Corey Anderson returns to ODI squad as specialist batsman

Allrounder Corey Anderson has been named in New Zealand's ODI squad for the five-match series in India, but he will play as a specialist batsman, New Zealand Cricket announced on Monday.

New Zealand recalled batsman Anton Devcich and wicketkeeper BJ Watling to the side, while allrounder James Neesham, who made a return to the Test team after a long injury lay-off, was also picked. Tim Southee, who was ruled out of the Test series in India after straining an ankle ligament, found a place in the 15-member squad. Henry Nicholls, who is part of the Test squad in India, was left out.

NZ squad for India ODIs
Kane Williamson (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Anton Devcich, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling

In: Anton Devcich, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling

Out: Brendon McCullum, Grant Elliott, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro

Anderson last played an international game for New Zealand during the World T20 in India, before a back injury ruled him out of the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa. He played in three 50-over trial games in Lincoln last week but did not bowl. NZC selector Gavin Larsen said the allrounder's rehab would continue to be monitored.

"Corey's professionalism throughout his rehab process has led to this point, and it's a credit to him and the hard work he's put in," Larsen said. "We're excited to have him back. He provides power through the middle order and knows the conditions in India well.

"He's still working on his bowling and we'll continue to monitor that, but for this series he will be used solely as a specialist batsman."

Both Watling and Devich have not played ODIs for a significant period. Watling's previous match in the format was in February 2013, while Devcich's last international appearance was in December 2014.

Watling was added to the squad as wicketkeeping and batting cover, Larsen said, while Devcich's inclusion gave the side an extra spin option in India, complementing Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner.

"India conditions are known to be quite harsh, so it's really important that we have cover for all positions," Larsen said. "Luke Ronchi and BJ Watling provide us with wicketkeeping and middle-order cover, while Anton is another spin option for us and can bat anywhere in the order.

"The last time we played ODI cricket was in the Chappell-Hadlee series and victory there helped us reach the world no. 2 ranking. We obviously want to keep growing on that and this series is another massive challenge for us."

Fast bowlers Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne, batsman Colin Munro and allrounder George Worker were unavailable for selection due to injury. Milne, who underwent an elbow operation, had played the trial matches in Lincoln as a batsman, while McClenaghan was ruled out due to a pelvis injury.

The first match of the ODI series will be played in Dharamsala on October 16, with the remaining games being held in Delhi, Mohali, Ranchi and Visakhapatnam. New Zealand are currently ranked No. 2 on the ICC ODI rankings, three points ahead of India, who are third

New Zealand will have to play better to beat India

New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi has no qualms in saying that Mumbai, in the warm-up match, showed the visitors how to play in Indian

conditions and they will have to play better to beat the hosts in the upcoming Test series.

     Ronchi felt there were more positives than negatives to take out of the only warm-up match of the team's India tour. "I think getting used to the wicket which was changing

over three days (was one takeaway). It was deteriorating a bit with guys facing more spin towards the end and ball doing a few different things. Mumbai bowled and batted really well. I think we got some learnings from that. When they took us on in the final session yesterday, we were not able to pull off our game plans. There are lot of positives, couple of little negatives to sort out. We have a big series coming up and there will ups and downs," said Ronchi.

     The back-up opener smashed 107 off 112 balls on the third and final day of the game here today, making his case for selection in the first Test to be held in Kanpur from

September 22.

     When asked whether their morale was affected after leaking 402 runs yesterday, Ronchi's reply was a firm no. "And we were playing in foreign conditions and they

(Mumbai) know their conditions. The way they batted was (really good). They had a young 17-year-old (Arman Jaffer), who batted really well. They showed us how you can play on these wickets.

     "Spin is a big thing and they took our spinners down later in the day. They showed us what can be done on these wickets. They played brilliantly. We got to play better to

bowl teams like these out and even better if we want to beat India," said Ronchi, who has also represented Australia in international cricket.

     The 35-year-old played his only Test in May-June last year. With the hundred today, he has put the team management in a selection dilemma. As coach Mike Hession pointed out early, Ronchi is here as a back-up opener and could replace the out of form Martin Guptill for the first Test.

     Asked about the chance of being picked in the XI, Ronchi said it was the decision of the team management. "It was just a position given to me for the second innings, to go out and open. I just wanted to have a hit and do as best as I possibly could. If it (if he is selected) comes up, I would certainly not say no, but you never know  what Hessson and Kane (captain) are thinking. So I just go about my business and do the best I can when given a chance.If I am not playing, I am not playing. If I have to bat at 11,I would be happy to do that as well," he said.

Singapore Grand Prix 2016: Nico Rosberg wins to move ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Drivers' Championship

Lewis Hamilton be worried? That is the question which hung in the damp air of Singapore long after Nico Rosberg tasted what must have been some of the sweetest champagne of his career.

If Hamilton were an avid student of Formula One, he would be deeply concerned as the season reaches this critical juncture, for his Mercedes team-mate will have to confound history not to be crowned world champion at the end of the year. No driver has ever won eight races in a season and not taken the title. Yet, a fountain of knowledge on the sport he has so adorned, Hamilton is not.

What might cause just a hint of anxiety is the manner of Rosberg’s victory this weekend, not to mention the fact that his team-mate is leading the standings again, by eight points.

Daniel Ricciardo may have hounded the German in the closing stages with a barn-storming charge after going into the pits for fresh rubber, one which took him within just 0.4 seconds of victory, but really Rosberg was supreme.

Qualifying was particularly immense, putting breathing space between him and Ricciardo on the front row, while annihilating Hamilton in a show of strength we have rarely seen from Rosberg. Then, in the race he was like a bullet off the line, controlling proceedings perfectly, managing fragile brakes all the while, until Red Bull’s roll of the dice nearly spoiled his day.

The only man who could justifiably claim to have done a better job than Rosberg under the lights of Marina Bay was Sebastian Vettel, something of a specialist at the street circuit. The four-time champion started dead last, carving his way through the field with some memorable passes to take fifth.

But it is the form of the other man on the grid gunning for a fourth title which was the principal preoccupation afterwards. While suggestions of Hamilton’s demise are massively premature – remember at Monza just two weeks ago he was just as dominant in qualifying over his Mercedes team-mate, only to fluff the start – this is at least a race which should prompt him to pause for a moment, with just six rounds of this marathon season to go.

Perhaps the most curious element on Sunday was that Hamilton was not in contention throughout. Brake problems, also suffered by Rosberg, made this race, he claimed, a “nightmare”. He was a bystander, relegated to scrapping with Kimi Raikkonen for third. At least he won that fight, in part thanks to some more suspect strategy from Ferrari.

Just 200 miles away in Malaysia in two weeks’ time we will find out if Hamilton can come back on terms with his team-mate. The three-time champion was not exactly oozing confidence. No tantrums, just terse answers.

Was this just a one-off? “The next race will tell,” he said. “I’m not really thinking too much about it at the moment. Nico just did an exceptional job this weekend and we didn’t. What it’s going to take? Just some good weekends which we’ve had in the past. It’s a bunch of s***, a combination of things altogether which ultimately make a perfect weekend.”

What has changed in Rosberg since the summer break is hard to discern. Apparently in the shutdown the 31-year-old slept more and turned his phone off for two weeks. But he said there was no magic bullet which enabled him to win three races in a row, turning a 19-point deficit into an eight-point advantage.

“The whole weekend went perfectly,” he added. “But my team-mate is still Lewis and he always comes back strong, even after difficult weekends.”

This one was a difficult watch for the first hour and a half, particularly so for the marshal who was still left on the side of the track as the race restarted on lap three following Nico Hülkenberg’s impact with the wall at the start. But in a flash it turned from tiresome to thrilling.

Gilchrist names Mitchell Starc, Dale Steyn as world’s best quick bowlers

Former Australian skipper Adam Gilchrist, who was known for his destructive batting display, has rated countryman Mitchell Starc and South Africa’s Dale Steyn as the best fast bowlers in the world.

The 44-year-old said Starc is among the top handful of pacemen going around the world while speedster Steyn has set the benchmark for Test bowlers with his durability and consistency.

“(Starc) is definitely in that bracket. If he’s not top, then he’s definitely in the top few (fast bowlers in the world),” Gilchrist was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“Dale Steyn is just coming back from injury but he’s the class act that all fast bowlers of this generation aspire to be like. They aspire to have the results he’s had and the longevity he’s had. I think the greatest test of any champion is longevity,” he added.
Steyn, who has bagged a total of 416 Test wickets in a 12-year international career, is the second-leading wicket-taker in Test cricket behind England’s James Anderson (463).
Meanwhile, Anderson’s new  ball partner Stuart Broad sits on third spot with 358 Test scalps.
Gilchrist, who was dismissed by Anderson in his final Test against England at the SCG, admitted that the England bowler also belongs to the top echelon of current Test seamers alongside Starc, Steyn, as well as Broad.
“Stuart’s Broad’s a guy who just continues to impress me. And his bowling partner Jimmy Anderson, who our (playing) group just caught at the start of his career. I don’t think we held him in as high a regard as what he clearly is now; England’s highest-ever wicket-taker,” the former wicketkeeper-batsman said.

England To Tour Bangladesh for 2 Tests, 3 ODIs in October

England will play three one-day internationals and two Test matches against Bangladesh in their month-long tour in October, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced Tuesday.

England, who arrive on September 30, will start their tour with a one-day warm-up match at Fatullah on October 4.
They will play the first two one-day internationals at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, on October 7 and 9 respectively.
The third and final ODI will be held in the southeastern city of Chittagong on October 12.

Chittagong will also host the first Test from October 20-24, while the second Test will be held in Dhaka from October 28 to November 1.
This will be the first Test series in Bangladesh for nearly 14 months.
The hosts last played a Test match in July 2015, against South Africa.
The England cricket team last visited Bangladesh for a fully-fledged bilateral series in March 2010.

Gillespie to leave Yorkshire at the end of season

Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire's head coach, will be leaving the club at the end of the 2016 season to return to his native Australia.

Gillespie, who was appointed in November 2011, helped guide the club from the second division to back-to-back Championship titles in 2014 and 2015, with the club firmly in the hunt for a third title following last week's victory over Nottinghamshire at Scarborough.

In the course of 76 Championship fixtures at the helm, he suffered just five defeats.

The announcement, which had been anticipated for much of the season, comes after Gillespie took up a contract to coach the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash, and his wife, Anna and their four children have recently returned to live back in Australia.

"The club would like to place on record its thanks to Jason," read a club statement. "The focus will now be very much on the remaining four County Championship fixtures, beginning with Wednesday's trip to the Ageas Bowl to face Hampshire, and on securing the first Championship treble seen at Headingley since the 1960s."

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of cricket, will not begin the search for Gillespie's replacement until the end of the current season.