Latest news with #Shield
West Australian
15 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Jake Weatherald scored 183 opening the batting for Australia A against Sri Lanka
Ashes hopeful Jake Weatherald has built further momentum to his Test push with an exquisite century for Australia A in Darwin. The reigning Sheffield Shield player of the year clubbed 16 fours and two towering sixes on his way to 183 against Sri Lanka A after Australian coach Andrew McDonald put the Test opening spot out to tender in the wake of Sam Konstas' dismal West Indian adventure. He was seemingly poised to hit a maiden first-class double ton before dragging on with less than 10 minutes before stumps. Weatherald, 30, is among a handful of openers preparing to contend for Ashes spots later this year and enhanced his chances with the bold dig. He out-batted fellow Test aspirants Nathan McSweeney (12) and Kurtis Patterson (59) before sharing a 209-run partnership with emerging gun Jason Sangha (121no). Sangha has earmarked himself as a future star of Australian cricket in the past six months, supporting a Sheffield Shield final ton in March with his century for Aus A. Weatherald's innings adds to a career-best Shield season where he topped the run chart with 906. The Tasmanian spoke exclusively to this masthead prior to the Australian A series in Darwin. He said he was watching the Aussie top order closely but conceded a lot had to go right for him to earn a baggy green. 'Most would be lying if they said it wasn't on their mind, especially with all the stuff going on in the Australian team, there's opportunities being provided to those who are doing well,' he said. 'I am not sure what the future holds, I've still got to take a lot more opportunities but from a belief point of view I believe I am good enough to play. 'At the same time I have to prove that with performances in the Australia A stuff and have to have a bit of luck as well, other players might have to miss out for me to come in. 'Everything has to sort of work out, move the right pieces at the right time, but to be this close is an amazing feeling anyway to be suggested I could be around that mark.' Weatherald's knock is a precursor to what is being dubbed 'a great Ashes bat off' in the early parts of the Shield season. Australian coach Andrew McDonald has repeatedly said the opening rounds of the summer will hold considerable weight in first Test selection. 'We're not going to shy away from the fact that will be big for certain individuals to go about their work, put some scores on the board, and, and then for us to look at what we need against England,' McDonald said. Australia A finished the day 106 runs in arrears of Sri Lanka's first innings total.
Perth Now
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Opener's 183 reasons for an Ashes gig
Ashes hopeful Jake Weatherald has built further momentum to his Test push with an exquisite century for Australia A in Darwin. The reigning Sheffield Shield player of the year clubbed 16 fours and two towering sixes on his way to 183 against Sri Lanka A after Australian coach Andrew McDonald put the Test opening spot out to tender in the wake of Sam Konstas' dismal West Indian adventure. He was seemingly poised to hit a maiden first-class double ton before dragging on with less than 10 minutes before stumps. Weatherald, 30, is among a handful of openers preparing to contend for Ashes spots later this year and enhanced his chances with the bold dig. He out-batted fellow Test aspirants Nathan McSweeney (12) and Kurtis Patterson (59) before sharing a 209-run partnership with emerging gun Jason Sangha (121no). Sangha has earmarked himself as a future star of Australian cricket in the past six months, supporting a Sheffield Shield final ton in March with his century for Aus A. Weatherald's innings adds to a career-best Shield season where he topped the run chart with 906. The Tasmanian spoke exclusively to this masthead prior to the Australian A series in Darwin. He said he was watching the Aussie top order closely but conceded a lot had to go right for him to earn a baggy green. 'Most would be lying if they said it wasn't on their mind, especially with all the stuff going on in the Australian team, there's opportunities being provided to those who are doing well,' he said. 'I am not sure what the future holds, I've still got to take a lot more opportunities but from a belief point of view I believe I am good enough to play. 'At the same time I have to prove that with performances in the Australia A stuff and have to have a bit of luck as well, other players might have to miss out for me to come in. 'Everything has to sort of work out, move the right pieces at the right time, but to be this close is an amazing feeling anyway to be suggested I could be around that mark.' Weatherald's knock is a precursor to what is being dubbed 'a great Ashes bat off' in the early parts of the Shield season. Australian coach Andrew McDonald has repeatedly said the opening rounds of the summer will hold considerable weight in first Test selection. 'We're not going to shy away from the fact that will be big for certain individuals to go about their work, put some scores on the board, and, and then for us to look at what we need against England,' McDonald said. Australia A finished the day 106 runs in arrears of Sri Lanka's first innings total.
News18
2 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Durand Cup Champions: Does Victory Translate To ISL Success?
1/8 ISL 2021-22 finish: 9th However, despite their Durand Cup triumph under Juan Ferrando, FC Goa struggled in the ISL. A mid-season coaching change saw interim head coach Derrick Pereira take over, but the Gaurs never found their rhythm. Injuries and inconsistent performances hampered their campaign, resulting in just four wins in 20 league matches, marking their poorest league finish since 2016. (FSDL) 3/8 Durand Cup 2022 result: Champions (beat Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final) Bengaluru FC lifted their first Durand Cup title in 2022. Unlike the previous edition, the 2022 tournament was held across multiple venues: Kolkata, Imphal, and Guwahati. Bengaluru FC finished second in their five-team group, edged past Odisha FC in the quarter-finals, and secured a narrow 1-0 win over Hyderabad FC in the semi-finals. In the final, they defeated Mumbai City FC, who had topped Group B. (FSDL) ISL 2022-23 finish: 4th in league & ISL Cup finalists Under new head coach Simon Grayson, the Blues struggled to carry the Durand Cup momentum into the season, collecting just ten points from their opening 12 matches. However, they made a remarkable late-season surge, winning eight straight league matches to qualify for the playoffs and then reaching the final. They also reached the Super Cup final later that season, finishing as runners-up to Odisha FC. (FSDL) 5/8 Durand Cup 2023 result: Champions (beat East Bengal FC 1-0 in the final) Mohun Bagan Super Giant clinched their record 17th Durand Cup in 2023, defeating rivals East Bengal FC in a nail-biting final. Drawn in Group A, they finished second behind East Bengal FC but qualified for the knockouts as one of the best second-placed teams. From there, the Mariners defeated heavyweights Mumbai City FC and FC Goa en route to the final. In the summit clash, they faced East Bengal FC again and avenged their group-stage loss with a hard-fought win to lift the trophy. (FSDL) ISL 2023-24 finish: 1st in the league and ISL Cup finalists This momentum carried into their ISL campaign. Boosted by strong additions in midfield and attack, MBSG started well. A mid-season slump saw the Mariners dismiss Ferrando and replace him with Antonio Habas. They turned a corner, topped the league stage, and secured the Shield. Although they fell short in the final after losing to Mumbai City FC in Kolkata, the Durand Cup triumph, particularly the win over arch-rivals East Bengal, proved pivotal in building early chemistry and belief within the squad. (FSDL) 7/8 Durand Cup 2024 result: Champions (beat MBSG 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw) NorthEast United FC stunned everyone by defeating defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant to lift the 2024 Durand Cup. Played across four venues, the 2024 edition saw the Highlanders top their group before beating Indian Army and Shillong Lajong FC in the knockout stages. In the final, they faced tournament favourites MBSG at the Salt Lake Stadium. After going 2-0 down, they made a remarkable comeback, striking twice in the second half to force penalties and holding their nerve in the shootout to script a historic win. (FSDL) ISL 2024-25 finish: ISL Playoffs This marked their first-ever major silverware and gave fans a genuine reason to dream. Under Juan Pedro Benali, the team carried that momentum into the ISL season and quickly established themselves as one of the most formidable sides in the league. They suffered just six defeats, the joint-third fewest in the regular season, and scored the second-most goals. Their attacking intent and resilience saw them finish fourth in the table, but their campaign ended in the playoffs following a defeat to Jamshedpur FC. (FSDL)
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Australia Admit Top-Order Unsettled As Coach Hopes Sheffield Shield Will Provide Clarity
Last Updated: Australia's coach Andrew McDonald admitted uncertainty in their top-order despite a 3-0 win over West Indies. The Sheffield Shield will help decide the Ashes lineup. Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged that their top-order combinations in Tests remain uncertain despite a 3-0 series win over the West Indies. He noted that the initial rounds of the Sheffield Shield will provide clarity on who will be in contention for the crucial Ashes series later this year. Although Australia triumphed in the Caribbean series, there is still significant debate over whether the opening pair of Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja will be retained for the first Ashes Test in November. Khawaja scored 117 runs with an average of 19.50, whereas Konstas managed only 50 runs at an average of 8.33. 'I think it leaves (Konstas) where everyone else is in terms of Shield cricket at the start of the season. We're not going to shy away from the fact that will be big for certain individuals to go about their work, put some scores on the board, and then for us to look at what we need against England. 'It feels as though we're still a little bit unsettled in terms of what our combinations look like at the top of the order with the way that the performances have gone here (against West Indies). There's a lot of cricket still to come to be able to gather that information," McDonald said on SEN Radio. Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped for the West Indies series, along with Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Matthew Renshaw, will now be under consideration for Australia's Ashes top-order combination. Nathan McSweeney and Jake Weatherald, both of whom scored fifties in Australia A's first red-ball match against Sri Lanka A in Darwin, may also be contenders. 'Shield cricket, it feels like it's going to be the same as the start of last year where the microscope will be there for certain individuals and what happens in those games will have a great connection to the first Test in Perth. 'If the performances are at a certain level, I still think that there's always going to be discussion and debate as to what our top order looks like in Australia against England; it's a totally different opposition, they play differently, and the surfaces are different," added McDonald. He further expressed that the West Indies tour will be a substantial learning experience for young Konstas. 'He'll take away some information that will accelerate his growth forward. The exposure across the series is going to create some great opportunities for him to go away and reflect and start to gather what it looks like for him. 'He's a highly talented player. His skill set over time, I think we will see the real Sam Konstas and at the moment he's juggling with his aggressive nature, he's juggling his technique and the way he really wants to go about playing it." 'But when you've got up and down and seaming wickets, it can force you into those corners a lot quicker than some surfaces that are batter friendly, which we were (initially) expecting to get here. 'We believe he's got more layers than just being that ultra-aggressive, almost what you call a disruptor at the top of the order, and hence why those two Tests (against India last summer) then extended out to the WTC (final) and then some opportunities in the West Indies. 'He's had a small setback here in difficult conditions, and so did the rest of the top order as well. We see him as a player that we'll be using going forward; it will just be a matter of when," concluded McDonald. With IANS Inputs Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
It didn't even look like cricket: Australia coach Andrew McDonald on playing Pink ball Test with Dukes ball
Despite wrapping up the Test series against West Indies with a 3-0 margin, Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has said it is difficult to draw long-term conclusions on the team's batting performances. In a series where the bowlers dominated the proceedings with neither of the sides even posting a total of 300 in three Tests, the final one played at Sabina Park under lights with the Pink Ball saw the hosts being bowled for 27. With the conditions being bowler-friendly across conditions, McDonald who said the final Test 'didn't even look like cricket, questioned the future of Pink Ball Tests with Dukes ball. 'It's really difficult to make accurate judgments on both batting units based upon the surfaces that we played on,' McDonald told SEN Radio. 'And you take that into the third Test, which is a pink-ball Dukes on that surface, that game just moved way too fast and at times, it didn't even look like cricket. That cricket was borderline impossible to play at certain stages. Some of those deliveries from Mitchell Starc, the way that ball behaved under lights. So it's a bigger question for what the pink Dukes looks like for Test match cricket, really,' he said. The Caribbean tour was supposed to provide Australia some answers ahead of the Ashes that they are scheduled to host later this year. And McDonald said the tour has left with more questions. 'It feels as though we'll still be a little bit unsettled in terms of what our combinations look like at the top of the order with the way that the performances have gone here. In saying that, there's a lot of cricket still to come to be able to gather that information,' he said. While opener Sam Konstas' batting undoubtedly came under scrutiny, McDonald believed Marnus Labuschagne, who was dropped for the series, could soon come back into the fold. With the opening slot continuing to give trouble, Labuschagne could take up the spot if Cameron Green continues to bat at No 3. If not, Australia may end up slotting Labuschagne at one down with Green pushed down the middle-order. 'I think towards the end there [before being left out], and Marnus won't mind me saying this, that there was a little bit of going backward and forward on plans and at certain stages he wasn't clear. He's got great clarity leaving here, which is a successful tour, albeit he hasn't played a game…and look forward to what he does coming into the early Shield rounds and then putting his hand up for selection for Perth. But he's a quality player. He averages 46 in Test match cricket. We feel as though this wasn't going to be a huge gap before he does return because of the quality, but the start of the Shield season will really shape that,' he said.
