Wicketkeeper claims six catches for Tasmania 2nd XI facing South Australia in Hobart

Andrew McGlashan21-Nov-2021Three days after resigning as Australia’s Test captain, Tim Paine made his return to playing as he bids to be part of the upcoming Ashes series with a tidy display behind the stumps.The Tasmania 2nd XI match against South Australia, at Lindisfarne Memorial Park in Hobart, attracted significantly more interest than would normally be the case. This fixture had been part of Paine’s comeback plan from neck surgery before the drama of last week – his initial return in a club game at the weekend was washed out – and will be his first game since early April.He had the keeping gloves on initially with Tasmania bowling first and bagged six catches, some particularly agile, and now it’s a case of how he reacts to the workload. Away from the fallout of the text message scandal, there is a form and fitness debate for Paine to answer – especially now he is back in the ranks as a player. His turn with the bat, where he is listed at No. 5, will come on Tuesday.Paine spoke briefly with local TV as he arrived at the ground. “It’s been a long while, I haven’t played since last year, so I’m looking forward to it,” he told before adding about his injury, “Yeah fine, no complaints, so good to go.”Cricket Tasmania high performance manager Simon Insley said: “Whenever you go through challenging times you want to be around your mates and do what you do best. He’s an exceptional cricketer and he wants to play cricket and get ready for the Ashes. He wants to show signs of good form and show that he’s ready for selection. We all know Tim Paine, he is a very determined individual.”The Cricket Australia board said they were satisfied for Paine to remain available for selection and he has insisted he wants to be part of the England series. The Ashes had been viewed as a potential end-point for Paine’s Test career before the latest developments.Related

• Cricket Tasmania furious at Cricket Australia's treatment of Tim Paine

• Paine scandal fallout: CA left with reputational and cricketing questions to answer

• Tim Paine knew explicit messages could emerge at any time

• Former Cricket Australia chair hits out handling of Tim Paine scandal

“I see that as the ultimate high, to be able to finish your Test career after winning an Ashes series in Australia,” Paine said in an interview with the . “That’s the dream. That’s what I want to do.”Todd Greenberg, the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, said that Paine’s availability for the Ashes was a key part of the negotiations that took place ahead of him standing down. In a statement on Friday, the ACA had expressed their disappointment that Paine had felt the need to stand down as captain.Tim Paine makes his playing comeback on Monday (file photo)•Getty Images

“We think he must be available for selection, then ultimately that’s an issue for the selectors,” Greenberg told SEN radio. “That was made clear to him and to us by Cricket Australia last week. I hope he is picked, and he plays an incredibly strong Ashes series.”If Paine was unable to get through the fitness side of his comeback following the disc surgery he had in September, Alex Carey would be the likely replacement in the Test side. Carey is part of the Australia A squad which will also be in Brisbane alongside Josh Inglis.When the Ashes squad was named on Wednesday morning, Paine was the only keeper named in the main 15-player squad even though the timelimes that emerged around his resignation suggested the situation was likely well advanced at that stage.Following the 2nd XI match, Paine is due to link up with the Australia squad in Queensland ahead of the intrasquad match which starts on December 1 and will provide the final preparation for the first Test at the Gabba.

Kelly took four wickets in Scorchers’ defence of 196

AAP11-Jan-2022Top-order runs proved the difference as Perth Scorchers took down Melbourne Stars in Thursday afternoon’s BBL clash in Geelong.In a GMHBA Stadium-record BBL total, the Scorchers made 3 for 196 batting first and were always in front throughout the chase, holding the Stars to 9 for 149. Beau Webster did his best for Stars, carving seven fours and two sixes in an impressive 63.The runs flowed instantly for Scorchers with opener Nick Hobson, playing his first BBL game since 2019, looking classy with 46 off 36 balls including six fours.But the real fireworks came from Laurie Evans and Ashton Turner; Evans clubbed 69 off 46 balls and helped himself to five huge sixes, before captain Turner sped to an unbeaten 47 off just 26 balls.Remarkably, the wrong batter took strike following the 10-over drinks break and it paid accidental dividends for Scorchers, with Evans hitting two sixes in an over that went for 18 runs. It provided a huge lift for the Scorchers, who took 117 off the second 10 overs.All Stars’ bowlers lacked impact, with only Haris Rauf taking multiple wickets.Problems struck almost immediately in Melbourne’s chase as Matthew Kelly knocked over Nick Larkin with his first ball, but Webster and Joe Burns steadied things up and were 1 for 57 after seven.As they looked to even the contest, Kelly drew a top-edge from Burns and dismissed him caught and bowled for 20. Plenty fell to returning star Glenn Maxwell but he sliced one from Peter Hatzoglou and went for 5, leaving Stars 3 for 69 at halfway,Webster brought up his 50 in 38 balls but the required run-rate crept up above 14 runs an over, and he holed out deep on the off side for 63 with his wicket signalling the end of Stars’ resistance.The red-hot Joe Clarke, who came in off the back of four straight 50s, batted down the order citing fatigue but only made 17. Kelly finished with the impressive figures of 4 for 25.

Team overcomes Covid outbreak to outclass England in four-wicket victory

Andrew Miller05-Feb-2022VVS Laxman hailed the “resilience and positive attitude” shown by India’s Under-19 World Cup winners, after they overcame a mid-campaign outbreak of Covid-19 to outclass their battling England opponents in the final, winning by four wickets to lift the trophy for the fifth time in the tournament’s history.”In the middle of this tournament, we all know what happened to the boys,” Laxman, the former India great who now heads their National Cricket Academy, told the host broadcaster. “To test positive, but to show that kind of resilience and positive attitude, was exemplary.”Yash Dhull, the captain, was one of six India players to test positive for the virus during the group stages of the tournament, alongside Nishant Sindhu and Shaik Rasheed, both of whom made half-centuries in India’s successful run-chase in the final. That followed an exceptional effort in the field, led by Ravi Kumar and Raj Bawa, in which England were bowled out for 189 despite a fine 95 from James Rew.”It’s a proud moment to achieve something for India,” Dhull said at the post-match presentation. “At first it was difficult to find our combinations in the tournament but then we became like a family. Sir [head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar] made it a good environment and team strength was good.”After collapsing to 61 for 6 despite winning the toss, England made India work for their victory – first through the efforts of Rew, who found key support from James Sales in an eighth-wicket stand of 93, and then in a spirited defence of their sub-par total. The left-arm seamer Josh Boyden struck in his first over to remove Angkrish Raghuvanshi for 0, and when Sales grabbed two wickets in three balls in the middle overs, India were again vulnerable at 97 for 4.”It was too exciting for my good, but I’m happy with the result,” Kanitkar said afterwards. “But I think we learned a lot from this. [Dhull] led them very well, he has a good head on his shoulders, he read the game situation and what players would want, and I think that really counted today.”Tom Prest, England’s captain, was one of the early wickets to fall as Kumar bowled him for a fourth-ball duck to end a fine campaign with the bat on a low note. But despite his disappointment, he was full of praise for the fight that his team had shown.”Obviously choosing to bat first, we’d have liked a better start, but the way James Rew then batted to get 95 – he deserved a hundred – we got to a score that we felt we were in the game with, and I think we gave that a good crack.”We’ve got a strong bowling attack and taking a wicket in the first over, that got the mood up and got some confidence going. But they obviously batted really well, they had a couple of great partnerships. So credit to them.”Dhull acknowledged that Rew and Sales had made India work for their win, but said his team had remained confident throughout. “Those two batted well and England made a good comeback, but we were cool in the chase,” he said. “It was great for us that VVS sir, Hrishi sir, Sairaj sir, Bali sir, Harsha sir all joined us. Their words will help us all individually.”Despite falling at the final hurdle, Prest was still the first England captain to reach an Under-19 final in 24 years, and he was full of praise for the tournament experience. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “We’ve all really enjoyed it. Not only the cricket, the media exposure that we’ve got, and doing interviews like this. It’s something that we’ll never forget. And we’re very proud of our achievements.”Kanitkar echoed Prest’s sentiments. “I think it’s a fabulous competition,” he said. “Getting this stage to perform at young age. I think for all teams it’s a great opportunity to showcase talent, and also for the academies all over the world. You get a lot of things you can work on now.”Related

• Under-19 World Cup 2022: Wyllie, Dhull, Brevis and Wellalage headline ESPNcricinfo's Team of the Tournament

• There was no pressure, because 'we were prepared for everything' – Yash Dhull

• 'I'm always ready' – Rehan Ahmed is on the move, and has a World Cup trophy in his sights

• Fateh Singh's journey – from seam to spin, now treading the Moeen Ali route

• Messages from Kohli, Root and others lift India and England squads ahead of Under-19 final

Laxman, whose own experience of Under-19 cricket predated the tournament’s reboot in 1998, added that the players should recognise the importance of the achievement, but use it as a learning process first and foremost.”This is just the start of their journey,” he said. “Everyone in this group understands that, because this is all about development as players, as persons, and it’s great to see the way they have developed and the way they’ve evolved over the last couple of months. It’s very exciting time for all of them but it’s just the start of their journeys as cricketers.”Huge congratulations to the selection committee,” he added. “It was a new selection committee and quite challenging to identify this group. The coaching staff, with Rishikesh as the head coach and all the support staff, the way they brought this group together, they worked really hard. They won the Asia Cup and the preparation to this World Cup was fantastic.”Asked what India is doing right at Under-19 level, Laxman said it was all about “structure”.”The BCCI has to be complimented for the number of matches and the number of tournaments,” he added. “Each age-group level gets to play, whether it’s Under-16, Under-19, Under-23. But unfortunately, over the last two years, because of Covid, they didn’t play any tournaments. And that’s why I think this tournament win is very special.”After the result, BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced an INR 40 lakh prize for every player in the winning squad and INR 25 lakh for every support-staff member. BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly also tweeted: “Absolutely breathtaking and tremendous skills under pressure.”

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

• Matt Henry to replace Trent Boult as New Zealand look to improve record against South Africa

• New Zealand home fixtures streamlined to mitigate Covid-19 risk

• Covid-19 puts Keegan Petersen out of SA's Test tour of NZ

• Simon Harmer returns to South Africa Test squad

“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.

“It’s the toughest call I’ve made as a cricketer,” the left hander said

AAP25-Feb-2022Usman Khawaja is leaving BBL franchise Sydney Thunder so he can be closer to his family in Brisbane next summer.Khawaja said seeking a release from his contract with the Thunder was the toughest decision of his cricket career. His wife Rachel is expecting their second child, due in April this year.The 35-year-old, who was contracted by the Thunder until the end of the next BBL season, said he wants to spend more time in the Queensland capital with his family next summer.”It’s the toughest call I’ve made as a cricketer because Sydney Thunder…mean so much to me,” Khawaja said in a statement on Friday. “However, it is for family reasons.”And while I’m leaving, people who know me realise a big part of my heart will always remain with Thunder. I don’t want people to think I’ve cut my ties…because I’ll always care about the club, the players, the entire organisation.”Khawaja’s statement didn’t specify if he wanted to continue his BBL career with the Brisbane Heat.Khawaja, an inaugural Sydney Thunder player, is the franchise’s leading run-scorer with 1818 runs at a strike rate of almost 130.Cricket NSW’s head of male cricket, Michael Klinger, said Thunder had tabled a long-term contract extension to Khawaja.”It’s disappointing … Sydney Thunder and Cricket NSW definitely wanted him to stay and we offered a highly competitive contract,” Klinger said in a statement. “However we appreciate Usman’s decision has been made for his family, and we respect and support that.”Khawaja returned to Australia’s Test team during the 4-0 Ashes series win against England and departs this weekend for a three-Test tour of Pakistan, the country of his birth.

A blow-by-blow account of Pat Cummins’ record-breaking fifty against Mumbai Indians in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2022ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Pat Cummins’ 14th over•Getty Images

Pat Cummins’ 15th over•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Assistant coach Estwick confirms that WI’s IPL players will fly to Netherlands once their franchises’ seasons have ended.

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2022Shimron Hetmyer has not made an international appearance since the T20 World Cup last year, but West Indies remain hopeful that he will make himself available for future tours.Hetmyer has missed all of West Indies’ bilateral series in the last six months, either because of personal reasons or on fitness grounds. He has returned to the IPL for the final stages of the season after leaving the tournament’s bubble to be present for the birth of his son, but made himself unavailable for their upcoming tours to the Netherlands and Pakistan in order to spend time with his family.Related

• No Holder, Evin Lewis or Hetmyer for West Indies' ODI tours of Netherlands and Pakistan

• West Indies coach Simmons: Hetmyer 'keeps letting down himself and his team-mates' with his fitness

“We got the email from Hetty saying that he is unavailable for selection because of the birth of his child,” Desmond Haynes, West Indies’ lead selector, said earlier this month when the squad for the upcoming tours was announced. “That is all the information we received so we acted that way; we had considered him for selection and the note stated he was unavailable.”Roddy Estwick, West Indies’ assistant coach, said on Friday that Hetmyer “will be missed” on the twin tours after his excellent IPL season for Rajasthan Royals. Before their game against Chennai Super Kings on Friday, he had scored 291 runs at a strike rate of 166.28, but Estwick said that the squad selected would have to cope without him.”If someone like Hetmyer’s not playing, you’re obviously going to miss his talent,” Estwick said. “He’s having an outstanding season for Rajasthan Royals. He’s doing very, very well. He’s playing well.”He will be missed, but at the end of the day, he’s not there. He’s asked not to be selected for this tour so we have to get on without him and we hope that he will make himself available for future tours.”Estwick also confirmed that West Indies’ IPL players would fly straight to the Netherlands once their respective franchises’ seasons have ended.Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd [both Sunrisers Hyderabad] will travel after the group stage, Kyle Mayers [Lucknow Super Giants] and Alzarri Joseph [Gujarat Titans] will both be involved in the playoffs, while Rovman Powell’s itinerary will depend on whether Delhi Capitals beat Mumbai Indians in their final group game on Saturday.”Our expectation is to win all three ODIs [in the Netherlands] but it’s not going to be easy,” Estwick said. “Remember, a lot of the players won’t have played in conditions like the ones we’ll encounter in the Netherlands.”It’s about how quickly we adjust to conditions. We’ve only got a couple of days’ practice before we go into the first ODI so it’s all about adjusting and getting used to the conditions and then executing plans as well as possible.”West Indies’ series in the Netherlands comprises three ODIs in Amstelveen on May 31, June 2 and 4, while the tour of Pakistan involves three ODIs in Rawalpindi on June 8, 10 and 12.

Pujara batted for both sides, while Jadeja and Iyer batted twice in the same innings

Sidharth Monga25-Jun-2022Day three of the Indians’ practice match against Leicestershire turned into an open net with Cheteshwar Pujara batting for both sides, and Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer getting two digs in the same innings. A lot of the bowling was done by India’s net bowlers Navdeep Saini, Kamlesh Nagarkoti and R Sai Kishore, but Jasprit Bumrah got in a spell each in each session and Virat Kohli, batting at No. 7, scored a breezy half-century. Scoring a fifty in his third innings of the match, Jadeja didn’t consider it important enough to merit his trademark sword-wielding celebration.There was still time perhaps for a grandstand finish or an outright result on day four as the Indians went to stumps leading by 366 runs. Like Jadeja and Iyer, Pujara might want a third innings himself; if Rishabh Pant decides to bat too – unlike Rohit Sharma, who decided one innings was enough for him – we might even get a low-key reprise of the final-day drama at Sydney and Brisbane early last year.Low-key is exactly what the third day was despite a biggish Saturday crowd at Grace Road. The first spells of bowling didn’t lack intensity, though. There was not a single loose delivery in the first half hour. Overnight batter Hanuma Vihari once again looked like he didn’t have a lot of scoring options before edging right-arm seamer Will Davis behind. Saini produced a testing spell in which he had KS Bharat on the hook before getting Jadeja out for the first time with an edge through to slip.Eventually, Kohli came out to bat, piquing the crowd interest both at the ground and on the livestream provided by Leicestershire. Bumrah vs Kohli sparkled, especially when Bumrah bowled short of a length outside off. Kohli doesn’t play the orthodox square cut, but he found a way with the flashy punch. One of them even went for a six over the short off-side boundary. Eventually, though, the shot proved to be his undoing with a catch at square gully.A rare event occurred when Cheteshwar Pujara was stumped off the bowling of Sai Kishore. Pujara has been out in this fashion in first-class cricket only three times. Sai Kishore managed the difficult task of beating Pujara in the air and then turning the ball past his edge.Jadeja and Iyer then saw through most of the rest of the day before a casual flick from Iyer gave Nagarkoti his second wicket, the first being that of the No. 6 Shardul Thakur.

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

• Pakistan Junior League: concerns remain, but Ramiz's vision is taking shape

• PCB to challenge IPL's proposed extended window at next ICC meet

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

• Down, Jess Kerr out of NZ's CWG squad

• Tahuhu hopes to put low phase behind

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.