth-highest successful chase in CPL history

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndre Fletcher struck seven fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 84•Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / Getty

For the first 37 overs of the game, St Lucia Stars were ahead and cruising. Then came that one over everyone talks about in this format. With the Tallawahs requiring 40 off three overs in their chase of 174, Mitchell McClenaghan conceded 20 runs, and the Stars’ hopes of their first win of the tournament faded into their sixth successive loss. It was also the fourth-highest successful chase in tournament history.Andre McCarthy recovered quickly from a run-out that led to Rovman Powell leaving the field like he was ready for a locker showdown, and struck a match-winning unbeaten 61 off 37 balls to lead the Tallawahs to a five-wicket win with two balls to spare. It wouldn’t be much solace for the Stars, but they put on a much-improved performance with the bat. Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels blitzed fifties to lead them to 173, their highest score of the tournament.Pace off the ballThe Darren Sammy National Stadium was hit by passing showers just before the start. On a slow surface, that moisture may have just done enough to negate the penetration of seam-up deliveries – a burst of rain will only quicken a pitch up slightly, not change its nature. That should have been an indication for the Tallawahs’ bowlers to take pace off the ball.It took a few heaves and punches for the bowlers to switch to offcutters. It worked right away, an offcutter from Mohammad Sami took the inside edge of Johnson Charles and uprooted leg stump. The mode of operation didn’t change much thereafter.The unmatched utility of boundaries in T20sFletcher isn’t known for his ability to find gaps for singles. He is, however, an efficient boundary-hitter. The value of boundaries in T20s is high, but the utility of boundaries without consuming too many dot balls is significantly higher. In his 53-ball innings, he struck 24 singles and played 13 dots, effectively 24 runs off 37 balls.He also hammered 11 boundaries, seven fours and a six, almost as many as the number of dot balls he faced. That meant he finished with 84 off 53 balls with a strike-rate of 158.49. A T20 masterclass beckoned if he could convert a few more of those dots into singles.Keep calm and bat onWhen McCarthy stabbed a ball towards extra cover, called for two and didn’t respond, the Tallawahs were reeling. They needed 81 runs off 46 balls with six wickets in hand, and Powell was fuming all the way off the field. For McCarthy, that could have been a scarring emotional blow.Instead, he bided his time, found the boundary when he had to and delivered under duress. Imad Wasim also brought his experience and ability to a 45-run sixth-wicket stand that carried Tallawahs home. A few moments later, Powell was leaping onto McCarthy in joy.

India went 2-0 up with an eight-wicket win in the second ODI, and won the three-match series after bowling Zimbabwe out for 126 at the Harare Sports Club

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:06

India seal series by dismissing Zimbabwe for 126

Win toss, put opposition in, bowl opposition out cheaply, chase with minimal fuss. India ticked those boxes once again and won the three-ODI series after going 2-0 up, with a generous helping hand from Zimbabwe, whose shot selection contributed to an utterly inadequate total of 126. It took India only 26.5 overs to chase, and while they will no doubt be gladdened by their second-string team’s successes, they will wonder when their batsmen will be genuinely tested on this tour.KL Rahul, fresh off a debut hundred in the first match, and Karun Nair – who profited from an early life when he edged a no-ball from Tendai Chatara to the wicketkeeper – made attractive 30s, and Ambati Rayudu, batting with more freedom than in the first game, struck seven fours in an unbeaten 44-ball 41. But India will have learned nothing new about them – the target simply wasn’t enough of a challenge.Zimbabwe had looked set for a respectable total after Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza added 67 for the fourth wicket, but both fell to suicidal shots, triggering a collapse in which six wickets fell for 20 runs in the space of 9.1 overs.Zimbabwe’s misery was compounded by Sean Williams’ absence from the batting crease. Having replaced Craig Ervine – who was out with a hamstring strain – Williams hurt his finger soon after the toss, and had to undergo scans to ascertain the extent of his injury.Zimbabwe had looked so secure at 106 for 3, but everything changed in little more than half an hour. Sibanda had just reached his 21st ODI fifty, bringing up the landmark with a trademark pulled four off left-arm spinner Axar Patel. Raza was looking far from fluent, but the partnership was flourishing, and more than half the innings still remained. He chose that moment, off the second ball of the 26th over, to try and take on the fielder at long-on and Yuzvendra Chahal was gifted a wicket.

Visualisation key – Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu is yet to be dismissed in this series, following his unbeaten 62 in the first game with 41 not out on Monday. After the win which sealed the series for India, Rayudu said he banked heavily on visualisation.
“Given the guys that we have in the team, somebody has to do the role that I am doing,” he said. “It’s just important for me to stay focused and take my opportunities when they come.
“For me it’s about getting my batting in shape first. And visualisation is the key, I feel. Because [at times] you’re out for a long period of time just travelling with the team.
“I try to keep myself motivated and focused. I prepare myself before the game as though I’m going to play it.”

Chahal’s next ball was a perfectly pitched legbreak, drifting into Elton Chigumbura and causing him to misread the line as he prodded forward to defend. It looked a tight lbw decision, but replays showed the ball had pitched in line with leg stump and had turned enough to hit middle and leg.In Chahal’s next over, Sibanda slogged at a loopy, wide legbreak, and just like Raza had done, picked out the fielder at long-on. Until that point, he had channelled all the qualities that had won him more than 100 ODI caps – the elegance, the range of strokes – and with that one shot, he now demonstrated the recklessness that has made him one of Zimbabwe cricket’s most frustrating figures.The end came swiftly. Jasprit Bumrah, who had bowled a superb opening spell, repeatedly beating the outside edge with balls that straightened after angling into the right-handers, had Richmond Mutumbami caught behind off the inside edge, Dhawal Kulkarni swung one past Tendai Chatara’s flick to take the off stump, and Axar speared in an arm ball to strike Muzarabani’s pad right in front. That was Zimbabwe’s ninth and last wicket: it fell with 15.3 overs still to play.India had bowled Zimbabwe out for 168 in the first ODI, and their seamers made another impressive start on a chilly Monday morning, taking three wickets in the first ten overs. Barinder Sran pitched a few inches shorter than he had on Saturday, and didn’t generate quite as much swing, but picked up two wickets nonetheless. Hamilton Masakadza chased a wide, non-swinging ball and sliced it into third man’s hands, and Peter Moor, for the second time in a row, played around his front pad as the ball bent into him. This time, he was struck above the knee roll, and on the hop, but the umpire Russell Tiffin did not hesitate to give him out.Chamu Chibhabha ensured he minimised the chance of lbw against Sran, batting with a slightly open stance, and looked largely comfortable against the left-armer. But he had no answer to a variation from Kulkarni that was either elaborately plotted or entirely unintended. Having sent down five away-swingers, the bulk of them short and fairly wide of off stump, and dragged Chibhabha across his crease, he trapped him with the fuller, straighter inducker. Zimbabwe rebuilt from that early wobble, but their repair job unravelled quickly.

Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 113-ball 84 helped West Indies women beat Sri Lanka women by five wickets in the first ODI in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2015

ScorecardFile photo: Deandra Dottin hit nine fours during her unbeaten 84•WICB Media/Ashley Allen

Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 113-ball 84 helped West Indies women beat Sri Lanka women by five wickets in the first ODI in Colombo. Chasing 150, West Indies were rocked early as they were 41 for 4 in the 11th over, but a 70-run fifth-wicket partnership between Dottin and Merissa Aguilleira(30) put the game in West Indies’ grasp. It was followed by an unbroken 42-run stand between Dottin and Stacy-Ann King(18) which finished the match off. Eshani Lokusuriyage, who was appointed captain after an injury to Chamari Atapattu, picked up two wickets in one over but bowled only three overs.After choosing to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a solid start as Prasadani Weerakkody (42) and Lasanthi Madushani (23) put up a 70-run opening stand in 122 balls. However, their innings went downhill from there as they were soon reduced to 109 for 7, the next highest contributor being Sripali Weerakkody with 24. Hayley Matthews took three wickets and Anisa Mohammed finished with figures of 10-2-15-2. Sri Lanka’s innings also included four run-outs.

Justin Langer, Australia’s assistant coach, has emerged as a leading candidate for the position of director of cricket at Somerset.

George Dobell18-Oct-2012Justin Langer, Australia’s assistant coach, has emerged as a leading candidate for the position of director of cricket at Somerset.Brian Rose, who formerly held the role, stepped down in September and ESPNcricinfo understands that Langer and Somerset are in detailed talks with an appointment anticipated in November. Somerset, while declining to confirm that they are in talks with Langer, confirmed that several candidates they are considering have have requested anonymity.Langer, 41, a former Australia opening batsman, enjoyed a successful period at the club between 2006 and 2009, captaining the team to the final of the domestic T20 and into the Champions Trophy. He is also credited for instilling new standards of professionalism into a club that was, in the past, known more for its charm than its achievement.The appointment of such a high-profile figure would represent a coup for Somerset, who are anxious to lose their reputation of being perennial runners-up.it would also allow Langer to settle with his family in one spot and avoid the touring that comes with life as an international coach. Somerset, well run and financially successful off the pitch, are able to compete with the salary offers of the majority of first-class counties and have a well-justified reputation as a friendly club.Somerset have an excellent record in recent seasons, but have narrowly missed out on winning a trophy. Between 2009 and 2011 they were beaten in three successive T20 finals and, in 2010, lost in the CB40 final and were deprived of a first County Champions title only through having won one fewer game than Nottinghamshire.They remain one of the few sides – Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire are the others – never to have won the County Championship.

ESPNcricinfo previews the CLT20 match between South Australia and Warriors in Hyderabad

The Preview by Firdose Moonda24-Sep-2011

Match facts

Warriors v South Australia, September 25
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)

Big Picture

After their winning start to the tournament, Warriors will not want to lose momentum in a fairly short group stage. Their victory, although thrilling, was not comprehensive and there is plenty for them to work on. With just a day to travel from the hard track in Bangalore to the slower pitch in Hyderabad, they don’t have much time to strategise either.Rusty Theron took wickets in the end overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore but Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell were disappointing with the ball; and while Ashwell Prince shined with his 74, the rest of the top-order batsmen failed. Warriors are coming off a long off-season but have to step up quickly. After showing their big-match temperament in the first match, they will want to demonstrate they have the skills to match.Warriors are up against tough opposition in South Australia, who won all their group games before losing in the semi-finals of last year’s Champions League. South Australia’s opening pair of captain Michael Klinger and Daniel Harris consistently provide them solid starts, they have the pace of Shaun Tait and the skill of Callum Ferguson. Having been knocked out by Warriors last year, South Australia may have some revenge to exact.

Watch out for…

There was a time, in the aftermath of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal, when Nicky Boje chose not to travel to India, but now that he has, there’s no doubt he has a small point to prove. Once South Africa’s go-to man as a pinch hitter and containing bowler, he has faded off the scene as he nears retirement but Boje has shown he still has the desire to play and win. He is the senior-most member of the Warriors squad and will have important contributions to make on a sluggish surface in Hyderabad.He has been labelled the fastest man in cricket but Shaun Tait has also developed a reputation for inconsistency. Still, the thought of facing him will have most batsmen a little nervous. The pitches in India do not provide the best stage for him to show off his pace and Tait will have to prove he is not a one-trick pony and introduce other elements into his game.

Team news

Warriors could well stick to the same team that beat Royal Challengers in the tournament opener. Kelly Smuts and Lyall Meyer may be competing with Justin Kreusch and Craig Thyssen for a spot in the starting XI.South Australia have a handful of Australia stars in the line-up with Tait, Ferguson and Nathan Lyon the headliners. They also have Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid in the squad, and may play three spinners if allrounder Aaron O’Brien is included.

Stats and Trivia

• Daniel Harris was the leading run-getter in the 2010-11 KFC Big Bash.
• Daniel Christian was bought by Deccan Chargers for $900,000 but averaged 17.27 with the bat and 31.81 with the ball in the 2011 IPL. His highest score was 30.

Quotes

“I think it is something a captain needs to bring. If he starts to get too emotional then the rest of the team will follow. So I try to be as calm as possible on the outside but it does not always mean I am calm on the inside.”
“It’s a tough decision to move from Warriors, a franchise in which I have spent 17-18 years. It’s disappointing to move out, but I will try my best to move away after helping Warriors win the title,”
South Africa stalwart Mark Boucher, who will be at Cape Cobras next season, wants to end his time with Warriors on a high note.