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South Africa have selected their strongest available squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan in order to make full use of their last opportunity to play together ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy.Though South Africa will play a tri-series in Pakistan, which also includes New Zealand, in February next year, those matches will take place too close to the conclusion of the SA20 on February 8 for a first-choice squad to be available.There are nine additions to the squad that last played the format, against Ireland in the UAE, including the return of Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, who last played an ODI almost a year ago.

South Africa vs Pakistan ODI series

Dec 17 – 1st ODI, Paarl
Dec 19 – 2nd ODI, Cape Town
Dec 22 – 3rd ODI, Johannesburg

Eighteen-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka is the only uncapped player in the squad, Maphaka was the leading wicket-take at this year’s Under-19 World Cup, which is played in the 50-over format, and has impressed with speeds of up to 152kph in the T20I series against Pakistan. He also gets an opportunity thanks to the absence of several injured quicks. None of Anrich Nortje (broken toe), Lungi Ngidi (hip injury), Gerald Coetzee (groin injury), Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) and Nandre Burger (lower back stress fracture) could be considered for selection.The squad will be led by regular captain Temba Bavuma, who was injured when playing an ODI against Ireland in October but has since returned to form in the Test arena. It is likely he will be partnered by Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order with Reeza Hendricks, who did not cross 20 in his last five ODIS, dropped. Tony de Zorzi is another top-order option. Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Klaasen and Miller all give South Africa an experienced and strong batting line-up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Two seam-bowling allrounders in Andile Phehlukwayo and Marco Jansen have been selected, while one other specialist seamer, Ottneil Baartman, and two frontline spinners – Maharaj and Shamsi – have come in at the expense of Bjorn Fortuin and Nqaba Peter. Shamsi’s return is significant because he opted out of a national contract in October in order to have flexibility for league performances and was not included in the T20I series to play India last month. He has since been recalled for the Pakistan matches.”The bowling line-up features one of the fastest in the game in KG, and this series offers another great opportunity for a young talent like Kwena to come in and learn first-hand from the best,” Rob Walter, South Africa’s white-ball coach, said. “In the batting department, we are thrilled to welcome back David and Heinrich, two of the most destructive players in the game. Overall, we are very pleased with this squad.”Bavuma, de Zorzi, Jansen, Maharaj, Markram, Rabada, Stubbs and Rickelton will have a four-day turnaround between the end of the ODI series and the start of the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. South Africa need one more Test win to guarantee themselves a place at next year’s World Test Championship final.

South Africa squad for ODI series against Pakistan

Temba Bavuma (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen

Rohit Sharma wants to injury-proof the Indian cricket team, and has called for expanding their bench strength, particularly the fast-bowling department so that they have eight or nine players ready to step into the first XI at any given moment.”We want to create a bench strength where tomorrow if anything happens to anyone, we are not worried, and we don’t want to be worried or too heavily reliant on a few individuals. That’s not the right thing to do,” Rohit said on the eve of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. “We want to look at the future at the same time, try and make sure that we get the right guys in as well.”We want to create guys where even if there are injuries, we have got someone to quickly step in and take that role.”It’s not about three or four options. We want to try and do that like, you know, when it comes to batting, there are a lot of options. We want to create the same with the bowlers as well.”Along with the 15-member squad for the three-match series against New Zealand, India are also carrying Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy as travelling reserves. Mayank and Reddy recently made their international debuts in the T20Is against Bangladesh recently, while Rana was an unused member of that squad.Related

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• Latham hopes cloudy Bengaluru brings NZ's seamers to life

• India's problem of plenty – three spinners or three seamers?

• India start as favourites, but Bengaluru weather could level the playing field

• Shami not ready for New Zealand Tests; Bumrah named vice-captain

Prasidh Krishna was also initially named as a travelling reserve for the New Zealand Tests, but he has reportedly suffered another injury setback. During Karnataka’s opening fixture of the new Ranji Trophy season, against Madhya Pradesh in Indore, he bowled only eight of the 140 overs that his side sent down.”You know, the reason we wanted to keep them close to us was because we are thinking of them to take them to Australia,” Rohit said. The five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins on November 22. “We just want to monitor them and see their workload. We have seen some talent in them. I understand that they have not played a lot of red-ball cricket, but when you see a talent, you want to try and groom them.Harshit Rana, 22, has played nine first-class matches and picked up 36 wickets•PTI

“You want to try and bring them as close to the team as possible. And in a short period of time, they have shown they have some ability as well. So, we want to keep them with the team and see whether they will be ready for international cricket or not, especially Test cricket, because Test cricket is a different ball game compared to white ball cricket. So, we want to keep them, we want to see what they can offer us, and have more options with us, more than anything else.”Nitish and Harshit both obviously are quite talented individuals, and in the future obviously they are going to provide a lot of stability to the team. So, just want to see what they are capable of, what they have to offer.”Mayank’s rise has been both rapid and eye-catching. He burst on the scene during IPL 2024, bowling at speeds of 155kph, and accurately at that, for Lucknow Super Giants. He could only play four matches though with an abdominal issue keeping him sidelined. Still, India had seen enough to fast-track him into their T20 side against Bangladesh earlier this month, where he picked up four wickets from three games while consistently pushing the speed gun into the high 140kph.”Mayank obviously has shown what he can do, but we just want to be very careful with him, he has had a lot of injuries in the past,” Rohit said. “So, we want to progress him, not rapidly, we want to just see every day how he feels.”We are trying to build his workloads with the red ball. He has not played a lot of red-ball cricket at all. So, for us, it’s important that we try and build them gradually, rather than just getting them into international cricket straight away.”T20 format is such where you can get a lot of these guys and see what they are capable of and if they can handle the international exposure. But Test cricket is a different ball game. The pressure is different. You have to sustain for five days, that’s the most important thing. So, we are trying to monitor them and see, you know, what they can offer to us.”3:36

Rohit: Bumrah has always been in our leadership group

The most important cog in India’s fast-bowling line-up is the leader of the pack Jasprit Bumrah. The 30-year-old was recently named vice-captain for the series against New Zealand.There is a chance Bumrah might step in as captain in the early Tests against Australia next month with Rohit’s participation in doubt owing to personal reasons.”He’s always been part of that leadership group and one of the experienced players as well,” Rohit said of Bumrah. “He’s played a lot of cricket and I’ve played a lot of cricket with him. He understands the game pretty well. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”Tactically, I can’t say much because he’s not captained much. But, when you talk to him, he understands the game. He understands what is required. When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them. In the past, he’s always been in our leadership group.”So, it’s probably the right thing to just have him around and speak to the bowlers and internally discuss how to take the team forward.”Rohit remained tight-lipped about the India XI for the opening Test against New Zealand stating that they will take a call once they reach the venue on match day. It has been raining relentlessly in Bengaluru over the last few days, forcing India to cancel their training session on the eve of the game, while New Zealand were left to train indoors.”It all depends on the conditions now. Even today, there has been a lot of rain. The pitch is under the covers. So, we want to take that call when we come here in the morning tomorrow,” Rohit said. “And again, it depends on match-to-match, what sort of pitch we play on. Based on that, we want to decide what is going to be our best playing XI. We keep our options open for playing three seamers and three spinners as well.”

Big Picture

Ready for some more England vs Australia? Whatever your answer may be, there’s plenty through the rest of this month with eight matches in 18 days starting with the first of three T20Is in Southampton. And from the paying punters’ point of view, the late-season action is proving popular with five of the games sold out after a Sri Lanka Test series where the less-than-crammed stands on some days was a talking point.The ridiculousness of England’s schedule is again in the spotlight with this series starting the day after what would have been the last day of The Oval Test if it had gone the distance. It means an almost entirely separate squad for the T20Is – Josh Hull is the one overlap – in what is England’s first series after a stuttering T20 World Cup campaign which ultimately led to the sacking of Matthew Mott.Related

• Phil Salt to captain England in Australia T20Is with injured Jos Buttler out

• Green's career-best with bat and ball seals Australia's 3-0 sweep

The England Men’s coaching roles will be unified under Brendon McCullum, but not until January with Marcus Trescothick taking charge for this series and the tour of West Indies in November (which is wedged between Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand) while for the T20Is at least there is also a stand-in captain with Phil Salt deputising for the injured Jos Buttler.Still, there is no shortage of white-ball pedigree in the England squad: despite a shocking ODI World Cup and an uninspired T20 version it feels their depth remains significant, and perhaps it’s been a case of the golden generation being given a little too long before the next batch are let loose.Cameron Green found form against Scotland•Getty Images

Before the three Scotland matches which began this tour for Australia, Mitchell Marsh played down talk of it being a T20 “reset” for his side after their disappointing exit from the World Cup where, in fact, they dropped out before England. The changing shape of the Australia side with a view to 2026 does feel more subtle than the home side, although there are some of England’s Test team that would have featured if the schedule had allowed.They were very efficient in the three matches against Scotland with Josh Inglis and Cameron Green, who had been unused in the T20 World Cup squad, having impressive outings after Travis Head’s opening-game rampage.The pace-bowling resources are being stretched with injuries popping up – most significantly to Nathan Ellis who is out of the tour – but Josh Hazlewood has joined up with the squad after a minor calf tweak meant he sat out the Scotland leg. It’s likely that Australia will continue to tinker with their combination and batting order during this series.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LWLWW
Australia WWWLLJacob Bethell is among the new faces for England•PA Photos/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Jacob Bethell and Jake Fraser-McGurk

Given the new-look nature of the England squad you could almost pick out anyone, and perhaps it’s simpler to leave the spotlight on the entire XI. But allrounder Jacob Bethell, who was born in Barbados, has generated plenty of talk this season and his talents are already noted on the global stage with BBL and SA20 deals. He had a breakout season in the T20 Blast for Birmingham Bears, averaging 36.10 with a strike-rate of 153.61, which included a 15-ball 50. His team-mate Dan Mousley, who is also in the England squad, said: “I haven’t seen many people strike a ball like that.”Jake Fraser-McGurk was given first dibs at replacing David Warner at the top of Australia’s order, but it wasn’t the easiest of starts against Scotland with two ducks either side of making 16 to begin his T20I career. He’s given the licence to go at top gear from ball one, but the slow, two-paced surfaces did not appear to his liking, a world away from the flat pitches in the IPL where he put his name up in lights earlier this year after enjoying a breakout home summer. Following on from a lean MLC it means Fraser-McGurk has 97 runs in his last ten T20 innings. With Matt Short available for this series after the early arrival of his first baby, having originally only been part of the ODI squad, and others who could easily open, Fraser-McGurk may not get all three matches against England, or he could potentially be tried in another position.

Team news: England hand debuts to Bethell, Cox

England confirmed their XI more than 24 hours before the game. Bethell and Jordan Cox will earn their first caps while Jamie Overton, who was called up as Jos Buttler’s replacement, also makes his T20I debut as a batter-only as he continues to recover from a back injury. Saqib Mahmood plays his first international since March 2023.England: 1 Phil Salt (capt & wk), 2 Will Jacks, 3 Jordan Cox, 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Jacob Bethell, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Reece TopleyMarsh did not name Australia’s XI but confirmed that Hazlewood was good to return after his calf niggle. He also said that if Short plays he will open the batting which potentially means Fraser-McGurk missing out.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk/Matt Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Josh Inglis (wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Tim David, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

There wasn’t much grass on the surface and some of the bigger boundaries in the country could should suit Australia. The autumn weather is set fair, if chilly by the evening. The match is a sellout and Hampshire are switching on 1000 solar panels at Utilita Bowl before the game.

Stats and trivia

• Southampton was the venue for the first T20I between these teams in 2005 when Australia were bowled out for 79 ahead of that summer’s Ashes. In 2020 the ground staged three behind-closed-doors T20s during Covid which England won 2-1.
• Josh Inglis currently averages 42.87 with a strike-rate of 176.80 when batting at No. 3 in T20Is
• In 24 T20Is between these sides, it stands all squad at 11-11 with two no-results

Quotes

“We see him playing a pivotal role as Jos’ right-hand man… his name stood up to the leadership qualities that you expect from your players within the group and he’s got every attribute that you’d want and the respect that you’d want from a captain.”
“No matter what format, they’re our oldest rivals and we love coming here. The reception we get as an Australian cricket team’s always a good one.”

New Zealand batter Suzie Bates will play for Hobart Hurricanes for the first time in the WBBL after being signed as an overseas replacement player for the back end of the tournament.Bates, 37, has played 100 WBBL matches representing Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers across eight seasons. The all-time leading women’s T20I run-scorer was not selected at this year’s WBBL draft.But with England’s players set to be withdrawn from the back end of the WBBL due to a tour of South Africa, Bates has been signed by Hurricanes as a replacement for Danni Wyatt-Hodge. England’s T20 players are expected in South Africa on November 17 which would see Wyatt-Hodge miss the last three games of the WBBL plus the finals if Hurricanes qualify.Related

• England players to miss end of WBBL due to South Africa tour clash

• Draft takeaways: Adelaide Strikers' Mandhana bargain; and who is Jafer Chohan?

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Hurricanes general manager Salliann Beams was thrilled to add Bates to the squad alongside Chloe Tryon and Lizelle Lee.”Bringing Suzie into our WBBL squad just made sense as soon as we saw she was not selected in the draft, we thought she would be the perfect replacement for Danni once we knew her availability,” Beams said.”She provides more than 130 games of T20I cricket [167] and will give us an experienced operator when we lose someone of Danni’s ability in our line-up.”

Hobert Hurricanes WBBL squad

:Suzie Bates (overseas), Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee (overseas), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Chloe Tryon (overseas), Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni Wyatt-Hodge (overseas)

Matthew Mott has joined Sydney Sixers in the BBL on a three-year deal as assistant coach following his departure as head coach of the England Men’s white-ball team.Mott, who was in charge of Australia Women for eight years before shifting to England, will link up with Greg Shipperd at Sixers as a replacement for Cameron White, who was appointed head coach of Melbourne Renegades earlier this year.Related

• Lehmann quits coaching roles with Heat and Queensland for commentary gig

• Walker to leave Kent with Mott in frame as replacement

• Matthew Mott steps down as England white-ball coach

• Duckett first pick as English players dominate BBL draft

• Draft takeaways: Adelaide Strikers' Mandhana bargain; and who is Jafer Chohan?

“I’m delighted to join back up with the Sydney Sixers,” Mott said. “Having started my coaching journey in Sydney many years ago, it’s a place that evokes both great memories and a comforting sense of familiarity, which I’m looking forward to.”The idea of being an assistant to Greg Shipperd, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for, really appealed to me.”Mott’s spell as England’s white-ball coach started brightly when they won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, to unite both global white-ball trophies, but ended after their semi-final exit at the tournament earlier this year which followed a poor performance in the ODI edition in 2023.Mott started his coaching career with the New South Wales men’s side in 2007. His return to the state’s system will see him reunite with Rachael Haynes who was one of the key members of the Australia side he coached to extensive success.”We couldn’t be more pleased to have Motty committed for the next three years with the club,” Haynes, Sixers’ general manager, said.”When the opportunity arises to bring a coach of Motty’s calibre into your ranks, it’s a no-brainer. We know what a fantastic resource he will be for our playing group.”It goes without saying that his coaching resume speaks for itself. He has an incredible track-record of success around the world, and he’s proven he knows what it takes to build, and sustain, a winning culture.”Our club is in safe hands under the leadership of Greg Shipperd, and Charlotte Edwards in our women’s program, and we’re delighted to be able to add Motty’s experience to that group, taking us forward.”In the BBL draft last weekend, Sixers retained James Vince when Renegades attempted to sign him and later sprang a surprise by taking Yorkshire legspinner Jafer Chohan as their last pick. They have secured West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein before the draft.

The highs of two compelling batting performances in the T20Is gave way to a timid end during a tough all-format tour for South Africa in Chennai on Tuesday.On the same surface where they made 189 and 177, the visitors folded for 84 to all but concede the game at the halfway mark. India’s chase was a mere formality, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma building on Pooja Vastrakar’s great work – she picked up a career-best 4 for 13 – to complete a series-leveling win in just 10.5 overs.

South Africa stumble in powerplay

Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp were out early, trying to manufacture strokes in the powerplay after India elected to field. But Tazmin Brits, fresh off back-to-back fifties, appeared to have set herself in, picking up pace in the sixth over when she struck Shreyanka Patil for two boundaries. But in trying to push the pedal, she holed out to a brilliant catch by Harmapreet Kaur at mid-off to give Deepti Sharma a wicket. South Africa were 45 for 3 in 7.4 overs.

Vastrakar, Radha make a splash

Two balls after Brits fell, Deepti could’ve had a second wicket if she had held on to a return chance offered by Chloe Tryon. In the following over, the ninth of the innings, Tryon survived a close lbw shout off Arundhati Reddy as she played all around a full-blooded inswinger, only to be saved by the angle. Reddy would eventually win the head-to-head a few overs later with a hard-length delivery that Tryon skewed to point.Between the lbw reprieve and Tryon’s wicket, Vastrakar left her imprint on the game with a game-changing over as South Africa went from 57 for 3 in 10 overs to 61 for 5 in 11. She trapped Anneke Bosch lbw with a length ball that zipped in to trap in her front as she shuffled across. It was a sweet comeback after being threaded behind point for a boundary off the previous delivery. Two balls later, Vastrakar had Nadine de Klerk chop on with a fuller-length delivery.In all, South Africa lost 7 for 23 to fold for 84 in the 18th over. The end was hastened by Radha Yadav’s double-wicket maiden in the 17th over; she finished with 3 for 6 off her three overs.

Mandhana, Shafali finish it off

At no stage during India’s innings was there even a semblance of pressure on the openers. For this, much credit should go to Mandhana, who carried on her sparkling form in what was some of the most aesthetically pleasing hit-through-the-line batting.She began by taking Ayabonga Khaka for two fours in the very first over to lay down a marker, before a slice of luck came her way when she was beaten by a superb delivery from Kapp that hit the seam and nipped away to beat the outside edge.That was perhaps the only moment of uncertainty in a knock where Mandhana stamped her authority over both pace and spin. She hit eight fours and two sixes, including one that brought up her fifty and India’s victory off the same delivery.At the other end, Shafali showed shades of her dominating best by mercilessly pulling the seamers in front of square, playing her trademark slaps and shovels with no pressure to contend with. It couldn’t have been any easier.

Three-wicket hauls from Sugandika Kumari and Kavisha Dilhari set Sri Lanka up for their first women’s ODI win over West Indies since 2015, the hosts going 1-0 up in the three-match series in Hambantota on Saturday.Since that last win in 2015, Sri Lanka had lost their last six ODIs against West Indies going into this match.Sent in, West Indies made a strong start, getting to 75 for 1 courtesy a 68-run second-wicket stand between Hayley Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle. They lost steam after left-arm spinner Kumari broke that partnership in the 19th over, losing their last eight wickets for 120 runs. Matthews (38) apart, only Stafanie Taylor (33) got past 30, as the spinners, led by Kumari and Dilhari, chipped away.Sri Lanka’s top five managed the chase perfectly, with four of them getting past 35. Captain Chamari Athapaththu (38) and Vishmi Gunaratne (40) got them off to a solid start, putting on 88 in 13.2 overs, before Sri Lanka stumbled briefly, losing three wickets for 13 runs, with two of them falling to the medium-pace of Aaliyah Alleyne.Harshitha Samarawickrama (44*) and Hasini Perera (43), however, ensured there wouldn’t be any more major hiccups, putting on 63 for the fourth wicket to all but seal victory, before Afy Fletcher picked up a consolation wicket late in the game.

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes Travis Head remains best suited to batting at No. 5 in the day-night Test at the Gabba despite his barnstorming century opening in Perth, while both he and Michael Clarke are convinced that Nathan Lyon has to play as the home side weigh up the best balance of side to face England after their demolition job in the opening match of the Ashes.Usman Khawaja’s spot has come under scrutiny after Head’s spectacular century at the top when he was promoted after Khawaja suffered further back spasms on the second day, having also been unable to take his usual spot in the first innings with England collapsing so quickly he couldn’t make up enough time on the field.Related

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However, Finch said that the pink-ball factor of the second Test adds another layer on how Australia may structure their side and argued that in this case having Head in the middle was the favoured option.”If this wasn’t a pink-ball test match coming up at the Gabba, I would tend to agree and say, you know what, maybe it is time to throw him [Head] up there and you just launch into it from day one of a Test,” Finch told ESPN’s .”But I just feel as though the fact that it is a pink-ball test, the impact that that brand new ball can have and the impact that Travis Head can have batting at No. 5 when the pink ball does go a bit soft and the game can sort of, the wicket can flatten out. I like him at five still, just to be that real explosive player through the middle order.”Khawaja batted at No. 4 on the first day in Perth and gloved a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. His form was a talking point ahead of the Ashes after making one Test century in his last 44 innings prior to the series.Brisbane would be a home Test for Khawaja – where he is the leading run-scorer in day-night first-class cricket at the Gabba with 502 runs at 50.02 – and Clarke does not see Australia shifting from the original plan for now.Usman Khawaja’s position is being debate after Travis Head’s stunning success as an opener•AFP/Getty Images

“I think he plays. I think if he’s fit, they give him another chance,” Clarke said. “I think a few days and Uzzie will be sweet. He hasn’t had this back problem that many times throughout his career, so I think he will be fit.”Meanwhile, both Clarke and Finch agreed that Lyon should be a lock for Brisbane despite only sending down two overs in Perth and having been left out of the day-night Test in Jamaica earlier this year.”He’s in for sure,” Clarke, who was Lyon’s first Test captain, said. “He’s in my XI every Test match. Unless it’s an absolute raging green seamer. Like even Perth, the wicket certainly didn’t look that bad. I’m still picking a spinner in my team.”Finch added: “The impact that Nathan Lyon has in that side is huge. We saw him not selected for the Test in Jamaica…and they were extreme conditions. So Australia decided that they probably weren’t going to use a spinner at all. I can see from that point of view why it happened in Jamaica. At the Gabba, 100%, it should not ever be talked about, Nathan Lyon not being in an Australian XI.”The other decision that will need to be made will be around the fitness of Pat Cummins who is pushing for a return in Brisbane. He bowled with the pink ball in Sydney on Tuesday and speaking during the Perth Test gave himself “half a chance” of being ready for the Gabba.”I think Australia will stick to the plan,” Finch said. “If he’s 100% fit, he plays. If he’s 95% fit, he doesn’t play. I think that’s the way that they’ll go. They’ve been really consistent with how they’ve picked squads, how they’ve picked the XI. And for me, it’s a long series. You don’t want to rush it.”

When South Africa began the World Cup by being blown away for 69 by England, it was natural to wonder whether they really were serious contenders for the title. But, since that catastrophic start, they have put on one hell of a campaign. They have now won five games in a row – four of those comfortably, only one match going into the final over.In the rain-affected match against Pakistan on Tuesday, South Africa’s batters put on their highest World Cup score ever, hitting 312 for 9. What’s more, they only had 40 overs in which to make those runs. The 312 is also the highest total at the Khettarama this World Cup by 54 runs.Senior allrounder Marizanne Kapp, who hit 68 not out off 43 balls, said afterwards that a host of players had stepped their game up to make this turnaround happen. “We were very disappointed with that performance against England,” she said. “Luckily, we turned it around very quickly. I think that’s down to the goals we’ve had and the hard work we’ve been putting in.Related

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“The beauty of this team is that we’ve not relied on one person. More people are starting to click and put in performances.”And so it was on Tuesday, that to reach their highest World Cup total, South Africa had a range of important contributions. Captain Laura Wolvaardt led off with a 90 off 82 balls. Sune Luus made 61 off 59. Kapp hit three sixes and six fours in her innings. And, at the death, Nadine de Klerk thumped a staggering 41 off 16 balls. De Klerk had hit only two fifties from 43 previous innings before she bludgeoned a match-turning 84 not out off 54 balls in the game against India. She had then hit 37 not out off 29 against Bangladesh, before this explosive innings in Colombo.”We’ve always known Nadine’s very talented,” said Kapp. “I’ve always rated her. I’ve always said she’s a very good batting allrounder. In the last few years, I think it’s been about the bowling, but this year her batting is really clicking.”South Africa had booked a place in the semi-finals even before this game and are now certain to finish at least third on the table. They have one match in this stage to play – against the feared Australia side.Despite that embarrassing start, Kapp thinks the bowlers have more work to do than the batters to get South Africa in perfect shape for the knockouts.”The batters have been very proactive. The intent is there, as well as the scoring shots,” she said. “I think we can tighten up a little bit on the bowling side of things. Even though we’ve done well, we’ve bowled some loose deliveries.”But in general we’re happy with where we are at the moment.”

Rovman Powell marked his 100th T20I in style, sticking to his “batting template” of a late surge to guide West Indies to a 16-run win over Bangladesh in the first T20I in Chattogram. On Monday, he became only the third West Indian to reach the milestone of 100 games, capping the occasion with an unbeaten 44 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Powell, however, didn’t make a great start to his innings against Bangladesh. He couldn’t time the ball properly, striking just one four as he made 18 runs off his first 22 balls. It was in the 19th over when Powell finally struck his first six – a mow across the line against Mustafizur Rahman.Then, when he got the strike in the final over, he hammered Tanzim Hasan for three sixes in a row, ending up unbeaten on 44 off 28 balls. He made 26 runs in his last six balls. The late momentum took West Indies to 165 for 3 in 20 overs, before their bowlers helped dismiss Bangladesh for 149.Related

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“I am very happy,” Powell said. “It is not always that someone gets to play 100 T20Is, especially for West Indies. It shows the hard work that I have done in the duration of my career. A lot of credit goes to my family and friends, and the players with whom I have played these 100 matches. It is very special to get Man-of-the-Match award in my 100th game.”I think it’s a batting template that I have used in the last year or two. I have had good success with it. I try to get a start and get into the last five overs when I try to hit as many sixes as possible.”Powell also noted that heavy dew affected the West Indies’ bowling effort. He added that they would have felt pressure had Bangladesh kept wickets in hand towards the end of the 166-run chase.”If one of the main Bangladeshi batters had stayed at the wicket for longer, we would have been under pressure,” he said. “It was very wet in the end. Having said that, a lot of the credit goes to our bowlers. They stuck to their plans and picked up wickets at critical times.”We had information about the ground but we didn’t know it would get this wet. Maybe that’s something that we keep in consideration.”Instead, Bangladesh lost four wickets in the powerplay and lost all their frontline batters by the 12th over. Fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib top-scored for Bangladesh, making 33 runs.Tanzim said that Bangladesh could have done with a better powerplay and with specialist batters in the final overs.”Of course, when there was dew, the ball came on to the bat more easily,” Tanzim said. “If we had one set batsman at that stage, the game would’ve been much easier. In the last couple of overs, a settled batsman always keeps you in the game. We lost four wickets in the powerplay. Even if it had been two, the chase could still have been managed.”Powell, meanwhile, looked forward to a series win for West Indies on Wednesday. He said that they have the opportunity to get over their recent T20I record – they have lost their last seven T20I bilateral series – if they can win the second game against Bangladesh to clinch the series.”Whatever the stats say, it doesn’t leave a good taste in our mouth. Myself and the guys are eager to turn that around. Being 1-0 up against Bangladesh will provide the opportunity for us to turn it around. Bangladesh are a tough side at home. We will see if we can continue improving to win the series in the next game.”.