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The trio shares nine wickets to bowl out Central Districts for 92 in 14.2 overs in a chase of 159

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2025Guyana Amazon Warriors opened their account in Global Super League 2025 with a thumping 66-run win over Central Districts in Providence. The win took Warriors to the top of the points table, at least for the time being, while Central Districts are at the bottom with two defeats in two games.The star of the show for Warriors were their bowlers: Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius and David Wiese. Tahir picked up 4 for 23, Pretorius 3 for 18 and Wiese 2 for 13, as Central Districts were bowled out for a mere 92 in 14.2 overs in their chase of 159.Earlier, Central Districts won the toss and opted to field. They removed Johnson Charles and Moeen Ali cheaply but Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jewel Andrew added 84 off 63 balls for the third wicket. Andrew was run out for 45 off 29 in the 15th over and Gurbaz fell for 58 off 47 in the next. The incoming batters could not step up and Warriors could manage only 28 in the last four overs.Central Districts, though, never got going in their chase. Pretorius removed Dane Cleaver in the very first over and by the end of the powerplay, the scoreboard read 23 for 4. There was no coming back from there.Tahir hurt them further with two wickets in the 13th over. Two overs later, Wiese wrapped up the innings with the wicket of opener Will Young, who top-scored with 26 off 29 balls.

A potentially spicy final week of this exciting tour is now upon us

Sidharth Monga13-Dec-20250:57

Chopra: No cricketing reason to promote Axar to No.3

Big picture – India under rare pressure

South Africa’s win over India in New Chandigarh was pretty significant. It was only the third match India have lost out of 17 this year. It was the first time they won the toss and still lost since January. They went the whole last year with a single defeat after winning the toss.While it might be prudent to ignore the meltdown the country went into at just the third loss in a year in a fickle format, India will need to address issues. Was the reason behind promoting a spin disruptor, Axar Patel, against high pace a good one? What does Suryakumar Yadav need to do to get some runs? How do they get Marco Jansen out of their hair?From stunning India in the Tests to taking the ODI series to a decider to putting the hosts under pressure in T20Is, South Africa are having an unbelievable tour of India. They are yet to get the better of Varun Chakravarthy, but to score 0 for 45 off Jasprit Bumrah is half the battle.A potentially spicy final week of this exciting tour is now upon us.

Form guide

India LWWWL
South Africa WLLLW2:29

Ryan ten Doeschate has faith that Gill, Suryakumar ‘will come good’

In the spotlight – Donovan Ferreira and Jasprit Bumrah

Before New Chandigarh, Bumrah had never been hit for four sixes in a single T20I innings. A lot of it was down to Donovan Ferreira, who scored 17 off 6 off Bumrah, the best strike-rate for a batter against Bumrah in a T20I where they went at each other for six balls or more. He took Bumrah for two sixes, the joint-highest any batter has done in a single T20I. In the final equation, it was this assault that made it a bridge too far for India. There will likely be a repeat of this contest since Bumrah is a death bowler and Ferreira a lower-middle-order batter. Who will come out on top this time?Related

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Team news – Changes only if conditions ask for them

India might have lost comprehensively but their combination was hardly at fault. Don’t expect much to change unless they want more batting depth or extra spin options.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt.), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah.South Africa might bring back Anrich Nortje for Lutho Sipamla; the spinner slot might be a toss-up between Keshav Maharaj and George Linde, who have both played a match each.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram (capt.), 3 Tristan Stubbs/ Reeza Hendricks, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Donovan Ferreira, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 George Linde/ Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lungi Ngidi/ Corbin Borsch, 10 Ottneil Baartman, 11 Anrich Nortje/ Lutho Sipamla

Pitch and conditions – All about the chase

Dharamsala is a tough venue to defend totals. Of the five T20Is with results that were played at night, four have been won by the chasing side. The cold temperatures – single digits possibly – could bring in assistance for fast bowlers.

Stats and trivia

• Varun Chakravarthy is one wicket short of 50 in T20Is. Among players from ICC Full Member teams, only Kuldeep Yadav, Rashid Khan, Ajantha Mendis and Imran Tahir have 50 or more wickets at a better average than Varun’s 15.38.
• At 76 wickets, Lungi Ngidi is one behind Kagiso Rabada and 13 behind South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is: Tabraiz Shamsi.

Quotes

“On a night when he’s off you got to take what you can get because I don’t know when you can get it again. He’s a world-class performer and I’m sure he’ll be back to his best again tomorrow night or maybe later in the series.”

Since they last won the title, Sydney Sixers have consistently reached the finals but stumbled short of the prize

Andrew McGlashan25-Jan-2025Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has called for the club to take a hard look at why they have stumbled in finals over recent seasons after falling to crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder in the Challenger on Friday, but he refused to blame the absence of key players on Australia Test duty.Sixers had given themselves a double chance of reaching Monday’s final by finishing second in the regular season but lost to Hobart Hurricanes in the Qualifier before coming up short against Thunder at the SCG.It meant that since winning the second of back-to-back titles in the 2020-21 season, they have won just two out of nine matches in finals series.Related

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“Unfortunately we’ve saved our worst two performances for the last two games of the year,” he said. “We do have to have a look at how we’ve performed in finals the last three years because I don’t think our record is great now. We gave ourselves two chances this year because of how well we played throughout the year. We had two chances last year as well and two chances the year before.”I am proud that we’ve got a group that consistently puts us in a position to win the tournament and gives us the very best opportunity at the end of the league games to go on and win but unfortunately this year we weren’t good enough.”Henriques said the debrief on the season would start straightaway. After the final there is a ten-day trade window where out-of-contract players from other clubs can be signed. Sixers head into that period with ten on their list – the maximum permitted – leaving Jackson Bird, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti and Kurtis Patterson as those who are free agents.”It’s the high pressure nature of sport that you can’t always perform when you want to,” Henriques said. “Why we’ve been not able to play our best in these games is something we’re going to have to have a look at and definitely discuss for a while after the game because we’re not rushing off to anywhere. There’s a lot to learn from the last couple of days.”Some of the best learnings are in these situations because a lot of that group is going to be around again next year and hopefully we can put ourselves in a position next year to challenge again.”Steven Smith was available for three matches this season where he made a spectacular 121 not out followed by 52 but, along with Todd Murphy and Sean Abbott, left after the regular season for Australia’s training camp in Dubai ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.When Sixers won the first of the back-to-back titles in the 2019-2020 season, they had Smith, Nathan Lyon (who is now with Melbourne Renegades) and Josh Hazlewood (currently recovering from injury) available for the finals along with their regular key names.”It’s a really tough one,” Henriques said when asked about the overlapping schedules. “I think the pinnacle of cricket is playing international sport for your country and we’re very proud of the three guys that get selected. That’s obviously not including Starcy and Josh Hazlewood.”That’s a feather in our cap as a squad that they want to play cricket for our team and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I still feel like we’ve got players that can win us the match when they go away.”I said before the last game to the group, even though we only had 12 players, somehow it was still a headache to try and pick 11 because of what I believe to be the quality of this group and the quality of players that we have.”In the 2020-21 final, James Vince produced the match-winning hand of 95 against Perth Scorchers and has remained a regular with the club but left early for the ILT20, as did West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. The other draft signing was young English legspinner Jafer Chohan who stood out when he came into the side, returning 2 for 28 and 2 for 22 the two finals, conceding just one boundary in each game.”He’s been really impressive,” Henriques said. “He sat patiently waiting for a game. I think through the four matches that he played, I couldn’t remember one bad ball, which, for a wristspinner, is just extraordinary. I think he’s got a big future ahead of him.”

Starc showed signs of discomfort at the MCG, and went for scans on Wednesday, but he also spent time in the gym in the lead-up to the SCG Test

Andrew McGlashan01-Jan-20252:11

Clarke: ‘Freakish’ debut for Konstas

Mitchell Starc has been termed one of Australia’s “toughest” cricketers as he was backed to be fit for the Sydney Test after having maintained speeds above 140kph in Melbourne despite battling a back problem.Starc first showed signs of discomfort in the first innings at the MCG, but was able to play a key role in the dramatic victory push where he claimed Virat Kohli on the final day. Starc went for scans on Wednesday, but he also spent time in the gym during what became an optional training session where none of the bowlers who played in Melbourne turned their arm over.Normally, Australia have their main training session two days out from a Test but have tweaked their build-up given the short turnaround between the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, and the heavier workload at the MCG.”He’ll be fine. He’ll push through,” Alex Carey said. “I’ve played with Starcy for a long time now, and [he’s] one of the toughest cricketers I’ve played with. He’ll grimace, he’ll grab his rib no doubt, but he’ll be ready for the contest.”Related

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Starc has been lauded for his consistency across this series, with Ricky Ponting regularly saying he has never seen him bowl better. He has 15 wickets at 28.73 in the four Tests and was unfortunate not to claim more than the one wicket at the MCG.”I thought first spell [in the second innings] without the reward was some of the best bowling I’ve seen this series from him,” Carey said. “He’s a quality player and has been for a long time. He’s got an opportunity now to help this team in a Test match. He’ll be up for the contest, and I think his bowling’s just gotten better throughout the series.”Overall, Starc’s numbers have faded towards the end of long Test campaigns, with his average in the fourth and fifth matches at 41.82, whereas it is 25.91 across the first three games of a series. He has also struggled at the SCG, his home ground, with nine Tests having brought 24 wickets at 44.16 on a surface that hasn’t always offered much encouragement for the quicks, although Carey said it was reasonably well grassed two days out from this match.Should Starc not be able to take his place in the XI, it would open the door for Jhye Richardson to play his first Test since the 2021-22 Ashes. He featured for Perth Scorchers on New Year’s Day, where he bowled with pace and movement to claim 3 for 29 against Adelaide Strikers before rejoining the Test team in Sydney.Sean Abbott is the other reserve quick in the squad, and would add more depth to the batting order if he were handed a debut as one of three seamers.”Whenever we have put someone in the spotlight, the true Aussie way is to show them how good we are”•AFP/Getty Images

The other player under scrutiny heading into the final men’s Test of the home summer is Mitchell Marsh, who has made 73 runs in the series, with uncapped allrounder Beau Webster remaining part of the squad. However, as with those who have been in focus during the series – the likes of Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith – Marsh has been backed to make an impact.”Whenever we have put someone in the spotlight, the true Aussie way is to show them how good we are,” Carey said. “So I think it is Mitch’s time.”After his thrilling debut in Melbourne, Sam Konstas will also be the focus of much attention after leaving an impression both with the bat and in the field. He was the only frontline batter not to have a hit at training on Wednesday.”I was a spectator that first session,” Carey said. “I probably had the emotions of the 90,000 that were there. At times I couldn’t watch it, at times I was cheering.”But just the energy he brought, it was something different. I probably wasn’t expecting that amount of difference, but he played a style of cricket that was probably new to India as well.”We’ll wait and see how we plays out here. I don’t think that’s his blueprint every Test match, but to be able to throw a few punches early and get a bit of momentum for us, which the opening partnership was probably just lacking that intensity.”I thought Nathan [McSweeney] and Usman [Khawaja] got us through tough situations as well by facing lots of balls. Sam was able to score a little bit, so hopefully another opportunity in front of his home fans.”Weather is often a talking point around Sydney Tests and, with the series poised at 2-1, could shape as an important factor. Currently the first three days look fine and settled, but there is a greater chance of showers on Monday and Tuesday.Mitchell Starc was often spotted stretching his back at the MCG•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

A draw would be enough for Australia to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade, but would leave them short of cementing a place in the World Test Championship final before the Sri Lanka tour at the end of January.”[It would be] reward for 24 months of really solid cricket,” Carey said. “[It is] a group that is extremely experienced, skilful, [with] Australian legends amongst it, who are continuing to surprise us with how good they are… but we can’t look too far ahead.”We know it’s a really quality outfit in India, who have shown they are well and truly capable of bouncing back. So for this group, it’s head down, another opportunity to win a Test match, and if are able to secure the trophy it would be fantastic.”It is hoped that the first three days at the SCG, the annual Pink Test to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation, will be a sellout following an Australian-record attendance across the Melbourne Test.

The surface for the second Test in Galle appears substantially drier than the track used for the first match, which Australia won by a massive margin

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Feb-2025″The wicket was very good last time. I’m hoping it will turn more in this match.”When a Sri Lanka captain says this in Galle on the eve of a Test, there might be a dustbowl in the offing. What is clear is that the surface Sri Lanka and Australia are set to play the second Test on appears substantially drier than the track they played the first match on.Partly, this is down to bright conditions in the lead-up. Where the days before the first Test had been beset by rain, this pitch has more or less baked in ferocious heat since the first match ended, on Saturday.Related

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There is also the theory that producing pitches that only break up after days three and four offers too substantial an advantage to the side batting first. Sri Lanka want to avoid conceding another score in the realm of 654 for 6 declared, which deflated them in the first Test. They are seeking an advantage and have fallen back to what they tend to rely on in Galle: big turn.”Our strength is spin,” Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva said. “If you look through the history in Galle, a lot of spinners have been among the wickets, and hopefully ours can be effective.”The problem for Sri Lanka is that Australia have learned to thrive in spinning conditions as well. Their bowlers might have had the better bowling conditions in the first Test, but they made the unusual move of strapping three frontline spinners to the plow, and between them, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy shared 17 wickets, dismissing Sri Lanka for 165 and 247.Australia have been outspoken about their having prepared for “extreme” surfaces as well as flatter ones, partly through their week-long training camp in Dubai. Steven Smith revealed ahead of this Test that it was India’s spin-blueprint in Asia that Australia had chosen to emulate, to some extent. Devising bowling strategy around three frontline spinners is not a challenge that many Australia captains have had to contend with, but on the evidence of the first Test, Smith has been relishing it.”Looks a very dry surface and I dare say it will take a reasonable amount of spin,” Smith said. “In these conditions, it’s great to have more than two options of guys who can take wickets and build pressure. If you look at India, who have done it so well, they’ve had R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, and either Kuldeep Yadav or Jayant Yadav or Axar Patel – someone who bowls good spin – with them in their line-up.”In these conditions, it’s tiring for a spinner as well. It’s hot and humid out there, and you can get tired bowling spin as well as pace. If a batter looks comfortable against a bowler, you can take that bowler off and get someone else in. Even if a new bowler takes a wicket early in the spell, you can go back to the other guy, which is what India have done so well for a number of years. I just have a similar philosophy. “Australia’s batting against spin has also improved substantially, particularly since the 2016 tour of Sri Lanka, which they lost 3-0. Smith said many Australia batters’ exposure to big-spinning conditions – even through the T20 leagues in Asia – has helped raise their game.Ramesh Mendis has been recalled, and could slot into Sri Lanka’s XI straightaway•AFP/Getty Images

“Even in one-day tours you can get similar wickets in the nets to what you get out there,” Smith said. “Last time we played in Colombo in one-dayers, the ball was ragging all over the place. For guys that play IPL and things like that, and you can get nets there that can be extreme, you just learn on the go through those experiences. It’s almost been attack before defence and thinking proactively. I thought we did that magnificently in the first Test.”Because of how enormous the winning margin was in the first Test – an innings and 242 runs – Sri Lanka now find themselves having to prove that their own batting in spinning conditions is up to scratch. And that their own bowlers can be penetrative in helpful conditions. Early signs are that this game could be a classic low-scoring Galle shootout.”In the first Test, a lot of our batters got starts but didn’t carry on,” de Silva said. “During the match and afterwards, what we’d talked about was that someone has to make 150 or 200, because then others can bat around him, and we can get to a big score. That’s what Australia did. I’m expecting that will happen for us in this match.”

He and Graham Clark put on 181 together to break their own record for Durham’s highest T20 stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Jul-2025Durham secured a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast as a record-breaking partnership from centurion Alex Lees and Graham Clark led them to a resounding nine-wicket win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Steelbacks won the toss and batted first and David Willey (62) exploited a platform set by Matthew Breetzke (52) with some destructive hitting, but an excellent spell from Matthew Potts helped reel Northants in late on as they finished on 203 for 5.Lees and Clark made an excellent start to the Durham chase as they raced to 100 within eight overs and they continued the charge as they broke the record for Durham’s highest T20 partnership, previously held by the same pair against the same team.They made the chase look easy, hitting 12 sixes between them in a partnership worth 181, while Lees reached his maiden T20 century as he steered his side home with plenty of time to spare.Northants started well, but there was a big let-off for them early on as Will Rhodes dropped Breetzke on 10 when the South African opener mistimed a pull shot off Potts. He made Durham pay for that mishap as he heaved a Codi Yusuf ball over the legside boundary for six to continue his positive start.Breetzke continued his onslaught as he smashed three consecutive balls from Yusuf for six, but Durham struck through Callum Parkinson as Ricardo Vasconcelos tried to smash one down the ground but he could only find Potts at long-off.Breetzke continued his side’s charge and he passed fifty from 31 balls, his fourth in the competition, but he then fell for a swashbuckling 52, with Nathan Sowter picking up the wicket as the opener holed out to Rhodes on the boundary.Willey then made the most of some short-pitched bowling from Parkinson as he smashed back-to-back sixes down the ground.The Northants skipper then reached his fifty from 25 balls with a six off the bowling of Sowter to continue his team’s charge towards a massive total.Willey then continued his devastating display of hitting as he smashed a Raine ball over the long-on boundary for six.Potts removed Ravi Bopara for a tidy 33 to halt the Northants charge, with a jumping David Bedingham taking a nice catch, and Willey’s excellent knock ended as he feathered a Potts ball through to Ollie Robinson for 62.Potts struck for a third time in the final over to remove George Bartlett, but the Steelbacks finished on a total of 203 for 5.In pursuit of 204, Lees and Clark got off to a solid start, with the former clubbing a Ben Sanderson delivery down the ground for four.Lees then pulled off an inventive shot as he scooped a Willey ball for six and he backed that up with one that he whipped away for four.The Durham skipper sent George Scrimshaw’s first ball into the stands as he produced an excellent pull shot and he did the same thing with the following ball.Clark then pulled a Luke Procter ball for six as the hosts raced to 78 without loss in the powerplay, while Lees reached his half-century from 23 balls at the other end.Clark then heaved a Sanderson ball for six to reach his half-century from 26 balls as Durham continued their charge.Clark pummeled a Lloyd Pope delivery down the ground for six and Lees followed that up with two more blows over the long-on boundary.Lees then hit a beautiful cover drive off the bowling of Procter for four, but the partnership was finally broken by Procter as Clark went for 79 as he miscued a ramp shot and was caught behind.Lees then reached his century from 48 balls and guided his team home with 21 balls to spare.

Australia captain ruled out of all white-ball cricket before the Ashes after a scan revealed ‘lumbar bone stress’ following ongoing back soreness post the Caribbean tour

Alex Malcolm02-Sep-20251:10

Bailey: ‘Expect Cummins to be fit for first Ashes Test’

Pat Cummins’ Ashes preparation has been compromised after a scan revealed lumbar bone stress in his lower back which has ruled him out of the three white-ball series against New Zealand and India. It leaves the potential that he won’t play any cricket ahead of the England series which starts on November 21 in Perth.Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI captain, has not played since the Test tour of the Caribbean where his bowling workloads were significantly lower than usual. He missed the five T20Is against West Indies and both series against South Africa that followed which was a long-held plan to given him a 10-week physical build-up to the Test summer in a similar vein to last year.Related

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But Cummins experienced some back soreness post the Caribbean tour that lingered much longer than expected and a routine scan on Monday showed the bone stress, otherwise known as a hot spot, which can be a precursor to a stress fracture. However, he has been cleared of any fracture in his lower spine and there remains confidence he will be fit for the opening Test against England.”There always was a de-load planned for him post that West Indies Test series, and then he’s just reported that he had a little bit of ongoing back soreness as part of that, and [the scan] just identified a little bit of lumbar bone stress,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “I think the focus for him has and will continue to be just preparation for that [Ashes] Test series.”So there’ll just be some further management and a little bit of rehab around that. But in terms of plan for the Ashes, I don’t think too much will change. There still feels like there’s plenty of time. But there’s full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test.”Cummins was plagued by stress fractures across the first six years of his international career and did not play a Test match between his debut in 2011 and his second Test in India in 2017.Since that time he has been incredibly durable with various minor issues, including an ankle injury and a hamstring issue, being managed without him missing large chunks of cricket.This back issue will be a concern given his overall bowling loads have been much lower in 2025. He had bowled 400-plus overs in all cricket in each of the last three calendar years but has only bowled 175.1 overs through nine months of 2025, including just 95.1 across the four Tests recently in June and July against South Africa and West Indies. Even with a handful of ODIs and a possible planned Sheffield Shield game as well as the first four Ashes Test before the end of the year he was likely to fall well short of 400 overs this year.Pat Cummins has missed very few Tests since returning to the side in 2017•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

Cummins went into last summer deliberately underdone playing one 50-over match for New South Wales and two ODIs against Pakistan before the first Test against India. He was rusty as a result in the first Test in Perth when Australia were beaten heavily. But his freshness showed at the back end of the series as he was Player of the Match in the fourth Test in Melbourne and took five key wickets in the final Test in Sydney while India’s Jasprit Bumrah went down with a back injury following an unsustainable bowling load.Cummins said after the West Indies series in July this year that he planned to play in New Zealand and then against India in the ODIs, as well as potentially play a Sheffield Shield game.He now has just 11 weeks for the hot spot to settle and it would seem highly unlikely, although not impossible, that he could play any cricket before the Ashes starts. There is a domestic one-day game between NSW and Queensland in Sydney on November 3 that could present a chance for some capped competitive overs if his back has settled in time, without being locked into a four-day Sheffield Shield game. NSW’s last Sheffield Shield match before the first Test, against Victoria at the SCG, starts on November 10.”I think he’s one, certainly skill wise, that has entered summers at different stages without a great amount of match balls at different times,” Bailey said. “Given how far out we are there’s the potential for some Shield cricket in the lead-up. There’s still options there. If it got to the stage where they were taken off the table, I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level.”The injury also presents a possibility that Cummins will not be able to play and captain all five Tests. There are eight-day breaks following each of the first and second Tests but those breaks shorten to just four days after the third and fourth, putting major strain on the ability of fast bowlers on both sides to back up later in the series.Steven Smith will likely captain Australia if Cummins were to miss any of the Tests. Smith led Australia in the two Tests against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka earlier this year when Cummins missed due to an ankle issue and the birth of his second child. Smith also captained one Test in the last Ashes series in Australia in December 2021 when Cummins was ruled out of the second match in Adelaide due to the Covid-19 rules in place at the time.Overall, Smith has captained six times in Cummins’ absence since returning to the vice-captaincy in 2021. Travis Head is also formally a Test vice-captain but it would be unlikely he would be called upon to deputise if Smith is in the XI.Steven Smith would likely captain if Pat Cummins missed a Test•Getty Images

On a bowling front, Australia have a ready-made replacement in Scott Boland, but should another injury occur to either Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc then the likes of Michael Neser and the uncapped pair of Brendan Doggett and Sean Abbott will come into the frame.Jhye Richardson is hopeful he can be fit by the time the Ashes starts but he is recovering from shoulder surgery and has only just started bowling again and won’t be able to throw properly. Lance Morris is out for the summer after opting to have back surgery following another stress fracture.Hazlewood and Starc’s management will become critical in the lead into the Ashes. Starc’s retirement from T20Is means he will likely play the ODIs against India and at least one Shield game for New South Wales before the first Test, as he did last summer.Hazlewood will play the T20Is in New Zealand, but almost certainly won’t play all three in four days. He, too, will likely play some of the ODIs and at least one Shield game before Perth. Last summer he played one Shield game and one ODI but broke down with a side strain in Perth before returning for the third Test in Brisbane only to injure his calf and miss the rest of the summer.CA will also be extra vigilant in managing allrounder Cameron Green ahead of the Ashes as he returns to bowling for the first time since back surgery last year. Green will not tour New Zealand and will instead play the first Shield round for Western Australia starting on October 4. It is likely he will play three Shield games and potentially only one ODI before the Ashes begins to build up his bowling loads.Cummins’ back issue could also influence Australia’s selection in the Ashes. There had been a thought that Australia did not need the luxury of two allrounders in the same Ashes XI with Green’s return to bowling potentially making the in-form Beau Webster surplus to requirements. But having two allrounders in the same XI could significantly aid Cummins’ chances of playing while managing his workloads given Australia could have five genuine seam options plus Nathan Lyon to spread the overs across.

“Hitting the ball felt completely fine,” Steven Smith says of the training sessions with a hard cricket ball in a baseball cage in New York

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-2025Steven Smith got creative in his recovery from the finger injury that ruled him out of the first Test against West Indies, finding a baseball batting cage in New York where he was able to face throwdowns before rejoining the squad in Barbados.Smith suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger when he dropped Temba Bavuma at Lord’s during the World Test Championship final but, despite the gruesome nature of the injury which made Smith feel “sick” when he saw it with team-mates noting how he went pale, he avoided the need for surgery.Given he was limited in what he could do early in the recovery, and needed to be careful how much he sweated, he opted to travel the five hours to New York where he owns an apartment.Related

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Smith began facing tennis balls and soft cricket balls before moving to hard ones in his second session in the cage, sending the footage back to Barbados to the Australia medical staff, who were happy with his progress.”My mate actually told me about it, which was ideal because it was pretty warm there [in New York],” he said. “Underneath this bridge there was a batting cage, and he was able to throw me a few balls there, so it was good to be in the shade, it was pretty hot there.”After returning to the Caribbean, Smith had his stitches removed on Sunday and fitted with a thinner splint, which should make things easier when wearing batting gloves. He will have his first proper net against bowlers on Tuesday in Grenada, but was confident of being able to slot back into the side, which would mean Josh Inglis dropping out.”For me, it’ll just feel like training as normal, I think,” he said. “I don’t really feel any pain or anything. [It’s] just getting used to the splint on and the slight limited movement. It’s not too bad, I’ve got a lot of movement there now, so that feels good. Hitting the ball felt completely fine.”Fielding some balls in front of the wicket will probably be the strangest thing for me, I don’t think I’ve ever done that in a Test match. Fielding at either probably mid-on or mid-off or fine leg, is a bit different to standing at the second or first slip.”Smith watched the first Test closely and joked “there was probably a few occasions I was happy that I wasn’t out there,” given the amount the pitch was offering for the quick bowlers. He had sympathy with the challenges posed to the top order and, in a similar vein to coach Andrew McDonald, acknowledged it could take time for things to click for the likes of Sam Konstas, citing his own wait for a maiden Test century, which came in his 12th match and 23rd innings.”These guys are good players, there’s been a lot of talk around it but… we just need to give them an opportunity,” he said. “It doesn’t always come around straight away. We’ve just got to give them an opportunity and let them get used to playing in these conditions and in international cricket. These guys have some really good talent and I think they have bright futures.”The injury made Steven Smith feel “sick” when he saw it with team-mates noting how he went pale•Getty Images

The squad will travel to Grenada on Monday, where none of the current team has played before. The last time Australia were on the island was for a pair of ODIs in 2008. Due to the short turnaround between Tests, the incumbent fast bowlers are not expected to train much in the lead-up. Given his lack of batting in the last couple of weeks, Smith said he would likely have two sessions.The previous Test at the National Stadium was in 2022 when England toured. It was a low-scoring affair dominated by the pace bowlers. The visitors were bundled for 120 in their second innings as West Indies clinched the series 1-0 with the medium pace of Kyle Mayers claiming 5 for 18. Anything similar will leave left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann on the sidelines again. With Josh Hazlewood taking five wickets in Barbados, it would be a very tough call for the selectors should they opt to leave out a quick at any point in the series.West Indies’ former captain Kraigg Brathwaite will be playing his 100th Test, while Mitchell Starc will notch up No. 99 and could join the century club in Jamaica. Starc also needs nine more wickets to reach 400.

Punchy partnership with Jones breaks back of stiff 143-run chase at Buffalo Park

Firdose Moonda24-Nov-2024England 143 for 6 (Sciver-Brunt 59, Jones 31, Marx 3-19, de Klerk 2-20) beat South Africa 142 for 5 (de Klerk 29*, Dean 2-21) by four wicketsNat Sciver-Brunt brought up her 15th T20I half-century – the most by any non-opening batter in the women’s game – and ensured England took the opening honours on their tour of South Africa. She eclipsed an excellent allround effort by Nadine de Klerk, who scored a 19-ball 29 to push South Africa over 140 and took 2 for 20 to keep South Africa in it, but their bowling inexperience showed.In an XI without Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, who are both being rested for this series, South Africa’s discipline was under the microscope. Sune Luus opened the bowling for the first time in a T20I, and was one of three bowlers to concede at more than six runs an over. South Africa may also be disappointed with their batting effort. While six of their top seven got starts, no-one kicked on and they had no half-century stands.England, despite a sometimes messy effort in the field, put it together where it mattered most. Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones put on 50 for the fifth wicket, which was the key to their successful chase.Wolvaardt starts well but England get the openers early South Africa’s opening pair of Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits picked up from where they left off at the T20 World Cup, with a typically industrious start. Wolvaardt found the boundary off the second ball when Sciver-Brunt strayed down leg to be clipped behind square, where a misfield gave her four. She went on to cream Lauren Bell through the covers and smear Sophie Ecclestone over midwicket for two more boundaries in successive overs while Tazmin Brits only faced five balls in the first three overs. Wolvaardt looked dangerous until she advanced on Charlie Dean, missed a straight one and was bowled. Brits started to find her touch and took on Ecclestone with a confident sweep but her ambition got the better of her. Like Wolvaardt, Brits danced down the track and was beaten for pace, which gave Jones a simple stumping.England’s fielding: The ridiculous and the sublime Perhaps it was not quite that extreme but England’s full range was on display in the mid-section of South Africa’s innings. There were shades of their drops against West Indies in the T20 World Cup semi-final when an Anneke Bosch chance slipped through Sciver-Brunt’s fingers at deep backward square. Bosch, on 13, swung at a Sarah Glenn delivery and hit it with the wind, which may have been what foxed Sciver-Brunt despite being in a good position to take the catch. That only cost England five runs before Bosch was bowled by Freya Kemp. In the next over, Ecclestone timed her movements well to take the catch that dismissed Sune Luus for a duck. Luus, who only has one 50 from her last 15 T20I innings, hit Dean in the air to mid-off, where Ecclestone had to move left and jump to take a sharp catch, and did so with ease.De Klerk’s cameo South Africa’s hundred came up in the 16th over, when the 36-run stand between Annerie Dercksen and Nondumiso Shangase was broken, which gave de Klerk four overs to show off her finishing skills. Her first boundary was a strong sweep off Bell but she was kept quiet until the last ball of the penultimate over when she hit Ecclestone’s final ball to fine leg. De Klerk took control in the last over when she hit Bell for two more boundaries in an 18-run over, to finish unbeaten on 29 off 16 balls. Her 42-run sixth-wicket partnership with Dercksen was South Africa’s highest of the match and pushed them over 140.Sophie Ecclestone takes the plaudits after catching Sune Luus•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Hlubi’s horror start It is only Ayanda Hlubi’s third T20I match so it’s difficult to be too harsh on her but she seemed to struggle with her run-up and rhythm immediately. Her first ball was short and down leg and Maia Bouchier helped it on its way for four. Then, she overstepped. Bouchier popped the free hit up to mid-off (who dropped it, though it didn’t matter), but two balls later, Hlubi overstepped again. And then again. Bouchier could not take advantage of any of the free hits and the over finally ended after nine deliveries with England 11 without loss. Hlubi’s second over was more disciplined but her third cost 22 runs, including another no-ball that was hit for four by Jones, who launched the resultant free hit for the innings’ only six.How low can you go? Buffalo Park is not known for its bounce and tends to get slower and lower as matches go on. That’s exactly what happened through England’s innings as Eliz-Mari Marx, on comeback, took full advantage. When Bouchier premeditated a switch-hit of sorts over backward point, in the fifth over, and missed, Marx bowled her but her came when she was brought back on in the 11th over. Marx stunned England captain Heather Knight, who stayed back in her crease to a full delivery, and inside-edged onto her stumps. England were 65 for 4 in the 11th over, and needed 78 runs inside 10 overs to win.No getting past Nat Sciver-Brunt Some of the others may have looked rusty but Sciver-Brunt was in fine touch as early as the second ball she faced. She punched it off the back foot through the covers to get going. Her ease against South Africa’s spinners saw her score 33 runs off the 31 balls she faced against them and her dominant on-side play meant South Africa could not plug the gaps quickly enough. Sciver-Brunt scored 48 of her 59 runs in the on-side, including five of her seven boundaries. She scored 20 runs off 15 balls in the last five overs, to keep England in touch with the required run-rate and clear the path for a win.

Cameron Green will return to bowling duties while eyes will be on whether South Australia can defend their title

Alex Malcolm and Andrew McGlashan02-Oct-2025

New South Wales

Captain Jack Edwards
Coach Greg ShipperdSquad Sean Abbott, Charlie Anderson (R), Pat Cummins (CA), Joel Davies, Oliver Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matt Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Ryan Hicks (R), Riley Kingsell (R), Sam Konstas (CA), Nathan Lyon (CA), Nic Maddinson, Blake Nikitaras, Jack Nisbet, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, William Salzmann, Tanveer Sangha, Jake Scott (R), Lachlan Shaw, Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc (CA), Charlie Stobo, Chris Tremain, Adam Zampa (CA)CA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Charlie Stobo (WA), Riley Kingsell, Jake Scott
Out Jackson Bird (Tasmania), Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr (Queensland)Last season FourthHow they shape upThey were in the mix for the final into the last round but ultimately finished with one win fewer than the previous season. The loss of Jackson Bird to Tasmania leaves a significant hole in the pace attack after he claimed 34 wickets at 17.20. They will hope Charlie Stobo can help fill the breach and will look to Liam Hatcher, Jack Nisbet and Ryan Hadley to grow.Kurtis Patterson’s resurgence was one of the stories of the season and he led the run-scorer followed by Sam Konstas either side of his dramatic Test debut. However, they were the only two batters to average more than 34 (aside from Ben Dwarshuis in one outing) while the return of Nic Maddinson fell flat as he averaged 17.80 so more will be expected of him alongside greater returns from Josh Philippe – whose positive start faded last season – and Ollie Davies, the only player to appear in all 10 games.Related

• Australia's Ashes 'bat-off' begins: Who could open against England?

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• Labuschagne launches with a century: 'Nothing else matters but runs'

Player to watchIf he can put together a strong season, 25-year-old Jack Edwards, who is the NSW captain in both formats, will be pushing for an international call-up. He will feature for Australia A in both formats against India A having averaged 33.46 with the bat and taking 29 wickets 24.03 with the ball last season – certainly the right way round for an allrounder. If he can lift the batting numbers closer to 40 it will be a compelling case. He is also a brilliant slip fielder.Australia impactKonstas will be front-and-centre of the early-season bat-off, with the outcome of that to determine whether NSW have him for the whole pre-BBL stretch. They are likely to get good use out of Nathan Lyon before the Ashes with the offspinner in line for at least three outings – he will also captain the opening game – then he should be available again in February given he isn’t in Australia’s T20 plans. How much Steven Smith plays before the Ashes is still to be confirmed, but now that he’s not in Australia’s white-ball sides he could have significant availability.Pat Cummins’ back injury makes it unlikely he will make a rare Shield appearance, but Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could squeeze in a game before facing England. Sean Abbott’s scheduling could need some juggling given he is part of the white-ball sides and he will be in the frame as an Ashes reserve as well. Edwards, Tanveer Sangha and Lachlan Shaw will miss the opening round while on Australia A duty in India.Marnus Labuschagne needs Shield runs for Queensland to build his Ashes case•Getty Images

Queensland

Captain Marnus Labuschagne
Coach Johan BothaSquad Lachy Aitken (R), Tom Balkin (R), Xavier Bartlett (CA), Max Bryant, Hugo Burdon, Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja (CA), Marnus Labuschagne (CA), Angus Lovell, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Jem Ryan (R), Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Jack Sinfield, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitch Swepson, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen, Tom Whitney, Jack WildermuthCA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Tom Balkin, Zanden Jeh, Hayden Kerr (NSW)
Out Liam Guthrie, Ben McDermott, Bryce Street, Connor SullyLast season Runners upHow they shape upHaving squeezed into the final amid a congested table, when they reduced South Australia to 28 for 3 chasing 270 it looked as they would emerge as champions despite being bowled out for 95 in their first innings. In the end, however, they had to settle for second but that was an improvement on the previous season’s bottom place albeit with only one more victory.The squad hasn’t seen too much change, the most significant movement being Ben McDermott’s request to leave and return to Tasmania where he doesn’t hold a contract. Jack Clayton and Jimmy Peirson led the batting last season with over 600 runs apiece while Usman Khawaja was productive when available until struggling in the final. It was a mixed season for Matt Renshaw who despite two centuries only averaged 29.17.The loss of the exciting Callum Vider to a stress fracture is a blow to their early-season plans but in Tom Whitney and Tom Straker they have two more promising young quicks, although the former is also carrying an injury. Ideally, legspinner Mitchell Swepson needs to take his wickets at a lower figure than last season’s 49.26Player to watchIn the first part of the season, at least, a lot of attention will be on Marnus Labuschagne and whether he can win back his Test place for the Ashes. While he will be in contention to open against England he is expected to continue to bat at No. 3 for Queensland who could benefit from a highly-motivated player. His last Shield century came in October 2022, although due to his international schedule that only represents nine matches.Australia impactAhead of the Ashes selection call, Labuschagne may miss a round of matches due to the ODI series against India. Khawaja will play a game or two, but it remains to be seen what route his career takes following the Test summer after last season’s tensions with the state and whether he calls time.Xavier Bartlett will go from Australia A duty to the T20I tour of New Zealand and will continue to be around the white-ball set-up. Should the Test side need reinforcements Michael Neser’s name could be in the frame. Renshaw has made a strong case to be considered for Australia’s one-day side but seems a fair way down the list for Test cricket. Straker is with Australia A’s 50-over side so will miss the first round of Shield as will late call-up Lachlan Hearne.Brendan Doggett will lead the attack as he pushes for an Ashes berth•Getty Images

South Australia

Captain Nathan McSweeney
Coach Ryan HarrisSquad Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Aidan Cahill (R), Alex Carey (CA), Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Travis Head (CA), Douwtjie Hoogenboezem (R), Henry Hunt, Hanno Jacobs, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Harry Matthias (R), Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Campbell Thompson (R), Henry ThorntonCA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Hanno Jacobs (NSW), Douwtjie Hoogenboezem
Out Harry Conway, Kyle BrazellLast season ChampionsHow they shape upHow do you follow last season? By aiming to do it again, according to head coach Ryan Harris. Now South Australia have that winning feeling they want to channel it into more success. One of the notable aspects of their title was hard far ahead of the pack they were in the regular season: six wins from 10 matches and 16 points more than second place.They retained a very stable list with Hanno Jacobs adding some more depth to the pace-bowling options. Three batters passed 700 runs in the 2024-25 season with Alex Carey doing so in just five matches and Jason Sangha six. Opener Henry Hunt also contributed three centuries, although his overall average was just 31. Their pace attack, led by Nathan McAndrew and Brendan Doggett, is impressive although the latter will miss the opening match with a hamstring niggle.Player to watchJason Sangha thanked South Australia for saving his career after a resurgent run which culminated in him hitting the winning runs in the final. Over the winter he has scored a career-best double century for Australia A against Sri Lanka A. He remains some way down the pecking order, but more of the same volume of run-scoring in the first part of the season won’t go unnoticed. And, having just turned 26, if it doesn’t happen this season he still has plenty of time.Australia impactCarey should get at least a couple of outings ahead of the Ashes but Travis Head’s availability will be limited by white-ball internationals. Jake Fraser-McGurk has slipped down Australia’s pecking order and there is a keenness for him to string together some red-ball cricket, but he needs to find a spot in the XI. He will be in India with the Australia A side during the opening round.Doggett could be around the Test squad once the Ashes starts so he will likely have his workload managed. If either Nathan McSweeney or Sangha go on an early-season run-scoring surge they could come into the selectors’ calculations. Liam Scott will miss the first round with Australia A in India.All eyes are on Tasmania opener Jake Weatherald•Getty Images

Tasmania

Captain Jordan Silk
Coach Jeff VaughanSquad Marcus Bean, Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Iain Carlisle, Nick Davis (R), Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Nathan Ellis (CA), Bradley Hope, Matt Kuhnemann (CA), Caleb Jewell, Raf MacMillan (R), Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Aidan O’Connor (R), Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Jordan Silk, Billy Stanlake, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster (CA), Mac WrightCA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Marcus Bean, Jackson Bird (NSW)
Out Jarrod FreemanLast season FifthHow they shape upTasmania were one two-run loss away from making a second straight Shield final last season. They have strengthened their squad over the off-season with the addition of Jackson Bird who is only 34 wickets shy of becoming the second highest wicket-taker in Shield history. Their attack looks strong with Gabe Bell, Kieran Elliott, Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake set to give them plenty of options to mix, match and manage across the season alongside Test spinner Matt Kuhnemann.The batting is deep too with Jake Weatherald, Tim Ward, Caleb Jewell, Jordan Silk and keeper Jake Doran as the mainstays plus Beau Webster will be available around his Test duty and Mitch Owen around his Australia white-ball duty. Brad Hope is an able back-up allrounder who can fit in when needed. They will be tough to beat in all conditions and have some excellent depth behind that which includes seasoned players like Charlie Wakim and Mac Wright as well as youngsters in Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Aidan O’Connor, Raf MacMillan and Marcus Bean.Player to watchJake Weatherald will be one of the most closely watched players in the country at the start of the Sheffield Shield season as he vies for a Test debut in the Ashes. In theory he should not have anything to prove after last season and his Australia A performances in the winter but last season was an outlier against his career record and early season performances would allay any doubts about his worthiness to open the batting for Australia in Perth.Australia impactTasmania will miss Owen and Kuhnemann in the opening round of the season due to Australia’s short T20I tour of New Zealand and Owen will likely miss the first four rounds due to the two India series that follow. Nathan Ellis’ red-ball availability will be limited and it is unlikely he will be called upon at all. Webster is set to be available for the first four rounds but may be rested at some point depending on his workload and then he will miss rounds five and six if selected in the Test squad. But he will return for the second half of the summer. The same applies for Weatherald if he is selected in the Ashes but that is an unknown at the start of the season.Campbell Kellaway celebrates his second Shield century•Getty Images

Victoria

Captain Will Sutherland
Coach Chris RogersSquad Austin Anlezark (R), Liam Blackford, Scott Boland (CA), Dylan Brasher, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Jai Lemire, Blake Macdonald, Glenn Maxwell (CA), Cam McClure, David Moody, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake (R), Tyler Pearson (R), Mitch Perry, Tom Rogers, Matt Short (CA), Callum Stow (R), Will Sutherland, Doug WarrenCA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Blake Macdonald, David Moody, Oliver Peake, Callum Stow
Out Peter Siddle (retired), Will Pucovski (retired), Jon Merlo, Josh Brown, Reiley MarkLast season ThirdHow they shape upVictoria’s best side will be very strong again having narrowly missed the final last year but their depth will be tested, especially with the ball given Scott Boland will have limited availability and they have lost the experience of Peter Siddle who was invaluable as a replacement for whenever Boland was absent last year. The batting is a superb mix of youth and experience with three of the most exciting young top order prospects in the country in Campbell Kellaway, Harry Dixon and Oliver Peake to be settled around the experience of Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb. Dixon looks set to open, although he will miss round one with Australia A duty. When that happens, Harris may slide to No. 3 despite being a candidate to open for Australia in the Ashes.Matt Short may add some dynamism when he does not have Australia white-ball duties while the first-choice attack of Boland, Fergus O’Neill, Will Sutherland and Todd Murphy looks as good as any in the competition when fully fit and available. The likes of Cam McClure, Xavier Crone and Sam Elliott will have to step up at times when Boland is absent while Victoria need a big season out of wicketkeeper Sam Harper as their lower order batting has been fragile at times in recent years.Player to watchCampbell Kellaway took a major step forward in the second half of last season scoring centuries against Queensland at the Gabba and Western Australia at the WACA, the latter an unbeaten 165 to set up victory in the final round. He also made scores of 80, 79 and 77 in two games against eventual Shield winners South Australia and 55 against a NSW attack that featured Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird and Nathan Lyon on a tricky MCG pitch. Those performances got him into the Australia A side and he made 88 against India A in India recently. He is down the list Test candidates for now but a hot start to the summer will vault him up the queue very quickly.Australia impactSutherland, Dixon and Elliott will all miss the opening Shield round because of Australia A duty in India but Boland is set to play the first match against South Australia. How many he plays after that before the first Test remains to be seen but there is a hope he can feature in at least one more before the first Test. He should be fine for the second half of the season though.Short’s availability is the other unknown. He could be available for rounds four to six but it may depend how his body is after three consecutive white-ball series against New Zealand and India. He is likely to be part of Australia’s T20 World Cup squad which may also see him miss most of the second half of the season.Cameron Green could play three of the first four Shield rounds for WA•Getty Images

Western Australia

Captain Sam Whiteman
Coach Adam VogesSquad Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman, Simon Budge (R), Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Albert Esterhuysen (R), Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green (CA), Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie, Liam Haskett, Baxter Holt, Josh Inglis (CA), Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh (CA), Lance Morris (CA), Joel Paris, Jordan Quiggin (R), Jhye Richardson (CA), Corey Rocchiccioli, Ashton Turner, Corey Wasley (R), Sam Whiteman, Teague WyllieCA = Cricket Australia contract | R = Rookie contractIn Mahli Beardman, Joel Curtis, Simon Budge, Albert Esterhuysen, Jordan Quiggin
Out Hamish McKenzie, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Stobo (NSW), Sam Greer, Josh VernonLast season SixthHow they shape upTwelve months ago WA were gunning for a historic fourth straight title. This season they start as the defending wooden-spooners, albeit they still nearly made a Shield final last year despite finished sixth on a congested table. They are still laden with talent and their best XI is international quality. But managing the comings and goings of their Australia and Australia A representatives whilst keeping some continuity in their team will be the key.The batting will be strong with Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman back healthy again and Hilton Cartwright is the bedrock of the middle-order while young keeper Joel Curtis has started the season in exceptional fashion in the Dean Jones Trophy. Add in Cameron Green for up to three of the first four games and it is an imposing batting order. The attack will be well led by Joel Paris, Cameron Gannon and Corey Rocchiccioli while the return of Matt Kelly from injury is a welcome addition. But it gets a little thin thereafter with Lance Morris out for the whole year and Jhye Richardson recovering slowly, while exciting youngster Mahli Beardman is unlikely to play any red-ball cricket in the first half of the season coming off stress fractures.Player to watchCameron Bancroft is the forgotten man in the race to fill an opening spot for the Ashes. At the start of last season he was one of the favourites to fill the vacancy against India but endured a horrid run of form early in the summer. He is coming off a good winter for Gloucestershire in all forms and returned early from England to get a brief rest before setting himself for a new summer. His technique hasn’t changed but he knows how to score big runs in Shield cricket and anyone scoring runs early in the season will be looked at for the Ashes.Australia impactFew states have as many moving parts to navigate as WA. Green’s availability in the early part of the summer has changed several times but he could play Shield rounds one, three and four for WA and bowl in a couple of them under restrictions, but he may also be absent for round two and possible round three due to ODI duty. Josh Inglis is injured at the moment but when fit is likely to be away for most of the summer on Australia duty.Mitch Marsh is notionally available for rounds four, five and six after Australia’s white-ball series against India but it remains to be seen whether he plays any red-ball cricket this summer. Cooper Connolly will miss the first round with Australia A duty but should be right for round two unless he is called up for ODI cricket. Aaron Hardie is recovering from a shoulder injury but may play quite a bit for WA if Australia don’t pick him for the India white-ball series.