He revealed that the PCB was mulling a policy to ensure players remain available for Pakistan across formats

Umar Farooq17-Dec-2019Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s head coach and chief selector, has criticised fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz for the timing of their retirements from Test cricket. He revealed that the PCB was mulling a policy to ensure that players remain available to play for Pakistan across formats.Amir gave up Tests in July, in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career, for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world. Wahab followed suit in September, taking an “indefinite break” from red-ball cricket, including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s domestic first-class tournament.While Wahab was 34 when he made his decision, Amir was only 27.The loss of the two experienced left-arm quicks has left Pakistan in a situation where they have been forced to rebuild their pace attack with young and inexperienced options including three teenagers in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Muhammad Musa.”We are thinking deeply on these lines, and we will make a policy on this very soon,” Misbah said, referring to the loss of experience from Pakistan’s pace stocks. “Going forward this might become a problem for Pakistan, because when you invest so much in the players, on their development, and expect them to give back, they leave the game and it’s not the right way to go about it. Your resources are consumed for their development and we need a certain policy to make sure players should be available for Pakistan first.”Amir’s case stands out in particular, both for his age and the fact that he enjoyed immense support from the board and the team management during his reintegration following a five-year ban for spot-fixing. He ended his Test career with 119 wickets in 36 Tests at an average of 30.47. His Test career was split into two parts. From his debut as a 17-year-old in July 2009 to the start of his five-year ban, he played 14 Tests, picking up 51 wickets at 29.09. After his return in July 2016, he played 22 Tests, taking 68 wickets at 31.51.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions ahead of Pakistan’s recent tour of Australia about asking Amir to reconsider his Test retirement, but the plan didn’t go through.Pakistan are currently sixth on the World Test Championship table with 20 points, earned from the drawn Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka. Before that, they lost 2-0 in Australia, in the first Test series under Misbah’s management.It has not been the smoothest start to Misbah’s time as coach-cum-selector, but he identified a few positives to have emerged nonetheless.”The biggest plus for us is Babar Azam and our batting, the way we responded in Australia overall,” Misbah said. “His hundred in Rawalpindi and his overall shift from white-ball cricket to red is an important positive for Pakistan at this stage. And at the same time we’ve got a younger bowling attack. The way Shaheen and Naseem are bowling, consistently hitting 140-plus [kph] in good areas. They have ample time in their careers to develop into match-winners. They have played very little cricket so far, but will improve with every passing day.”

A see-sawing game went overtime as the young England allrounder raised his game to another level

Tristan Lavalette28-Dec-2019
Sixers won the Super Over by 1 runA starring all-round performance from Tom Curran propelled the Sydney Sixers to a thrilling victory over crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder in the first Super Over decider this BBL season.Moises Henriques scored 14 of the Sixers’ 16 runs in the Super Over, which proved just enough as the Thunder fell one run short in reply with Curran holding his nerve with the ball.Tom Curran has a knack for thriving in pressure situations•Getty Images

In the Sixers’ nerve-jangling chase of 150, Thunder held sway throughout before a late flurry from Curran (35 from 17 balls) almost single-handedly forced extra time of the Sydney Smash.The Sixers (3-2) won their second straight game, while the Thunder lost for the first time this season.Hales explodes before Thunder slideMuch of the Thunder batting is built around the opening partnership of the explosive Alex Hales and elegant Usman Khawaja, who was mainly a spectator with the Englishman providing the early pyrotechnics.Hales smashed 27 inside the opening three overs, including five boundaries and an audacious swivelled six off a stunned Ben Dwarshuis. Khawaja joined the party with a smoked six over the small midwicket boundary off Jackson Bird, who was having a tougher time than his brilliant season debut on Boxing Day.The Sixers desperately needed a breakthrough and Sean Abbott came through with his first legal delivery, as Khawaja fell for 16. Abbott caused problems by cleverly changing his pace and was unlucky not to have removed Hales on several occasions.With his earlier momentum halted, a frustrated Hales holed out to Curran immediately after the Powerplay as the Sixers impressively clawed back into the contest.The Thunder’s slide continued when spinner Lloyd Pope’s wrong ‘un lured a struggling Matthew Gilkes out of his crease to be stumped. Having lost 3 for 6, Callum Ferguson and Alex Ross needed to consolidate in the middle overs.Callum Ferguson raises his bat•Getty Images

Ferguson plays lone hand as Pope shinesThe Thunder scored only 24 runs between overs five and 11 as Lloyd Pope, with his crop of red hair standing out, took charge with a menacing concoction of loop and wrong ‘uns.Finally managing to get hold of Pope, Ross showcased beautiful foot work and hit the legspinner over cover for six. Other than that, the batsmen mainly worked the ball around in a bid to leave wickets intact at the end.The partnership ticked past fifty before Ross decided to change gears in the 15th over as he targeted Curran. It worked a treat initially when he smashed a six over long-on before holing out two balls later to a superb diving catch to Abbott.Pope finished a mesmerising spell (3-23) by bowling Chris Green with another precise wrong ‘un. Having initially stymied the Thunder, Curran fittingly provided the finishing touches (2-23) as the Thunder fell short of their desired total despite a fifty from Ferguson. Having won the toss and decided to bat, he wouldn’t have been pleased his side could only get 37 runs in the last five overs and finish on 8 for 149.Thunder chip away at SixersWith James Vince missing due to a mishap before play, the Sixers’ rejigged batting opened with Hayden Kerr alongside Josh Philippe. The Thunder needed early wickets and Ferguson backed his spin-heavy attack with Jonathan Cook clean bowling Kerr in the first over.Philippe was uncharacteristically subdued, but Daniel Hughes showcased sublime touch to race to 27 off 16 balls inside the Powerplay. Philippe just couldn’t get going and was trapped lbw by Chris Morris after falling across his stumps.Is that going for six? Oh wow, it is!•Getty Images

Henriques was the key wicket but he continued his hot form, highlighted by clubbing Green into the second tier. Green had better success against Hughes though, knocking over his leg stump.The wicket out of seemingly nowhere left the contest evenly poised, but then tilted towards the Thunder when Jordan Silk was brilliantly run-out by a direct hit from Green at long-on. The Sixers were 4 for 72 with half the innings still left to play.Curran’s heroics ensures tieKnowing the chase likely rested on his shoulders, Henriques nudged the ball around to ensure the run-rate didn’t spiral out of control. Jack Edwards provided some valuable support in a stabilising 38-run partnership until holing out in the 17th over.It meant the Sixers needed a difficult 40 off the final 21 balls. Curran, who batted brilliantly in the death against the Perth Scorchers, hit boundaries off his first three deliveries to change the momentum.The game flipped again when Henriques fell in the 18th over, deceived by a slower Daniel Sams delivery. Needing 16 off the final over, Curran smashed a six off Chris Tremain’s first delivery and then hit a boundary off the penultimate one to inch the Sixers within two runs. In a dramatic finish, Curran was caught short of his ground after attempting the second match-winning run.Henriques stars in the Super OverCurran couldn’t replicate his batting heroics in the Super Over as he fell first ball to Morris. Henriques recovered the situation with two extraordinary scooped shots – the second going over the third man boundary – to score 14 of the Sixers’ 16 runs.Khawaja and Hales could only muster five runs off Curran’s first four balls before the right-hander smashed a six to ensure the match came down to the last ball. Hales hit a boundary but the Thunder fell agonisingly short.

The series will also be the first big one for both teams in the year of the T20 World Cup later this year, with over 20 matches to go for each

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit23-Jan-20205:39

Bangar: Understanding ground dimensions key in NZ

Big Picture

New Zealand must be hurting and how. The last time they took the field they had been thrashed 3-0 in the Tests in Australia, and the last time they played a T20I, it ended in, well, a Super Over loss to England. New Zealand were leading that five-match T20I series 2-1 and even though they handed England an innings loss in the Test series later, crossing the Tasman Sea after that dented their confidence considerably. Now, New Zealand face a stiff opposition in India to end their home summer before landing in Australia again for three ODIs.ALSO READ: Tim Southee backs New Zealand to bounce back after Australia setbackThe India series will be “huge” for them, as selector Gavin Larsen said, to work out a few things: a best XI with several players injured and how to restore their reputation. First, they will draw confidence from the fact that they had beaten India 2-1 in the T20Is last year, with a similar bowling attack that is to play in the coming series. The hosts have recalled Hamish Bennett, who last played an international in 2017, to join Tim Southee, Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn in the pace attack, with Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi making up the spin department. Where are the rest? Well, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry are all injured. Another worry for them will be Santner’s form, as he picked only one wicket in four Test innings in Australia. A different format, though, could do it for the left-arm spinner who took his best T20I figures – 4 for 11 – against India, in 2016.There’s more experience to fall back on in the batting department, with Kane Williamson, who returns after missing the T20Is against England, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor and Colin Munro making the top and middle order.The series will also be the first big one for both teams in the year of the T20 World Cup later this year, with over 20 matches to go for each.India are also without a few injured players – Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar – but their depth in reserves has hardly ever been stronger. They will have their tails up after drubbing Sri Lanka 2-0 in T20Is and fighting back formidably against a full-strength Australia to win 2-1 in the ODIs. They have a settled bowling line-up with four quicks, two spinners and three allrounders to choose from. With Samson replacing Dhawan in the 16-man squad, it remains to be seen if he and Pandey will get a chance if Rishabh Pant gets to play as wicketkeeper and KL Rahul plays purely as a batsman.

Form guide

New Zealand TLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWLW

In the spotlight

Hamish Bennett will be in line to make his T20I debut with 17 international games to his name already. In the absence of New Zealand’s main frontline quicks, Bennett now has a big task ahead against India’s batting line-up that doesn’t have as much experience in the lower-middle order. Bennett could use his pace, bounce and variations in the middle or end overs to dent India’s progress towards a big total. Bennett comes on the back of figures of 3 for 34 against Auckland in the Super Smash final, New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament, in which he finished as the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps from 11 games, and an economy rate of 7.20.ALSO READ: Firebird Hamish Bennett ready for his New Zealand rebirthVirat Kohli and Kane Williamson pose with the T20I series trophy•Blackcapsnz/Instagram

With Pandya not returning to international cricket anytime soon, India need to have his solid back-up for the T20 World Cup. They are carrying three allrounders – Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar – and it will be a good trial for both Dube and Washington in New Zealand conditions after India played their recent games at home. Both Dube and Washington could play in the XI and India need to assess if they will need a batting or a bowling allrounder more in Australia later this year.ALSO READ: India have missed a trick with their allrounder strategy, writes Aakash Chopra

Team news

Ross Taylor said on Tuesday the injuries in their camp has given the fringe players a chance to stake a claim for spots. New Zealand have a fairly stable top half which sees Williamson’s returns. It might mean they will have to pick one of Colin de Grandhomme and Daryl Mitchell for No. 6.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Colin de Grandhomme/Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Scott Kuggeleijn, 11 Hamish BennettIndia played only five bowling options in their last T20I against Sri Lanka, but may now have to pick a sixth on a high-scoring Eden Park. Virat Kohli said on the eve of the match that making KL Rahul keep in T20Is too will give them “a lot more balance” to play another batsman. In that case, they can accommodate Manish Pandey at No. 5 and two allrounders at Nos. 6 and 7 out of Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Shivam Dube 7 Washinton Sundar/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

Auckland is where the Super Over was played against England recently, with both teams scoring at over 13 an over in a rain-curtailed match. A cloud cover and some drizzle is expected in the morning and evening which could affect the 7.50pm local time start. With no heavy rain expected, we should get a game even if with reduced overs.

Stats and trivia

• With legspinner Adam Zampa coming into focus against Kohli in the recent ODIs, New Zealand will probably want to bowl Ish Sodhi to him early. Sodhi has a decent record against India, having dismissed Kohli and Rohit once each: he has taken 11 wickets in seven innings, averaging 16.18 with an economy rate of 7.73
• Ross Taylor is batting too low to play an anchor role in this format. He has primarily batted at No. 5 for New Zealand since 2018, but at a strike rate of just 119.40, he is scoring slow for that position. Among 31 batsmen to score 100 or more runs batting at No. 5 or lower in T20Is since 2018, Taylor’s strike rate of 125.80 is 10th worst (there are 21 other batsmen that score faster than he does).

Quotes

“Honestly, even if you think of revenge, these guys are so nice you can’t get into that. We get along really well with all these guys.”

Quick who helped SA get their T20 series against Australia back on track reveals the importance of music in his life

Firdose Moonda24-Feb-2020When Kagiso Rabada earned his fourth active demerit point in a 24-month period and was suspended from the final Test against England last month, his father sent him a little something to make him feel better and it’s not what you might expect.”I sent him a song about the ICC. To cheer him up,” Dr Mpho Rabada said, at the launch of his new track, , a collaboration with family friend and music student Motswedi Modiba at the Red Bull Studios in Cape Town.The song was inspired by the idea of being able to take flight and its message of positivity is quite unlike the one Rabada senior composed on the fly when he heard that his son had fallen foul of the game’s governing body again. Neither of the Rabadas would share the content but Mpho Rabada said it was “quite hilarious,” and hoped that “maybe one day,” his son would release it. Judging by the look on Kagiso Rabada’s face it will be a long time before that happens. But, asked if he could sing something to the ICC, Rabada brightened up and offered a few chords. “Please don’t judge me,” he started, before the room gave way to giggles.At least everyone could see the lighter side of what has been a tough summer for South African cricket and Kagiso Rabada, who, at 24 years old, is already five years into his international career. In that time, injuries to more experienced quicks meant that he was quickly elevated to leader of the pack while he was trying to find a level of aggression that intimidated opposition but did not tip him over the ICC’s code of conduct edge.Kagiso Rabada roars in celebration after bowling Joe Root•Marco Longari/AFP/Getty

It’s little wonder he needs an outlet off the field and he has found it on the turntables. “Music has always been a part of me and my family. It’s something to get away and just think about something else,” Rabada Jnr said.His father shares a passion for the beat and the pair spend time together experimenting with sounds, mixing tracks and seeing what happens. That’s where Modiba comes in. She is the daughter of Mpho Rabada’s best friend and an aspiring singer, who is influenced by gospel music. While Modiba and Mpho have taken the step up and released a single, Kagiso has been working with DJ Da Capo on some house music, which the pair have yet to put the finishing touches on, given their busy schedules.So for now, music remains a hobby for Kagiso Rabada, and a motivator as he goes about trying to get the South African team and his own performances back on track. Like many sportsmen, he can be spotted with headphones on when he gets off the team bus; most of the time, he is listening to traditional tunes. “For me to get inspiration, that comes from tribal music, African tribal. That gets me going, the different sounds, the chants, it’s like I am bonding with my ancestors,” he said.With music such an important part of his process, it’s not a surprise that he bonds with the crowd at St George’s Park, famed for their brass band. Last Sunday, when South Africa beat Australia in a tense T20 to square the series and Rabada bowled a decisive penultimate over, he could feel the fans acting as a 12th man.”The atmosphere was really electric. That was the first time in a while where I actually felt the crowd, other than being at the Wanderers,” he said. “The Wanderers is my favourite ground because of the electrical atmosphere. Yesterday was similar to what I felt at the Wanderers, it was a sell-out and the band came out and we were in it together.”Singer Motswedi Modiba, Kagiso Rabada and his father, Dr Mpho Rabada, at the launch of a new music track by Modiba and Rabada Snr•Firdose Moonda/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That is a rarity in South Africa, especially this season, when most of the spectators were traveling English supporters. During the white-ball games that changed, with capacity crowds of mostly local supporters and it is set to stay that way for the deciding T20 against Australia on Wednesday and the three ODIs that follow.Generally, though, South Africans don’t fill out cricket grounds and Kagiso Rabada thinks the team’s performances have something to do with it. “We have to win and we have to entertain the crowd,” he said “People need to feel an interest towards the game, even more of an interest than they feel already, to want to go the stadium and witness international cricket. If they realise that the skill level is going up, the professionalism is going up and they are going to be entertained, they might come.”Though South Africa’s results have been poor of late, even when they were No.1 in the world Test crowds were thin, which could be attributed to anything from lack of interest to lack of time to lack of marketing. Cricket South Africa has been embroiled in various crises since the failed T20 Global League almost three years ago and has lost major sponsors. At best, they have appeared out of touch with their audience, at worst, uninterested.Kagiso Rabada spent time last week experiencing the opposite when he traveled to the NBA All-Star game. While his highlight was seeing LeBron James because he “admires watching other sportsmen doing well in their craft,” he also saw first-hand how a sport can speak the same language as its supporters.”What fascinated me the most was how it’s marketed and how it’s really fresh and they keep with the times,” he said. “It’s got everybody talking about it. It doesn’t have an age barrier. If you are older, you can go there and feel young because that energy is electrifying. Music and sport go together in America, the in-thing is trap music and the hip culture. It just feels as if the culture is so inviting and they are always staying on top of it. There is tradition, yes but they keep with the times.”Sounds like a message to cricket to get the DJs in and they know the Rabada household has a few they can start with.

The Islamabad United captain hit 77 off 42 balls in what was shaping up to be an exciting game before its damp finish

The Report by Peter Della Penna07-Mar-2020How the game played outShadab Khan’s sizzling 77 off 42 balls vaulted him into second place on the PSL top scorers list for 2020, but the Islamabad United captain’s knock was in vain as rain arrived with Peshawar Zalmi seven runs ahead of the DLS par score at the nine-over mark of their chase, taking the fizz out of what was shaping up to be an exciting game in Rawalpindi.Khan partnered with the two Colin’s, Munro and Ingram, for a pair of half-century partnerships to set a target of 196 in what was an incredibly sloppy fielding performance by Zalmi. But in spite of five dropped chances, including two each off Khan and one apiece off Ingram and Munro, Zalmi’s bowlers managed to haul back the United innings with some brilliant death bowling.A typically pugnacious start to the chase by Kamran Akmal (37 off 21) kept Zalmi well ahead of the DLS par score, even after both he and Imam-ul-Haq fell. Khan protested with the umpires when drizzle increased to the point that the covers were brought on with United 85 for 2, feeling that they could have played on though it was clear he making a hard sell knowing his side were behind on DLS.The match had already been delayed 15 minutes at the start due to early afternoon rain and a wet outfield. After a further 55-minute delay, Zalmi were set a revised target which left them needing 21 off two more overs. But just as the players were about to take the field once again, the rain returned to cement Zalmi as winners on the day.Turning pointThe wicket of Ingram to end a 76-run stand with Khan. United had been cruising at more than 10 an over throughout their innings, but Ingram couldn’t clear long-on trying to smash a Hasan Ali full toss. Liam Livingstone took the catch, which triggered a bizarre stalling of the innings.Khan fell six balls later smashing a length ball from Wahab Riaz to Livingstone again; it was his third catch of the day. Rahat Ali then followed up by conceding just six runs in the final over, wrapping up a sequence in which United scored just 11 runs off the final 13 balls despite having seven wickets in hand. So, instead of sailing past 200, United finished with a comparatively gettable 195 for 5.Star of the dayThough it came in a losing effort, Khan’s half-century – his third of the season to put him level with Munro – continued to build a very strong case for his ending up as Player of the Tournament. He is now joint-second on the PSL scoring chart alongside Akmal with 237 runs at 47.40 and a strike rate of 170.50.Khan is just 11 runs behind United team-mate Luke Ronchi for the overall scoring lead and after striking four more sixes in this contest, he now has a tournament best 15 maximums.The big missThough there were five drops in the United innings, the lone drop in the Zalmi chase was perhaps the clumsiest of all. Tom Banton was on 16 in the seventh over when he top-edged a sweep off Zafar Gohar’s left-arm spin to Akif Javed at short fine leg. Though it was not by any means a steepler, the ball slipped through Javed’s hands as he snatched at it.Where the teams standZalmi joined Multan Sultans at the top of the PSL table on nine points, though Sultans hold a massive advantage on net run rate and also have two matches in hand. United are third on the points table with seven points and a superior net run rate to Karachi Kings, though the Kings have two matches in hand.

The paceman is undergoing online treatment supervised by a neurosurgeon and a spinal therapist

Umar Farooq08-Jun-2020Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali is understood to have avoided a surgery to resolve a back problem, but will continue his rehabilitation for another five weeks, a decision the PCB made after he responded positively to an online session. Ali, who lost his central contract last month, will have his medical expenses covered by the PCB until he achieves full recovery, and also get additional financial assistance from the board’s welfare fund, a safety net reserved only for retired players in dire need.Ali’s back injury, diagnosed as an intervertebral disc protrusion, could have led to a surgery in a worst-case scenario. The PCB, after consulting local doctors, had planned to fly Ali to Australia. However, with lockdowns and travel restrictions in place across the globe, the board resorted to seeking medical advice online, and had Ali undergo a two-hour rehabilitation session under the watch of a two-person panel: Lahore-based neurosurgeon Asif Bashir and Australian spinal therapist Peter O’Sullivan. The committee ruled out the need for an operation, opting to carry on with the treatment involving conservative rehabilitation for the next five weeks, with further decisions to be made only after fresh scans are conducted.”Hasan Ali picking up injuries around the same area twice in less than a year was not a normal thing,” Dr Sohail Saleem, the PCB director of medical and sports sciences, said in a statement. “Consequently, we consulted some of the best and most experienced specialists and it is heartening to hear their feedback following the opening online rehabilitation session in which Hasan showed no signs of symptomatic regression.”However, these are early days of his rehabilitation programme and we will continue to monitor his progress for the next five weeks before collectively making future decisions. But one thing is for certain, he is under the treatment of the very best in the business and hopefully he will return fitter and stronger to competitive cricket without any surgery.”The 25-year-old paceman suffered the injury last season during the opening round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Lahore, following which he underwent a seven-week rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in the same city. He was declared fit for the final round of the tournament, only to suffer a fresh injury – a rib fracture – in November that ruled him out for another six weeks. He consequently missed Pakistan’s international commitments during the season, but returned after another spell of rehab ahead of the PSL.He, however, was below his best in the tournament, picking up eight wickets in nine games at an economy rate of 8.59 for Peshawar Zalmi. Ali complained of persistent pain in his back, and scans confirmed the problem, which had flared up and revealed symptoms consistent with a lumbar herniated disc.The injury, as well as a run of average form, resulted in Ali’s omission from the 2020-21 central-contract roster, which will come into effect from July 1. His contract for the previous season, though, will be active until June 31, technically qualifying him for medical cover. Also, ESPNcricinfo understands, because a fit Ali is a shoo-in in most Pakistan squads, the PCB decided to bear the expenses of his treatment even beyond his current contract term.”Hasan Ali is one of our assets and heroes of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 victory. It is the PCB’s responsibility to look after him during these difficult times so that he focuses and works solely on his fitness,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, said. “Hasan is a young and energetic cricketer who has a lot of cricket left in him. Like most of his followers, the PCB will like to see him regain complete fitness, so that he can resume normal services for the Pakistan men’s national cricket team. Till that time, the PCB will provide him financial assistance from the PCB Welfare Fund, which exists exactly for this purpose.”

Dawid Malan was unbeaten on 50 as Yorkshire closed three down and needing 68 more for victory

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street03-Aug-2020
Sometimes the incomparable game reaches back into its rich past even as it charms us with its dynamic present. Should the forecast be correct this match may yet be curtailed by the weather. Yorkshire need 68 runs to win, Durham require seven wickets, yet the threat of rain means any result is possible in a contest that has recalled treasured dynasties.Cricket, you see, has its simple lists and its honourable lineages. Bowling fast and opening the batting for Yorkshire are among the latter. Bill Bowes, Fred Trueman and Darren Gough are just three of those who have taken the new ball for the White Rose while Herbert Sutcliffe, Leonard Hutton and Geoffrey Boycott all opened their county’s innings. All six cricketers performed their skills with much honour for England on very many occasions. And there were seasons when Halifax-born batsman Alex Lees seemed destined to follow in their line. For had not those mighty prophets Boycott and Bird assured us it would be so?Such years have now been consigned to the Elder Days. Lees left Yorkshire nearly two years ago, having fallen out of favour with the club’s management. There were even days when it seemed he didn’t much like the game itself. So neutrals were pleased to see him make a success of his move to Durham while Yorkshire supporters could be reassured that since his new team was in the second division there was little immediate chance of him playing against their county in proper cricket.That, though, was before Covid-19 and the inception of the Bob Willis Trophy. No one foresaw that Lees might do anything so dastardly as to make a century against Yorkshire, something he accomplished early on this third afternoon at the Riverside when he nudged Harry Brook backward of square for two runs on the off side. It was his 16th first-class hundred, a dozen of which have been scored for the county of his birth.So maybe it was thought fitting that Lees’ innings should be ended – and the match changed utterly – by York’s Matthew Fisher, who still has a career bubbling with promise despite the injuries that have haunted him in recent seasons. When Fisher took the new ball ten overs after lunch Durham were 215 for 3 and were digging themselves out of trouble. Their 96-run first-innings deficit had been cleared and Lees was unbeaten on exactly 100.Immediately, though, Fisher achieved prodigious swing, even on a warm afternoon unthreatened by cloud. Lees thin-edged his first ball to fine leg for four and had collected two more runs before the sixth delivery swung in, brushed his pad and sent the off stump sprawling.Fisher was merely warming to his task. Four overs later he produced what may be seen as one of the balls of the season: a ferocious inswinging yorker which not only removed Jack Burnham’s middle and leg stump but even succeeded in knocking the hapless batsman off his feet as he sought to play or avoid it. Two balls later Durham’s newly appointed skipper, Ned Eckersley, played sloppily across the line and was leg before. In the next over Paul Coughlin departed in similar fashion although not as culpably. Fisher had taken four wickets in 19 balls.Durham’s batsmen were allowed no respite. Jordan Thompson, a Loiner, replaced Fisher at the Finchale End and immediately dismissed both Ben Raine and Matthew Potts, who might have fared just as well had they been batting with a stick of tusky. Chris Rushworth joined Gareth Harte and the pair added 27 with a mixture of useful thumps and alert running. Durham’s lead was 170 when Steve Patterson completed the collapse by trapping Rushworth leg before. Less than two hours earlier he had begun it when he removed David Bedingham in like fashion for 77 four overs before the new ball became available. That wicket brought to an end the South African’s 136-run stand with Lees; more significantly it began a tumble that saw Durham lose their last eight wickets for 59 runs, and 6 for 18 before the last-wicket merriment.Yorkshire now needed 171 to win but fortunately we had an interval before the game’s final innings began. Dishes of tea were taken and chatty reports about the arrival of the soon-to-be ermined Lord Botham of Somewhere-or-Other were discarded. Wits were gathered and then immediately puréed as Rushworth rumbled in from the Lumley End and had both Adam Lyth and Will Fraine leg before in the first five overs of Yorkshire’s innings. At that point supporters of the away team watching events on the live stream may have decided that something stronger than tea was required.Dawid Malan and Tom Kohler-Cadmore calmed matters with a stand of 52 but Rushworth switched to the Finchale End and Kohler-Cadmore became the 14th batsman in this match to fall leg before. He was on his front foot but Graham Lloyd’s decision looked fair enough. That was Rushworth’s 500th first-class wicket in a fine career and his team-mates gave him a round of applause which was rather more enthusiastic than the one Lees had been afforded by his former colleagues. That was understandable enough, of course, although Patterson, a decent fellow at the worst of times, patted the opener on the back when he was out. Come to think of it, Yorkshire’s other cricketers may simply have been rubbing sanitiser into their hands.Durham pressed for further wickets in the soft evening sunlight and Malan was dropped on by Sean Dickson at first slip off Ben Raine when he was on 32 when Yorkshire needed a further 96. We then wondered if eight overs might be added to the day’s allocation but the umpires decided we had seen enough. Malan will resume on 50 after reaching his first half-century for Yorkshire in the final over of the day. His only contribution to the third morning had been to negotiate an obstacle course and retrieve the ball from a stand into which it had been hit by Bedingham. One imagines the former Middlesex batsman rarely had to perform such vulgar tasks when he worked at Lord’s but he may have something more useful to do on the fourth morning of this fine match.

Captain gets better of counterpart Stokes in ‘pivotal’ duel on second day at Ageas Bowl

Matt Roller09-Jul-2020Jason Holder has described his delight at his plans to dismiss Ben Stokes coming to fruition on Thursday, after his career-best bowling performance put West Indies in the box seat at the Ageas Bowl.Holder had dismissed Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope before lunch in a probing spell that left England reeling at 87 for 5, but after a loose start to the afternoon session, Stokes and Jos Buttler looked as though they might be getting away from West Indies with a counter-attacking partnership. Stokes had been put down twice – once by Kemar Roach, running round from long leg, and the other a simple chance that Shamarh Brooks shelled at short cover – when Holder came back into the attack after the break, which he described as a “pivotal moment” in the match.”It was a big wicket to get,” Holder said. “Stokesy was looking quite set. We put down two chances and he was looking to make us pay for them. When I came on, his partnership with Jos was starting to blossom, and it was important to break that partnership quickly and not let it materialise into something that could really hurt us.”I just wanted to be really consistent to him. He was pretty settled and countering the line that we were bowling by walking across and walking down. I was getting just enough movement there to keep him at bay, and I wanted to keep him playing.”Stokes had used his feet in an exaggerated manner throughout his innings, regularly taking two big strides down the pitch or shuffling across to cover his stumps, and Holder said that it was crucial that his bowlers were not thrown off by his movement.”He was just trying to offset our lines, and a little bit on our lengths too,” he explained. “I think he was trying to get outside the off stump, and force us to either bowl at his pads or to take the ball wider so he could leave.Getty Images

“We were pretty much getting the ball to shape away, but I just wanted our bowlers not to leave the stumps and force him to play off the front foot. The pitch didn’t really have enough zip for us to be consistently bowling short, and when you bowl short at him, you take more modes of dismissal out of the equation. Yes, he did top-edge a pull, but for me that was more of a length ball that he really didn’t get on top of from Alzarri – and Alzarri has that pace that he can definitely put him back.”So I just wanted our bowlers not to get thrown off by it, but to keep him playing. One of the criticisms I had with our bowlers yesterday was that we maybe didn’t make England play enough, but I think today we did a much better job in making them play, and obviously we got the results.”Holder had rallied his troops just as Stokes and Buttler started to get away from them, and he admitted his frustrations that they had been able to score on both sides of the wicket. Throughout the tour he has preached the importance of discipline among his bowlers, and said he was delighted that they had managed to stem the flow of runs and find breakthroughs as a result.”That was a pivotal moment, because they were starting to score, and they were scoring on both sides of the wicket. One of the things that we always focus on is not to let to opposition score on both sides of the wicket, and we had to be disciplined – we weren’t disciplined enough after the lunch break.ALSO READ: Taking a knee ‘meant the world to me’, says Jason Holder“I wanted the guys to get back on it. Shannon [Gabriel], I gave him a quick burst but it didn’t work the way we wanted. So for me, my role was just to come in and not look for wickets but to challenge their techniques and be disciplined. I think once I go into those areas long enough, more often than not you’re going to get the results you’re looking for.”His performance was perhaps all the more remarkable on account of the lack of overs he had bowled so far on the tour. He had managed only five across the two intra-squad warm-ups while nursing an ankle complaint, and admitted that he felt “a bit sore” after getting through 20 on the second day. “Leading up into the Test match I hadn’t got the overs I wanted under my belt,” he said. “Maybe that helped me to be fresh?”Holder wondered on the eve of the Test whether he got the credit he deserved as an allrounder, not least in comparison to Stokes, his opposite number in this match. On Thursday, he admitted that he had “soaked in” the adulation for his performance, but insisted that his job in the match was not even half-done.”My Test match is far from over,” he said. “I’ve still got a massive contribution to make with the bat, and that’s where my focus is going to be channelled now in this innings. One of the things I’ve always strived to do… was to score a hundred in England and to take a five-wicket haul here. I’ve ticked one box so far, so I guess it’s now left for me to knuckle down and try to get a hundred.”

Date shifted back by one day to avoid clash with West Indies T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2020Edgbaston will stage the final of England’s new domestic 50-over women’s competition, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.The final had originally been scheduled for September 26 at the home ground of the group winner with most points, but has been moved back by one day to avoid a clash with England’s T20I against West Indies and will be broadcast live by Sky.The tournament, which will be contested between teams from eight new regional centres, starts on August 29 with teams split into two groups of four.ALSO READ: West Indies women’s England tour confirmedThe 24 players in England’s enlarged training group will be released to play for their teams in the first two rounds of games, and players not selected in the final squad for the West Indies series will be available for later rounds.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, said: “Edgbaston is a brilliant venue for the final, with a great track record of hosting domestic finals. It’s also a great fit for this summer because of Rachael’s links to the West Midlands.”The impacts of Covid-19 have demonstrated just how vital it is to have a sustainable and competitive domestic structure that gives our domestic women’s cricketers the chance to make a living from the game and also raises the standard of women’s cricket in England and Wales.”We’re proud of the work we’ve done to protect the momentum of the women’s game across this challenging period. We’re looking forward to 2021 when the eight regional teams will hopefully be playing even more cricket throughout the summer, along with the important addition of the profile opportunity of the Hundred.”Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said: “It’s great to support and showcase women’s cricket by hosting a major national final in the city, particularly with the women’s Commonwealth Games cricket at Edgbaston in 2022.”This also means that the two of cricket’s showcase domestic finals are coming to Birmingham as the Vitality Blast Finals Day will take place a few days after the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy final.”

All the buzz from the IPL 2020 game between the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab, in Dubai

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Oct-2020