“I have to be very careful with how I go forward with my cricket,” the India captain said, welcoming the break he has been on

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2018India captain Virat Kohli has welcomed the short break from cricket that he is on currently, saying it has helped him recover from a “few niggles”. Kohli opted out of the ongoing Nidahas Trophy, the T20 triangular series also featuring Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, with Rohit Sharma captaining the Indian team instead.”Physically, I had a few niggles, I am just getting over those,” Kohli said at a promotional event in Mumbai. “The workload has started to disagree with me a little bit. I have to be very careful about how I go forward with my body, my mind, my cricket. Times like these are very, very important. I am totally enjoying it; I do not even have an inch of me missing out on anything because my body really needed this.”Kohli was rested for the tri-series on the back of an almost two-month-long South African tour, where he played every match barring one T20I. The Indian contingent for the Nidahas Trophy excluded several notable limited-overs regulars, including Kohli, MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, with MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, explaining that the selection committee was mindful of their workload and upcoming schedule.This is not the first time that Kohli has raised concerns about workload management. He had been pretty vociferous about it during the home Test series against Sri Lanka last year. “Definitely, I do need a rest. Why not? When I think of the time when my body needs to be rested, I’ll ask for it. I am not a robot, you can slice my skin and check, I bleed,” he had said then. He was subsequently rested for the limited-overs leg of the tour.India’s players have a long season ahead of them. After the tri-series in Sri Lanka, they will be engaged in the IPL through April and May, then host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in June, before heading England for three T20Is, three ODIs and five Tests starting in July and running through to September.

England’s new national selector has the challenge of trying to solve long-standing issues with the Test side

Andrew McGlashan20-Apr-2018Stick or twistEngland were thwarted by New Zealand’s lower order in Christchurch, falling two wickets short of ending their barren run away from home. In the aftermath, there was a sense that the signs of improvement – particularly from Mark Stoneman and James Vince, who both scored half-centuries – had brought the men in the spotlight some more time. It will be interesting to see whether Smith feels the same way or whether the start of a new season is the time for a blank sheet of paper.Find the x-factorMark Wood and Jack Leach were brought into the side for Christchurch in an attempt to shake up England’s attack. It nearly worked, but the reality is that England have taken 20 wickets just once in their last 12 away Tests. James Anderson remains the attack leader and Stuart Broad looked rejuvenated in New Zealand, but high on Smith’s agenda will be finding bowlers (pace and spin) who can provide a point of difference. Names suggested early season include Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson in the pace debate, but Smith’s desire to delve into analytics may throw up some interesting new faces.Home and awayEngland’s home record has propped up their Test standing in recent years, but that can’t be taken for granted. There is a balance to strike between winning in the here-and-now and having an eye on the types of players who will be needed to arrest the decline overseas. For example, if a certain pace bowler or spinner is viewed as a likely starter in Sri Lanka or West Indies, then do they need to be playing this summer to find their feet in Test cricket? And, also, Smith will need to decide how far ahead to look. The next away Ashes in 2021-22 is likely to be high on the agenda. Players for that need to be identified now.Horses for coursesWith Smith’s emphasis on analytics and a more Moneyball approach to selection, could we see an evolution of the way Test squads are selected throughout a series – especially at home, where there is no restriction on who is available and limited distances to travel. Even if a certain team produces an impressive victory in one Test, does it mean they are the best XI for the next match? How deep will Smith look at conditions and opposition when selecting squads? This, of course, has to be balanced with the dangers of chopping and changing, and the instability it could bring.If it aint brokeRejuvenating the Test side will be Smith’s biggest selection challenge (although the T20 side has also lost some direction in the last couple of years). But the 50-over side is shaping up very nicely ahead of next year’s World Cup – an event with an importance to the English game that cannot be overstated. An era has been staked on winning that tournament on home soil. Smith is a smart man and will know what is working well, but it will be important that he doesn’t feel the need to tinker for the sake of it. Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss probably already know 13 of their 15-man squad for 2019 – things would have to go badly pear-shaped for those selection meetings to stretch Smith too much.

ESPNcricinfo understands financial considerations have prompted the bank to review its investment in sports

Umar Farooq30-May-2018United Bank Limited (UBL), a prominent department with a rich history on the Pakistan domestic circuit, is considering scrapping its cricket team. UBL only returned to the fray seven years ago in 2011 after missing 15 seasons between 1997 and 2010. ESPNcricinfo understands financial considerations are the major reason, with the bank deciding to review its investment in sports.UBL downplayed the development, but one official confirmed that several options were on the table, including the possibility of disbanding the cricket team. The players have not been informed yet but the PCB has been informed about the motion – though they denied any official confirmation. If UBL pull out, which is likely, they will also lose their representation at the PCB governing body, with the bank having been on the board for the last four-and-a-half years.Since the team’s return in 2011, Pakistan’s domestic cricket has been revamped multiple times, but UBL consistently finished among the top four teams in the circuit. They played the President’s Trophy final in 2014, losing to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), and lost to the same opponent in the 2016 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEA) final. Since being established in 1975, UBL have won the QEA four times, the Pentangular Cup three times, and the Patron’s Trophy once, in addition to several limited-overs titles. UBL has invested significantly in its cricket department, contributing around PKR 50,000,000 (approx USD 432,000) each season towards the domestic franchise across all formats in the country. They were also the title sponsors of the T20I World XI series in Lahore last September.In each era, they invested significantly in young talent, with players like Waqar Younis, Tauseef Ahmed, Mudassar Nazar, Basit Ali, Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmed, Salim Jaffer, Rashid Latif, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Azhar Mahmood playing for the franchise. The present lot, including Shan Masood, Saad Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Asghar, Mir Hamza, Rumman Raees and Umar Akmal have been nurtured at UBL under the mentorship of Younis Khan.The influx of banks into Pakistan’s domestic cricket began in the early 70s, with Abdul Hafeez Kardar, the then PCB chairman, encouraging them to provide employment opportunities for players. UBL emerged after a merger with the now defunct Commerce Bank, which had been on the first-class scene since 1973.UBL had a large sports department covering cricket, hockey, badminton and table tennis actively until 1997, when it shut following the privatisation of the bank and a change in management. It also owns a sports complex in Karachi with its own first-class cricket ground.

The ECB has moved quell mounting speculation around possible innovations for The Hundred by issuing a statement to say that “no final decisions have been made” about the new competition

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2018The ECB has moved to quell mounting speculation around possible innovations for The Hundred by issuing a statement to say that “no final decisions have been made” about the new competition planned for 2020.Following a string of reports last week suggesting that the idea for a ten-ball final over had been ditched, Tuesday saw two national newspapers carry stories about the number of players in a team: the proposed 12, while the suggested it could go up to 15. The concept was likened to that of the Super Sub used briefly in international cricket during the 2000s.With trial games for the 100-ball format scheduled for September, there has been increasing debate about the ECB’s plans – which could also encompass bringing 10-over cricket to the UK. In response, the ECB issued a statement to say discussions were ongoing.”No final decisions have been made on the playing conditions for the new competition, which will start in the summer of 2020. To develop the competition, there are a number of ongoing discussions, including within a high-performance group who are planning a series of pilot matches in September.

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“Conversations with players, host venues and stakeholders across the game are vital to the development and inevitably lead to speculation on a range of matters. Ultimately, it is the board of the ECB which makes the final decisions on the format and playing conditions for the new competition and that is expected later this year.”The high-performance group, chaired by former England women’s captain Clare Connor, is expected to put its recommendations to the board in November.Meanwhile, Mark Wood, the England fast bowler, added to the sense of uncertainty around the new competition when talking on BBC Radio 5 Live. Saying he had discussed it with Dwayne Bravo, West Indies’ much-travelled T20 veteran, Wood questioned whether international stars would be interested in playing an untested format.”I’m not sure these big players would be necessarily open to it straight away anyway,” Wood said. “I spoke to Bravo, who I played with at the IPL, and he wasn’t interested in the 100-ball at all.”So if the big players already in the IPL, they can see that game’s working – the 100-ball thing, they’re unsure, who’s to say they’re going to come straight away? They might be apprehensive and then we can’t attract the big players.”

Playing their 100th ODI, Afghanistan huffed and puffed to a total of 182, which wasn’t quite enough despite Rashid Khan picking up three wickets

The Report by Sruthi Ravindranath29-Aug-2018Getty Images

“Maybe their batting is not quite as strong as it has been recently, so as bowlers we’ve got to help the batters out and try and restrict them to as few as we can,” Tim Murtagh, the Ireland fast bowler, had said after collecting figures of 4 for 31 during his side’s loss to Afghanistan in the first ODI.Those were his career-best figures, and just 48 hours later Murtagh bettered them, picking up 4 for 30 as he, along with the rest of the Ireland pace attack, scythed through the Afghanistan line-up, before Andy Balbirnie and Simi Singh stitched together a crucial partnership to set up a series-levelling three-wicket win, consigning the visitors to their first loss of this tour. Opting to bat first in their 100th ODI game, Afghanistan slumped to 16 for 4 before finding some respite via their middle and lower order to finally post 182 for 9.Murtagh was scathing with the new ball, snuffing out Afghanistan’s top three in his first three overs. He pinned Mohammad Shahzad in front with an inswinger, the same method he used in his second over to remove Hazratullah Zazai’s middle stump. An edgy Gulbadin Naib became Murtagh’s second lbw victim in his third over. When a direct hit from Andy Balbirnie ran Hashmatullah Shahidi out in the ninth over, Afghanistan were in all sorts of strife.The onus was on captain Asghar Afghan and Rahmat Shah to pull things back, and they did just exactly that. The duo took their time, scoring only 20 off the first nine overs of their partnership, and enjoyed some luck too, with Simi dropping Rahmat at midwicket when he was on 4.While the pacers benefited from favourable conditions and bowled with discipline, the spinners did their bit as well to keep Afghanistan quiet. Offspinner Simi accounted for Rahmat, ending a fifth-wicket stand that had consumed 18.2 overs. Mohammad Nabi, playing his 100th ODI, began briskly, but was out for 13 off 12 balls when he slashed Peter Chase to third man. It was a well-deserved wicket for Chase, who hit the deck hard, and caused some discomfort with his short ball.Afghan fell 4.4 overs later, Paul Stirling running him out with a direct hit at the bowler’s end. He had made 39 off 82 balls. At this point, Afghanistan had nearly 16 overs to bat out with only three wickets in hand, and Najibullah Zadran and Rashid Khan at the crease.They added 29 before Murtagh returned to dismiss the scratchy Rashid. Najibullah stepped up his scoring rate, hitting Kevin O’Brien for a four and a six in successive overs from the medium-pacer before holing out looking for a repeat of his pulled six. He had made 42 off 52 balls.With 3.3 overs remaining, Afghanistan were in danger of being bowled out, but their tenth-wicket pair of Mujeeb ur Rahman and Aftab Alam managed to bat through till the end of the 50th over, finding the boundary twice each while adding an unbroken 22.In the first over of Ireland’s chase, Mujeeb came round the wicket to dismiss captain William Porterfield in the first over with a ball that kept low. But the second-wicket pair of Paul Stirling and Balbirne stepped up and stitched together a 69-run stand, even as Afghanistan bowled a spinner and a seamer in tandem until the 15th over in a bid to choke the batsmen. Afghanistan finally got their breakthrough in the 17th over, when Nabi had Stirling stumped on 39.With Balbirne in fluent form, Ireland had the upper hand in most parts of their chase, except when they lost three quick wickets to spin in a space of eight overs and found themselves 97 for 4. While Mujeeb teased the batsmen with the carom ball, Rashid unleashed his googly, one of which foxed Kevin O’Brien and had him lbw in the 25th over.Balbirnie was still there, pulling and sweeping with power. His partnership with Simi was the highlight of the chase, the duo playing patiently against the spinners and making most of their runs via swift running between wickets. With Balbirnie set at one end, Simi was able to take hise time to settle in. During an attempt to take a quick single in the 35th over, Balbirnie slipped near the crease and landed on his elbow, and called for the physio to have a look. Two balls later, he fell to a stunning catch by Najibullah when he edged Rashid to slip. With 39 required with five wickets in hand, Afghanistan sensed a bit of an opening.Gary Wilson and Andy McBrine fell soon afterwards, leaving Ireland 164 for 7 in the 41st over. Simi was the key man now, and he was playing the spinners with ease. He just needed someone to stay with him, and it was Murtagh, fittingly, who kept him company, the eighth-wicket pair seeing Ireland home with an unbroken 19-run stand in 21 balls.The deciding ODI – the last match of Afghanistan’s tour – will be played at the same venue on Friday.

Ben Stokes’ trial resumes at Bristol Crown Court on Monday. ESPNcricinfo gives a run-down on the first week’s developments

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-20181:16

‘Everything I did was in defence of myself and others’, Stokes tells jury

Day one

The trial of Ben Stokes, Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale – all three charged with affray which they denied – began with jurors being told the England allrounder acted “well beyond self-defence or the defence of others” when knocking two men unconscious outside Mbargo nightclub in Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year.It is alleged that Stokes offered £300 to the bouncer outside Mbargo, Andrew Cunningham, to try and regain entry after the 2pm closing time. When that offer was declined, Stokes is alleged to have become abusive to the doorman and then mimicked and mocked a young gay couple, Kai Barry and William O’Connor, who were leaving the club. He is alleged to have flicked a cigarette butt at the head of one of the young men.

Day Two

CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is shown to the jury. Andrew Cunningham, the bouncer, alleges that Stokes abused him and the gay couple.Max Wilson, a student in the Clifton Triangle area of the city when the incident occurred, who filmed the incident from his room, described the fight involving the three defendants plus Stokes’ England team-mate Alex Hales, who was not on trial, as being like “football hooligans”.Audio from the footage suggests Hales tried to pull Stokes away from the fray on several occasions – he is repeatedly heard shouting “Stop, Stokes! No! Enough!” – with both Wilson and other witnesses agreeing he was “trying to stop him [Stokes]”.PC Daniel Adams, the officer in the case, says that the video shows Hales kicking Ryan Ali in the head as he lay on the pavement.Under cross-examination, PC Adams agreed that both Ali and Hale had bottles at the time of the original fracas and accepted it appeared that Ali had used his “to aim a blow at Mr Barry”.A court sketch of Ben Stokes•PA Photos

Ben Stokes was described as the “main aggressor” in the fight when he is identified by Mark Spure, an off-duty member of the police force.The court also hears details of the injuries sustained by Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.Stokes’ statement to the police, which he gave on November 20, is read out to the court in which he says he felt “under threat of immediate attack” and others involved in the fight had “demonstrated a willingness to use weapons in attacking people”. He claims he was protecting Kai Barry and William O’Connor from homophobic abuse.”What Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale were saying was far from harmless banter, it was nasty homophobic abuse,” Stokes said in his statement.”I decided to intervene and asked Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale to stop abusing Kai and William. I said something like ‘leave it out – you shouldn’t be taking the piss because they’re gay.'”In response,one of the guys said ‘Shut the f*** up and f**** off or I’ll bottle you’. At the time he was holding a bottle in his right hand.The CCTV footage from outside Mbargo nightclub is released, as are the mobile-phone recordings of the fight itself.

The judge instructs the jury to find Ryan Hale not guilty of affray due to lack of evidence. Ben Stokes enters the dock for the first time.Earlier, the court is read Hale’s statement, which he gave to police in September. In it, he claims that Stokes “could have killed me. The way he was acting in that video, he could have beat the living hell out of me. That’s quite shocking to think I’ve been put in that situation.”In the witness stand, Stokes tells the jury he “stepped in” after hearing homophobic abuse towards William O’Connor and Kai Barry. He adds he saw Ali brandish a bottle towards the two men and Alex Hales so “took the decision” to get involved to “keep myself and others around me safe”.Police bodycam footage is played to the jury of the moment of Stokes’ arrest. It shows him asking for the handcuffs to be loosened due to previous injuries to his hand and also hears him tell Hales to leave the area. “I was saying ‘It’s on me’. I was saying ‘Go, get away from here. Don’t get involved’.” The footage also shows Hales telling police he only arrived on the scene after the fight had taken place.

Stokes continues to be cross-examined. He is accused of lying to the jury, and also of exaggerating the extent of an argument he witnessed “in an attempt to justify your own violent behaviour”.A written statement from England team-mate Jake Ball is read to the court in which he says Stokes was in a “good mood” during the night in question and that he wasn’t drunk.The final session of the week sees Ryan Ali, Stokes’ co-defendant, take the stand. Under cross-examination Ali accepts that footage shows he struck another man with a bottle before being punched by Stokes. Ali says he only did it to defend himself.The trial continues.

Denly and Adam Riley took eight wickets between them before Kent reached their target with nine overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network01-Sep-2018
ScorecardJoe Denly made a late entrance to record his best first-class figures as Kent moved into the promotion places with a six wicket win over Derbyshire in the Division Two match at Derby.Denly was of the field for most of the final morning through illness but took the last four wickets to finish with 4 for 36 to bowl Derbyshire out for 270 with Harvey Hosein top-scoring with an unbeaten 66.That left Kent with a target of 110 and although they lost wickets with the finish in sight, a 23-point victory took them above Sussex into second place.Derbyshire began the day 78 runs behind and Matt Henry struck early by finding just enough away movement to have Alex Hughes caught behind and become the second bowler to take 50 Championship wickets this season.Tom Lace had shown good technique and temperament in both innings on his first-class debut and was looking secure until a change of bowling gave Kent another success.Grant Stewart’s second ball beat Lace’s forward push and took the top of off stump to dismiss the 20-year-old for 43.Kent struck again in the next over when Matt Critchley edged Adam Riley and the ball stuck between the knees of Billings as he dived forward.Sean Ervine drove Stewart through the covers for four but became another victim for Riley in the 53rd over when the ball hit the back of his bat via pad and looped to silly point.At 137 for 6, an early finish beckoned but Hosein and Hardus Viljoen took the game into the afternoon and ensured Kent would have to bat again.The pair survived for another eight overs after the interval until Viljoen sliced Denly to point but Palladino joined Hosein to force Billings to take the second new ball.Kent’s frustration increased when Riley put down a head high chance to gully with Hosein on 44 and he reached his 50 in the same over by driving Stewart for his seventh four.Denly broke the stand when Palladino was lbw to one that kept low two overs before tea and the leg-spinner quickly wrapped up the innings after the interval leaving Kent 28 overs to knock off the runs.Sean Dickson showed his dismay at being given out caught behind off Lockie Ferguson in the fifth over but Zak Crawley and Heino Kuhn added 57 in six overs before Crawley edged Hamidullah Qadri to slip.Kuhn sliced Critchley to point and Denly gave Qadri a return catch but Kent survived the late drama to secure a fourth away win.

The Bangladesh allrounder is currently recovering from a long-standing finger injury, which got worse due to an infection during the Asia Cup

Mohammad Isam31-Oct-2018The BCB has granted Shakib Al Hasan an NOC to participate in the UAE T20x tournament, meaning he will join the likes of Steven Smith, who is currently into the seventh month of a one-year ban handed to him by Cricket Australia for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering incident, Andre Russell and Shahid Afridi.Shakib, who is recovering from injury, is set to play in the tournament from December 23, a day after the end of West Indies’ tour of Bangladesh, to January 1 next year. The UAE T20x league runs from December 19 to January 11, clashing with the Bangladesh Premier League.Shakib is currently undergoing rehab for a long-standing finger injury, which got worse due to an infection during the Asia Cup. He underwent an emergency operation in Dhaka before heading to Australia for a further check-up. He came back to Bangladesh earlier this month and said that his return to competitive cricket depended largely on how quickly the infection was completely removed, suggesting he may be back for Bangladesh’s home series against West Indies, which begins with the first Test from November 22.”The physio and I have decided not to put a time frame for my return,” he said. “Possibly I will start training shortly. I have to start strength training from next week. When I will start improving gradually, and I will see that I don’t have problems in playing, I can think of returning to action. Until then, I wouldn’t want to return, neither the physio will let me.”Shakib said that the UAE stint could give him some match practice in his comeback bid. “It will be good preparation for me if I can be fit for these matches,” he said. I need these matches to get back from a major injury and into full rhythm.”GMT 10.30 The story had earlier erroneously stated that the UAE T20x league runs from December 23 to January 1.The error has been rectified.

England need to savour the experience of Stuart Broad and James Anderson for as long as they can, says captain

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2018Joe Root insists that England need to savour the experience and expertise of Stuart Broad and James Anderson for as long as they can, despite both of his senior seam bowlers enduring frustrating series in an otherwise triumphant tour of Sri Lanka.Broad is set to make his first appearance of the series in the third Test at Colombo, having missed out in Galle and Pallekele to make room for the extra spinner in Jack Leach.He will replace Anderson, who struck with his second ball at Galle to remove Dimuth Karunaratne for a duck, but subsequently admitted to feeling like a “spare part” as he failed to add to that tally in 40 subsequent overs across four innings.However, with a combined tally of 998 Test wickets in careers that stretch back to 2003 and 2007 respectively, Root was grateful for the wisdom they had been able to impart behind the scenes, and was adamant that both men still had a huge role to play when the conditions return to their favour.”It’s a great luxury to have isn’t it?” Root said. “For that amount of experience to be around the squad and offering so much to the group has been excellent.”We’ve played in conditions where we’ve not needed that much seam bowling in the middle but [Broad’s] been raring to go and doing everything he can. He’s got the opportunity to play this week and I’m sure he’ll be desperate to put in a really strong performance and show he’s very skilful in these conditions.”Of the two veterans, Broad is the one whose long-term future has come under the greater scrutiny in recent months. He endured a lean Ashes series after encountering some issues with his wrist position, and though he rediscovered his form for the English season, his haul of 16 wickets at 29.68 still paled compared to Anderson’s 24 at 18.12.But Root is adamant that Broad remains integral to their Test plans in the coming months, which include a tour of the Caribbean in the new year and a home Ashes campaign in the English summer, in which England hope to keep pressing towards their stated aim of becoming the No.1 Test team in the world.Stuart Broad and James Anderson chat with coach Trevor Bayliss•AFP

“You look at the experience he can bring to the team and his record in English conditions, and what he’s capable of there, and he’s invaluable,” said Root. “He’s still one of England’s best bowlers – I genuinely believe that – but we’ve had to be quite cute and smart about exploiting these conditions here and we’ll have to do the same later on in the winter in the West Indies.”I’m very aware how talented the group is and how talented our two senior guys are. We generally get very excited about wishing people into retirement and I think with those two in particular, we have to make the most of them while we can, be smart about managing and see how long they can go for.”They both look on top of their game at the moment, if you ask me. They’re both bowling fantastically well and keep looking to improve and get better. As far as I’m concerned I want to get the most out of them for as long as we can.”In spite of the lack of impact for England’s seamers in this series – a record 38 wickets fell to spin in the Pallekele Test – Root praised their efforts regardless, particularly the manner in which they had held Sri Lanka’s run rates in check to allow their trio of spinners to turn the screw.”Our seamers have done a fantastic job when they’ve had the opportunity to play,” he said. “Look at Jimmy and the spells that he’s bowled: he’s built and created a lot of pressure. And that sometimes has got rewards at the other end.”It can be overlooked on occasions. Stuart is more than capable of doing that and we know if we can take two or three early wickets on unresponsive wickets for seam bowling, it’ll be a massive bonus, which, again, you’d like to think he’ll be able to do. It’s a great opportunity for him to play this game. And hopefully he can do some damage.”Root added that there was a further reason for England to be grateful for the endurance of their veteran quicks. With the twin demands of the Ashes and World Cup next summer, two huge events that are sure to stretch their multi-format players to the limit, having two senior Test specialists waiting in the wings to hit the ground running for the Ashes in August could be invaluable.”I think it’s going to be the case for us and Australia going through that World Cup, making sure the guys are fresh and prepared,” Root said. “It’ll be interesting to see which sides are selected for that World Cup, especially in Australia’s case leading into it. It’s a long time away.”We’ve a lot of cricket to play before then. But look where we’re at in the Test team: there are still some Test specialists in there who will make sure they get some good first-class cricket in and game time under their belts ahead of that series. I feel like we’ve a good handle on things at the moment. And hopefully everyone is in a really good position going into the start of the year.”

Glenn Maxwell and Cameron White also piled on the misery for Western Australia at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2018Nic Maddinson marked his first Sheffield Shield match for Victoria with a fine unbeaten century to help the home side into a strong position against Western Australia at the MCG.Maddinson lost his contract with New South Wales at the end of last season and moved to Victoria for fresh opportunities. He played in the JLT Cup but had to bide his time in Premier and Futures League cricket before getting an opportunity at Shield level in the absence of Test players Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch and Peter Handscomb.Maddinson’s ninth first-class century came off 155 balls and he combined in a 112-run third-wicket partnership with Glenn Maxwell.ALSO READ: Queensland go from 1 for 42 to 8 for 86 against TasmaniaMaddinson did get a life on 92 that bizarrely ended Maxwell’s innings on 57. Matt Kelly dropped a return catch but the ricochet bounced onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end where Maxwell was run-out, unluckily short of safe ground.Cameron White picked up the slack as he and Maddinson put on an unbeaten 134-run stand to take Victoria comfortably through to stumps. White moved easily to 65 not out feasting on a pretty inexperienced attack. Maddinson showed immense maturity to bat through the day, facing 282 balls for 21 fours and two sixes.ALSO READ: Carey, Cooper fifties floor New South WalesEarlier, newly-minted Victorian skipper Travis Dean fell for 16 but did play a part in an important 62-run opening stand after winning the toss. Young batting prodigy Will Pucovski missed out on his return from mental-health issues, chasing a wide one to be dismissed for 1.The Warriors’ attack strangely didn’t feature Ashton Agar, who was on Australia’s last Test tour as the back-up spinner. He’s played just four games of cricket since early September but the team opted to rest him ahead of the Big Bash League, which begins in late December.