From a nuggety get-out-of-strife type, the Australia batsman, who is set to play her 250th international match on Sunday, is now the side’s most versatile player

Adam Collins in Coffs Harbour28-Oct-2017The day after Alex Blackwell’s international debut in 2003, Belgium became the second country to legalise same-sex marriage. A fortnight after her 250th at Coffs Harbour on Sunday, Australia should finally begin the process to become the 24th.There are many ways to illustrate the longevity of a career that has spanned 5387 days, but marriage equality seems most fitting given Blackwell’s persuasive work to convince Australian voters.In both the current public campaign and women’s cricket as a whole, the terrain has changed strikingly since Blackwell made her bow at age 19. Now, she is Australia’s most-capped female player; on Sunday, the latest in a string of milestones.Professionalism has been the biggest transformation. When the national vice-captain started her journey, pay for women cricketers was not part of the conversation. Major tournament preparation would consist of a training camp squeezed into a long weekend, if they were lucky. “Everything was jammed together and you left in a world of hurt,” she had recalled earlier in the year.Then back to the university Blackwell would go, to continue her medical studies, then into a full-time career in genetics. “I never thought it would be professional for me,” she said of the game. “I always had to equally think about my academic life and the career I wanted to pursue to earn an income. You were stretched pretty thin.”It is a familiar story for women athletes worldwide. But in Blackwell’s case, full-time cricket was a welcome arrival a dozen years later. While there are many commercial indicators of a game on the rise, Blackwell’s batting embodies it better than any.From a nuggety get-out-of-strife type, she is now Australia’s most versatile player, something she attributes to recalibrating her game for T20. She excelled in the Women’s Big Bash league, leading Sydney Thunder to the inaugural title. That broader set of skills is now evident every time she sets up at the crease.”One of the best things Al’s been able to do is really adapt her game,” Australian captain Rachael Haynes said in toasting her deputy’s “outstanding” career. “You’ve always got to look to evolve. If you look at players over time who are able to do that, they’re generally the ones who have had the longer careers and the most success.”Blackwell is now equally comfortable with the straight bat as she is lapping or reversing or walloping. Her 56-ball 90 nearly saved the day in the World Cup semi-finals this July. It’s a game methodically curated for all seasons; a game that got Australia over the line in the opening match of this Ashes too, with an unbeaten 67.This narrative also applies to Haynes, previously known for compact accumulation rather than the plundering she subjected England to in the second Ashes ODI. “There were some good moments in there the other day,” she said modestly of her 56-ball 89. “And I’ve still got more to give as a player.”Alex Blackwell steers one into the off side•Getty ImagesHer task in the second Coffs Harbour contest – the last ODI of the multi-format series – is to avoid a Big Banana peel that would cede momentum to England ahead of the standalone Test Match. Haynes knows this is a crucial opportunity.”Don’t be satisfied,” was her message to her players. “This match is a really important game, we’ll be looking to really assert [ourselves]. That’s the really big thing. The moment you get comfortable and relaxed in what you’re achieving, perhaps, it leaves the door open.”Haynes will have the services of the dynamic 20-year-old all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who is likely to return after concussion had kept her out of Thursday’s 75-run victory. “You saw a glimpse of what she’s capable of, so it’s exciting that she’ll come back in,” the captain said. Legspinner Kristen Beams will likely make way.Thursday’s toss generated scrutiny, after Heather Knight gave Australia first use of friendly batting conditions. England coach Mark Robinson later elaborated on his captain’s decision to ESPNcricinfo.”Had that rain come an hour later and we looked at a shortened target, Duckworth-Lewis can make things look very, very simple,” he said. “Had we elected to bat first and it rained and Australia had an easy target you would be criticised with everyone knowing the forecast. As it happened, the rain came at the worst time. It’s a lot more clear-cut tomorrow.”Knight recognised that bouncing back from four points down is “potentially” the biggest test of her time in charge. “But, it is still very much a contest. There is still a hell of a lot of cricket to be played. We have got to wrestle back that momentum. But it is important that we move on from what has happened and don’t feel sorry for ourselves.”Robinson, however, wasn’t prepared to declare it a must-win game. “I don’t look it like that. It puts too much emphasis and can become too big and that can actually start to suffocate you.””We’ve given the girls all the space they needed yesterday then had all the chats we needed today,” he said of the mood in the camp. “What you have got to do is keep it simple as you can. We’re not trying to build anything up too much.”With the bat, only bowler Katherine Brunt has made it to a half-century so far in the two games, while both she and her fellow opening seamer Anya Shrubsole were wicketless and expensive in their last start. Knight, however, is backing her quick bowlers, whom she assessed as bowling “brilliantly” early before Australia’s aggression took over.Sophie Ecclestone, the 18-year-old left-arm spinner endorsed by Knight and Robinson, will play again after her Ashes debut on Thursday,. There is no sign of panic yet, as both the captain and the coach hinted they would go in unchanged. World Champions at home, this is a prized opportunity for England to show what they are made of away.

The allrounder was 99 matches old when he was dropped from the Mumbai squad, and didn’t play for them again

Saurabh Somani20-Aug-2018Abhishek Nayar had just started to turn a rather tepid Ranji Trophy season around when he played against Andhra in November 2017. He made 73 runs and was dismissed only once, and he took a wicket in the first innings. Called on for only five overs in the second, he gave up just four runs. It was a good time to come back to form in his 99th first-class match. Mumbai’s next was at the Wankhede Stadium against Tripura, perennial Ranji lightweights. A fitting occasion for a 100th first-class match.Except that two days after the Andhra game, Nayar got a call from Ajit Agarkar, then chief selector of Mumbai, and was told he wouldn’t be in the squad. Nayar didn’t get to play for the rest of the season.He will get to 100 this time around, but it will be with Pondicherry, one of the nine new teams in the Ranji Trophy. Nayar had been in talks with the team, and indicated willingness to come on-board. On Monday, he announced via Twitter that the move was official.

MUMBAI >>>PUDUCHERRY…thank you everyone who has helped me and been part of this wonderful 20 years of khadoos cricket,right from the u14s to 99firstclass games..it's been an honour.it's an emotional moment for me but I leave a happy man.the lion shall always roar in my.

— abhishek nayar (@abhisheknayar1) August 20, 2018

It will be a fresh start with Pondicherry, but Nayar has no regrets when he looks back at his Mumbai journey.”Initially, I was very sour. I wasn’t very happy with how things went – 100th game, in Mumbai, versus Tripura,” he reflects. “I was just getting back into form, getting back my flow. I kept thinking ‘Why? What can the thinking be? I mean, I’ve done so much. I’ve been there. I’ve always been someone who has given everything for the team. Why?'”After I got dropped I played a lot of club cricket, company cricket and did well there. But I still didn’t get picked anywhere… I don’t want to judge anyone. I have immense respect for Ajit as a cricketer, person and friend. He’s one of the persons I believe is honest enough and practical enough in that whole set-up. I won’t lie – initially I felt like, ‘What the hell ? It’s just one game. They could have given me that and asked me to go.’ But it’s fine. And he still had the courtesy to pick up the phone, call me, and tell me in person – which for me shows character. A lot of people have been dropped in the past just like that.”There was also the fact that Nayar’s previous two seasons had been blockbuster, netting a combined 1006 runs (average 43.74) and 40 wickets (average 28.975) across 18 games in 2015-16 and 2016-17. Nayar called them “dream seasons” – and the irony of 2017-18 being a nightmare was stark.Time away from the Mumbai team though, meant Nayar could focus more on his mentoring of other players. Dinesh Karthik’s is the best known example, but Nayar has, and continues to work, with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Siddhesh Lad among others. It also meant Nayar got a taste of commentary during IPL 2018, and was signed on by Kolkata Knight Riders in a mentoring and coaching capacity. Karthik had no part to play in the appointment, even though he was the captain of the team. When Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders CEO, asked him about bringing Nayar on board, the answer was, “Don’t ask me for my opinion because I’ll be very biased. I’ll say he’s the best. You ask others and decide.”Mysore did ask others, and Nayar was brought on board. He’s part of the set-up now, and was even appointed head coach of the KKR Academy, which had a camp in Bangalore in July and is aiming to help the franchise’s cricketers develop skills away from the IPL too. The camp is unique in that it is the first time a T20 franchise is using the shortest format’s off-season to hone their players’ red-ball skills.Kolkata Knight Riders”When I look back at it, I feel like I didn’t play my 100th game then, but so what?” he says. “Two years later, no one talks about who you played your 100th game for, or where you played. I’m sure my team-mates have the same amount of respect for me, five games or 100 games. Whether or not it was my last game for Mumbai, I’m going, knowing that the relationships I’ve formed with people there will last.”Pondicherry certainly presents the kind of set-up that Nayar enjoys – a fresh team, a big challenge, being friend, philosopher and guide to a new bunch.”For me, if I’m going somewhere, I should be able to make a difference,” he says. “So I don’t want to go to a team where I will take someone’s spot, or a youngster coming in won’t get to play – but rather somewhere I can help people grow into better cricketers, or be in a set-up where ideally, there are people who need that help.”Pondicherry is an exciting set-up for me to be in. It’s a brand new team, they don’t have (established local) players.”Nayar is clear about one thing: he’ll be going as a player, and only as a player. He won’t be the coach. He won’t even be the captain. “I’ll be a player-mentor. I won’t lead, because I don’t believe in going and captaining a side when you’re not going to be there long-term,” he says. “If I’m not going to play for three-four years, it doesn’t make sense me being captain. I might as well help and groom someone who can lead the team for the next eight-ten years. Being leader for just a year, I’ll actually be damaging the long-term planning rather than being of help. So it’ll definitely be someone else leading, but I’ll obviously make sure that I can pass on my advice and experience so that when I leave, he can take the team forward.”So the 100th first-class game will happen. And Nayar the mentor/coach will also continue in what looks certain to become a flourishing career.”Because I’ve failed so much in life, all through my career I’ve always had to fight for where I want to get to. And in that fight, I’ve always found time to help other people. And this was right from Under-19 days. I’ve always liked doing that, and wanted to do that. If you don’t know how to fail, or have never failed, you’re never going to understand someone else’s problem. Because it will seem too small for you. I’ve been lucky with a little bit of success – but I’ve been very lucky with a lot of failure. It’s helping me in my cricketing after-life. In short, I’m a happy man. As long as I get that one game, it doesn’t matter where, I’m happy.”

Wobbly Dukes ball, uncertain bounce, dramatic late swing – James Foster and Deep Dasgupta offer India’s young keeper some advice on how to handle these unique challenges

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Aug-2018A tremor of laughter erupted around Trent Bridge as Rishabh Pant charged Adil Rashid to deposit the second ball he faced in Test cricket high into the Pavilion on the first day of the Trent Bridge Test. With a six as his first scoring shot Pant had announced his arrival in Test cricket. In one stroke, he had autographed his style of play – a bold brush, bristling with energy and aggression. As a batsman, Pant will always remain that.What about his second skill, the other half of his job – wicketkeeping? It will be fair to say Pant did not come out as unfinished a glovesman as many feared he might. He held seven catches – a joint record for a debutant – and generally looked competent.Getty ImagesWicketkeeping in England is one of the most difficult jobs in cricket. The Dukes ball wobbles in the air as the keeper attempts to line it up. Another common sight on English pitches is the ball dying as it reaches the keeper. Consequently, wicketkeepers endlessly mark their spot behind the stumps, and each time they think the distance is perfect they are flattered to be deceived.Then there is the challenge of the ball swinging late, well after it has passed the batsman, leaving the keeper wrong-footed and having to adjust hurriedly.Suffice to say then that Pant, only 20 years old, would have been nervous keeping wickets in his debut Test, which India had to win to keep the series alive. He would commit some mistakes, none bigger than dropping Jos Buttler in England’s second innings, when Jasprit Bumrah’s unusual angle made him take a couple of steps to his left, only for the outside edge to force him to dive a long way in the opposite direction. Pant managed to get a sliver of his outstretched glove to the ball, but not enough of it to pouch the ball. Buttler was on 1 at the time, and he went on to make a century that did not deny India victory but delayed it substantially.Pant cannot be blamed entirely, though, for Bumrah’s release – from wide of the crease, with his arm going well beyond the vertical – can be as difficult for keepers to get used to as it is for batsmen.”When Bumrah bowls he bowls with a different angle,” Pant said after India’s victory. “Sometimes you react to it. That day I reacted too much on that ball and the edge came off. I am not saying that it was a too difficult catch. I could have pulled it off.”Despite being on debut, the conditions were not entirely alien to Pant. He arrived in England in early June as part of the India A squad for limited-overs and first-class matches against the England Lions and West Indies A. The wobbling ball was an immediate challenge, which he tried to sort out in training, working initially with the India A coaches and then with Dinesh Karthik, who played the first two Tests, and India fielding coach R Sridhar.James Foster, the former England wicketkeeper, one of the most experienced and talented glovesmen around, says the wobbling ball can be a “shock to the system” of overseas wicketkeepers. Foster says it is not just the bowlers, but even the design of venues like Lord’s and Trent Bridge, that can cause ball to wobble. If the issue is not addressed correctly, it can mentally destabilise the wicketkeeper.”It is the fact the ball will come to you and suddenly wobble,” Foster tells ESPNcricinfo. “It can be very tricky. Generally the ball does not wobble after it is nicked, but it has happened to me. Dealing with the wobble can affect you because as result you might get tense as a wicketkeeper because you are not sure how the ball is actually coming to you – in an arc or in a straight line. That can potentially have knock-on effects on how you keep for the rest of the innings or the day.”Late on the fourth afternoon Pant was rapped on the left hand when the second new ball zipped at a faster speed than he expected from Mohammed Shami. Pant was just getting into position and failed to collect cleanly, wincing as he folded his gloved left hand behind his back.Foster, who plays for Essex, says the best way to confront the wobble is not to be “tense in your top half” – your mind. Foster likes to collect the ball waist-high, but that does mean he recommends it to everyone. He says the bounce can also be inconsistent in England.”If the conditions are not good it does not bounce consistently through to you. In Australia the ball will continually be coming through. In England it can die quite a lot. Keeping to a wobbling ball, my advise is trust your eyes and trust your hands.”Getty ImagesSome keepers feel minimal footwork can be key to succeeding in England as a wicketkeeper. Deep Dasgupta, the former India keeper and opening batsman, noticed that Pant wasn’t moving too much while getting ready to collect the ball against the fast bowlers.”In places like England and to an extent South Africa it is very important to have good hands and less footwork because the ball keeps moving even after it has crossed the wicket,” Dasgupta tells ESPNcricinfo. “So the idea is to use your hands as much as possible and move less with your feet. I saw a lot of that in Rishabh.”If the wicketkeeper is moving, Dasgupta said, it doesn’t just affect how he collects the ball but could also cause him to misjudge the line, as Pant did when he dropped Buttler. “He started moving too early and that is the reason he dropped Buttler.”According to Dasgupta Pant should not be concerned if his feet are moving less, because in overcast conditions in England, the ball can move suddenly, “inches” in front of you. “The best thing you can do is not move, have a good strong base, and watch the ball till the end.”While analysing Pant’s wicketkeeping, the host broadcaster showed examples of past keepers like England’s Matt Prior, who would move to his right to collect the ball on the inside, but Dasgupta argues against advising youngsters such as Pant to adopt such a technique. On the contrary, he suggested footwork, for a keeper, can be “overrated” in England.”You need to move, but you don’t need to move a lot,” he says. “Just half a step on your right and you cover the first slip. Anything which is edged you dive. So even if you are just standing static and the batsman edges and half a step or half a dive and you cover first slip. It is not that you are going to try and catch in front of second slip. So why do you really need to move?”According to Dasgupta, what Pant did most times while Bumrah was bowling was move to his left. That is an instinctive reaction to a bowler who slants the ball in a long way.”Instinctively what a wicketkeeper does, if it is anywhere near the middle and off stump, you try and move to your left to cover the angle. That is the challenge for everyone, especially against inswing bowlers, because you are thinking the ball is going down the leg side and then you tend to move too early. All I will suggest is, don’t move till the ball has passed the bat. And once the ball has passed the bat, in England with the carry, take half a step on your right or left and you can gather the ball.”Another point Dasgupta makes is that keeping, like batting, is about the “percentages”, and that glovesmen need to work out which edge to focus on. “Don’t worry about inside edges,” he says. “Inside edges you will react, but 98 out of 100 it is outside edges you will catch irrespective of whether it is an outswing or inswing bowler. Set yourself up for the outside edge.”Pant has already figured that out, it seems. “As a keeper you have to wait for the outside edge. That is the only thing I can do. And that is what I have learned: I am going to wait for the outside edge. That is the only solution.”And what about that six? “I was nervous. But when I see the ball I don’t think much. I just see the ball and react to it.”

As T20 cricket continues to evolve, scoring rates are higher than ever before, and the 2018 Vitality Blast is no different

Gaurav Sundararaman20-Aug-2018Over the last couple of years, the T20 format has been undergoing its next revolution, with more runs, more sixes, and more hundreds. The run rates in IPL 2017 (8.41) and 2018 (8.64) were the highest in the tournament’s history while the ongoing CPL has been a run-fest as well. The Vitality Blast this season has also been at the forefront of this change. At the end of the league stage, this year’s tournament has witnessed an overall run rate of 8.88, which is not only the best scoring rate in the history of the competition but also in the history of any T20 league that has taken place.ESPNcricinfo LtdEngland’s flat pitches and small grounds have made it a lot easier for the batsmen. This year’s edition has witnessed 1392 sixes – 11.6 sixes per game, which is the most in the history of the league. Fifteen centuries have been scored – the second-highest since the league started – with seven matches left. There have been three centuries in this year’s edition that are among the 20 fastest centuries in all T20s. Northamptonshire have been at the receiving end of two such scores – Daniel Christian walked into bat at 9.4 overs and scored 113 runs from just 40 balls , while Martin Guptill scored 102 runs from 38 balls to help Worcestershire chase down 187 in just 13.1 overs. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Northamptonshire, as they managed to end their streak of 13 matches without a victory, the longest such streak in the Blast.In last year’s tournament, there were 27 scores in excess of 200 – a record at the time – but 2018 has already witnessed 31 such scores at the end of the league phase. Teams have also realized the need to maximise their returns from the Powerplay overs: 12 of the top 13 highest Powerplay scores in the tournament have come in the last two editions, with ten instances of teams scoring in excess of 90 in the first six overs. The average Powerplay run-rate of 8.87 is the best across all T20 leagues.Smart Stats Earlier this year, ESPNcricinfo launched Smart Stats to measure a player’s performance in T20s based on match context and situation. Here is what those numbers say about the top performers in the Blast this season.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe top batsmen at the BlastAaron Finch has been in great form in the T20 format since his poor IPL campaign. Finch tops the run charts in this year’s Blast scoring 589 runs from nine innings at an average of 147.25 and a strike rate of 182.35. Not surprisingly, Finch is among the top names in the Smart Stats batting metrics as well. His 589 runs have come off only 323 balls. When match strike rate and runs scored at the other end are considered, his Smart Strike Rate goes up to 214.96, which means he has contributed 105.32 extra runs in the balls he has faced. This Smart Contribution is the highest among all batsmen this season; Colin Ingram is not too far behind with a Smart Contribution of 101.08. Incidentally, both Finch and Ingram won’t play any further part in the tournament, as their teams have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals. Daniel Christian, Corey Anderson and Philip Salt complete the top five with Smart Contributions of 86.68, 78.23 and 75.72. The teams they represent have qualified for the playoffs. From this top-five list, Finch is the only one who is also among the top five run-getters in the tournament.Wrist spinners continue to dominate the formatWristspinners have ruled the T20 format recently, and the Blast has not disappointed in that regard. The top five wicket-takers among spinners are legbreak bowlers, and three of the top five bowlers with the best Smart Economy Rates are wristspinners. The encouraging sign for England is that the top two wicket-takers are domestic recruits Matt Parkinson and Joe Denly, while the other three are seasoned overseas T20 bowlers in Ish Sodhi, Rashid Khan and Imran Tahir. Wristspinners struck once every 18 balls and conceded a rate of 7.77 while fingerspinners struck once every 24 balls and conceded 8.36 runs per over.

ESPNcricinfo LtdKent Spitfires were involved in seven matches that had scores in excess of 200, while their home venue has one of the worst economy rates this season, with bowlers going at 9.75. In such a venue, Adam Milne’s economy rate of 7.05 stands out. Taking into account the match economy rate and the specific overs that he has bowled, Milne’s Smart Economy Rate (SER) of 4.85 is the best in the tournament so far. The fact that he has bowled the difficult overs in the Powerplay and the Death speaks volume of his skills.In simple terms, taking into account the context of each match he has played so far, Milne has saved his team 83 runs in the overs he has bowled. Three legspinners in Max Waller from Somerset (SER 4.9), Imran Tahir (SER 5.16) and Rashid Khan (SER 5.37) occupy the next three positions in the Smart Economy Rate index. Milne’s New Zealand colleague, Lockie Fergusson, has also had a good season going at a SER of 5.43 and saving 58 runs for his team.

The New Zealand fast bowler should be coming into his prime and an extended spell with Derbyshire allows him the chance to impress with the red ball

Matt Roller28-Aug-2018His second ball in international cricket was clocked at 150kph. AB de Villiers was his first IPL wicket. He has the deadliest yorker on the county circuit. It is easy to see why Lockie Ferguson has been earmarked by some as a T20 specialist.But Ferguson is no freelance gun-for-hire. At 27, and approaching his best years, ‘the Whakamana Express’ has Test cricket on his radar.”To get a New Zealand Test cap is still my number one goal,” he tells ESPNcricinfo. “The New Zealand team is playing some good Test cricket at the moment, so it’s tough to break into the side.”But I love playing red-ball cricket. I feel comfortable with the red ball in my hand. If I put up results then that’s great, and sometimes that doesn’t happen, but I’ll just keep working away.””Fortunately the Blackcaps have a lot of Test cricket coming up in the next year – a lot more than the last couple – so with that comes more opportunity.”Indeed, Ferguson’s cause is helped by a schedule that sees New Zealand play more than the usual handful of Tests in the next 18 months. Since April 2017, they have played only four times in the longest format but they have 17 Tests pencilled in the FTP.While more games might spell more chances for the fringe players in the Test side, Ferguson is realistic about the challenge that faces him. He was close to a first cap against West Indies last year but was pipped to the final XI by Matt Henry.The incumbent pace trio of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner have taken 60 wickets at 21.98 in New Zealand’s past four Tests and Colin de Grandhomme offers a fourth seam option with Henry as the established back-up.”It’s one of those things, in sport,” he says. “Sometimes you think you’re close and you might be further away, and sometimes an injury or two and next thing you’re playing.”But I think the competition is the best part. You’d rather play in a team that’s winning and you’re challenged for your position every time than play every game and be losing.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWith that abundance of fast-bowling options in mind, Ferguson has extended his stint in county cricket until the end of the season, having initially signed for Derbyshire’s T20 Blast campaign.And while he admits his return to first-class cricket was something of “a rude awakening” – he leaked 178 runs in 36 overs against Sussex – Ferguson’s first-class record suggests that he should be a handful taking the new ball in Division Two of the County Championship.Despite his renown as a white-ball bowler, Ferguson has taken at least 30 wickets in the last three Plunket Shield seasons. In 2017-18, he only bowled in eight innings due to international call-ups, but still took five-wickets hauls in five of those.And with a new head coach to impress in Gary Stead, consistent performances like that can only further his cause for selection.The other competition in Ferguson’s sights is the small matter of next year’s World Cup, and he feels that experience of bowling on English wickets – “a little bit slower” than what he is used to – will be invaluable.If the results are anything to go by, that experience has served him well so far: despite Derbyshire’s early exit, he was one of the stars of the Blast’s group stage, taking 16 wickets to go with the lowest economy rate among seamers (6.64).”I’ve worked a lot on my slower ball,” he says. “The top players are good against quick bowling because they can use the pace, and sometimes the faster you bowl the quicker it goes to the boundary.”So the slower ball was always going to be a good weapon in this comp, especially with the slower English wickets. For the most part, I’m still just trying to attack batters and be aggressive and still look to get them out – that tends to be when I bowl my best balls.”He has been in and out of the ODI side since his debut against Australia – which saw him remove David Warner in his first over – but the prospect of nine group games will mean that keeping fast bowlers fit is a key concern.Lockie Ferguson celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesAnd on that front, Ferguson has reason to be optimistic. In an age where every tearaway fast bowler seems to suffer a stress fracture or a prolonged spell on the sidelines as a rite of passage, his injury record is remarkable.What’s the secret? “I feel like every journalist I talk to is trying to jinx me!” he laughs. “I do a lot of work in the gym, a lot of rehab, stretching – the hardest part of fast bowling is trying to work out what works for you.”Personally I feel like if I’m lifting heavy weights then my body’s strong enough to put up with the forces, but the thing that’s been massive for me has been planning: jotting down my loads each week, making sure each week’s pretty much the same, building it up slowly, giving myself a chance to rest, and planning my overs for the season. That’s made a massive difference.”A marathon runner doesn’t just turn up and run a marathon, they build up to it so their body learns to adapt, and it’s exactly the same with fast bowling.”If Ferguson continues to stay on the park, he could prove an exciting option for New Zealand. With his sights set on international recognition in all three formats, it may not be long before he has more batsmen hopping around.

How much have the professional players impacted fortunes for the nine new teams in the competition?

Saurabh Somani06-Dec-2018During their title run in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, Vidarbha’s top seven contributed about 80% of all their runs off the bat. Of the men who batted most often in the top seven, Faiz Fazal was their highest run-getter with 912 runs.Vidarbha’s three highest wicket-takers in the season were Rajneesh Gurbani (39), Akshay Wakhare (34) and Aditya Sarwate (29). They contributed 58% of the wickets taken by the team.You would expect those to be numbers indicative of an overall trend. The top seven scoring 80% of the runs seems good and your top three bowlers accounting for three-fifths of the wickets on offer feels right. And they are, except when you look at the Plate Group of the ongoing Ranji season, comprised of nine new entrants.There is an upending of the natural order here, driven by the professionals – players who move away from home to sign for a different team. Most of the professionals the nine teams have signed have been experienced domestic hands. But even so, some of their returns are staggering. Sikkim’s Milind Kumar has racked up 705 runs in six innings, so is it any wonder that he considers the 61 he made against Uttarakhand last month “a failure”?After four rounds, Milind alone has scored a whopping 52% of his team’s runs. If the top seven have to contribute 80% of the runs, Milind alone is doing the job of four and a half batsmen.Arunachal Pradesh’s Kshitiz Sharma, Meghalaya’s Yogesh Nagar, Manipur’s Yashpal Singh, Mizoram’s Taruwar Kohli and Akhil Rajput and Nagaland’s Abrar Kazi have also been doing some heavy lifting. All of them, except Yashpal, are at around the 30% mark of team runs scored, doing the job of two and a half to three batsmen by themselves. Yashpal has almost 40% of his team’s runs, and he’s equivalent to three and a half batsmen for Manipur.The trend is clear – it’s the professionals who are carrying teams in the Plate Group.