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Jos Buttler is a World Cup winner now but just days before the final against New Zealand at Lord’s, the fear of failure was haunting him. Thoughts of how he would ever play cricket again if England were to lose were creeping into his system.Confounded by those demons, Buttler sought out the team psychologist David Young.”I had played in eight finals before Sunday and lost seven of them,” Buttler told The Daily Mail. “I’d played in lots with Somerset, the Champions Trophy with England [in 2013] and when we lost the [World] T20 [final] in Kolkata [in 2016] and I knew how much it hurt watching the other team lift the trophy. I didn’t want to feel that pain and that regret again.”What was scaring me was if we lost, I didn’t know how I’d play cricket again. This was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a World Cup final at Lord’s. It felt like destiny and I was thinking: ‘If it doesn’t happen, I will have no motivation to pick up a cricket bat for a very long time.’ When I was talking to David, I knew the answers.”I knew all I could look after was the stuff I could look after, and I needed to get into my zone, which allows me to perform the best I can. But what happens if it goes wrong?”Buttler had a similar feeling midway through the World Cup when it looked like pre-tournament favourites England might not even make the semi-finals, having lost to Sri Lanka and Australia back-to-back.”Before the India game, I was struggling with coming to terms with the prospect of us getting knocked out,” Buttler said. “We’d been favourites, so highly fancied by everyone, and there was the danger that four years of playing such good cricket was going to come to nothing.”Think about what people will say about us as a team, think about how they will call us chokers, everything else they will say. I remember seeing a comment — maybe it was the one that got Jonny Bairstow wound up — about how it would be the biggest failure because of how much had gone into this World Cup. I was struggling with the thought of that.”England celebrate winning the World Cup•Getty Images

In the final, Buttler played a crucial role, first with the bat by scoring 59 and adding 110 for the fifth wicket with Ben Stokes, and then by completing the run-out dismissal of Martin Guptill off the last ball of the Super Over to seal the win for England.Talking about his feelings just before that last ball, with New Zealand needing two to win with Guptill on strike, Buttler said: “If you’re watching the game from the outside, you must think all the players must be so nervous as Jofra Archer is coming in to bowl that last ball. But as a cricketer, it’s where you want to be. You’re in the middle, you’ve got some control. You’ve done it time and again. Just because it’s a final, it’s still the same thing, collecting the ball and taking the stumps.”You’re on autopilot really. I felt very in-the-moment. Guptill pushed it off his legs and once I saw it going straight to Jason [Roy], I thought: ‘If we get this right, we can win this’. I knew Guptill would be a long way out. Under pressure, nothing is simple but I knew it should be simple.”When Jason picked it up, there was no thought he might misfield it. None of those thoughts happen. He picks it up, throws it to me and I take the stumps. I had to come down the pitch a little bit but I knew that as long as I collected the ball cleanly, I would have time to get to the stumps because he was a long way out.”If I knew Guptill was going to be closer, I may have been more anxious or rushed it, but I knew I had some time to play with, so it was just as simple as making sure I got it in my hands.”While the Super Over ended in a tie, England became the winners based on the boundary count. The euphoria that followed, to Buttler, felt like the best time of his career.”I knew the moment I broke the wicket, that was it. Both gloves went [off], I threw my hat in the air. I was running around and Moeen Ali was aeroplaning past me and Jofra was on the floor miles away. Those feelings justify everything. That moment lasts for 20 seconds, maybe, and it is just the best time of your cricket career.”I’m 28 and for however long I have left in my career, I would just enjoy it and think: ‘That happened’.”

Alec Stewart has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Trevor Bayliss as head coach of England.While some other high-profile candidates – notably Gary Kirsten – appear to have been put off by the decision not to split the roles of Test and limited-overs coaches, Stewart is seen as an ideal character to sustain the hard-working yet relaxed environment around the current England sides. Crucially, as a highly respected former captain of the side, he is also seen as an ideal character to build on the cultural values that have been instilled in recent months.Appointed as Surrey coach mid-way through a 2013 season in which his troubled team was heading for relegation, Stewart oversaw a revival that resulted in them winning the Championship title in 2018. Now director of cricket at the club, he has given opportunities to an array of home-grown players – including Ollie Pope, Zafar Ansari, Rory Burns and the Curran brothers – all of whom have gone on to represent England.ESPNcricinfo understands that Stewart will be one of those invited to apply when the process formally begins in the coming weeks. However, it is not absolutely certain he will do so, given that he often refers to his current role at Surrey as “the best job in the world”.Stewart’s family are steeped in the history of the club – the pavilion is named in honour of his father, Micky (who also managed England between 1986 and 1992) while his brother Neil is a youth team coach – and at the age of 56, he may also be at the stage of life where touring has lost some of its appeal.In the end, however, the allure of such a role with the England team may prove hard to resist. Stewart has spoken often of his pride in representing his country and while he did not apply for the director of the men’s team role – a position subsequently filled by Ashley Giles – he did hint that he would have considered it had it been offered.While Chris Silverwood – England’s current bowling coach – remains another strong candidate, several competitors appear to have ruled themselves out. Kirsten confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he “had expressed an interest in coaching one format” – which might be interpreted as a reluctance to coach both – while Stephen Fleming is believed to have held a similar view.Giles has previously said the ECB are “99.9 percent” certain to appoint one person to replace Bayliss. He has also outlined a plan for three assistants to support that head coach – or director of cricket – providing an opportunity for rest, rotation and career development over the course of an almost unrelenting international schedule. Stewart, Silverwood and, perhaps, Tom Moody – who was also in the mix when Trevor Bayliss was appointed in 2015 – might now be considered frontrunners for the job.The other leading candidatesChris Silverwood: Won the County Championship as head coach at Essex and has an excellent reputation as England’s current bowling coach. He is a very strong candidate for the top job.Tom Moody: Vastly experienced in both international cricket (he has been head coach of Sri Lanka) and in England (he was director of cricket at Worcestershire). Moody has subsequently held various management roles in T20 leagues around the world. Indicated he was interested in both the India and England roles the last time they were vacant. It is, however, unclear whether he would give up the portfolio of positions he has now for the demands of such a job and he insists he has had no contact with the ECB at this stage.Andrew McDonald: Fast developing an excellent reputation as one of the best young coaches in world cricket, McDonald already has trophies in all formats on his CV. He seems happily settled in Australia, though, and perhaps this job comes just a bit early in his career.Paul Collingwood: The only man to captain England to a global limited-overs trophy. But Collingwood has relatively little coaching experience – he retired as a player less than 12 months ago – and may have to be content with a role as one of the three assistants. This time round, anyway.Graham Thorpe: England’s lead batting coach has an excellent chance of winning one of the three assistant roles, but looks an outsider for the top job at this stage.Mark Robinson: The England women’s coach is perceived, perhaps unfairly, as a little intense, but he has enjoyed great success at international and domestic level. He guided Sussex to two County Championship titles before lifting the Women’s World Cup in 2017.Ottis Gibson: The current South Africa coach has vast experience – he has also coached West Indies – and has had two spells as England’s fast bowling coach. He is out of contract in September and thought to be interested in the role.Mickey Arthur: Another hugely experienced international coach who is sure to be considered if he shows an interest. He may not be seen as the right fit for this role, however, and would have to be considered an outsider.Jason Gillespie: Having enjoyed great success at Yorkshire, in particular, Gillespie understands the culture of English cricket and has a good reputation for building the sort of working environment England would want. Was heavily touted in 2015 and, if he’s interested, he has to be a contender.

An increasingly confident innings from Steven Smith and the return to action of Mitchell Starc provided the good news for Australia, but it was a distinctly mixed day as they were comfortably beaten by the New Zealand XI who secured a seven-wicket victory in Brisbane on the back of Will Young’s 130.Pace bowler Jhye Richardson was also ruled out of the World Cup and David Warner fell for a duck on his return to opening the batting before the visitors, without ten of their main squad, reached their target of 278 with 16 balls to spare. It followed the Australians’ batting collapse in the opening match when they scrambled to a one-wicket win.Smith’s 89 not out off 77 balls, coming at No. 5, was his highest score in a 50-over match – albeit an unofficial one – for more than two years since an unbeaten 108 against Pakistan in January 2017. Glenn Maxwell, with a crisp 52 off 44 balls, and Usman Khawaja also made half-centuries.The uncapped Young, who faces up to nine months on the sidelines due to upcoming shoulder surgery, was the star of the chase reaching his century off 110 balls. He added 133 for the second wicket with George Worker, after Starc had struck third ball to castle Hamish Rutherford, then put on 130 for the third with captain Tom Latham who made an unbeaten 69.Starc, playing his first competitive match since the final Test against Sri Lanka in February, bowled with impressive pace – clocking 148kph during his first spell – and returned to spear a rapid yorker through Worker. He was limited to two short spells after the lengthy time on the sidelines, finishing with for 2 for 14 from five overs, but looks primed to lead Australia’s attack at the World Cup.However, in the absence of the rested Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa, the rest of the attack was somewhat pedestrian. Kane Richardson, who has replaced Jhye for the World Cup, went wicketless for the second match running, neither Sean Abbott or Michael Neser, who are both part of the A squad could make an impact, and Nathan Lyon was milked for 54 from his ten. Without Jhye and Josh Hazlewood, a lot appears to rest on Starc and Cummins.The Australians batted first by agreement having bowled in the opening match when there was a toss. It was tough going early on against excellent new-ball spells from Hamish Bennett and Doug Bracewell. Warner drove Bracewell to cover in the second over and captain Aaron Finch was caught behind as the Australians managed 2 for 29 in the first ten overs.Khawaja, who was dropped on 6 at square leg, and Shaun Marsh rebuilt and steadily increased the tempo before Marsh was caught behind. Khawaja went to his half-century off 64 balls but his innings was then cut short by a stinging catch at short midwicket by Jimmy Neesham who grabbed onto a powerful pull shot.Smith and Maxwell then added a brisk stand of 81 for the fifth wicket which was dominated by the latter as Smith continued to find his feet. When Maxwell fell after threatening to really cut loose in the final ten overs, Smith took charge of the closing stages, tallying four sixes including increasingly inventive strokeplay as he plundered 39 off his last 17 deliveries. The innings was warmly applauded in what is becoming a successful week for him.However, overall the Australians have been short of their best in the first two matches of the week and will be keen for a dominant finish before getting on the plane on Friday night.

A clinical bowling effort, headlined by Masabata Klaas’ 39th-over hat-trick, was followed by Laura Wolvaardt’s 14th 50-plus score in ODIs as South Africa trumped Pakistan by eight wickets to level their three-match Women’s Championship series at 1-1.The first game of the series was all about Sana Mir, the veteran offspinner taking 4 for 11 to shoot the home side out for 63 in 22.5 overs before the chase was wrapped up in 14.4 overs. Pakistan started this game well too, Nahida Khan and Sidra Ameen giving them a first-wicket stand of 50. But it slipped from their grasp after that, and they were bundled for 147. With Wolvaardt in charge, South Africa pulled off the chase in 36.4 overs.Lizelle Lee and Wolvaardt had both been sent back inside two overs in the first game, but this time they made amends in style. Lee was the more aggressive of the two, as she usually is, scoring 40 in 43 balls, but she was also the first to fall, caught at the long-off boundary by Mir off Umaima Sohail.Andrie Steyn couldn’t hang around for too long, Nashra Sandhu catching her off Mir for 9, but Wolvaardt and captain Sune Luus kept things steady after that, the opener hitting an unbeaten 74 in 104 balls, and Luus ending on a 46-ball 21 not out.Batting first after losing the toss, Pakistan got a good start courtesy Nahida and Sidra. But Nahida, who was scoring at upwards of a run a ball, was sent back by Tumi Sekhukhune for 37, with the scoreboard reading 50 in the 12th over, and the slowdown began.Sidra (25 in 59 balls), Javeria Khan (20 in 35) and captain Bismah Maroof (32 in 49) all got starts, but couldn’t really provide the innings with the thrust it needed. Sekhukhune sent back Sidra to finish with 2 for 20, and while Luus and Marizanne Kapp also picked up two wickets apiece, Klaas grabbed the limelight with three in three, accounting for Aliya Riaz, Umaima and Sidra Nawaz.It was only the tenth hat-trick in women’s ODI history and the second by a South African after Dane van Niekerk achieved it against West Indies in Basseterre in 2013.

Big picture

Even though Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have the same number of points – four – to their names right now, they have had considerably different journeys to earn them. Apart from the fact that Sunrisers have played one match fewer, Delhi have somehow managed to lose their nerves in the last two matches, not an ailment Sunrisers have shown symptoms of.Delhi were cruising in their chases against both Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab before slipping. Kagiso Rabada saved them in the Super Over against Knight Riders, but against Kings XI, there was no coming back as they lost seven wickets for just eight runs.

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Delhi: Lost to Kings XI by 14 runs, beat Knight Riders in the Super Over, lost to Super Kings by six wickets
Sunrisers: beat Royal Challengers by 118 runs, beat Royals by five wickets, lost to Knight Riders by six wickets

They can’t afford to make such mistakes again, especially against a team that’s been among the best in the last few seasons.Sunrisers’ bowlers must be desperate to have a go and get their act back together, especially in the death overs, seeing the way Delhi have batted at the end recently. Their top-order batsmen, of course, are likely to tear into any bowling attack that errs even marginally.Sunrisers’ death bowling wasn’t tested against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, and it’s one area, along with their middle order, that Delhi would want to target. Yusuf Pathan has faced 22 balls this IPL and Manish Pandey nine. That means only one thing for Delhi: get quick wickets.Having already lost two of their four matches, this is a good chance for Delhi to win at home before they travel for three away matches within the next ten days. The Delhi track has see-sawed so far, giving first-innings scores of 147 and 185, and might continue to be low and slow on Thursday.Sportzpics

In the news

David Warner had taken a blow on his hand while taking a sharp catch at extra cover to dismiss Virat Kohli on Sunday. But he is now “100%” for Thursday, and while Jonny Bairstow showed signs of discomfort during his century, perhaps because of cramps in the Hyderabad heat, he is also fit.

Previous meeting

When Sunrisers met Delhi Daredevils last in May 2018, they had chased down 188 with ease, ending a Rishabh Pant century in vain. Delhi man Shikhar Dhawan was with Sunrisers then and had scored an unbeaten 92 off 50 balls.

Likely XIs

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Colin Ingram, 6 Chris Morris, 7 Hanuma Vihari, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10, Avesh Khan, 11 Sandeep LamichhaneSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Vijay Shankar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (capt), 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth Kaul

Strategy punt

• Even though Mohammad Nabi opened the bowling against Royal Challengers and took 4 for 11, it might be a good idea to hold him back until Pant and Colin Ingram walk out to bat, to turn the ball away from the left-handers. His economy rate in the middle overs (7-15) is better than in Powerplays anyway: 5.30 compared to 6.10.
• The home side may want to open with legspin – Lamichhane – against Bairstow if the pitch is slow and low, as expected. Bairstow has been dismissed by legspinners all three times this IPL and averages 23 against them in all T20s since 2015.
• Sunrisers might not want to give Bhuvneshwar more than an over in the death, especially if they bowl first, given his poor recent form. His quota could be given to Rashid Khan, who has gone at 8.20 per over in the last five overs in the IPL since 2015, better than Bhuvneshwar’s 9.50 and Sandeep Sharma’s 10.

Stats that matter

• You’re set for a spectacular scrap no matter who bats first on Thursday. Opener Prithvi Shaw has scored only five runs off Bhuvneshwar’s 12 balls overall in T20s, although with no dismissals. On the other hand, Warner has struck Rabada for only 16 off 14 balls, being dismissed once.
• Only two batsmen had got the better of Rashid in the last IPL: Chris Gayle and Suresh Raina. Pant, another left-hander, will take confidence from that and his own record against Rashid in the IPL: 45 runs off 30 balls and only one dismissal. To add to that, Pant averages a whopping 62.80 and strikes at 162 against Sunrisers.
• Pandey will have to find a way to score against the left-arm spin of Axar Patel, if he is fielded. Pandey has scored 23 runs off 39 balls against Axar over the years, while being dismissed twice. He hasn’t scored particularly quickly against left-arm spin in the IPL since 2015 anyway, with a scoring rate of 116.20.
• What home advantage? Sunrisers’ IPL record in Delhi reads: five wins in seven games, winning 71.40% of the matches.

Cricket West Indies look set to take a substantial financial hit after Sky declined to pay for the two T20I games in St Kitts this weekend.The value of such games would usually be worth around US$1million each but, with neither match having been part of the package agreed when the broadcast deal was made several years ago, Sky are reluctant to pay anywhere near that amount. They argue they have already paid handsomely for the rest of the tour, which was originally scheduled to contain just one T20I, and have no intention of spending any more on it.The matches will still be broadcast in the UK. While CWI could refuse to allow Sky access to their pictures – the board are providing the cameras, the crew and the feed – they are not prepared to compromise their relationship with either their sponsors or the St Kitts government, who have invested in hosting the games. That means Sky could end up broadcasting the games for next to no cost.If that does happen, however, it is unlikely they will be exclusive. CWI would, in such circumstances, be able to live-broadcast the matches on YouTube, Twitter and through their own website. A compromise – where Sky pay somewhere between 10-20% of the anticipated value of the games – would seem likely.It still represents a painful blow for CWI. They are obliged to pay for the travel and hotel accommodation for both squads, as well as the match fees and other hosting costs. With the matches broadcast at close to peak time for Sky – they start at 8pm in the UK – they are aggrieved at the lack of value they are receiving. For a board with a turnover of around $40million, to lose up to $2million anticipated revenue is significant.West Indies captain Jason Holder during a net session•Getty Images

Meanwhile, the announcement of West Indies’ T20I squad for this series – which was revealed by ESPNcricinfo almost a week ago – was delayed after some board members resisted the decision to retain the ODI squad under Jason Holder as captain. While the logic of keeping the side together in the build-up to the World Cup was appreciated, there was a concern that preparation for the next T20 World Cup – which is to be held in Australia towards the end of next year – might be compromised as a consequence.There was also some concern that Holder might require more rest ahead of his commitments this summer. In addition to West Indies’ trip to Ireland in the build-up to the World Cup, he has also committed to a stint with Northamptonshire in county cricket.Equally, however, the delay in naming the squad might be reflective of the level of interference that selectors, coaches and officials in the Caribbean have from CWI board members.It also emerged that Andre Russell could miss the entire series with a recurrence of his long-standing knee problem. “He had some reaction to some treatment he had,” Richard Pybus, the team’s interim head coach, explained. It is understood that reaction came after Russell was given an injection into the knee and had been suffering unexpected swelling as a result.With opportunities running out for Russell to show his fitness and form, the setback could raise serious doubts over his likelihood of being in West Indies’ World Cup squad.

It isn’t often that Tim Southee ends up on the sidelines, least of all in a World Cup year, while New Zealand are facing one of the favourites for that tournament. The 30-year old fast bowler has played only two of six limited-overs matches in the ongoing series against India but was quite excellent during the T20I on Wednesday, taking 3 for 17 and helping his team to victory by 80 runs.

Watch New Zealand v India LIVE

Followers in the United States can watch the second T20I live on ESPN+

Southee said it was “tough” spending time out of the side but he understood the reasons. “A number of guys that needed game time and I know I haven’t been at my best with the white-ball for a while. It’s never nice missing out but just have to make the most of opportunities when you get them.”And he did, bouncing out the India captain Rohit Sharma in his second over in Wellington on Wednesday. Just as importantly, Southee showed signs of the swing that seemed to have gone out of his game, causing his ODI bowling average to shoot up to 45 since the end of the last World Cup.So, did it feel like he had a point to prove coming back into the XI? “Not at all. Any time you get a chance to play, you’re going out there to do your job and your role for the team. It was no different last night. Felt like I’ve been bowling really well in the nets and for me it was just about transforming that form from the nets to the game. Different when you’ve been sitting on the sidelines for a while and to go out there, there’s obviously excitement, few nerves, but obviously nice way to start the series.”Sometimes in T20 cricket, it can feel really nice and your figures can look really different. It was just a part of almost the perfect puzzle last night, the perfect team performance.When asked why he’s run into trouble in limited-overs cricket lately, Southee pointed to a “lack of wickets”, but was quick to add that there were mitigating circumstances.”There’s been times in the last year or so I’ve felt I’ve bowled extremely well at times and haven’t got wickets or supported [Trent] Boulty at the other end. So I guess you’re always looking at ways to get better, always looking at ways to try and improve as a cricketer. So it’s just always [about being] involved in the game and look in a different way so you can get better and looking back to when you were at your best and how you were operating then.”New Zealand handed India their worst T20I defeat, in Wellington, and were keen on sealing the series in Auckland, where Southee expects a full house.”Last night was a good atmosphere and I think tomorrow will be an amazing atmosphere too. I think it’ll probably be the first time Eden Park’s been sold out since the 2015 World Cup. Doesn’t happen too often when we play there. Will be a very noisy crowd and one the guys are very much looking forward to.”

West Indies 127 for 6 (Dowrich 27*, Holder 7*) lead England 77 (Jennings 17, Roach 5-17) by 339 runs
England were entitled to stride off the Kensington Oval after less than an hour’s play on day two with their chests thrust forward and grins on their faces, a job well done. They had, after all, restricted West Indies to a total of 289 on a pitch both captains wanted to bat on first.Three and a half hours later, the entrance to the field had become a dizzying turnstile for touring batsmen with shoulders hunched and jaws slack, trying to fathom what had just happened.What had just happened was an absolute demolition job as West Indies’ pace attack, led by Kemar Roach, bowled England out for 77, the lowest Test total to be posted in Bridgetown and 212 runs short of the home side’s modest first-innings score.Roach’s stunning spell of five wickets for four runs in 27 balls left England reeling at 48 for 6 and, with Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph contributing two wickets apiece, the scene ended in carnage for the tourists, who had only four batsmen reach double figures with none of them making it to 20.On a day when 18 wickets fell, however, there was much more to come as England’s Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali combined to put West Indies under some pressure at 61-5.Shimron Hetmyer, West Indies’ top-scorer with 81 in the first innings, threatened to steady the second with Shane Dowrich, until Hetmyer fell for 31 late on a spectacular day of action.Dowrich remained unbeaten on 27 at the close along with Holder (7 not out) as the West Indies held a lead of 339.After James Anderson had claimed 5 for 46 to move level with Ian Botham’s record of 27 five-wicket hauls for England, and Stokes’ 4 for 59, England looked to be in a comfortable position at the end of the West Indies’ first innings.Then came Holder and Roach.West Indies captain Holder had Keaton Jennings caught cheaply, slicing a drive straight to gully to send England to lunch at 30-1.At the resumption, Roach cut loose. He flummoxed Rory Burns and Jonny Bairstow, forcing both to chop onto their stumps. At the other end, Joe Root was lbw for 4.Roach then claimed the wickets of Stokes and Moeen with consecutive balls. First to go was Stokes with an lbw that withstood England’s review. But when Roach caught Moeen on the hop with a blazing short ball next delivery that found a thick top edge, Joseph was there, on the boundary at fine leg, to pluck the catch from mid-air and add to the day’s spectacle in thrilling fashion.By the time Roach had Jos Buttler caught behind by Dowrich off a short, sharp delivery it seemed as though mere moments had punctuated the West Indies quick’s haul and, in the scheme of things, they had.Joseph combined with Dowrich to dismiss Ben Foakes for just 2, while Sam Curran was bounced out, caught by Shai Hope off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel, before Adil Rashid was last to fall.While the day belonged to Roach, Moeen and Stokes added intrigue where no more was needed. As in the first innings, West Indies’ batsmen have so far failed to build on starts, with openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell falling early and Darren Bravo making a forgettable return to Tests after two years by adding just 1 to his first-innings total of 2.At stumps Moeen had 3 for 41 off 12 overs and Stokes 2 for 31 off 11.A talking point before the match was West Indies’ decision to pick just one spinner and four quicks, while England opted for two slow bowlers and left out Stuart Broad. Given the success of the home side’s fast bowlers, selection must remain at the forefront of England’s analysis.Anderson added Joseph’s wicket to his four from day one and Stokes ended West Indies’ first innings with the wicket of Hetmyer but, by the time Hetmyer fell again, caught by Buttler off the bowling of Curran, who had edged Broad out of the team, all that seemed so long ago.

Bangladesh prevailed by 36 runs against West Indies in the high-scoring second T20I in Dhaka. Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round supremacy – five wickets after blasting an unbeaten 26-ball 42 – was complemented by Liton Das’ 60 off 34 and Mahmudullah’s unbeaten 21-ball 43, the latter adding 91 for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand with Shakib. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing.West Indies kept fighting through Rovman Powell, who made 50 off 34 balls with five fours and a six, after they had lost half their side by the 11th over. Powell, who was dropped on 6 and 14 by Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim respectively, slammed Abu Hider for 20 runs in the 14th over, hitting him for a four and a six down the ground before two top-edges gave him two more fours.Only when Powell fell in the 16th over, did the home side breath properly. Keemo Paul struck a four and two sixes in his 16-ball 29, but he too fell in the penultimate over, caught at deep square leg while trying to hoick Mustafizur Rahman.After being put in, Liton powered Bangladesh to 211 for 4, their second-highest total in the format. The opener struck four sixes and six fours in his knock. There was an odd play-and-miss but Liton in full flow made for pretty viewing. He added 68 for the second wicket with Soumya Sarkar, who struck three fours and a six in his 22-ball 32.After Liton and Soumya fell in the same Sheldon Cottrell over, and Mushfiqur Rahim also fell in the following over, Bangladesh slightly lost their way.But Shakib and Mahmdullah charged their way through the last seven overs as Bangladesh added 112 runs in the last ten overs. Shakib struck a flat-batted six over midwicket apart from his five fours.Mahmudullah, Bangladesh’s designated slogger, struck seven fours, crashing five boundaries in the arc from backward point to extra cover, apart from his two tickled fours.While West Indies lost Evin Lewis early in the big chase, Hope blasting Mohammad Saifuddin straight for two straight fours in the second over kept them going.Hope and Pooran, whose 14 runs came off two fours and a six, added 41 for the second wicket. Shakib had Pooran sky a catch to short fine leg immediately after he had smacked the bowler for a six.Mustafizur was taken for 24 in his first over, with Hope hitting him for four consecutive fours – over mid-on, flicking him past square-leg, scything him over cover and smashing straight down the ground. Under pressure, Mustafizur bowled a horrible bouncer that went for five wides, making it even worse.But Hope fell soon after Pooran, sweeping Mehidy Hasan straight down the midwicket’s throat for 36 off 19. Shakib then removed Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo in the 11th over, both trying to push for boundaries but top-edging the slogs to the fielders.Carlos Brathwaite was Shakib’s fourth wicket, Mushfiqur affecting a smart stumping in the 13th over when the batsman missed a wide ball but didn’t slide back his foot back while Mushfiqur juggled the ball.Shakib’s five-wicket haul was only the third by a Bangladesh bowler in T20Is and the first since 2016 World T20 when Mustafizur took a five-for against New Zealand in Kolkata. The first was taken by Elias Sunny against Ireland in 2012.

Queensland opener Joe Burns sent a reminder of his class to the national selectors with a well-made 96 to help Queensland into a strong position against Victoria at the Gabba.Burns’ innings, along with 47 from Marnus Labuschagne, helped set up a 104-run first innings lead for the Bulls. The lead may have been more without a superb spell from Peter Siddle, who picked up four wickets.High-quality half-centuries from Test squad members Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb saw Victoria claw back infront but late wickets ensured the stumps lead was only 50 with five wickets in hand and two full days to play.Burns looked set for a century early in the day after adding 25 to his overnight total before Scott Boland squared him up with an excellent delivery to get him caught at second slip.Siddle then ripped the heart of the Bulls’ middle order attacking the stumps relentlessly to remove Charlie Hemphrey, Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Peirson in quick succession.Labuschagne was patient for his 47 but ran out of partners, eventually holing out at deep fine leg attempting to hook Boland who picked up three wickets of his own.Travis Dean then become the first Victorian opener in 13 years to bag a pair when he was given out lbw to Michael Neser from the first ball of the second innings. Seven balls later Victoria were in enormous trouble when Aaron Finch was also adjudged lbw to Luke Feldman. The ball nipped back and hit the top of the pads as Finch was up on his toes but the umpire believed it would have hit the top of the stumps, much to Finch’s displeasure.Harris and Handscomb proved why they are in the frame for the Adelaide Test with a fluent 104-run stand. Harris struck 10 fours in his 62 before he missed a ball slanting in from around the wicket from Mark Steketee. Handscomb reached his second fifty in the match before he fell to Neser, edging to slip trying to defend a good delivery on a fourth stump line.Glenn Maxwell made it to 29 at stumps but lost Seb Gotch in the last over in fading light. Labuschagne’s part-time legspin did the trick for skipper Usman Khawaja to leave Victoria with an uphill battle to set a defendable fourth innings total.