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Being gracious in defeat but scathing in self-examination is a Misbah-ul-Haq speciality and he was on top form with it again today

Firdose Moonda in Harare14-Sep-2013Being gracious in defeat but scathing in self-examination is a Misbah-ul-Haq speciality and he was on top form with it again today. The Pakistan captain was sincere in congratulating an opposition who outplayed his own team and stern in his assessment of a group, specifically a batting unit, who did not play well enough together.”Our batting was the culprit on a pitch which was good for batting,” he said. “In both innings we couldn’t cross 250. We only crossed 300 once in the four innings on this tour. How can you win a Test match without scoring 300 runs?”Pakistan were bowled out for 230 and 239 in this match and 249 in the first innings of the previous Test, in which they also piled on 419. But it was the inability to chase on a surface Misbah deemed “at its best” on the final two days which irked him most.The demons in the mind far outweighed the almost non-existent demons in the surface, which was feared underprepared because the groundstaff only had two-and-a-half days to get it ready, but actually provided a good contest between bat and ball. “It’s all about the pressure,” Misbah said.”There was nothing wrong with the pitch. We were playing shots and drives which were not there for the first three days because the ball was stopping. So it was all in the mind of the batsman. Chasing in the fourth innings, the pressure makes you make mistakes and panic. That’s what happened.”More than careless strokeplay, Pakistan’s batsmen succumbed to frustration against an attack that kept them quiet and tired them with consistency. “They had a set plan in bowling and asked questions of the batsmen which we could not answer,” Misbah said. “To do well against bowlers who are good in their own conditions you need experience, patience, technique and a lot of hard work.”With Younis Khan and Misbah leading the run-charts, the value of old hands is obvious but it also brings to the fore the problems Pakistan’s young crop are having. Azhar Ali showed good temperament in the first Test and Khurram Manzoor was promising with his two half-centuries but Asad Shafiq and Adnan Akmal battled, particularly Shafiq against bounce and movement.Concerns over the next generation are well-founded and shared by Misbah, who insists they will only learn through experience. “These youngsters were really performing well in pressure series against Sri Lanka and England, but at the moment, they are struggling,” he admitted. “Zimbabwe really exploited our inexperience. This morning, we were positive right from the start and decided wherever we can attack them, we’ll do it. That’s how we approached it but nobody could stand.”One of the players who put up the least resistance was Mohammad Hafeez, who much earlier in the innings had been dismissed cheaply and scored only 59 runs from four innings. Misbah conceded there was a worry over his performances in the longer format but he was not certain it would lead to changes. “It’s a big concern because he was in good form in the ODIs and he did not contribute in Tests,” he said. “It’s not my decision, it’s a board decision so let’s see.”Perhaps the only thing he was pleased about was his own leadership which was, once again, formed by example. But Misbah said his undefeated 79 gave him little joy. “It matters when your team performs. If your team is losing, you really hurt as a captain. You don’t want to lose or tie these sort of series. You win matches as a team, you can’t win matches as individuals. You really need to stand up as a team.”By “these sort of series”, Misbah was referring to the opposition who he said “won most of the sessions” but who Pakistan were expected to beat. Their inability to do so has seen them slip from fourth to sixth on the Test rankings and are certain to cop even more criticism from their fans.Misbah resigned to that and said when the fault-finding begins, he will be ready to hear it. “Actually, we’ll have those guys for some solutions,” he said. “It’s easy to say things but not that easy to find solutions.” Judging by the numbers already being proposed, Misbah may find himself with a lot to consider before Pakistan host South Africa next month in the UAE.

The third Test in Melbourne continued despite cases in the wider England squad

AAP27-Dec-2021The New South Wales Government has declared they will do all they can to ensure the SCG’s Ashes Test goes ahead, guaranteeing players won’t be sidelined for a week as close contacts.Cricket Australia were able to breathe a sigh of relief on Tuesday, when all players from Australia and England returned negative PCR tests to COVID-19.That has at least in the short-term put pay to fears of a large outbreak in the England camp, after four non-playing members of their touring party tested positive to the virus.But bigger questions still await Cricket Australia. There had been fears that NSW’s close contact rules would force players into a week of isolation if they were near an infected person in a state that is averaging more than 6000 cases a day.That, in effect, had the potential to immediately kill off the Test if several players were close contacts and asked to isolate for a week under previous rules.However NSW Health’s claims on Tuesday mean that players would be treated the same as they were in Melbourne, and able to play on if they were close contacts.Likewise, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard promised that the Test would be able to go on with minimal issues if a player or further support staff contracted the virus.”The SCG Test is sacred, an important date at the start of the third year of our life with Covid-19,” Hazzard said. “I want to assure the cricket loving public, under our rules any players with exposure to a known case of Covid-19 would be asked to test and isolate only until a negative result was received.”If there are any cases within the teams, their support staff, or families, we will work with the people involved to ensure they are safe, and there is as little disruption to others as possible.”Cricket Australia are also confident they will be able to work with the Tasmanian government to ensure the fifth Test in Hobart goes ahead.Tasmania has had minimal cases of the virus and the threat of players and broadcasters becoming close contacts in Sydney could be an issue.However Tasmania’s willingness to host their first Ashes Test is key, after the state government helped fund a big-money bid to secure the match.Meanwhile the incubation period of Covid-19 means officials still have a nervous wait ahead in coming days to ensure the virus doesn’t spread further in England’s camp.No players had reported any symptoms before their PCR tests on Monday night, and play was able to start uninterrupted on day three in Melbourne.”Players from the Australian and England teams all had PCR Covid-19 Tests after play yesterday and all results have come back negative,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.”The families of both sets of players also had PCR tests yesterday and all returned a negative test. The England team’s support staff and their family members who tested positive after PCR tests yesterday are in isolation.”Australia have so far managed to get almost all matches played on home soil since the start of Covid-19 through its protocols.Only one Test has been postponed – against Afghanistan last summer. A one-day series against New Zealand was also called off when the pandemic first surfaced mid-series.Otherwise the BBL, WBBL and women’s internationals have got through unscathed, with crowds able to attend all major events bar the first closed-door sports event in Australia with an ODI against New Zealand in March 2020.”We’ve seen through the last 18 months [we can get games on],” CA boss Nick Hockley said. “I have to say I am so proud of the work of everybody involved, in particular thank the players but also the governments and health departments across the country. We’re having to learn to live with this.”

At the close Lancashire’s lead was 327 runs and should give them a chance to force their third Championship win of the season

Paul Edwards at Aigburth31-May-2013
ScorecardGareth Cross hit 64 to push Lancashire into a commanding position•Getty Images

Many more days like this and county cricket runs the risk of getting some rather decent publicity. In near perfect weather and on a good wicket Lancashire and Gloucestershire’s cricketers tussled for advantage in a game which neither side never completely bossed until the last hour of play.By then Glen Chapple’s batsmen were scoring more or less as they pleased against a tiring attack that was missing the left-arm spin of Ed Young, who has a wrist injury. At the close Lancashire’s lead was 327 runs and only some daft, ultra-cautious declaration will prevent them having a chance to force their third Championship win of the season on the final day.Perhaps the cricketer who personifies the search for hard-won advantage
which this match has been all about is Gareth Cross. The Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman made a hundred in his side’s last game against Hampshire but that game was as dead as last month’s Radio Times for a good proportion of his innings. More valuable was Cross’s 30 against Glamorgan or his 45 against Essex, both knocks which contributed important runs to eventual wins.On Friday, Cross signed up to do some more heavy lifting and this was all the more laudable given that he had been smacked in the mouth by the ball when keeping wicket in the morning session. Coming to the crease with Lancashire on 62 for 5, an advantage of a mere 150, and having lost five prime wickets to the Gloucestershire seam trio of Craig Miles, Liam Norwell and Graeme McCarter, Cross fought alongside Ashwell Prince – another cricketer who savours trench warfare – to build a potentially match-winning lead.Their 85-run stand had gone a long way towards achieving that goal when Prince chipped Benny Howell to Norwell at mid-off, but Cross then increased the tempo of the innings with Wayne White in some style. The pair added 67 in 12 overs before Cross was caught in the deep for 64 off the persevering Norwell. White completed his first fifty for Lancashire off 47 balls three overs before the close, but he would be the first to admit that Prince and Cross had earned him his licence to attack.”It was good to spend some time in the middle and continue from Hampshire,” Cross said. “I did a bit of work in the indoor nets in the winter on occupying the crease and, while I can play the shots, it’s also more risky to do that so I’m just trying to play to my ability. I’ve felt in good form all year and it’s nice to be making a contribution. If Ashwell or I had got out, we’d have been in trouble but he’s a calming influence and we played well, I think.”Yet each session of this day’s play produced players from each side whose qualities could be applauded by the good-sized crowd. In the morning Alex Gidman and Simon Kerrigan dominated proceedings, the Gloucestershire batsman completing his first Championship century of the season and the Lancashire spinner, bowling unchanged from the River End to take 5 for 40 in 14.2 overs.Indeed, at times the play constituted something of a duel befitting d’Artagnan et al, Gidman’s boundaries – he also hit Kerrigan and Kyle Hogg for sixes – being countered by the spinner’s wickets. Lancashire probably wanted something more than the 88-run first -innings lead they eventually gained whereas Gloucestershire entertained hopes of whittling the advantage down to less than 50. Both teams had to settle for less than their ideal; it made for splendid cricket.Gidman scored his century off 170 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes in the process. On the point of lunch, he was caught by White at deep square leg off Kerrigan for 110. The large Liverpool crowd applauded him generously; his innings had determined the strength of Gloucestershire’s position. For his part Kerrigan finished with 5 for 68 in the innings and there is every chance he will add a few more on the final day of this game. If so, the name of Gareth Cross may be to the fore once again.

Cross, Ecclestone play stellar roles with the ball to restrict the hosts

S Sudarshanan19-Mar-2022 England Women 204 for 9 (Sciver 61, Knight 42, Mackay 4-34) beat New Zealand Women 203 (Green 52*, Devine 41, Cross 3-35, Ecclestone 3-41) by one wicket It is a World Cup of thrillers. And England took the tough route to get home to all but knock the hosts out.Nat Sciver and her partnership with Sophia Dunkley had almost done it for England. They had added 70 for the fifth wicket and England were just 28 away. But Frances Mackay, with a wet ball thanks to constant drizzle, picked three wickets for just eight runs after the 40th over to trigger a collapse that saw England lose five wickets for 20 to go from a comfortable 176 for 4 to a nervy 196 for 9.Mackay first got one to spin in sharply past the outside edge of Dunkley’s bat to bowl her. An over later, she had Sophie Ecclestone inside-edging one on to the stumps, before having Kate Cross lbw to a ball she should have been forward to. Then Katherine Brunt ran herself out going for a non-existent second run to add to the chaos. It was panic stations in the England dressing room.In the interim, Sciver, on 61, missed a cut off Jess Kerr to be bowled. But Anya Shrubsole and Charlie Dean saw England home eventually to help them notch up their second win in the competition to keep their title defence alive.On a day of intermittent drizzle, it was the trio of Cross, Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone who combined to dismiss New Zealand for 203 after they had gotten off to a quick start in Auckland. Maddy Green’s half-century helped the hosts past the 200-run mark, something that looked to be at a distance after a late collapse.After a 15-minute toss delay where Knight inserted New Zealand in, Devine and Suzie Bates cashed in on some wayward bowling. Brunt struggled to adjust to the wind and didn’t get her lines and lengths right, much like Ellyse Perry in the India-Australia match on Saturday, and the ‘Smash Sisters’ took full toll.Shrubsole wasn’t spared either as New Zealand raced to 44 for 0 in seven overs. That prompted England to get Cross and Sciver on early, but Devine and Bates brought up their first fifty partnership in the competition.Cross then gave England an opening when she got Bates to miscue one high for mid-off. Soon, Devine had to retire hurt on 37 after going down with a sore back and barely managing to get up and walk off.While Cross and Sciver kept the lid on the scoring, Dean’s introduction further slowed things down as Amelia Kerr and Amy Satterthwaite struggled to rotate strike. The offspinner, who had returned career-best of 4 for 23 against India, got Amelia Kerr to top-edge a sweep, the shot that she had employed successfully throughout the series against India.Green then took on Ecclestone after a watchful start, while Satterthwaite, too, began to accelerate with a slight drizzle making an appearance. However, Dean trapped Satterthwaite to start the slide for New Zealand. They lost five wickets for just 27 runs from there, including that of Devine, who walked back in after the sixth wicket. It was Green’s innings coupled with a last-wicket cameo by Jess Kerr, where she scored 14 off just 13 balls, that saw the home side cross 200.New Zealand began the 204-run defence well, dismissing Danni Wyatt early after she had gotten off to a quick start. It took the long, outstretched arms of Hannah Rowe running backwards from mid-off to get the breakthrough. Tammy Beaumont, on the other hand, was busy and hit three fours in the space of six balls against Rowe and Jess Kerr. She had gotten the measure of the surface that seemed to hold up a bit in the second innings, pulling Lea Tahuhu for four before the bowler undid her with pace to knock her over.New Zealand were disciplined without being incisive enough, and Sciver was happy to bide her time. In fact, it was Sciver’s slowest fifty in ODIs. It was set up by Heather Knight earlier, who scored 42 off 53 balls, unlucky to miss out on a half-century of her own.Knight and Sciver, as they had done against India, prevented the slide and at the same time kept England on course. The England captain waited for spinners to err before reverse-sweeping Mackay through backward point and using the leg glance to collect a boundary off Amelia Kerr.Mackay, though, extracted revenge when she trapped Knight in front of the stumps in an attempted reverse sweep, the DRS not coming to Knight’s aid. Brooke Halliday, who was called in to fill Tahuhu’s quota, had England in a brief discomfort that resulted in Amy Jones’ wicket.It was then than Sciver and Dunkley got together to effectively seal the chase. Sciver showed restraint in attacking Amelia Kerr and was happy to wait for the bad balls, which was one of the characteristics of her knock. She pulled Rowe through backward point to get to her half-century off 97 balls. But with England in pole position, needing 31 off the last ten overs, they committed hara-kiri.Somehow, they managed to squeeze home in the end, by the barest of margins.

A dramatic day of three declarations and two stunning centuries ended with Australia A in the ascendancy. Ireland, 51 for 3, need a further 250 for victory.

16-Jun-2013
ScorecardPaul Stirling transferred his one-day hitting to red ball cricket•BCB

A dramatic day of three declarations and two stunning centuries ended with Australia A in the ascendancy. Ireland, 51 for 3, need a further 250 for victory.Crucially, one of the Ireland wickets to fall on the third evening was first innings centurion Paul Stirling, who was unable to repeat his magnificent display earlier in the day.Following the Australians’ overnight declaration 22 year-old Stirling took a distinct liking to pace bowler James Pattinson, dispatching him for three boundaries in the first over which set the tone for another remarkable hundred – his 8th for Ireland.Stirling dominated the proceedings to such an extent that when he reached his half century off just 44 balls, with 10 fours and a six, the scoreboard read 58 for 3, which included six extras.Stirling found a willing partner in Andrew White, who excels in the longer format of the game. White was content to play second fiddle to the belligerent Stirling who hit 17 fours and a six. While the maximum was somewhat inadvertent, there was nothing fortunate about the other boundaries – many of which were magnificent cover drives and square cuts.His innings ended on 115 from 142 balls, when he was smartly stumped by Brad Haddin from the impressive Nathan Lyon who conceded just 34 runs in 16 overs.Debutant Fawed Ahmed went wicketless but following a nervous start he bowled with enough variety and control to suggest that he may indeed represent the senior Australian side before the summer ends.Ireland captain Kevin O’Brien declared their at tea, 126 in arrears, in an move designed to take the game forward after most of Saturday was washed out.What followed was a brutal assault by New South Wales opener Nic Maddinson. He made Stirling’s innings look positively pedestrian by smashing 113 from just 63 balls, which included 13 fours and 6 sixes.His partnership with Alex Doolan was worth 174 in just 122 balls before skipper Brad Haddin called off the carnage with the lead exactly 300.And his bowlers responded before the close as Moises Henriques dismissed John Anderson and Alex Cusack after Pattinson had made the initial breakthrough as Stirling edged through to Haddin.

The biggest loss by runs in PSL history also eliminated the Quetta Gladiators from the playoffs race

Debayan Sen16-Jun-2021A fluent half-century from Shan Masood, who hit 73, and a fantastic bowling and fielding display spearheaded by Imran Tahir, who grabbed 3 for 7, took the Multan Sultans to a thumping 110-run victory, knocking the Quetta Gladiators out of contention for the PSL playoffs. This is also the biggest margin of victory by runs in the league’s history; in fact, the Sultans overwrote the previous record by 39 runs.Put into bat by Sarfaraz Ahmed, the Sultans’ innings owed their early impetus to Masood, as he helped bring up 50 off six overs. There weren’t a lot of dot balls, with Mohammad Rizwan happy to work the ball around, as Masood found the boundaries with ridiculous ease. Standing tall, he peppered the arc between midwicket and covers at will, with the pick of the shots a firm on drive to a length ball from Usman Shinwari. Masood looked even more dangerous after the powerplay, smacking Mohammad Nawaz for six over midwicket before going straight down the ground for another maximum off the very next ball, en route to 50 off 26 deliveries.An all-too-brief fightback by the Gladiators
The introduction of Khurram Shahzad brought the Gladiators some hope, with Rizwan chopping him on to his off stump to start the ninth over, thus ending a 72-run association for the first wicket. Zahir Khan gave his team another lift by getting Sohaib Maqsood to miss one that turned into him to tickle the top of off, leaving the Sultans at 88 for 2 at the halfway mark.Johnson Charles started briskly, using the pace of Shinwari to guide him past third man for four early on, and this gave some breathing space to a tiring Masood. However, before holing out to long-on in the 14th over delivered by Hassan Khan, Masood would repeat the loft over long-off and smash over midwicket for six on the way to posting his highest PSL score in the process.The Sultans were left with an opening to surge on to a massive score, but Rilee Rossouw then skipped down the wicket to Hassan and top-edged an intended lofted drive towards square leg, where Usman Khan came running in from the deep to take a diving catch. Zahir then spun a web around Khushdil Shah, zipping googlies and conventional legspinners across him, while also inducing an edge for a sharp chance that Ahmed failed to latch on to in a 16th over that fetched the Sultans just one run off the bat.The final push and a sign of things to come
The Sultans ended up pillaging 49 off the last four overs, which really should have been contained had Hassan held on to a Charles flick off Shahzad that went through his fingers and hit the midwicket boundary skirting on the full when he was on 23. Charles eventually fell to Shahzad for 47, but by then having clubbed Mohammad Hasnain for four down the ground and whipping him over midwicket for six. Post that, some hefty blows from Khushdil Shah saw the Sultans through to 183.Ahmed had inserted the opposition hoping for some dew, but there didn’t appear any when the Gladiators began their chase. Jake Weatherald struck some meaty blows early on, picking up two slower balls from Sohail Tanvir, depositing the first over wide long-on before swinging the next down to fine leg for four. He welcomed Imran Khan with a gorgeous lofted extra cover drive for six, but at 27 without loss one ball into the fourth over, that was about as good as the evening could get for the Gladiators.Crash! Boom! Bang!
Imran got a sharp length ball to take Weatherald’s edge through to Rizwan, and two balls later, Cameron Delport skipped down the wicket and popped a slower ball to mid-off. Usman was run-out in comic fashion, having overrun a quick single after Ahmed tapped a ball to point, and thus not responding to his captain’s call for an overthrow in good time. At the end of the powerplay, the Gladiators were going at a run a ball, but had consumed 21 dot deliveries and three precious wickets in the process.Azam Khan then fell to a lazy waft off Blessing Muzarabani to leave the Gladiators at 46 for 4. They then lost four more wickets for just 13 runs, with Rizwan afforded the luxury of bringing on Tahir after nine overs. His first ball produced the wicket of Nawaz, who had batted competently for 10, run-out through a Tahir deflection at the non-striker’s end. Tahir then mesmerised the lower order, pinging Shinwari and Shahzad leg before after having induced a false shot from Hassan.Fittingly, the last wicket fell to Shahnawaz Dhani, who joined Wahab Riaz at the top of the wickets tally with 14. While the Gladiators are on their way out, Wednesday’s result might also have severely dented the hopes of the Karachi Kings following the significant boost to the Sultans’ net run rate.

The left-arm quick, who recently turned 35, says he still has ‘plenty left in the tank’ as a Test cricketer

Deivarayan Muthu26-Jun-20213:02

‘In your head… Kohli, Kohli’ – Neil Wagner sings Zombie cover

As a red-ball specialist who hasn’t played any white-ball cricket for New Zealand, Neil Wagner had never dreamed of being part of a world final. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo in the lead-up to the inaugural World Test Championship final, the left-arm quick had likened the match to a World Cup final. During a virtual media interaction on Saturday afternoon, Wagner said winning the WTC was the “pinnacle of the game” for him and that the team was overwhelmed by the support and reception from their supporters.”Never [dreamed of it],” Wagner said. “No, that (playing white-ball cricket for New Zealand) was sort of a dream and a ship that had sailed to be fair – thinking about the white-ball World Cup in some sort of a way. So, when the Test Championship came around and it was sort of explained to us a couple of years ago what it’s going to be like, I got quite excited by the idea. I thought it was quite special and I thought it was something that’s going to make Test cricket the way it is right now and make it quite exciting and add a bit more perspective to it.Related

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• Neil Wagner: 'I pride myself in playing a role when things are tough'

“So, finally, I guess, getting to an ICC event and with something as big as that… how hard Test cricket is and to be able to do that for a period of two years; every Test match is extremely hard to try and put a performance in and win it. There’s a lot of things that’s got to go your way and lot of hard work you got to do over five days.”To then get into a final, which was obviously rain-affected and still play our brand of cricket and be positive and to get there, personally for me, I can’t speak for everyone, this is the ultimate for me to win a Test Championship final though it’s the first one and probably hard to compare with others, it’s definitely the pinnacle of the game for me. And to win it against a quality team like India and the way we did and then to see what it has meant to everyone… The support back home and support that was around there – the text messages keep flowing in, phone keeps buzzing and to see what it has meant for Kiwi supporters and family and friends, it means a lot to us too. So, it’s definitely right up there.” Everyone wants a piece of the WTC mace that has now been nicknamed Michael Mason – including the customs officials who greeted the New Zealand players after they touched down in Auckland on Saturday morning.”I don’t think I have ever walked into customs and got greeted the way we did,” Wagner said. “Everyone was like straightaway: ‘Congratulations!’ Pretty happy, [they] grabbed our passports and all they wanted to ask was ‘Where’s the mace? Where’s the mace?’ Obviously, when they saw it, the smiles on their faces and what it brought to them, it sort of hit home pretty hard… What it meant to people back home and obviously getting across the line, winning a Test Championship final, and bringing that trophy back like that.”I remember watching as a kid a lot of other teams lifting that [mace] up after finishing a Test cycle being No.1 in the world and what it meant to them. So, to be able to win it in a one-off Test match like that is a pretty special feeling and we could see what it meant to other people once you got home.”Seeing even police officers stopping and wanting to have a photo from a distance with it. Like I said, it’s a pity that it’s Covid times and you can’t hug around these guys and pose for a photo and you know, obviously, give something back to them, too, but it was nice to see the smile on everyone’s faces and how jubilant they were to receive us and getting on the bus… There were cameras outside and people waving and yeah obviously just being very happy about what we were able to achieve. I think it definitely hit the boys hard what it has meant to everyone and around.”Neil Wagner has said he still feels ‘pretty young and the body feels really good’ and that he has ‘plenty left in the tank’ as a Test cricketer•Getty Images

Wagner recently turned 35 and is the oldest member of the New Zealand pace quartet, but he brushed aside talk of a potential retirement, stressing that he was still fit and motivated to deliver for the team. Returning from toe injuries, Wagner swung the Dukes ball in England in addition to unleashing his patented short-ball barrage over lengthy spells.’I’ve got plenty left in the tank,” Wagner said. “Age is just a number for me personally and I feel potentially I haven’t got the five-wicket bags or performances behind my name that I wanted to, but still feel I’m contributing and playing a role, doing what I’m doing and that is just my role. It’s not always going to have the glory numbers or the wickets or whatever it is, but I’ve got a role I can fulfill for the team and as long as I’m needed or called upon, or I guess asked to do a job, 100% I’ll be there to contribute.”I still feel pretty young and the body feels really good. I played those three Test matches [in England] and got through this pretty easily and felt really good that I could play even more. So that’s a good sign for me personally. As long as that motivation and desire is there to keep going to do the hard work at training and do the hard yards of going to the gym and do the tough running sessions and keep the body fresh and improving your game – as long as that’s still there, the rest is easy. Mentally, [I] still feel fresh.”If anything this [WTC title] has just urged me on to work harder and my game personally, but also on a fitness level and all those sort of things to keep playing and performing and doing my role to the best of my ability as much as I can and contribute to the team.”‘I remember when I started my career, it took about 11 Test matches before I got even a Test win. Kyle has played eight – he hasn’t lost one or drawn one yet’ – Wagner•Getty Images

Wagner also hailed Kyle Jamieson, who has emerged as a potent point of the difference in New Zealand’s attack with his ability to swing the ball both ways in addition to the bounce he generates from his 6’8” frame. After scorching the 2019-20 and 2020-21 home summers, Jamieson was front and centre of New Zealand’s victory over India in the WTC final, scooping up a match haul of seven wickets and the Player-of-the-Match award.”Just the way he has fit into the group and come in and play the way he’s done – to just do what he’s been doing in domestic cricket and do even better,” Wagner said of Jamieson. “Every game he’s getting better and better, his willingness to learn, how he’s been bowling with the team and the performances he has put in have put him a long way ahead of the cricketer he’s still yet to be and become. He’s been instrumental to us; yes it’s been amazing to do it with Tim [Southee] and Trent [Boult] as well with myself.”We keep building as a unit, we keep building in partnerships, we said from the start that we know one day might one person’s day and the other day might not be someone else’s day, but you still contribute and bowl for the guy at the other end and someone might reap the rewards for us. I remember when I started my career, it took about 11 Test matches before I got even a Test win. Kyle has played eight – he hasn’t lost one or drawn one yet [laughs]. That’s pretty amazing and he’s played a massive part in that [success] too. Good on him and hopefully he can continue and as a bowling unit, hopefully we can continue to learn and get better and obviously put more performances like this for New Zealand cricket.”

Shiv Thakor made 75 and Matt Boyce 55 as Leicestershire recovered from 52 for 5 to enjoy the better of the opening day at Grace Road

30-Apr-2013
ScorecardShiv Thakor’s 75 helped Leicestershire recover from 52 for 5•Getty Images

A stand of 125 between Shiv Thakor and Matt Boyce put Leicestershire in the ascendency on day one at Grace Road. The pair made half-centuries to stage a recovery from 52 for 5 before two late wickets as Gloucestershire came out to bat for nine overs made it Leicestershire’s day.Gloucestershire looked like taking control and Benny Howell claimed career-best figures of 5 for 57 as Leicestershire were dismissed for 250. But from where they were in the morning session, Gloucestershire will feel they let an opportunity slip.Thakor and Matt Boyce sparked comeback to claim two batting points. Thakor top scored with 75 and Boyce also made a half-century before veteran Claude Henderson thumped 33 off 30 balls.But it was 24-year-old allrounder Howell made the biggest impact of the
day. Before this match Howell, in his second season with Gloucestershire, had taken only nine first-class wickets with a best return of 2 for 37 against Northamptonshire last season. He had bettered that by lunch, picking up 3 for 17 runs in a superb eight-over spell.The home side were already in difficulties when Howell came on as first change. Michael Thornely was bowled by Will Gidman with the second ball of the day and Niall O’Brien soon followed after edging behind off David Payne.Howell, finding some away swing with his medium pace bowling, then had
Ramnaresh Sarwan caught at gully, trapped Ned Eckersley lbw offering no shot to a ball that straightened before bowling Josh Cobb off an inside edge.With half the side out in the space of 22 overs, Leicestershire were staring down the barrel. But for the second Championship game in succession, Thakor and Boyce dug in to bring some respectability to the batting. They stayed together for 44 overs, Thakor reaching his 50 off 110 balls with seven fours plus an all run five. Boyce went to his half-century off 120 balls with four boundaries.But both fell quickly after tea. Howell had Boyce caught at slip and Thakor was also caught low down by Hamish Marshall cutting at a ball from offspinner Jack Taylor.Howell then picked up his fifth wicket when Jigar Naik edged to slip but
Henderson’s quick-fire 33 brought some valuable late runs.And the day ended well for Leicestershire, with Robbie Williams trapping Chris Dent lbw and Ollie Freckingham having Dan Housego caught behind as
Gloucestershire closed 219 runs behind.

He trained with the Sunrisers on May 1, the same day he reported a fever

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2021Wriddhiman Saha has tested positive for Covid-19, meaning the Sunrisers Hyderabad became the third franchise to register positive cases at IPL 2021. The team was due to play the Mumbai Indians in Delhi on Tuesday but the IPL has been postponed following the surfacing of Covid-19 cases at least three franchises over the last few days.ESPNcricinfo understands that Saha reported symptoms, including a fever, on May 1, the day before the Sunrisers played against the Rajasthan Royals in Delhi, an afternoon match. Saha had trained with the rest of the Sunrisers squad on the afternoon of May 1. Following that training session, Saha felt he might have got a heat stroke and had even got tested for Covid-19 on the same day. The result of that test was negative, but he still reported a fever.Related

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Saha was isolated immediately by the franchise. He underwent two further tests, on Sunday and Monday. It is understood that he tested positive for Covid-19 in the the third round of testing.Saha had scored eight runs in two games and taken three catches this season before he was excluded from the playing XI.Two players from the Kolkata Knight Riders – spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seam bowler Sandeep Warrier – and two members of the Chennai Super Kings contingent – bowling coach L Balaji and a member of the maintenance staff – had also tested positive over the past two days. Subsequently, yesterday’s game between the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers Bangalore was put off, before the announcement of the postponement today.

India seamer Praveen Kumar could be in trouble for a “serious” breach of the players’ code of conduct in a Corporate Trophy game

Amol Karhadkar09-Feb-2013India seamer Praveen Kumar, who is on the comeback trail after missing most of the Ranji season due to the recurrence of a tennis elbow injury, could be in trouble for a “serious” breach of the players’ code of conduct in a Corporate Trophy game. The BCCI is expected to decide on what action, if any, is to be taken against him next week.On February 4, Praveen had sworn at an opposition batsman while playing for Oil and Natural Gas Limited (ONGC) in the Corporate Trophy: he hurled swear words at Income Tax batsman Ajitesh Argal despite the on-field umpires warning him. The umpires subsequently charged him for a code of conduct breach and match referee Dhananjay Singh found him guilty on two counts.According to the match referee’s report, which is in possession of ESPNcricinfo, Praveen pleaded guilty on both charges, under clause 2.2.8 and 2.4.2. “As per the BCCI guidelines, the penalty imposed for the offence is a 100% fine of the match fee under Level-2 (for repeating the offence within 12 months) and a serious warning not to indulge in such acts in future. For the other offence, you are charged during the same ball. The matter has been referred to chief administrative office [CAO] of the BCCI for further action, since it is charged under Level-4,” Dhananjay Singh wrote in his report, which was submitted to the BCCI.As per the BCCI procedures, after the report has been submitted, the CAO is supposed to take a call on the matter within seven days. So, Ratnakar Shetty is expected to decide on how the case will move forward during the coming week. If Praveen, who is contracted with the BCCI, is found guilty, he could be banned for up to four matches.”Whatever the action or decision will be, the board won’t discuss it in public,” a BCCI official said.Besides submitting the report, Dhananjay Singh has also written a letter to BCCI’s game development manager, KVP Rao, questioning Praveen’s mental condition. He wrote: “I would like to report to you that at present Mr Praveen Kumar is not in a mental frame to play the game. He is very aggressive and gets hostile with little trigger. He is very abusive and passes very filthy comments to his own team-mates, opponents and even to spectators. During the first match also (ONGC v CAG on February 1) he had a spat with spectators at the international stadium in Raipur. It was told to me by the other match referee Mr Prakash Bhatt. Even his own team-mates are keeping some distance from him.”The episode highlighted Praveen’s tendency to lose his temper frequently. In 2008, he had allegedly come to blows with a doctor during a fracas in Meerut, his hometown. During India’s tour to the West Indies in 2011, Praveen was involved in a spat with spectators in Port of Spain. Soon after, during the series in England where he proved his worth as a Test bowler, he had reacted angrily to fans’ taunts during a tour game in Northamptonshire.