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Australia’s vice-captain is one demerit point away from a ban after he accepted a level two charge from the ICC for his part in the stairwell confrontation with Quinton de Kock

Daniel Brettig and Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is one demerit point away from a ban after he accepted a level two charge from the ICC for his part in the stairwell confrontation with Quinton de Kock in Durban.De Kock, however, has contested the level one charge against him and will attend a hearing – along with South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and manager Mohammed Moosajee – in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday evening. Match Referee Jeff Crowe will adjudicate on the matter.Warner was hit with three demerit points for the offence and also fined 75% of his match fee, about A$13,500, after meetings between the match referee Jeff Crowe and Australian team management on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Warner joined Kagiso Rabada and Faf du Plessis on the South African side in this series, as players who will be suspended if they are found guilty of one more disciplinary infraction.CCTV footage from the fourth day of the Durban Test showed Warner walking up the stairs to the players’ dressing room, engaged in heated conversation with someone else. As the clip rolled on, it emerged that he was talking to de Kock, and at several points had to be restrained by his team-mates until the Australia captain Steven Smith came out to pull his vice-captain away from the scene.

Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal

George Dobell25-Oct-2017Worcestershire have pulled off a significant coup by securing Moeen Ali on a new five-year deal.Moeen was of interest to several other counties – notably Warwickshire – but Worcestershire’s long-term loyalty to him, the promise of their young players and their presence back in Division One of the County Championship have convinced him to stay.While Worcestershire supporters may see little of Moeen over the next couple of years – not only is he established in the England sides in all three formats but he is expected to enter the next IPL auction – the decision to sign such a long-term deal suggests he is happy to spend the rest of his career at the club.And, even though transfers between counties are increasingly prevalent in county cricket, such a long-term deal will deter other clubs and ensure Worcestershire are well compensated.”We’ve had some fantastic wins this season and this is one of them,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said.”Moeen is our England player and it’s important for us to have an England player. It’s also important for our dressing room, our players, our staff and our members and supporters and everyone involved at the club.”It sends a message to other clubs that our better players don’t feel the need to be elsewhere. They want to be on this journey to success and in Moeen’s case, he has stayed loyal to the club in signing this longer deal.”He is in such a rich vein of form internationally and on the back of a wonderful season, he is turning himself into one of the best allrounders in the world in international cricket. For us to sign someone of that ilk for five years is a real credit to all we do at Worcestershire. Whenever he comes back, it gives a big lift to the place.”Moeen is the 12th Worcestershire player to sign a new deal this year. So, while the club were disappointed to lose Tom Kohler-Cadmore to Yorkshire, they are delighted to have retained the services of such highly rated young players as fast bowler Josh Tongue (who signed a new four-year deal and won a place on the England Lions tour), Ben Cox and allrounder Ed Barnard.Worcestershire will hope Moeen’s commitment might also play a part in persuading Joe Clarke to stay. Clarke, another man who won selection to the Lions squad, is out of contract at the end of 2018 and, with his wicketkeeping opportunities blocked by the excellence of Cox, might be persuaded to try his luck elsewhere. As one of the most promising batsmen in the county game, he is unlikely to have any shortage of options. Worcestershire are understandably keen for him to stay and will hope Moeen’s example – proving England selection can be won while playing for the club – may play a part.”Moeen is such a loyal guy,” Rhodes continued. “He knows we were the vehicle that gave him the opportunities to impress people and get selected for England in the first place.”In his previous contract, the way we sold it to him was that you are batting three in the Championship, you are opening in the one-dayers and you are our number one offspinner and our vice-captain, you are doing everything.”Now it will be down to you putting in the performances. We will give you the opportunities to do that and because we did that, and he took those opportunities, he got selected by England, I think he feels loyal to Worcestershire.”Moeen said: “To commit my future and probably the rest of my career to Worcestershire is a fantastic feeling. It’s happy days.”I’ve been part of this club now for a very long time. We have some brilliant young players, probably the best young English players in the country.”It is a fantastic club and they have always been good to me and supported me and I’m delighted to sign. We are in Division One now and I don’t think we are far off now in all competitions and the young players are gaining more and more experience.”Steve Rhodes is a massive reason for me signing. He has always been good to me, he has always supported me and looked after me and even when I am away with England he is always sending me messages.”

Following a blitz that all but sealed the deal for New Zealand, Sophie Devine collected both the Player-of-the-Match and the Player-of-the-Series awards

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2017
ScorecardSophie Devine clobbers a sweep over the midwicket boundary•Getty Images

New Zealand completed a 4-0 whitewash over Pakistan in the T20I series, winning by seven wickets in their final match on the tour of the UAE. Their bowlers came to the fore in the final game, led by medium-pacers Hannah Rowe and Holly Huddleston, who strangled Pakistan with wickets in the middle overs. Sophie Devine then led New Zealand’s charge with the bat, smashing a 17-ball 41 to take the visitors home comfortably – with nine overs to spare.Pakistan on the other hand had crept to 89 for 8 in their 20 overs, with only Javeria Khan showing any resistance with the bat. She scored a 38-ball 36 and was the eighth batsman out in the 19th over. But the rest of Pakistan’s batting faltered; they had started off decently, but from 51 for 2 after 9.2 overs, Pakistan could add only 38 runs off the next 64 balls.Devine smashed seven fours and a six in her 17-ball blitz, before being bowled in the fifth over. By then, New Zealand had already taken 56 runs off the target. Satterthwaite then took over with five fours in her 31-ball knock of 35. She fell in the 10th over, with the team needing eight to win. Suzie Bates was out three balls later – both batsmen dismissed by Aiman Anwer – before Maddy Green (8*) and Katey Martin (1*) sealed the deal.Devine collected the Player-of-the-Match and the Player-of-the-Series awards. She finished with a series tally of 158 runs in four T20Is.

Mason Crane has created a good impression in Australia, but on his English county form his selection would represent a considerable promotion

George Dobell in Sydney01-Jan-20181:57

‘Dreamed of playing in Sydney’ – Stoneman

Mason Crane looks set to make his Test debut in the final match of the Ashes series in Sydney.Crane, the 20-year-old leg-spinner, is set to come into the team in place of either Moeen Ali or Tom Curran as England take the opportunity to blood a new player with the series already decided and the whitewash averted.While it remains possible that Moeen could retain his place if it seems conditions will justify the selection of two spin bowlers, it appears Crane will be first choice if England go in with only one slow bowler.The selection would continue a remarkable journey for Crane. Just over a year ago, he was in Sydney playing Grade cricket for Gordon in a bid to gain experience. So well did it go – he claimed four five-fors and three seven-fors on the way to becoming the leading wicket-taker in New South Wales premier cricket – he was selected for New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield side. That made him their first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1984-85, and their first English player since William Caffyn in the 1960s. He performed admirably, too, with five wickets in the match.But his selection for a Test would be a huge promotion. He claimed only 16 Championship wickets in 2017 – at a cost of 44.68 apiece – and was far from an automatic piece in Hampshire’s side. On this Ashes tour, he has claimed five wickets in first-class matches at a cost of 58.29 apiece.

MacGill backs Crane debut

Stuart MacGill, the former Australia legspinner and a mentor of Mason Crane, is adamant that his Test career should have got underway earlier in the Ashes series.
“I think England’s missed a trick by not playing him earlier in the series to be honest, particularly seeing the bowling hasn’t had the penetration they could have hoped for,” he said.
“One of the big differences between me and Mayso, he’s very resilient. When I was young, it took me a long time to be able to cope with getting smacked around a bit.
“I know this guy has got what it takes to cope with a bad day. I’m a big believer in that being a real guide whether or not a slow bowler will make the grade – and Mayso can.”

Moeen has endured a grim tour, however. As well as claiming just three wickets in the first four Tests at a cost of 135 apiece, he has looked devoid of confidence with the bat and averaged just 19.42. That miserable run culminated in a reckless, frantic innings of 20 in 14 deliveries in Melbourne that suggested he had lost faith in his defensive game against both spin and pace and ended with a catch in the covers.Now, with the Ashes gone and England deciding that Moeen may benefit from a spell out if the firing line, Crane looks set to win his Test debut.But while Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, admits that Moeen has had a miserable tour, he remains confident that, in the “long term” he will again prove himself a top England player.”There’s no time like the present to find out if Mason is ready,” Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, said. “We think he’s a guy that has got the goods and the more he plays at this level the better he will get. You have got to start somewhere.”Like any player, you go through highs and lows. The number of runs and wickets makes it one of his lows. But just a couple of months ago we were singing his praises as one of the best all-rounders in the world. Conditions are a bit different here and it’s taken him longer than he would have liked to feel comfortable; there’s not a lot of spin.”He’s different to Nathan Lyon, who gets over-spin. Mo doesn’t and things don’t happen as quickly, without the bounce that Lyon gets. Mo is a free spirit and one or two shots or wickets and he will be off and running. So I’m not concerned long term.”The fact that Australia have called up slow left-armer Ashton Agar suggests they, too, feel that the pitch will spin. And, if England are of the same mind, it seems inevitable they will want both spin options in the side.Mason Crane in action in an England practice session•Getty Images

“The type of wicket we play on might play a part too,” Bayliss said. “Normally that you can easily play two spinners but looking at the wicket it looked like it had a decent covering of grass.”I think it will still spin towards the end of the game – it’s still the same soil – but we will just have to take a look. There’s been no decision right now. And with the series lost it gives us an opportunity to look at some different people.”Meanwhile England confirmed that Saqlain Mushtaq and Stuart MacGill – both spin bowling consultants – would be working for England in the coming weeks. Saqlain, who has worked for England in a part-time capacity for some time, has recently signed a new contract committing him to more hours than ever in 2018, while MacGill, who worked with Crane when he was playing Grade cricket a few months ago, will join the squad ahead of the Sydney Test.

Kane Williamson, who is yet to recover from his elbow injury, will sit out the two-match series

Sruthi Ravindranath07-Feb-2022Cam Fletcher and Blair Tickner have earned their maiden Test call-ups, while Colin de Grandhomme and Hamish Rutherford have been recalled for New Zealand’s upcoming first Test against South Africa in Christchurch.”Cam has been excellent across the three formats for Canterbury over the past couple of seasons, producing consistent and often match-winning performances for his team,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “Blair’s been a consistent performer in the Plunket Shield over the past few seasons, and we felt his pace, bounce and aggression covered our bases should we lose a pace bowler to injury.”It’s pleasing to see Colin back in the Test side, having proved such an influential member before his foot injury last season. His form of late shows he’s clearly benefited from simply getting back on the park consistently, and it’s great to have his allround skills and experience to call on. It’s a really exciting time for Hamish to be back in the Blackcaps after a long time away, and I know he’s absolutely buzzing at the opportunity ahead.”New Zealand squad for first Test against South Africa•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wicketkeeper-batter Fletcher, who has been called up as a cover to Tom Blundell, has been Canterbury’s highest run-scorer in the ongoing Plunket Shield with 344 runs in four games. Meanwhile, Central Stags right-arm quick Tickner, who will provide back-up for the other pace bowlers, has taken 14 wickets in four matches in the current season. This is Fletcher’s first international call-up, while Tickner has appeared for New Zealand in eight T20Is since his debut in 2019.Rutherford has earned a recall to the Test side for the first time in seven years, having played his last match in 2015 – against Sri Lanka in Wellington. He has scored 371 runs in four matches for Otago this season, and was also the second-highest scorer with 588 runs in eight matches last season. The 32-year old has so far played 16 Tests after his debut in 2013, having scored 755 runs with a highest score of 171.Allrounder de Grandhomme had missed much of last season with a foot injury. He had opted out of India Tests last year due to bubble fatigue, and had been subsequently dropped for the Tests against Bangladesh.Hamish Rutherford last played for New Zealand in 2015•Getty Images

Regular captain Kane Williamson, who is yet to recover from his elbow injury, will sit out the two-match series, while Tom Latham will continue as captain in his absence. Trent Boult will miss the first Test as he awaits the birth of his third child, while Ajaz Patel could be added for the second Test depending on the conditions as well as his recovery from a left-calf injury.Stead was hopeful Williamson will be ready for the white-ball series against Netherlands at home in March. Williamson last played in the first Test against India in Kanpur last November, following which the recurrence of the elbow issue ruled him out for at least another two months.”He was desperate to be fit for the series but with the amount of loading required for Test cricket, we had to make the tough call for him to sit it out and focus on returning for the white-ball matches against Netherlands in March,” Stead said. “Kane loves playing for the Blackcaps – and especially in Test cricket – so it was a particularly hard call. However, the priority has to be trying to get the injury right and having him available long term.Related

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“It’s important to remember this squad is just for the first Test so we do have flexibility to make changes as required, with the likes of Trent and Ajaz potentially available for the second. We’re conscious the second Test pitch may differ from the first, so we’re keen to have the option of adding Ajaz if required. He’s targeting a return for the Stags in the Ford Trophy on February 20 to prove his fitness and availability.”According to an NZC release, the 15-member squad “will allow the selectors to better cover their options while mitigating the health-risk associated with bringing players into the team environment at short notice, should there be any injuries.” It also stated that NZC is currently working through the Covid-19 health framework for hosting some fans at the matches at the Hagley Oval.The first Test is scheduled to begin on February 17, with the second one to follow on February 25 at the same ground.

South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington24-Feb-2017South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler.Rabada, who took 2 for 31 in Hamilton, missed the match in Christchurch due to a slight problem with his left knee, but had an extensive bowl at the Basin Reserve on Friday with the knee taped. He has been carefully managed in the early days of this tour, also sitting out the T20 at Eden Park, having played all five matches the preceding one-day series against Sri Lanka.There will be a significant number of overs for Rabada in the months ahead. After this one-day series there are three Tests against New Zealand, followed a by the IPL for which Rabada landed a INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) deal with Delhi Daredevils. Then comes the Champions Trophy and a marquee four-Test series against England. Throwing further ahead, South Africa’s 2017-18 home season will their busiest ever.If South Africa had managed to haul themselves over the line at Hagley Oval there is a decent chance Rabada would have been wrapped in cotton wool for the remainder of the one-day series. That could still be the case, with South Africa keen to assess their other bowling options before the Champions Trophy, but his cutting edge would be missed.”He has been stalwart for us for a while now,” JP Duminy said. “He has been our main strike bowler in most formats and it’s always a great strength for us to have him in our attack. It will be good to see him back.”In 2016, Rabada sent down almost two hundred overs more than any other South Africa bowler across all formats – 431.3 overs, with Kyle Abbott next on 239.1 – and made the joint-most appearances with 32 alongside Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis.South Africa also have to meet quota targets over a season which includes an average of two Black African players in an XI. Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo are part of the one-day squad, while Temba Bavuma will be alongside Rabada in the Test side.Although Rabada’s return would strengthen South Africa’s attack, they have pinpointed the batting – and a failure of anyone to play a major innings – as the reason they could not chase down 290 in Christchurch. The top six all reached double figures, but de Kock’s 57 was the top score and he fell to an ill-judged leg-side heave.Dwaine Pretorius, at No. 7, almost turned the game with his 27-ball 50 and with Phehlukwayo down at No. 10 there was enviable depth to the order, but Duminy said that does not always translate into success.”It can sometimes be a bad thing. Even though we bat deep it doesn’t mean the top order shouldn’t take responsibility. It’s a great thing to have but there’s still a lot of responsibility from the top six or seven to make sure we put in those performances for the team.”However, he was not overly concerned about South Africa’s first reversal in 13 ODIs and suggested it was a timely reminder of the level of performance they need to achieve.”It was kind of inevitable at some point we’d lose a game. It’s something we have spoken about, that it doesn’t put us in any different situation in terms of where we’re trying to go as a team, our preparation and our goals. We’re trying to work towards the Champions Trophy and it’s probably a good thing to go through a few losses along the way to bring us back down to earth and understand there are certain things we still have to improve on.”

The number of women’s centrally-contracted players will rise from 18 to 25, with their salaries increasing by 15%

Danyal Rasool24-Jun-2022Pakistan’s men’s cricketers will have red and white-ball contracts separated in a revamp of the way the PCB central contracts are handed out. PCB chairman Ramiz Raja announced the move was necessary to incentivise and reward the efforts of players in each format. The number of centrally-contracted men’s cricketers will also rise from 20 to 33 when the contracts are next handed out next month. In addition, the number of women’s centrally-contracted players will rise from 18 to 25, with their salaries increasing by 15%.”The thought process behind splitting red and white-ball contracts is to recognise the importance of white-ball cricket in the growth and development of the game,” Ramiz said. “We have four international events in the next 16 months, including two World Cups. This recognition of offering contracts to white-ball specialists will help us to eventually develop two separate squads, which could simultaneously be engaged in white and red-ball cricket. This will also allow us to have a bigger spread of talent to showcase to the world.”The number of women’s central contracts has been increased to 25 from 18. You saw the performance of the women’s side against Sri Lanka, where Tuba [Hassan] became the first ICC Player of the Month. We won a Women’s World Cup match for the first time in 13 years. We executed a talent hunt of the women’s side across the country for the first time.”Related

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There was also an emphasis on shielding Pakistan’s frontline cricketers from fatigue by disincentivising them from playing too many overseas leagues. As a result, Ramiz announced “a substantial pool of funds” that would be made available to compensate them.”To discourage our elite players from signing up for additional off-season events, we have allocated substantial pool of funds. This amount will be used to compensate them for their potential loss in earnings and will also manage their workload and ensure that they remain fully fit, fresh and ready when required on national duty.”Another one of Ramiz’s signature projects, the introduction of drop-in pitches to Pakistan, is yet to see significant progress, but the PCB chairman announced that logistical and financial hurdles had frustrated his efforts, and that things were moving quickly now.”Drop-in pitches are extremely expensive, and transporting them from Australia is problematic,” he explained. “We’ve imported soil from Australia, which is coming in July. An Australian curator is coming here. We all learn lessons, and what I learned was the pitches against Australia were useless. We assumed we’d beat them with spin and reverse swing, which didn’t happen. So I had the pitches on the squares changed immediately.”These announcements were the most salient developments across a press conference after the PCB’s 69th Board of Governors (BoG) meet, where Ramiz re-emphasised his primary aims and intentions as chairman, talking up the need for financial independence, and the importance of on-field results to grow the influence and brand of Pakistan cricket. There were salary and fee increases announced across the board, too, with a 10% increase in match fees across formats. Moreover, non-playing members will earn 70% of the match fee that playing cricketers receive, up from 50% previously.”Since September 2021, the Pakistan men’s cricket team has achieved an impressive 75% success rate across all formats, which is the highest amongst all the Test playing nations. This has contributed in Pakistan improving its rankings, which now stands at fifth in Tests [up by one], third in ODIs [up by three and the highest since January 2017] and third in T20Is [up by one].”With this background, and in line with our philosophy that revolves around acknowledging, appreciating and rewarding high-performing players, I am pleased with the enhancements in the 2022-23 central contracts. I remain committed to looking after our national cricketers who bring joy to the fans and laurels for the country. These players are our pride, and always need to be well looked after and properly valued so that they can continue to flourish in their field of expertise.”

New Zealand will have another week of training in Somerset before moving to Birmingham in time for their Commonwealth Games opener

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2022Amelia Kerr, the New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder, has tested positive for Covid-19 while on tour to England. The squad is travelling to take part in the cricket event at the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games, starting July 28.The positive result came out after a round of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on the team members on Saturday. Following the positive test, 21-year-old Kerr is in isolation at the team hotel.Related

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A NZC media statement said that Kerr was the only player from the touring party to test positive, while “the rest of the group will continue to be monitored and tested, as required”.The entire New Zealand contingent had travelled for England from Lincoln on July 12. New Zealand are scheduled to play their first match of the competition against South Africa on July 30.But first, they will have another week of training at Millfield School in Somerset – including two practice matches against England A – before moving to Birmingham towards the end of July.Kerr has been an integral part of the New Zealand set-up, having picked up 41 wickets in 41 bowling innings in T20Is at an economy of 5.94. With the bat, she has scored a total of 234 runs in 24 innings.Women’s cricket will feature at the Commonwealth Games for the first time at the upcoming edition, and cricket as a whole for only the second time after a men’s ODI competition was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, won by South Africa.

Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 55 helped Afghanistan overcome a wobble and secure a final-over win that gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNajibullah Zadran’s second T20I fifty steered his side home in a tense finish•Peter Della Penna/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 55 helped Afghanistan overcome a wobble and secure a final-over win against United Arab Emirates that gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Zadran, who walked in to bat at No. 7, hit five fours and three sixes in his 25-ball knock to chase down United Arab Emirates’ 179 for 4 with two balls to spare.At the halfway mark in the second innings, UAE had the aces – Afghanistan needed 101 off the last 60 balls. That equation became tougher when Usman Ghani, Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari fell in the space of four overs to leave Afghanistan needing 64 off six overs. Najibullah broke the shackles by smashing Mohammad Shahzad for two sixes and a four to pocket an 19-run over that tilted the scales in Afghanistan’s favour.UAE, who opted to bat, lost Mohammad Shahzad in the third over. Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar gave the innings a lift with a sprightly second-wicket stand of 74 before legspinner Rashid Khan struck. Mustafa missed an attempted nudge across the line to be given out lbw.That wicket, however, did little to derail UAE’s momentum as Anwar batted through to make 60 before being dismissed off the final ball. He struck four fours and three sixes as UAE smashed 65 off the last five overs. It didn’t prove enough in the face of Najibullah’s late onslaught.

The Australia fast bowler has not been able to curve the ball as he once did since returning from a foot injury in September

Daniel Brettig29-Jan-2017Never has Mitchell Starc been more destructive with the ball than on his only previous visit to Eden Park. In a World Cup pool match, his scorching, swinging yorkers fetched him a career-best 6 for 28 and very nearly allowed Australia to defend a puny total score New Zealand in front of a raucous crowd.Two years on, Starc has returned to Auckland in strong physical shape, but still trying to rediscover the curl through the air he showcased that afternoon. It has been a source of puzzlement to many that he has not swung the ball anywhere near as much since his return from ankle and foot surgery, and Starc conceded he and the assistant coach David Saker were none the wiser as to why – despite plenty of tries at working it out.There was hope, however, that the favourable atmosphere of Eden Park will help Starc to get the movement he is seeking once again. Such a turn of events would be encouraging for Australia as well, with the Test series in India weeks away.”It’s interesting. I along with David Saker, the bowling coach, we’ve looked at a lot of footage and my action hasn’t changed at all,” Starc said. “So it’s probably an indication of the cricket balls we’re using this summer, but at the same time it’s a completely different ball we’re going over to India with, the SG.”I think reverse swing is going to play a much bigger part than natural swing over there, as we’ve seen in the last few series that we’ve gone to India. So it’s key to try and get that ball swinging as much as we can naturally up front, it doesn’t generally swing for too many overs, then trying to get that ball to go reverse while it’s still relatively hard. They’re things we’re starting to talk about now as a group.”Starc was happy to admit that while he has harvested wickets consistently while keeping himself fit through a taxing summer schedule, he has not yet been able to return to the aforementioned peaks of 2015. That meant he has plenty more to aim for over the three ODIs in New Zealand and later in India.”It’s been up and down over the last six months,” he said. “Probably still haven’t been where I hope to be in terms of consistency in my bowling as opposed to where it was 12 months ago before I broke down, but looking back to Sri Lanka [where he took 24 wickets in three Tests], that’s a blueprint I’d like to take into India, the way I approached my bowling there and the sorts of plans we talked about in those conditions.”So it’s something I can call upon over the next couple of months when we look forward to that challenge. But there’s still a lot I can improve on over the last six months. I think the way I’ve been able to manage my body through the training accident a few months ago, it’s been pleasing to get through six Test matches this summer, it’s nice to do that for the first time.”The other thing Starc hoped for was a few more runs to defend in Auckland than the last time around. Tallies of 148 and 151 in Australia’s past two visits mean the batsmen have plenty of improving to do, and Starc said there had been team discussions about not surrendering to the siren song of the Eden Park’s short boundaries.”We’ve spoken about giving ourselves a bit more time,” Starc said. “You have those smaller boundaries in the back of your mind but you’ve always got a lot more time than you think, especially in 50-over cricket where you don’t have to score 300 in the first 40 overs – you can probably make it up at the back end.”So somewhere like here where it’s probably going to swing and maybe nip a little bit, just give yourself a chance to get in, see some balls as batsmen, and give yourselves a chance at the back end. We’ve been pretty good against Pakistan at scoring runs late in the innings and the way to do that is to have wickets in the shed. So it’s probably not been our best two outings with the bat here on the last two occasions, but it’s a chance to rectify that and put a good total on the board to start off the series.”