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A look at the Australian spinner’s struggle after his remarkable arrival as a teenager in the 2013 Ashes

Michael Hussey28-Feb-2016Ashton Agar is a terrific young man who I hope has a great future in the game as a left-arm orthodox bowler and decent lower-order batsman. But his remarkable experience of becoming a household name during the Ashes in 2013 was followed by a long period of treading water. And I was not the least bit surprised. His story is a striking example of how the glare of the spotlight can change the equation when you are trying to create a cricket career.Ashton had played hardly any first-class cricket when he was thrown into the Test team and caught the attention of the nation by scoring a record 98 as the No. 11 in the first Test at Trent Bridge. He said after the day’s play: ‘It’s a dream come true … Forever I’ve dreamed of playing Test cricket for Australia and for my debut to start the way it has, I’m over the moon.’ But what he did not realise and was totally unprepared for was that suddenly the expectation and demands, on the ground and off it, would become enormous.I captained Ashton in his first few games for Western Australia. He bowled beautifully. He was accurate, had variation and could operate both aggressively and defensively. His batting was similar. He performed like any young guy coming into a new level of the game, without fear and with genuine excitement.After just three first-class games the Australian selectors invited him on a national team tour to India to be a net bowler and gain experience from being around the team. It sounded like the right thing to do, but the alarm bells went off for me immediately. I knew he would bowl really well, I knew the selectors had doubts over Nathan Lyon, despite investing eighteen months of hard work in him, and I had a sneaking suspicion they would see Ashton as the bolter who could fix everything.Unsurprisingly Ashton turned heads while with the team in India. I remember getting a message from the assistant coach Steve Rixon saying, “How good is this Ashton Agar? I think he should play the first Test in India.” I thought to myself, “No way! Please don’t make this mistake!” Ashton was nowhere near ready. In my opinion he needed three or four seasons of first-class cricket to learn and grow and have some idea of what he would be in for if he was to play Test cricket.

While walking down Kensington High Street with his girlfriend to do some shopping they were set upon by paparazzi. The two of them ended up locking themselves in the hotel room

The selectors did not pick Ashton to play in India but he was thrown into the side for the first Ashes Test not long afterwards. I felt it was a huge mistake. Like in India, playing in the Ashes is akin to being in a cauldron. There are a multitude of distractions. There is so much hype and expectation. There are functions to go to, people to meet and huge interest from the media. There was no way this young fella could have been ready for that. For him to come out and score runs in his first match was a great achievement but it also created a perfect storm.It’s hard to comprehend how Ashton’s life was turned upside down in the space of one day. I talked to him about it when he came back to Perth afterwards. He said he could not believe the interest in him following that innings.While walking down Kensington High Street with his girlfriend to do some shopping they were set upon by paparazzi. He said his girlfriend tried to run away, only to be chased by the photographers. He said he had no idea what to do. The two of them ended up locking themselves in the hotel room. Even as an experienced cricketer, that kind of attention is extremely hard to handle. But Ashton was a nineteen-year-old with hardly any cricketing experience. Suddenly he was being pursued as though he was a movie star.Hardie Grant BooksBoth at the time and in the weeks and months that followed Ashton’s ill-timed entry into international cricket, his manager, Jason Bakker, did his best to try to protect him from the many distractions that could divert him from concentrating on cricket. Commercial offers and opportunities came flooding in, but Bakker was careful not to add to the already huge burden of trying to keep playing at the top level. It is a good illustration of the value of having a manager who has an understanding of life in the spotlight and the demands of first-class cricket.For some time after the Ashes, Ashton was on a high while the public raved and the media loved him. But the wickets began to dry up. The harder he tried the worse he performed. He became frustrated and had too little experience to draw from to help him to change course. Eventually he got suspended in a match for showing dissent to an umpire. Ashton went from Ashes superstar to possible has-been in an alarmingly short time.In my opinion the whole episode was very poorly handled. The duty of care to this young Australian cricketer was pretty much ignored. If everyone associated with making the decision to pick Ashton had just been patient and let him develop he would have held on to his youthful zeal, grown gradually in confidence, expanded his knowledge and been much better off in the long run.He could have made the regular mistakes that young guys do and worked his way through them away from the spotlight. He should have been given space to learn about bowling, learn about life and enjoy the maturing process. I believe Ashton will come through this chastening experience and become a fantastic player. But I worry it will happen a lot later than it otherwise would have.

I remember getting a message from Steve Rixon saying, “How good is this Ashton Agar? I think he should play the first Test in India.” I thought to myself, “No way! Please don’t make this mistake!”

Ashton has a good head on his shoulders. He is intelligent and has good people around him. But my concern for young guys finding their way so publicly like he did is that they do not carry mental scars for the rest of their careers or throughout life. With the right help it is possible to come out of such situations a better person and a better cricketer. But for some people the negative effects can be enduring. Psychological damage can be deep and your outlook on the game can be changed forever.Examples such as Ashton Agar and even Michael Clarke and others make me grateful for the path I travelled to get into international cricket. I have often said that I wished I had been picked earlier for Australia and learned on the job, making mistakes and progressing that way. But the more I have learned about life in the spotlight the more I feel lucky to have had the time to grow up at my own pace. Even after ten years of first-class cricket it was a very confronting adjustment to make when it all started to happen for me. by Michael Hussey, published by Hardie Grant Books

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2016Umar Akmal then came in and lifted the visitors with a 27-ball 56 that included four fours and four sixes•Getty ImagesPakistan lost some quick wickets in the death overs…•AFP… but Umar’s unbeaten knock ensured that Pakistan finished at 168 for 7•AFPKane Williamson and Martin Guptill gave the hosts yet another quick start•Getty ImagesBoth batsmen raced to their fifties in the 13th over•Getty ImagesThey went on to add an unbroken 171 in 17.4 overs, the highest partnership in all T20Is, to help New Zealand square the series•Getty Images

From the match-winning sixes to the bare-chested celebrations, Eden Gardens was seduced

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Eden Gardens03-Apr-2016The beginning is inauspicious. Two excellent sides have begun to play, but for the first few overs, it seems like 50,000 people have turned up for the privilege of taking selfies, while the climax of a global showpiece event happens to take place in the background.Before the anthems there had been a sponsorship gimmick, and even that was lavishly documented in the stands. Women dressed as the partner airline’s flight stewardesses form a circle and perform a dance that incorporates the signals for six and four. What’s next? At the end of the evening, will they push a trolley on to the podium and hand out medals like aeroplane meals? “Winner’s or runners-up medal for you? Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll double-check, but I think we’re actually all out of that.”But soon enough, three England wickets have fallen and cricket begins to grip Eden Gardens. The smartphones have been stowed in pockets. Tens of thousands of eyes are now trained on the ball. An eager hubbub descends over the vast stands with bucket seats, each affording spectators the personal space the size of a regulation matchbox.It was thought that West Indies would be runaway crowd favourites here, so many Caribbeans having featured so heavily in the IPL. But Eden has no shortage of love for England. The wickets spark raucous cheers, but so do Jos Buttler’s successive sixes in the 11th over. Exceptional cricket is appreciated. Jingoism is eschewed. A boy of about 12 years of age in the pavilion stand has adopted England as his team, despite clearly not having seen them much before. When Liam Plunkett goes out to bat, the boy calls him “Chris Plankton”.Then when Joe Root removes two top-order batsmen in three balls, Eden squeals in delight, as if all 50,000 in the stands had been in on this little bit of un-English hi-jinks. Across the stadium, heads are shaking. Eyebrows are raised. What universe are they in that Chris Gayle surrenders so quickly to part-time spin? And what alternate dimension have they entered that England is the team that has dreamt this trap up?Later in the evening “Plankton” appears to have had Marlon Samuels caught behind, but Eden Gardens is neither appalled that the decision was overturned, nor righteously indignant that Buttler had claimed the catch. There is sage analysis of the replay; an even acceptance of the verdict. The crowd only begins to grow restless when the drama drops to a simmer, but even to call what they do a Mexican Wave, is underselling it. This is more Indian Flash Flood. The wave hurtles around the stadium, and the roars emitted from the stands are thunderous. Faster and louder than any other version of this, Eden Gardens delivers the T20 of Mexican Waves.As the match winds to its taut conclusion, restless leg syndrome sweeps through the southern stands, and a latent hush takes over to the north. It is only in that sublime final over that tension is released. Each Carlos Brathwaite six is prodding Eden Gardens towards euphoria, but as the batsman himself largely keeps a grip on his emotions through that last over, it is Marlon Samuels who gives in to the rising thrill pulsing through the stands. He runs at Brathwaite, and screams encouragement to him after the first six. On the repeat occasions, he sprints a small circle around the striker, already warming up for his lap of honour.After the initial mobbing, and hooting, hair ruffling and fist pumping, the West Indies team hear Dwayne Bravo’s “Champion” song fill the stadium. Breaking out of the huddle and facing the crowd, they begin the song’s signature dance; pushing their fists out away from their chests, then drawing them back towards the body in a rowing motion. The crowd itself had come prepared for this. All standing now, huge swathes of the Eden Gardens stands begin to mimic the men on the field. West Indies were rowing away with the World T20, but they are taking tens of thousands of Bengalis down the Hooghly river with them.The West Indies lap of honour – sans shirts•AFPSoon enough, the West Indies players’ shirts start coming off. Chris Gayle’s is lying somewhere near the boundary. Samuels is so pumped up, he has flung his into the maidan down the road. Darren Sammy soon takes his off too, and begins waving it around his head. Are they even allowed to be doing that, here? The answer of course is an unbridled, emphatic “Yes!” Among Bengal’s treasured memories after all, is Sourav Ganguly’s shirtless celebration at Lord’s. That moment is so beloved, a photo of “Dada” in all his glory takes pride of place on the staircase of the main building at Eden Gardens. When you are in the Palace of the Bare-Nipple Prince, how better to endear yourself to his court than to follow him in a triumphant stripping off?Thankfully, though, no one gets so carried away as to reach for the drawstring of their trousers. At least not at this stage of the evening.When the presentation begins, the crowd cheers Sammy through his emotional speech, and delight in Virat Kohli’s Player of the Tournament award. Many leap around, as the West Indies players do, when the trophy is lifted in clouds of manic smoke and tinsel. The smiles on exiting spectators’ faces are about the size of the biggest Brathwaite six. Soon enough – and it is almost too quick – the almighty swell of energy that has built up and been released in the ground, dissipates into the streets, as fans start to stream out. In stages, Kolkata turns in.For some, though, the night is yet young. Before many who were at Eden have got home, videos have already emerged of West Indies’ high-octane return to their hotel. Bravo is dancing, Sammy singing. The rest are posing, locking and jerking. They will not get much sleep tonight. The question is, the way this lot celebrates, will the rest of Kolkata?

Stats highlights from the third day in Colombo where Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh scored hundreds before Rangana Herath took a six-for

Bharath Seervi15-Aug-20160:58

By the numbers – Rangana Herath’s 25th five-for in Tests

1 Higher partnerships for Australia for any wicket in Tests in Sri Lanka than the 246-run stand between Shaun Marsh and Steven Smith. Marsh was involved in the highest partnership as well – 258 runs with Mike Hussey in Pallekele in 2011. This was the first double-century partnership for Australia for the second-wicket against Sri Lanka. The previous highest was 170 between Kepler Wessels and Graham Yallop in Kandy way back in 1983.37.85 Average runs per wicket for Australia in Tests at SSC – their best at any venue in Sri Lanka. They have made totals of 300 or more in seven of their eight innings here. Incidentally, they haven’t made more than two 300-plus totals at any other venue in Sri Lanka.1998 Last time two of Australia’s top three batsmen scored centuries in a Test innings in Asia – against Pakistan in Peshawar. The tons by Marsh and Smith is just the fourth such instance for Australia in Asia and first in Sri Lanka.129 Runs accumulated by Australia openers, apart from Marsh, in this series in 11 innings. Marsh scored more than that aggregate in his single innings. There was no half-century by any other Australia opener before Marsh in this series.92.50 Marsh’s average in Tests in Sri Lanka, in four innings, with two centuries and a half-century. Before his 130 in this Test, he had made 141, on his Test debut, in Pallekele and 81 & 18 at SSC in the 2011 series. Apart from Sri Lanka, Marsh hasn’t played in any other country in Asia.0 Test centuries for Smith in Asia before scoring 119 in this match. In 12 innings in the continent, he had made four half-centuries including two scores in nineties. With this century, his average in Asia has increased to 44.15 from 37.91. He has now scored centuries against six of the seven teams he has played against; his best against Pakistan is 97.10.15 Average partnership of Australia’s last four wickets in this series, their second-lowest in any series with 20 or more partnerships in the last 100 years. In their first innings of this match, the last four wickets could add only 26 runs. In the last Test’s first innings also their last four wickets added just 26 and in the second innings of the first Test of this series, they aggregated 21 runs.64.90 Percentage of runs in Australia’s innings that came from the second wicket alone, which is the highest share from a single partnership when Australia have been bowled out by Sri Lanka. The previous highest was 60.53% in Galle in 1999 in which their opening stand added 138 out of 228 runs in the innings. In Sri Lanka’s first innings of this match, 59.43% runs came from the sixth-wicket partnership between Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva.6/81 Rangana Herath’s figures in the first innings – second-best by a Sri Lanka spinner in the first innings against Australia. Muttiah Muralitharan took 6 for 59 in Galle in 2003-04. These are Herath’s second-best figures against Australia behind his 7 for 157 at this same venue in 2011. This is the fourth consecutive Test against Australia in which Herath has taken four or more wickets in the opponent’s first innings.25 Five-wicket hauls for Herath in Tests – joint seventh-most by a bowler. Wasim Akram, Harbhajan Singh and Dale Steyn also have 25 five-fors. All these five-wicket hauls for Herath have come since 2009. In this period, no other bowler has taken even 20 such hauls.48 Marsh’s average in Tests outside Australia which is about 43% better than his average in Australia. He has made 720 runs in 16 innings away and 504 in 15 innings at home. Three of his four centuries have also come outside Australia.

Titans’ new coach Mark Boucher on how his coaching style will differ from his playing style

Firdose Moonda16-Sep-2016There was a time when Mark Boucher did not get militant about the outcome of the match. Seven times, actually. All of them are recent.Boucher was consulting with Kolkata Knight Riders at the behest of his friend Jacques Kallis, who is also the team’s mentor, and the team lost. Six times in the league phase and then in the Eliminator match, which knocked them before the final.”I was quite surprised to see that I didn’t get as tense when the team was losing as I used to get when I was playing. I didn’t get too emotional. I was quite calm and relaxed and I just made myself aware of what the reasons were and what the situation was,” Boucher said.That’s when Boucher realised he could be a coach.He had spent the previous four years, since his injury-enforced retirement in mid-2012, immersing himself in other projects, most notably wildlife conservation. He put cricket on the back-burner as he tried to build a life as a retired professional sportsperson.”I wanted a few years off and I did that with the rhinos stuff. After that I wanted to be able to give back to the game. I suppose I never completely [went away] because I was always involved in some commentary or this and that. But I got to the point where I felt I needed a challenge in my life,” he said. “The KKR thing pushed me to try and get into coaching.”In August, when Rob Walter resigned from Titans to take up an offer in New Zealand and talks with Dale Benkenstein, the Hampshire coach who has returned to South Africa, broke down, Boucher was approached. He accepted the job, for which he will move from Cape Town to Pretoria – a little like going from Sydney to the outback – to take up one of the highest-profile jobs on the domestic circuit.Titans are an outfit known for excellence, and a season without silverware is rare for them. They also regularly produce and nurture international talent. It was surprising for them to appoint Boucher, who only holds a Level Two coaching qualification by virtue of playing Test cricket, and who had no prior coaching experience apart from the KKR consulting stint. The immediate reaction in the local media bordered on outrage. Questions were raised about why a more qualified candidate was not sought out and why Mandla Mashimbyi, Walter’s assistant, had not been promoted.

“It’s all about man-management. Some players need some love and some players need to be told when they are stepping out of line”

“I can’t be worried about what people are writing. I would never have taken the job if I didn’t think I could add value,” Boucher said. But he has promised that the bulldog spirit he was known for during his playing days is not going to make a return in his coaching.”I am a completely different person now to what I was as a player. I was quite feisty and hard, but that’s the way I thought I had to be. When you are playing, you pick a road and go with it if you think it will get the best out of you. The eye injury really changed me. It knocked the wind out of my sails. I will always have that competitive edge, but I don’t think I will be so aggressive as a coach. The new styles of coaching are all about building up confidence.”Having spent the latter part of his career playing under Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton, Boucher has been influenced by their methods, but he does not intend to copy them. Instead, he is looking to combine the various techniques he experienced as a player to form “the Mark Boucher coaching style”. Think a hybrid of Ray Jennings’ discipline, Kirsten’s care and Upton’s creativity.”It might not be as aggressive as what people will expect but I will still go at it as I see it. It’s all about man-management. Jet [Jennings] was good for me because he was hard and that was what I needed, but I’m not going to say that was the right way or Gary Kirsten’s way was the right way. Some players need some love and some players need to be told when they are stepping out of line.”And he does not intend to do it all on his own either. Boucher wants to involve everyone, from Kallis to Makhaya Ntini, in an attempt to bring in as much expertise as possible in a domestic environment that he feels has not made enough effort to use the resources available. “Improvements need to be made in our domestic system and there are a lot of people that can be used – not just former players, but people with knowledge of the game in general. There is a lot of potential that could be used in a better way,” Boucher said. “In terms of other players, I’d be stupid not use Jacques or Makhaya. If the guys want someone specific to mentor them, I have a line to a lot of guys, and we will bring them in.”In the squad, Boucher will lean on Albie Morkel, who captained Titans in last year’s limited-overs campaigns. It has not been confirmed if he lead this summer, but even if he doesn’t, Boucher still wants him to take on a senior role. “Guys like Albie and Heino Kuhn – they know their game, so it won’t be about me trying to change them as cricketers but rather how I can make them available to pass on information to other players to be leaders.”The likes of Quinton de Kock will form the senior group of players under Boucher’s care•Getty ImagesMorkel, Kuhn, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, Dean Elgar, David Wiese and Henry Davids offer Boucher an experienced core to work with, but he is more excited about the young talent he has the opportunity to develop.”I am very impressed with Junior Dala. He has got good pace and a great attitude. I can see him opening the bowling with Kagiso Rabada in future,” Boucher said. “Then there is a guy called Eldred Hawken, who has come from the same area as Dale Steyn, from Tzaneen. He has also got pace and he is quite raw. And then guys like Grant Mokoena and Aiden Markram have a lot of potential.”Boucher has taken the job at a crucial time in South African cricket. Transformation targets are taking the attention away from any other topical issues in the sport. Franchise and provincial teams are required to field six players of colour, of whom at least three must be black African. The guidelines have created challenges for coaches to find the right balance. Boucher is not blind to that and wants to do his bit for change. “I understand the dynamics of the country I live in. I don’t make the rules. Titans don’t make the rules. If I didn’t feel I had the character to manage some of the different scenarios that may come up, I would not have taken the job.”Aside from everything else, there is the obvious expectation to win competitions. Titans won both the first-class and 20-over trophies last season, which leaves little for Boucher to improve on but gives him the perfect opportunity to show what he can do in this new role.”Rob was fantastic and I will be reaping the benefits of it. Titans have always had an excellent work ethic and culture. If I can improve every player by 10%, I will be happy with that.”

England and India have a long history of animosity, and this series is proving as feisty as many that have preceded it

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali28-Nov-20163:23

Ganguly: India’s lower-order stands provided the killer blow

England’s tour of India has provided richly competitive cricket, during the course of which a few additional contests have emerged.On the first day, Ben Stokes exchanged words with Virat Kohli following his first-innings dismissal, and later in the day the ICC reprimanded him. On the second day, Stokes had Kohli caught behind and celebrated by putting his hand over his mouth in a pointed gesture.”You know, there’s been a bit of friction between the two,” Adil Rashid said when asked about the incident in the post-match press conference.On the third day, when Stokes was ruled lbw by DRS, Kohli responded with a pointed gesture of his own, as he began waving his arms to try and catch the attention of someone at the Pavilion End, and then put his finger on his lips.”It’s up to him, isn’t it?” Jonny Bairstow said when asked what he thought of the Indian captain’s celebrations. “He’s obviously quite a vocal character. But that’s Virat. He gets a bit wound up. We’ll leave him to it. If he wants to do that, let him do that. And we’ll go about our business as we have over a period of time. But yes. If he wants to do that and let the crowd do that, then let him.”Joe Root and R Ashwin have had a running battle as well. Root has been standing very straight at the non-striker’s end – presumably to help with DRS calls – but it has also meant that Ashwin cannot get across to field the ball when it is defended into the leg side. Once it hit Root’s bat and went to mid-on.Joe Root and R Ashwin have been at loggerheads in this Test•AFPAshwin complained to umpire Chris Gaffaney about Root’s positioning, but nothing could be done because non-striking batsman are well within their right to stand wherever they want. Root seemed well aware of this fact – after he had been given licence to carry on, he was caught by the camera winking and smiling.”I don’t think there’s anything in that, to be honest with you,” Bairstow said. “The standing straight is standing straight. You can stand anywhere you want. I don’t think there’s a set thing to stand there at the moment. It is not a set play to try to unsettle anyone or anything like that. It’s just that we fancy standing a bit straight.”There has been a difference of opinion in terms of tactics as well. Cheteshwar Pujara said England were negative in the second session on the second day when their fast bowlers were bowling outside off stump, generating reverse swing and keeping the runs down. Ravindra Jadeja echoed the same comments on Monday. “They were bowling very boring lines, outside off, outside off, outside off.”But Bairstow had a counter: “At some point you’ve got to control the rate, haven’t you? At the same time we got wickets from bowling that. So are you going to bowl to someone’s strength or are you going to bowl to someone’s weakness? Two different options to take. Someone’s very strong straight, you don’t bowl straight, someone’s very strong with the short ball, you don’t bowl short to them. Different options to take. Different phases of play you go through. That was just a phase in play and something I thought worked really well.”One final potential flashpoint was the appeal against Murali Vijay for obstructing the field when James Anderson fielded a defensive push off his own bowling and aimed a shy at the stumps. The same sequence happened later in the innings with Jadeja at the crease, only this time without the appeal. Neither Vijay nor Jadeja moved deliberately to block the path of the throw so neither were in any danger of dismissal.

Stats highlights from the opening day in Port Elizabeth, which witnessed a rare century opening stand, and several batsmen getting out after getting starts

S Rajesh26-Dec-20161970 The last time before today that South Africa had a century opening stand in a Test in Port Elizabeth: Eddie Barlow and Barry Richards had added 157 against Australia in March that year. In 26 opening partnerships at this ground since then and before this Test, South Africa’s highest had been 98, and their average stand was 23.26.5 Instances of South Africa’s top five all being dismissed between 20 and 65 in a Test innings; there have only been three such instances since their readmission to international cricket, and all three have been at home: against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein in 1999, against Pakistan in Johannesburg in 2013, and this Test.43 The previous highest partnership between Stephen Cook and Dean Elgar, in eight Test innings. They had an aggregate of 164 partnership runs in those eight innings, at an average of 20.50.49.92 Hashim Amla’s career average; he needs to score 62 in the second innings (if dismissed) to ensure his average stays on the right side of 50. The last time Amla’s career average dropped below 50 at the end of a Test match was in November 2012. In his last 16 Tests, he has averaged 34.62, with only five 50-plus scores in 24 innings.19 Instances of JP Duminy being out lbw, out of 53 dismissals in Tests. His percentage of lbw dismissals (36%) is the highest among batsmen who have been dismissed at least 50 times in Tests.4/62 Suranga Lakmal’s figures at the end of the first day, currently his best figures in Tests. The only other instance of him taking a four-for in Tests was against Pakistan in Dubai in 2014, when he took 4 for 78.

Never let it be said that our Twitter round-up is short on life-changing advice

Alex Bowden06-Jan-2017

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Hmm. What? Don’t know what you’re on about.So it’s 2017 then. Will the new year bring changes? Will Shaun Pollock finally renounce his long-standing habit of tweeting trite sayings all the time?

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Unless he was just trying to get the last of it out of his system, we’ll take that as a no.What about Chris Gayle. Is he likely to tone things down a touch in the coming year?

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Again, that’s probably a no.Will Shane Warne stop pushing his faintly creepy Warnemojis?

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No.Will Michael Clarke develop a decent sense of humour?

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No.Will Ahmad Shahzad stop quoting himself?

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No.Will Umar Akmal stop publishing faintly ridiculous photos of himself pretty much daily?

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No.You start to ask yourself in what sense this year is actually “new”. Seems much the same as the old one.We suppose that all that has really changed is that another year has passed.

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‘s Jonathan Agnew was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours. And he’d like it acknowledged.

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But apparently theirs isn’t a unique relationship. It seems that all you have to do to earn such a unique gift is be a BBC sports broadcaster.

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If this is a bit lowbrow, you might want to skip the next tweet too.

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Somewhere in the world there is always a cricketer complaining about air travel on someone else’s behalf.

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Elsewhere in the world there is always a cricketer complaining about jet lag – or boasting about their ability to evade it.

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Even if they aren’t doing so in words.

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Although those plane-sleeping skills are perhaps more a result of circumstance, because a few hours earlier…

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We think you’ll agree that’s a pretty strong way to finish. We can’t imagine for a minute that Mark Richardson would deem such an outro “social media crap”.

Plays of the day from the third ODI between England and South Africa

George Dobell at Lord's29-May-2017Ball of the day
There has not been much evidence of swing from the white ball in English domestic cricket this season. But Wayne Parnell proved that, if the conditions are right, movement can still be found by a skilful bowler with a new white ball. He produced a beauty to account for Joe Root: full and swinging in late, it beat Root’s attempted flick to midwicket and trapped him leg before. Perhaps Root might have survived had he played it straighter but it was, by any standards, a fine ball. Eoin Morgan, who received one that demanded a stroke and left him to take the outside edge, was similarly dealt with.Catch of the day
South Africa’s catching has not, by their high standards, been at its best this series. So they will have been delighted by the reliability of the slip cordon here, with several sharp chances taken. Best of them all arguably was Faf du Plessis’ head-high take at second slip to account for Jos Buttler. The batsman, perhaps attempting to hit the ball too hard, managed a thick edge as the ball left him, meaning it flew to du Plessis’ left at great pace. But he clung on and England slipped to 20 for 5.Deja-vu moment of the day
Having seen Alex Hales and Buttler fall in the same manner – attempting lavish drives at deliveries that left them just a touch down the slope – you might have thought that Adil Rashid would take a slightly more cautious approach. But no, Rashid attempted an equally ambitious drive to his first delivery and, once again, was defeated by a fraction of movement and edged to the slip cordon. It left Kagiso Rabada on a hat-trick and England on 20 for 6 – the only time in the history of ODI cricket a side has lost six wickets within the first five overs. With England committed to an aggressive approach, which has served them well in recent times, it was probably the sort of incident that was bound to occur sooner or later. But it was a reminder that, when the ball moves, England remain a little vulnerable.Shot of the day
With both sides making a host of changes ahead of more important battles looming in the near future, Toby Roland-Jones won a maiden international cap for England. He had relatively little opportunity to impress with the ball – by the time he came on, South Africa had this game all but won, though he showed good pace, beat the bat a few times and claimed a memorable maiden wicket in Hashim Amla – but he impressed most with the bat. Scoring an unbeaten 37 – the second-highest of the England innings – he played one shot in particular that hinted at real class with the bat. It was not the pulled six off Chris Morris, impressive though that was, but an on-driven four off the same bowler that would have pleased any of the great batsmen who have played at this ground over the years. It was especially impressive coming from a No. 9 on debut. He was also the first man with a hyphen in his name to make an England debut since Mandy Mitchell-Innes in 1935.Record of the day
When Amla reached 23, he became the fastest man in the history of ODI cricket to achieve 7000 runs in terms of innings played. Amla reached the landmark in his 150th innings, beating the previous record of Virat Kohli, who took 161 innings. AB de Villiers is third in the table, having taken 166 innings. Amla is also the fastest man in ODI history to the landmarks of 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 runs.

India thumped New Zealand by 186 runs to book a place in the tournament’s semis for the fourth time

Shiva Jayaraman15-Jul-2017186 Runs India won this match by – their biggest win when batting first in the Women’s World Cup. Overall, there have been only three other instances when India have won by a bigger margin when batting first in women’s ODIs. They had beaten Ireland by a 249-run margin in an ODI in May this year, which is their biggest margin of victory.5/15 Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s figures in this match – India’s best in the Women’s World Cup. Ekta Bisht had taken 5 for 18 at the same venue in an earlier match against Pakistan, which was the previous best. Click here for a list of the best match figures in women’s ODIs for India, and here for a list of the best hauls in the Women’s World Cup.7 Fifty-plus scores by Mithali Raj as India’s captain in the World Cup – the most by any captain in the tournament. She went past Suzie Bates’ and Belinda Clark’s tally of six with her 109 in this match. Overall, Raj’s tally of 11 fifty-plus scores in the World Cup is the joint second-highest by any batsman. New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley has made 12 such scores. England’s Charlotte Edwards is the other batsman with 11 such scores.155.55 Veda Krishnamurthy’s strike rate in her 45-ball 70 in this match – the second-highest for an India batsman in an innings of 50 or more runs in women’s ODIs. Rumeli Dhar’s 31-ball 50 against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final in 2008 is the only innings that ranks higher.1086 Runs Raj has made in the Women’s World Cup – the fifth-highest by any batsman. She is only the fifth batsman to make 1000 runs in the Women’s World Cup. Her average of 57.15 among the five to hit 1000-plus runs in the World Cup is the second highest after Belinda Clark, who made 1151 runs at 60.57.2 Hundreds by Raj in the World Cup – the joint-highest by a captain. Suzie Bates and Charlotte Edwards also have hit two hundreds each. Overall, this was Raj’s sixth hundred in ODIs. No other India batsman has made more than two.1 Number of times India had beaten New Zealand from 11 matches before this in the Women’s World Cup. The only previous win had come in the semi-finals of the 2005 World Cup. Overall, New Zealand have a 27-17 win-loss record against India in women’s ODIs.80 New Zealand’s previous lowest all-out total in the Women’s World Cup, which had also come against India, in 1982. New Zealand, however, had won that match.3 Player-of-the-match awards won by Raj as captain in the World Cup – the joint second-highest by any captain. Only Belinda Clark’s tally of four such awards is more than Raj’s. England’s Charlotte Edwards has also won three. Overall, Raj has won five such awards in the tournament, the joint second-highest.3 World Cup semi-finals played by India before this edition. They have made it to this stage every time the Women’s World Cup has had a round of semi-finals. Including this edition, India have made it to the top four in five of the last six World Cups. They had failed to make it to the Super-Six stage in 2013.