Travis Head felt the presence of Steve Smith allowed him to “sneak under the radar” as he cracked a wonderful century on day one of the World Test Championship final against India.
With 30 centuries, 8,792 runs and an average of just under 60, Smith is always a prize target whenever he steps on to the field.
But while he reasserted his class with a thoroughly composed innings of 95 not out at the Oval, it was Head who took centre stage with a dashing 146 not out.
Australia ended the day in charge of the showpiece on 327 for three, a huge position of strength given Head arrived at 76 for three.
Speaking after an unbroken stand of 251 with Smith, Head said: “We don’t talk too much out there but I do really enjoy batting with Steve, because of how much attention he receives in terms of the bowler’s plans.
“Whenever I bat with him I always feel like I’m in the shadows, that you can sneak under the radar and go about your business because he draws so much attention.
“I felt like that again today, I knew he wasn’t going to go anywhere once he got in that rhythm.
“He loves batting over here and he’s unbelievable in these conditions. We’re completely different but the partnership works really nicely.”
Head’s sixth Test hundred was a bruising affair, comprising 22 fours and a six, but it was most notable for being his first away from Australia.
With an Ashes series coming hot on the heels of the WTC final, he could hardly have timed the landmark better having been dismissed for 90 in Ahmedabad in March.
“It’s a nice feather in the cap, I’ll look back in the future on a nice little moment,” he said.
“I missed the chance in India a couple of months ago, but it doesn’t bother me too much. I just want to contribute and play well, if that’s a hundred great, but it doesn’t faze me in the slightest.
“This week is hugely important to us for the last two years of hard work but as we move to the Ashes if it’s a low scoring series I just want to contribute, even if that doesn’t mean hundreds.
“All you can do is be around your peers, see what they’re doing and try to excel. We’ll see where that leads us in the next six weeks.”
Rahmarack stars with the ball as Windies Women defeat New South Wales by four wickets at Wilson Park
The West Indies Women got their tour of Australia off to a winning start with a four-wicket victory over a New South Wales (NSW) Women's team at Wilson Park.
Karishma Ramharack had the NSW ladies spun tightly in her web of off-spin and were restricted to posted 105-9 from their 20 overs. Ramharack finished with figures of 3-12. Captain Hayley Matthews supported with some wizardry of her own taking 2-7 from her two overs.
NSW skipper Sammy-Jo Johnson was the top-scorer with 28 with Hannah Darlington making 24.
Shemaine Campbelle led the West Indies Women's run-chase posting 33 from 34 deliveries which included five boundaries. Skipper Matthews was next best with 24 off 27. Aaliyah Alleyne 19 not out and Zaida James 15 not out took the visitors home to victory in 17.5 overs.
Head Coach Shane Deitz was pleased with the team's first outing since arriving in Australia four days ago.
“It's good to get the first win on tour. I think we've got a lot of areas we need to improve on, especially getting used to batting on these wickets with some extra pace and bounce. Overall, I think we played generally good all-round and it's going to put us in a good position to play on Sunday,” he said.
The ODI series against Australia is West Indies’ fourth fixture in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-2025 after playing New Zealand, England and Ireland.
Each match provides West Indies with opportunity to win valuable points to climb the Championship table where they currently lie ninth of 10 teams.
Following the Australia Series, West Indies Women will play four three-match ODI series over the next two years. At the end of the cycle, the top five teams in the ICC Women’s Championship will book berths in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025 along with hosts India.
The remaining teams will have to go through the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Surrey retain County Championship title after Essex batting collapse
Surrey have retained their LV= Insurance County Championship title as Essex’s slim hopes ended after their batters collapsed in a heap against Northamptonshire.
A 20-point gap between the top two Division One teams heading into the final round meant Surrey needed just five points in their fixture against Hampshire to celebrate a 21st championship triumph.
They secured three bowling bonus points at the Ageas Bowl but none with the bat, which opened the door for Essex, who needed to amass a 400-plus score in 110 overs to have any chance of catching Surrey.
But Essex were unable to claim the maximum amount of batting bonus points as they capitulated to 211 all out on Thursday morning, with last man Jamie Porter bowled by Tom Taylor to crown Surrey champions.
Surrey, who have won the championship five times since the turn of the century, became the first side since Yorkshire in 2014 and 2015 to claim back-to-back titles.
Final decision on who hosts 2024 ICC World Cup final yet to be reached - CWI CEO Johnny Grave
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has moved to provide clarity on the ongoing process of venue selection for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in the Caribbean and USA in June 2024.
CWI acknowledges the enthusiasm and interest expressed by various governments, cricket boards, and stakeholders in hosting the highly anticipated tournament. However, there has been some confusion over how the process works, especially in light of recent developments wherein Barbados Cricket Association President Conde Riley claimed that Barbados has been selected to host the finals of the tournament next June.
Those claims have been debunked by CWI President Dr Kishore Shallow.
So, what is the actual truth?
CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave explained, stating, "Following a robust selection process of our seven host venues, CWI-appointed Venues Selection Committee, chaired by President Dr. Kishore Shallow, has made recommendations to the ICC on allocations of matches for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in the Caribbean and USA in June 2024."
Grave acknowledged the commendable efforts made by nations within the region; however, he emphasized that final decisions have yet to be reached.
"These recommendations are subject to venues confirming commitment to all required obligations and ICC approval,” explained.
“We are delighted by the enthusiasm and interest expressed by our host governments and cricket Boards and appreciate the hard work and commitment shown as we look to deliver a spectacular Men's T20 World Cup next year. We will now work with the ICC, our hosts and ICC Members to finalize the match schedule in the coming weeks."
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