All posts by n8rngtd.top

PCB chairman Shahrayar Khan has said that the decision to play India in a bilateral series rests with Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif

Umar Farooq & Nagraj Gollapudi20-Nov-2015PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said that the decision to play India in a bilateral series now rests with Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. Speaking on the sidelines of the fourth ODI between Pakistan and England in Dubai, Khan pointed out that he had travelled to the UAE specifically to watch the match and not meet BCCI president Shashank Manohar.”I have come to watch this match,” Khan said. “I have come for no other reason. I heard that Shashank is also coming. He has not reached yet. If he asks me for meeting, I will hear him out.”Khan reiterated that Pakistan’s stance of not playing in India had not changed, but now the Pakistan government will take a final decision on the issue. “We have made it clear that we will not play in India and we have cited our reasons. But importantly the India-Pakistan series has now become political. So the directive that we have got from the Pakistan government and Pakistan’s prime minister is he would take the decision,” Khan said. “We have stated our stand in front of the prime minister as well as the BCCI. Our last hope is with the Pakistan government.”Khan also clarified that the BCCI had not yet told the PCB the exact reasons for not allowing India to play in the UAE. “He is coming here so you can ask him,” Khan said when asked about whether the BCCI had offered a reason. “But I would like to point out that, as all of you remember, last year they played the IPL here [in the UAE] and it was successfully conducted.”According to Khan, ECB president Giles Clarke, too, had tried to mediate between the boards, highlighting the importance of India-Pakistan series. “Giles Clarke spoke to me yesterday and said that the series should happen for the interest of cricket. He told me the Pakistan-India series are vital for cricket,” Khan said. Clarke had headed the ICC task force on Pakistan, which had looked into how the PCB could fulfill its commitments under the Future Tours Programme given the security issues following the Lahore attack on the Sri Lanka team bus. In his report, Clarke had stressed on the significance of India-Pakistan cricket, saying: “It [the severed bilateral ties] is hurting the sport, particularly in Pakistan and the PTT sees no reason why this great sporting rivalry should not be restored as soon as possible, even if on neutral soil.”However, Khan reiterated, the PCB would not go out of its way for the series to go ahead. “We have always wanted to play the series. But if India does not want to agree to the MoU signed [to play Pakistan in the UAE] we can’t do anything. To expect that we will bend down on our knees due to the existing deadlock, it is not right. They have not played us for many years now. If they don’t play for one or two more years, we will survive.”

All franchises have the right to challenge the promotions and demotions before finalising their eight retentions

Umar Farooq25-Oct-2022The PCB has upgraded Peshawar Zalmi’s Haider Ali from the diamond to the platinum category for the upcoming eighth edition of Pakistan Super League, while Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been moved down from platinum to gold and Peshawar captain Wahab Riaz from platinum to diamond. Hasan Ali, who left Zalmi for Islamabad United last year, has also been downgraded, from platinum to diamond.All six franchises, however, have the right to challenge the promotions and request for relegation of player category before finalising up to eight retentions for the 2023 season.ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB is now the sole authority for deciding player categories, with chairman Ramiz Raja directly involved in the process. On demotion requests – if any – all franchises will be given an opportunity to meet the players’ base category. “If the player’s base category is not matched, the player may be relegated to a category below his base category,” the PCB said in a statement.Haider played 26 T20s, including 17 internationals, this past year, and his performance has actually gone down. His career T20 strike rate is 135.65, but it has gone down to 119.33 in the last 12 months. He scored just 152 runs at a strike rate of 116.03 in his nine innings last season for Zalmi at a strike rate of 116.03. He has been upgraded despite that.Hasan, who is the PSL’s second-leading wicket-taker over the years with 81 strikes, had a poor 2022 season, and was even dropped from the national T20I team this year. Last season, he had a bowling average of 40.55 and an economy rate of 10.84 as he got nine wickets in nine games for United. He joined his team-mate Faheem Ashraf – diamond to gold – in moving down.Under-23 players cannot be classified as emerging for more than two seasons unless they have played nine or fewer matches in those two years, so both Zaman Khan and Syed Faridoun Mahmood, emerging players from Lahore Qalandars roster have their category retained, along with Mohammad Huraira and Mubasir Khan.Mohammad Haris, who was picked up in the silver category by Qalandars last season, has moved up to gold, as any player who has debuted for Pakistan is eligible to.Other key players with upgraded categories – and pay packets – were Mohammad Wasim (United, gold to diamond), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (Multan Sultans, gold to diamond), Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah (Gladiators; Nawaz – diamond to platinum, Naseem – gold to diamond).The 2023 season, with Qalandars the defending champions, will start on February 9, and the final will take place on March 19. Four venues – Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan – will be hosting the matches, a change from the previous two seasons, when Covid-19 forced the games to be played in just two centres, Lahore and Karachi.

Local category player renewals

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi (all platinum), Mohammad Hafeez (diamond), Abdullah Shafique (gold), Ahmad Daniyal Latif, Akif Javed, Imran Randhawa, Kamran Ghulam, Maaz Khan, Sohail Akhtar, Zeeshan Ashraf (all silver), Syed Faridoun Mahmood and Zaman Khan (all emerging)Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (platinum), Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood (all diamond), Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees, Sohaib Maqsood (all gold), Rizwan Hussain (silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi and Ihsanullah (all emerging)Islamabad United: Asif Ali, Shadab Khan (all platinum), Hasan Ali, Wasim Jr (all diamond), Azam Khan, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Musa Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Zafar Gohar, Zahid Mehmood, (all gold), Athar Mahmood, Mohammad Akhlaq, Nasir Nawaz (all silver), Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan and Zeeshan Zamir (all emerging)Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Imad Wasim (all platinum), Mohammad Amir (diamond), Amir Yamin, Mir Hamza, Sahibzada Farhan, Sharjeel Khan, Usman Shinwari (all gold), Mohammad Ilyas, Muhammad Imran Jr, Rohail Nazir, Umaid Asif (all silver), Faisal Akram, Mohammad Taha, Qasim Akram and Talha Ahsan (all emerging)Peshawar Zalmi: Haider Ali (platinum), Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz (all diamond), Aamer Jamal, Amad Butt, Arshad Iqbal, Hussain Talat, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Haris, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir (all gold), Ali Majid, Khalid Usman, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Umar, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tayyab Tahir (all silver), Arish Ali Khan, Sirajuddin and Yasir Khan (all emerging)Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz (platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah (all diamond), Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (all gold), Ali Imran, Ghulam Mudassar, Hassan Khan, Khurram Shahzad (all silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi and Mohammad Shahzad (all emerging)

He made a career-best 72 after replacing the injured Sean Williams

Andrew McGlashan29-Aug-2022Wessly Madhevere is eager to establish himself as Zimbabwe’s No. 3 in ODIs after making the most of an unexpected opportunity in the opening match against Australia in Townsville.Madhevere only found out shortly before the game started that he was in the team when Sean Williams was ruled out having taken a blow on the elbow at training on Saturday. An indication of how late the change was made came from the hasty scribbles on the team sheet.”To be honest I didn’t know I was going to play,” Madhevere said. “Was told [on Saturday] I wasn’t going to play but found out that Sean wasn’t doing too well with the elbow and that’s when the coach told me that I was playing.Related

• Williams: 'Definitely a big skill gap' between Zimbabwe and Australia

• Dave Houghton wants to 'take away that freezing' when Zimbabwe play 'strong sides'

• Cameron Green five-for, David Warner fifty take Australia 1-0 up

• Roy 388: Townsville pays tribute to Andrew Symonds

“I normally get nervous the day before, especially when I know I’ll be playing, but today I was kind of relaxed.”Madhevere went on to make his fourth ODI fifty and a new career-best of 72 to give Zimbabwe a platform from where they could have accelerated at the death, but after he gave a return catch to Adam Zampa’s final delivery they lost 6 for 15 to be bowled out for 200 with 15 balls unused.However, Madhevere wants to take on the No. 3 role in a more permanent capacity having made 5 and 2 in the position on the previous occasions he had batted there, in the recent series against India.”I see myself batting there, it’s one of the crucial positions when you want to be exposed to the pressure, so that’s one of the key areas and I quite like that challenge,” he said. “It also helps me grow as a cricketer if I get exposed to it right now, then it will be easier for me in the future.”Madhevere, who made his debut in early 2020, began his ODI career with a solid run of scores, making his first three half-centuries in the space of eight innings against Bangladesh and Pakistan, but after that he had only reached 20 once in 13 innings before facing Australia.He built steadily against seam and spin, reaching his fifty from 67 balls, and said he found the Townsville surface similar to those he had played on while at school in South Africa.”I quite enjoyed it,” he said. “Got exposed to those kind of conditions while I was at school so I knew what was happening.”Madhevere added that he felt 250-260 would have been a competitive total and Zimbabwe are hopeful that spin will be become more of a factor in the remaining two games. Sikandar Raza caused a few problems with his offspin while legspinner Ryan Burl collected three wickets as the Australians played aggressively against him.The second ODI takes place on Wednesday.

David Warner’s thumb is still broken, leaving Australia’s vice-captain to fight an increasingly fraught battle to be fit in time for the first Test of the sumer against New Zealand in Brisbane

Daniel Brettig13-Oct-20151:41

David Warner hopes to play one Sheffield Shield match before the first Test of the summer

David Warner’s thumb is still broken, leaving Australia’s vice-captain to fight an increasingly fraught battle to be fit in time for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand in Brisbane.While Warner is going in for another round of x-rays at the end of this week and is hoping to have his first bat in the nets on Monday, he has admitted it will take some time after that before he regains confidence in the digit when catching and fielding. He will not be taking part in the remainder of the Matador Cup and will thus have only one match – a day/night Sheffield Shield encounter with South Australia in Adelaide – before the Gabba.”My goal is to play that Shield game, I want to play that Shield game to have a hit, because I don’t think I’ll be able to get out here and play the last couple of games of the Matador,” Warner said of an injury sustained during the ODIs against England after the loss of the Ashes.”Eight years on the road playing a lot of cricket, you don’t lose that overnight. This four- to six-week break has mentally freshened me up and I think it’s going to put me in good stead for the summer. You’re only ever one or two hits in the nets, probably an hour off what you can be. But batting against bowlers is going to be the key.”I think when it comes down to having to catch a ball I’ll be a little bit hesitant, but I’ve broken this before and I know exactly what I have to do, that’s about getting it right with the bat first and then fielding and catching after.”The state of Warner’s thumb is an unwanted complication for the national selectors as they deliberate over who will be his next long-term opening partner following the retirement of Chris Rogers. Joe Burns, Shaun Marsh, Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja are all in the mix as top-order players, and Warner said he would need time to familiarise himself with his new offsider.”Any new person who comes into the team you’ve got to form a partnership, whether it’s my opening partner or a new guy in the team, you’ve got to try and work out how to go about things,” Warner said. “If it’s a batsman you’ve got to try and identify their game plan and what they’re trying to achieve.”Whoever it is I’ve got to look at some of their footage and how they play as well, because I like to know my partner. We talk about first session of a game, where he can get off strike and how I can help him in any way. I’ve got to look at that and identify the partner I’m with to try to get the best out to them and for my own peace of mind.”In contrast to earlier summers where the Test team was announced too early for some, the selectors are set to name their squad for the Gabba during the one round of Shield games that precedes the Test, only a handful of days before Steven Smith tosses the coin with Brendon McCullum in Brisbane. Warner said he did not expect the “privilege” of knowing who his partner would be ahead of that time.An array of new faces had time to get to know one another as rain curtailed the first session of Australia’s two-day training camp at Hurstville Oval, and Warner said he was confident there would be enough older heads among the tyros to ensure good decisions were made on and off the field when the New Zealand Tests began.”There’s going to be a lack of experience there, but the guys we’ve got there who’ve been through the Ashes, there’s a lot of experience there,” Warner said. “You’ve got Adam Voges who was selected for the Bangladesh tour that didn’t go ahead. He’s played a lot of first-class games, might not have played many Test matches but a lot of experience there.”Guys like Mitchell Starc, myself, Steve Smith there, Peter Nevill is an experienced man in Shield cricket. A lot of the guys who are going to be picked aren’t too experienced, but there’s a lot of guys there to help them along the way.”My job away from game day is to help Steve out as much as possible, I can go around and help all the guys, I know Steve likes to go around and check on each individual, see where they’re at with their game, and I’m just going to try to make Steve’s job as easy as possible.”

Seamer backs himself to adapt well despite batters trying to anticipate his variations

Hemant Brar16-Jun-20220:36

Harshal -‘Playing consistently on pitches like Delhi can hamper your confidence’

India seamer Harshal Patel is not worried that batters have started anticipating his variations. In the first T20I, Rassie van der Dussen had smashed Harshal for three sixes and a four in an over to turn the game around. After the match, van der Dussen had said that post the first two sixes, he knew Harshal would turn to his slower balls.”People have been trying to anticipate for the past two years,” Harshal said on the eve of the fourth T20I against South Africa. “To be very honest, with every bowler, the longer they play, the more the opposition will realise what their strengths are, what the patterns are, and try to adapt to it. But as a bowler, my job is to stay one step ahead of batters.”At the end of the day, you can have 15 different plans, but on a particular day, in a pressure situation, if you don’t go out and execute with confidence, everything doesn’t really fall in place. So my focus has always been on how to read the game better in that particular moment and how to execute the best possible delivery at that point in time.”Related

• India seek to extend fightback as de Kock return looms

• Anrich Nortje 'not 100% there yet' but hopes he is on the right path

Harshal is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the series, with six scalps in three games. In the third T20I, the Visakhapatnam pitch was on the slower side, which suited Harshal’s style of bowling, and he duly picked up 4 for 25 in 3.1 overs.”Although there was not a lot of variable bounce or lateral movement from the pitch, it was definitely slow,” he said. “So that allowed us to bowl hard length and slower balls into the pitch. It was difficult to clear the boundary from those lengths.”I would certainly prefer playing on slower pitches because it allows you a bit of fighting chance. If you consistently keep playing on pitches like Delhi, it can hamper your confidence a little bit. We also have world-class spinners in the team, who can bowl well on any pitch, but it does bring them a little more into the game when we have slightly slower pitches and slightly bigger ground dimensions.”From head coach Rahul Dravid to stand-in captain Rishabh Pant, everyone has spoken about how the team has been building towards the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November. Harshal said while that is true, they are also focused on winning this series.”To be honest, you cannot play your cricket thinking too much about the future or past. Like everyone has said before as well, the World Cup is at the back of our minds and we are trying to work towards that goal. But at the same time, we are 2-1 behind in the series, so the focus is on how to win the next two games. After that, we are going to Ireland, so things will move towards that direction but at this point, our focus is on how to win this series.”

“A player like him, who has won so many matches, needs only one or two good innings to bounce back”

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jul-20221:41

Rohit on Kohli’s form: ‘Why is this discussion happening?’

” (Why is this discussion happening. I can’t understand this)”India’s captain Rohit Sharma had a bemused expression just as a journalist started a question on Virat Kohli.Kohli’s form in the last few years has become a national debate, with some ex-players including former India captain Kapil Dev, wondering why the senior India batter could not be dropped. The debate will continue after Kohli once again failed to convert a start in the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday.Having missed the first ODI due to a groin strain, Kohli took a batting fitness test of sorts on Thursday morning, before giving a firm nod to India coach Rahul Dravid indicating that he was good to play. But Kohli had already been in the news before his return to the eleven. About an hour before the Indian team arrived at Lord’s, the BCCI had announced the squad for the T20I series in the West Indies starting on July 29. It did not specify a reason for Kohli’s omission.Related

• Kohli's slump: two factors that might have had a role to play

• Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli: 'If I was India, I would keep pushing with him because I know the upside'

• Jos Buttler praises batters' positivity as England bounce back from Oval drubbing

• Topley's career-best 6 for 24 blows India away

• Kohli, Bumrah, Chahal rested for T20Is in West Indies

At Lord’s, Kohli walked in to bat in the third over and his first runs came off a straight drive to the boundary. But before that shot, he had played seven dot balls, including a maiden over. Two consecutive fours followed against Reece Topley, but Kohli could not find fluency and ended up pushing away from his body and edging David Willey to the wicketkeeper.When asked if Kohli needed the support of the team during this difficult phase, Rohit said there was no need for a debate in the first place.”He [Kohli] has played so many matches. He is playing for so many years. He is such a great batsman so he does not need reassurance,” Rohit said after the game. “I pointed to this in my last press conference, too: form goes up and down, that is part and parcel of any cricketer’s career. So a player like him, who has played for so many years, who has made so many runs, who has won so many matches, he only needs one or two good innings [to bounce back]. That is my thinking and I am sure all those who follow cricket will think similarly.”This is the second time Rohit has backed Kohli publicly during the white-ball leg of the England tour. Rohit agreed that Kohli was going through a “slump” but said the team management still had firm belief in him.Virat Kohli walks back after nicking behind outside off•AFP via Getty Images

“We do have chats about this topic, but we should also understand and think when we talk about such things. We have seen that the performance of all players goes up and down, but the quality of the player never gets worse. That we all should keep in mind. That is very important. (he has made so many runs), check his average, how many hundreds he has made, he has [vast] experience of doing that. There is a slump in every player’s life. Even in the personal life it comes.”It wasn’t just Rohit, even the England captain Jos Buttler said Kohli was “due” a big innings.”I suppose in a little way it’s quite refreshing for the rest of us that he [Kohli] is human and he can have a couple of low scores as well, but look he has been one of the best players, if not the best player in ODI cricket in the world,” Buttler said.”So he’s been a fantastic player for so many years and all batters, it just proves, go through runs of form where they don’t perform as well as they can do sometimes. But certainly as an opposition captain, you know a player of that class is always due, so you’re hoping that it doesn’t come against us.”Like Rohit, Buttler also wondered why Kohli was facing criticism over his form. “Yeah, incredibly surprised, as I said, his record speaks for himself. The matches he’s won for India and yeah, why would you question that?”

Century stand with Mark Watt puts Derbyshire in firm control at Hove

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2022Derbyshire’s batsmen ran amok to place their side in total control on the second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove. They piled up 551 for eight before declaring and at the close Sussex were 142 for three in reply.The Sussex bowlers toiled on a flat pitch and on a warm day and their worst period was after lunch, by which time Derbyshire were seven wickets down. Sussex did take an eighth wicket. But then Anuj Dal (146 not out) and Mark Watt (55 not out) thumped a century partnership off just 115 balls. Their unbroken stand of 108 in 20 overs is a new ninth wicket record for Derbyshire against Sussex, beating the partnership between Maynard Ashcroft and Joe Humphries at Hove in 1904, a match in which the great CB Fry scored a double century.In their partnership Dal, who scored his second century of the season from 236 deliveries, and Watt appeared to score at will and at one period Sussex captain Tom Haines handed over control of his side to Steve Finn. Haines had left the field for a spell but when he returned he fielded at long-off while Finn talked to the bowlers and set the fields.A Sussex spokesman said: “It was easier for Finn to manage the field while Tom was on and off and preparing to bat.” But there was a sense of frustration among the spectators. “Come on,” one shouted, angrily, after a misfield. Sussex did succeed in changing the ball, but it didn’t make any difference.Sussex are looking for their first championship victory since April 2021. That looks well beyond them already and it didn’t get much better when they batted. Ali Orr was bowled for five by Sam Connors, who then dismissed Haines, driving, for 17. But then Tom Alsop (44) and Mohammad Rizwan (54 not out) added 95 before Alsop fell to a juggling catch at midwicket shortly before the close.Derbyshire had resumed on 339 for five, with Wayne Madsen on 171 and Dal unbeaten on 45. The batsmen had already put on 136 and soon added the three runs needed to make it a sixth wicket record for the county against Sussex.Sussex opened their attack with Sean Hunt and Jack Brooks and, for the first hour at least, bowled with purpose and aggression. Dal edged Hunt between wicketkeeper Oli Carter and first slip Tom Alsop to reach his fifty.But Madsen had added just five runs to his score when he was dismissed by a fine delivery from Brooks. Madsen was surprised by the extra pace and bounce and edged to first slip where Alsop took a good catch high to his left. Madsen had faced 263 deliveries and hit 19 fours and a six.Derbyshire were 390 for seven when Hayden Kerr, making his championship debut for the county, was lbw to Delray Rawlins as he attempted to pull. They reached lunch on 430 for seven, with Dal unbeaten on 89. Sussex took the eighth wicket when Rawlins drifted the ball into Alex Thomson’s pads to have him lbw for 27. But that was about as good as it got for Sussex.

A century from Marcus Trescothick held Pakistan to a draw in the tour game in Taunton while Yasir Shah, in his first first-class appearance for more than six months, delivered 32 well-controlled overs and claimed four wickets

George Dobell at Taunton05-Jul-2016
ScorecardA century from Marcus Trescothick held Pakistan to a draw in the tour game in Taunton while Yasir Shah, in his first first-class appearance for more than six months, delivered 32 well-controlled overs and claimed four wickets. But Trescothick’s skill – Azhar Ali described him as “an inspiration” afterwards – and a dropped catch from Mohammad Amir helped Somerset survive with eight wickets down.Under normal circumstances, Pakistan would have declared much earlier. But these games are more about gaining experience of the conditions than the result, so they delayed until Azhar Ali had reached an impressive century and Somerset required 468 to win in 73 overs. On an increasingly slow wicket offering neither seam or spin, taking 10 wickets was always likely to prove hard work.Pakistan might well have done so, however, had Amir held on to a simple chance at mid-on. Josh Davey, who chose to take his chance with Somerset this week rather than represent Scotland, lunged at one from Yasir before he had scored and saw the ball loop to Amir. But the chance went down and Davey lasted another 50 minutes to take his side within sight of the finishing line. With Dominic Bess, the 18-year-old debutant, also lasting 56 minutes and Jack Leach lasting 44, Somerset did just enough to frustrate Pakistan.Perhaps Pakistan’s seamers were a little stiff after their exertions the previous day. Perhaps they were just a little complacent. But they bowled pretty well without ever quite appearing to be able to summon the intensity of their first innings performance. A quiet day in Taunton might not inspire as a full Test ground will.In the grand scheme of things, though, this has been a highly satisfying three days for the tourists. Having not played red-ball cricket for six months or more, most of their batsmen enjoyed time at the crease, all their bowlers enjoyed decent spells with a Dukes ball. Such issues are more important than the result in such games.There was an interesting observation from Matthew Maynard, the Somerset coach, afterwards, though. Asked whether he thought Pakistan could threaten England he agreed that they could, but with the caveat that their opening pair found form. If Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood can see off the new ball, the middle order can capitalise. But if they are exposed early, Pakistan could be vulnerable and the tail looks long. Their fielding, despite all the talk of improvement, also remains some way below standard for this level.There is an episode of in which Homer, having overindulged, is asked to leave an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant, then drives around in vain looking for another seafood restaurant. And then goes fishing.Trescothick could identify with such an appetite. Only in his case, the appetite is for cricket.Marcus Trescothick struck a fine century•Getty Images

Many batsmen, at Trescothick’s stage of life, would have skipped this match. But such is his love of the game that he not only wanted to play, but volunteered for a second XI game in Kent a couple of weeks ago in a bid to find some form having not played for a few weeks; he no longer features in Somerset’s T20 side.The reward for that dedication was this century: the 61st of his first-class career and the 47th for Somerset. That means that only Harold Gimblett (who made 49) has scored more for the club and brings Trescothick level with Sir Viv Richards. And any time any batsman equals a record of Sir Viv’s they know they have done pretty well.It’s hard to remember a time when Trescothick was not a feature of Somerset cricket. His first-class career started in 1993 before some of his teammates in this match were born. There is only one building on the ground that has been here longer than him and he is as much a part of the furniture as the tower of St James’ church and The Quantocks.There have been some to concessions to age. Though he remains willing, he is more limousine than sports car between the wickets and in the field these days and he now wears spectacles when batting. Every so often, he has to remove his helmet to clean the sweat from them. “It’s a right pain in the backside,” he said afterwards.But many of the strokes are familiar: the half step forward followed by the firm push through the covers brought him a first ball boundary, the cut shot helped him to four boundaries in an over from Sohail Khan while Yasir was heaved for a six over long-on and towards Gimblett Hill. It’s not surprising that they love him in these parts and he gives every indication he loves them right back. It will be a surprise if he’s not still playing in a year.By tea it seemed the match was drifting to a draw. Forty overs had been bowled and Somerset had lost just two wickets. Tim Rouse, who required several minutes of treatment after taking a crushing blow on the helmet from Amir when he had 14, had showed character and skill in going on to make 41 and Trescothick survived a few airy strokes through the gully region to the brink of safety.But after Trescothick fell, edging as he reached for a wide one, Alex Barrow was adjudged leg before by despite hitting the ball through cover for four (umpire Billy Taylor reasoned that the ball brushed the pad before Barrow hit it) and James Hildreth rather spoiled his pleasing innings by chasing one angled across him and edging to the keeper. Suddenly Somerset had 15.5 overs to survive and only four wickets in hand. It was a little reminiscent of the Old Trafford Test of 2001 when England lost eight wickets, including Trescothick, against the same opposition to slip to defeat.Perhaps, had Amir taken the simple chance or the DRS been in operation, Pakistan might have pushed for victory. Certainly Yasir could count himself unfortunate to be denied a couple more leg before dismissals. Despite gaining little turn and rarely utilising his googly, he troubled all the batsmen with his control and will be a real handful on a surface offering him any assistance. But Somerset held on.Earlier Azhar and Asad Shafiq plundered 96 in 14.4 overs in the morning to extend their overnight partnership to 138 and see Azhar record the 26th first-class century of his career. Manipulating the spinners masterfully by going deep in the crease or skipping down the pitch, they disrupted their lengths and then punished them. Leach was cut for successive fours by Shafiq and Bess thrashed for successive sixes by Azhar. It was a reminder that Moeen Ali faces a tough series.”We’re pretty happy,” Azhar said afterwards. “Most of the batsmen have spent time in the middle and today the pitch has become flatter and flatter. Yasir had a good, long spell but Trescothick batted well. He is definitely someone we look up to.””They are a pretty impressive attack,” Trescothick said in reply. “Yasir is probably the best leg-spinner in the world. He is on the money all the time. But if the ball doesn’t swing and the pitch is good, you can score runs against them.”I scratched around a bit at the start, but I started to feel a bit better in the afternoon. It’s good to integrate with the youngsters and help ingrain the culture of the club within them. It was a nice day.”

Director of cricket Alan Coleman hails addition of “world-class talent”

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2023Middlesex have recruited Keshav Maharaj as an overseas player for the first four months of the 2023 season.Maharaj, South Africa’s left-arm spinner, will arrive ahead of Middlesex’s third Championship game against Nottinghamshire on April 20 and will be available for eight four-day fixtures in total, as well as the entirety of the T20 Blast.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said that it was “essential” to bring in a “world-class talent” ahead of the club’s first season in the Championship’s top division since 2017, and that he would play a role mentoring Luke Hollman and Thilan Walallawita.”We are delighted that Keshav has signed for Middlesex this season and are really excited to have someone of his calibre and experience joining us for the first four months of the season,” Coleman said. “The young spinners we have in our squad will benefit enormously from having Keshav with us this year.”Related

• Henry joins Somerset as overseas player for Championship, Blast

• Durham bring in Stubbs for Blast

• Warwickshire hail 'amazing signing' as Maxwell joins for Blast

• Middlesex appoint Fraser as interim chair

• Roland-Jones named as Middlesex red-ball captain

Maharaj will be playing for his third different county, after previous stints with Lancashire and Yorkshire. He has taken 72 wickets at 21.72 across his 13 games in the Championship.”I’m really excited to be linking up with such a professional and experienced county and am looking forward to wearing the Middlesex colours and calling the Home of Cricket my home,” he said.Middlesex previously announced that Pieter Malan would return as an overseas player after a successful stint last year.Elsewhere, Richard Gleeson has re-signed with Lancashire on a two-year, T20-only contract.

On a dead Lord’s track, the Championship leaders have got themselves into a position where they almost certainly cannot lose

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's27-Jun-2016
ScorecardAlviro Petersen racked up 191•Getty Images

What ingredients there were for a high-quality encounter at Lord’s look already to be heading for a bland conclusion. That may seem melodramatic – should Middlesex collapse tomorrow, it may enter into “misguided” or “facetious” – but there were few other conclusions to draw from a day in which eight wickets fell yet only one was taken.Lancashire’s seven were shed in the pursuit of quick runs to hammer a tiring Middlesex attack further into the dust. Even Tim Murtagh’s shoulders, constantly in a slumped relaxed state, plummeted to knee height. Even Murtagh, a bowler who can make the ball talk for fun could barely muster a whimper from a pitch that does the long-form more harm than good.What should have been a compelling day’s cricket, in near-perfect conditions, asked spectators to find their own source of amusement. The evening session hosted a low sun and with it the chance for them to shed some clothing, get some colour and indulge in the sorts of conversations with opposing fans that only beer and minor heatstroke encourages.”So you see, it’s those bastards across the way – they’re the tight ones,” concluded one such tête-à-tête. It’s those across the way that Lancashire are looking to build a lead over: level on points with Yorkshire going into this match but leading Division One by virtue of number of games won.Middlesex, with their six draws from seven, sat 16 points off the Northern rivals. This fixture between first and fourth felt like it could set the tone for the next half of the season, when captains roll the dice and each session weighs heavier on the nerves.The opening exchanges were very much in Lancashire’s favour as they amassed their highest innings score of the season. Alviro Petersen was thoroughly unflustered, picking up where he left off to add 86 to an overnight 105: perhaps the only surprise was his failure to bring up his double hundred. Looking to move the game on, he was caught and bowled by Toby Roland-Jones, whose 31-over toil was made relatively worthwhile by four wickets.Flanking Petersen were the offerings from the middle order cavalry of Steven Croft, Karl Brown and Liam Livingstone. It was with Livingstone in particular that the most damage was done: 103 runs put on together at six an over – 67 coming in 11 overs after lunch, as Livingstone brought up a 54-ball half-century filled with reverse sweeps and the odd wristy thwack through the leg side. To nitpick, 500 perhaps should have come up easier than it did: a scampered single between Lancashire’s 10 and 11 that nearly resulted in a run out.But even with scoreboard pressure and a 12-over session before tea bowled by Kyle Jarvis and Neil Wagner – perhaps the best opening duo in the domestic game at present – Lancashire were unable to land a telling blow on the hosts. Even the one wicket they managed looked a tad lucky, though that is simply going by Sam Robson’s forlorn expression after he had been adjudged caught at first slip off the leg spin of Matt Parkinson. The disappointment was understandable: he had looked on the cusp of one of those Lord’s vigils he embarks upon when he basically invokes squatter’s rights.If anything, Robson’s wicket sharpened Nick Gubbins’ focus, who gave up driving for a while and worked his way to 71 at the close. He will recommence tomorrow with Stevie Eskinasi, who goes to bed on a new first class best of 43.Lancashire will be hoping that when they wake up tomorrow the pitch might too. Unfortunately this is yet another Lord’s track that needs a defibrillator rather than a roller. The new ball brings something out of it but not for long. From then on, whatever movement there is comes once the ball had passed the stumps. Steven Croft found that out the hard way as he scrabbled around to contend with the late dips and swerves. The skip in his step at the start of the final session had slowed to a trudge when stumps was called.If anything, perhaps the Lancashire bowlers might leave the match with a bit of sympathy for their Middlesex counterparts, whose charge has consistently been hampered by these sorts of pitches. Still, the Championship leaders have got themselves into a position where they almost certainly cannot lose. If they are not still bowling by this time tomorrow then they should consider that a victory.