August 8, 2024

Sutherland, Boland and Josh Brown to feature in Top End T20 series

Kane Richardson and Marcus Harris will join eight teams in the Darwin-based Top End T20 series. Josh Brown and Will Sutherland have been named in the Melbourne Renegades Academy squad, while Australian fast bowler Scott Boland will represent the Melbourne Stars Academy.

Sutherland, who made his ODI debut against the West Indies last season, will captain the Renegades. He’s been recovering from another stress fracture in his back, which forced him to miss a second county stint with Somerset. Josh Brown, a standout in last season’s Big Bash League (BBL), was a significant off-season acquisition for the Renegades. Known for his explosive batting, Brown’s debut with his new club in the Top End tournament will be closely watched.

The Renegades also feature Kane Richardson and opener Marcus Harris, who currently does not have a BBL contract but played for the Perth Scorchers last season. On the other hand, Scott Boland, who is returning from a heel injury that cut short his county stint with Durham, will not only play for the Stars but also serve as a bowling coach. Hilton Cartwright, a seasoned player from the Stars’ BBL squad, adds experience to the lineup.

The Top End T20 series will include academy sides from the Stars and Renegades, along with teams from the Northern Territory Strike, Adelaide Strikers, Perth Scorchers, Tasmania, ACT Comets, Pakistan A, and Bangladesh High Performance teams. Notable players like Jake Weatherald (Tasmania and Adelaide Strikers) and D’Arcy Short (Western Australia and Strikers) will feature for NT Strike.

All the squads for the Top End T20 series

Northern Territory Strike

Jacob Dickman, Lachlan Bangs, Harshtik Bimbral, Connor Carroll, Isaac Conway, Coby Edmonstone, Matt Hammond, Hamish Martin, Cadell McMahon, Tom Menzies, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Smith, Caelan Maladay, Jake Weatherald

Melbourne Stars Academy

Austin Anlezark, Max Birthisel, Scott Boland, Dylan Brasher, Liam Blackford, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Elliott, Jaga Koduru, Reiley Mark, Joe Medew-Ewen, David Moody, Arjun Nair, Connor Rutland

Melbourne Renegades Academy

Will Sutherland, Tom Brooks, Josh Brown, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Matt Hennig, Jai Lemire, Blake MacDonald, Fergus O’Neill, Tyler Pearson, Kane Richardson, Callum Stow

Adelaide Strikers

Liam Scott, James Bazley, Jordan Buckingham, Hamish Case, Josh Kann, Ryan King, Harry Manenti, Harry Matthias, Tim Oakley, Tom O’Connell, Lloyd Pope, Sam Rahaley, Jake Winter

Perth Scorchers

Sam Fanning, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Baxter Holt, Luke Holt, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Lucas Martin, Declan Power, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors, Josh Vernon, Corey Wasley, Teague Wyllie

Tasmania

Gabe Bell, Lachlan Clark, Zac Curtain, Nick Davis, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott. Rafael MacMillan, Jack Montgomery, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, James Scott, Louis Smith, Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward

ACT Comets

Tyler van Luin, Scott Murn, Nick Allen, Nic Broes, Kai Brunker, Tom Hogan, Zak Keogh, Tyler Hays, Hanno Jacobs, Zac Maron, Mikey McNamara, Esam Rahman, Jake Smith, Hayden Watling

Pakistan A

Mohammad Haris, Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Mubasir Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan.

Bangladesh High Performance

Tanzid Hasan, Jishan Alam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Ariful Islam, Akbar Ali, Wasi Siddiquee, Rakibul Hasan, Al Islam, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, Abu Hider, Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha

SL Raise Security Concerns About England Tests Due to UK riots

The ECB has responded by reassuring SLC and the team about the security arrangements in place

The Sri Lanka men’s team has raised concerns about the security situation in England in light of the anti-immigrant riots that have erupted in various cities. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has responded by reassuring Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the team about the security arrangements in place.

Players already in England for the pre-series training have also expressed anxiety about the unrest, particularly as they do not have a security plan covering this portion of their trip. This nine-person contingent – seven players and two support staff – have asked SLC to arrange for better security over the next few days, as they travel to and from a ground near London.

“Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned,” one player in England told iplwin365. “We can’t really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up.

“We’ve asked the board to try and ask for some security for us until the main team arrives, but we haven’t heard anything back yet.”

Most of the team is set to arrive in England for a three-match Test series on Sunday, at which point the ECB’s security plan kicks in. Sri Lanka’s team manager Mahinda Halangoda, who is still in Sri Lanka, told iplwin365 that he had raised concerns with ECB after seeing news reports from Manchester – where the team play their first Test from August 21 – in particular.

“I raised the issue with them, but the ECB responded very quickly and sent us their comprehensive security arrangements,” Halangoda said. “We’ll be having a security liaison on the tour from them as well.”

While some far-right protests have been marked by violence, there have, over the last few days, been large counter-protests aimed at protecting immigrant-owned businesses, places of worship, and other places immigrants frequent.

The United Kingdom government also assured sporting bodies that the country remained safe for sports, on an emergency call on Wednesday. The UK police has stated unequivocally that it will crack down on and prevent violence.

Sri Lanka are set to play three Tests in England which begin on August 21 in Manchester. The teams then head to Lord’s for the second Test from August 29 before finishing off at The Oval on September 6.