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Hosting India in all three formats and another bumper SA20 serves as a boost to CSA coffers

Firdose Moonda12-Sep-2024Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced profits of R815 million (US$ 45.6 million) for the 2023-24 fiscal year after hosting India for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is in the December-January period and benefitting from a bumper SA20. As the majority shareholder in the T20 tournament, CSA earned profits of R54 million (US$ 3.02 million) from the event, which boasted a double-digit growth.This comes after losses for the last three reporting periods – 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 which collectively amounted to R538 million (US$ 30.14 million). The turnaround was mostly due to the increased revenue derived from broadcast rights, which make up 54% of the CSA income.The coffers were also boosted by the successful hosting of the 2024 Under-19 men’s World Cup, which was moved to South Africa from Sri Lanka and generated revenue of R54 million (US$ 3.02 million). CSA’s total ICC disbursements for the period were R566 million, (US$ 31.63 million) up from R290 million (US$ 16.2 million) in the previous year.Related

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CSA is expected to enjoy another strong financial year in 2024-2025, largely due to hosting India for four T20Is in November. The revenue from those games is expected to be upwards of R150 million (US$ 8.38 million) per match. These figures again underline India’s monetary importance and the incentive other countries have to host them as often as possible. CSA is starting to move slightly away from total dependence on the Indian national team, thanks to the SA20, but it is important to note that all six franchises are IPL affiliates.The biggest beneficiary of CSA’s financial turnaround is the women’s game, which underwent professionalisation at the domestic level last season. CSA has spent R32 million on women’s cricket (US$ 1.78 million). The cost of running professional cricket – the eight division 1, seven division 2 domestic men’s teams and six provincial women’s teams – remains CSA’s biggest expense. They shelled out R633 million (US$ 35.3 million) on these costs, which also underlines one of the major problems in South African cricket: how reliant the domestic system is on CSA. The cost of the national teams amounted to R172.8 million (US$ 9.66 million) or almost a quarter of the domestic expenses.Overall, CSA reported strong performance, in everything from the national teams – the men reached the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup while the women beat Australia in an ODI and a T20I for the first time in the period under consideration – to grassroots cricket. The KFC mini-cricket programme, which targets children between the ages of six and 12 and has produced the likes of Wayne Parnell and Ayabonga Khaka, reported a 20% increase in participation, with over 100,000 children from more than 2000 schools participating. The rate of progression of those players to provincial and national teams is 15%.CSA’s AGM also marked the end of Lawson Naidoo’s three-year tenure as CSA chair. A new chair will be elected at a special general meeting this month. The new chair will be chosen from the independent directors, in other words, not from presidents of provincial unions.

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.

No back-to-back Blast games for Middlesex as Morgan targets T20 World Cup in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2022Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, says he will need to take it “week by week” if he hopes to lead his side out for this winter’s T20 World Cup in Australia, but is prepared to own up to feeling “cooked” at any stage in this year’s busy itinerary.Morgan, 36, has not played any competitive cricket since missing the final three matches of England’s T20I tour of the Caribbean in January with a quadriceps strain. He is due to play in Middlesex’s opening fixture of the Vitality Blast on Thursday, against Gloucestershire at Radlett, but will sit out the following day’s fixture against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, having passed the team captaincy over to Stevie Eskinazi.”There’s nothing specific [injury-wise],” Morgan told London’s Evening Standard. “I’m just old, I think! It takes longer to recover. I did play the two back-to-back games in Barbados, then I got injured. You shouldn’t get injured warming up as a batsman, but I pulled my quad warming up, which means my body just didn’t recover at all.”This surfeit of caution means that England will be obliged to have “contingency plans”, as Morgan put it, when their international season gets underway. Assuming they are fit and available, Jos Buttler or Moeen Ali are the likely captaincy stand-ins for England’s three ODIs in the Netherlands next month, including two in three days on June 17 and 19.From there, England take on India and South Africa in 12 matches across two formats in July, before Morgan’s second season of the Hundred with London Spirit gets underway in August. His winter schedule is scarcely less busy, with England now due to play seven T20Is in a fortnight in Pakistan before heading to Australia to prepare for the World Cup in mid-October.”There are back-to-back games in the international fixtures, so just getting to them and seeing how I am, will be a decision made then,” Morgan added. “There is more solace looking towards the World Cup, because there aren’t fixtures within a few days. Everywhere else we play, they see time and just want to have games.”England are set to embark on a new era across formats, following the appointment of Brendon McCullum and Matthew Mott as the new red- and white-ball head coaches, and despite expressing his excitement at working with the two new arrivals, Morgan is realistic enough to recognise that his own involvement could yet end abruptly.Related

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“Particularly with getting injured recently on the West Indies tour, I need to be as honest as I can with Keysy [England managing director Rob Key] and everyone else to make sure we are in the right position come Australia in October,” he said. “I have always said that if I am on the way to a ground and feel done or cooked, or lacking the drive for it as a leader, I will communicate ASAP to Rob.”But I think it’s important that I play it week by week to start with, and aim for the T20 World Cup.”With England’s initial focus on the revival of their Test fortunes, starting at Lord’s against New Zealand next week, Morgan said that he did not expect to see many of England’s multi-format players – most particularly Ben Stokes but Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root too – until the Pakistan tour gets underway in October.This means that England’s tour party for the Netherlands in particular could have an experimental feel – and potentially a controversial selection too, with Nottinghamshire’s Joe Clarke among those likely to feature in the selection debate, three years after his involvement in a sexist WhatsApp group that ultimately led to the rape conviction of his former Worcestershire team-mate Alex Hepburn.Key recently opened the door to a Clarke call-up by remarking that “you can’t penalise people forever”, and in an interview with The Telegraph this week, Clarke – who was sanctioned by the ECB but was not charged or accused of any crime – admitted his enduring sense of “embarrassment and shame” at his actions.”This is not about playing for England. This is about owning what I did, that I made a mistake and what I did was wrong,” Clarke said. “If there is a message in there for the victim, and if she were to read this, she will see that I know I let her down. Hopefully she will read that and she would not feel anything towards me in a bad way.”

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali return to squad for two-Test series in January

Andrew Miller11-Dec-2020Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are the notable omissions from England’s Test tour to Sri Lanka next month, with both men being rested from the 23-man touring party, ahead of the multi-format tour of India which gets underway in February.Rory Burns also misses the trip, as his wife Victoria is expecting their first child in the second week of January, while Burns’ Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope will join the squad as a non-playing member, with a view to being fit in time for the four Tests in India as he continues his rehab from the shoulder injury that he sustained against Pakistan in August.With England facing a busy schedule on all fronts in the coming 12 months, with the Ashes in Australia following hot on the heels of away and home series against India and the T20 World Cup, the absences of Archer and Stokes come as part of a commitment from England’s selectors to provide blocks of rest for all their multi-format players at various points this winter.ALSO READ: Buttler could miss two India Tests as England rest playersSpeaking to the media after the announcement, Ed Smith, England’s national selector, indicated that Stokes, Archer and Burns would fly directly to India on or around January 22-23 to acclimatise ahead of the first Test of that series, at Chennai on February 5, with further changes to England’s squad also likely ahead of the third and fourth Tests of the India tour at Ahmedabad.”The way to think about this winter is in three blocks of two Tests: Sri Lanka, India 1 and 2, India 3 and 4,” Smith said. “We think that’s the only way to make sure we balance having the right number of resources in each position, and also getting rest into those multi-format players like Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, and also Sam Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, etc.”In the absence of Pope, Stokes and Burns – three players who would have been automatic picks for England’s top five – Essex’s Dan Lawrence could be in line to earn his first Test cap, after being named in the senior squad for the first time, a year on from his starring role on the England Lions tour of Australia in 2019-20.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is a great opportunity for Dan Lawrence,” Smith said. “He’s a really talented cricketer, a confident player in good form, and he is absolutely delighted about being selected in the full squad.”He’s an unusual player, but he’s got that real quality about him,” Smith added. “He has his own style, and a real confidence and presence at the crease. He’s inventive, he’s versatile. He’s also a good short-format player, and he really impressed on the England Lions just under a year ago.”Jonny Bairstow is the other player likely to challenge for a middle-order berth. He has been recalled to the Test set-up for the first time since featuring in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion 12 months ago, with Smith indicating that he was back in contention as a batsman only – the role he performed when making a century from No.3 in England’s most-recent Test in Sri Lanka two years ago.Ben Foakes, who scored a century on debut and was named Player of the Series on that same tour, is the designated back-up to the current incumbent, Jos Buttler, with Smith suggesting he will be in line for a recall when Buttler is given his break from action during the India series. “Jonny has a really great opportunity here to get back into the Test mix as a batter, and that’s a really exciting possibility for him,” Smith said.With spin playing a central role in England’s 3-0 series win in 2018-19, Moeen Ali is back in the squad after opting out of last winter’s tours of New Zealand and South Africa, and is in line to play his first Test since the opening match of the 2019 Ashes.Jack Leach, who along with Moeen was England’s leading wicket-taker on that last Sri Lanka trip with 18 scalps, is also included, and is set to link up once again with his former Somerset team-mate and current first-choice England spinner, Dom Bess. However, there is no return for the third spinner of the 2018-19 triumvirate, legspinner Adil Rashid, who had been an outside bet for a recall given his importance to England’s white-ball plans ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. He has been left out as he continues to manage a shoulder problem and is likely also to miss the subsequent tour of India.”Adil has had a long-running shoulder injury, and though he has made really good strides, he does have concerns about that shoulder in the strain of five-day cricket,” Smith said. “Obviously he’s got to weigh up his one-day and T20 form, which is outstanding. He is among the most irreplaceable players in a very, very strong white-ball set-up, and that’s where he stands at the moment.”England have, however, named three spinners among their seven-man list of reserves – legspinners Matt Parkinson and Mason Crane, whose one-off Test came at Sydney in the 2017-18 Ashes, and the Surrey offspinner, Amar Virdi.All the reserves will travel and train with the main squad, with the series once again being played behind closed doors and in biosecure environments, initially at Hambantota and then in Galle for the two Test matches, commencing January 14 and 22 respectively.Despite playing limited roles on the 2018-19 tour, England have named both of their veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their main touring party, alongside Chris Woakes and two 90mph options in Mark Wood and Olly Stone, who made his international debut in the ODI leg of England’s last tour of Sri Lanka.Archer’s omission from the squad had been telegraphed in South Africa last week, after he had spent most of the preceding five months in biosecure environments, while Stokes’ absence comes in the wake of the death of his father Ged from brain cancer. He also missed the final two Tests of last summer’s Pakistan series, as well as the subsequent one-day series, to travel to New Zealand to spend time with his family.”It is a very difficult time for Ben and all our thoughts and with him and his family,” Smith said. “[In the circumstances], it made sense for Ben to take his rest for the Sri Lankan tour, and to get ready for India.”England men’s Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.Reserves: James Bracey, Mason Crane, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Amar Virdi.

The move continues significant recent behind-the-scenes changes at Queensland following the resignation of CEO Max Walters earlier this month

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2019Former Queensland captain Chris Simpson has been appointed the new Cricket Queensland chairman after Sal Vasta stepped down to continue significant upheaval at the state.It is understood that the Bulls Masters, a group formed of former Queensland players Jimmy Maher, Ian Healy, Andy Bichel, Martin Kent and Michael Kasprowicz, pushed hard for the change. The influence of the group has grown since it was formed in 2010 and they are now a corporate sponsor of Queensland Cricket.The deputy chairman, Ian Mitchell, will also leave his post with former Australia pace bowler Kirsten Pike taking the role.Vasta’s departure continues the major recent behind-the-scenes changes at Queensland following the resignation of CEO Max Walters earlier this month.”Queensland Cricket is in an exciting phase of growth and success, which is credit to the hard work and dedication of our employees and volunteers across the state. I am pleased to leave the role as Chair at the right time with our game in a positive position and a bright future ahead,” Vasta said.Simpson said: “Sal has led cricket in Queensland with distinction during his tenure and we thank him for his contribution as Chairman. Under Sal’s leadership the current QC strategy was established with a purpose to deliver outstanding life experiences for Queensland communities anywhere, anytime. The foundations for this vision are set and Queensland Cricket is now able to continue delivering our strategy.”Kasprowicz, currently a non-executive director with Cricket Australia, is one of the favourites to be the new CEO along with another former Queensland seamer Greg Rowell.

Somerset’s upheaval has continued as chief executive, Lee Cooper, has signalled his intention to step down after only nine months in the job

David Hopps14-Mar-2018Lee Cooper, who took over the role of Somerset chief executive only nine months ago, is to relinquish the position because of pressures of work.Cooper had told Somerset that he could stand aside from the bulk of his duties at Cooper Associates, one of England’s fastest-growing financial services companies, where he remains as a non-executive director.But that scenario has not materialised as he has found it increasingly difficult to distance himself from a company that he founded, and which lies just across the road from the Taunton ground that carries its name.Alarm calls several hours before dawn have not been uncommon as he has attempted to balance both roles.In a statement issued by the club, Cooper said: “When I took up the role of chief executive at Somerset, I assured the then chairman and the committee that I would be able to fulfil my duties whilst standing aside completely from my former responsibilities with Cooper Associates.”It has become increasingly apparent to me that it has not been as straight forward as I envisaged to do so.”I do not believe that it is fair to the club that I continue as Chief Executive if it is likely that other business commitments begin to affect the amount of time that I can properly devote to its affairs.”Andy Nash, Somerset’s former chairman, has confirmed that he has no interest in returning to the county in a new role, remarking that his own chief executive days are behind him.Nash resigned as Somerset chairman to become a Board member of the ECB but he stood down from the Board last week in protest about additional payments to Test-hosting grounds.Nash claimed the payments were further evidence of a desire within the higher echelons of ECB to dismantle the 18-county system in favour of as few as eight city-based teams – precisely the model being used for the new Twenty20 competition.Charles Clark, Nash’s replacement as chairman, will now supervise the latest upheaval in Taunton: “I have been aware for some time that Lee has been facing some very challenging personal decisions,” he said. “Whilst his tenure has been relatively short, he has impressed all who have come into contact with him with his enormous work ethic, diligence, openness, organisational capabilities, courage, determination and passion for our club.”Cooper certainly achieved much in his short time. He restructured the cricket department, resulting in the return of Andy Hurry and the departure at the end of last season of Matthew Maynard as coach.At the end of last season, he threatened legal action action against the ECB during Middlesex’s appeal over relegation which, had it been successful, would have sent Somerset down in their place.He also revamped the club’s membership structure, raising additional revenue but bringing a mixed response. He was forced to publish an an open letter in which he addressed claims of a “conflict of interest” between his roles at Somerset CCC and Cooper Associates, stressing: “Personally, I’m a Somerset supporter first and an employee second and from my perspective, we’re in this together.”To complete a feverish period, there was also disappointment. When the ECB released their Major Match List for 2020-2024, Taunton failed to gain any England internationals and also failed to be chosen as a venue – even a part-time venue – for the the new domestic T20 tournament due to start in 2020. In the West Country, there was talk of ECB betrayal.

Pakistan’s Test captain has said a change of captaincy won’t make as much difference to Pakistan’s cricket as an overhaul of the domestic system

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2017

PCB invites current and former players to conference

Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, will conduct a round-table conference with current and former players on March 6 and 7 in Lahore to discuss ways to improve the performances of Pakistan’s senior and junior teams. The conference will be chaired by Inzamam-ul-Haq, the chief selector, and Mudassar Nazar, director academies. Mushtaq Ahmed, the NCA head coach, will serve as co-ordinator.
Current and former players invited to the conference include Imran Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Bari, Shoaib Akhtar, Aamir Sohail, Javed Miandad, Rashid Latif, Ramiz Raja, Moin Khan, Abdul Qadir, Aaqib Javed, Iqbal Qasim, Bazid Khan and Saeed Ajmal.
The five main topics of discussion are improving team performance, domestic structure, improvement of pitches, coaching of national and junior teams, and encouraging of foreign teams to tour Pakistan.

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said a change of captaincy won’t make as much difference to Pakistan’s cricket as an overhaul of the domestic system will.Misbah’s comments come at a time when the PCB is set to overhaul Pakistan’s team, following recent tours of New Zealand and Australia where they lost five straight Test matches and managed only one victory in the ODIs. At the forefront of this agenda seems to be the removal of Azhar Ali as the ODI captain and the appointment of one captain – most likely Sarfraz Ahmed – across all formats, although this is subject to Misbah stepping down as Test captain himself. However, Misbah doesn’t believe Pakistan’s problems will end there.”Make anyone captain – Azhar or Sarfraz – but unless we solve our problem deep down, whoever comes in will face problems,” Misbah said in Faisalabad on Wednesday. “We have to improve domestic cricket and groom talent. If we want to do well in England, Australia and South Africa, we have to give the players maximum experience of playing there. If a player keeps on playing here [in Asia] and all of a sudden does a tour of Australia or South Africa after six years, it will be difficult for him [to perform].”Pakistan’s domestic cricket has often been a subject of revamp and the standard of pitches and the ball have also been inconsistent, while the focus on fitness has also been in question. When asked if the Pakistan Super League (PSL) might offer some resolve, Misbah said it wasn’t feasible to expect that.”Don’t start thinking that there will be change in the team after PSL,” he said. “I think we have to improve [the domestic structure] overall. It is just a tournament. Obviously players will come from it and it will give them exposure, [but] otherwise we have to do a lot of work. We have to bring our domestic cricket close to international standards for whatever talent comes through from the Under-16s and Under-19s. We have to prepare better pitches and improve the standards of our cricket in domestic set-up.”Misbah has been under pressure amid suggestions from cricketing quarters in the country that he should retire. However, he is keen to assess his batting and hunger for the game as he leads Islamabad United, the defending champions, during the PSL’s second edition in the UAE.”We need consistency in the thinking of our nation, and then there will be consistency in our team,” he said. “If your thinking is not consistent and it changes after one match, then the team’s performance will also be like that.”If you are talking about me – I retired one year ago, but at that time the whole nation said I should keep on touring. Now the whole nation is saying that I should be ashamed of myself and go. If you do such things, nobody will be ready to become captain. It’s not necessary you win every series, it’s not necessary you perform in every series. One can put in his best effort. Our views change if you don’t perform in four matches, despite performing for six years.”

Challenging light conditions and a system crash contributed to the unavailability of ball-tracking for an LBW appeal against Jason Holder late on the final day of the Boxing Day Test, the technology operators EagleEye have revealed

Daniel Brettig30-Dec-2015Challenging light conditions and a system crash contributed to the unavailability of ball-tracking for an lbw appeal against Jason Holder late on the final day of the Boxing Day Test, the technology operators EagleEye have revealed.An ageing ball and stark shadows across the MCG were making it difficult for ball-tracking cameras to pick up the ball to a level that satisfied the technology’s handlers, causing them to state to the broadcast producer that they could not provide a ball-tracking model of the Holder lbw appeal immediately.When EagleEye operators then attempted to track the Peter Siddle delivery via Nine’s video footage – the secondary option – a system crash meant they were unable to do so in time for the DRS referral, though it was shown later to demonstrate the ball was missing leg stump.Such eventualities are accounted for in DRS protocols, with the third umpire Ian Gould duly compelled to return to the on-field umpire Marais Erasmus’ original decision of not out. Australia did not lose a review as a result of the course of events. Ian Taylor, head of the New Zealand company Animation Research that provides EagleEye for the broadcaster Channel Nine, said the firm took responsibility for the outcome.”The guys weren’t happy with the first data they got because of a lighting issue so they did a re-track from the video. Unfortunately when they did that the system crashed and they lost the video,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo. “Doing the re-track without the video takes much longer.”They had to let the producer know they weren’t happy with what they had and advised him there was no useable track available at the time. That is part of the protocol and in that case ‘umpire’s call’ stands. They did retrieve the track in the end but it was too late to use, but they did put it to air.”I want to be clear this is our responsibility. We weren’t able to track this ball to a satisfactory standard and said so.”Taylor said this was only the third such occasion that EagleEye operators had needed to indicate they were unhappy with the data they were getting, in an association with cricket in Australia that dates back to the 2010-11 Ashes summer. By contrast, Taylor said that the Marlon Samuels lbw in the first innings of the match – considered by many to be out though tracking had the ball clearing the stumps – was not a source of consternation for the company.”They were happy with it,” Taylor said of the operators at the MCG. “Side-on showed he was on his tip toes and he was hit on the top of the pad. They felt happy with that tracking, based on what the side-on cameras showed.”There are ongoing discussions between technology operators and the ICC about how to further improve the system, including the advent of a specialist third umpires rather than the current rotation between on-field and off-field duty. It is believed that this concept is also supported by the umpires themselves, as they find it difficult to make the adjustment from the instincts required in the middle to the data analysis of the television review job.Taylor is also an advocate for a system of universal DRS training to be undertaken by umpires and technology operators alike, so all are accredited with the same knowledge base and thus have a greater degree of trust in each other. The Holder lbw was discussed between the match referee Chris Broad and officials from both teams following the conclusion of the Test. Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann said his team remained staunch supporters of the system.”You just want them to get it right, that’s all, make sure the technology is up to speed,” Lehmann said. “Everyone loves it, we’re pro it, it’s just making sure they get it right. It was missing leg stump, they handled it well from a match referee/ICC point of view, where we didn’t lose a review, got that back. Making sure it’s working 100% of the time is the key.”

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.

Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel has said the Sri Lanka batsmen should be wary of the Pakistani spinners during the upcoming series

Sa'adi Thawfeeq27-May-2012Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel has said the Sri Lanka batsmen should to be wary of the two Pakistan spinners, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, during the upcoming Twenty20, ODI and Test series.”It is the Pakistani spinners we need to be careful of. Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman are of a different class compared to our spinners. Only Rangana Herath comes anywhere close to them,” De Mel said.Offspinner Ajmal and left-arm spinner Rehman have been at the forefront of Pakistan’s recent successes. The pair took 43 wickets in Pakistan’s 3-0 win over No. 1 ranked England in their last Test series played in the UAE early this year. Ajmal was also the leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets during Sri Lanka’s three-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE last year.”The advantage the Pakistan team has is that it also has batsmen who can be useful bowlers, for instance opener Mohammad Hafeez, who can bowl offbreaks,” he said. “This adds a lot of variety to their attack and balances their team nicely.”Their fast bowlers are quite effective with the reverse swing. That’s another area our batsmen have got to be wary of. Pakistan have mastered the art of reverse swing from the era of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Umar Gul and left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan are very good at using the old ball.”A former fast bowler himself, De Mel said Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers need to develop their skills to master reverse swing, an art that needs a lot of practice to be perfected.Recollecting Sri Lanka’s last Test series against England at home which ended in a 1-1 draw, De Mel said the batsmen needed to put up 400-plus totals in the first innings if Sri Lanka are to have any chance of winning. Sri Lanka’s highest total in that series was 318 in the Galle Test and they failed to go past the 300-run mark in the Colombo Test.”At least three of the top five batsmen need to get a big score if we are to come up with competitive totals. Off the middle-order, two of the three most experienced batsmen must score runs,” De Mel said, referring to the trio of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera who have a combined tally of 25,001 runs and 73 hundreds in Tests.De Mel admitted the middle order had been put under pressure due to the poor starts provided by the openers. Sri Lanka tried Tharanga Paranavitana and Lahiru Thirimanne as opening partners with Tillakaratne Dilshan in the series against South Africa and England, but none of them were able to settle into the role.”I don’t think Thirimanne is an opener. He is good in the middle order. We persisted with him because the previous selection committee had picked him as an opener and we wanted to give Thirimanne a fair chance to prove himself. We are thinking of bringing back Paranavitana to open with Dilshan.”Thirimanne, who has been named in Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 and ODI squads, bats in the middle order in the shorter versions, but is unlikely to be named in the Test squad. In seven Tests in which he has opened the batting, he has only gone past 50 once.When questioned why former Test opener Upul Tharanga is not being considered for the position, De Mel said, “Upul’s technique against the new ball is suspect. He is playing well away from his body and that is why we have decided to bring him down the order in the ODIs and play him in the middle where he has contributed.”There’s, at present, a paucity of quality opening batsmen in the country. We are looking at Dimuth Karunaratne as an opener for the Sri Lanka A tour to South Africa and also wicketkeeper Kushal Janith Perera, who bats at No. 3, as an opener in the limited-overs version.”The Sri Lanka A team is due to tour South Africa and Zimbabwe next month.Another youngster Dinesh Chandimal is likely to be named in the Test squad but will find it difficult to make it into a line-up that comprises Dilshan, Paranavitana, Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews and Prasanna Jayawardene. De Mel added Mathews would be picked purely as a batsman and may bowl occasionally.”Our bowlers are not penetrative enough. To win a Test you need to take 20 wickets. What I have observed about our quick bowlers is that they come at you initially around 135 [kph] but are about ten kilometers (per hour) slower when they return for their second spell. The four to five bowlers in the line-up should all contribute to take wickets.”Predicting a close contest during the Test series, De Mel said the pitches used would play a key role. “The side that performs on the day will hold the advantage. I hope we get some decent wickets with some bounce. We make slow and low wickets and end up losing. The P Sara Oval wicket (where Sri Lanka lost to England) was slow and low and lacked bounce.”Sri Lanka and Pakistan play two Twenty20 matches before the ODIs and Tests. De Mel said the selectors had picked the 14-member squad for the two Twenty20s in Hambantota with an eye on the forthcoming World Twenty20 (which will be hosted by Sri Lanka in September).”We have picked Isuru Udana who is a specialist Twenty20 bowler and legspinning all-rounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi whom we think can be useful in the shorter version.”De Mel said that apart from spinner Ajantha Mendis, who is still recuperating from a back injury and was not considered for selection, Farvez Maharoof and Suranga Lakmal were left out because Nuwan Pradeep and Dilhara Fernando were declared fit.