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Pat Cummins: Australia yet to make decision on bowler’s Ashes participation

It’s hard to overplay what a huge blow it would be to Australia if Pat Cummins misses some or all of the Ashes, similar to England being without Ben Stokes.

Cummins leads from the front in every sense. It was the skipper who got Australia over the line in the thrilling first Test at Edgbaston in 2023, when England seemed on course for victory.

From a captaincy point of view, Steve Smith stepping up to lead would not be a problem – he is arguably a better tactician than Cummins. Scott Boland waits as the reserve seamer and has a prolific record in Australia, but Cummins is one of the premier fast bowlers in the world.

Indeed, the topic of fast bowling will dominate the build-up to the series. England have named their most hostile group of pace bowlers to tour Australia since 1970 and will keep everything crossed that the bowlers can arrive fit and firing. Australia are now sweating over Cummins.

If Cummins is out, Australia’s resources are suddenly looking thin. Josh Hazlewood has his own recent fitness problems and the rapid Lance Morris is out for a year. The uncapped Brendan Doggett would possibly be in line for a call-up, while the likes of Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott could come into contention.

It is worth remembering England have their own doubts over Stokes, who has not completed any of their past four series.

It could be that the eventual destination of the urn is decided by which captain makes it on to the field most often.

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South Africa Women 31/5 in 8.3 Overs | England vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: ENG bowlers dominate, SA lose four in powerplay

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England vs South Africa Live Score, Women’s World Cup 2025: England will begin their ICC Womenâ€s World Cup campaign against South Africa with an eye on neutralizing the Proteas†key players, especially captain Laura Wolvaardt. Speaking ahead of the match, England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt highlighted Wolvaardtâ€s threat, saying, “If you let her get going, it is difficult to get her out. So, we will be putting our plans in place for her. Obviously, they have had a very good opening partnership in the last series they played, so it will be important for us to get their wickets early.â€

Wolvaardt, a seasoned batter and South Africaâ€s top ODI run-getter, has amassed 4,651 runs in 110 matches at an average of 48.95, with nine centuries and 35 fifties. Since becoming captain in 2021, she has further elevated her game, scoring 1,523 runs in 32 matches at an average of 56.40, while leading South Africa to 16 wins. Heather Knight, former England skipper, described her as a “calm leader†whose batting has reached a new level under her captaincy.

Tazmin Brits, Wolvaardtâ€s opening partner, is in exceptional form this year, with 643 runs in nine innings at an average of 91.85, including four centuries and a fifty. Her recent performances feature a hat-trick of centuries, with scores of 171* against Pakistan and other big knocks against West Indies and Pakistan, underscoring the challenge for Englandâ€s bowlers.

Two-time champions England have assembled a balanced squad led by Sciver-Brunt, featuring Tammy Beaumont, Sophie Ecclestone, Alice Capsey, Heather Knight, and others. The team will aim to strike early, particularly against South Africaâ€s dangerous top order, to secure momentum in their opening fixture.

The clash is expected to be a high-stakes contest, with England eager to start their World Cup campaign with a win, while South Africa will rely on Wolvaardtâ€s consistency and the destructive form of Brits to challenge the defending champions. Tactical planning, execution in the powerplay, and key individual performances will likely determine the outcome of this opening encounter.

England won the toss and Nat Sciver-Brunt has opted to field against South Africa Women.

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India V New Zealand: Dhoni describes bowlers performance as one of the best | New Zealand in India 2016 News

Dhoni describes bowlers performance as one of the best VISAKHAPATNAM: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lavished praise on his bowlers for the resounding series-clinching win over New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI, describing the effort as “one of the best performances by the bowlers”.
Legspinner Amit Mishra produced a magical spell to claim 5 for 18 as India clinched the five-match ODI series 3-2 with a thumping 190-run victory in the final game.
It was a perfect Diwali gift for the Indian cricket fans as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men carried the demolition job in style as the spinners made Black Caps’ succumbed to their lowest-ever total against India in ODIs.
“It was one of the best performances by the bowlers. This was one game where the spinners bowled with a lot of assistance. Before this when we bowled first, the wicket was always better to bat in the first half. It was an exceptional performance as there was a bit of dew. The pace at which the spinners bowled was perfect,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“Mishra’s beauty is he bowls slow, so as a keeper you have time to recover. And in tandem with Axar (Patel), who bowls flat and quick, it was very good.”
Dhoni also hailed his deputy Virat Kohli for his 76-ball 65-run knock, which according to him set the platform for the 269 for six on a difficult wicket.
“I think Virat (Kohli) was superb with the bat. We got off to a decent start. When Rohit (Sharma) got injured, the message was if you think you can’t carry on, just play your shots. Once he (Kohli) got out, Rohit gave us some momentum. We felt it was a difficult wicket to freely rotate. That’s when we decided to play the big shots. We felt 270 was par-plus but considering the dew factor that was necessary,” he said.
Dhoni said the five-match series provided the Indian team management the perfect platform to test some youngsters.
“Glad that we could rest some key players, with some big Test series coming up. I feel the batsmen down the order like Kedar Jadhav, Axar Patel and Manish Pandey gained a lot of experience.
“It is difficult to get the complete product in international cricket so the new players should be given time to develop,” he said.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson termed their today’s performance as “terrible”.
“Without a doubt the total was a lot above par. India have played really well throughout the series. It’s very hard to look past today’s performance for us, you expect to put up a good performance whether we win or lose and today we were terrible,” Williamson said.
“We expect a lot more of our batting, and losing 8 for 20 or whatever it is unacceptable. Playing against one of the best sides in the world, there is room to learn. A lot comes on the back of losses, so tough lessons. But it’s important we take them in. The disappointment is very fresh after a performance like this though. The Test series was extremely tough, coming into this one-day series, after heavy defeats, we fought hard in some tricky surfaces. That was a good effort,” said Williamson.
“We pride ourselves on learning game to game, and today we didn’t show that. There were number of individuals who did their reputations good. Someone like Tom Latham with the bat and Mitchell Santner’s all round work,” he added.
Mishra, who was adjudged man-of-the-match as well as man-of-the-series for his tally of 15 wickets at an average of 14.33, credited Dhoni for his stupendous show with the ball today.
“It’s great for the team if I perform like this, they’ve supported me during tough phases. At the start, I was a little tense, but Dhoni told me to calm down, bowl at the wickets, and thanks to that, all went well,” he said.
“There was bounce and spin in the pitch, so bowling slowly, bowling normally worked for me. (India coach) Anil Kumble also talked to me about it before the match, to trust my strength, to trust the flighted balls.
“Axar Patel has also been doing well, and if newcomers keep doing well like this, it will be good for India. Very happy with the way I am bowling, hopefully I can continue,” he said.
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