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Left-arm quick Josh Little, who is currently with LA Knight Riders in the MLC, is a notable absentee from the Test squad

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2024Uncapped legspinner Gavin Hoey has received his maiden call-up to the Ireland squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which begins on July 25 in Belfast. He will bolster a spin attack that includes left-arm fingerspinner Matthew Humphreys and offspinner Andy McBrine.Theo van Woerkom and George Dockrell made way for Humphreys and Hoey who have just one Test cap between them. Seamer Matthew Foster, who was part of the Ireland squad that had toppled Afghanistan for their first Test win in March earlier this year, also didn’t find a place in this squad.Humphreys had a tough initiation into Test cricket, conceding 67 runs in ten overs on debut against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. His recent form, however, is more encouraging: he bagged 15 wickets in two first-class games for Ireland Emerging side against West Indies Academy at an average of 12.60, including two five-wicket hauls, last month.Related

• Ireland host rusty Zimbabwe at Test cricket's newest venue

• Madande, Bennett, Campbell get maiden Test call-ups for Zimbabwe

“Humphreys made his Test debut in Sri Lanka and found the going difficult against good players of spin out in the subcontinent,” Andrew White, the national selector, said in a statement. “He’d admit himself that he went through a period of a loss of form and maybe a loss of confidence, but he’s worked extremely hard to come back into the reckoning and his performances for Ireland Wolves have been exactly what we were looking for. Obviously in the West Indies last year for Emerging Ireland, then in Nepal, and has now backed it up in the recent series for the Emerging Ireland side against West Indies Academy, where he took 10 wickets. But it’s the consistency he has shown over the last period which has been really pleasing and he very much deserves his call-up.”White also talked up Hoey as an attacking option. “Hoey is a talented legspinner, and his ability to spin the ball both ways gives us a strong wicket-taking option,” he said. “Again, he’s a player that’s been on the radar for a while and can play across all three formats. But this is an opportunity for him to come into the Test squad and get used to the environment.”Left-arm quick Josh Little, who is currently with LA Knight Riders in the USA for the MLC, is a notable absentee from the Test squad. Little has prioritised white-ball cricket, including franchise opportunities, but is passionate about playing Test cricket in the future. While Little is now a regular in T20 leagues around the world, he is yet to make his Test debut.”I sort of blocked off this [next] two years as pretty busy franchise-wise, and then after that I’ll be putting an eye on Test cricket,” Little told . “It’s definitely something I want to do, something I’m passionate about doing. I can guarantee I will play Test cricket at some stage.”I love playing for Ireland, but equally franchise opportunities may not come around forever. It’s tough at times. Cricket Ireland have been nothing but accommodating. Sometimes it is a balancing act.”The one-off Test against Zimbabwe will be PJ Moor’s first international game against his country of birth. Moor had qualified to play for Ireland in October 2022 and was more recently part of the Ireland side, which earned their first Test win, in Abu Dhabi.

Ireland Test squad

Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig YoungIn: Gavin Hoey, Matthew Humphreys
Out: George Dockrell, Matthew Foster, Theo van Woerkom

Australia’s assistant coach said Labuschagne reached a level he had never seen before

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-202025:46

‘IPL is No. 1 when it comes to quality of cricket’

The rise of Marnus Labuschagne into the prolific Test No. 3 who dominated the Australian home summer even surprised some who had seen him close at hand.In five Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand, Labuschagne scored 896 runs at 112.00 with four centuries including a maiden double at the SCG. It followed his dramatic return to the Test side during the Ashes as Steven Smith’s concussion replacement at Lord’s and two matches later he was handed the No. 3 spot which he has now made his own.Andrew McDonald watched Labuschagne’s monumental season at close quarters having been appointed as Justin Langer’s assistant coach at the start of the summer. Though he had studied Labuschagne during his time as Victoria’s head coach, McDonald admitted the player who emerged was beyond what could have been imagined.”The real surprise for me, and it’s been pretty well documented, was Marnus. His growth into that Test No. 3 position was phenomenal and great to witness,” McDonald told ESPNcricinfo’s One-on-One series. “I’ve done a fair bit of coaching against him at the state level and had never seen the level he has been able to play at and long may it be the case.”Labuschagne also had his first taste of ODI cricket earlier this year when he made his debut in India on the tour where McDonald stood in for Langer as head coach. Across seven ODIs, Labuschagne is already averaging 50.83 with a strike rate of 94.42 and made a maiden century against South Africa in Potchefstroom.Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his double-hundred•Getty Images

“He was good in the 50-over game batting in the middle order, him and Steve Smith, he’s a very good player of spin,” McDonald said. “So going forward to a World Cup in 2023 think he’ll be a part of that one-day team with a view to being on the big stage in 2023 assuming all goes well. His ability to play spin, fast bowling, rotate [strike], he’s a good fielder, so there’s a handy package there. A good find for the selectors who persisted with him – no one saw that, so full credit to those who picked him.”Australia’s ODI form during the 2019-2020 season – mostly away from home with series in India and South Africa – was poor as they suffered five defeats in a row before returning to winning ways against New Zealand at an empty SCG, in what became the final match of the Australian season as the coronavirus pandemic shut sport down.However, their T20I cricket was much more impressive as they comfortably defeated Sri Lanka and Pakistan early in the home summer before clinching a 2-1 victory in South Africa. The notable tactical shift at the start of the season was to play five frontline bowlers with left-arm spinner Ashton Agar at No. 7, putting the onus on specialists rather than allrounders, before Mitchell Marsh was recalled for the series in South Africa.McDonald suggested a flexible approach will continue as Australia look to build their T20 side – although the T20 World Cup in October is now in doubt due to the pandemic – and that the return of Glenn Maxwell to the top order would further bolster the options.”We’ve seen Australia play five out and out bowlers – two spinners and three quicks – and finish their batting at No. 6 with Agar at No. 7. In that combination you have five strong bowling options, so your all-round option in the top six isn’t that critical. Whereas if you flip it around and want to lengthen your batting slightly then clearly your allrounder becomes pivotal.”We’ve seen Mitch Marsh come back into the fold, so he looks as though he has a little handle on that position at the moment and there are some other options in Australian cricket as well. Glenn Maxwell is missing as well so he could be classified as a spin allrounder.”

Women’s retainers are currently at 70 per cent of their male counterparts

AAP04-Apr-2023Cricket is in the box seat to become the first major Australian sport to achieve pay parity at a domestic level, after a landmark deal to significantly increase the earnings of female players.Women emerged as the biggest winners in cricket’s pay deal on Monday, with an extra AU$53 million in the player pool over the next five years and a pay rise of 66 percent.Those winnings will be felt most significantly at domestic level, where the average pay packet will sit at AU$151,000 for players with state and WBBL deals.The majority of dual-format female players will also earn six figures for the first time, with minimum state contracts set at around AU$60,000 and the lowest-paid WBBL player on close to AU$20,000.

How Australian women’s cricket is winning

• Top women’s CA contract holder with a WBBL deal now able to earn AU$800,000

• Next six contracts potential to earn on average AU$500,000

• Minimum and average CA women’s contract increases 25%

• Number of contracts rises from 15 to 18

• Average domestic earnings for a player with WNCL and WBBL contract now AU$151,019

• WBBL salary cap doubles to AU$732,000

• Top WBBL player can earn AU$133,000; average retainer doubles to $54,200

• Two additional state (and ACT) contracts per team

Match payments have also been brought in line with men’s, with a touch over AU$2000 paid per day played, topping up the salaries to the biggest in women’s sport.The figures leave women’s retainers in state contracts at 70 per cent of their male counterparts, with genuine belief parity can be reached in future deals.”We’re on a journey,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said. “We have seen an overall 26 percent increase in player pay, but a 66 percent increase in payments to our female players.”We are on a path, we are not there yet. But we have taken a major step forward in closing the gap.”Both CA and the players’ union will put a focus on trying to further commercialise the game, with a doubling of the WBBL salary cap to AU$732,000 aimed at keeping the best overseas talent.”If we unlock commercialisation, that’s the key,” former Australian star Rachael Haynes said. “If we do that, I think we will get parity.”Enabling players more time to invest in themselves and their game, naturally that will help them get better.”Officials are also predicting multiple female players could crack the AU$1 million mark, when combining their national salaries, WBBL deals and overseas contracts.While national contracts are well below their male counterparts, the top-earning female will now earn AU$800,000 combined from their Australian and WBBL deals, while the next six will average AU$500,000.”I think we’ll have a few of millionaires in the next few years,” Australian Cricketers Association CEO Todd Greenberg said. “And so they should because they’re the best in the world at what they do.”

Suryakumar Yadav had a poor tournament with the bat, scoring just 72 runs in seven innings, but he wasn’t fussed about it

Shashank Kishore29-Sep-20252:03

Chopra: Tilak understood the need of the hour

It was well past midnight on Monday in Dubai when Suryakumar Yadav walked into the press conference room. It had been a night mired in chaos and confusion. Who would present India the Asia Cup trophy? Would India accept it if it came from ACC chairman Mohsin Naqvi? Would Pakistan even turn up for their press conference, amid rumours that their team bus had already left? We got the answers by and by.Suryakumar had endured a poor tournament, and the non-cricketing issues may or may not have taken a toll on his form.There was the unbeaten 47 in India’s second game of the tournament, against Pakistan, but he had scores of 0, 5, 12 and 1 to end the Asia Cup with. On Sunday, his dismissal attempting to loft Shaheen Shah Afridi on the up left India precariously placed at 10 for 2 in their chase of 147.Related

• Tilak seals thriller to give India ninth Asia Cup title

• India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

• The night Tilak and Dube went from promise to performance

“I feel I am not out of form, I feel I am out of runs,” Suryakumar said. “I believe more in what I am doing in the nets and my preparation. So in matches, things are on autopilot.”His record as captain, though, has been impeccable. Since becoming full-time T20I captain, he has racked up series wins over Sri Lanka, South Africa and England and now at the Asia Cup, where India won seven games in a row to win their ninth title.Having answered the question on his form, Suryakumar directed the mic jovially the other way, egging journalists on to direct some of the questions towards Abhishek Sharma, the Player of the Tournament who sat alongside him. “I’ve felt personally that when you are not scoring runs, it is difficult to take the team along. But Surya is the same irrespective of whether he has scored runs or not,” Abhishek said, throwing his weight behind his captain.Suryakumar had to contend with more than just cricket at the Asia Cup. It began with a handshake with Asian Cricket Council and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the captains’ press conference – a routine gesture that quickly turned contentious and set the tone for what followed.Days later, at the toss on September 14, Suryakumar’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan captain Salman Agha added fresh spark to the issue. Next came a series of gestures and confrontations from both sides, eventually forcing the match referee to step in for disciplinary hearings.”I feel it was not that difficult [to deal with],” Suryakumar said. “The boys took it in their stride. Since day one, I was just telling them to focus on cricket and enjoy the game. The boys took it in a positive way. We were very focused in every game.”Suryakumar stressed that despite everything that went on, there was a bigger sense of satisfaction around where India were at in the runway to the T20 World Cup early next year, where they are defending champions.Suryakumar Yadav pretends to carry a trophy he refused to receive•AFP/Getty Images

“What we wanted to achieve in this tournament, we have achieved,” he said. “There are a lot of things which you don’t get to achieve in a bilateral tournament. This was like a knockout tournament.”As soon as we entered the Super Four, I told the boys that let’s approach it like a quarter-final, semi-final and final. So we played a semi-final type of game against Sri Lanka, and then it was a perfect final. There are nerves, responsibility and pressure, and it was a perfect final.”When asked about half-centurion and Player of the Match Tilak Varma, the only name barely touched upon in an unusually long press conference, Suryakumar chose to throw the spotlight on the entire team.”I wouldn’t want to point out one player,” he said. “From the first game to the final, a lot of players came in and stepped up at crucial moments. Tilak played an unbelievable knock in the final. We’ve seen him do that before. Kuldeep [Yadav] and Varun [Chakravarthy] came back with the ball. This is just not about the final. Throughout the journey in the tournament, we’ve stepped up and seized small moments. This was a collective effort.”

Legspinner admits it would be ‘a bit unfair’ for him to be included ahead of squad announcement on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2020Adil Rashid has appeared to rule himself out of England’s Test tour to Sri Lanka, suggesting that it would be “a bit unfair” to declare himself available for selection without earning his place in county cricket.Rashid was a key member of England’s side that won 3-0 on their last trip to Sri Lanka, taking 12 wickets at 28.16 as part of a spin trio with Jack Leach and Moeen Ali, but, following Sunday’s ODI in Johannesburg, told Sky Sports that he would “probably not” consider declaring himself available for their upcoming tour if asked.ALSO READ: Archer not ‘overbowled’ by England, says Root“That’s a long way off,” Rashid said. “At this moment in time, I’m concentrating on playing for England in T20 cricket coming up in a couple of days.”I don’t think I would [make myself available] at this moment in time. For me to get into Test cricket, I’ve got to earn that right and deserve my place. For me to get Test cricket, I’ve got to go back into county cricket, perform, do well, and then get selected.”It’s a bit unfair for me to just say ‘yeah, I’m available’. At this moment in time, I’m really concentrating on white-ball cricket. Maybe in the future [I’ll return to Test cricket].”It is over a year since Rashid’s last first-class appearance, which came in England’s 381-run defeat against West Indies in Barbados, and he is yet to sign a new contract with Yorkshire ahead of next season.His comments seem to jar with the circumstances surrounding his recall to the Test side in 2018, when he was recalled despite not having played a County Championship game since the end of the previous summer.But he has had to manage a persistent shoulder problem since the start of last summer: he had to take pain-killing injections to get through the World Cup, and missed the rest of the 2019 season following the final of that tournament in July.It now appears highly unlikely that Rashid will be named in England’s squad for their tour of Sri Lanka, which is expected to be named on Monday morning. Jack Leach is expected to be fit enough to travel alongside Somerset team-mate Dom Bess, while reports suggest that Moeen’s self-imposed absence from Test cricket is set to continue, meaning Liam Dawson is likely to be included as the third spinner.Rashid took 3 for 52 in Johannesburg on Sunday, including the crucial wickets of Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma, and was named player of the match for his efforts. He bowled at a quicker pace during his ten overs than he had in November’s T20I series in New Zealand, and revealed afterwards that his speed through the air was the result of hard work pushing himself to get back towards full fitness.”It’s nice to get back in this circle,” he said. “I love playing white-ball cricket, especially with England, so it’s nice to get out there and bowl some overs.”Once you have that shoulder injury, that niggle, then you feel it, especially as a legspinner – you might struggle to get that extra zip, extra pace. It’s [been] frustrating, but you’ve got to make do with it, you’ve got to find a way.”[Speed] is something I’ve been working on, especially with the shoulder, trying to get stronger and better. I’ve been trying to bowl a bit quicker, bit more in the run-up, in the action, trying to get more fizz. My mindset is pretty simple: go in the nets, work hard in the nets, try my best in the nets, and then try to deliver.”

Seventeen-year-old local batter Jewel Andrew also on Falcons’ books as initial squad of 12 named ahead of player draft in July

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2024The Pakistan trio of Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim and Fakhar Zaman will turn out for new franchise Antigua & Barbuda Falcons at CPL 2024. Falcons have also signed Australia offspinner Chris Green and Afghanistan allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai for their debut season.West Indies’ Brandon King and Fabian Allen were also signed, along with 17-year-old batter Jewel Andrew, who played the Under-19 World Cup for West Indies earlier this year.In all, Falcons have signed 12 players so far, which means they will need to sign five more players at the draft in July to round-out their squad.Related

• CPL 2024 FAQs: New team, new players, new intrigues

• CPL 2024 draft: St Lucia Kings sign USA star Aaron Jones as teams finalise squads

• Antigua & Barbuda Falcons unveiled as new CPL franchise

• Trinbago Knight Riders sign Tim David and Jason Roy for CPL 2024

• Royals bring back Theekshana, Patriots sign Hasaranga and Stubbs for CPL 2024

Other big signings for CPL 2024 so far have included Tim David and Jason Roy (Trinbago Knight Riders), Heinrich Klaasen (St Lucia Kings), and Wanindu Hasaranga and Tristan Stubbs (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots).Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, the new franchise, replaces Jamaica Tallawahs at the CPL. Antigua had previously hosted a CPL franchise named Antigua Hawksbills in the first two CPL seasons, but that was replaced by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2015.The 2024 edition of the CPL will take place from August 28 to October 6 with games taking place in Antigua for the first time in ten years. Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago are the other venues. The National Stadium in Providence, Guyana, will host the final.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons squad list

Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Amir, Chris Green, Hayden Walsh Jr, Shamar Springer, Kelvin Pitman, Jewel Andrew, Joshua James

Abid Ali and Azhar Ali again fail to make most of opportunities for time in the middle

ECB Reporters Network26-Jul-2020Pakistan’s frontline pace attack impressed on the third day of the final scheduled intra-squad match at the Incora County Ground in Derby. Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah each took three wickets while Mohammad Abbas bowled throughout the morning and conceded only 20 runs.It was encouraging for the tourists, 10 days out from the first Test against England, although question marks over the batting remain with Abid Ali and captain Azhar Ali failing for a second time in the match. Fawad Alam top scored with 43 for Team White who led by 85 after being bowled out for 198. At the close, Team Green were 133 for 3, 48 in front.After losing all but seven overs of day two, it was a relief for the tourists to see patches of blue sky over the ground when play began on time with Abbas embarking on an unbroken spell of 12 overs. The former Leicestershire fast bowler gave an object lesson in control with his relentless accuracy contributing to the success of Naseem and Afridi.His one wicket came when Alam, who is a candidate for next week’s opening Test, was beaten by a full-length swinging delivery that plucked out middle stump.Abbas was certainly the pick of the attack with Naseem and Afridi both struggling with their line at times although they were better after lunch when the innings quickly folded.Naseem got through the defences of Kashif Bhatti and Usman Shinwari who were both undone by swing while late away movement found the edge of Sohail Khan’s bat. Imran Khan clipped Afridi to short midwicket leaving Imam-ul-Haq, who retired hurt when he was hit on the left hand on day one, unbeaten on 41 from 140 balls which could make a case for his inclusion at Manchester.Certainly openers Abid Ali and Shan Masood have looked far from convincing in this game with both missing out on a big score to cement their place following first-innings failures.Abid, who made one on the first day, faced 42 balls for 16 but in the last over before tea, fell across the crease and was lbw to Faheem Ashraf. Masood was badly dropped at second slip off Sohail on 28, one of a number of catches that have gone down in the cordon in this game, but was bowled by Imran, one away from a half century.That brought together the tourists’ best two batsmen who had both made runs in last week’s warm-up match with Azhar scoring a century and Babar Azam 58. But they had made only 38 between them in this game so it was important they spent time in the middle and both applied themselves after tea.They added 55 in 22 overs with few problems and were close to seeing out the day until Azhar played only half forward to Sohail and was lbw for 28 from 91 balls.At stumps, Azam was unbeaten on 25 and will look to make a significant score on the last day although the forecast is for more rain in Derby on Monday.

Nepal were bowled out for just 104 in 23.4 overs in the opening match of the Asia Cup

Hemant Brar30-Aug-20231:32

Mumtaz: Babar’s batting has matured since he became captain

Babar Azam put up a masterclass in ODI batting, scoring 151 off 131 balls, to help Pakistan thump Nepal by 238 runs in the opening match of the 2023 Asia Cup.On a tricky pitch in Multan, Nepal had made early breakthroughs to leave Pakistan in a precarious position. Babar consolidated the innings during that period, taking 72 balls to reach his fifty. Gradually, he increased the tempo and moved from 51 to 100 in 37 balls. Once he reached his hundred, he went into the T20 mode and smashed 51 off the next 22 balls.Suryakumar Yadav recently said that ODIs are challenging because you have to bat like all three formats. On Wednesday, Babar showed how to do it.Babar and Iftikhar Ahmed, who smashed an unbeaten 109 off 71, added 214 off 131 balls in a fifth-wicket stand that lifted Pakistan to 342 for 6. Babar didn’t come out to field and Shadab Khan captained the side during the chase. It made little difference, as Nepal were bowled out for just 104 in 23.4 overs.Nepal were making their Asia Cup debut, and playing against Pakistan for the first time in any format. That inexperience, and probably the nerves, showed on several occasions. In the first over of the match, Sompal Kami drifted down the leg side a couple of times, and Fakhar Zaman helped himself to two boundaries.However, the slowness of the pitch and some good fielding came to Nepal’s rescue. With the ball not coming onto the bat, both Fakhar and Imam-ul-Haq struggled for timing. When Fakhar threw his bat at a length ball from Karan and got a thick outside edge, wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh stretched to his left to grab it with both hands. In the next over, Rohit Paudel nailed a direct hit from mid-off to find Imam short.With Pakistan 25 for 2, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan started rebuilding the innings. Playing risk-free cricket and still picking up a boundary here and there, they took the side to 100 in the 22nd over.But then Nepal struck back, once again via their fielding. This time Dipendra Singh Airee, from cover, hit the stumps at the bowler’s end to find Rizwan’s bat and both feet in the air as the batter tried to avoid getting hit by the throw. Had Rizwan run normally and grounded his bat, he would have been safe. He made 44 off 50 balls.Agha Salman attempted a sweep from well outside off and a reverse sweep in the first three balls he faced; neither shot fetched him any runs. Three overs later, he tried another reverse sweep, off Sandeep Lamichhane, but failed to keep it down and was caught at short third.At 124 for 4, Pakistan were in trouble but Babar was unperturbed. Against spin, he used the cut shot well to rotate the strike, and reached his fifty in 72 balls.1:44

How Iftikhar Ahmed changed the tempo for Pakistan

While Nepal fielded like the World XI at certain times, they looked like Ilford Second XI at others. Having dropped Imam on 5 earlier, they put down Babar on 55, not to mention several other causal efforts resulting in misfields.Babar made them pay. He started finding the boundary with increasing frequency and got to his hundred in 109 balls. Fittingly, it was another cut shot against spin that took him to the milestone.After that, he really opened up. In the 45th over, he hit Kami for 4, 4 and 6 off successive balls before smashing back-to-back sixes off Lamichhane.From the other end, Iftikhar was even more brutal. In fact, it was his knock that allowed Babar to shift the gears gradually.Iftikhar attacked right from the moment he came to the crease. He hit the first six of the innings when he launched Kami over deep midwicket in the 35th over. It took him just 67 balls to bring up his maiden ODI hundred against a helpless Nepal attack. In all, Iftikhar hit 11 fours and four sixes as Pakistan ransacked 129 in the last ten overs.Shaheen Shah Afridi then picked up two wickets in the first over of the chase. He first strangled Kushal Bhurtel down the leg side before trapping Paudel lbw for a first-ball duck. In the next over, Naseem Shah had Aasif caught at first slip to make it 14 for 3.Aarif Sheikh and Kami gave the innings some semblance of stability by adding 59 off 78 balls but the pair didn’t last long against Haris Rauf’s pace. He first cleaned up Aarif and then had Kami caught behind. The only resistance Pakistan’s fast bowlers faced was from the muggy weather: both Shaheen and Haris had to leave the field for a breather after their first spells.Nepal’s lower order was no match for Shadab’s variations. Mixing his legbreaks and googlies, he picked up the last four wickets to finish with figures of 4 for 27.

Netherlands’ total swept aside by unbroken stand worth 163 in 20.1 overs with Jos Buttler

Matt Roller22-Jun-2022England blazed down a target of 245 in 30.1 overs to seal a 3-0 clean sweep against Netherlands in Amstelveen and go top of the World Cup Super League in the process.Jason Roy and Jos Buttler put on an unbroken 163 for the third wicket in just 20.1 overs, with Roy reaching an 86-ball hundred – his first ODI century since the 2019 World Cup – off the final ball of the 30th over, driving Bas de Leede through mid-off for four; Buttler crunched the next ball, off Tim Pringle, over the media tent for six to seal the win.Netherlands were well-placed at 203 for 3 with a ball left in the 40th over after being asked to bat first by Buttler, deputising for the injured Eoin Morgan, but lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs and were bowled out with four deliveries unused.David Willey was the pick of the England attack with 4 for 36, returning to mop up the lower order after dismissing Vikramjit Singh for the third time in the series, and Netherlands were clearly some way short of par on a fresh, dry pitch on another beautiful day in Amsterdam’s suburbs.Scott Edwards, who has replaced the retired Pieter Seelaar as Netherlands’ captain, made his third half-century of the series while de Leede and Max O’Dowd also reached 50, but none could press on and convert their starts into something substantial.Roy was dropped twice, on 51 by Edwards off Aryan Dutt and inexplicably on 75 when Fred Klaassen, playing his first game of the series after county commitments with Kent, induced a leading edge with a slower ball but put down a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance.Paul van Meekeren, who had recovered from an ankle injury he suffered while playing for Gloucestershire, struck twice at the end of the powerplay after England had set off at a relentless pace: Phil Salt was bowled by a nip-backer for 49 off 30 balls, and Dawid Malan set up on off stump only to be bowled around his legs without scoring.But Roy and Buttler – bizarrely, batting together in an ODI for only the third time – continued to attack and flogged each of the six bowlers that the Netherlands used. Buttler took 26 from a van Meekeren over, including a merciless slog over square leg as a back-of-the-hand slower ball went wrong, but there was still time for Roy to complete his hundred.Buttler was again promoted to No. 4, a role which he seems increasingly likely to fill in the 2023 World Cup as England look to make the most of his talent, and shuffled his bowlers well in Morgan’s absence, confirming his status as the out-of-form captain’s heir apparent.After Willey had removed Singh, plinking a pull to short midwicket, David Payne, making his England debut at the age of 31, was unfortunate not to pick up an early wicket as he found some nip off the seam with the new ball. With the final ball of his third over, he induced a top-edged pull from Tom Cooper, but Liam Livingstone lost the ball in the sun and pulled out of the catch, letting it drop a few metres away from his feet.David Willey finished with 4 for 36•Getty Images

After a sedate start, the Netherlands upped the tempo to reach 47 for 1 at the end of the powerplay with Cooper, who looked increasingly fluent as his comeback series has worn on, stroking Willey for three boundaries in an over.Brydon Carse, auditioning for the Liam Plunkett role as England’s enforcer, was thrown the ball in the middle overs and stuck to his guns, continuing to bang the ball in despite being pulled for four twice in his second over. He had Cooper caught at deep backward square leg on the hook, Livingstone managing to pick the ball up through the sun thanks to a flatter trajectory.Buttler turned to spin after drinks and it was Livingstone who removed the set O’Dowd for exactly 50, the ball after he had brought up a 68-ball half-century. O’Dowd’s fifty was his second of the series and his fourth in his last five ODI innings, but he had to drag himself off after a thin edge behind while looking to rotate the strike.Edwards and de Leede had to rebuild after the loss of two set batters and the Netherlands went more than 10 overs without a boundary in the middle overs, though both batters rotated well. Edwards was dropped at fine leg by Dawid Malan when top-edging a pull off Carse, shortly after de Leede – the coming man of Dutch cricket – had brought up his maiden ODI half-century.He fell soon after, top-edging a pull off Carse to Adil Rashid who ran round from midwicket to square leg, and as the Netherlands looked for a grandstand finish, their innings unravelled: Teja Nidamanuru was sharply stumped by Buttler off Rashid, Logan van Beek chipped Willey to mid-off, and Pringle was run out after a mix-up with Edwards. Willey also removed Dutt and van Meekeren to finish the job, with Payne picking up his maiden ODI wicket when Edwards failed to pick his slower ball and miscued to mid-on.

Both teams are coming off wins, but might have to tweak their XIs to accommodate the star players

Shashank Kishore26-Sep-20206:58

Should it be Buttler in place of Miller or Tom Curran?

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The Kings XI Punjab recovered superbly – a 97-run win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore – after their Super Over heartbreak against the Delhi Capitals. Now they move to Sharjah, the smallest of the three venues, to take on the Rajasthan Royals, who made 216 at that venue earlier this week for a 16-run win over the Chennai Super Kings. We could be in for another high-scoring game on Sunday.The Kings XI have so far held back Chris Gayle. Is there a case for them to unleash him in this game? No ground is too big for him, but in Sharjah, where even mis-hits carry over the rope, Gayle will be a big threat even though he isn’t the force he once was. The Kings XI management is happy with his form in the nets, but bringing him could mean altering their balance because both KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the regular openers, have done exceedingly well in the first two games. Yet, it is a good selection headache to have. Nicholas Pooran may have to miss out in case Gayle comes in.The Royals will be boosted by the return of Jos Buttler, but there is a possibility he’ll bat in the middle order. Steven Smith played anchor from the top of the innings in the first game, and might want to continue doing that alongside rookie Yashasvi Jaiswal. With Sanju Samson likely to play one-drop, Buttler could slot in at No. 4 to give the middle order some solidity, with Robin Uthappa and Riyan Parag to follow. David Miller, who was run-out without facing a ball on his debut for the Royals last week, could be the unfortunate one to miss out.Having competed hard and won a high-scoring game at this venue should give the Royals a slight edge in this contest, but on their day, Kings XI can topple any side like they showed two nights ago against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Whatever happens, expect another 200 vs 200 contest.

In the news

• Buttler is available for selection after completing his extended quarantine. That means the Royals may have to decide between David Miller and Tom Curran for one overseas spot.
• The Kings XI have no injury concerns. Everyone is fit and available for selection.

Likely XIs

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Steven Smith (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Robin Uthappa, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Shreyas Gopal, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Rahul Tewatia, 11 Jaydev UnadkatKings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Jimmy Neesham/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 M Ashwin

Strategy punt

• The Kings XI have an opportunity to surprise the Royals by fielding Gayle. Apart from the dimensions of the ground, the Royals have two legspinners – Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Tewatia – and Jaydev Unadkat, the left-arm pacer. Gayle strikes at over 200 against bowlers with these skillsets since IPL 2018. This will also give more heft to an in-form Kings XI line-up.
• Jimmy Neesham didn’t bat, and bowled just two overs in the previous game, and if the top three fire, it’s unlikely he’ll get too many opportunities. While leaving him out may seem a tad harsh, strategy could dictate the inclusion of Mujeeb Ur Rahman in his place.

Stats that matter

• Samson is two hits away from 100 sixes in the IPL, and Maxwell is nine away from the landmark.
• Buttler needs 97 more to get to 6000 T20 runs.
• Archer’s IPL best of 3 for 15 came against the Kings XI in IPL 2019.
• Kings XI’s opening pair has averaged 50.8, the best among all teams, since IPL 2019.

ALSO SEE: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals live score 27 September 2020