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ICC chief executive David Richardson will be part of the four-member panel, which also includes Amy Perko, Rohan Chandran and Keith Aaron

Peter Della Penna14-Apr-2018The ICC and USA Cricket jointly announced the formation of a four-member nominating and governance committee on Thursday, whose main role will be to put forward candidates to fill the three independent director slots on the new 10-member USA Cricket board of directors. The four members of the committee – who were selected by the ICC’s sustainable foundation advisory group (SFAG) for redeveloping US cricket governance in the wake of USACA’s suspension and subsequent expulsion – are ICC chief executive David Richardson, Amy Perko, Rohan Chandran and Keith Aaron.Perko was a three-time Academic All-American basketball player from 1983 to 1987 at Wake Forest before she transitioned into a career as a sports administrator where, in one of her previous roles, she served as an Associate Athletic Director at the University of Kansas. Her inclusion is noteworthy as it signals a continued effort by the ICC’s Project USA caretaker administration, which served as a bridge to the new USA Cricket administration, to build links with the wider US sports community as well as demonstrating a concerted effort to seek out female administrators that were nonexistent in the history of the USACA executive board. According to the new USA Cricket constitution, the three independent directors must not have held any administrative roles in cricket in the last three years and at least one must be female.Perko is currently the chief executive of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a college sports committee founded in 1989 whose mission is “to promote reforms that support and strengthen the educational mission of college sports”, according to its website. Among the current 17-member Knight Commission panel are former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, NBA Hall of Famer and 1992 Olympic basketball Dream Team member David Robinson, and Harvard Medical School neurosurgery resident Myron Rolle, who earned AP All-American honours as a defensive back on the Florida State football team in 2008 before famously postponing an opportunity to play in the NFL in order to accept a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.Chandran is well known in US cricket circles as one of the founders of ESPNcricinfo. Originally from Hong Kong, where he captained the national Under-19 team, Chandran now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area where he works as a technology executive and has been heavily involved in local cricket as a longtime member of Stanford Cricket Club. Chandran is familiar to Richardson and other ICC administrators after he was interviewed in late 2012 as one of five finalists for the vacant USACA chief executive position that eventually went to Australian administrator Darren Beazley.Aaron has over 30 years of experience as a business executive and cricket administrator in New York according to the ICC release. Prior to coming to America, Aaron captained the Guyana Under-19 team in 1968 to a regional junior title where he was team-mates with Dr. Vincent Adams, a member of the SFAG that appointed Aaron and the others.”The appointment of ICC Chief Executive, Mr. Richardson, represents the ICC’s continued commitment to the growth of cricket in the United States – something the SFAG has been eager to maintain,” said Adams in an ICC release. “His experience along with the skills and expertise of Mr. Aaron, Ms. Perko and Mr. Chandran ensure the NGC will play an extremely important role in identifying the right Independent Directors to work alongside the elected Members to take USA Cricket forward for many years to come.”The three independent directors will be appointed by the inaugural seven-person executive board after receiving nominations from Richardson’s new committee. The seven constituent directors – three individual directors, one club director, one league director, and one male and female elite player representative – will be voted in through the inaugural USA Cricket elections scheduled for June, just ahead of the ICC annual conference. A new 10-member board including the three independent directors can then be installed in time for USA Cricket to be formally approved as the officially recognised national governing body to replace USACA after its expulsion in 2017. Those seeking to be eligible to vote in the USA Cricket elections have until April 24 to register as members of USA Cricket.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl seemed to rule out a permanent move for Jadon Sancho this summer.

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Sancho impressing back in Germany Kehl reveals club's position on transfer Man Utd exit likely regardlessWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho rejoined the club were he made his name on loan last month, having fallen out of favour at Manchester United following a much-publicised feud with manager Erik ten Hag. He's made a fast start in the Bundesliga too, sparking rumours that he could make the switch permanent at the end of the season. However, Kehl admitted that the deal would be a challenging one to complete.

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Asked by Sky Sports if there is an option to sign Sancho – as well as fellow Premier League loanee Ian Maatsen – in the summer, Kehl said: "Unfortunately for both players, neither option was really realistic. If you know what we got for Jadon Sancho two and a half years ago, then you know also that it might now be very, very difficult.

"We naturally advocated for an option with him – and also with Ian – but the negotiating position was not such that we could implement it and so we will accept it for now."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Sancho has featured three times in the league since returning to Dortmund, registering an assist in each of his first two appearances against Darmstadt and FC Koln. He also impressed when his side hosted Bochum last week, before being ruled out of BVB's goalless draw with Heidenheim due to a minor injury.

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Despite Dortmund's public stance that signing Sancho is unlikely, it seems almost certain that United will endeavour to sell him this summer, unless Ten Hag is relieved of his managerial duties. For now, the England international will be focussing on inspiring his loan side up the Bundesliga table. Edin Terzic's charges are currently fourth, a startling 15 points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen despite only missing out on the title to Bayern Munich on the final day last term.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign with a convincing 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend, with talisman Harry Kane bagging four goals on what could well have been his farewell appearance at N17.

With speculation still rife that the 30-year-old is set to be on his way to German giants, Bayern Munich – despite an agreement having yet to be reached between the two clubs – the England skipper enjoyed a potential perfect send-off with a typically ruthless display in front of goal.

The long-serving centre-forward may not have been the only figure saying his goodbyes during Sunday's clash, however, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also starting in midfield despite reports that the Danish maestro is set to join La Liga side, Atletico Madrid.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

As per Football Insider, the Lilywhites are likely to try and acquire a replacement for the 27-year-old before sanctioning a sale, with manager Ange Postecoglou potentially set to be able to find a perfect option in the form of Hojbjerg's former Southampton teammate, James Ward-Prowse.

How much would Ward-Prowse cost?

According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the north Londoners are potentially ready to hijack West Ham United's move for the England international, with the 28-year-old having been watched by Spurs scouts on numerous occasions at the tail-end of last season.

As per the piece, the Saints are not likely to sell their influential captain 'on the cheap' having already knocked back bids from the Hammers, with the south coast side said to be demanding a fee in the region of £40m.

The Portsmouth-born ace has spent his whole career with his current side and thus is not set to 'push for a transfer', although with Russell Martin's men now plying their trade in the Championship, a move away could be on the cards.

Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?

It would not be the first time that Tottenham have snapped up a stellar talent from Southampton, with chairman Daniel Levy having previously overseen the £10m signing of Gareth Bale from the St Mary's side back in 2007.

While unlike Ward-Prowse, the Welshman was a raw, teenage talent at the time of the move, the explosive forward went on to sparkle over the next few years having made a stellar impact in a Spurs shirt, despite enduring a difficult opening period in which he failed to taste victory in his first 25 Premier League outings.

Having been snapped up following the Saints' failed promotion charge during the 2006/07 campaign, the now-retired superstar would go on to score 72 goals and provide 58 assists in 237 games in all competitions across his two spells at the club, including netting 21 league goals during the 2012/13 season prior to his move to Real Madrid.

One notable trait that the wing wizard mastered during his time at White Hart Lane was his dead-ball brilliance, having memorably scored two free-kicks in the same game in a Europa League clash with Lyon back in February 2013.

That is a gift that is certainly shared by "set-piece master", Ward Prowse – as described by broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos – with the Englishman having scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, ranking him just behind David Beckham as the most prolific in that regard in the competition's history.

For Spurs to then be able to have another Bale-esque figure who can conjure up moments of magic in the form of Ward-Prowse would be a truly exciting prospect, with the latter man seemingly a "great fit" for the club, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

With Levy having reaped the rewards of plucking Bale from the south coast in the past, he could look to repeat that masterclass by signing the experienced Ward-Prowse this summer.

Spin twins Mihir Hirwani and Ankit Sharma run through Tripura; Odisha thwart Andhra’s push for victory

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017Legspinner Mihir Hirwani (5 for 22) and left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma (4 for 51) helped Madhya Pradesh pocket seven points courtesy a 10-wicket win over Tripura in Agartala.Resuming on 200 for 7, MP lost Puneet Datey and Hirwani inside the first eight overs of the morning with the addition of only 11 runs to take them just ahead of Tripura’s 205. However, Ishwar Pandey struck a 29-ball 47, including six sixes, and put on 49 runs for the last wicket with Avesh Khan to give Madhya Pradesh a 55-run lead. Left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh finished with four wickets for Tripura.Despite losing opener Bishal Ghosh in the sixth over, opener Udiyan Bose (27) and Rajesh Banik (29) steadied things with a 47-run partnership in the second innings. However, Ankit’s double strike to remove Ghosh and Bose in the space of three deliveries in the 23rd over triggered Tripura’s irreversible slide. Eventually, Tripura went from 57 for 1 to 103 all out in a little over 20 overs. MP openers Rajat Patidar and Harpreet Singh chased down the target of 49 inside 15 overs.Andhra’s push for an outright victory was stalled courtesy a 185-run stand between Odisha captain Govinda Poddar (111, 182b) and Subhranshu Senapati (91), in pursuit of Andhra’s 584 in the first innings. But they managed to hit back with late wickets as Odisha went to stumps on 294 for 6. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with three wickets at less than two runs per over.

Chelsea risk Mauricio Pochettino's wrath as Blues are reportedly in talks over Conor Gallagher sale with Tottenham.

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Pochettino rates Gallagher highlyHas handed him the armband on several occasions this seasonYet the Chelsea board wants to offload the academy graduate WHAT HAPPENED?

Gallagher has emerged as one of Chelsea's standout performers in a rather underwhelming season with the 23-year-old midfielder being a key player at the centre of the park. He enjoys the unwavering trust of Pochettino and has also served as the team captain for a significant part of the campaign in the absence of regular skipper Reece James.

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According to Chelsea have set a price tag of £35 million ($45m) on Gallagher to move to north London. Tottenham had previously expressed interest in signing the English international during the summer transfer window. While Chelsea were open to the deal, an agreement was not finalised at that time. But things could pan out differently this time around as Todd Boehly and Co are allegedly willing to permit Gallagher's departure and have welcomed Tottenham's renewed interest in the academy graduate.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tottenham are facing potential squad challenges, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr set to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations. Additionally, they are open to selling Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is drawing interest from Juventus and Napoli which has spurred them to expedite negotiations with Chelsea.

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It remains to be seen if Gallagher indeed moves to Tottenham as Pochettino would want to hold on to his prized asset in midfield. He has made 22 appearances in this campaign and was named in the starting XI against Luton Town on Saturday which shows the Argentine manager's utmost faith in the player.

Chris Nash’s 118 at No. 5 and productive stands with Luke Wells and Chris Jordan lifted Sussex to a competitive score at New Road

Vithushan Ehantharajah at New Road06-Aug-20171:14

County Championship round-up: Yorkshire crumble against Essex

After all the fun of the fair that Twenty20 brings, Championship cricket returned, like the sensible soul at the house party who starts washing up at 4am, having rolled the last revellers into their cabs home. If there is one man who still had his wits about him after a month on the short-form sauce, it was Chris Nash who waited till the start of August to score his first Championship hundred of the season.Invariably, as the white ball makes way for the red, there is talk of “Twenty20 hangovers”: of batsmen and bowlers stuck in limited-overs mode, chastised for not being able to flick a switch from one format to the other, like the droids they are treated as. How else to explain the absurd run-in both sides have had to this fixture.Worcestershire arrived off the back of a professional Friday night win in Birmingham and a day-time shellacking at the hands of Northants on Saturday. Sussex were hosting Surrey on Thursday before a Friday night in Canterbury. Silly season doesn’t get much sillier.Yet, through all the hours on the road, as those at home turn slowly into strangers, Nash has been able to find form that has proved elusive for most of the summer. After a rest last Monday following defeat to Somerset, he struck 64 on Thursday, took Kent to the cleaners with 73 on Friday, arrived in Worcester on Saturday and compiled his 23rd first-class hundred on Sunday. While it does not bear much resemblance to Craig David’s “Seven Days” – Craig famously chilled on Sunday – there was a familiar rhythm and base to Nash’s innings that hinted at a longer return to fluid type.”I’ve seen more of you than I have of my wife,” said Nash as he was approached by the BBC Radio Sussex commentator, alluding to the frenetic schedule and his more-than-welcome purple patch. Prior to this 118, Nash was averaging 17.08 from 12 innings at the top of the order. Naturally, the knock came as a relief: “It’s a really nice feeling. I’ve worked really hard in four-day cricket and it just hasn’t happened this year. That’s how it goes sometimes.”It’s hard coming from T20 games where you’re basically playing every day. It’s nice to come in here and bat long as well, actually. It was nice to change the gears, get myself in and go big.”The crucial part of his 202-ball stay came in the morning when Nash was informed by Sussex captain Ben Brown that he would bat at five, having spent most of the season as opener. Former Leicestershire batsman Angus Robson, taken on by Sussex to play second-team cricket, was asked to open up on his first-team debut, after his registration was processed on Thursday (he made the XI in place of Luke Wright, out with a bad back).Chris Nash made his first century of the Championship season•Getty ImagesUnfortunately for Robson, he only lasted three balls – one of two ducks, along with Harry Finch, as Worcestershire reduced the visitors to 7 for 2 in the fourth over. Nash’s arrival, after Stiaan van Zyl fell to make it 49 for 3, was the beginning of a solid partnership of 97 between himself and Luke Wells.Perhaps the moment that turned the day was at 71 for 3, when Daryl Mitchell dropped Wells at second slip. The left-hander had just 32 to his name and went on to make 85 before offering Mitchell another chance which he duly clung on to, off the bowling of George Rhodes. Wells’ sombre exit spoke less of a tricky period negotiated and more of a hundred spurned. By then, Nash was at ease and determined to motor on for the good of his team and his future in the engine room.At lunch, when Nash was on 19, his captain made him a promise: “If you get 110, you can stay at five.” Who knows if Brown was bluffing, but it had the desired effect on the 34-year-old. The shots started to come out, notably that front-foot pull to midwicket and beyond which has been as much as a Hove staple as deckchairs and ice cream.Fittingly, it was a crisply struck pull for four off debutant Pat Brown – expensive on his maiden first-class outing – that took Nash to his hundred, from 175 balls. Relieved, he threw both hands in the air, before holding out five fingers to the packed balcony in front of the away dressing room, channeling the spirit of Nasser Hussain at Lord’s, albeit with a smile and fewer expletives. “When I got my hundred I knew I’d kinda done the hard bit and I had 10 more to get,” Nash said. He eventually finished on 118, lbw to a low-bouncing delivery from Joe Leach, with Sussex in greater shakes at 298 for 6.”After the month of Twenty20, I really needed it,” Nash said of an innings he hopes will be the start of a strong end to the red-ball summer and a spot in the batting line-up he has always craved. “I got in this morning and I was pretty knackered after the last couple of weeks and it gave me a little bit of breathing space and I really enjoyed it. I love batting in the middle order.”Chris Jordan built on Nash’s good work – together, they put on 118 – by moving to his 98-ball half-century with a picture-perfect extra cover-drive for his fifth boundary. He was unbeaten at the close, all set to continue Sussex’s push towards a score of 350 which they reckon will have them “in the game”. A game that already looks like it is slipping from Worcestershire’s grasp.

The Bangladesh batsman broke into the top ten, only the second player from the country to do so

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2017Bangladesh batsman Sabbir Rahman has broken into the ICC’s top 10 rankings for T20I batsmen for the first time. He is currently tenth with 627 points, after the rankings were updated following the T20I series between England and South Africa.Sabbir, 25, rose in the rankings despite scoring only 117 runs in five innings this year.Sabbir is the only Bangladesh player after Shakib Al Hasan to break into the top ten rankings for T20I batsmen. Shakib, who is leading the allrounders rankings across all formats at present, achieved the feat in 2012. Mahmudullah, at No. 6, is the only other Bangladesh player among the top ten T20I allrounders.In the T20I bowling rankings, Mustafizur Rahman is at No. 6, while Shakib is ranked ninth.

Arsenal are among the sides willing to pay Fenerbache star Arda Guler's release clause and he wants a transfer away immediately, according to reports.

Who will join Arsenal this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have agreed a £105 million total fee for the transfer of West Ham United star Declan Rice, who is now expected to make the move to north London.

Arsenal, though, don't appear to be done there after also sealing a £65 million deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Indeed, Southampton's Romeo Lavia is firmly on manager Mikel Arteta's radar this summer, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber coming as another who Arsenal are currently in talks for.

This could end up being one of Arsenal's busiest transfer windows in recent memory, with reports suggesting they may spend north of £200 million on fresh faces.

New targets are appearing on a consistent basis too, as Emirates transfer chief Edu is credited with an interest in signing Fenerbache's Guler.

The in-demand Turkish wonderkid, who is already capped at international level, has attracted a plethora of suitors both abroad and domestically.

Spanish outlet Diario AS expand on this, claiming Guler is wanted by "half of Europe", with Newcastle United, Manchester United, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Sevilla, Barcelona and even Real Madrid chasing his signature.

It is believed that the 18-year-old wants to leave Fenerbache "right away", which is where Arsenal come in, as AS state that the north Londoners are "willing to pay" his €17.5million (£15m) alongside the aforementioned sides.

If Arsenal are to make a move for Guler, they will need to hurry, as both Barca and Real will soon make attempts to convince the player.

Who is Arda Guler?

Branded the "Turkish Messi", Guler is amassing quite the reputation, having stood out as one of Fenerbache's best-performing players per 90 as a teenager last campaign (WhoScored).

The talent racked up seven goal contributions in 20 league appearances over 22/23, all while averaging making more key passes per 90 than any Fenerbache player (WhoScored).

Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, commenting on Guler recently, even said he has the potential to play anywhere in the world.

"Arda Guler is a very talented player,” Pirlo said.

“He has the potential to play anywhere in the world. He has quality, he can read the game well, and he has great technique. If he keeps developing his game, there is no limit to his potential.”

After speaking with Steven Smith at tea, Nathan Lyon settled on a tactic of coming over the wicket to Ajinkya Rahane and varying the pace of his deliveries, notably darting through a greater number of quicker balls

Melinda Farrell in Dharamsala26-Mar-2017Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon has said a change in tactics following a brief discussion with captain Steven Smith helped him claim the four-wicket haul that was key to Australia’s fightback, after India’s batsmen started strongly on the second day of the Dharamsala Test.While Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowled excellent spells of pace and accuracy and took one wicket apiece, India had accumulated 153 runs for the loss of their openers by tea, and had Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane looking settled at the crease.Lyon, however, finding more of the bounce that suits his bowling in Australia, had Pujara caught at short leg off a ripping offbreak and, four overs later, foxed Karun Nair with sharp turn and bounce to give Australia a chance of maintaining a first-innings lead.After speaking with Smith at tea, Lyon settled on a tactic of coming over the wicket to Rahane and varying the pace of his deliveries, notably darting through a greater number of quicker balls. It worked: Rahane edged a fuller delivery to Smith, who took a sharp catch at first slip, soon after play resumed.”It was a bit of a tactic, I guess,” Lyon said. “I spoke to Steve Smith about that at tea time and I was pretty happy with the way it came out in the end.”If you look at the way the Indians have been playing me, especially Ajinkya, he’s been sweeping me a lot and my plan was to come over the wicket and try and get him not to sweep me. So, I could bring in my stock ball, which is more effective, and it worked quite well.”Lyon rounded off his haul when he trapped R Ashwin lbw and, with India 52 runs short of Australia’s first innings tally and with four wickets in hand, there seems to be little separating the sides in this deciding Test. Lyon, however, described Australia’s position as “quite positive”.”I reckon it’s an unbelievable feeling to be pretty evenly poised after day two,” Lyon said. “I know we probably left a few runs out there but to have the Indians six down for 240 odd after a pretty good day in the field, I was quite happy to be honest.”I think coming over here everyone wrote us off and to be in this position in the last Test, one all, and pressure slightly on India, I reckon that’s fantastic.”While Lyon didn’t think the conditions had changed dramatically, he did believe the pitch offered a little more variation as the day wore on and, with cracks also opening up on the pitch, he expected batting to be very tough for India in the fourth innings.”Hopefully it’s going to be a massive challenge for them, but that really depends on how long we bat for and how many runs we can set them,” he said. “But whatever we set India, that’s going to have to be enough for us.”We believe we’re good enough, it’s going to be good fun and a good challenge for us.”

ESPNcricinfo’s Andrew McGlashan previews the second one-day international between New Zealand and South Africa in Christchurch

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan21-Feb-2017

Match Facts

February 22, 2017
Start time 11.00am local (2200GMT)New Zealand’s Trent Boult was one of the biggest buys at the IPL auction•AFP

The Big Picture

Kagiso Rabada and Trent Boult are now significantly richer men after big deals at the IPL. On the flip side, players from both sides – notably Imran Tahir, Ish Sodhi and Ross Taylor – can probably count themselves unfortunate not to have gained any interest, especially Tahir as the No. 1 white-ball bowler. Most players insist they don’t take much notice of the auction as it’s out of their hands, but it will surely have been a topic of conversation in Christchurch today.However, of more immediate importance is the second one-day international. Especially for New Zealand who can’t afford to go 2-0 down against a South Africa side with 12 wins on the bounce. New Zealand fought hard to almost steal victory in Hamilton, but their top order – save Kane Williamson – was worryingly exposed by Chris Morris. For their own piece of mind, they need a century from someone in the top five.South Africa were not perfect in the opening match – the death overs were a touch wayward and there were a few loose shots to make the chase tight – but, as confident sides tend to do, they found a way to win. And being put in a few tight corners during this series is probably no bad thing in preparation for the Champions Trophy.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWW

South Africa WWWWW

In the spotlight

Tom Latham has hit a tricky period with his last three ODI innings reading 7, 0 and 0. He was pinned on nought for ten balls in Hamilton before being trapped lbw by an inswinger from Morris. But he will have good memories of this ground: he made 137 against Bangladesh in December. He also has his second string as wicketkeeper, a role he and Luke Ronchi could alternate depending on the balance of the side.It was a rare wicketless ODI for Imran Tahir two days ago – his first since South Africa’s previous overseas one-dayer, against West Indies in Barbados, back in June – which was followed by not being bid for at the IPL. Neither will worry him much, but it was instructive to see how Williamson quickly tried to stamp some authority over him in Hamilton with a slog-sweep for six. What has the world’s No. 1 white-ball bowler got in response? You suspect plenty.AB de Villiers is 50 runs away from being the fastest to 9000 runs in ODIs•Getty Images

Team news

New Zealand have previously played Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi together at Hagley Oval – against Sri Lanka in 2015-16 – although they were barely needed. The odds favour an extra seamer being brought in although the larger playing-area works in Sodhi’s favour. If they retain Latham as keeper, it creates room for another bowler.New Zealand (probable) 1 Dean Brownlie, 2 Tom Latham (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Neil Broom, 6 James Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ish Sodhi/Lockie Ferguson, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultSouth Africa will also have to decide whether to retain Tabraiz Shamsi or return to another of their allrounders, either Wayne Parnell or Dwaine Pretorius who is now available having arrived following the birth of his child. David Miller’s finger was assessed and he passed a fitness test, but he remains an uncertain starter.*South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

This is the only day-game of the series, on a ground that has provided some high scores. Five of the nine first-innings totals at Hagley Oval have been over 300 – in the previous ODI, when New Zealand faced Bangladesh, they piled up 341 for 7. The threat of showers has subsided and there is a high forecast of 29 degrees with some sunshine for most of the day.

Stats and trivia

• AB de Villiers needs 50 runs to become the fastest to 9000 in ODIs, although there is no innings pressure on the feat with Sourav Ganguly’s current mark being 228 innings. De Villiers has batted 203 times.
• This will be South Africa’s first international match at Hagley Oval. The last time they played in Christchurch was 2004.
• In his short international career, Colin de Grandhomme has scored 319 runs off 285 balls across the three formats.

Quotes

“It’s just bizarre. A huge honour, but my focus is still heavily on concentrating on the game tomorrow.”
“New Zealand don’t give you much, they’re a seriously good fielding unit and all New Zealand sides seem a close knit bunch of guys and really fight.”
*13.20GMT, February 21: The preview was updated after David Miller’s fitness test.