Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada trade blows as bowlers dominate WTC final
In the build-up to the World Test Championship final, Pat Cummins's pre-match press conference took an unusual turn. 'Pat,' came the question from the floor. 'Jimmy Anderson was here yesterday watching you guys train, and he said that he rated [Kagiso] Rabada over you. I just wondered what your response to that might be?'
'Cool, no worries,' Cummins said. He was smiling, but somewhat coldly, in the fashion of Robert De Niro in The Untouchables, walking around the table of his 'frenemies' swinging his baseball bat in anticipation. On the second day, Australia's captain offered a more substantial but, in the fashion of De Niro, just as brutal a retort to that question, besting Rabada's five wickets with six, more cheaply, of his own.
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Markram helps South Africa close in on World Test Championship win
World Test Championship final, Lord's (day three of five)Australia 212: Webster 72; Rabada 5-51 & 207: Starc 58* ; Rabada 4-59South Africa 138: Bedingham 45; Cummins 6-28 & 213-2: Markram 102*, Bavuma 65*ScorecardSouth Africa need 69 more runs to win Aiden Markram made a brilliant unbeaten century to put South Africa within tantalising distance of a historic victory over Australia in the World Test Championship Starc and Josh Hazlewood had shared a stand of 59 for Australia's last wicket in the morning session of day three which appeared to give them the upper top-scored for Australia with a gritty unbeaten half-century as they were eventually dismissed for 207 on the stroke of any frustration South Africa may have felt gave way to a sense of what might be possible in more appreciable conditions for batting after the they were set a target of 282 for victory.A Lord's pitch which had seen 28 wickets fall during two days of cricket chaos suddenly looked a wildly different beast on a sun-kissed afternoon in St John's Wood with Markram playing a stellar 30-year-old has not played a competitive game of red-ball cricket since January but he batted with finesse during a classical Test-match innings which now looks set to define this seesaw shared an unbroken 143-run partnership with South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma, who was hampered by a hamstring injury but tenaciously stayed at the crease to play his part with an unbeaten pair will resume on day four with 69 runs required to wrap up the win. A win which would more pertinently ensure South Africa end their long wait for a victory in a major men's final, putting an end to their tag as international cricket's is unless Australia's bowlers can summon something quite remarkable with the ball on Saturday and provide an unexpected twist. Markram puts Proteas on brink of history The scale of the challenge facing South Africa when they began their innings was not quite the summit of Everest, but it certainly felt a fair way above base the start of their innings, WinViz gave South Africa a 38% chance of pulling off the joint second-highest successful chase for a Test match at Lord' chased down the same target against New Zealand - for the loss of three wickets - in 2004 while West Indies managed a nine-wicket victory against England in 1984 in pursuit of 342. In the 148-year history of Test cricket - in excess of 2,000 matches - there have also been just 26 occasions when the team batting last has scored the highest total of the match as South Africa require been rolled for 138 in the first innings, and up against an Australian bowling attack with more than 1,500 Test wickets between them, it felt like big burden of history, and data, did not seem to weigh too heavily on the shoulders of Markram and Bavuma, though, as bat truly dominated ball for the first time in this Africa lost Ryan Rickleton - who chased an away swinger from Starc and edged into the gloves of Alex Carey - early on for six but it not stymie the Proteas' intent. Markram and Wiaan Mulder were positive rather than tentative during a 69-run stand for the second wicket which provided a solid had reached 27 before he rather tamely chipped Starc, who had swapped to the Nursery End, into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne in the brought Bavuma, South Africa's leading run-scorer in Tests since December 2019, to the crease and he had an escape on when Steve Smith shelled a tough chance when he was on just suffered a compound dislocation of the little finger on his right hand after shelling the chance and left the field to go hospital for further the while Markram was quietly going about his business, during an authoritative and measured knock offering barely a carefully picked his moments to gracefully drive, square drive and guide boundaries alongside sensible accumulation on both sides of the wicket. South Africa's scoring rate slowed as the match headed towards stumps, but there was still time for Markram to reach three figures in the penultimate over of the strayed on to his pads and Markram effortlessly flicked the ball square for four before he took off his helmet to salute the crowd. Starc's defiance unwittingly shows the way Cummins had spied another 20 or 30 runs for Australia's last two wickets at the conclusion of the previous had added just four more when Lyon was given out lbw - despite reviewing - in the third over of the day after Rabada nipped one Africa hoped for a quick execution but for the next 80 minutes or so, Australia managed to dodge the guillotine.A Lord's pitch which had proved tricky for batters in the first two days - especially in the face of some truly top-class bowling - began to flatten the morning sunshine, with barely a breath of wind, it suddenly looked easier out in the middle than it had been at any point in this 0.5 degrees of swing and seam movement through the air and off the pitch, at that point the lowest of any session in the match according to CricViz, no wonder Starc and Hazlewood appeared so run that Australia managed to eke out for their final wicket would have gnawed away at Bavuma who was, if we are being hypercritical, guilty of a slight captaincy two left-handers at the crease he could arguably have posed more questions with Markram's part-time off-spin sooner than he brought up his half-century with a slash over the slip cordon, but it mattered little - he had earned the right for a stroke of before the lunch interval Markram burgled the wicket of Hazlewood when the Aussie number 11 slapped a long hop to Keshav Maharaj at cover and was dismissed for appeared satisfied with their morning's work - but in a curious way it had maybe given South Africa a psychological lift and was portent of what was to come in the remainder of the day.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
South Africa defy the doubters and Australia to close in on remarkable Test triumph
South Africa have known many a false dawn in the pursuit of the sunlit uplands of cricketing triumph but finally the time may be nigh to bask in their glory. Improbably, impossibly, a Test title is within reach for Temba Bavuma 's men, defying the doubters, the odds and Australia to inch towards a glorious tale of redemption and renaissance. Oh, Test cricket, you beautiful, beguiling thing. The conventional wisdom was of a third day that hastened towards an inevitable finish with Australia's place on their perch still secure. South Africa, the critics said, shouldn't even have been here; their route too soft, the road too straightforward. Come the crunch, Australia would put them back in their box, one of the big boys battering back the upstarts to remind them of their place in the pecking order. But score 69 more and the Proteas will shatter the establishment. Declarations of the death of Test cricket in the country that accompanied the decision to send a second-string to New Zealand at the start of last year were clearly misguided, a marvellous revival since threatening to culminate with a long-awaited coronation. Given all that has come before, the many stumbles and suffocations, the intoxicating nectars of hope and belief will not be easily imbibed by the South African public but the heady air of the metaphorical mountaintop is within sight. Their chief sherpa has been Aiden Markram, a hundred of all sorts of significance made in style, stiff-collared shirt as perfectly presented as the crisp flow of his bat face. He moved within a shot of his century here with a straight drive of immaculate conception, before reaching three figures with a clip to the midwicket boundary, celebrated with a glance to the skies above for an innings that felt heaven-sent. Markram had been earmarked for great things ever since leading South Africa to their only U19 World Cup win as captain and player of the tournament. His position in the order and performances have since bounced up and down, but this so far has been a masterpiece. In Bavuma (65), he has the perfect ally, the captain overcoming a cramping body and the immense weight of expectation to lead his side ever closer after Steve Smith had dropped him at slip on two. They will reunite tomorrow with their partnership unbroken on 143 and a remarkable victory near. Only a Gordon Greenidge-inspired West Indies in 1984 had ever chased more than 282 in the fourth innings at Lord's, the task tall after a morning of toil. Having removed Nathan Lyon in the opening few overs, a quick curtailment appeared certain but a becalmed deck and stodgy stand for the last wicket meant South Africa had to graft. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood 's extended stay came perhaps even as a surprise to them, taking advantage with the pressure easing ever so slightly as the top order and captain begin to contemplate the challenge to come rather than focussing on the one still at hand. An anxious Bavuma was clearly fearing the sort of rapid runs that would have quickly put the kibosh on their thoughts of a fourth-innings chase, but kind fields nonetheless allowed Starc and Hazlewood to accumulate anyway, the former taking his opportunities to push the pace in a measured knock. The fact that he should have been back in the hutch late last night – Marco Jansen was a notable absentee from the slip cordon having both suffered a thumb injury and shelled a simple catch late on in day two – was salt in sores beginning to really fester. It did, however, provide cause for encouragement in the South African ranks, suggesting a surface upon which runs could still be readily made. By the time Hazlewood clapped a Keshav Maharaj long hop straight to cover, Starc had faced 136 balls for his 58, the second-longest innings of his Test career lifting Australia's advantage to 281. It took just seven deliveries for him to make an impact once back armed with the tools of his primary trade as a lavish outswinger drew the edge of Ryan Rickleton. Yet where Australia had tortured the top order with their array of implements in the first innings, South Africa were able to ease back in the armchair in the second as Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder settled in under the scorching summer sun. Sweet early dreams of victory were shattered, though, as Mulder limply lifted Starc to cover, and Bavuma should have been gone swiftly, too. An edge would have been swallowed simply by Smith if he hadn't been under a lid at first slip trying to avoid one falling short off a slowing surface; as it was, a rushed Smith fumbled and tumbled awkwardly, departing in discomfort with a finger dislocation just as painful as the drop. 'You've just dropped the World Cup,' Steve Waugh once told Herschelle Gibbs; perhaps Smith spilled this final. Bavuma was soon struggling, too, a dodgy hamstring leaving him hobbling every run. But hobble he did as his partnership with Markram grew; first to 20, then 50, and onwards too, the 100 stand brought up with a boundary that just evaded Sam Konstas at deep square-leg. His slight frame has shouldered the burdens of a great many responsibilities in a career defined as much by who he is as what he does – the first Black African captain of his country may yet be a history-maker in a different sense.
BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Proud' Sharif adds another landmark to fine career
In the midst of a quite remarkable one-day international in Dundee on Thursday, Safyaan Sharif squared up Dutch opener Michael Levitt, found the outside edge of the bat and saw the ball fly safely into the hands of Brandon McMullen at short third. It was Sharif's 259th wicket in Scotland colours. He now stands alone as his country's most prolific bowler, moving past Majid Haq at the top of the 34-year-old is no stranger to landmark moments. His inswinging yorker that hit Mark Wood on the toe in 2018 sealed one of the great ODI wins by any team as Scotland beat Eoin Morgan's all-conquering England moment alone was enough to secure his place within the history of Scottish cricket, but his 259th scalp highlights his longevity and his enduring quality."It was a proud moment to break a milestone," Sharif said. "Just thinking back on all the sacrifices I've made and the hard work that's been put in to get to where I am - it's a nice reminder of where I started and what I've achieved."He finished the defeat by the Dutch with figures of 3-62, taking him to 261 Scotland wickets in total. He has the chance to add to that tally in a T20 tri-series against the same opposition and Nepal, starting in Glasgow on Sunday. Having made his international debut in 2011, Sharif has been a fixture for the national team during periods of ups and downs."To be a seam bowler, play the length of time he has and persist with what's required to stay fit and produce for his country has been a phenomenal achievement," Sharif's former team-mate Kyle Coetzer told BBC Scotland."To rack up the number of wickets he has, the numbers don't lie. He's got to rank up there as one of Scotland's greatest ever." The 'funny character' who is 'a pleasure to captain' Alongside the impressive raw statistics, Coetzer - who captained Scotland for nine years - praised Sharif's character and his desire to step up in high pressure scenarios."It was a pleasure to captain Saffy," Coetzer said. "He would be willing to bowl the hard overs and those are the characters you want in your team. I trusted him and knew he had the skills."Born in Huddersfield before growing up in Fife, Sharif has made no secret of his father's influence on his cricketing introduction to the game was watching his dad from the sidelines before getting involved himself at Dunnikier Cricket Club in Kirkcaldy. He played for Largo and Dunfermline, before his talents led to regional recognition and then full Scotland honours at the age of just 20."I remember him coming through as this slight lad with a really fashionable hairdo and he was very raw," Coetzer said. "He's a really easy going guy and he's a funny character. To see where he has got to is through his hard work behind the scenes. "He's had to develop his game, find new ways to take wickets and for Saffy to keep rejuvenating himself is something to be really proud of."Around the time he broke into the Scotland set-up, Sharif followed his father's advice and went to Pakistan to train. By his own admission, he came back a more rounded bowler. The skills he developed over time have seen him dismiss the likes of Chris Gayle and Kane Williamson in a long international career."He was known for swinging the ball, then learned to move the ball off the pitch and developed his slower balls and death skills," Coetzer said."When I was playing with Saffy, those skills won us a lot of games at the back end."Sharif says having loved ones at Forthill to see him remove Levitt made it all the more special, but that it would not have come to pass without the graft put in behind the scenes."It's been one hell of a journey," Sharif said. "Without the hard work and sacrifice, you won't be able to achieve anything. The support I've had from family and friends has been amazing."My dad was there, some family friends and a lot of supporters from Perth where I currently play club cricket. To enjoy that moment with everyone was special."
