Cricket News: Cummins open to sharing white-ball captaincy with Warner, Tassie on top, Sixers smash Stars

Pat Cummins is open to becoming Australia’s next ODI captain on a rotation-type policy, and he is keen for David Warner to join him in the leadership mix.

Australia are yet to name their new ODI skipper in the wake of Aaron Finch’s retirement from the format last month.

Cummins is already the Test captain, and on paper would be the ideal ODI skipper to lead the side into next year’s World Cup.

But Australia’s packed schedule – and the emphasis placed on Test cricket – means it is not viable for Cummins to play every ODI fixture. 

Instead, Cummins likes the idea of a captaincy committee, where the role could be shared as needed.

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“(The captaincy) is something I’d be open to,” Cummins said on Sunday. 

(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“(But) playing every single game isn’t realistic. It would be really seamless if you had a committee.

“The style of just about everyone in the team is really similar. We’ve got some great leaders in the team, we all get along great.”

Warner copped a lifetime leadership ban for his role in the South Africa sandpaper-gate scandal four years ago.

But Cricket Australia is now giving serious consideration to inserting an exemption clause to their code of conduct, allowing that exclusion to be challenged.

Warner would love to captain Australia, and Cummins is 100 per cent supportive. 

“He’d be awesome at it,” Cummins said. 

“There’s a few barriers at the moment, but certainly if they were removed, there wouldn’t be any qualms from any of the playing or coaching group. 

“He’s a leader around our group. Always has been, always will be.

“He’s someone in the Test side I lean on a lot. If things changed (with his leadership ban), I’m sure he would be someone you would strongly consider to step up if needed.”

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Australia’s preparations for the T20 World Cup will ramp up on Monday when they take on India at the Gabba in their final warm-up match.

The form of T20 captain Finch remains a talking point, with the 35-year-old not making it past 15 in his past four hits.

But Cummins is sure his teammate will fire during the World Cup, which begins for Australia on Saturday against New Zealand at the SCG.

“He’s a scary proposition for any opposition,” Cummins said. 

“He’s got 3000 T20 international runs to his name, and he’s still brave enough to take the game on. Big tournament from him I’m sure.”

Veteran Tassie duo run through Redbacks

Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle have wound back the clock to help Tasmania run through South Australia for 227 on the first day of the Sheffield Shield clash at Adelaide Oval.

After the Redbacks won the toss and batted, Bird collected South Australia’s first four wickets in the morning session before Siddle cleaned up after lunch as both finished with 4-51.

Only Jake Lehmann (73) and debutant Ben Manenti (59) offered any real resistance for the hosts, with no other batter passing 25.

Bird in particular had the ball moving, with the 35-year-old beating openers Henry Hunt and Jake Weatherald off the seam and having them caught behind.

Former Test skipper Tim Paine caught well behind the stumps in his second game back, diving to his left to remove Weatherald when Bird had squared up the left-hander.

Bird claimed Travis Head’s wicket in his next over for five when the left-hander inside-edged a yorker back onto his own stumps.

The former Test quick also trapped Jake Carder lbw for 13, leaving the Redbacks struggling at 4-59.

About the only man who looked in against the seamer was Lehmann. 

He brought up 50 just before tea when he pulled Bird for four as one of three straight boundaries, after also taking a liking to Sam Rainbird earlier.

The left-hander eventually fell victim to Siddle, though, who removed Lehmann and Wes Agar in back-to-back balls in the final session of the day.

The former Test quick also got through Alex Carey’s bat and pad to bowl the Test ‘keeper on 25, before edging off Harry Conway to make him his fourth victim.

At that stage it looked as though the Redbacks would likely be all out for less than 200, before Manenti got swinging later and hit Siddle for two big sixes over midwicket and mid-on.

Sixers storm to win over Stars

Sydney Sixers have reclaimed their status as a WBBL heavyweight, beating Melbourne Stars to go three-from-three to start the season.

A one-time glamour club of the competition, the Sixers have missed the last three finals series and sunk to a first wooden spoon last summer.

However they appear to be back as a genuine force, with a 27-run win leaving them first on the ladder and already one victory shy of the four they claimed all of last summer.

After Alyssa Healy’s 43 from 32 balls helped the Sixers to 6-147, Ashleigh Gardner led the way with the ball with 2-19 and Maitlan Brown took 3-25 as the Stars finished 9-120.

The Stars had only really looked in the hunt early, when English duo Lauren Winfield-Hill (20) and Bess Heath (37) put on 50 for the first wicket inside seven overs.

But the Melbourne side lost a steady stream of wickets from that point on, with the game all but over when Sophie Ecclestone threw down the striker’s-end stumps in her own follow-through to run out a charging Tess Flintoff for three.

Healy’s knock will act as a significant confidence boost for the Sixers.

Low on runs in recent months, the wicketkeeper-batter hit six fours, with the pick of them being a reverse sweep off Sasha Moloney.

Ellyse Perry scored 28 off 30 and took a superb leaping catch to get rid of Kim Garth, after racking up knocks of 55 and 58 on Thursday and Saturday night against Brisbane and Adelaide.

Those performances will do the allrounder’s hopes of reclaiming a spot in Australia’s Twenty20 top order no harm, after the retirement of Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning’s absence on personal leave.

Earlier, Sophie Molineux had again strengthened her case for a national recall as she continued her rich vein of form in the Melbourne Renegades’ four-wicket win over Adelaide.

In a heart-stopping opener to the Mackay double-header, Sarah Coyte hit a Deandra Dottin delivery to the square-leg rope to claim victory with one ball to spare.

Molineux though was the star, claiming 4-23 with the ball and riding her luck to hit 32 with the bat to set up the chase.

Ruled out of the Ashes, one-day World Cup and Commonwealth Games with a foot injury, Molineux has made a clear statement on her return.

The 24-year-old hit scores of 56 and 113 for Victoria on return from injury in the WNCL, before being the Renegades’ best in their WBBL season opener on Sunday.