England in SA: Dawid Malan: The beauty and the beast


Dawid Malan fell prey to the classic brain fade. It wasn't amongst the cream of the crop. Not Steve Smith turning towards the dressing room to seek some quick advice on an lbw referral or Glenn Maxwell shouldering arms at a ramrod straight shooter to hear the morbid clank of wood. Malan's episode didn't involve a life and death scenario or an epilogue which nudges the victim into the rabbit hole of ignominy. In fact, his grey matter betrayed him on the most auspicious occasion a batsman can think of. On the very verge of victory. 

Scores drawn level with Malan on strike at 98, England stood within sniffing distance of a prolific series whitewash over South Africa in Cape Town. They had 15 balls left in the tank to knock off the solitary winning run whereas Malan just needed a brace to avail the magic three-figure mark and put a kibosh on the cynicism revolving around his place in T20Is. A hundred would have been one hell of a statement. But alas, it wasn't meant to be as he eked out a yorker to point for a single to finish the clean sweep against Proteas in their own backyard. Their belief beggared, startled faces in the pavilion rose to a standing ovation for Malan, the near-centurion, the late bloomer who's constantly wading his way through an existential crisis in England's star-studded pecking order.

"I honestly should've known about the hundred, I did, but I went for the single either way. Maybe I should go back to math class," Malan conceded in a lighter vein after shepherding England's climb to the 192-run target alongside Jos Buttler who contributed 67* in their unscathed alliance worth a bumper 167.  

The sword is always dangling over Malan's neck. Don't let the number one rank among T20I batsmen wheedle you into believing otherwise. Despite an earth-shattering T20I average of 48.71 and a strike rate of 146.66, the southpaw himself admitted, in a build-up presser to the South African assignment, that he still doesn't walk into the team. 

"The rank doesn't guarantee runs, it certainly doesn't guarantee you a spot in the team. Everyone has to work to play for England. I don't think it's ever just given on a plate. Every opportunity is gold when you are trying to break into this team. All I can do is put in the work in the nets and if I get the opportunity to play, keep scoring as many runs as I can to put pressure on the guys that have the spots," he said while emphasizing the cut-throat competition in England's team. 

You bet he has put his fellow contenders under the pump with an overall tally of 173 runs in the three slam-bang matches, saving the best for the last in which he occupied the crease long enough to offer a microscopic view of his potential to pundits and fans alike. Malan is neither a fish from the pod of muscle-packed bullies who worship the tormentor that is Andre Russell, nor is he an extremely gifted entity like Rohit Sharma or Quinton de Kock to whom the game of cricket seems a lot more kind than other mere mortals. He straddles a neat line between both, making merry of whatever little gifts of timing and poise he has been blessed with while calculating with careful consideration when to give a sneak peek of the hard-hitting beast. On a balmy Tuesday evening at Newlands as well, it took two to tango. 

The nerves settled with a couple of boundaries against Anrich Nortje, the first being a delectable swivel-pull. Malan poked South Africa where it hurt them. Lutho Sipamala was an evident loophole in their attack which was still coming to grips with the bad news of Kagiso Rabada sustaining a right adductor strain. He overstepped on his first bite at the cherry and Malan swooned the free hit high and handsome over fine leg. Tabraiz Shamsi was greeted into the mix with a cold-blooded reverse-sweep before George Linde copped the venom of Malan's beefy wrists for a scintillating backfoot punch. Bringing intelligence to the fore in a format governed by a devil-may-care gospel, Malan joined the tactical dots of his innings as if they were silken beads of a bracelet, each dash to the fence burying on its path the debate of a seemingly undeserved place in the batting order. 

"Very happy that the last two innings, I wasn't hitting as well as I'd like, but this time I really got some momentum. The wicket played really well and that was to my advantage. It was skidding really nicely onto the bat and it was a lot of fun to play. Jos didn't start as quickly as he would have liked but I had the momentum and took the pressure off him, and that ebbed and flowed over the course of the partnership. I play the same way every time, sometimes it comes off and sometimes, it doesn't. I have the power and it's just about applying myself," Malan laid bare his heart in the post-match presentation, talking with the host broadcaster. 

There's a proverb that has become almost a mandatory baggage for the players on the other side of the thirties, for instance, Joe Denly and Malan. It goes that 'the clock is ticking', signifying the fact that these not so young men are always racing against time in their bid to cement a place in the national side. And irrespective of the statistics that flow fluidly from their bat or ball, they are destined to be examined through the unforgiving lens of age. Safe to say, Malan has rammed his fist into the clock's dial for now. 

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Malan's Brilliance Blows Away South Africa to Give England Series Whitewash

England completed a highly satisfying clean sweep over hosts South Africa in the three-match T20I series with a comprehensive 9-wicket win in the final game, at Cape Town. The star of the show, once again, was batsman Dawid Malan, who finished with 99 not out. He was ably assisted by Jos Buttler who remained unbeated on 67 at the other end. Thanks to the superlative batting of these two individuals, a seeminly big target of 192 was chased down by the visitors in just 17.4 overs. For the first time in this series, the toss went in favour of South Africa, but they chose to bat first, the same situation that England put them in during the first two games. The Proteas were propped up by two good innings. Faf du Plessis once again came good, scoring 52 off 37 balls. He was bettered by the man with whom he created a 128-run partnership, Rassie van der Dussen. The latter smashing 74 in just 32 balls. This undefeated partnership took South Africa to 191/3 in their 20 overs. In reply, England romped home thanks to a blazing 167-run partnership between Buttler and Malan. The wicketkeeper batsman scored 67 off 46 but got upstaged by Malan whose 99 came off just 47 balls. Captain's Take After suggesting that his team wasn't far off the mark in the first two games of the series, South Africa captain de Kock accepted that in this match, they were thoroughly outplayed. But he still thinks his team isn't out of sorts. "It's disappointing, but they blew us away. They put our bowlers under a lot of pressure, played cleverly and we couldn't stop them. We are not playing as badly as it is perceived to be. We are coming up against the English first-up and, going forward, the boys are confident." the captain said after the match. Eoin Morgan was satisfied by his team's performance in this match. After being apprehensive about aresa of his team's game in the first two matches, the England skipper was full of praise this time. "It's extremely pleasing. Dawid and Jos were absolutely outstanding. To win a game in such commanding fashion builds a lot of confidence in the changing room. To be able to chase a total like that, given we didn't get off to an absolute flier, it's very encouraging signs." Morgan did notice that there is still room for improvement, probably hinting at his team's bowling. "We need to put together an allround game, we've progressed nicely, but as regards performance, striving for that collective performance is important," he pertinently added. Expert's Take Nor surprisingly, the comments by experts and followers of England team, following the match, were full of praise for Malan. Former England cricketer and now, a commentator, Ebony Rainford-Brent had the same reaction to the left-hander's batting. "Only just noticed Malan’s T20 international strike rate is 144! Same as Buttler. Impressive!," she noted. How good Malan is was also explained succintly by commentator Daniel Norcross. "Babar Azam is the fastest man to 1000 runs in T20I (26 innings). Kohli second fastest (27). Dawid Malan has scored 855 runs in 19 innings at an average of 53.44. Only two men average over 50 after 20 innings (Azam and Kohli). If Malan plays one more match he will be the third." Cricket author and analyst Freddie Wilde summed up the current position of Malan in the England team. "There are still actually a fair few T20Is before the World Cup—& time for players to fall in & out of form—but it's increasingly hard to imagine an England team at the World Cup without Dawid Malan in it. Coming from the outside he's made himself close to undroppable." Always upbeat about England's prospects, former captain Michael Vaughan chipped in with his comment. "Whoever beats England will win the T20 World Cup next year ... #JustSaying" Only time will tell whether this is overconfidence or not.

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New Zealand vs West Indies | 1st Test: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

The first Test between New Zealand and West Indies gets underway in Hamilton on Thursday. New Zealand, under the solid leadership of Kane Williamson, will be big favourites on home soil. The Kiwis have rarely lost a Test series at home in the last decade. Against them, a promising but brittle Windies line-up will have an uphill task. What would give West Indies hope is the quality of their seam bowlers and the possibility of helpful conditions. But in order to capitalise on the good work of their bowlers, the Caribbean batsmen will have to bat way better than what they produced in their last two Tests. This won't be easy against one of the best bowling pairs in world cricket today - Tim Southee and Trent Boult. If they get through them, Neil Wagner will be waiting with a barrage of bouncers. Brittle Windies Batting 'Calypso Collapso' is a term often used to describe West Indies' batting. There have been instances in the last few years where the side has broken this image with uncharacteristically solid performances. The most prominent among them being the brilliant run chase in Headingly in 2017 and the batting against England at home in the 2019 series. But with the Windies side, one always gets the feeling that another shambolic performance is just round the corner. Luckily for them, their opener Kraigg Braithwaite has shown good form in the warm-ups. His 248 in the practice game against New Zealand A - a personal best in first-class cricket - is a good omen. The return of Darren Bravo in the middle order adds invaluable experience and skill. Roston Chase has been a consistent performer by the standards of West Indies. But other batsmen are not always reliable. Shimron Hetmyer is hugely talented, but is a bit too impetuous. Jermaine Blackwood has improved himself from an unguided dasher to a more calculating player, but needs to be more consistent. Interestingly, the lower order of the batting line-up seems a little more reassuring. Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder have bailed their teams out of trouble several times. But they would need help from the middle order to take their team to a winning position. Stable New Zealand Without anyone noticing it, the Kiwis have developed a highly dependable batting line-up. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are the two superstars in the middle order. But around those two, there are other high-quality batsmen also who have proved their worth with brilliant performances. Tom Latham has been a regular member of the New Zealand team since 2014 and has become a successful opener for the side. Henry Nicholls has also established himself firmly in the middle order in the last couple of years. BJ Watling is among the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world but he may be missing due to injury. In his absence, Tom Blundell seems a very capable option. Colin de Grandhomme's injury is a big blow but still, the batting seems very solid. New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test: Match Details Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video Date and Timing: December 3, 3:30 AM IST, 10 PM GMT, 11 AM Local Pitch Report The pitch at hamilton does not have any great distinguishing features. Like most venues in New Zealand, what happens in the match has more to do with overcast conditions than those on the track. If the weather stays fine and the hosts don't demand an especially green wicket, it's likely to be a good batting wicket. The last Test here, between New Zealand and England last year, ended in a run-filled draw. Weather and Toss There is chance of rain on the first day. If the skies remain overcast, both teams will consider bowling first. Bit of cloud cover is expected on the next two days as well but not too much. Day 4 is expected to be sunny but rain is expected on the final day. Teams New Zealand are in doubt over the availability of BJ Watling. In his absence, Tom Blundell may have to keep wickets. In that scenario, a new opening partner will have to be found for Latham as it would be too much for Blundell to perform both the Tasks. Devon Conway has been added to the squad and he is likely to get a go if Watling missed out. The injury to de Grandhomme also ensures a place for Will Young, the 28-year old Central Districts batsman. Probable XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (Wk), Will Young, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult West Indies With Shai Hope dropped from the team, a crucial spot opens up in the middle order. However, there are two strong contenders for it - Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer. With Bravo's experience and good form in the practice matches, he is certain to get in. But Hetmyer also has a good chance to make it to the side due to the all-round abilities of Chase. Probable XI: Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder (C), Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions Tom Latham, Kraigg Braithwaite, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich (Wk), Jason Holder, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

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Stuart Broad nominated for BBC Sports Personality Of The Year award

England fast bowler Stuart Broad has been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in the Sports fraternity, the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY). With this nomination, the 34-year-old has become the third cricketer in a row to be nominated for the highest sporting honour for a sportsman in the United Kingdom. Before Broad, Ben Stokes was nominated for his World Cup-winning moment last year and also won the award. Earlier in 2018, James Anderson, Broad’s longtime new-ball partner was nominated for the award in the year 2018 when he became the first British cricketer to get to the level of 500 Test wickets. Broad, who reached the milestone of his 500 Test wickets in his man of the series-winning performance against West Indies early this summer, has been nominated alongside the likes of record-equalling seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. In that series against Windies, Broad took 16 wickets in just two games. Further in the next three games against Pakistan, he took 13 wickets to end the summer with 29 wickets from just five games. By the end of the summer, Broad had reached seventh place in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers, with 514 at 27.65 in 143 Tests. The Nottingham born announced this news on his Twitter handle early this morning today with the caption, “Such a huge honour to be nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020. Thanks, @gregjames& @thebodycoach for announcing. Right- back to the cricket nets! Cricket bat and ball Thank You! #SPOTY.” Apart from Ben Stokes, a total of four cricketers have won this award which includes the likes of English legends, Jim Laker and Ian Botham. Apart from them, the much liked Andrew Flintoff also won it in 2005, for his Ashes showing, in an era when Australia dominated the cricket world. David Steele is the only cricketer to have won the award for his county performances as the Northamptonshire player is the only one who has taken more than 500 first-class wickets and also scored more than 20,000 runs in the format. In total, the spectacled man played a total of 500 first-class games. Although his England stint was only 8 matches long.

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CA Defends BCCI After Channel 7's Attack in Court

Cricket Australia (CA) has rebuked its official broadcast partner, Channel 7, for claiming that the board wilted under the might of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) while decided the schedule of international cricket in its home season. The dispute between CA and Seven West Media, the parent company of Channel 7, arose due to an affidavit filed by the latter against the cricket's top governing body in Australia. As per this affidavit, Channel 7 claimed that CA altered the schedule of Australia's home season to suit the convenience of BCCI, as a result hurting the interests of the broadcasters and violating the agreements between the two parties. But now, Nick Hockley, CEO of CA, has hit back at these allegations through his latest statement. "With so much positivity around Australian cricket, it is disappointing that Seven West Media has again chosen to use the media to talk our wonderful game down," Hockley was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "CA has maintained all along our commitment to delivering a thrilling summer of cricket. I'm proud to say we are doing just that. We remain confident in our contractual position," he added. In fact, the CEO went one step further and countered Channel 7's claim of his organisation being 'terrified' of BCCI by thanking the Indian board. "In the most challenging environment sport has faced, with the support of our friends at the BCCI, CA has ensured that the much-anticipated series with India can go ahead safely." This latest dispute between CA and the official broadcasters of the cricket it hosts has, ironically, come at a time when the first two ODIs of the three-match series has earned record viewership. Still, Channel 7 feels that the Australian summer ought to have begun with the day-night Test instead of the ODI series. Channel 7's association with CA in its present capacity as the main broadcasters began in 2018 after it replaced Channel 9 after the latter's nearly four decade long stint as broadcasters of cricket played in Australia. With every cricket board around the world, a series involving India is most valuable and brings in higher revenues than other tours. This makes it even more surprising that Channel 7 has decided to take the matter to court. India had last toured Australia for a full series two seasons ago where it played four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. The same number of games in all formats are being played this time too.