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Last week in Belfast, the Steven Smith era quietly began. Of course, it felt like it had started late last year, when Smith led Australia to victory in their Test series against India. But he was only a stand-in skipper then, steering the team while Michael Clarke recovered from surgery and prepared for one last push at World Cup and Ashes glory. Now the team belongs to Smith, in both formats.On Thursday, he begins his first full series in charge of Australia, a five-match one-day battle with England. Smith’s men are the World Cup holders, and the No.1 ODI side in the world. But now begins a whole new World Cup cycle. In four years, Australia will defend their title in England. By then, Smith will be 30. Will he still be captain? Probably, but who knows. It is a way off.So for now – indeed, for the next couple of years – Australia’s one-day cricket is about living in the moment, winning each series as and when it comes. New players will be introduced gradually. Shane Watson might be gone by the next World Cup. So might George Bailey. But for now, they remain part of the ODI squad, men who can help Smith in his goal to keep Australia at No.1.There are some new faces in the group for this series against England. Aaron Finch’s foot injury has provided an opportunity for Joe Burns at the top of the order. His 69 on debut against Ireland last week was a reminder of his class. Burns was unlucky to have missed out on a place in the Ashes squad after his promising Test start against India, and deserves a decent run in the national set-up.Ashton Agar is in line for his first international matches since his debut Test series against England two years ago. For Agar, this could be a golden opportunity. Australia won the World Cup with Glenn Maxwell the lead spinner, with almost no input from Xavier Doherty. That worked in Australian conditions, but the role of frontline ODI spinner is one that is very much up for grabs.Batting allrounder Marcus Stoinis also has a chance to debut in the 50-over format, though quite how Australia will use him remains to be seen, with Watson and Mitchell Marsh seemingly the front-runners in that role. Matthew Wade returns to replace World Cup winner Brad Haddin, though it is anyone’s guess who will be Australia’s gloveman by the time of the next World Cup.Not surprisingly given their Ashes workloads, Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood have been sent home to prepare for their next Test encounters, which will provide chances for Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson. Mitchell Starc has been kept on for the ODIs, again not surprisingly, given that he is the world’s No.1-ranked ODI bowler and was the Player of the Tournament in the World Cup.All in all, this series for Australia will contain nods to the future, but mostly through injury and workload management. Clarke and Haddin are the only members of the World Cup-winning squad who are definitely finished in the format. Other veterans like Watson and Bailey will be keen to use this series to prove they have much more ODI cricket left in them.For Smith, this series really marks the start of an era. Michael Clarke won his first one-day series as full-time captain, against Bangladesh following the 2011 World Cup. Ricky Ponting did too, against South Africa. Steve Waugh began with victory in a tri-series also featuring South Africa and New Zealand.When the history of Smith’s captaincy tenure is written – and it could be a long one, given he is only 26 – this series won’t be much more than a footnote. But after the disappointment of an Ashes defeat as vice-captain, he’d like it to be a winning footnote.

Perth Scorchers pummelled an attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, but Matt Renshaw and Jack Wildermuth responded with remarkable power-hitting to lift Brisbane Heat to the greatest chase in BBL history and the third-highest in T20s overall.In an astonishing batter-dominated game where a slew of records were broken, Renshaw and Wildermuth produced belligerent centuries as they combined for the highest BBL partnership of 213 runs.Related

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Renshaw smashed 102 off 51 balls, while Wildermuth finished 110 not out from 54 balls as Heat clinched a miraculous victory with one ball to spare. They overhauled Scorchers’ 257 for 6, which – fleetingly as it turned out – had been the second-highest BBL score. Both teams whacked 18 sixes each – the previous highest by a team in the competition’s history was 17.The previous record chase in the BBL was Adelaide Strikers running down 230 against Hobart Hurricanes in January 2023.Scorchers had seemingly made a match-winning total on a very flat surface after Finn Allen and Cooper Connolly combined for 14 sixes.Allen and Connolly traded massive blows in a second-wicket partnership of 142 off just 64 balls. Having earlier in the week received a maiden IPL deal, when Punjab Kings snapped him up for AUD 500,000, Connolly whacked his second straight half-century to start the season with 77 off 37 balls, while Allen struck 79 off 38.All five of Heat’s bowlers went for at least 11 an over with Afridi finishing with 1 for 49 from four overs, his figures taking a battering at the death. Heat’s woes spiralled when skipper Nathan McSweeney injured his left ankle while dropping a high ball in the penultimate over.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

With McSweeney unable to bat, Heat’s near-impossible task was made even more difficult when Colin Munro fell on the first delivery of the chase to quick Jhye Richardson. Making his season debut having been training with Australia’s Test squad, Richardson was later left exasperated when he had Renshaw caught off a no-ball on 20.It proved incredibly costly with Renshaw teeing off and he was matched by Wildermuth, whose previous highest BBL score was just 31. They threw the bat effectively to rattle the normally disciplined Scorchers with Wildermuth receiving a life on 42 when he hit high in the sky only for skipper Ashton Turner to drop a straightforward chance.Heat were on target at 131 for 1 at the halfway mark and powered into favouritism when they whacked 42 runs in the next two overs. Turner reverted to Connolly’s left-arm spin in the 14th over and it worked with only six runs conceded, which included four extras.But Renshaw was unstoppable and he unleashed an almighty celebration after his century off 48 balls. With Heat needing 47 off 27 balls, Renshaw was run-out after a mix-up turning back for the second run in a late twist.Despite Max Bryant having to retire hurt after suffering a shoulder injury while running between the wickets, Wildermuth was not to be denied as he hit the winning runs to trigger bedlam around the ground.No one could have predicted those surreal scenes after Scorchers’ earlier fireworks.Afridi started with the new ball and keen to make amends after his forgettable BBL debut against Melbourne Renegades, where he was removed from the attack for dangerous bowling. He could not find a consistent line and length, with his struggles underlined by a wayward delivery that swung wickedly down the leg side and to the boundary.Highest successful T20 chases•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It was quick Xavier Bartlett who gave Heat a boost in the second over after Mitchell Marsh fell on the pull shot for 3.But Connolly showed off his exquisite touch and got off the mark with a punch to the backward-point boundary. McSweeney surprisingly did not keep Afridi in the attack, preferring to utilise his experience for the latter overs given Heat are missing several first-choice quicks.But the move backfired. Having not received the strike until the third over, Allen made up for lost time. His eyes lit up when left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, making his season debut, entered in the seventh over with Allen smashing a trio of sixes over the leg side – the latter blow clattering into the third tier.Afridi returned in the ninth over but was left frustrated when Allen, on 44, hit high in the air with three fielders running in off the leg-side boundary only for Munro to spill low to the ground.Connolly smashed Afridi over his head for six and another big blow into the crowd brought up his half-century off 27 balls. Allen also brought up his half-century in style as both batters swung mightily like they were playing baseball.The fans in the crowd continued to be peppered as Melbourne Stars’ all-time record score of 273 of 2 appeared under threat. Having gone past his previous highest T20 score of 66, Connolly finally holed out in the 12th over before Afridi picked up Allen to ensure Stars’ record remained out of reach.Scorchers easily powered past their previous best score of 229 for 7 and were sitting pretty at the game’s halfway mark before Heat produced the most amazing chase ever seen in the BBL.

India and Australia have decided to implement the ICC’s proposed one-day international rule changes for their seven-match series, starting with today’s ODI in Bangalore. The modifications, which were supposed to come into effect from October 1, have been advanced to avoid a mid-series adjustment.In June, the ICC had ruled the following changes in ODI playing conditions:

Ronnie Chisholm, one of Scotland’s finest batsmen, has died aged 79. After making his debut in 1948, Chisholm played a record 80 times for his country, scoring 3175 runs including 17 fifties.”Ronnie was one of the best-loved and most successful cricketers of his generation,” Neil Leitch, a historian specialising in Scottish cricket, told . “He was a solid accumulator of runs and a useful leg-spin bowler.”His most notable innings came in 1953 against the touring Australians, in which he struck an unbeaten 55 opening the innings. In addition to appearing for Scotland, he was prolific at club level too – for Aberdeenshire and Stewart’s Melville College – amassing over 16,000 runs.”Ronnie left international cricket on a high with a 50 for Scotland,” Hamish More, his former opening partner, said, “in one of the best innings I ever saw him play.”

New Zealand 231 for 9 (50 overs, Fleming 100, Mills 47*, van der Wath 4-31) beat South Africa A 128 (33.5 overs, Ontong 37, Bond 5-37) by 103 runs
ScorecardAfter easing themselves to a 19-run win against South Africa A on Friday, New Zealand continued their good form in completing an emphatic 103-run win on Sunday at Potchefstroom. Stephen Fleming, leading from the front, made an elegant century and struck 16 fours in his 114-ball innings.His innings was all the more impressive considering the wickets that fell around him: Nathan Astle went without scoring, Lou Vincent for 14, Hamish Marshall for a duck and Jacob Oram and Craig McMillan fell for single figures. Fleming found support from Brendon McCullum (37) with whom he put on 51 for the sixth wicket. When Fleming was dismissed by the spin of Robin Peterson for exactly 100, Kyle Mills took up the attack and made a vital 47 at nearly a run-a-ball, to help New Zealand reach the respectable score – if not a dominating one – of 231 for 9.South Africa A were then undone by tight, disciplined bowling from New Zealand – initially from Jacob Oram and Nathan Astle. The pair both conceded less than three per over, and the pressure they created allowed Shane Bond to wreck the home side’s chances. Bond took 5 for 37 in five overs, as South Africa crumbled from 123 for 6 to 128 all out. Only Justin Ontong could reach the thirties and their captain, Jacques Rudolph, made just 20.”It’s too early to be concerned about the top-order,” Fleming told the New Zealand website , “because it’s pretty hot here and the guys have spent the last few weeks practising indoors.”It will take a bit of adjustment. Kyle Mills was cooked by the heat today; after bowling five overs he was in lala land and it was pretty important to get him off as soon as possible.”New Zealand play a Twenty20 international against the senior South African side at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Friday. They play the first of five one-day internationals in Bloemfontein the following Sunday.

Stephen Fleming has insisted that New Zealand can take out Australia, and book a place in the final four of the ICC Champions Trophy, when the two teams clash at The Oval next Thursday. Fresh off a 210-run rout of the USA, Fleming said that his team – which kept Australia out of the VB Series final in 2001-02 by beating them three times out of four – had a plan to thwart the best that cricket has to offer.”What your preparation does is give you an awareness of where to strike and what to strike at,” he said. Agence France Presse also quoted him as saying, “What we will be looking to do is get the game into a scenario that fits our side. And then just try to take them in areas where they aren’t as comfortable as when they’re playing well.”Fleming said his team wouldn’t shy away from the challenge, despite the fact that Australia have dominated the rivalry in recent times. “We’re looking forward to it, we’ve been thinking about this one for quite some time,” he said. “It’s about being smart. One thing we do know, you’ve got to compete 100 overs. We’ve had them on the rack before but they’ve squirmed away. We know it’s going to be a hundred-over affair if we’re going to win it.”New Zealand were briefly in trouble with the bat on Friday, slipping to 43 for 2 before Nathan Astle took the match away from the unfancied USA team with a blistering 145. “We’re not totally happy with our performance, our batting performance was fumbled,” said Fleming. “That’s one area against Australia where you’ve got to be top drawer and turn half-chances into chances to win the match.”We expect them to be at top form, anything less is a bonus. Their strength is their all-round qualities. Andrew Symonds is playing extremely well at the moment, but any one of their players can win the game hands down on their own.”The Champions Trophy is the one tournament where New Zealand can claim greater success than their trans-Tasman rivals, having won it in 2000. And Fleming reckoned that both teams would be equally motivated with a semi-final spot against England or Sri Lanka at stake.”I love it but they’re always up for it as well,” he said. “Shane Warne always talks about New Zealand lifting their game when they play Australia and we do, because we’re measured at home by our success against Australia.”As for the USA, Richard Staple, the captain, refused to be too downcast. “If we have a reasonably good performance against the world champions, I’m pretty sure it will do a lot of positives for cricket in the US,” he told AFP. “Against Australia, obviously it will be a real challenge but it’s something we have to do and give it our best.”It’s going to be tough but we’ll do the best we can and come out on a positive note.”Just being here is some achievement. The USA made it by winning the ICC Six Nations Challenge in Dubai six months ago, beating out competition from the likes of the Netherlands, Canada, the UAE and Namibia, all of whom have previously played in the World Cup.

As well-intentioned as the International Cricket Council’s Test Championship may be, it is a sad fact that it seems to have given some permanence to the notion of the two-Test series.New Zealand have just had their programme to India this year confirmed and it includes two Tests only and involvement in yet another tri-series of one-day internationals with India and Australia.New Zealand have also agreed to a five-match one-day series with Pakistan as compensation for their bomb-aborted tour last year.The Test match still to be played to make the series count as a Test Championship series will probably now not be played because under the new shape of the Championship, one-off matches can contribute to the Championship placings.But useful as the two-match series may be when it involves lesser nations of the world against the bigger fish in the game, the three to five-match series are the contests that truly challenge the strengths of the nations concerned.In a perfect world they allow for a spread of conditions, an assessment of opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and a build-up in form and performance by participants as they hone themselves to the requirements for victory.The two-match series against relatively even opponents is barely a contest.If you get a weather-affected series such as that which afflicted both New Zealand and India last summer, the series is almost a non-event as a true contest of skill. This series was in contrast to what was a much more fulfilling contest four years earlier in New Zealand when some marvellous cricket was produced, this despite rain causing the first Test of the series to be abandoned without a ball bowled.While the Zimbabwes and Bangladeshs may be happy to play a reduced quota of matches against all nations, just for the chance to play against some of the sides who have so far barely paid them lip service in the Test arena, the other countries of the world are capable of much closer contests.As it stands in the forthcoming summer, New Zealand will play two Tests against India (away), two against Pakistan (home) and three against South Africa (home).Before the onset of the two tours in a summer in the mid-1990s that would probably have been a reasonable Test match programme, but nowadays the constant exposure to one-day cricket has only heightened the desire for more Test match play.One-day cricket is no place for a spin bowler to ply his trade and the more two-Test series there are, the fewer are the opportunities for spin bowlers to settle into the long and intriguing spells that make them such fascinating performers in Test cricket.The same applies to batsmen. If they slip into a form trough, the likelihood is greater that they will be exited from the side far quicker by failing in the shorter Test series than if being allowed to work on their problem area, or bowler, in a longer Test series.It is not without some coincidence that the growing need to have one-day cricket played between three nations, rather than two, has forced countries to look at these two-Test series.There is so much one-day cricket being played that it is in constant need of titivation, and the tri-series is but another variation in this regard.It is to be hoped that Test cricket can regain its stature against the greater number of nations and the demands of the one-day monster can be constrained.But such is the pressure on the game’s finances, the sad fact does seem to be that Test match cricket is shaping as the poor relation when it comes to fixture planning. And ultimately that cannot be good for the game overall.

On a cloudy day which saw murkier crowd behaviour, Guyana captain CarlHooper provided the sole flash of brilliance as he struck anundefeated 95 against Southern Windwards to take his team to 216 forthree in a rain-shortened match of 30 overs.Hooper belted five sixes and four fours, getting his runs off only 59balls, taking advantage of his luck with the toss to post a commandingtotal against an attack that had no answers to his strokeplay. Hefound an able ally in opener Sewnarine Chattergoon who made a patient58.Southern Windwards, in reply, could muster only 136 for the loss offive wickets within the 30 overs. Opener Devon Smith offered someresistance, hitting 48 off 83 balls, but Guyana marched towards an 80-run victory relentlessly.The only black spot in Guyana’s day came in the form of an appeal fromthe Guyana Cricket Board to the crowd to refrain from interruptingplay by invading the pitch. The appeal came in the wake of a briefstoppage of play when, thinking that the match was over, severalspectators rushed on to the field to congratulate the players. Theinvasion brought back memories of a similar incident during a WestIndies-Australia one-day international in 1999 when onlookers stormedin to snatch stumps and Steve Waugh’s bat even as the Australia triedto complete the winning runs.

ScorecardYorkshire became County Champions on a dramatic day at Lord’s, with second-placed Middlesex routed for 106 and Ryan Sidebottom grabbing a triple-wicket maiden in perhaps the most remarkable opening over of a match even the world’s most famous ground has witnessed.It was the 32nd outright Championship title in Yorkshire’s proud history, and the Division One game’s first day also included a cathartic 98 from 110 balls by captain Andrew Gale as his team reached 238 for 9 in reply. Prevented by suspension from receiving the Championship trophy last year, Gale will now get his chance to hold the trophy aloft when the official presentation is made at the end of this game.Gale and Lees had shaken hands in the middle of the pitch, with Gale also raising his gloved fist in triumph as his team celebrated on their dressing room balcony, when news came through from Trent Bridge at 3.06pm that Nottinghamshire had been bowled out without collecting the batting bonus points they required to keep the title race alive.”There’s no better place for us to receive the trophy than Lord’s, if it isn’t Headingley of course, and I believe this season’s title win has been a greater achievement given the circumstances of having so many players going off to play for England right across the summer,” Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket, said. “We’ve also done it with two-and-a-half games still to go.”We played brilliantly to win last year, don’t get me wrong, but it’s been a real squad effort this season. It’s been frustrating at times losing so many players to England but we knew, going into the season, that this would probably happen so we have prepared for that. Credit to all our support staff, too, for what they have done.”In truth, there has not been much of a race for the Championship title this summer, because Yorkshire have been seemingly too powerful to be challenged by anyone. Middlesex, indeed, plunged to a barely believable 0 for 3 after just six balls of this game as their hopes of holding up Yorkshire disappeared in a flurry of wickets.By lunch Middlesex had staggered to 92 for 7, and their first innings did not last long afterwards with Tim Bresnan sending back James Franklin and Toby Roland-Jones, leg-before aiming across the line, in the space of four balls during the fourth over after the interval to finish with 4 for 30.Fittingly, however, it was Sidebottom who wrapped up the innings by bowling Tim Murtagh for 3 to earn himself the superb final figures of 12-5-18-5. The other Middlesex wicket to fall was taken by offspinner James Middlebrook, who came on for the last over before lunch and promptly had John Simpson caught at the wicket with the final ball of the morning for 28.Ryan Sidebottom claimed four wickets in an immaculate opening spell to put Yorkshire on their way•Getty Images

Sidebottom, the 37-year-old former England left-arm fast bowler, removed Stirling, Nick Compton and Dawid Malan with the second, fifth and sixth balls of the game’s first over after Gale had won the toss under overcast skies. Stirling was leg-before to a perfectly-pitched inswinger, giving Sidebottom his 700th first-class wicket, Compton caught behind off one angled across him and Malan bowled first ball by a beauty which spreadeagled his stumps.Gale’s decision to bowl first bore even more fruit when Sidebottom had Stevie Ezkinazi, a 21-year-old on debut, caught for 4 by Adam Lyth at second slip to leave Middlesex on 14 for 4.Moxon added: “What Ryan did today was remarkable, and that first over epitomised what he is all about. He’s contracted to the end of next season, and he still works so hard on his cricket. But, as a team, we have bowled really well this season.”Sidebottom’s new ball spell was a magnificent 6-2-11-4 and Yorkshire, who began the match knowing five bonus points by them would ensure successive Championship titles for the first time since 1968, actually only required their three bowling points because both Middlesex and Notts had bad days with the bat.Following Sidebottom’s initial burst, there was a 30-run partnership for the fifth wicket between opener Sam Robson and Leicestershire-bound allrounder Neil Dexter before Bresnan removed both players in his first and fourth overs. Dexter, on 18, edged Bresnan’s fifth ball to wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd, diving to his right to hold a good catch, and Robson’s 45-ball 26 ended eleven runs later when he edged to Lees at first slip to leave Middlesex 55 for 6.Franklin also played and missed several times at Steven Patterson in an unhappy 12, which ended when he swished to third slip, but at least Simpson offered six fours in a punchy 22-ball cameo before Middlebrook struck at the end of an action-packed first session.When Yorkshire batted, Roland-Jones won lbw appeals to claim the wickets of Lyth, for 25, and Gary Ballance for a duck, in a new ball spell of 2 for 34 and he later returned to have Middlebrook caught behind for 4 as Yorkshire’s innings fell away following Gale’s exit. Murtagh also picked up the scalps of Hodd for 20 and Patterson for 0 before bad light ended play four overs early.Lees had been leg-before for 39 to Stirling’s offspin on the stroke of tea, while Dexter chipped away at Yorkshire’s middle order after tea to remove both Jack Leaning and Bresnan lbw, before ending Gale’s fine knock, which included 18 fours, to earn figures of 3 for 24.With a lead already of 132, however, Yorkshire are scenting a 10th win from 14 Championship games this season. “We want victory here, for a start,” replied Moxon, when asked about Yorkshire’s future ambitions. “But if we are to surpass the great Yorkshire sides of the past we have to win a few more Championships yet, although it’s great we now have a chance to leave that sort of legacy.”

The prospect of West Indies sending a second-string team to the World T20 has increased after the sides failed to reach agreement in their contract impasse.WICB CEO Michael Muirhead responded to the players’ request for a doubling of their remuneration package in the tournament by reiterating the view that the compensation package was agreed with the players’ union, WIPA, last year and would not be changed on the eve of the event.Muirhead also stated that any player who had not confirmed their acceptance of the current contracts by February 14 would be presumed to have refused selection.With only days to go before that deadline, it is becoming hard to see how agreement can be reached. The breakdown in the relationship between international players and their union would appear to have robbed the parties even of the mechanism for meaningful dialogue and there seems little time for Caricom leaders to intervene.

The crisis letters

ICC

The exchange of letters between Darren Sammy and Michael Murihead shows that West Indies cricket is again in crisis as World Twenty20 approaches

The possibility that West Indies will send a second string squad unable to reflect their No. 2 position in the T20 rankings and, as a consequence, tarnish the tournament, is real and growing.Darren Sammy, the captain of the West Indies World T20 team, had earlier written a second letter to the WICB repeating the view that his squad “don’t accept that WIPA can represent us” and insisting on an increase in the financial terms on offer for their availability in the tournament. His first letter complained of a cut of up to 80% in the remuneration on offer to West Indies players at this event compared to previous global tournaments.”WIPA became conflicted during its negotiations with you and compromised itself,” Sammy said. “It could not and did not actively represent the best interests of all West Indies cricketers.”The difference between the remuneration on offer from previous World Cups to this one is shocking and we cannot accept the terms on offer.”To now be offered just US$6,900 per match across the board irrespective of experience is totally unacceptable. Players are being asked to start providing services from nearly four weeks ahead of the World Cup and be guaranteed just US$27,600 if they play all the guaranteed matches [which] is a staggering reduction. We are looking, even on 2012 figures, [at] reductions of between 50-80%.”We suggest that 100% of prize money needs to be paid to the players as per previous tournaments. Twenty percent should not be retained by the WICB.Michael Murihead has named a February 14 deadline to accept terms•WICB Media/Brooks LaTouche Photography Ltd

“We also suggest that the match fees be doubled from US$6,900. In summary, we cannot accept the terms on offer. The players are not happy and understandably so with such big differences.”But Muirhead insisted that the players take up their issues with their player association directly with WIPA and gave no indication he was about to reopen negotiations over remuneration.”The terms on offer were negotiated and agreed between WICB and WIPA with the assistance of representatives from the ICC and FICA during a mediation process last year,” Muirhead stated. “And all parties agreed that they were fair and equitable and acceptable to be offered to the members [of the] WI team selected for the relevant ICC Event.”As mentioned in my previous email to you, this information was shared with all players following that process in May last year. Players were given an opportunity to discuss the new structure and no concerns were raised at that time.”It is disappointing that you would choose to question the terms now, on the eve of the WT20 in India.”