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Runaway campaign comes to a crashing halt as Vince, McDermott set stage

David Hopps07-Jul-2022Hampshire 186 for 6 (McDermott 61, Brathwaite 4-30) beat Birmingham Bears 82 (Fuller 4-17) by 104 runsBirmingham were the bullies of the North Group. They reached 200 in half of their 14 matches, overpowering most of their opponents at will. But the 15,000 or so who came to Edgbaston at such short notice for this Vitality Blast quarter-final with their anticipation whetted found the bullies receiving their come-uppance in no uncertain manner as Hampshire routed them with a 104-run win.Hampshire’s 186 for 6 was decent, founded upon an opening stand of 91 in 9.1 overs from James Vince and Ben McDermott – Vince, 31 from 22, the slightly sulky stylist, McDermott, 61 from 36, after a careful start as pugnacious as he has been all summer. But they bowled with great intelligence, too, finding more purchase from the pitch than Birmingham did and making their big-hitting batting line-up seem ponderous and one-dimensional as they dismissed them in only 13.3 overs.For the second successive season, Hampshire have repaired a potentially disastrous start in South Group to reach Finals Day yet again. Group form, and home advantage, both in Yorkshire’s defeat of Surrey 24 hours earlier, and here at Edgbaston, has so far been immaterial.This season’s sequence of big scores at Edgbaston suggested Hampshire’s score was around par, and a sun-drenched crowd sat back for the expected onslaught. But perhaps a clue to the contrary lay two pitches away – the surface on which Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root put India to the sword in the Test. The groundstaff have had limited preparation time and Hampshire found just enough seam and swing to place pressure on Birmingham that they were unable to withstand.Birmingham, who had shown their propensity for wholesale collapse when they were dismissed for 101 at Edgbaston by Yorkshire earlier in the season, had another bad night. They lost three wickets in the Powerplay. Paul Stirling was deceived by an excellent back-of-the-hand slower ball by Nathan Ellis, the Australian seamer who left Punjab Kings in the IPL for Hampshire but who has had an uneventful campaign. Alex Davies was bowled by Brad Wheal’s first ball, still on the move as he attempted a ramp shot and lost his middle stump. Sam Hain, who would have been run out on 5 had Tom Prest hit direct from extra cover, tried to charge Wheal and picked out deep midwicket; such advances down the wicket have been a key element in Hain lifting his strike rate this season, but Wheal appeared to read his intentions.James Fuller’s stock has never been higher. With bat and ball, he has been an influential figure in Hampshire’s recovery. He prevented any middle-overs recovery with a spell of 4 for 17. Adam Hose, who can pepper deep midwicket at will if he has chance to free his arms, was expertly yorked. Chris Benjamin, of similar mould, was presented with a full, wide delivery and hauled it inexpertly to mid-on. Carlos Brathwaite took a view at 64 for 6 and two balls later he was walking back to the pavilion, too, as he holed out at mid-on. The fourth was Dan Mousley: an offside slice. The rest was just a matter of time.Hampshire’s innings had started without a care in the world, only to come to a sudden halt. There are people on the internet who are obsessed with how much deceleration a human body can stand. it’s not the fall that gets you, just the sudden change in G-force at the end, although some scientists have it that you are better facing backwards.Hampshire tested the theory. They decelerated suddenly – from 93 without loss in 9.1 overs when the innings threatening to head off into outer space, co-pilots McDermott and Vince at the helm, as if Babylon Zoo by Spaceman was blaring them forward, to 94 for 2 off 9.3. They hit a force of nature name of Carlos Brathwaite. Hampshire eventually recovered. For the songsters among you, that is more than can be said for Babylon Zoo.Brathwaite has been given the captaincy of the Bears at the age of 33 and he did not want to miss a Finals Day on his home ground. Hampshire had broken Birmingham’s left-arm spinner, Danny Briggs, who spilled 33 from his first two overs, and he needed to act. He resorted, almost without variation, to the wide yorker and his figures of 4 for 30 suggested he resorted to it well.Vince’s eyes were popping out of his head when he was dismissed, caught at the wicket, but not because of deceleration, only because he felt the noise was his bat scraping against the ground. He left with a mournful expression engaged. McDermott followed three balls later, dragging on as he tried to run the ball to third man.Prest soon departed lbw, reverse-sweeping a flatter delivery from Mousley, but Joe Weatherley and Ross Whiteley restored the innings with a fourth-wicket stand of 69 in 39 balls. While Brathwaite honed his wide yorkers, Hampshire made progress at the other end with Briggs and Lintott conceding 76 between them from six overs. Birmingham held some daunting skiers in the closing stages as they tried to keep a foothold in the game.From the final ball of the innings, Brathwaite hurled himself to his right at the bowler’s end to prevent an overthrow off his bowling. He had reason to feel that he had done everything to keep the Bears in the match, but it turned out that he had done nothing of the sort. It is Hampshire who will return to Edgbaston in nine days’ time to face the winners of Saturday’s match-up between Somerset and Derbyshire.

Results of extensive investigation by Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket to be published on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2023English cricket is bracing for the publication of an extensive report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) on Tuesday, the day before England Men’s second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s.The commission was instigated more than two-and-a-half years ago in response to the murder of George Floyd in police custody and the Black Lives Matter movement, which prompted numerous claims of institutional racism within English cricket.Cindy Butts, the ICEC’s chair, said last October that the commission had “captured the lived experiences” of more than 4000 people involved in cricket, met with “over 70 individuals and organisations” and collected “over 550 documents from cricketing bodies and experts”.Butts added: “As a commission we have been humbled by the level of courage demonstrated by so many who want to help the game to be equitable, diverse and inclusive.”The report’s publication takes place on the same day as Yorkshire’s sanctions hearing at the International Arbitration Centre, after the club admitted four breaches of ECB Directive 3.3 – which relates to bringing “the game of cricket… into disrepute”.Ollie Pope, England’s vice-captain, said that the team were conscious of trying to make the game as inclusive as possible. “The next guys, doing what we’re doing now in 20 years, we want to have the whole country to choose from, not just a certain group of people,” Pope said. “That’s something we talk about as a team and are aware of.”I think it is [an inclusive sport] but I think there is a lot more we can keep doing as players as well. As an England team, we’re in a great position where we have got all eyes on us. It is definitely something we’re aware of and definitely something we can keep driving forward especially.”We have seen that over the last year or so. Hopefully as a team we can keep doing what we can over the next year or two to keep promoting that, because it is a sport for everyone and I think it definitely, 100 percent, should be.”The report will be published in full on the ICEC’s website on Tuesday.

All ODIs that end in a tie should feature a Super Over, time and conditions permitting, as per the ICC’s playing conditions

Nagraj Gollapudi & Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Aug-2024The match officials involved in the tied first ODI of the recent Sri Lanka-India series made the mistake of not taking the game to a Super Over as per the ICC’s playing conditions.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Raveendra Wimalasiri, along with the match referee Ranjan Madugalle, TV umpire Paul Reiffel and fourth umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, internally acknowledged having misinterpreted the ODI playing conditions, which state in case of a tie teams will contest a Super Over to procure a result. While in this case there was some confusion over whether the Memorandum of Understanding between SLC and the BCCI for this tour allowed for a Super Over to be played, it has since become clear that all ODIs that end in ties will feature a Super Over, time and conditions permitting.Related

• Report – Hasaranga, Asalanka pick up three-fors to force a tie

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While the umpires brushed off the bails to signal the end of the match after the tie, neither team enquired about the absence of the Super Over, with the players shaking hands immediately. Questions, though, quickly started to pile up n social media.The latest edition of the ODI playing conditions, released by the ICC in December 2023, says this: “If the teams’ scores are equal after both innings have been completed, then a Super Over shall be played. If the Super Over is a tie, then unless exceptional circumstances arise subsequent Super Overs shall be played until there is a winner. Should it not be possible to play or to complete the Super Overs needed to determine a winner, the match shall be tied.”It is understood that Madugalle, Wilson and Wimalasiri did not immediately discuss any specific reason behind not having the Super Over. Following later discussions, though, the match officials decided they would activate the Super Over in case there was another tie in the remaining two ODIs of the three-match series, which was eventually won by Sri Lanka 2-0.In the match in question, India needed five runs from the final three overs, with two wickets in hand, to chase down the target of 231. Shivam Dube managed a four, before India lost consecutive wickets in the 48th over, delivered by the hosts’ newly appointed captain Charith Asalanka, resulting in the tie.

An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a T20 match at the Junction Oval on Thursday

Alex Malcolm27-Jan-20252:01

Amiri: If Afghan women can play sports, they can study as well

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has described Thursday’s exhibition match featuring an Afghanistan Women’s XI in Melbourne as the first small step towards playing international cricket saying it is a ‘real beacon of hope’ that should spark conversations globally.An Afghanistan women’s cricket team, consisting of refugees who now live in Australia, will play a T20 match between against a Cricket Without Borders XI at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Thursday morning ahead of the opening day of the day-night Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG that starts in the afternoon.It is the first time they have been able to come together as a group since leaving their country following the Taliban takeover, with half of the group settling in Canberra while the other half settled in Melbourne.Related

• ICC to formally support Afghan women cricketers

• Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

• Afghanistan women's match a big step on a path unknown

• Powerplay: How cricket helped Afghanistan women escape

• Exiled Afghanistan women players to men's team: 'Please be the voice of the girls'

Hockley spoke alongside two of the Afghanistan XI players, Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri, on Monday at the Junction Oval, with Sapan announced as the captain for the match. Cricket Without Borders Chair Clare Cannon, Director Ken Jacobs and Australia’s Federal Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts were also present as the organisation of the match has been a joint effort between, CA, Cricket Without Borders and the Australian government.Hockley was hopeful that this match will be the first of many playing opportunities for the Afghanistan women in the future and indicated that the England and Wales Cricket Board were keen to help promote their cause after captain Heather Knight met the exiled Afghanistan female players in Melbourne earlier this month.”I think this is a first step,” Hockley said. “We’ve got colleagues from the ECB coming out for the women’s Ashes, and there are conversations happening to support from England as well as from Australia. So I think the first piece is awareness. But I think it’s going to be such an exciting day on Thursday, and my hope is that promotes lots of conversations, that this becomes an annual thing and then ultimately, that this team were able to compete on the international stage as is their want.”I don’t think any of us can comprehend what they’ve been through moving to a new country in such difficult circumstances, not speaking the language. I’m just inspired by their resilience, their love for the game and hopefully this game just raises awareness, a real beacon of hope.Nahida Sapan and Firooza Amiri speak to the media ahead of the Afghanistan XI match in Melbourne•Getty Images

“I was privy to a moment where they got to see their playing shirts for the first time with their names and numbers on the back, and you can just see how much it means to them. So I really hope this is kind of the first step of a really successful journey for this group, but also that this match shines a light on the fact that in places around the world not every woman and girl has a chance to play.”Sapan has been playing club cricket in Melbourne for Carnegie while Amiri has been playing for Dandenong. But both players were overjoyed at the opportunity to play in an Afghanistan Women’s XI.”It’s really special for us, especially for Afghan women because this is a very historic moment for all Afghan women,” Sapan said. “We have a big hopes for this match, because this match can open doors for Afghan women, for education, sport and future. We don’t want this to be our first and last match. We want more matches. We want more support.”Amiri, who has been a prominent voice for the Afghanistan female cricketers, was thrilled that the team can come together for the first time.”We are going to represent millions of Afghan women that they are in Afghanistan and denied for their rights,” she said. “And also it’s very special for all of us to get back together after three years, leaving everything and losing everything back home in Afghanistan”It’s going to be very exciting for all of us to play together. We had couple of camps together, but it’s going to be our first match. We’re looking for a win.”Australia currently do not play Afghanistan in bilateral fixtures but continue to face them in ICC events and are in the same group for next month’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

He will lead a side with Buttler, who will join on June 1 and play ten group games plus any knockout fixture

Matt Roller24-May-2023Liam Livingstone will captain Lancashire in the 2023 T20 Blast – with his England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler in the ranks for the majority of the season.Livingstone spent a single season as Lancashire’s all-format club captain as a 24-year-old in 2018 but stepped down after struggling for form as the club were relegated from Division One of the County Championship.”I think I was a very different person and player back then,” Livingstone told LancsTV. “I think my experience around the world over the last couple of years will obviously make things a little bit different for me, and we’ve got a lot of players to bounce ideas off so it certainly won’t just be me making all the decisions.”We’ve got a really good squad. I don’t think it’s too difficult a job: we’ve got a lot of experience, we’ve got more experience coming back in – hopefully Jos in the next couple of games. I don’t think it’s a difficult task. We’ve got a lot of people to bounce ideas off and hopefully the team should pretty much captain itself anyway – it’s just a few decisions here and there.”Livingstone will deputise for club captain Keaton Jennings, who sustained a hamstring injury while playing in the Championship last month. “Handing Liam the reins for this summer’s Blast gives us some consistency and allows Keaton to focus fully on his recovery,” Glen Chapple, Lancashire’s head coach, said.Lancashire played in the opening game of the Blast season against Derbyshire on Saturday, winning by four wickets. They initially named Dane Vilas as captain when announcing their squad, but left Vilas out of the side altogether to accommodate Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme as their two overseas players and were instead led by veteran batter Steven Croft.Buttler, Livingstone and Phil Salt all returned from the IPL this weekend but Buttler will take a short break before returning to the Lancashire set-up on June 1, when they play Yorkshire at Headingley. He is due to play 10 group games for Lancashire this season – more than he has managed across the last five years combined – as well as any knockout fixtures, having dropped out of England’s Test set-up and with no clash between the Blast and England’s white-ball fixtures this season.”I’m really looking forward to pulling on the Red Rose once again and representing Lancashire Lightning in this summer’s Vitality Blast,” Buttler said in a press release.”To have the opportunity to play so many matches in this year’s Blast is really exciting for me and it’s a chance to really help the team after coming so close in last year’s final.”Lancashire’s next Blast fixture is against Leicestershire on Thursday afternoon.

How the ten IPL squads stack up after the player retention deadline of November 26, ahead of the auction on December 19

Deivarayan Muthu26-Nov-20230:46

Moody: RCB releasing Hasaranga and Hazlewood a surprise

Mumbai Indians: Hardik’s back

Mumbai Indians didn’t finalise Hardik Pandya’s return* by the retention deadline on Sunday, but the trade happened shortly after. They also traded allrounder Cameron Green to RCB to free up their auction purse, after releasing 11 other players.Players released: Arshad Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Hrithik Shokeen, Raghav Goyal, Jofra Archer, Tristan Stubbs, Duan Jansen, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Chris Jordan, Sandeep WarrierPlayers traded in: Hardik Pandya, Romario ShepherdPlayers traded out: Cameron GreenPlayers retained: Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Arjun Tendulkar, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Akash Madhwal, Jason BehrendorffPurse for the auction: 17.75 CR

Gujarat Titans: Who will succeed Hardik?

Now that Hardik’s gone, the Titans will have to appoint a new captain for the 2024 season. The rest of their core squad that won them the IPL title in 2022 and took them to the finals in 2023 remains largely intact.Players released: Alzarri Joseph, Odean Smith, Dasun Shanaka, Yash Dayal, KS Bharat, Shivam Mavi, Urvil Patel, Pradeep SangwanPlayers traded out: Hardik PandyaPlayers retained: David Miller, Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade, Wriddhiman Saha, Kane Williamson, Abhinav Manohar, B Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, Vijay Shankar, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan, Josh Little, Mohit SharmaPurse for the auction: 38.15 CRRelated

• IPL 2024 auction: Titans' Hardik-sized hole, and other key positions the teams need to fill

• Bangar appointed head of cricket development at Punjab Kings

• Explainer: How player trades work in the IPL

• Lucknow Super Giants trade Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians

• Royals trade Padikkal for Super Giants' Avesh in straight swap

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Hazlewood, Hasaranga, Harshal out

RCB need to overhaul their bowling attack, having released Wanindu Hasaranga, recent ODI World-Cup winner Josh Hazlewood, David Willey and Wayne Parnell. They retained England left-arm quick Reece Topley, but he is prone to injuries. Mohammed Siraj is the only certain starter among bowlers in their list of retained players, and they have traded in Green from Mumbai.Players released: Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Wayne Parnell, Sonu Yadav, Avinash Singh, Siddharth Kaul, Kedar JadhavPlayers traded out: Shahbaz AhmedPlayers traded in: Mayank Dagar, Cameron GreenPlayers retained: Faf du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Vyshak VijaykumarPurse for the auction: 23.25 CR2:06

Will CSK splurge on Cummins at the auction?

Chennai Super Kings: Stokes released

As expected CSK released Stokes, who had opted out of IPL 2024 to manage his workload. The departure of both Stokes (INR 16.25 crore) and Rayudu (INR 6.75 crore), who has retired from the IPL, will allow CSK to bid aggressively for overseas allrounders and quicks at the auction.Players released: Ambati Rayudu, Ben Stokes, Dwaine Pretorious, Bhagath Varma, Subhranshu Senapati, Akash Singh, Kyle Jamieson, Sisanda MagalaPlayers retained: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaik Rasheed, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Deepak Chahar, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Chowdhary, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha PathiranaPurse for the auction: 31.4 CR

Delhi Capitals: Prithvi Shaw stays

Capitals have placed faith in Shaw once again despite his poor season in 2023, but they lack power in the middle order following the release of Rovman Powell. They will be on the lookout for a finisher and a fast bowler.Players released: Rilee Rossouw, Chetan Sakariya, Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Phil Salt, Mustafizur Rahman, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ripal Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Aman Khan, Priyam GargPlayers retained: Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Abishek Porel, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma, Mukesh KumarPurse for the auction: 28.95 CR

Rajasthan Royals: Holder, Root released

Royals had hoped Jason Holder would lend balance and depth to their side last season, but they barely used him with the bat and failed to get the best out of him with the ball. A gun overseas allrounder will be top priority on their shopping list at the auction.Players released: Joe Root, Abdul Basith, Jason Holder, Akash Vashisht, Kuldip Yadav, Obed McCoy, M Ashwin, KC Cariappa, KM AsifPlayers traded out : Devdutt PadikkalPlayers traded in : Avesh KhanPlayers retained: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Donovan Ferreira, Kunal Rathore, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Sen, Navdeep Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa, Prasidh KrishnaPurse for the auction: 14.5 CR3:42

Was holding onto Andre Russell a good option for KKR?

Punjab Kings: Shahrukh, a surprise release

Releasing Shahrukh Khan (INR 9 crore) into the auction pool has allowed Kings to retain allrounder Sam Curran, who had become the most expensive player in the IPL (INR 18.5 crore) at the previous auction. If Kings can’t buy Shahrukh back at a lower price, they need a new domestic finisher.Players released: Shahrukh Khan, Raj Bawa, Baltej Dhanda, Mohit Rathee, Bhanuka RajapaksaPlayers retained: Shikhar Dhawan, Jitesh Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Rishi Dhawan, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Shivam Singh, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Vidwath Kaverappa, Harpreet BhatiaPurse for the auction: 29.1 CR

Kolkata Knight Riders: Several quicks among 12 players let go

KKR, like RCB, have overhauled their pace department, letting Lockie Ferguson, Shardul Thakur and Tim Southee go among others. They also need a back-up wicketkeeper batter for Rahmanullah Gurbaz, having released both Litton Das and N Jagadeesan.Players released: Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Shardul Thakur, Mandeep Singh, Kulwant Khejroliya, N Jagadeesan, David Wiese, Aarya Desai, Litton Das, Johnson Charles, Shakib Al HasanPlayers retained: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Jason Roy, Anukul Roy, Andre Russel, Venkatesh Iyer, Suyash Sharma, Harshit Rana, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Varun ChakravarthyPurse for the auction: 32.7 CR1:55

Moody: SRH might regret adding Harry Brook back in the auction pool

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Brook cut loose

Harry Brook headlines Sunrisers’ list of released players, but they already have a ready middle-order replacement for him in Glenn Phillips. Their spin attack, though, appears thin following the releases of Adil Rashid, Akeal Hosein and Mayank Dagar, who was traded for Shahbaz Ahmed.Players released: Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, Akeal Hosein, Karthik Tyagi, Vivrant Sharma, Samarth VyasPlayers traded out: Mayank DagarPlayers traded in: Shahbaz AhmedPlayers retained: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Mayank Agarwal, Heinrich Klaasen, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Marco Jansen, Washington Sundar, Sanvir Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Mayank MarkandePurse for the auction: 34 CR

Lucknow Super Giants: Unadkat, Sams let go

LSG released eight players – none of whom can lay claim to being first-XI players, though new coach Justin Langer said it was hard for the franchise to let Daniel Sams go. Having also traded Romario Shepherd to Mumbai, LSG will eye overseas allrounders at the auction.Players released: Daniel Sams, Karun Nair, Jaydev Unadkat, Manan Vohra, Karan Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Swapnil Singh, Arpit GuleriaPlayers traded out : Romario Shepherd, Avesh KhanPlayers traded in : Devdutt PadikkalPlayers retained: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Deepak Hooda, K Gowtham, Krunal Pandya, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Prerak Mankad, Yudhvir Singh, Mark Wood, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Naveen-ul-HaqPurse for the auction: 13.15 CR*.

Fast bowler kept in cotton wool until third Test at Headingley after limited build-up

Matt Roller27-Jun-2023Ben Stokes has revealed that England “wanted to play Mark Wood” in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday, but doubts over his durability meant they were forced to select Josh Tongue for his second cap instead.Tongue is the only change from the side that lost by two wickets in the first Test at Edgbaston last week, replacing Moeen Ali as England field an all-seam attack on a pitch that retained a healthy covering of live grass the day before the game.Stokes said that Moeen’s spinning finger, which he cut on his return to first-class cricket last week following 21 months away, had “recovered really well” but a combination of conditions at Lord’s and concerns that he might re-open the wound led to the selection of a fourth seamer.Related

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• Cummins and Australia will stay true to their approach

Wood was England’s leading wicket-taker on the 2021-22 tour to Australia and remains their fastest available bowler, but has not played a red-ball game since England’s tour to Pakistan in December and has not played a competitive fixture since his most recent IPL appearance on April 15. Fitness-permitting, England will unleash him in the third Test at Headingley next week.”We wanted to play Mark Wood,” Stokes said. “We felt that he could definitely start the game but with conversations, we felt the extra week with build-up and getting his loads up would give him a better chance and an opportunity to play a full part from Leeds onwards.”And we brought Tonguey into the team as a like-for-like with Woody. We turned up here at Lord’s and saw there was quite a lot of grass on the wicket, a bit of green. Traditionally, Lord’s has offered more for the seamers and with how Mo’s finger was last week… we just thought we would get more out of our fourth bowler being Josh Tongue this week.”Stuart Broad and Mark Wood kick a football around•PA Images/Getty

Stokes said that Wood had spoken candidly to him after bowling in training on Monday. “Me and Mark are great friends,” he said. “We go back a long way. I spoke to him how I’d want him to operate in this game and he was very honest with me.”He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to give what he’s known for throughout this Test match. So the decision was made to allow him to keep building his body up to give himself the best opportunity to go out, from Leeds onwards, to play a full part.”Pat Cummins, Australia’s captain, would not be drawn into speculation about Wood’s fitness, but noted that Josh Hazlewood – whose appearance at Edgbaston had been his first Test in five months – had similarly benefited from sympathetic handling within the Australia set-up.”Over the last six months, everything was to give [Hazlewood] the best chance as possible to be right for this series,” Cummins said. “It’s really rare to have a full squad that’s fit and we are in a really lucky position. Some of that is probably luck, but a lot of that is also the incredible support team who you only really hear about when things go wrong, but they’ve been fantastic to get everyone fit.”Tongue, the 25-year-old Worcestershire seamer, is a surprise inclusion despite the success he enjoyed on this same ground on debut against Ireland earlier this month. He claimed second-innings figures of 5 for 66 to set up a ten-wicket win, and provided a point of difference to England’s attack on a slow pitch that proved difficult for creating wicket-taking opportunities.He has been picked ahead of Chris Woakes, who has a remarkable record at Lord’s but appears to have slipped some way down England’s pecking order, as well as Matthew Potts, who has been released to play for Durham in the County Championship.Stokes suggested that Tongue would continue to be used as an enforcer in an attack that also features James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson. “Broady, Jimmy and Robbo will tell you it’s always nice having someone who can bowl at 90mph doing it,” Stokes said. “Just having that versatility as a bowler this week is going to be very useful.”The only thing that’s different is the occasion for him. He’s had his first Test match, his debut game, which he’s had huge success from. Coming in and being able to use him in a fourth seamer role is something that I’m very much looking forward to him being able to do and I think he’s really looking forward to the challenge as well.”Stokes said Root’s bowling has “gone from strength to strength”.•PA Photos/Getty Images

This is the first time that Stokes has gone into a Test as captain without a frontline spinner in his side, with Joe Root – who bowled 22 overs of offspin at Edgbaston, returning match figures of 1 for 58 – his only part-time option.”He’s gone from strength to strength,” Stokes said of Root’s bowling. “The more responsibility I’ve given him with the ball has brought out another side to Joe. It’s great having someone like that who also averages 50 with the bat – that’s always nice.”Stokes also said that he hopes to “play even more of a part with the ball” in the second Test, after bowling 14 overs at Edgbaston. “I’ve recovered really well,” said. “Last week was a huge confidence boost for me. In all the build-up it was in a controlled environment around just training without having to stand in the field or back days up.”His fitness has been in question throughout the summer and he has bowled with heavy strapping on his left knee. “Being able to bowl that longer spell on the last day was another confidence boost for me,” Stokes added. “At the moment, things are looking good and hopefully I can play even more of a part with the ball in this game.”England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 James Anderson.

RCB batter says it hasn’t been a conscious decision to bat at a higher tempo this IPL season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20241:01

Kohli’s form ‘never in doubt’ – Wasim Jaffer

Virat Kohli is scoring at a strike rate of 146 in this year’s IPL. Only once has he ever scored quicker and that was in 2016 when he was the kind of form where he was threatening the 1000-run mark. Is this a conscious effort? Is he trying to bat differently, more aggressively?”Look I’m not coming with any premeditation,” Kohli said after making the first century of the 2024 season that took Royal Challengers Bangalore to a total of 183 on a Jaipur pitch that was on the slower side. “Whatever the surface allows me to do, I do that. Today I wasn’t 20 off 9. I was 12 off 10.”Kohli has seemed more willing to take risks, particularly looking to hit over the top to find boundaries. He is lofting more balls per innings this year than in any of the last 10. But he is putting that down to his usual process of assessing the game in front of him and knowing that if the need arises he can go big whenever he wants.”So I knew I can’t go over-aggressive. I don’t want to be predictable. I know I can step up at any point because I’m hitting the ball well. But I want to keep the bowler guessing as to what I’m going to do. They probably want me to come hard at them so they can get me out or have an early breakthrough. But I feel like if I’m set and if I bat beyond six overs, then our chance of getting good totals becomes that much better. So I guess it is just experience and maturity over the years and understanding the conditions that you’re playing. I basically play the conditions and I have the game ready to play in two or three different ways.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kohli’s century on Saturday night was the eighth of his IPL career, two clear of any other batter in the history of the tournament. He needed 67 balls to get there though, which makes it the joint-slowest. Kohli explained that it was not easy to hit the shots that he wanted to hit because of the lack of pace and bounce, which the Rajasthan Royals spinners used to their advantage to finish with combined figures of 8-0-62-2.”Nothing really came onto the bat. Even a few shots that I tried to play against Yuzvendra Chahal, just trying to slog him, they kept going under the bat. Even R Ashwin, it just felt like you couldn’t get under the carrom ball to hit over midwicket. All you could target was straight if they missed their length. So if you’re consistent enough, the batters were finding it difficult out there.”The wicket feels like its flat but as soon as you see the ball holding up in the pitch, that’s when you realise the pace is changing pretty quickly and then the big dimensions of the ground come into play. Our target initially was 190, 195, to be honest. But then assessing the pitch and how it was slowing down, we decided if one of Faf [du Plessis] or me get out, then the other had to bat till the end so that we can get that boost closer to 180-185, which we did, which I feel is a very effective total on this pitch.”Kohli has contributed 38% of all of RCB’s runs this season. He holds the Orange Cap with a tally of 316 from five innings and has now crossed 7500 runs in the IPL,

Coach plays down own role in series marked by superb tactics and man-management

Andrew Miller20-Dec-2022Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, says it is “scary” to think how good a leader Ben Stokes could become after his transformative influence in the year just gone, having secured a historic 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan with a ninth Test victory in the space of ten games.Speaking to Sky Sports in Karachi, in the aftermath of England’s eight-wicket win in the third and final Test, McCullum played down his own crucial role in the team’s rise from the ruin of last winter’s Ashes, stating bluntly that he does “bugger all” behind the scenes. Instead, he lavished praise on his captain, for his work both on and off the field.”The skipper was absolutely magnificent right throughout the series,” McCullum said. “Not just on the field, where everyone sees the decisions he makes and the strings he pulls, but it’s his man-management and his ability to get the very best out of each member of the side, off the field, which is the most impressive part from our point of view.”It’s the captain’s mantra, this side is very much in the image of the skipper,” McCullum added. “And Stokesy wants the guys to go out there and play with the most amount of freedom that they can.”He’s got the benefit of a long and distinguished career behind him, and he’s in that stage of his life where he wants to do something significant and make a real impact, not just on the game but on other people’s careers. He’s identified that taking away that pressure and that fear of failure allows the talent and the skill to come out.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stokes himself was at the crease on the final day, finishing 35 not out in England’s pursuit of 167 for their clean sweep. But it was England’s efforts on the very first day of the tour, in Rawalpindi, that set the team on course for history, as they racked up a remarkable 506 for 4 in 75 overs, including four centuries from Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, the eventual Player of the Series.”That was more than I thought we were going to make, to be honest,” McCullum said. “The way that Crawley and Duckett started for us in that Test match, it really laid a marker out for where this team wants to be, and for how brave our cricket needs to be as well.”It was about playing the role that the team needs you to play, rather than getting too caught up in your own stuff, and it was a huge day that allowed us to try and force a result. Maybe the series would have been different if we hadn’t have gone down that route.”The defining aspect of England’s wins, however, was ultimately their ability to prise out 20 wickets in a Test, with a range of different tactics and personnel coming to the fore, from the part-time spin of Will Jacks and the skilful use of reverse swing in Rawalpindi, to Jack Leach’s first-innings four-for and the decisive pace onslaught of Mark Wood in Multan, and ultimately to the remarkable emergence of the legspinner Rehan Ahmed with his debut five-for in Karachi.”It’s a great achievement,” McCullum said. “If you look at the whole six or seven months, we’ve taken 20 wickets in a Test on nine out of 10 occasions. So it’s one thing scoring fast and putting teams under pressure with the bat, but you got to be able to bowl teams out as well.”And the mantra within the group is ‘how do we take wickets?’ Every time we’ve got the ball in our hand, ‘how are we going to try and get this guy out?’ If you go for runs, you go for runs, but we back ourselves that will chase those runs down later on. I think once you have that mindset, you free yourself up from having to worry about runs. It allows you to look at things with a positive mantra.”Related

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Stokes’ field placings were eye-catching throughout the tour, but they had to be too, with not a single traditional slip catch off the seamers all series long. Instead, he backed his bowlers with leg slips for the short ball into the ribs, and close catchers in the eyeline to capitalise on mistimed drives, a process that Stokes himself admitted had been entirely down to instinct, rather than pre-set plans.”A lot of my decisions were based on what I thought was the best option at any given time,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “I feel as if out here is probably the easiest conditions to mess around with a few different things. You don’t have to have a slip because it’s not going to go to slip in three games for us. So you use that slip somewhere else, maybe to visually upset the batsman.”Watching on from the dressing-room, McCullum was impressed. “The skipper never lets the game drift,” he said. “He’s always got something happening. He’s always pulling a string somewhere and the guys follow him. It’s a great combination to have, and it makes it pretty easy when you’re watching from up in the coach’s box.”There’s maverick in it and genius in a lot of it,” he added. “He’s just got an insatiable appetite to keep moving the game forward, which is super-impressive. But for me, it’s the man management, it’s the consistency of message, it’s the pure passion and drive that he’s got to make a significant difference in Test cricket, and English cricket, which is most impressive.”So I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve taken over this job when Stokesy has got the reins, and I think he’s only going to get better and better and better, which is quite scary. Because if he continues to improve and drive this team forward then, with the talent that sits within the dressing room, they will give it a good shake anyway.”I don’t do bugger all, to be honest,” McCullum joked. “I just make sure that the guys remain consistent with their own beliefs, and that they all want to be the best version of themselves. To be honest, it’s a really easy job … don’t tell my bosses. But I’m really enjoying myself, and I couldn’t I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.”Looking on from the Sky Sports studio, however, Stuart Broad gave a more nuanced assessment of McCullum’s under-stated influence in the dressing-room.”I’ve not seen him throw many balls, I’ve not seen him talk technically to anybody, but you watch every training session, he walks around and speaks to every single player,” Broad said. “Just checking in and seeing how they are, seeing what their mindset’s like, making sure they are taking the options that are right for the mantra of the team. He’s an incredible man-manager.”

The Sheffield Shield leaders were blown away in the night session after Bartlett had also made vital runs

AAP25-Nov-2025Queensland quicks Xavier Bartlett and Gurinder Sandhu starred with bat and ball to secure a seven-wicket win over previously undefeated Victoria.Bartlett struck a bold and brisk 72 off 91 deliveries, his highest first-class score, before bowling with venom and control to claim 4 for 35 on day three of the day-night pink-ball clash at the Gabba.Related

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Player of the match Sandhu, who had made 33 in a 69-run eighth wicket stand with Bartlett, bowled a magnificent spell highlighted by three wickets in one over where he removed the dangerous Matt Short and then Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland for ducks.The tall right-arm seamer got the ball to talk under lights and his 5 for 23 was just reward for what was a lethal exhibition of pace in the top of the table Sheffield Shield showdown.Queensland resumed day three on 352 for 7 before a fierce storm took the players off. They were all out for 430, a first innings lead of 112, before ripping through Victoria for just 143.Victoria were 114 for 4 before Bartlett and Sandhu ignited a collapse with the last six wickets falling for just 29 runs.The drama wasn’t over as Queensland lost three quick wickets before reaching their target after the umpires extended play beyond 10.30pm (AEST). That was after an hour had already been added for the rain delay.  The match finished at 10.46pm, the latest Queensland officials could remember in the past 20 years.Bartlett was full of appreciation for Sandhu after the win.”He’s obviously a seasoned campaigner and knows how to keep his cool. That was probably one thing that sticks out when we were batting and bowling together,” Bartlett told AAP. “It was an amazing spell from him, the triple-wicket maiden was unbelievable.”I love bowling with him. He always keeps the scoreboard down and creates pressure and that makes my job at the other end easier. I love my batting too and try and add wherever I can in all facets of the game, so I want to keep improving that.”Burgeoning allrounder Bartlett, fresh from scoring 50 against Western Australia, struck seven boundaries and one towering six over midwicket in an innings that justified his No. 7 position in the batting order.He made 57 in the corresponding day-night match against Victoria last season, displaying the batting acumen that he has fine-tuned in club cricket for Gold Coast Dolphins, where he has scored centuries.It was with the ball that Bartlett fired up after he was the last man out. He dismissed Campbell Kellaway with a leg-side strangle before a cracking late swinging delivery trapped Peter Handscomb in front.His opening spell of 2 for 10 off seven overs, with four maidens, showcased the high quality seam that has made him one of Australia’s standout performers in ODI and T20Is.Victoria slumped to 11 for 3 in the twilight zone when batting was at its most difficult. Marcus Harris summed up how tough batting was when he went to the short break on 2 from 47 deliveries. He was given a working over by Sandhu, who eventually dismissed him for a torturous 14.