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Joe Root has declared the Gabba is no longer a stronghold, arguing doubt will linger in Australia’s minds when the Ashes start on December 8 because of their shock Test loss to India’s depleted XI.India stormed to an unexpected victory at the Gabba in January, snapping Australia’s undefeated Test streak at the ground that had dated back to 1988. The tourists completed a venue-record chase of 328; a feat made even more remarkable because Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and several other first-choice players were unavailable.Uncertainty regarding England’s participation in the five-Test series had dominated the Ashes phoney war in recent months. But the series is now set to begin with its traditional curtain-raiser in Brisbane and Root, who departs alongside England’s red-ball specialists this week, has delivered a timely reminder about what occurred in Australia’s most recent Test.Related

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• Anderson sets sights on Smith as road to the Ashes begins

• 'The Gabba holds the key to the Ashes' – Broad

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• 'I'm ready for Australia' – Stokes added to England's Ashes squad

“Look at that India team that won at the Gabba. They were a long way from their first-choice XI but they had no fear,” England’s captain told the . “They stood up to Australia and won crucial parts of that Test.”It will give every player in our squad a huge amount of confidence and just plant a little bit of doubt in Australia’s mind. Having to go back there and play again for the first time against us, what with it being such a stronghold for them for such a long period of time. We now know that it’s not.”England have been the world’s busiest national cricket side throughout the Covid-19 era, whereas Australia’s series loss to India represents their only Test cricket since the pandemic erupted.Root has already equalled the English record for most Test centuries in a calendar year, reaching three figures on six occasions in 2021. He has yet to score a century in Australia but believes lessons learned from miserable 2013-14 and 2017-18 tours, which England lost by a combined scoreline of 9-0, will help him continue his red-hot form.”The two previous tours I think if anything I probably got a bit too desperate,” he said. That extra bit of experience off the back of a fruitful year for me personally puts me in a better place.”Root was understandably thrilled to have Ben Stokes back in England’s Ashes plans and mentally ready to return to cricket. Stokes required two surgeries to repair a finger injury, while he also took time out of the game for his own mental wellbeing.”I’d got an inkling. I’d had some good conversations with Ben over the period while he’s not been playing,” Root said. “It was just such a joy to hear him speak. You could almost hear his smile, if that makes sense, down the phone. You could tell he was so much happier within himself.”

Zimbabwe have claimed their first outright ODI win in their last 15 matches dating back to April 2019, and have gained ten crucial points on the World Cup Super League. Half-centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza took them to a competitive total in the first ODI in Belfast, and required Ireland to pull off their highest successful chase against them before a strangling bowling effort sealed Zimbabwe’s win.Blessing Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza and Sean Williams took seven wickets for 41 runs in the last ten overs, as Ireland went from a challenging but doable position of needing 81 runs in the last 12 overs to eventually falling 38 short. Muzarabani, who used the short ball to good effect, was the pick of the bowlers with his third haul of four wickets or more in his 25-match ODI career.In the end, Ireland were left lamenting their slow start, which saw the required run rate pop above six as early as the 19th over. They were 79 for 1 at that stage, having lost Paul Stirling leg before against Masakadza after he was the major contributor to a 64-run opening stand with William Porterfield. Still, the pair gave Ireland a solid foundation to build their chase.Andy Balbirnie did not last too long either, and was bowled by Madhevere, whose offbreak snuck through the Irish captain’s bat-pad gap. Ireland were 109 for 2 at the halfway stage and needed to up the ante.They had the personnel – an anchor in Porterfield, who reached 50 off 78 balls, and an aggressor in Harry Tector – and seemed to have a plan. Porterfield took on short balls from Richard Ngarava, and used his feet and the sweep shot well against the spinners. The pair put on 71 for the third wicket before Porterfield pulled a short delivery from Luke Jongwe to fine leg, where Dion Myers juggled the ball, which dropped out of his hands and onto his shoulder on first attempt, before catching it.Sikandar Raza helped Zimbabwe post 83 runs in the last 8.4 overs•Sportsfile via Getty Images

In Tector and George Dockrell, Ireland had two energetic run-scorers at the crease, and they both showed some intent. But Ervine had kept plenty of overs in hand for Muzarabani and Masakadza, and they turned out to be his trump cards. Muzarabani took a wicket with the third ball of his second spell when Dockrell chased a wide delivery and edged behind, a dismissal that was confirmed on review. In his next over, Muzarabani had Simi Singh caught at cover off a leading edge, with Ireland starting to wobble.Their required run rate had reached eight, but Tector was still on hand. He brought up 50 off 53 balls but was out three balls later, edging an attempted slog sweep off Williams to Muzarabani at short third man. Williams also had Andy McBrine caught behind, before Muzarabani and Masakadza finished it off. Ireland were bowled out inside 49 overs to give Zimbabwe a comfortable win.Though Zimbabwe may have been relatively pleased with their batting effort, they could have been eyeing a total closer to 300, after reaching 85 for 1 in the first 14 overs. Brendan Taylor was well set on 49 off 44 balls after starting his innings slowly, and had put on 71 with Ervine, but the former captain played a reckless shot to the first ball of spin in the innings when he swept Simi to deep square leg to put the breaks on a strong start.After Taylor’s dismissal, Simi and McBrine bowled in tandem for 16 overs and gave away just 39 runs. In that time, Myers was dismissed when he top-edged McBrine to Lorcan Tucker, while Williams battled to get to 20 off 45 balls, with only 14 scoring shots. Zimbabwe immediately found reprieve when the spin duo had bowled out, and so Josh Little, who had had a hapless afternoon and finished with figures of 1 for 78 from nine overs, returned.While all of Ireland’s seamers were guilty of bowling too full, Little was the worst offender. He enjoyed some reward when he bowled Williams with a cutter, though that only brought Zimbabwe’s most aggressive batter, Raza, to the crease. By that point, Ervine had reached fifty and was ready to accelerate, as the pair put on 32 runs in 29 balls to get Zimbabwe back on track for 250-plus.Ervine played one big shot too many when he hit Dockrell straight to cover, but Raza first combined with Wessley Madhevere and then Jongwe to help Zimbabwe post 83 runs in the 8.4 overs after Ervine was dismissed. Raza finished unbeaten on 59 off 44 balls, his 18th ODI half-century.Despite the win, Zimbabwe remain in last position on the World Cup Super League points table, with the same number of points as Netherlands – on 20. However, they have the opportunity to gain ground in the rest of the series.

File photo – Ollie Robinson claimed wickets with pace and offspin•Getty Images

On the Chester-le-Street ground where he made a century on debut two years ago, Sussex’s Ollie Robinson underlined his all-round qualities in the Specsavers County Championship match against Durham. He took three wickets with his usual seam and one with offspin as Graham Clark’s unbeaten 73 carried Durham to 321 for 6, 25 behind.Robinson revived Sussex by removing both Tom Latham and Cameron Steel after they had batted through the day’s first 44 overs to take their second-wicket stand to 163.He almost had Latham when trying two overs of offspin just before lunch. Having reached fifty off 92 balls with seven fours, the New Zealand opener was almost bowled round his legs. In the same over he survived a sharp chance to Chris Jordan at slip. Latham also looked fortunate to survive a Stuart Whittingham lbw appeal on 37, but both batsmen looked supremely comfortable in the first hour after lunch.Both got out to miscued pulls off Robinson, however. Steel fell for 73 when he found George Garton at deep midwicket and four overs later Latham skied to Laurie Evans at deep backward square to depart for 77.With Danny Briggs left out, Robinson provided the only spin option and he tried it again for three overs before taking the second new ball. His seventh delivery had Ryan Pringle lbw on the back foot.Left-armer Garton, given another outing with Jofra Archer rested, conceded 34 in his first six-over spell but claimed the scalp of Paul Collingwood in his second. The Durham skipper got off the mark by driving wide of mid-on for four, but two balls later Garton skidded one through to pin him bang in front.Jordan ran in strongly and deserved some reward, but his only success came from a ball which moved so sharply away off the pitch that Michael Richardson would have done extremely well to touch it. He lingered several seconds after being adjudged caught behind.Clark was missed by Jordan at slip off Robinson on 10 but soon began pulling strongly and had eight fours in his 72-ball fifty. He dominated a stand of 57 with Pringle and enjoyed better support in an unbroken partnership of 42 with Brydon Carse. Bad light ended play with ten overs left.

ScorecardNorth group leaders Leicestershire made it four wins out of four, all away from home, in the NatWest T20 Blast when they beat Durham by 27 runs at Chester-le-Street.The Foxes appeared to have made a hash of their innings as they subsided from 100 for 2 in the 12th over to 123 for 8 after 18.The return of quicker bowlers allowed Matt Pillans to strike two fours and there were also four leg byes as 21 came off the last two overs to leave them on 144 for 8.It proved more than enough as Leicestershire learnt from the success of Durham’s spinners for Colin Ackerman and Callum Parkinson to take two wickets each in reducing the Jets to 31 for 5.Left-armer Parkinson added a third to end a stand of 30 when he bowled Usman Arshad and Durham finished on 117 for 8.Callum Parkinson took three wickets to hurt Durham’s chase•Getty Images

With the Sky cameras present on a sunny evening, Durham came under fire after choosing to bowl. The visitors’ top three all made rapid progress, but Mark Cosgrove’s 33 was the top score.The failures of the middle order put him under pressure and he holed out at deep midwicket in the 16th over to become one of four victims for Paul Collingwood.Seven overs of offspin produced 3 for 33 with Ryan Pringle taking 2 for 22 and Adam Hickey 1 for 11 in three.They hauled Durham back into the game after Luke Ronchi and Cameron Delport took 14 off Chris Rushworth’s opening over and had 37 on the board after four.Delport departed for 29 when he sliced Rushworth to backward point, then Cosgrove opened the face and ran the first ball he faced to the third man boundary.Ronchi reached 32 off 22 balls before dragging a Collingwood slower ball to wide long-on, where Pringle held the catch before conceding only three runs off the tenth over.Pringle then struck twice in the 12th as a smart leg-side stumping by Stuart Poynter got rid of Ackerman then Ned Eckersley lofted to long-off.That double blow set the collapse in motion, but Clint McKay followed his 5 for 11 in Leicestershire’s last game by striking with the first ball of Durham’s reply.Left-hander Hickey reached for a wide one and sliced to Delport at point and when Ackerman came on for the fourth over Clark pulled his first ball straight to deep midwicket.Michael Richardson chopped an attempted cut into his stumps and Parkinson took the next three wickets.Jack Burnham attempted a ramp to fine leg and was bowled, Collingwood chipped to deep mid-on and Arshad was bowled for 27 when Parkinson came back for his final over, the 15th.It was left to skipper Paul Coughlin to salvage some pride for Durham with an unbeaten 42.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKatherine Brunt followed up an unbeaten 43-ball 45 with figures of 2 for 42 in nine overs•Getty Images

On July 24, 1993, England beat Australia by 43 runs in a Women’s World Cup match in Guildford. Between that match and this one, close to 24 years later, the two sides had met six times in the World Cup, with one meeting ending in a no-result and Australia winning the other five.England’s wait ended in Bristol, after they shaded a roller-coaster contest that went down to the last ball. It came down to Jess Jonassen needing to hit the last ball for six. She slogged Jenny Gunn, and for a moment – that moment between contact and TV cameras catching up with the ball’s trajectory – it seemed as if she might have won it for Australia. She hadn’t middled it, though, and the ball landed three-fourths of the way to the boundary, a few yards to the left of the fielder at deep midwicket.Gunn finished with figures of 2 for 54, an economy rate of exactly 6.00 not quite doing justice to the impact of her hard-to-pick slower ball on an Australian side coming to grips with a mounting asking rate. Alex Hartley, her stump-to-stump left-arm spin proving almost un-hittable, and Katherine Brunt took two wickets apiece as well.Brunt and Gunn, meanwhile, had also played vital roles with the bat, putting on 85 off 73 balls for the seventh wicket to revive a flagging England innings. When they came together at 174 for 6, England seemed to be falling off the rails with batsman after batsman getting in, looking good, and throwing their wickets away, with Sarah Taylor (35), Natalie Sciver (29) and Danielle Wyatt (27) all culpable. Thanks to the power and commonsense shown by Brunt and Gunn, England ended up with 259 for 8.It could have been less had Australia’s fielding not fallen to pieces; Alyssa Healy dropped a catch and fluffed a stumping chance off successive balls to reprieve Gunn in the 41st over, and Kristen Beams dropped a return catch, also off Gunn, in the 46th. Elyse Villani, whose slow-medium had gone for 29 in her first four overs, ended up bowling the final over, which cost 13 runs, while Ellyse Perry, whose fast-medium went at 4.42, only bowled seven overs.England’s defence was similarly full of bloopers. Jonassen only got that chance to win it off the last ball because Sciver, at long-off, had fumbled the previous ball into the boundary. England dropped three catches as well, Danielle Hazell putting down a diving return catch to reprieve Beth Mooney on 27, Anya Shrubsole fluffing a sitter at mid-on when Elyse Villani was on 2, and Sciver shelling a straightforward chance at deep midwicket to let Perry off on 67.But those three drops only cost England 19 runs in total. The tight lines maintained by their bowlers on a slow surface combined with the scoreboard pressure kept producing chances. Australia kept punching, but a target of 260 proved just out of their reach.They approached the chase with the intention of keeping wickets in hand for the end, and this worked for most part. Nicole Bolton and Mooney put on 56 for the first wicket in 15.3 overs, and Perry and Meg Lanning took over to add 57 for the third wicket in 13.3 overs. Lanning looked in supreme touch despite batting with her right shoulder heavily strapped up, the pick of her five fours a pick-up shot over square leg. When she fell for 40, yorking herself by stepping out too far against Hartley, Australia needed 131 from 110 balls.The key phase of England’s defence came when Australia took the batting Powerplay at the end of the 35th over. Perry, using her feet brilliantly, had just cover-driven Danielle Hazell for four and then launched her for six over midwicket as Australia took 12 off the 35th over. The five Powerplay overs, though, brought only 16 runs, as Perry and Villani struggled to force the pace against Hartley and the pace variations of Gunn and Anya Shrubsole.In the course of those five overs, the required rate climbed from 7.13 to 9.10. The muscle of Alex Blackwell, Ashleigh Gardner and Jonassen and the innovation of Healy brought Australia close, but not quite close enough.

ScorecardSamit Patel produced the highest innings of his life•Getty Images

Thanks to Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire find themselves in a commanding position going into the final day against Gloucestershire. This match, for the most part, has hummed along like an old fridge: serving its purpose but giving little joy to no one. That was until Patel interjected to produce an innings of immense quality. The 31-year-old finished unbeaten on 257, a new first class record, on a pitch that has offered nothing to either discipline.To understand how dominating this knock was, consider this: it eclipses the 226 runs he has accumulated over all of his previous eight Championship innings this season. And of course, a bit of red ink does his average no harm.Patel’s unbeaten 257, which featured 23 fours and a towering six to midwicket off Jack Taylor, was brought up with a tapped single and fist pump that bumped a 256 against Durham MCCU in April 2013 down the list. The merits of classifying university matches as first class is another debate for another time, but that Patel was desperate to beat that score – “it was the most nervous I was the whole time I was batting” – underlines his desire for worthwhile contributions.The four through cover point that took Patel to his hundred summed up his innings: not even a Test batsman of the class of Notts’ number three Cheteshwar Pujara (the next highest scorer of the innings with 67), had been able to time as well or as often on this pitch. This was his first Championship hundred of the season, and his 25th in his first class career. It was also his second against Gloucestershire – that first, a score of 176 (his previous career best in the County Championship) coming way back in April 2007, at this very ground. It was in the back of his mind – “you always remember your best” – and he breezed passed it with two runs struck over the top of wide mid off.Both 2007 and 2017 Patel still have much in common. Time takes the shine away from much, but it does not seemed to have dulled any of the strokes he played with such relish as a 22-year-old. There remains an exuberance to his shot-making, most notable in the way that he used his feet to the spinners to hit them for boundaries inside-out over extra cover – the only region left open to him. Challenge posed, challenge accepted. The swagger after each boundary has, if anything, become more pronounced.Perhaps a 31-year-old Patel has learned the value of patience, though even that is simply an observation made in hindsight: he spent more than eight hours at the crease absorbing 452 deliveries, showing great restraint to not make the mistakes of those who fell before and during his stay at the crease. Most batsmen have been undone snatching at opportunities to score. Patel simply waited. And in waiting, he made up for lost time.”It reminds you of the bad days you have with the bat. The times you can’t score any runs and you’re searching. I suppose you’ve got to try and make use of it.”I’ve been training hard with Mooresy (head coach Peter Moores) and Pike (assistant coach Paul Franks) and my mindset has been pretty good for a few weeks now. I’ve just not been converting as much as I should have done.”On 185, he had a life: skipping down the pitch to the left-arm spin of Graeme van Buuren, he struck high towards long on, where the fielder in question looked to have taken a good catch. Patel thought he was out, but the catch was spilled – in fact, it have even gone for six. Instead, four was signalled. That was about as ungainly as his innings got. On 192, he struck the medium pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett for consecutive fours through cover point to take him to 200 from 379 balls. “I’ve been searching for a big one for a few weeks now.” Here it was.His supporting actors changed throughout the day. Michael Lumb looked as good as you could for 23 before he was trapped by a searing yorker from Chris Liddle. Riki Wessels came out to instigate the charge, scoring his first boundary with a trademark sweep to square leg off Neoma-Barnett. A third batting point came up an over later before Patel struck his 12th boundary to take Nottinghamshire past Gloucestershire’s first effort of 303.While Wessels was unable to last much beyond lunch, trapped LBW by Jack Taylor, Chris Read’s enterprising 40, which featured the game’s first six, clubbed crisply over long on, ensured Notts put on 126 in the middle session to go into tea with a comfortable lead of 136. Luke Wood tagged in for the evening, striking a composed 38 as part of a 95-run partnership with Patel that further demoralised Gloucester, taking the lead to 232 before Read called the innings off.More misery was to come for the hosts as Cameron Bancroft was struck in front second ball by Luke Fletcher, just as he was in the first innings. Unfortunately for him, this time the umpire raised his finger. The 24-year-old from Western Australia is now averaging 16.44 from nine innings: a return far below what is expected of an overseas player, let alone someone of Bancroft’s talent. The stodginess of this Bristol pitch is enough to make any Perth-dweller homesick. Chris Dent and Will Tavare reconvene tomorrow, 202 behind with bold ambitions to try and take Gloucestershire to safety.There was further reason to cheer for Nottinghamshire as Moores confirmed to BBC Radio Nottingham that James Pattinson will rejoin the squad for their Royal London Cup knock-out match on Tuesday against Somerset. He will then be available for the following two Championship matches before his deal expires at the end of June.

ScorecardWill Tavare bedded in for a six-hour century•PA Photos

Will Tavare completed a six-hour century as Gloucestershire built a strong position on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Leicestershire at Bristol.Resuming their first innings on 236 for 5, the hosts declared on 466 for 8, Tavare top-scoring with 101, well supported by Phil Mustard (72), Jack Taylor (60) and David Payne (54 not out). Gavin Griffiths finished with 4 for 101.In reply, Leicestershire slumped to 14 for 3 before a fighting stand of 102 between skipper Mark Cosgrove (48) and Mark Pettini (54). They fell in quick succession and by the close the visitors were back in trouble at 165 for 6, trailing by 301.Tavare, who missed much of last season with a knee problem, was unbeaten on 73 overnight and moved to a painstaking hundred off 271 balls. He had batted for six hours and 12 minutes when bowled by a full-length ball from Griffiths.It was Leicestershire’s only success in the morning session, despite beating the bat on numerous occasions. Mustard, unbeaten on 13 at the start, was 51 not out at lunch, having shared a stand of 89 with Tavare and helped Gloucestershire to three batting points.Mustard fell soon after the interval, bowled by Neil Dexter aiming a big hit over the leg side, having faced 159 balls and hit 7 fours.His application, allied to that of Tavare, gave Taylor and Payne licence to play positively after Craig Miles had been caught at short-leg off a lifter from Richard Jones for five to make it 378 for 7.Taylor breezed to his half-century off 65 balls, with 6 fours and a six, before being caught behind attempting to pull a ball from Griffiths.Payne needed only 48 deliveries to reach fifty, having struck eight fours and a six. He and Liam Norwell added 33 before Mustard declared, leaving the Leicestershire batsmen a tricky period before tea.Paul Horton was pinned lbw by Payne, playing across the line, for six and when Harry Dearden fell for eight to another leg-before decision upheld in Norwell’s favour off the last ball before the break the visitors were 14 for 2.That became 14 for 3 when Dexter looked to drive Payne at the start of the evening session and edged a catch to second slip where Chris Dent leapt to hold a sharp chance.Batting started the look more straightforward from the moment Cosgrove joined Pettini and they gradually led a recovery.Cosgrove was merciless on anything short from the seamers and had moved to within two of a half-century when carelessly giving a return catch to off-spinner Taylor to make the score 116 for 4.Pettini moved to his fifty off 77 balls, with 9 fours, but in the same Norwell over was caught behind attempting to leave the ball.Colin Ackermann was forced to retire hurt with a hand injury on eight with the total 146, having been hit by a delivery from Craig Miles and Ben Raine fell for a duck, caught behind off the same bowler. Ned Eckersley was 25 not out at stumps.

The ECB has privately indicated that it has retreated from proposals to downgrade the 18 county academies in favour of creating “regional training hubs as opposed to county programmes” as part of a plan to “define a new pathway for English cricket”.ESPNcricinfo revealed last month that independent consultants had concluded in a confidential report, commissioned by the ECB, that the much-vaunted eight-team T20 tournament could “impact on the future structure” of the professional game in England and urged the ECB to take the chance to “reorganise the geographical structure of county cricket”.The revelations caused immediate disquiet within several counties as they prepared for a meeting at Lord’s on March 27 which will further examine plans for the new T20 tournament. If given the go ahead, the tournament will have major ramifications for the professional game in England and Wales.When the potential implications of the independent report became clear, Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, was forced to undertake a ring round of the counties to assure them that the ECB had no intention of adopting it in its most radical form.Strauss gave private assurances that the 18 county academies will remain the chief pathway for professional cricket in England – and that there would be no attempt to drain county academies of revenue to concentrate coaching resources upon the regional hubs that will stage the envisaged new T20 tournament.There is appetite for some change, however. The ECB will advocate a limited centralisation of services, with counties encouraged to share support that, for financial reasons, might not otherwise be available to them, such as specialist coaches, psychologists or expensive technology.One recommendation of the report has been implemented already, with the appointment of Alun Powell to the new position of national talent development manager. Powell will join from the RFU and work alongside Andy Flower and Andy Hurry – the Lions and U-19 coaches – to identify and develop players below international level.It remains to be seen whether the counties will be appeased by Strauss’ intervention. Throughout the process towards an eight-team T20 tournament, many have sought to suppress the underlying fear that in the medium term they might be signing their own death warrant.The details of how such an arrangement might work – and which grounds might host such facilities – remain in their infancy. The ECB has yet to comment openly upon the plans.

Victoria will enter the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia with James Pattinson bowling as well as he ever has in his career, according to senior batsman Aaron Finch. Pattinson destroyed Queensland by claiming 5 for 7 in the second innings of Victoria’s final regular game last week, and had also run through Western Australia with a five-wicket haul in Alice Springs in the previous round.Pattinson had been out of action due to injury for nearly a year when he returned for the BBL and the second half of the Shield summer, and he has spoken of his desire to get through the Shield season before being considered for national selection. Finch said Pattinson was bowling as well as he had in his career, though scarily for opponents he appeared to still be bowling within himself.”When he gets his tail up and the ball is shifting in the air slightly, it’s a different ball game,” Finch said. “He’s someone who has obviously got pace. I think it took a couple of games for him to find his rhythm back again. I think he was, probably by his own admission, a little bit off the mark in his first couple of Shield games back.”But that second-innings spell against WA up in Alice – to knock them over when they were starting to build a nice lead, was unbelievable. Then he kept that going in Brisbane. He looks like he’s bowling within himself, but still fast and with a lot of control. He’s obviously very passionate and when he gets his tail up, he can be hard to stop.”I don’t know if I have seen him bowl better than this at the moment. I think that he is really comfortable where his action is at and where his body is at. Not being a fast bowler, I can’t imagine the mental toughness that it takes to get through injury after injury, doing all your rehab, getting back, then being back in the gym doing your rehab again. He’s just really comfortable with where his game is at.”Pattinson could be a key factor in Victoria’s push to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title, a hat-trick that New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have all achieved but the Bushrangers have not. The final against the Redbcaks begins on Sunday at Traeger Park in Alice Springs, which has become a second home for Victoria in recent years due to the unavailability of the MCG due to AFL season.”I think the wicket up in Alice is reasonably slow by nature,” Finch said. “I don’t think that good players are generally worried by pace, they’re more worried by movement. If you can move the ball at 135, it’s a lot tougher to face than someone who doesn’t swing it at 145. But he [Pattinson] has got all the attributes at the moment to knock over a side.”The great thing about us at the moment is we’ve got guys bowling beautifully around him. Chris Tremain is in great form, Scott Boland came in in the last game and had a real impact when he got the ball in his hand. Along with Jon Holland … it’s a nice balanced attack we’ve got at the moment.”The boys love it up there. A couple of weeks ago was my first time playing up there. It’s a great ground, it’s great facilities. The way that the town up there welcomes us is fantastic. I think we’ve played five games over the last two and a bit years. It’s a place the boys love playing. It suits our style of play.”

South Africa face a dilemma over the workload on Kagiso Rabada early in a year crammed with commitments for the young fast bowler.Rabada, who took 2 for 31 in Hamilton, missed the match in Christchurch due to a slight problem with his left knee, but had an extensive bowl at the Basin Reserve on Friday with the knee taped. He has been carefully managed in the early days of this tour, also sitting out the T20 at Eden Park, having played all five matches the preceding one-day series against Sri Lanka.There will be a significant number of overs for Rabada in the months ahead. After this one-day series there are three Tests against New Zealand, followed a by the IPL for which Rabada landed a INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) deal with Delhi Daredevils. Then comes the Champions Trophy and a marquee four-Test series against England. Throwing further ahead, South Africa’s 2017-18 home season will their busiest ever.If South Africa had managed to haul themselves over the line at Hagley Oval there is a decent chance Rabada would have been wrapped in cotton wool for the remainder of the one-day series. That could still be the case, with South Africa keen to assess their other bowling options before the Champions Trophy, but his cutting edge would be missed.”He has been stalwart for us for a while now,” JP Duminy said. “He has been our main strike bowler in most formats and it’s always a great strength for us to have him in our attack. It will be good to see him back.”In 2016, Rabada sent down almost two hundred overs more than any other South Africa bowler across all formats – 431.3 overs, with Kyle Abbott next on 239.1 – and made the joint-most appearances with 32 alongside Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis.South Africa also have to meet quota targets over a season which includes an average of two Black African players in an XI. Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo are part of the one-day squad, while Temba Bavuma will be alongside Rabada in the Test side.Although Rabada’s return would strengthen South Africa’s attack, they have pinpointed the batting – and a failure of anyone to play a major innings – as the reason they could not chase down 290 in Christchurch. The top six all reached double figures, but de Kock’s 57 was the top score and he fell to an ill-judged leg-side heave.Dwaine Pretorius, at No. 7, almost turned the game with his 27-ball 50 and with Phehlukwayo down at No. 10 there was enviable depth to the order, but Duminy said that does not always translate into success.”It can sometimes be a bad thing. Even though we bat deep it doesn’t mean the top order shouldn’t take responsibility. It’s a great thing to have but there’s still a lot of responsibility from the top six or seven to make sure we put in those performances for the team.”However, he was not overly concerned about South Africa’s first reversal in 13 ODIs and suggested it was a timely reminder of the level of performance they need to achieve.”It was kind of inevitable at some point we’d lose a game. It’s something we have spoken about, that it doesn’t put us in any different situation in terms of where we’re trying to go as a team, our preparation and our goals. We’re trying to work towards the Champions Trophy and it’s probably a good thing to go through a few losses along the way to bring us back down to earth and understand there are certain things we still have to improve on.”