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Rahkeem Cornwall makes it to West Indies Test squad
He is an all-rounder from the islands of Antigua and is perhaps the heaviest cricketer ever. He stands at a towering height of 6’6” and weighs around 140 kg.

Cornwall made his first-class debut in 2014 and has since become a regular for Leewards Islands, even captaining them earlier this year. He has 260 wickets from 55 first-class matches and finished as the leading bowler in the most recent regional four-day tournament.

Australians putting a very rusty looking India to the sword this afternoon...302/3 after 43 overs.

Finch after a slow start made an excellent hundred. Warner partnered him in his usual aggressive style and although Smith started off as scratchily as an old hen he has seemed inspired since overturning an lbw verdict by a millimetre and then being missed from a dolly in the deep : he's now rattling along at more than two per ball and is surely heading now for a rapid hundred of his own. Maxwell in now and battering them too so this is going to be big...fifteen more off the 44 th !

Has to be said India have been well off the pace. Shami has bowled pretty well and Jadeja was most unlucky (fielding has been pretty awful with a couple of exceptions) but the others have been poor. Bumrah will want to forget today I think...has been all over the place.

Suppose Kohli could yet make a fool of me by chasing down 400 tonight but I'm going to stick my neck out and say the home team are looking good for one-nil to start the season...

Maxwell out now (Jadeja doesn't drop catches) so 328/4 with five overs left. No relief for India to see Labuschagne coming in

Hi alfie, hope you're faring well.

Yes, a slowish start but they gradually have built up some momentum and now a bit of a batting show against some ordinary bowling.

Great to see a real crowd back again. It feels like summer has begun! Cricket... and a heatwave over the weekend... 40 degrees on both days here. Sunday will be brutal for whoever is unfortunate enough to be in the field during the day.

A hundred off 62 balls for Smith

Gone now but he's done the business for his team...remarkable onslaught after an "ugly" first thirty. Dhawan owes his team a big score for missing that chance !

374/6 . Thought at one time they might have got even more but Shami finished well...clearly the pick of the bowlers.

A very good score. Some of those fielding mishaps tough... almost comical! Cost a few runs there.

Pal Joey wrote:Hi alfie, hope you're faring well.

Yes, a slowish start but they gradually have built up some momentum and now a bit of a batting show against some ordinary bowling.

Great to see a real crowd back again. It feels like summer has begun! Cricket... and a heatwave over the weekend... 40 degrees on both days here. Sunday will be brutal for whoever is unfortunate enough to be in the field during the day.

Yeah going well down here , thanks , PJ...you ?

Not quite as hot here but over thirty today. That will be warm enough for me tomorrow thanks...we have got back out there in the club game the last couple of weeks so it really does feel like summer. Even playing just 35 over innings I prefer to see the Mercury stay under 40 Must be getting old...

I'm well thanks, alfie.

Yes, you'll need to be careful on those hot days... look after yourself during those club games.
I'm heading up to Narrabri for work next week... they're predicting 43. Dreading it... even with air-con in the car and motels. Saps you...

Cricket!
Crowds!

Huzzah. Hope you're enjoying fellas, albeit India off to a blistering start here

That first Starc over, Olly... or maybe 500 is a par score?

First wicket down. They'll need to stem the flow. India is more than capable of going for 375.

12 extras from 11 overs keeping India in the chase, despite the 3 wickets they are well ahead of the rate. Aus still have the weaker bowlers to get through at some point.

Came back on just in time to snare Dhawan

Zampa will be relieved as he's taken some tap. That makes it tough for India ...they have a bit of a tail. Have to say they've made a brave charge but another 149 at nine per over with five down looks a very tall order...

Yeah wouldve taken a Maxwell to get them out of the hole they were in from the early wickets and mid over slow down. In the end a massive win for Aus.

Zampa very happy with 4 wickets at 5.4 an over, and Stonis who should've been targeted restricting to 4 an over. On paper Aus have some weak links, but they seem to be performing. Smith coming back to from is pretty ominous for the world.

So almost a repeat performance from the other night with Australia winning the toss and batting first. 389/4 on the board.
Another masterclass from Smith scoring 104 runs off 64. India's bowling about the same as last time and the fielding still could be better.

Very hot today - a tick over 40 degrees in the field this afternoon but the cool change has arrived and it's down to a pleasant 25 now.

Well match two is going even more monstrously Australia's way...

Smith another blistering hundred off just 62 balls...by the end of his innings he seemed to be amusing himself hitting balls wherever he fancied , so in command of the hapless bowlers. Still annoyed when he got out though  

Warner , Finch , Labuschagne and Maxwell all helping themselves too and they're going to fall just a little short of 400.  In fact it ends at 389/4.  Should be plenty

But India really look to have lost the plot...fielding pretty dodgy again , Bumrah going round the park (1/79) - not what they need from their top-ranked bowler. But all the bowlers were hammered to be fair.

Will be astounded if India get anywhere near this.

Looks like Warner has torn his groin. Eeeeyow!

Pal Joey wrote:Looks like Warner has torn his groin. Eeeeyow!

Couldnt wish it on a nicer guy.

What a catch from Smith. Needed that.

Kohli looks on course for a big innings.

Starc having a proper off day here

Henriques doing OK today. Super catch to dismiss Kohli.

See Aus are taking a bit of a mauling today. Bit of an experimental side it seems, no out and out paceman picked and 3 spinners.

Cameron Green first international cap ..maybe the wrong format for him but first class batting average a shade under 50 and bowling average 22 suggests he has something about him!

Maybe spoke too soon on the mauling ...another MAxwell special put them right back in it. Hes just out but left them need 35 from 34 with 3 wickets left. probably too much but a chance from what looked like a real kicking earlier

Australia really need to sort out that tail, as soon as you get them 7 down you know the end is nigh.

Soul Requiem wrote:Australia really need to sort out that tail, as soon as you get them 7 down you know the end is nigh.

They had a bit more low order batting than usual, and Maxwell is ridiculous for a 7. Their middle order is an absolute lettuce, Henriques Green and Carey should not be batting above Maxwell. Youre also looking at a side with three pat time bowlers to avoid that long tail, and arguably Agars inclusion was down to him being able to hold a bat. Stoinis might be considered a first choice but still fits into that halfway house mid order fudge player bracket.

Normal service they'd have Starc/Cummins playing and the side would look a bit tougher. Ultimately though the top 6 should be getting enough and feel confident enough that they dont need Maxwell to bat 20 overs with the tail.

India facing similar issues. Its hard for any side to have much batting 8 down without compromising their bowling. They also used a new kid mid pace bowler in this match, and had an even weaker tail. Their innings was also bailed out by the players who are supposed to be finsihers (6/7) batting for 20 overs. Aus were one wicket off a probable win. Even without picking their best bowlers their number 8 averages in the teens and has never had a white ball 50 domestically or internationally. Same problems they had at the world cup, their top order bat conservatively for fear of losing their wickets and exposing the lower order.

Both teams messing about with the line ups currently, do feel Aus despite this loss are closer to knowing their best set up than India are.

West Indies vs NZ in Hamilton started overnight, and from the first half hour I saw before I fell asleep, it looked another NZ pancake pitch. WI drawn in by how green it was, but from ball one it was clear it was flat, tennis ball bounce, and not really much seam movement which meant no movement, as it was a lovely clear day.
And as such, NZ have cashed in, 243-2 at the close of play on day one when inserted to bat is about as good as you can do.

NZ have no spinner, and WI do have a long tail with Holder down to come in at 8, so every chance they can eek out a draw still.
Not a huge wonder the ground was only 10-15% full if NZ is going to continue to produce pitches for tests like this

Have to agree with Olly there...good day for NZ but from the bit I watched , all rather sleep-inducing.
At least it is a contrast to the white ball frenzy we've been seeing lately - if not much more fun for the poor old bowlers...

I was also seduced by the green pitch and the damp conditions, and at odds of 5/1 I went for 'no batsman to score a century in the entire match'...oh dear.

If the West Indies can bat competently (can they ever do that?) they can come away with a draw, especially with rain forecast for the fifth day.

Williamson shows no sign of stopping...up to 230 now and NZ at 470/6...WI going to be chasing a lot : but unless they have a total first innings meltdown a draw should not be beyond them on this.

However the pitch might have quickened up a bit and NZ bowlers might use it a little better so nothing guaranteed. Expect some quick scoring after tea...

251 for Williamson, NZ make the sort of deceleration people on here like at 519-7 despite the score rocking along with Southee giving them a good bowl at the West Indies to end the day. Unexpectedly solid start from them, 49-0 at stumps at les than 2 an over. Suggests theres really nothing much in the pitch and all you have to do is not gift wickets.

Element of the same issue West Indies faced in England, and maybe to some extent England did too when putting west indies in in the first test, hey dont trust their batmsen to make big totals on anything so have to gamble on their quicks. If damage isnt done with the new ball they are pretty screwed.

Kraig Braithwaite making a double century in the warm up shouldve been fair warning to them. Packing the side with all rounders wont help their batting enough to offset this.

3 west indies seamers with 30 plus overs bowled, don't fancy their chances much to get at New Zealand second innings. And it wont stand them in good stead for the rest of the series. They dont have the squad depth to rotate them out as we saw in England, and dont have a spinner they trust to bowl bulk overs. Holders bowled over 30 overs 4 times in his career, 3 of them this year and once last year shows hes not shirking responsibility but it cant be good for him long term. Roach has bowled 30 plus in an innings 3 times in the last year and bit, never previously in his career. The quicks are regularly bowling 20 plus in an innings. Hearts of Lions but its just as well they don't play that many tests, or at least stop electing to bowl first. You wouldnt catch England doing this to Archer

Brutal innings from Williamson. A fine exhibition of test match batting, with no one else making a century. The West Indies should be confident, however, of saving the game, especially after the decent start they made. If they can bat through day three and avoid the follow-on in the process, a draw would surely be nailed on.

Sounds like a controversial T20 between India/Australia. Jadeja hit 44 off 23 and was then hit on the helmet in the last over. He didn't retire hurt, but he was replaced at the interval, under the concussion rule, by bowler Chahal, who subsequently took 3/25 in the Australia innings. Though this is entirely within the rules, the Aussies seemed to be a little upset by it.

Ah the West Indies collapse

Twice....

606ers no doubt happy to see NZ enforce the follow on

Duty281 wrote:Brutal innings from Williamson. A fine exhibition of test match batting, with no one else making a century. The West Indies should be confident, however, of saving the game, especially after the decent start they made. If they can bat through day three and avoid the follow-on in the process, a draw would surely be nailed on.

Sounds like a controversial T20 between India/Australia. Jadeja hit 44 off 23 and was then hit on the helmet in the last over. He didn't retire hurt, but he was replaced at the interval, under the concussion rule, by bowler Chahal, who subsequently took 3/25 in the Australia innings. Though this is entirely within the rules, the Aussies seemed to be a little upset by it.

Yeah no suggestion the rules were broken, its just that India didnt select Chahal because he cant bat for toffee but is the better bowler in this format. India benefitted from the rules which just say you have to replace a batsman with a batsman and a bowler with a bowler not accounting for all rounders. Which realistically it cant. Its always been a known issue that was accepted.

The underlying suggestion is that India might have chosen to use the concussion rule to replace him, rather than him genuinely needing to be replaced or that he batted on when he shouldn't have done. On the surface him batting on then failing a protocol might look a bit dodgy but it is quite possible, and part of the concussion protocol is continued minor symptons. Might say more about the Australian mindset and way they've traditionally conducted themselves.

ICC need to stay aware of this kind of situation, it could well raise its head in the coming world cups.

I don't think there is any question that Jadeja needed replacing (otherwise they would hardly have bothered making a change. He is a perfectly effective bowler , even if somewhat different in style from Chahal)
The thing is , he had damaged a hamstring and was apparently unlikely to have been able to take the field...so it was perhaps rather convenient that he'd also taken a blow to the helmet in the last over (although it didn't stop him finishing the innings with a couple of boundaries)

Now it is of course perfectly likely , as Goose says , that he was concussed - and in fact he's been withdrawn from the rest of the
series now ; but the coincidence of two separate injuries was always going to raise some suspicions.

I don't like the concussion sub rule for just that reason. Even if teams don't exploit it , opponents are likely to sometimes suspect they've been had. Concussion victims should of course be withdrawn from a match. But like all other injuries the limit of redress should be replacement by a substitute fielder. Bad luck for the team yes ; but no more so than losing your opening bowler to a side strain early in the first innings of a match... Both cases are fairly rare.

I'd suggest it's as dodgy as it looks personally, an independent assessment needs to be done.

Australia look to be on for a big total in the second game... 127/3 after fourteen.
Good knock from Wade...and Smith is motoring now.

So many players out of both sides now this is limited as a guide for relative strengths of the teams. But at least some cricket is going ahead ...

NZ completed an innings win but made heavy work of it. Incredible stand between Chase and Joseph of all people, the two of them scored 190 in one innings of of 339 runs off the bat by the west indies in the game.  Next highest score in the innings was 12, and noone passed 26 in the first. Just shows whats possible on that pitch when players hold their nerve and concentration as per Williamson, and how much the West Indies top order lacks both.

Same side that played in England, same problems.

Aus solution to their low order batting is a player who averages 8 in domestic T20 at 7.

Very much an experimental side with a lot of withdrawls. The second string players havent stepped up for them so far and does seem theres quite a sharp drop off in talent between their few star players and the reserves. Similar for India.

And with the first Test due next week you have to feel for young Pucovski...

Virtually nailed on for a debut , with Warner injured , despite failing in the first innings of the warm up game : and he gets banged on the head and concussed ...for about the fourth time in his short career ! Poor fellow just seems to attract them.

Time to recover still I guess ; but it isn't great timing. And does make you wonder how he might fare in Tests whenever the pitches have a bit in them for the quick bowlers. He's been built up a lot by past players and other experts - and has certainly produced some huge scores at first class level ... but a record of getting hit so often suggests either some phenomenal bad luck or a serious technical weakness.

Big Bash starts tomorrow. Used to be a fun little competition over the festive period, now it's a bloated mess with declining TV numbers. Still, cricket in the morning is always welcome, especially with the NRL in the off-season.

There are three rule changes to this year's Big Bash competition which are of interest, as they may become commonplace across other franchise leagues and T20 internationals:

1) Anytime from the start of the 11th over of the game, teams may substitute in a player. A player can be subbed off if they have bowled no more than one over and have not batted.

2) Instead of the six-over Powerplay at the start of the innings, there will be a mandatory four-over Powerplay at the start of the innings. The remaining two overs can be taken by the batting team at any point from the 11th over of the innings onwards.

3) And a bonus point will be awarded to whichever side has scored more runs after 10 overs.

I think the first is a silly little gimmick, which I'm not in favour of. I suppose the big advantage from this rule change could be gleaned from the side batting first - if they score, say, 191/3 in their 20 overs, they may substitute out an unused middle-order batsman or bits-and-pieces all-rounder and replace them with a specialist bowler at the change of innings.

With the second rule change, I think this confers another benefit to the batting side, in a game where the batting side already hold all the aces. With this new system, a batting team struggling at 60/3 after 10 overs can wait until they have two set batsmen at the crease before taking the next PowerPlay (called a PowerSurge). There's also a potential for outright carnage - death overs are already tough enough for bowlers, now they may have to bowl them with fielding restrictions. So while I like the tactical element, I'm overall not in favour because it's making the game even tougher for bowlers.

I'm not sure of the point of the third rule. Teams already put their biggest hitters up at the top of the order, so I don't think this will make too much of a change to how the game is played. And the points for an actual win are three, so I can't see too many chasing sides taking undue risk to have the highest score after ten overs.

alfie wrote:And with the first Test due next week you have to feel for young Pucovski...

Virtually nailed on for a debut , with Warner injured , despite failing in the first innings of the warm up game : and he gets banged on the head and concussed ...for about the fourth time in his short career ! Poor fellow just seems to attract them.

Time to recover still I guess ; but it isn't great timing. And does make you wonder how he might fare in Tests whenever the pitches have a bit in them for the quick bowlers. He's been built up a lot by past players and other experts - and has certainly produced some huge scores at first class level ... but a record of getting hit so often suggests either some phenomenal bad luck or a serious technical weakness.

Cricket Australia have put some of the highlights up on YouTube Alfie - check them out if you get a chance. Seen very little of Pucovski bat (his and Green’s first class numbers are scarily good though), but from the way he got hit it does look like he has a serious technical issue with the short ball. And, as you say, it’s multiple concussions for him now and with the rugby news that has broken this week regarding dementia it has to be a serious worry for him.

Second and final test between New Zealand and the West Indies starts tonight. If New Zealand do the expected and win then they will go top of the old test rankings, displacing Australia, for the first time in their history.

How much significance the rankings have now that we have the World Test Championship is anyone's guess, but it will underline the brilliant progress made by the Kiwis over the past few years.

Rankings skewed a bit by them barely ever playing away from home, and even more rarely anyone decent. They mugged off India and England in their own back yard which is fair enough, but got spanked in Aus which is their only away tour against a competent opponent since 2016 when they were also beaten heavily in all 3 tests.

West Indies seduced by the greenery again, and the absence of Williamson, as they've elected to field first again - or maybe they're just terrified of asking their ropey batting order to lead from the front?

Either way, can't see New Zealand having too much trouble here.

Well in fact NZ found themselves in a bit of trouble in the morning session with Gabriel making an impact...three down for seventy ; before a revival led by Nicholls (who seems to have gone in today festooned with Good Luck Charms ) and are now 212/5.

Nicholls is 73 and if they keep dropping him NZ will probably get a winning score... It certainly hasn't looked an easy business , batting today ; so I'd say inserting the opposition was the right move. Just haven't taken all their chances...

And indeed , at 294/6 NZ look to be heading for "enough"...Nicholls got his hundred and is still there. Battled through some tough moments - with a healthy share of luck - and got his reward.
West Indies will need a good second day.

Meanwhile , Australian opener Burns' horror season continues ...out for another duck against India in the "A" game with the pink ball. Suppose he has to play , with Warner out of action and Pucovski doubtful at this point ; but he can't have much confidence. Is averaging less than ten this summer...

Nicholls now on his highest test score, delightfully helped by those two dropped catches yesterday. Wagner, mostly with the edge, has got his first test fifty.

West Indies thoroughly dispirited now as NZ approach 450. Another innings defeat?

Fantastic bit of sporting theatre delivered by medium-pacer Kyle Jamieson in just his fourth test match and his first over of the test.

First ball - down leg side. Appeal from the slips for caught behind, not out.
Second ball - LBW appeal, but it just caught the bat. No review.
Third ball - full, in-swing, thick outside edge, good catch by second slip.
Fourth ball - clean bowls the batsman with some big swing.
Fifth ball - hat-trick ball. Proper raucous atmosphere. More swing, beats the bat, mammoth LBW appeal from all at the ground. A Kiwi umpire says no. Reviewed...but clearly going down leg.
Sixth ball - Ugly full-toss, beats the bat, another huge LBW shout. Not out again. Reviewed again...umpire's call as it clipped the stumps.

Superb entertainment. One of the great overs. The fourth ball was a thing of absolute beauty.

Moved the Windies from 29/2 to 29/4.

Didn't get much better for west indies. Their batting is a disgrace

alfie wrote:And with the first Test due next week you have to feel for young Pucovski...

Virtually nailed on for a debut , with Warner injured , despite failing in the first innings of the warm up game : and he gets banged on the head and concussed ...for about the fourth time in his short career ! Poor fellow just seems to attract them.

Time to recover still I guess ; but it isn't great timing. And does make you wonder how he might fare in Tests whenever the pitches have a bit in them for the quick bowlers. He's been built up a lot by past players and other experts - and has certainly produced some huge scores at first class level ... but a record of getting hit so often suggests either some phenomenal bad luck or a serious technical weakness.

Leaves Australia in a very difficult situation with openers again too. Joe Burns was their other in the squad , but his returns against India 4,0,0 so far and scores of 7, 29,0, 10,11 for Queensland since cricket resumed in October.

Cameron Green was the other new cap assumed to be sure of a start in the test side, but he got hit by a bouncer too (maybe the Indians finally have an attack who can make things happen here?) and has sat out this current warm up out. Nothing I can see from a quick scan of min outlets is clear on his availability for the test but assume he will be. If he carries on his all round form from first class into tests hes really going to sort out Australias other glaring hole for a 5th bowling option who can bat 6.

Think Green was actually hit in the face by a fierce return drive from Bumrah when the latter was batting his way to a fifty...but , either way , he's sore and the Indian pace men are making things happen

Burns is really battling for form and it might be kinder to put him out of his misery and play Harris (who is in much better form , though I still have doubts over his class at the top level) and have Labuschagne open. Which would open a spot for Green at six - assuming he's OK after his knock.

With questions over the Aussie order , and an Indian side with only a short lead in and scant experience in facing a pink ball you'd expect a result first up ...with Australia having a fine record in this fixture but India (soon to lose their inspirational skipper) really needing it more. Will be tough for them , I think but you never know...

Should be worth watching.

Ah fair enough Alfie, still any word on how serious the concussion was? He really looks like a player who could lift Australia back to being a truly terrifying team rather than a few stars carrying some dead weight. A wicket keeper batsman the right side of of 36 would be handy too....Careys scored again.

Does look like the Indians might have turned up to Australia this time with some better prep and switched on mindset. Having the wider squad competing directly with (some) core test players in A level games seems a really good way to sharpen people up and get a meaningful level of practise. But most of those in the white ball squad wont get a red ball warm up at all, which is a bit odd really but obviously a function of trying to minimise the length of the tour. and manage workloads Ideally they'd have a few extra days to get in a game against themselves.

Some of the Aus players in a similar boat. Those who were at the IPL missed Shield cricket, so Smith (possibly other?) hasnt played red ball since their last test almost a year ago. Obviously less impactful for players on their home turf but still a thing and Aus probably wouldn't have minded the opportunity for an intra squad game.

Burns failed again with a 1 second innings, sounds like he's absolutely broken. Agree on Harris, I dont think hes exactly Australias first option but at least hes got some form and confidence. Is Warner still injured for the first test? Sounds like Aus are backing Burns for now and I guess if Warners out then that defers the choice between Burns and Harris till the second test. Only other option would be punting someone like Labuschagne up the order and causing a problem elsewhere, or Rogers coming off the coaching staff and still being younger than Paine.

Have to fancy Australia because home tests. Assume their pace bowlers will all be available?



Meanwhile West Indies making a brave last stand with Holder to avoid an innings defeat but still rank awful. Not good for test cricket, but also a reminder that England aren't as good as they seem to think they are.