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Allrounder warns that tourists have yet to produce “complete performance” on tour

Valkerie Baynes17-Jul-2023Australia have rediscovered their mojo, but simply retaining the Ashes is not enough for a world-beating side who have been pushed to their limits by England.The hosts can make it victories in two white-ball series from two if they clinch the final ODI in Taunton on Tuesday, although the best they can do points-wise is to move to equal with Australia on eight, which will mean the overall contest is a draw and the tourists still heading home with the Ashes. Ellyse Perry, whose innings of 91 set Australia up to break a three-game losing streak in the second ODI in Southampton, said that wouldn’t do.”That last game in Taunton is really important to us because I think a few of us have been involved in campaigns where we’ve retained the Ashes, but it’s always nice to win the Ashes so it’s a good challenge for us,” Perry said on Sunday. “It’s the last game so everyone has that in their sights.Related

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“We’ve also probably been chasing a complete performance from the group and that hasn’t come yet. We’ve played patches of really good cricket and today, the way that we fought the whole way through and wrestled back momentum at different stages is one of our better outings on this trip, but I think there’s still a really great opportunity for us to play to our potential. That’s a great carrot and, as I said, to win the Ashes rather than retain them.”In a quick turnaround of just over 48 hours between matches, both sides must overcome the emotion of playing through another nerve-jangling finish after Australia won by three runs on the final ball at the Ageas Bowl, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten century taking England to the brink of another victory that would have kept the series alive.The closeness of the contest was in keeping with the entire series, which has been hard-fought throughout, and Heather Knight, the England captain, said afterwards that victory in the final match would prove there was no longer “a gap” between the sides. Meanwhile, Alana King, the legspinner who turned the game Australia’s way with three key wickets, believes her side is still some distance ahead and keen to show it in Taunton. But Perry has a more nuanced view.”I actually have probably a slightly different look on the gap,” she said. “If you look across the last four or five years, we’ve had lots of really, really close games against different opponents, whether that’s been India or England, New Zealand at times, South Africa. But I think something that probably has been key to those last few years has been the consistency of our play and the ability to find ways to win lots of matches.”So I don’t know if there’s always been a huge gap. I think teams are certainly finding different ways of playing and improving and I think that’s no different for us, so we’ve got to keep evolving and keep improving. But, in terms of gap, I think it’s just that we’ve been really consistent and England have played some really consistent cricket this series so it’s pushed us often and I think we’ve pushed them as well. Hence why it’s been so tight.”Ellyse Perry proved the difference in a tight Southampton ODI•Getty Images

Amy Jones, the England wicketkeeper-batter, first mooted the idea that England were closing on Australia during this series after her explosive innings of 40 not out from 21 balls lifted her side to a respectable total in the first T20I at Edgbaston before the visitors managed to scrape past them by four wickets with just one ball remaining. That was a turning point for the hosts, who went on to win the next three games to claim honours in the T20 leg 2-1 and take a 1-0 lead in the ODIs, as it was the catalyst for England to play with the confidence of a side that knew their opponents were beatable.Australia, in the unfamiliar position of losing a string of close encounters, were forced to change things up and they opted for a four-pronged spin attack for the Ageas Bowl.King, who hadn’t played since Australia’s victory in the Test which opened the series, claimed 3 for 44 while offspinner Ashleigh Gardner – who bagged 12 wickets in the Test – took 3 for 54 and bowled a tight penultimate over before left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen reprised her role of ice-cool death bowler with great success for the third time in four ODIs against England. Jonassen had bowled the last over during the group stage and in the final of last year’s 50-over World Cup, with Sciver-Brunt also scoring a century in each of those games. At Bristol last Wednesday, Knight and Kate Cross managed to get one up on Jonassen as they guided England to victory with 11 balls to spare.Georgia Wareham was their other spinner in Southampton, taking 1 for 47 from her 10 overs, but it was her unbeaten 37 off 14 balls, including 26 runs off Lauren Bell in the final over of Australia’s innings that lifted the total to 282 for 7, asking England to produce their second record ODI run chase in as many matches to win.”It was really deliberate selection decision for us to have the four spinners in the team and they did an amazing job,” Perry said. “For Alana to come in and play a first white-ball game of the series and perform the way she did, Georgia’s been consistent the whole way, Ash is so dependable and then JJ closing out – I’ve just named four of the best spinners in the world there, which is amazing to have at our disposal.”I think what our spinners have done really well is just built constant pressure. I think from a pace group, and it’s something that we’ll keep working on and it presents a really awesome opportunity for us to take our game to a new level, is just to be able to build that consistent pressure. We’ve bowled well in patches at times but often let players off the hook and with England’s aggressive approach to that, especially at the start of their innings, that’s kind of got away from us at different points in time.”That’s why the spin has been so effective, the ability to maintain pressure throughout an over and a spell, and then that’s picked up wickets. As I said ,I think the pace group’s probably been off at different times, but that’s a really exciting thing because if we can get that right then I think there’s a complete game of cricket in us.”

Openers add 287 for first wicket after Will Rhodes’ surprising decision to bowl first

ECB Reporters Network12-May-2022Ricardo Vasconcelos and Will Young racked up a record opening stand after Northamptonshire were put in by Warwickshire in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Edgbaston.The openers stayed together until after tea to add 287 in 64.2 overs and lift their side towards a commanding 372 for two at the close of the first day.Vasconcelos, whose previous seven innings this season had yielded a combined 90 runs, stroked 156 (197 balls, 21 fours, two sixes) before falling to the second ball after tea. New Zealand batter Young scored a polished 134 (230 balls, 16 fours, two sixes), his 13th first class century and first for Northamptonshire.All that Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes could do was rotate his depleted bowling attack and rue his decision to insert. That was a surprising move, especially given that pace spearhead Liam Norwell was again ruled out by injury, so joined England seamers Chris Woakes and Olly Stone on the sidelines.Against a weakened bowling attack, on an excellent batting pitch, Northamptonshire made hay while Rhodes could only digest his ill-fortune in winning the toss.It was soon apparent that the pitch was very good for batting and, to Warwickshire’s dismay, the hazy conditions offered no swing. Olly Hannon-Dalby delivered his customary fine new ball spell (5-4-1-0) but runs then began to arrive steadily.Northamptonshire were on 119, with both batsmen on 51, at lunch, before Vasconcelos accelerated to take them to 287 at tea. The 24-year-old’s first 50 having come from 81 balls, his second took 59 and his third just 53. Young, meanwhile, advanced with quiet authority with neither batter offering a chance in the first two sessions.The breakthrough finally arrived immediately after tea when Nathan McAndrew, making his home debut, trapped Vasconcelos lbw. That ended what was comfortably Northamptonshire’s record opening stand against Warwickshire, overtaking the 176 by Brian Reynolds and Colin Milburn at Northampton in 1964.Young continue to chug along chancelessly until he departed in infuriating fashion when he tickled a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess off Hannon-Dalby.The flurry of two wickets in 18 overs was as good as it got for Warwickshire. Emilio Gay, having spent two sessions waiting to go in next, batted solidly through the final session for 45 in company, for the last hour, with the in-form Luke Procter (17 not out).The visitors will resume tomorrow pretty confident of surpassing their previous record total against Warwickshire (507) and with half an eye on their record total against anyone (781). The Bears will just wish they could have today back again.

The alert is for a section of the Great Southern Stand on December 27 and it has led to further measures for the Sydney Test

Daniel Brettig06-Jan-2021Victorian health officials have called for an entire zone of spectators in the MCG’s Great Southern Stand come forward for testing and quarantine amid fears that a mystery case of Covid-19 may have acquired the virus on the second day of the Boxing Day Test.The case, a man in his 30s who also shopped at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Boxing Day, was seated in Zone 5 of the MCG under its covid-safe protocols – likely entering the ground through gates five or six – between 12.30pm and 3.30pm on December 27, before developing Covid-19 symptoms on January 5.As a result of this case, the New South Wales government has made the wearing of masks mandatory at all times for the crowd at the SCG Test except when eating and drinking although the game will continue with a crowd at 25% capacity. Anyone who attended the MCG at the date and time of the alert is banned from attending the Sydney Test. There had already been a ban on people attending from certain suburbs of Sydney based on the outbreaks in the city.”Based on the information available from the case, the man in his 30s, was not infectious while at the sites, but there is potential he acquired the virus while there,” the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “The man developed symptoms on 30 December and the department was notified of his positive test on 5 January. Given he has not visited any high-risk Victorian exposure sites or travelled to New South Wales, a number of acquisition sources are being investigated.”The man was present at the MCG on 27 December, the second day of the Boxing Day test and is currently isolating. He was not infectious when he attended and is not linked to any other case or to the Black Rock Restaurant Outbreak. The MCG is being investigated as a potential source for the infection.Health authorities asked for anyone who had been present in the affected zone of the MCG to get tested. “We’re encouraging anyone who was in The Great Southern Stand, zone 5 of the MCG between 12.30pm and 3.30pm on 27 December, to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.”A Covid-safe event plan was in place for the match and the ticketing allocation system in place has enabled effective contact tracing. The venue also utilised the Victorian Government’s QR code system in an additional measure to support contact tracing.”The department is working with Melbourne Cricket Club to contact ticket holders in the relevant area directly and to ensure that all relevant public health actions have been undertaken.”Announcing the updated masks requirement for the SCG, NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said: “From the moment effectively you get into the transport to get there, and get into the queue at the front door of the SCG, and go to your seat, and sit in the your seat, you must wear a mask.”The only exception to that [is] if you’re eating or drinking. Obviously, Dr Chant and the public health team want people to enjoy a day at the cricket, but it’s a Covid day at the cricket and that means mask on, not mask off, unless you’re eating or drinking, in which case you can have your mask off.”Australia captain Tim Paine was asked whether he believed continuing the Sydney Test with even a reduced crowd was safe as cases of community transmission continued to be recorded in New South Wales, but he deferred to those with more knowledge of the situation.”It’s not really an area I can control or worry too much about. People who are in control of making these decisions [are] at government level,” Paine said. “There’s health experts, high level people at Cricket Australia and they’re all working as hard as they possibly can to do the best thing.”Obviously we want to get people in the gates, give people a chance to come in and watch international cricket and if they’re saying the safe number is 10,000 then I certainly can’t question that. Don’t have a medical background so we trust that the people who are in those positions are making the right decisions by us and the communities. We’ll go with whatever we’re told at this stage.”

Half-centuries from Josh Cobb, Adam Rossington and Dwaine Pretorius seal seven-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2019Josh Cobb, Adam Rossington and Dwaine Pretorius powered Northamptonshire to a consolation victory at Wantage Road to deny Worcestershire a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast. Northants chased 189 to win by seven wickets with seven balls to spare.Cobb’s 62 in 32 balls, Rossington’s 54 from 30 and an unbeaten 50 in 36 deliveries from Pretorius saw Northants end another disappointing campaign with victory. It forced Worcestershire into an away tie at Sussex in the last eight when a win would have been good enough to secure the match at New Road courtesy of Nottinghamshire’s heavy defeat to Durham.The Northants batting has struggled this tournament but they enjoyed themselves on a true wicket with Cobb playing a fine captain’s innings. The required rate had climbed to 10.7 at the half-way point but Cobb responded with four sixes in an over from Ed Barnard, the best of them a slog-sweep that sailed out of the ground.Rossington’s early striking was just as impressive. He advanced at Dillion Pennington to heave six over square leg before dancing down next ball to swing another maximum over long-on. A third six was sent flat over extra-cover in the fourth over before Rossington flat-batted four more through the off side and pulled Moeen Ali to the fence as Northants made 65 in the Powerplay for the loss of Richard Levi, stumped to Moeen’s first ball for 16.But after the first six overs, Rossington lifted Barnard into the hands of long-on and four overs went for only 16 runs. Cobb’s onslaught then revived the hosts.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Pretorius completed the chase. He struggled to 8 from 19 balls before picking up the task when 40 were needed from 30 balls. He pulled Daryl Mitchell for a flat six over square leg, repeated the trick against Pat Brown before delicately late cutting Brown for four over short third man in the 19th over as Northants coasted home.Worcestershire’s 188 for 5 was built around brisk innings from Moeen, Riki Wessels and Ben Cox after Hamish Rutherford holed out to deep midwicket for 19 in the third over.Moeen bided his time before pulling Blessing Muzarabani almost for six over midwicket and flicking Pretorius for another boundary past short-fine leg. He skipped down to lift Graeme White’s first ball over extra-cover for four more before finding his six-hitting range.His first was a pull off Nathan Buck that went flat over deep square. A second strike against Buck carried long-on before he took took White for consecutive sixes into the Ken Turner Stand – the second a colossal hit that landed on the roof – as he passed fifty in 28 balls before clipping Pretorius to deep midwicket.Wessels struck his first boundary with forearm jab against Buck before cutting Pretorius for four. Consecutive sixes, picked up over the leg side, off Faheem Ashraf left Worcestershire 119 for 2 after 12 overs. But like Moeen, Wessels holed out to deep midwicket when well set and when Ross Whiteley swept and missed at Rob Keogh to be bowled for just 2, the visitors were 135 for 4 in the 15th.Ben Cox swept two boundaries off White and drove and cut Muzarabani for fours either side of a leg side heave over square leg for six. Barnard then hammered two straight fours from Buck in the penultimate over but Ashraf nailed his yorkers to only concede five from the final set.

Leicestershire remain on course to win three consecutive championship matches for the first time in 20 years

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018
ScorecardLeicestershire are strong favourites to win three consecutive championship matches for the first time in 20 years after setting Middlesex a fourth innings target of 381 to win their match at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.Increasingly variable bounce on the previously used pitch, evident throughout the Leicestershire second innings, makes it an even tougher prospect for the 2016 county champions.It was also a huge factor in the fall of the second last wicket of an absorbing day’s cricket, when Middlesex opener Sam Robson, having batted impressively in going to 31, received a delivery from Gavin Griffiths that both seamed back in and stayed horribly low to pin him leg before wicket.The dismissal broke a partnership of 51 between Robson and Steve Eskinazi, who came together after just three balls of the innings, when Max Holden had edged a Ben Raine delivery which both lifted and left him outside off-stump.Had Eskinazi and skipper Dawid Malan been together at the close, there would still have been real hope for the visitors, but with eight balls remaining in the day, Malan pressed forward to Raine and edged to wicketkeeper Hill to leave his team still needing 299 runs with just seven wickets in hand.The tone of a day which saw Middlesex show real spirit after conceding a huge first innings lead of 194 was set by Middlesex seamers Tim Murtagh and James Harris. Murtagh, having taken 5 for 52 in Leicestershire’s first innings, conceded just 14 runs in bowling 13 consecutive overs from the Bennett End, and with Harris almost equally parsimonious from the Pavilion End, Leicestershire opener Harry Dearden faced 71 balls in scoring just six runs before edging Murtagh to the wicketkeeper.By then Harris had bowled Colin Ackermann, scorer of 196 not out in the first innings for just 3, and when a disbelieving Mark Cosgrove went leg before to the occasional offspin of Holden, Leicestershire were struggling, the more so when Harris bowled Hill with a delivery which seamed back in.A stand of 50 between Raine and Neil Dexter gave Leicestershire’s innings a modicum of impetus, but Dexter will want to quickly forget his dismissal, wandering out of his crease after bottom edging a Murtagh delivery along the ground to wicketkeeper Simpson. The alert Simpson rolled the ball back on to the stumps, and Dexter, not attempting a single, had indeed been stumped.Leicestershire’s tail, as has regularly been the case this season, made useful contributions to drag the score up to 186, with Murtagh finishing with 3 for 27, and overall match figures of 8 for 79.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches played on May 9, 2017

Mohammad Isam09-May-2017A rain interruption in the 21st over of Gazi Group Cricketers‘ chase meant they defeated Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 24 runs via the DLS method, and maintain their four-point lead on the Dhaka Premier Division League points table.Sohag Gazi had bowled five balls with Gazi Group 114 for 2 in their chase of 233 when play had to be stopped at the BKSP-4 Ground. When play was finally called off at 4.50pm, Gazi Group were 23 runs ahead of the par score.No. 3 Mominul Haque clobbered seven fours enroute to his 45-ball 46, while opener Jahurul Islam remained unbeaten on 49 off 56 balls. Their 68-run partnership for the second wicket took them close to the revised target of 91, after Gazi removed Anamul Haque in the sixth over.Earlier, Dhanmondi Club scored 232 for 9 in 43 overs after rain interrupted their innings. Fazle Mahmud (38) and Prashant Chopra (35) added 62 for the second wicket before they fell on consecutive deliveries. Tanbir Hayder subsequently steered the innings with his 57 off 54 balls. For Gazi Group, all six bowlers used were among the wickets, with Abu Hider and Mahedi Hasan bagging two apiece.Events at the adjacent BKSP-3 Ground were predictably similar with the DLS method facilitating a 17-run victory for Brothers Union over Kalabagan Krira Chakra.Kalabagan’s decision to bat found little validation from their line-up as no batman managed to get into the thirties. While run-outs sent openers Mehrab Hossain jnr (28) and Jashimuddin (25) back, Brothers Unions’ pair of Nihaduzzaman and Manvinder Bisla took five wickets between them, with Bisla dismissing three lower-order batsmen. Nuruzzaman and Muktar Ali’s sixth-wicket partnership of 48 runs guided Kalabagan towards 150 before they folded for 171 in the 43rd over.Brothers Union reached 82 for 1 in 22.2 overs when rain interrupted play, with Junaid Siddique (38) and Bisla (31) having added 70 runs, ensuring their side was 17 runs ahead of the par score.Rain didn’t spare the contest between Prime Bank Cricket Club and Partex Sporting Club at the KSOA Stadium in Fatullah either. Similar to the other two games, the chasing side, Prime Bank, ended up playing more than 20 overs, and won the game by a 37-run margin.Prime Bank had raced to 114 for no loss in 24 overs, after their target was reset to 175 in 40 overs due to a rain interruption. Openers Mehedi Maruf and Zakir Hasan sored 52 and 55 respectively.Earlier, Partex were bowled out for 192 in 46.2 overs with Jony Talukdar top-scoring with 69 off 86 balls. He peppered six fours and two sixes and shared a 78-run opening stand with Jatin Saxena (40). Asif Ahmed’s dismissal of Talukdar in the 29th over triggered a collapse, with Partex losing four wickets for 14 runs. While Asif finished with 2 for 34 from his 10 overs, Nazmul Islam dented the lower order to return figures of 3 for 23 from seven overs.

Glamorgan’s new head coach Robert Croft will aim to fire the passions of a new crop of promising young professionals

David Hopps30-Mar-2016Coach: Robert Croft
Captain: Jacques Rudolph
Last season
In: Craig Meschede (Somerset), Nick Selman, Timm van der Gugten (Dutch passport), Harry Podmore (Middlesex, loan)
Out: Ben Wright (retired)
Overseas: Jacques Rudolph2015 in a nutshell
Glamorgan’s surprise promotion challenge petered out in the Championship – ultimately nobody scored 1000 runs or took 50 wickets – but fourth place still felt like a county punching above its weight. There were few signs, too, that Glamorgan were about to turn Cardiff into a T20 venue to be reckoned with. The outcome was that Toby Radford left as head coach after two years to return to a role of specialist batting coach.2016 prospects
Chief executive Hugh Morris has reduced debts from £16m to less than £5m since returning to Glamorgan, where he was one of 10 homegrown players (plus Waqar Younis) who won the Championship in 1997. Welsh fervour is back in fashion with Robert Croft appointed head coach four years after he called time on a 23-year career. There is much work to do stirring the passions of south Wales and Croft will be grateful to inherit a promising crop of young players, batsmen especially. Craig Meschede is a good signing and Harry Podmore has six matches to make a Championship impact before his loan from Middlesex ends, but the task is a big one.Key player
Graham Wagg, at 32, can look back on a career with some ups and downs but 2015 was one of his best with 838 Championship runs – including a double century against Surrey – and 45 wickets, second to Michael Hogan. A repeat would make Croft’s job much easier as he tries to introduce a more settled approach.Bright young thing
Aneurin Donald was named after the great Welsh politician Aneurin Bevan, architect of the National Health Service, so he should have just the attributes to return Glamorgan to rude health. Donald’s career is still in its infancy – he was not even a regular pick in England’s U-19 World Cup side – but every sign of development for this young batsman will be lapped up.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Morris has stoutly suggested that promotion is a possibility, but with only one side going up it is hard to agree with him. Signs that Cardiff is embracing T20 would be a breakthrough.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 2: 10/1; NatWest Blast n/a; Royal London Cup 25/1

If anyone in the England camp takes a look at the scorecard from this game, it will be noted that Chris Tremlett, who missed out on selection for the fifth Test at The Oval

Les Smith at Chester-le-Street22-Aug-2013
ScorecardScott Borthwick is Durham’s leading run-scorer in first-class cricket this season after making his third hundred•Getty Images

If anyone in the England camp takes a look at the scorecard from this game, it will be noted that Chris Tremlett, who missed out on selection for the fifth Test at The Oval, was the only name to feature in the Surrey wickets column. A five-for kept his team in touch against Durham and will provide further grist for those questioning England’s decision-making.That the home side were not too inconvenienced by Tremlett was largely down to the efforts of Scott Borthwick, a local lad who made his third first-class century of the season. England may well be interested in that, too.Durham is a proudly local county cricket club. Every time an outsider visits Chester-le-Street the sense of community and the bond between supporters and players is tangible.The man who leads them in their cricket, Geoff Cook, Durham’s first captain in first-class cricket and now their coach, is a Middlesbrough native. Cook is recovering from a heart attack but the spirit he brought to the club after a career with Northamptonshire and England pervades the place. His captain, Paul Collingwood, born in Shotley Bridge, has been playing for them long enough now to be termed a stalwart, and nobody in Durham will hear a word said against him.Borthwick and Will Smith, another who warrants acceptance as an adopted son, provided the runs that gave Durham cause for satisfaction at the end of a day which started with Surrey winning the toss and putting the opposition in. Whether Collingwood would have made the same decision as Gareth Batty had the coin landed the other way up is debatable, as his side entered the fixture with a depleted seam attack.Borthwick, who has been capped three times in limited-overs cricket, is a Sunderland boy and Smith, while born in Bedfordshire, was educated at Durham University. Between them they contributed 222 runs to Durham’s effort. Borthwick came to the wicket in the second over of the match after Tremlett had castled Mark Stoneman. Five hours later he had a hundred and until he was dismissed for 135 he never looked remotely vulnerable. He was tidy, compact, and seized on the loose ball to register 21 boundaries.Smith joined Borthwick after a tumbling slip catch by Zander de Bruyn saw off a promising innings by Keaton Jennings, who added 69 with Borthwick. Then the pair dug in and built a partnership of 183 in a little over 50 overs. Smith fell 13 runs short of a century and Borthwick followed him just before the close of play.Borthwick’s innings leaps off the scorecard but look further down it and you find the other outstanding contribution. Tremlett might not have been expecting to play in this game, but he was released by England and made his way up the A1. His presence in the side might well have influenced Batty’s decision to bowl first but, while the outcome at the end of the day might have disappointed, his faith in his bowler was justified.Tremlett took all five wickets to fall, bowling off 17 precisely calibrated steps before leaping into a colossal delivery stride. His accuracy rarely wavered, as evidenced by an economy rate of 2.31 and the modes of dismissal: one bowled, two lbw, and two caught behind the wicket. It was a joy to watch and he will be a potent asset for England in Australia in the winter – though some will wonder if he could have been as effective in south London this week.

Daryl Mitchell hit a well earned century as bottom-of-the-table Worcestershire attempted to ease the threat of relegation

28-Aug-2012Worcestershire 295 for 8 (Mitchell 129*, Kervezee 55) v Middlesex
ScorecardToby Roland-Jones was the main wicket threat for Middlesex•Middlesex CCC

Daryl Mitchell hit a well earned century as bottom-of-the-table Worcestershire attempted to ease the threat of relegation on the first day of their Division One match against Middlesex at New Road. Worcestershire’s captain made 129 not out to help lift his side to 295 for 8 at stumps.It was Mitchell’s second Championship century of the season and came off a stately 273 balls. He put on 114 in 38 overs for the fourth wicket with Alexei Kervezee, who made 55 on his return to first team action for Worcestershire – who dropped Surrey-bound Vikram Solanki and wicketkeeper Ben Scott for this contest.After being put in, Mitchell’s men made an aggressive start to their innings thanks mainly to Phil Hughes, who darted to 34, including six fours off 28 balls, before being comfortably caught at deep fine leg by Ravi Patel off Toby Roland-Jones.Hughes’ departure signalled the start of a decline in Worcestershire’s run-rate. They reached 50 in the 14th over, which saw Roland-Jones strike again to trap Matt Pardoe leg before wicket. Roland-Jones then accounted for Moeen Ali for a duck to finish his opening spell with impressive figures of 8-3-17-3.Opener Mitchell and Alexei Kervezee, making his first Championship appearance for four months following a loss of form and injury, then steadied the ship to take Worcestershire to 104 for 3 at lunch.Mitchell continued to make healthy progress after the interval and completed his half-century with five fours off 128 balls. Kervezee rode his luck on a couple of occasions before his well crafted partnership with Mitchell topped the three-figure mark.The 22-year-old completed his first 50 in first-team cricket this season before a loose uppish drive against Neil Dexter led to him being easily caught at mid-on by Roland-Jones. Neil Pinner fell to spinner Patel before Mitchell went in at tea on 71 not out.Shortly after the break the hosts picked up the first of two precious bonus points before Joe Leach was yorked by Steven Crook. Young wicketkeeper Ben Cox, making his first Championship appearance for Worcestershire for 16 months, was then removed by Tim Murtagh before Mitchell completed the 12th first-class century of his career in nearly five-and-a-half hours.Roland-Jones took his wicket haul to four by ousting Gareth Andrew but Mitchell ended the day unbeaten and with a further batting point just around the corner.

Collins Obuya, the 29-year-old batsman, has been named Kenya’s new captain in the latest of a series of moves aimed at revitalising Kenyan cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2011Collins Obuya, the 29-year-old batsman, has been named Kenya’s new captain in the latest of a series of moves aimed at revitalising Kenyan cricket. Jimmy Kamande was removed from the captaincy after Kenya’s woeful performance in the 2011 World Cup, after which a performance review was conducted by Cricket Kenya.They then excluded four of their senior players – Kamande, Peter Ongondo, Thomas Odoyo and former captain Maurice Ouma – from the list of contracted players for the next year. Obuya was one of the few seniors to survive the shake-up and was named captain a day after Kenya announced New Zealander Mike Hesson as their new coach.Obuya was one of the few bright sparks for Kenya during the World Cup, during which they lost all their six group-stage matches. He scored a half-century against Sri Lanka and a 98 not out against Australia, and was Kenya’s leading run-getter in the tournament. Obuya originally hit the headlines for his legspin bowling with which he picked up 13 wickets during Kenya’s run to the semi-final of the 2003 World Cup. After struggling with his bowling thereafter, he has turned himself into a top-order batsman who bowls a bit.Hesson and Obuya’s first assignment as the new leaders of the Kenya team will be two limited-overs games and a four-day Intercontinental Cup game against United Arab Emirates. The first 50-over match is on July 25.Kenya Cricket chief-executive Tom Sears said Obuya’s performances at the World Cup were one of the reasons for his being named captain. “Collins is now an extremely experienced and accomplished player who can set the standards on and off the field,” Sears said. “He has demonstrated at the World Cup what can be achieved by Kenyan players on the international stage, and as captain he has a big role to play in taking the national team forward.”Kenya’s new list of contracted players includes several young players and Obuya said he was looking forward to leading them. “We have some very good players and some very talented ones coming through our system,” he said. “It is an exciting time to captain a developing team, and work with our new coach Mike Hesson and chairman of selectors Alpesh Vadher.”