Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman plotted a route to safety as Durham and Warwickshire both took solace in the draw points that eased their relegation worries

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2016
ScorecardScott Borthwick just missed out on a century as he piloted Durham to safety•Getty Images

A stand of 151 between Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman ensured Durham were able to hold out for a draw in the Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire at Chester-le-Street.Durham were only ten behind with eight wickets standing when Stoneman fell for 80 and Borthwick went on to make 91 before he departed five balls before hands were shaken.Rikki Clarke came on bowling off spin and his first ball was so wide of off stump Borthwick could not resist flailing at it, only to get a big inside edge into his stumps.Durham were on 195 for three, 21 ahead with 22 overs still availabel when a draw was declared, Warwickshire taking 11 points and Durham eight.It was a welcome return to form for Borthwick, whose form slumped when he was widely reported to be on the verge of England selection.Things looked ominous for Durham when, with 84 overs to bat, they lost Keaton Jennings for a duck in the fifth, when he pushed forward and edged Keith Barker behind.But Borthwick was soon stroking Barker effortlessly through the covers, while Stoneman had made only one when he whipped Chris Wright over long leg for six.Patel came on for the 14th over and conceded only seven runs in his first nine overs, going closest to a breakthrough when Stoneman missed an attempted cut on 45 and was almost bowled.A repeat of the stroke brought the three runs which took him to 50 as nine runs suddenly came off Patel’s tenth over.
Both batsmen completed their half-centuries off 93 balls and continued neck and neck as Durham reached 162 for one at tea, only 12 behind. Stoneman was bowled by Patel without addition.Resuming on 344 for 7 in the morning, Warwickshire added 37 in ten overs, losing Tim Ambrose for 50, before declaring 174 ahead. Barker was unbeaten on 43.Warwickshire captain Ian Bell said: “We came in this morning excited about our opportunity considering the amount of movement there had been in the pitch.”But it was not to be. This was a better day for batting, whereas yesterday would have been a good day to bowl. It seems to be a trend of the season that every time we get in a good position the weather gets in the way.”

ScorecardPaul Stirling’s century eased Middlesex to victory•Getty Images

Paul Stirling and Eoin Morgan both scored attractive hundreds as Middlesex eased to a comfortable six-wicket victory against Kent in the Royal London One-day Cup at Lord’s.Stirling hit 112 and Morgan 103 not out as Middlesex chased down Kent’s 50-over total of 238 for 7 with 5.1 overs to spare, but also central to the home side’s success was the brilliant bowling of new-ball pair Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh.Finn, a fearsome prospect particularly in an intimidating opening spell, finished with 2 for 31 from his ten overs while Murtagh even bowled a maiden, his third, in the 46th over of Kent’s innings on his way to figures of 2 for 28.Irishmen Stirling and Morgan put on 214 in 39 overs for the third wicket after Ryan Higgins edged Matt Coles’s first ball to first slip in the second over and Middlesex were reduced to 16 for 2 when Nick Gubbins was caught behind off Mitch Claydon in the fifth over.When Stirling eventually fell, chipping Joe Denly’s leg spin to short extra cover, only nine more runs were needed for victory. Morgan saw Middlesex home at 239 for 4, despite the further loss of George Bailey to Coles. Both Stirling and Morgan struck a six and 13 fours.Both teams came into this South Group tie with two wins from four matches but, for such an important game in the eight-fixture group stage, both also had to do without two players chosen in the England Lions squad for their Tri-Series against the Pakistan and Sri Lanka A teams.Kent’s total, though below-par, was almost entirely due to a fighting third-wicket stand of 135 in 26 overs between Sean Dickson, whose 99 from 126 balls was a career-best in what was only the 24-year-old’s sixth List A appearance, and the veteran Darren Stevens, who scored 61 off 70 balls.Finn deserved more than just the scalp of Kent captain Sam Northeast in a blistering new ball spell of 6-2-13-1. Running in hard from the Pavilion End, he beat Dickson several times early on and almost had him caught at midwicket from a miscued clip off his pads.Northeast, on 2 and trying to work a fast, rising ball to leg, succeeded only in lobbing it back at Finn, who moved to his right and leapt high in his follow-through to take the return catch.Murtagh was also a handful in his own impressive and probing opening spell of 8-2-26-1, and the seamer had Denly lbw for 4 in the third over of Kent’s innings. At 12 for 2, when Finn sent back Northeast, it looked as if Kent – with the England Lions pair of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings missing from their top order – were in big trouble.It was a moot point, and one not lost on Kent supporters, whether Bell-Drummond and Billings, despite his magnificent 175 for the Lions against Pakistan A at Canterbury, would have learned more as prospective senior England batsmen had they instead been up against the fiery Finn and the wily Murtagh. Certainly, Kent could have done with Billings’ capacity for explosive run-making in a match central to both teams’ ambitions of earning quarter-final qualification.Middlesex followers, meanwhile, were wondering about the absence from their attack of Toby Roland-Jones, with the in-form fast bowler left out of the Lions team, led by Dawid Malan, chosen to face Pakistan A.Somehow, Dickson and Stevens managed to see off Finn and Murtagh and, against the change bowlers, they began to build their fine partnership. An extraordinary upper-cut six off a suffering James Fuller by Stevens, with a vertical bat, helped to change the momentum of the innings.Stevens also drove Ollie Rayner’s off spin straight for six while Dickson played some quality strokes including a classical off drive for four against left-arm seamer James Franklin and a reverse-slapped boundary against Rayner.When Stevens slog-swept Rayner straight into deep square leg’s hands in the 32nd over, the 40-year-old all-rounder slumped down on his bat in disappointment and Finn’s return, to bowl the 36th and 38th overs, brought Middlesex right back into the game.Dickson, having edged Finn through a vacant first slip to go to 99, chopped the next ball into his stumps and only Alex Blake, with 23, and Callum Jackson, who hit Fuller over long on for six in a 24-ball unbeaten 28, made much impression after that.

Tottenham Hotspur have identified Feyenoord boss Arne Slot as leading candidate to become their new manager, according to a recent report from the Independent.

What's the latest Tottenham manager news?

Tottenham have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, as it has recently transpired he wants to stay on with the Clarets for an additional season, making it unlikely he will take another job in the off-season.

A surprise new candidate for the job is South Korea boss Jurgen Klinsmann, who is now being considered by chairman Daniel Levy, while former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has also been linked with the role.

At one stage, it was claimed that Mauricio Pochettino was "pushing hard" for a return to N17, however the club's hierarchy is said to have reservations about re-appointing the Argentine, and rivals Chelsea are now in talks.

According to a report from the Independent, Slot is now being viewed as a leading candidate for the Spurs job, as the Feyenoord boss has struck the board as the manager who best fits what they want.

The 44-year-old is viewed as a manager on an upward curve, with experience working with young players, akin to Pochettino when he was first appointed in 2014, which may make him a more attractive option than some big-name managers.

Although the Dutchman is one of the main contenders, Tottenham are also still monitoring Julian Nagelsmann, while Roberto De Zerbi has also been considered, but a deal for the Italian would be difficult to strike.

Should Tottenham appoint Arne Slot?

There are plenty of indications the Bergentheim-born tactician would bring an exciting style of football to Spurs, having been hailed as "ultra-attacking" by Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan.

During his time with Feyenoord, Slot has led the club to the Europa Conference League final, before narrowly coming up short against Roma, while his side are also way out in front at the top of the Eredivisie, having lost just one game all season.

The former AZ Alkmaar boss has never managed outside of the Netherlands, which means it would be a risk to appoint him, however Levy has been unsuccessful when bringing in proven Premier League managers, including Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.

As such, the Feyenoord boss could end up being a shrewd appointment for Tottenham, and they should continue to monitor his availability between now and the end of the season.

Eoin Morgan has indicated that individual players will be given the choice of whether they want to be included for the tour of Bangladesh that is scheduled for October

Alan Gardner23-Aug-2016

Eoin Morgan, the captain of England’s limited-overs sides, has indicated that individual players will be given the choice of whether they want to be included for the tour of Bangladesh that is scheduled for October. The England one-day squad are due to be given a security briefing on Thursday by the three-member delegation that recently returned from the subcontinent.Reg Dickason, the ECB’s security advisor, David Leatherdale, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and John Carr, ECB director of cricket operations, will present their findings after completing venue inspections in Bangladesh and India last week. The BCB described their visit as a “positive” one and said there was no immediate timeframe in which England were expected to make a decision.Morgan has previously expressed his concerns about going to Bangladesh, in the wake of a terrorist attack in Dhaka in July. He said he expected the players to play a full part in the discussions and that there would be “room for a personal decision” if individuals were reluctant to travel.Alastair Cook, the Test captain, will attend the meeting in London, travelling down from Leicester where he is involved in a county match for Essex. The one-day squad would depart for Bangladesh first, leaving on September 30, with three ODIs scheduled ahead of a two-Test series later in October.”The briefing will be Thursday evening, with head of security Reg Dickason, a rep from the PCA and John Carr from the ECB,” Morgan said. “They’ve been doing the reccy and we’ll be debriefed by them. Alastair will be there and other guys who are available will come.”They’ll debrief us on the findings on both tours and we’ll chat about it, it has to be quite open. People have missed tours in the past so you have to make guys feel safe to go. It’s a decision you’d rather get out of the way sooner rather than later. There’s always room for a personal decision, you also have to understand guys might have different priorities.”In 2001, Robert Croft and Andrew Caddick opted out of the tour to India following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America.Current government advice from the Foreign Office currently states that there is “a heightened threat of further terrorist attacks” in Bangladesh and warns those travelling to minimise their exposure to “crowded areas and places where westerners are known to gather”.Australia pulled out of their tour to Bangladesh last year due to security fears and also did not send a team to the Under-19 World Cup held in the country in January and February.When asked earlier in the month, England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, said there had been no discussions about giving players the chance to opt out and that it would be a “huge call” to pull out of the tour. “Player and staff safety is paramount but it’s a huge decision for a country to decide not to go,” he said. “Bangladesh are looking forward to us going.”

Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2016Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.Abbott suffered the injury during the rain-affected match against Australia A on Tuesday. A release from the board stated that the bowler was struck on the ankle off the final ball of the match, and will undergo scans in Sydney to assess the injury. Batsman Matthew Short will captain NPS in the remaining matches of the series.”Sean was struck during Tuesday’s match and suffered some damage to the ankle bone,” Stephen Timms, a Bupa Support Team Physiothrapist, said. “Sean will undergo further scans in Sydney to assess the full extent of the damage and treatment required.”Abbott took two wickets after NPS’ first two matches in the series. Victories in both matches put NPS on top of the table, ahead of Australia A, India A and South Africa A. Their next match is against India A on August 21.

In a bitterly disappointing and painful season for Chelsea, it is hard to pinpoint any positives.

On Sunday, the club slumped to their fifth defeat in seven games at the hands of recently crowned Champions Manchester City under interim manager Frank Lampard to leave them languishing in the bottom half of the table.

It has been reported that up to 15 players could be set to depart Stamford Bridge in a major squad overhaul to avoid Financial Fair Play scrutiny.

The Blues have been reduced to simply looking toward the future and waiting for the impending arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, but the Argentine’s complicated job has been eased by the magnificent form of Lewis Hall.

Why does Lewis Hall deserve a chance at Chelsea?

At the Etihad, the youngster began as a left wing-back and performed admirably.

After the encounter at the Etihad Stadium, Lampard was asked about his display and said: “I thought Lewis did really well. I know he played well at City earlier in the year and I think against Mahrez, one of the best wingers in the league, one v one, he joined in. He gets his chance at the top end of the pitch. He's a good player.”

The 18-year-old was arguably the west London outfit’s best player against the Citizens as he recorded two key passes, accurate crosses, and long balls, created a big chance, won six ground duels, and made five tackles, in an impressive all-round performance where he silenced the magical Riyad Mahrez.

The Englishman made his Chelsea debut back in January 2022 in a victory over Chesterfield and provided an assist for the third goal – in doing so he became the youngster player to start an FA Cup tie for the club.

In total, the teen has made ten appearances for the senior team, and each time he’s featured he’s been brimming with composure, tenacity, and athleticism.

Pat Nevin has described the prodigy as "incredibly impressive" and in a cauldron of chaos and uncertainty, Hall has emerged as an exciting pillar of reliability.

Alongside Ian Maatsen who enjoyed an impressive campaign at Burnley, winning the title and being named in the Championship Team of the Season, Chelsea have an extraordinary wealth of young talent in the full-back position and both sensations can be fantastic rivals to Ben Chilwell.

The 26-year-old is a massively important player for the Blues but in recent times, his career in the capital has been ravaged by injury and an inability to stay fit.

Though, with Hall yet to put a foot wrong in a Chelsea shirt and clearly already ahead of Maatsen in the pecking order, he is breathing down Chilwell’s neck for a starting spot and can continue serving as an excellent source of competition next season.

Pochettino has placed an emphasis on a 'homegrown core' and Hall could be a pivotal part of this plan.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed the recent injury scare for Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a "nightmare".

What's the latest Everton injury news?

After picking up a brilliant three points against Brighton last time out, the Toffees were unable to repeat the trick against Manchester City this weekend.

Indeed, playing at Goodison Park, the home side lost 3-0 in the Premier League encounter with Ilkay Gundogan netting a brace and Erling Haaland also scoring.

That result means Everton are only one point and one play above the relegation zone, with two games to go – while Leicester could leapfrog them if they win tonight against Liverpool.

And adding to the worry is the fact that Calvert-Lewin had to come off early, lasting just one half against City before being subbed due to injury.

While speaking about it all on the BBC 606 radio phone-in show, Sutton outlined his concern, saying: (33:16) "I thought he was brilliant at Brighton. I think he'd started the previous three games or something like that.

"And he looked sharp early on in the game today, took the ball in well. So I mean, I think it's a bit of a nightmare…"

Will Calvert-Lewin play again this season?

As of yet, it remains unclear for how long exactly Calvert-Lewin will be out but with so little left in the season, he faces a real race against time to get himself fit again.

After the groin injury, manager Sean Dyche was at least optimistic that by subbing him off early, they may have prevented any serious damage from developing.

Indeed, he told LiverpoolEcho: "Dom had a tight groin and because of his history we had to get him off. We'll have to wait and see but the hope is he came off before damage was done."

Everton travel way to Wolves on Saturday before hosting Bournemouth on the final day of the season the week after, so it's not as though the £100k-p/w forward has much time to recover.

And while he's only scored twice in the league this term, he's still the club's key striker when fit and with the Toffees the third most goal-shy club in the division, they need all the help they can get up top.

If he isn't fit, Dyche will likely have to choose between either Neal Maupay or Ellis Simms to lead the line – not ideal as they have two league goals between them this term.

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze in the weeks preceding the summer transfer window, with the player currently riding a brightly-hued purple patch.

What's the latest on Eberechi Eze to Liverpool?

According to a recent report from the Evening Standard, Eze is attracting the attention of a host of top European outfits following his exploits this term, with Liverpool joined by the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain in vying for his signature.

The 24-year-old, however, expressed nonchalance at the claims, affirming his only focus was on finishing the season with Palace on a high.

He said: “I’m not really too bothered about that. I’m just focusing on the present. I want to continue enjoying it and contributing to the team as much as I can. I’m improving every game.”

On £30k-per-week at Selhurst Park, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp would do well to find a more dynamic midfield outlet in the Premier League outside the European contenders, and might just turn his attention to the 24-year-old upon the season's conclusion.

Should Liverpool sign Eberechi Eze?

Eze is undoubtedly in some of the most prolific form of his top-flight career having been beset with inconsistency under the tutelage of Patrick Vieira in the earlier phases of the present campaign.

Indeed, having scored ten goals and provided four assists from 29 starting showings in the division, Eze's commendable return of six goals from his past eight matches coincides with the Eagles' seasonal resurgence under the wing of the sagely Roy Hodgson once more, having won five of their past nine games to navigate away from the danger of the drop.

Hailed as Palace's "star man" by Jamie Redknapp, Eze is his outfit's highest-rated performer this term, according to Sofascore, boasting an average score of 7.14 and complementing his direct potency with an 82% average pass success rate, a 65% dribble success rate and an average of 1.1 tackles per outing.

As per FBref, the mercurial midfielder ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

Should Liverpool further negotiations for the gem, who is valued at just £20m by Football Transfers, they could unlock the perfect midfielder to occupy a roaming role behind Klopp's versatile new talisman Cody Gakpo, who was signed for £35m last winter.

Gakpo is likely considered the replacement for iconic forward Roberto Firmino, who is departing at the end of his contract in several weeks, and ranks among the top 8% of forwards for rate of assists, the top 10% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90.

With Eze such a driving force from the centre, pushing into the opposition's penalty area, melding his forward-thinking approach with Gakpo's seamless creative prowess and drifting between direct attack and more fluid positions across the final third to divert defenders and create pockets of space, a brilliant partnership could be created.

Hailed as "magic" by former teammate Christian Benteke, Eze could bring the spark to reignite the fire at Anfield's centre, guiding Liverpool back to glory at the forefront of European football.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSandeep Sharma profited from seam movement and took 4 for 62•AFP

India Red and India Green approached the country’s maiden first-class game with the pink ball with as much excitement as fear of the unknown – the fall of 17 wickets in the day might point to the latter – before coming out with the feeling that it wasn’t an entirely alien beast. It was by no means a jolt-free afternoon and night, though. India Red, having elected to bat, combusted to 161, before India Green hobbled their way to 116 for 7 when they weren’t busy fighting malfunctioning floodlights.The build-up to the game resembled a carnival rolling into town. Despite its usual thrills of stilted clowns and puppet shows, it is often the Ferris wheel that becomes the showstopper. When a sizeable crowd of flag-waving, chirpy fans made their way to the grass banks of the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, India’s latest domestic season had found its Ferris wheel, this one sheathed in pink.

Bowlers surprised by pink ball durability

Pragyan Ojha and Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed three wickets apiece on the opening day, said they were surprised to see the pink ball retain its sheen even after a substantial period of play. A liberal coverage of grass on the pitch and a reasonably lush outfield may have contributed to that end.
“I think for the first time we never had a problem of maintaining the ball – you just have to rub, you don’t need anything to shine the ball,” Ojha said. “It was something we were experiencing for the first time. If we play with the red ball or the white ball there will be some changes to the ball, it deteriorates. I don’t think [it will be a problem for the spinners].”
Kuldeep, the left-arm wristspinner, admitted to finding it difficult to grip the ball initially. “I had to keep it rough. I think there is a lot of difference when compared to the red ball,” he told . “You get a lot more grip on the red ball, and a lot more turn. If you get used to the pink ball, you can get it to drift and turn. If the shine is maintained, it helps in getting drift and dip.”
He also said it was difficult to spot the shiny side of the ball while batting in the afternoon. “It becomes difficult for the batsmen to pick the ball when both sides of the ball retain their shine. There is no problem sighting the ball in the night,” he said.

The first session was instructive in tempering a few popular notions about the pink ball, like its exaggerated early swing, for instance. Exhibit A was provided by India Green’s Ashok Dinda and Sandeep Sharma, who got the new ball to seam a lot more than swing. Despite a grass coverage of 4mm on the pitch, there wasn’t any excessive lateral movement. That India Red slumped to 67 for 6 at the end of the first session was more a consequence of some poor shot-making, and good field-placements from India Green captain Suresh Raina, than any demons that lay hidden inside the pink ball.Dinda said during the tea break the ball stopped swinging and seaming once it had become relatively older, and thereby the bowlers were looking to target the stumps. He said there was no turn on offer, but there was enough evidence to the contrary with spinners accounting for six wickets. There was adequate assistance for both fingerspin and wristspin, with Pragyan Ojha and Jalaj Saxena of India Red, and Kuldeep and Akshay Wakhare of India Green getting fairly appreciable turn.On a day when wickets fell in a heap, Abhinav Mukund was the most successful batsman on either side. Mukund’s 77 was instrumental firstly in India Red reaching triple figures, and then his 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Anureet Singh, who swished his way to 32 off 21, helped the team cross 150.Mukund admitted to having trouble with sighting the ball at practice on Monday, but said there were no such issues during the match. “I was timing the ball well personally. I couldn’t sight it quite well in the nets yesterday, but today was better and it was a good experience,” he said after the first day’s play.”To be honest, I didn’t have much of a problem [sighting] today. I thought I was timing the ball and getting into good positions. The ball was holding on to the wicket sometimes, sometimes [it was] skidding on. It’s a new experience. We don’t play with the Kookaburra in domestic cricket; it’s a new experience for a lot of cricketers.”India Green had begun in similarly shaky fashion, with Nathu Singh accounting for all the three wickets that fell inside the first eight overs. Nathu, like Sandeep earlier in the evening, profited when he held the seam upright. Robin Uthappa was dismissed by a jaffa that cut back sharply to shave the top of off stump in the seventh ball of the innings, while Jalaj Saxena slashed one that didn’t bounce as much to be caught behind. Nathu’s swerving in-ducker in his next over caught Rajat Paliwal on the shuffle to leave India Green at 31 for 3. Raina and Parthiv Patel then restored calm with a 41-run stand. But after Kuldeep ran through the middle order, Saurabh Tiwary, the last recognised batsman, remained the key to India Green securing the first-innings advantage.

Temba Bavuma congratulated the selectors for showing faith in his ability to open the batting after he became only the second South African to score a century on debut

Firdose Moonda25-Sep-2016Temba Bavuma congratulated the selectors for showing faith in his ability to open the batting after he became only the second South African to score a century on debut. However, he has suggested he will continue to view himself as a middle-order batsman for the time being.Bavuma deputised for Hashim Amla, who missed the match against Ireland while waiting for his wife to give birth, and put on a record opening stand at Benoni with Quinton de Kock. He eventually fell for 113 – only his second List A hundred – to help set up a big win.”I think the credit must go to the selectors and the administrators,” Bavuma joked in a television interview at the innings break.”They decided I should fill in this role for this game and it’s worked out.”This was the second time Bavuma has been used in the role, after opening in a Test match in Delhi last year and on both occasions he responded to the challenge well. So well that it could become an option for him to consider in future, no matter how much he does not think it’s the place for him at either national or franchise level at the moment.”Hashim is the incumbent. He is well established and I am sure he will be back to fill those boots,” Bavuma said. “And at the Lions, I probably won’t go to Geoff [Toyana] and ask to open. I think it will be disruptive. The Lions have Stephen Cook and Reeza Hendricks so for me to look for a place there will cause more harm than good.”But Bavuma may be underplaying his chances of getting another go at the top. One could come as soon as next Friday if Amla’s third child does not arrive before then. Other opportunities could present themselves, especially after Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, confirmed he believes Bavuma has both the technique and the temperament to open the batting.It may not have looked so at first, when Bavuma’s footwork was questionable and he seemed to be absorbing too many dot balls, but he learnt quickly thanks to his partner de Kock. “I was able to perform the way I performed because of the way Quinny plays. Up front he makes any wicket look flat,” Bavuma said. “He can score runs at will so it allowed me to take a bit more time and settle the nerves.”After de Kock got off to a flier, and found boundaries off both the front and back foot, Bavuma did the same. By the time the pair were in the 40s, Bavuma’s strike rate had caught up with de Kock’s and his strokeplay was just as eye-catching.Bavuma drove the ball sweetly but also demonstrated a powerful pull shot, although he admitted to never feeling entirely comfortable at the crease. “Throughout the innings I didn’t feel any kind of fluency. The wicket was a bit on the slower side and a bit two-paced, I struggled to hit through the line so I had to make sure I was strong in my game plans, ran hard and found the gaps,” Bavuma said.This summer, he wants to work on honing those skills a little more, even if it means doing it lower the down the order.”At the start of the season I set myself goals to try and improve as a player and one of the areas was with the white ball,” Bavuma said. “Your intensity must be higher. Even if you block the ball, you block it with the intent to score. At times I struggled with that today but I am generally a positive player and I look to put the bad balls away.”I have always seen batting as just batting. Whether it’s at No. 1 or No. 4, the ball is still the ball. At the Lions I will probably slot in in the middle and I will try and do things the way I normally do them.”