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South Africa clinched their first-ever win against Australia in a final after a Dale Steyn bowling masterclass handed them the advantage before Faf du Plessis’ 96 steered the chase

The Report by Firdose Moonda06-Sep-20143:36

Moonda: du Plessis looking unstoppable at No. 3

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa won a first-ever tournament final against Australia after a Dale Steyn bowling masterclass handed them the advantage and an anchoring innings from Faf du Plessis – which ended just four short of what would have been a fourth century in the series – guided a composed chase. Steyn’s four wickets, which included two in two balls, led a surge through the Australian middle-order in which South Africa plucked five wickets for 29 runs. South Africa paced the reply perfectly using du Plessis’ purple patch as the pivot and winning with 9.1 overs remaining.On a pitch that had not been used in the tournament so far, Steyn found movement early on and reverse-swing by the half-way stage. Australia could not muster anything similar, nor could they find a way to dislodge du Plessis who eventually fell searching for his milestone.Faf du Plessis fell four runs short of a fourth century in the tri-series•AFPSwing was on offer from the outset but it did not account for the initial breakthrough; Phillip Hughes’ overeagerness to show aggression did. He hit the first ball of Steyn’s third over hard but AB de Villiers had moved himself out of slip and to short cover, where he collected a stinger. Similarly, after Wayne Parnell’s opening over cost nine runs, Steve Smith tried to take the left-armer on and top-edged a pull that ballooned straight up for David Miller at mid-on.South Africa spinners then enforced a stranglehold as Aaron Phangiso found bounce and Imran Tahir used the googly to good effect. Ultimately, it was Tahir’s variation that accounted for George Bailey who chopped one on as he failed to pick the wrong ‘un. Australia needed a batsman to partner Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh looked the candidate to do the job but the strike was seldom rotated. Finch reached his third fifty of the tournament and but Australia were stung when Steyn’s second spell launched in full swing, literally.Finch’s growing unease was exposed when Steyn ripped through the bat-pad gap and wrenched the stumps from the ground. With his next ball, Steyn trapped Glenn Maxwell on the back foot to open Australia up. After a six off Tahir, Marsh’s threat was also blunted when he inside-edged a Parnell delivery onto his stumps in the over before the Powerplay, leaving the lower-middle-order with a big job.They could not complete it after Steyn trapped Haddin and Morkel dismissed Mitchell Johnson. Australia were 144 for 8 with 12 overs remaining and in danger of totalling less than their lowest score of the series – 209 for 9 when they lost Zimbabwe – but James Faulkner had other ideas.His first task was to bat out overs and he employed an industrious approach with Mitchell Starc for seven overs in which they added only 23 runs. Once the last five overs dawned, the pair pushed. Starc cleared long-on off Phangiso, Steyn’s final over cost 13 runs with Faulkner hitting him to cow corner and extra cover and Australia inched over 200. Fifty runs came off the last five overs to give Australia’s bowlers something to work with but they needed to dig holes in South Africa’s line-up early and often.Australia had an early success as Glenn Maxwell, sharing the new ball, had Quinton de Kock caught at cover off a leading edge. That brought du Plessis in early again and gave him the time he needed to craft his innings.Du Plessis’ touch was Midas-like as he drove through covers, swatted short balls to midwicket and skipped down the track to Faulkner to hit him for six and bring up a fifty with Amla, who was almost invisible. Du Plessis gave Australia an opportunity when he was on 34 as he skied one over long-off but Finch could not judge his position well enough to take the catch. After the let-off, du Plessis punished Lyon to reach his fifty off 45 balls, before Amla got to his, off 72 deliveries in the next over. Amla only added another run and then hit a Smith long hop straight to cover.Wayne Parnell was promoted to No.4 in an experiment that did not work because it slowed South Africa down. His partnership with du Plessis lasted for 30 balls and yielded 14 runs to allow Australia to regain some control. Parnell chopped Faulkner onto his stumps but even at 126 for 3, South Africa’s position was far from precarious.Normal service resumed when de Villiers joined du Plessis and they ate into the remainder of the target, patiently at first and then with more intent as Australia’s bowlers grew frustrated. De Villiers became impatient as the 40th over began and decided to end things quickly. South Africa needed 23 runs and du Plessis nine to become the first batsman to record four centuries in an ODI series. De Villiers took two sixes and a four off Faulkner to reduce the target. South Africa team required six to win at the end over. Du Plessis needed eight.He smashed four off the first ball of Johnson’s final over, refused a single off the next ball and then saw the third called a no-ball. In his attempt to reach the boundary to get his century, du Plessis holed out to mid-on to leave de Villiers to hit the winning runs and secure a trophy for South Africa in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Alastair Cook admitted it was only the support of his wife, Alice, which persuaded him not to resign the England captaincy.

George Dobell at The Oval18-Aug-2014Alastair Cook admitted it was only the support of his wife, Alice, which persuaded him not to resign the England captaincy.Cook was close to quitting after the fourth day of the second Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley when it became apparent that England were going to slip to a sixth loss in seven Tests and a second successive series defeat.But Mrs Cook persuaded him to continue and, exactly a month after going one down in the series against India, Cook led England to their first series victory in a year after a crushing defeat of India at The Oval.Alastair Cook hailed his wife’s influence to provide him with the strength to continue as captain•PA Photos”Without my wife, I don’t think I’d be standing here as captain,” Cook said. “The support I had from my wife persuaded me to continue. You can bare your soul quite often to Alice, and she’s very good at getting me back on the straight and narrow.”But that fourth night was a tough moment. We had let a winning position slip. And Lord’s was very tough as well, losing there in conditions very suited to us and winning the toss for a big advantage.”But I’m quite stubborn; I believe in my ability, and I’m quite a resilient guy. And that was when I needed it most. I’m glad I stuck through the tough times. That’s what sport does – tests your character – and to bounce back as a team is a testament to us. I’m here because I believe that I am the right man to try to lead this team forward. I’m very, very privileged to be England captain. It’s a great job to have. Even through the tough times.”You walk out every morning, and you have the name – ‘here comes the England captain’. When that’s your name, you do it for such a short period of time in your life, you have to hold on to it as long as you can and give it everything.”Cook declined the opportunity to hit back at his critics – the likes of Michael Vaughan and Shane Warne – who had suggested he should quit and instead admitted that his own batting form remained a concern.”I don’t play this game to prove people right or wrong,” he said. “I never have. I do it to try to win games of cricket for England, and do my best at all times. So I’m not going to be gloating; that’s not who I am. I still think I’m a fair way off my best with my batting. Until I score that hundred, everyone will always talk about it.”But it’s a bit like my character – I can find a way to score runs, and I’ve got to continue the extra work on it. It’s a bit like this team – if I score one, I’ll score a few. It’s certainly been a long time, and kind of plays on your mind a bit.”Cook also insisted that he always felt his side would win the series, even after they went one down after defeat at Lord’s.”I remember saying, when we were 1-0 down, that I still thought we were going to win the series,” Cook said. “I had a lot of confidence in the talent and amount of skill we had in the dressing-room.”I didn’t think we’d win quite this emphatically. But Southampton was clearly a turning point for us, to finally get the win. Suddenly after the first day there, there was a bit of confidence back in us as a side. Once we won there, and enjoyed that night, that was the route of how we wanted to play our cricket against these guys.”Credit to the five bowlers for the way they’ve bowled – because with sustained periods of pressure, we haven’t let them get away from us. That’s very hard to bat against.”I still think winning away in India was an amazing achievement. So I’m going to rank that one higher, in my eyes. But that still shouldn’t take away from the way we’ve played these last three games. English cricket needed a series win, and to deliver it like we have we have a big smile on our face.”Cook admitted the overwhelming nature of the way England reversed their form was beyond his wildest expectations.”It is an amazing turnaround, after Lord’s to have won like we have in the last three games, the guys can take a huge amount of credit and the new coaching staff.”It’s great to have the support of the guys in the tough times and then the good times like now make it all worthwhile,” he said. “That’s what sport can do to you. You can have your tough times and it’s the character you need to bounce back. We have to enjoy tonight and then look at the reasons why we went from playing how we were to playing good cricket.”

Derbyshire have opened talks with Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara over a return to the county for the 2015 season.

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2014Derbyshire have opened talks with Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara over a return to the county for the 2015 season. Pujara enjoyed a short but successful stint at the end of last season and Derbyshire are keen to see him again next year.Pujara made just 7 and 0 in his first match at Glamorgan but then made 212 runs in four innings as Derbyshire won their final two matches, including an unbeaten century against Leicestershire and 90 not out which guided his side to victory at The Oval.Pujara indicated his willingness to return to Derby next season and Derbyshire elite performance director Graeme Welch confirmed the club has subsequently been in contact over a deal for 2015.”We’ve spoken to Pujara already and he seemed quite keen to come back,” Welch said. “He integrated into the team brilliantly and I think he enjoyed the lads here. He wants to test himself in English conditions, so this is probably the best place for him.”A stumbling block to a new deal could be the IPL, which is likely to take place in April and May. Last season, Pujara was bought by Kings XI Punjab for around £190,000. India are also scheduled to tour Bangladesh in June.”It’s still up in the air at the moment,” Welch said. “We’ll have to look at their schedule and try and get somebody in for those three months that he isn’t here. There could be a lot of Australians hanging around because they might want to be in the country ahead of the Ashes tour. We just got to keep our ear to the ground and go from there.”A second overseas signing for the NatWest T20 Blast is dependent on the club’s financial position: “We’ll have to see where we are with the budget in terms of possibly signing a second overseas for T20. We of course want to improve our performances in that format and this could be one option.”

Loughborough University, home of the ECB’s national cricket performance centre, has become the fourth accredited testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2014Loughborough University, home of the ECB’s national cricket performance centre, has become the fourth accredited testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions.Loughborough joins Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cricket Australia’s national cricket centre in Brisbane and the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, which were all announced earlier this month.Testing in Loughborough will be overseen by the University’s Dr Mark King, who will act as the lead human-movement specialist in all testing cases. The centre will also continue to be used to test bowlers on behalf of the ECB – Gloucestershire’s Jack Taylor was one of the bowlers required to be tested recently – and other cricket boards.”The ECB is committed to assisting the ICC in tackling the issue of illegal bowling actions in international cricket,” ECB Acting Chief Executive, Brian Havill, said. “It is excellent news that the NCPC’s facilities, equipment and expertise through Dr Mark King and Loughborough University can be utilised for this purpose.”Loughborough was selected following the ICC’s assessment against a range of criteria, including having an indoor area large enough to allow a player to bowl off his or her normal full run-up; a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras capable of producing three-dimensional data, suitably qualified personnel experienced in using such systems, and implementing the ICC testing protocol.The testing protocol was created to allow for a consistent assessment of bowlers across the different facilities and countries.”Loughborough University is the latest centre to assist in the management of the issue of illegal bowling actions in cricket,” ICC cricket general manager Geoff Allardice said. “This strengthens the ICC’s ongoing commitment to eradicating illegal bowling actions and we look forward to continuing the good work that has been done.”The ICC’s testing facilities have been busy in recent months with Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal, Kane Williamson, the New Zealander, Sohag Gazi from Bangladesh and Sri Lankan Sachithra Senanayake all required to undergo testing.

As controversy surrounding James Packer’s proposed casino venture in Sri Lanka settles into the background of presidential election campaigns, the nation’s cricketers have been conducting some risky business of their own

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Dec-2014As controversy surrounding James Packer’s proposed casino venture in Sri Lanka settles into the background of presidential election campaigns, the nation’s cricketers have been conducting some risky business of their own.Kusal Perera trades on the swashbuckling starts that lurch Sri Lanka toward victory. But while Sri Lanka have plonked themselves down on the roulette table, and placed big bets on Kusal at times in the last month, it has seemed like they are playing the hazardous Russian equivalent of the game. In five of his last six innings, Kusal has not made double figures. In three of those games, he collected ducks.His 59 in the first ODI was his first half-century in 13 attempts, but captain Angelo Mathews suggested Kusal’s payouts are great enough to endure those long odds. No changes to the opening partnership were expected for the fourth ODI, though Mahela Jayawardene has expressed a desire to open in the past month.”We have a couple of options, but Kusal is a unique player,” Mathews said. “He batted really well in the first game. It was not his natural game in the first game – he tried to hang in there in the first few overs, and then took off after that. But I think if he gets going he gets really good starts for us. We want to give him a couple of opportunities, to see if he goes well. He works really hard in the nets and we trust him and have faith that he will deliver.”Mathews’ and the selectors’ opposition to Jayawardene opening the innings has been founded on a fear that his promotion top-loads Sri Lanka’s experience, and leaves the middle-order exposed. Kusal’s retention in the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs is indication that the selectors hope he can come good.”Still the option for Mahela to go up the order is open,” Mathews said. “We just don’t want to take that chance at the moment. We hope to try and give Kusal the opportunity. We’ve got Sanga, Mahela, myself and Thirimanne, and we’ve got used to those roles. We don’t want to change a lot in those areas.”As he bats in the middle order for Colts Cricket Club, Kusal’s potential eviction from the top does not necessarily mean he will be dropped. “He’s one of those guys who can bat from No. 1 to No. 7, and that’s why we are having faith in him – because we know he can change the game,” Mathews said.But while Sri Lanka are gambling on Kusal, they are holding their cards close to their chest with another young player. Rookie chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan was a surprise selection in the ODI squad and, although he has not been a fixture in Sri Lanka’s A team over the past year, may be a contender for a World Cup place, Mathews said. Sandakan, 23, was the top wicket-taker in Sri Lanka’s 2014 first-class season, and has been a regular net bowler for the national side’s training sessions.”Sandakan is one of our options for the World Cup,” Mathews said. “No one has seen him yet, and he looks a very good prospect for Sri Lanka. He’s got so many variations of his own. He lands it in the right spot – his accuracy is quite good for his age. We’re not afraid to give him the opportunity. We’ve looked at him seriously in the past few months, and he looks good.”He was in the system, but he hasn’t played that many games in the first-class arena. We thought that he has some kind of mystery in him. We didn’t wait for the last moment, but we will wait for the right time – and that can be the last moment as well.”While Mathews suggested Thilina Kandamby’s World Cup prospects were slim, thanks largely to his weak fielding, Lasith Malinga’s recovery from ankle surgery has been progressing on schedule,”Lasith has been training quite hard in the gym, and also doing a bit of running. He started bowling recently, so that’s good for all of us. We know what kind of bowler he is – he’s the best death bowler in the world. It’ll be nice to have him as soon as possible.”

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling hopes the Hagley Oval pitch will offer some help to Trent Boult and Tim Southee ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Dec-2014New Zealand have fast-bowling aces. This is now well understood. The world may only have fully awoken to the talents of Trent Boult and Tim Southee in the past 18 months, but Sri Lanka has known them a little longer. When the teams last met in Tests in 2012, they had been victims of New Zealand’s first hints of resurgence.One searing, cloudless second morning in Galle on that tour, on pitch that had already begun to pour off dust, Southee and Boult summoned a fearsome dual spell – a novelty for them then, though it is routine now. Southee was curving them away from the right handers; Boult bending them back in. Some balls beat edges, others dived at the stumps like snakes smelling prey. Sri Lanka were 50 for 5 in that match before a recovery was staged.New Zealand would eventually lose the game, extending their string of Test losses to five on the trot. Their next match in Colombo, though, when Ross Taylor hit a century knowing he would be replaced as captain, would be won. The batting had finally come good in that Test, but it had been the quicks’ continued excellence that defined the series.As they prepare for the first Boxing Day Test in New Zealand in 11 years, Southee and Boult will rely on the memory of their many outstanding spells since that series, to give shape to yet another, wicketkeeper BJ Watling said.”They’re both very fit guys,” he said of New Zeland’s new-ball pair. “They work hard and make sure they are strong and ready to go. I guess experience and confidence comes into it – they’ve been bowling well for a while now, and they’ve learned their way, and learned to be really patient at times and really aggressive at times. That experience is crucial to them doing really well.”Though they only shared five scalps between them on a spin-friendly surface in the recent Sharjah Test, the pair have reclaimed their venom bowling for Northern Districts. Watling, who keeps to them in domestic cricket, as well as in Tests, gave a first-hand account of Boult and Southee’s most recent outing, when they claimed 14 scalps between them in Hamilton.”A lot of people have been saying it’s been a good wicket, Hagley Oval. I’ve never played on it before, but hopefully there will be a bit of bounce and carry for us, and that can really test the Sri Lankan team. I’d say it’s good for Southee and Boult. Hopefully it’s swinging around as well. I’ve just watched them demolish Wellington last week and that was good fun.”But as fine as Boult and Southee’s partnership is, Watling said New Zealand did not expect Sri Lanka to wither without resistance. The visitors have won a Test series in England, in June, and have put together a top order light on big names but packing verve.”They’re definitely not a team to be taken lightly,” Watling said. “I watched that game in England and they played some very good cricket. They’re going to be a challenge for us – they’re a strong team. But hopefully in our conditions we can put them under a lot of pressure.”Their team is a bit younger in terms of the batting. Without Mahela Jayawardene there – it’s a big loss for them. But they’ve definitely got some good young players coming through, and it’s probably their chance to stand up now. They’ve also still got Kumar Sangakkara, who is world class.”

Mitchell Santner’s quickfire half-century pipped Todd Astle’s to secure Northern Districts’ victory over Canterbury by four wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2015Two spinners competed against each other, with the bat though, and Mitchell Santner’s quickfire half-century pipped Todd Astle’s to secure Northern Districts’ victory over Canterbury by four wickets.Scott Kuggeleijn burst through the Centerbury top three after they had decided to bat. A brief period of stability under Brendon Diamanti, who made a patient 56 off 93 balls. It was built on by Astle’s unbeaten 62 off 41 balls, with 11 fours and led an eighth wicket stand of 61 in 41 balls with Matt Henry. But Northern Districts’ bowlers had done their job before that – none of them cost more than 6.22 to the over and four others picked up a wicket each – and restricted the score to 246.The chase followed a similar stop-start beginning, brief recovery and final thrust. Logan van Beek and Matt Henry had Northern Districts at 71 for 3 in the 17th over before Daryl Mitchell eased the innings forward with 54 off 71 balls. His sedate pace was the perfect foil for Santner who struck 73 off 63 balls with 10 fours during a 110-run partnership. Neither man was able to stay till the end, which gave Kuggeleijn the chance to finish off what he started.

A round-up of the latest matches in the Momentum One-Day Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2015Cape Cobras closed in on a home final as they squeezed to a four-wicket win against the Warriors. Andrew Puttick formed the foundation of the chase with 86 off 125 balls, but the Cobras still needed nine off the last over. Justin Kemp and Robin Peterson did what was needed, and were helped by a wide from Rusty Theron, with a ball to spare. The Warriors had actually done well to post 228 for 8 after slumping to 90 for 6 in the 24th over. Darryl Brown (52) and Sisanda Magala (48) added 93 for the seventh wicket then Theron thumped 33 off 19 balls.The Titans advanced closer to a play-off berth as they secured a 12-run win on D/L against the Lions in Benoni. Rain came after 1.5 overs of the Lions chase and their target was adjusted to 149 off 20 overs. When Neil McKenzie fell they were 46 for 4 in the 10th, but Alviro Petersen kept them in the contest with 48 off 36 balls. However when he departed with 48 needed off 31 balls it proved too much for the lower order. Junior Dala bowled his four overs for just 19. The Titans innings was going nicely on 104 for 1 before they lost four for 42 then top-scorer Jacques Rudolph (77) also departed. However, Qaasim Adams revived them with 59 off 56 balls and they proved crucial runs in the later calculations. It would take a number of results to go against the Titans for them not to progress.The Dolphins were grateful to the weather and the Knights were left cursing as their hopes of reaching the play-offs were severely doused in Pietermaritzburg. They had reduced the Dolphins, currently third in the table, to 45 for 5 before the game was washed out. Dillon du Preez had the eye-catching figures of 3 for 8 from six overs but in the end they did not mean much.

On Thursday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent personalised tweets to each member of the Indian 2015 World Cup team

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2015On Thursday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent personalised tweets to each member of the Indian team. The team plays its first match on Sunday, against Pakistan. Here’s what he said:

As the 2015 Cricket World Cup begins, my best wishes to the Indian Cricket Team. खेलो दिल से, वर्ल्ड कप लाओ फिर से!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

My best wishes to captain cool @msdhoni. Play hard, lead well & make India proud. Knowing you, I am sure you will.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

I wish our flamboyant vice captain @imVkohli the very best for the upcoming campaign. The entire nation has a lot of hopes on him.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Best wishes @SDhawan25! Give India a wonderful start every time you step on the pitch. Score many many runs, we are all there to cheer you.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

The only batsman to score 2 double centuries in ODIs, @ImRo45's talent has millions of fans. Make us proud once again!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

I wish you the very best my young friend @ajinkyarahane88. Have a wonderful World Cup. Make the most of this great opportunity.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Suresh Raina has always been agile on the field & hard-hitting with the bat. Hit them out of the park, including the bouncers 🙂 @ImRaina

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Have a great tournament @RayuduAmbati. I am sure you will keep the runs coming & play a key role in the tournament.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Who is not a fan of Sir Jadeja? We all look forward to seeing your all round performances take India to victory! @imjadeja

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

The young Axar Patel can trick the batsmen with his sharp spin & bounce. Give your best & play without pressure!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Best of luck @BhuviOfficial! Swing every match in our favour. Your breakthroughs will determine how fast we will win those matches!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Our young fast bowler Mohit Sharma can bowl a great line & length. He is a great asset to the team. Best of luck.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

I wish my young & extremely talented friend, Mohammed Shami the very best for the World Cup. Play well & get those wickets.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Stuart Binny’s recent all round performances have impressed all. We wish him all the best for the World Cup.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

Good luck @y_umesh. Bowl out the batsmen with your impressive speed & reverse swing.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

I am sure your spin bowling will surprise the batsman & give us victory. Play well @Ashwinravi99! My good wishes.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2015

ESPNcricinfo previews Sussex’s chances ahead of the 2015 season

David Hopps08-Apr-2015Last season
IN: Tymal Mills (Essex), Ajmal Shahzad (Nottinghamshire)
OUT: Jon Lewis, Rory Hamilton-Brown (both retired)
OVERSEAS: Steve Magoffin, Mahela Jayawardene2014 in a nutshell
Sussex have been one of the most consistent counties over the past decade but there is a sizeable leap between being a vague contender and a winner. Too often Sussex suffered for a lack of strength in depth, being overly reliant in the Championship on Ed Joyce with the bat (1398 runs at 66.57 last season) and Steve Magoffin with the ball (72 wickets at 19.51), both admirable county cricketers of quality. Luke Wright also had a swashbuckling season with the bat in all competitions, but Sussex’s limited-overs campaigns were best forgotten. Rory Hamilton-Brown retired: a career that briefly burned brightly, only to be touched by personal sadness.2015 prospects
What Sussex could do with is the sight of a bullish Matt Prior announcing as the chill goes out of an English spring that he has recovered from an Achilles injury, is eager to resume his county career and that his cycling ambitions have necessarily been downgraded for a while – but the former England keeper has admitted that his cricket career is on the line and nothing can be taken for granted. Sussex need extra runs from somewhere – Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan perhaps. The same is true of the bowling where Magoffin also needs support. Tymal Mills, a hulking left-arm quick from Essex, and Ajmal Shahzad, latterly with Notts, are two Yorkshire-born pace bowlers who have never fulfilled their potential and England will be eager to see strides forward for Mills, who they have long admired.Power brokers
Mark Robinson was held to be in the running as England assistant coach had he been a more natural side guy to Peter Moores. Lions duties in South Africa suggested England still think highly of him, and his reputation for skilfully rescuing faltering careers – with Chris Jordan’s name to the fore – will be tested in different ways by both Mills and Shahzad. Luke Wright is an ebullient limited-overs captain whose career has matured despite England’s recent loss of interest and Joyce offers solidity as Championship captain.Key player
If Tymal Mills loses his radar running down the hill at Hove then the results could be quite spectacular, but if Robinson helps him make the most of his great physical strength and adds accuracy and devilment to an ability to bowl fast then Sussex could have pulled off the signing of the season. He would not be the first player to leave Essex and better himself elsewhere. After the World Cup, left-armers have never been trendier, and while England chew over the likes of Harry Gurney and Mark Footitt, the sight of Mills knocking over a few batting orders would probably thrill them more than anything.Bright young thing
Considering their elevated Championship finish, Sussex are not exactly replete with youthful talent impressing on a daily basis, so it is hard to look past Craig Cachopa, a 23-year-old South African born New Zealander. He made a solid impression on his introduction to Championship cricket last season and passed fifty in five of his first 10 innings. That was enough to win him a two-year deal for a Sussex side that needs reliable top-order runs. Among the bowlers, Matt Hobden is a name to watch.ESPNcricinfo verdict
The odds suggest that Sussex still lack the depth to make a concerted challenge in any of the three competitions. They might rustle up enough runs, especially if Prior returns and Chris Nash recovers his form of old, and Mahela Jayawardene will be a joy to watch in the NatWest Blast, but their fast bowling looks a thing of great unpredictability – and Magoffin, as indefatigable as he is, needs help. A mix of great victories and bad defeats is the likely outcome, but there are few more charming places to watch county cricket than Hove and that should keep most of the spectators reasonably content.Bet365 odds: Championship, Div 1: 7-1; NatWest Blast: 16-1; Royal London Cup: 12-1