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Yorkshire’s final three wickets fell in just 40 minutes on day three, giving the hosts a manageable target of 158

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024Leus Du Plooy and Ryan Higgins steered Middlesex to six-wicket victory over Vitality County Championship Division Two favourites Yorkshire on an absorbing day three at Lord’s.Hungarian citizen Du Plooy and the Zimbabwean-born Higgins, shared a match-winning stand of 59 just as the Seaxes were wobbling at 77 for 3 in pursuit of 158 to win in this low-scoring encounter.Du Plooy fell eight short of 50 with victory in sight, but Higgins remained 33 not out when Stephen Eskinazi made the winning runs. Ben Coad’s 2 for 20 led a spirited attempt by the visitors to defend the tally, but in the end they didn’t have enough on the board.The chase came after Yorkshire, who resumed on 216-7 were dismissed in the first 40 minutes of the day for 244, George Hill last man out after extending his overnight 52 to 75 with several well struck boundaries, Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones finishing with 3 for 78.The win marks a significant moment for Middlesex. Relegated from the top tier last year after gleaning only five batting bonus points – three of those in the final game of the season – they had surpassed that total in the first two games of this against a Kookaburra ball rendered impotent by placid surfaces.This however was in many ways the acid test, a fourth innings run chase in a game where batting had proved difficult against just about everyone’s tip for the laurels.It should probably come as no surprise that Du Plooy, the man brought in over the winter to shore up the batting ranks, combined with Higgins, so often the sole contributor in 2023, to get Middlesex over the line.There was drama first ball of the chase when Shan Masood brilliantly fielded Nathan Fernandes’s cover-drive and shied at the stumps, the suspicion being the youngster would have been short of his ground had the throw hit, despite a full-length dive. Two balls later however, Mark Stoneman was trapped lbw to Coad for nought giving the visitors a dream start.A tense 75 minutes unfolded as Fernandes and Holden resisted against probing bowling. Holden calmed home nerves with a couple of glorious cover drives, before being given a life on 17 when gloving a short one from Mickey Edwards only for Jonathan Tattersall to spill the gift and allow the hosts to lunch on 40 for 1.When battle resumed it was just as tense, Fernandes and Holden, defiant in defence, getting a big stride in as often as possible to negate any swing. The partnership crept to 50 before four overthrows from a sharp Holden single added to the visitors’ growing sense of frustration.The tension though would tell on Fernandes, who, bogged down, hooked an innocuous short ball from Thompson down the throat of Hill at long leg. Du Plooy might have followed him a few balls later to an identical shot which to his relief carried a few yards further and cleared the rope.Coad returned to have Holden caught behind from one that bounced on him and was taken by Tattersall standing up, in the aftermath of which time seemed to stand still as disciplined bowling to a well-set field suffocated attempts to score.Boundaries for Ryan Higgins in successive overs from Thompson helped the hosts over 100, those blows seeming to break the shackles as the White Rose which had for so long promised to blossom amid adversity, slowly but inexorably wilted.Du Plooy slashed one from Moriarty to Adam Lyth at slip on 42, but victory came without further alarms 25 minutes after tea.Earlier Coad had edged his first ball of the day from Ethan Bamber into the hands of Du Plooy at slip to end an eighth-wicket stand of 62 and thereafter only the aggression of Hill pushed Yorkshire’s lead beyond 150.

Surrey seamers snare 15 wickets between them in comfortable win at Edgbaston

David Hopps29-Apr-2023If ever a day’s cricket warranted a trigger warning for the weather-ravaged occupants of the Hollies Stand, this was it. Expectations that Warwickshire could take the game deep into the final day were banished as Surrey took clinical advantage of ideal bowling conditions to brush their second innings aside in 40 overs, the match over with virtually a day and a session to spare.Five wickets for Kemar Roach brought him 8 for 67 in the match and took him past 500 first-class wickets; three for Dan Worrall took his tally to 7 for 93. Much is made of how much they enjoy bowling together and with these sorts of returns, it could hardly be a more satisfying alliance.”Kemar and Dan complement each other perfectly,” said Surrey’s coach Gareth Batty. “They are basic opposites which is great. They are highly-skilled, highly intelligent and with the experience to back it up. We have passed a few numbers their way and said, ‘look we just need to tighten up in certain areas, and the response has been through the roof.”Only Ed Barnard’s 49 saved Warwickshire from an innings defeat and even he bashed the ground in frustration when he was ninth out, nicking a rising ball from Worrall to the wicketkeeper. It all ended with a chucklesome tail-enders’ run out between Chris Rushworth and Oliver Hannon-Dalby with Hannon-Dalby’s series of indecisive, tiny steps down the pitch, after he had pushed the ball into the leg side, turning Rushworth’s brain to mush.Previous dispatches from Edgbaston might have intimated that Surrey and Warwickshire were the two most bloody-minded counties in Division One, both capable of soaking up considerable punishment yet still coming back for more. Well, they probably are. That is a measure of Surrey’s achievement in breaking the game in such startling fashion.Alec Stewart, their director of cricket, ably backed up by Batty and and skipper Rory Burns, have re-established the sort of Surrey dominance that was felt in the 1950s and again at the turn of the century. On and off the field, they are setting the standards. The Championship cannot be settled in April, especially by a side that has only won two matches in three, but it is already abundantly clear that they will take some stopping. Their sense of when to step up the tempo was another impressive element of their victory.Sixty-one runs in arrears with two Surrey wickets to get: for Warwickshire, the position at the start of play was ominous, especially in such a low-scoring match, but not quite irretrievable.In the Hollies, they settled in for the long haul, but things became ominous from the moment Worrall opened his shoulders and twice smote Hannon-Dalby heartily through mid-on. A pulled six against Chris Rushworth followed. A new ball that was only three deliveries old at start of play was becoming a little battered.Worrall made 35 from 24 balls before he perished at deep mid-on and by the time Jamie Smith was last out for 88 at deep midwicket, attempting an extravagant leg-side pick-up off one knee, 70 had been pummelled in 11 overs and Warwickshire’s deficit was 131. Batty dared to talk of Smith as a potential future England international.Surrey’s new-ball assault on either side of lunch was then of the highest order. By the time Roach and Worrall had drunk their fill, Warwickshire were 50 for 6 from 16 overs. A surface that had settled, but only slightly, when Warwickshire were bowling was still full of life, enlivened in part by a murky morning.Warwickshire’s coach, Mark Robinson, bemoaned: “We were on the wrong side of conditions for the first two days and did really well to stay in the game but then a bad hour costs us. We are an emerging team and an exciting team and it won’t be the only time we get beaten this season but we will have lots more wins to come, too.”Roach has had a wonderful game, a quality overseas player who seems to be utterly engaged with his task. He swung and seamed the ball throughout and nobody had more cause to rue that than Rob Yates, who was twice picked off in Roach’s second over. If Yates fell to a good delivery on the opening day, he received an unplayable one on this occasion, Roach attacking the left-hander from around the wicket and leaving him massively off the seam.Worrall’s addition of Alex Davies in the following over was also down to movement off the pitch, Cameron Steel holding on at third slip. Roach had soon befuddled Warwickshire’s batters so much that Sam Hain departed pushing at a wide one, and the left-handed Rhodes was lbw to one that failed to swing.Dan Mousley had resisted gamely in the first innings, but some discussion appeared to have taken place about a technique that Roach had dubbed “very different.” Worrall swung one very wide across him and he couldn’t resist, Dom Sibley holding the fourth slip catch in five.A run out would have been an ignominious addition, and Barnard narrowly avoided it, diving back into the crease to beat Worrall’s throw from mid on after Michaal Burgess had changed his mind over a single. Burgess soon fell, square cutting at Roach, who by then was threatening wickets no matter what he bowled.Surrey’s change bowlers had to settle for one wicket between them – Jordan Clark’s inswinger bowling Chris Woakes through the gate. But the clouds were darkening, the floodlights flickering into life and Burns, impatient to get on with it, even fashioned a change of ball. It was enough for the new-ball pair to return to enhance their figures.The 11 needed were meant to be secured by a collector’s-item opening pairing of Worrall and Tom Lawes. Why ever not? Apparently, neither of them has opened before at this level, and one of them hadn’t even dreamed of it, only for it to be all too much for Worrall who pulled one into the legside and fell for nought.

Hobart Hurricanes’ playoffs hopes hang by a thread after yet another poor show by their batters

Tristan Lavalette23-Jan-2023Steven Smith’s purple patch with the bat continued as Sydney Sixers seriously dented Hobart Hurricanes’ BBL playoffs hopes with a 24-run victory at Blundstone Arena. Sixers, meanwhile, tuned up for the playoffs with their sixth straight win.After being sent in, Sixers were led by an imperious Smith, who thrashed 66 off 33 balls marked by half a dozen sixes. Chasing 181, Hurricanes lost regular wickets to never seriously threaten despite a classy 49 from Zak Crawley.Seventh-placed Hurricanes are two points behind fifth-placed Sydney Thunder and play their final match on Wednesday against Brisbane Heat in Launceston. Sixers had already locked the second spot on the ladder and meet Perth Scorchers in a blockbuster qualifying final at Optus Stadium.

Steven Smith keeps up red-hot form

Smith entered the match with consecutive centuries after lighting a fuse under the BBL since his much-anticipated return. There were concerns a back niggle might rule him out of this contest, but Smith seemed unaffected at the crease.Amid an absolute onslaught, Smith appeared well on course to become the first player to hit three tons in a row in T20 history. He fell short of the record books, but once again provided a stunning exhibition of power-hitting.Smith started with a six off seamer Joel Paris on his fourth delivery, and took on spin, too, by smashing left-armer Patrick Dooley over square leg.There was nothing Hurricanes’ bowlers could do against a rampaging Smith, who clubbed Tim David’s part-time spin on to the roof over deep midwicket. Another boundary brought up Smith’s half-century in just 22 deliveries with almost every delivery zinging off the sweet spot of his bat.Hurricanes were out of answers as every Smith blow was putting their season further on the brink. But Smith fell rather tamely, lbw, when he missed a knee-height full-toss from seamer Nathan Ellis.Smith reviewed, and was crestfallen to have been dismissed in such tame fashion. But he once again proved a point to critics in his mission to regain a permanent position in Australia’s T20I team.Remarkably, Smith has hit 24 sixes in just four innings – six ahead of next best Tim David and Matthew Short, who have both batted in 13 innings.Patrick Dooley picked up three wickets•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Patrick Dooley’s knack for key wickets continues

Hurricanes were staring down the barrel of an enormous chase but fought back after Smith’s dismissal in the ninth over.Not for the first time this season, it was Dooley chipping away with key wickets starting with snaring pinch-hitter Hayden Kerr after a brilliant diving catch on the boundary from Ben McDermott. He then dismissed Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis to finish with a three-wicket haul in his return from a groin injury.Dooley, a lawyer in his day job, has become something of a talisman for the attack, but an expensive 18th over paved the way for a sloppy finish by Hurricanes’ bowlers.

Jackson Bird justifies inclusion as Sixers’ quicks dominate

On a surface offering movement, veteran quick Jackson Bird found early swing and finished with 2 for 26 from three overs.It was a solid audition for him ahead of Sixers’ trip to Perth’s pace-friendly Optus Stadium, but he was left annoyed after claiming a forward dividing catch on the first ball faced by Faheem Ashraf that was eventually deemed not out.It failed to dampen Sixers, with quicks Kerr and Sean Abbott also bowling well under pressure to finish with two wickets apiece. Abbott’s dismissal of Faheem made him the first bowler to claim 150 BBL wickets.Sean Abbott picked up two wickets in a solid spell for the Sixers quicks•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes’ batting fails to fire again

It seems unfathomable that Hurricanes will miss the playoffs considering the batting firepower at their disposal. But it has mostly proven fool’s gold in a disappointing season and that proved the case again against an experienced Sixers attack.Such a powerhouse in previous years, McDermott has been off the boil this season and came into the match with four straight single-digit failures. But he quickly reached double-figures this time with three boundaries in his first eight deliveries before falling shortly after for 13.When skipper Matthew Wade fell for 14 in the eighth over, Hurricanes’ fortunes again fell on in-form Tim David, who has been a shining light this season. David cracked three boundaries in his first four deliveries before his dismissal in the 12th over.Crawley ended a form slump, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Holkar stadium’s small boundaries promise another run-fest

Shashank Kishore03-Oct-20223:44

Jaffer: ‘India won’t want to chop and change’ this close to the T20 World Cup

Big picture

From the far east in Guwahati, the caravan rolls to dead center in Indore. It’s a city that loves its cricket so much so that they packed the stands just to be able to watch Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh roll the clock back at a net session during the Road Safety Exhibition series two weeks ago.On Tuesday, they will make a beeline for the Holkar Stadium, to be able to watch Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, and maybe Quinton de Kock and David Miller, when India and South Africa square off in the final T20I of the series.Related

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It may be a dead rubber, but that doesn’t mean much for India’s tier-two cities. They don’t get to see a lot of live cricket so every game is deeply appreciated. The (passion) is actually at an all-time high. Cricketers from the region are being recognised like never before. Two Indore residents – Venkatesh Iyer and Avesh Khan – have already made their India debuts. Next week, another one – Rajat Patidar – could well join the list. Madhya Pradesh, of which Indore forms a big part in terms of cricket, are also Ranji Trophy winners. So the interest couldn’t be higher. Throw in the backdrop of the T20 World Cup, and the lines between a dead rubber and a must-win get blurred even more.South Africa have been ambushed by India once with the ball and once with the bat. But they gave a good account of themselves in trying to scale Mount Everest when Miller’s breathtaking century took South Africa close to India’s 237 and Tuesday is an opportunity to get over the line and carry some confidence into Australia.India have continued to push boundaries as a batting unit, but with the ball, especially without Jasprit Bumrah, the pieces of their jigsaw aren’t yet fully settled. Tuesday is their opportunity to get the death-bowling spot on.Given the short turnaround time, the game will be as much a test of the player’s fitness as it will be of their skill. Over to the twenty-two players then. Can they put up another spectacle, less than 48 hours after the big bash in Guwahati?

Form guide

India: WWWWL (last five completed T20Is; most recent first)
South Africa: LLWWWTemba Bavuma is coming on the back of successive T20I ducks•Associated Press

In the spotlight

Four-ball duck in Thiruvananthapuram. Seven-ball duck in Guwahati. What does Indore have in store? Temba Bavuma’s T20 form and approach have been under much scrutiny. The debates rage on about whether he’s the best player to lead South Africa in this format. That he didn’t attract any bids at the SA20 auction last month has magnified his struggles even more. Some runs and confidence will be welcome heading into Australia. At Holkar stadium, a good pitch and small boundaries await. Can he turn the tide?Arshdeep Singh is just 13 T20Is old but has already seen different ends of the emotional spectrum. At the Asia Cup, he was at the centre of merciless trolling for a dropped catch in a tight game against Pakistan. He bounced back with superb final overs even though it didn’t translate into Indian victories. In Guwahati, he came in on the high of a three-wicket over that set up India’s win but got his radar wrong and was taken apart for 62 off his full quota. With a huge cloud over Bumrah, Arshdeep will want to do everything he can to stay in contention because there are a lot of options at India’s disposal.

Team news

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have been given a short break to head home and recuperate before departing for the T20 World Cup on October 6. This could mean an opportunity for Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer to get some batting time out in the middle. Shahbaz Ahmed, the batting allrounder, may also stand a chance of making his India debut.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Rishabh Pant (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 R Ashwin, 11 Arshdeep Singh2:05

Rahul: ‘When batting first, we always try to be aggressive and take a lot of risks’

South Africa will want to win and may not want to experiment too much. Can they find a way to fit in Reeza Hendricks though?South Africa (probable): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Rilee Rossouw/Reeza Hendricks, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Pitch and conditions

Indore is known to provide batting belters. It’s also one of the smallest grounds in India. Is there more to be said? Expect a high-scoring encounter. There could be a hint of dew in the second half that could make it easier for the team chasing.

Stats and trivia

• Arshdeep’s 62 were the second-most runs conceded by an India bowler in T20I cricket.
• In T20Is, South Africa haven’t conceded more than the 237 they did in Guwahati
• On Sunday, Rohit became the first Indian to feature in 400 T20s
• The Indore T20I will be India’s 31st in 2022, the most-ever by a team in a calendar year
• Quinton de Kock is 36 short of being the second South African to 2000 T20I runs; Miller became the first in Guwahati

England captains past and present named in Yorkshire and Durham squads for latest round

Andrew Miller04-May-2022Joe Root and Ben Stokes, England’s past and present Test captains, will both return to action for the first time this season in the latest round of LV= County Championship matches on Thursday.Root, who stood down last month during an extended break following England’s series loss in the Caribbean, has been named in a 14-man squad for Yorkshire’s trip to Essex, where he is set to come up against his own predecessor as Test captain, Alastair Cook, as well as Essex’s attack-leading spinner, Simon Harmer – a player he can expect to face again at Test level this summer following Harmer’s successful return to the South Africa set-up.Stokes, meanwhile, has been named in Durham’s squad for their trip to face Worcestershire at New Road, having sat out the opening rounds of the season while managing a knee injury that he aggravated while bowling 99 overs during the three Tests against West Indies – the heaviest workload among England’s seamers.Related

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He was officially unveiled as England’s 81st Test captain during a round of media interviews at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, during which he confirmed that he would lean on Root’s support as he gets to grips with his new responsibilities.”Joe will be a senior player, he is a senior player in this group, and he always will be going forward,” Stokes said. “He will always be someone that I look to for advice, he’ll always be someone that players will turn to and look to for advice as well, because he’s captained the team for six years so it’d be stupid not to consider him as someone to go and ask for advice from.”Root himself returned to training last week, linking up with Yorkshire’s new batting coach, Ali Maiden, at Headingley during Yorkshire’s last home Championship game against Kent. After thriving with the bat in the Caribbean, with centuries in each of the two drawn Tests in Antigua and Barbados, Root may find Essex’s conditions similarly conducive to run-scoring after a pair of stalemates to open the season at Chelmsford.Maiden, who joined the club in February as an assistant to the new head coach, Ottis Gibson, told Yorkshire’s club website that he was already relishing the chance to work with Root, a man who was last month named as Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2021, following his immense haul of 1708 runs at 61.00 in 15 Tests.”I had one session with Joe last week, and he was amazing really,” Maiden said. “I threw at him for an hour and we chatted about his batting. Then we had a competition, which he set, and the loser had to make a brew for the other person.”It was first to 10. If he gets one wrong or miscues one, I get a point. If he executes his shot correctly, he gets the point. He smashed me. I lost, and we sat together for about an hour again and chatted about batting. He was fantastic and just as enthusiastic about it as I was. He’s a legendary bloke and a legendary player.”Root’s mindset will nevertheless be under close scrutiny in the wake of his England resignation, which came after he had indicated a willingness to carry on in the role, in spite of a run of results – one win in 17 Tests – that has left England with their lowest ICC ranking since 1995.His support for his friend, Stokes, will be unequivocal, however. After the appointment was confirmed, Root tweeted a picture of the pair in a post-match embrace, with the message: “Always got each other’s backs. Congratulations mate, I’ll be right with you every step of the way.”Yorkshire are set to be without their international pair of fast bowlers, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf – who sustained a niggle during the Kent fixture – and Matt Fisher, who debuted in the Caribbean but has been sidelined for four weeks with a stress reaction in his back. Essex, meanwhile, will once again be missing Dan Lawrence following his hamstring strain.Neither James Anderson nor Saqib Mahmood will feature this week for Lancashire, as they take on Warwickshire at Emirates Old Trafford. Anderson is rested after back-to-back games while Mahmood is undergoing treatment after a shoulder injury he suffered over the winter. Chris Woakes might return next week after injury, but Ben Foakes is back for Surrey after missing the draw in Bristol with a minor back injury.Ollie Robinson, the England seamer who missed all three Tests in the Caribbean following a back spasm, is also expected to make his first appearance since the Hobart Test in January, after being named in Sussex’s squad for their home fixture against Middlesex. That match will also be notable for the potential clash between the Pakistani pairing of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan.

New Zealand government’s zero tolerance of Covid protocol breaches leaves tour in jeopardy

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2020Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Wasim Khan was told by the New Zealand government that one more breach of New Zealand’s Covid-19 protocols by the Pakistan squad would result in the entire travelling party being deported.In a WhatsApp voice message to the travelling players which ESPNcricinfo has obtained, the PCB CEO addressed his players candidly, telling them being sent back home would be “hugely embarrassing”.”Boys, I spoke to the New Zealand government and they told us there were three or four breaches of protocols,” Wasim Khan said in the voice note. “They have a zero-tolerance policy and they’ve given us a final warning. We understand that this is a difficult time for you, and you went through similar conditions in England. It’s not easy. But this is a matter of the nation’s respect and credibility. Observe these 14 days and then you’ll have the freedom to go to restaurants and roam about freely. They have told me in clear terms that if we commit one more breach, they’ll send us home.”The Pakistan squad is due to play three T20s and two Tests in New Zealand, and landed in Auckland on a chartered flight with special permission obtained from the New Zealand government. They moved on to Christchurch, where they were set to undergo 14 days of strict isolation. The arrangements, however, got off to a rocky start when six players returned positive Covid-19 tests upon landing in New Zealand; the PCB had claimed there were no positive tests in the travelling party in Lahore, from where the team flew. The six players were moved into a separate isolation facility.ALSO READ: Six Pakistan players test positive for Covid on arrival in New ZealandMore significantly, New Zealand Cricket issued a statement revealing several players had breached quarantine regulations, and that the team would be put on a “final warning”. It prompted a rebuke from New Zealand’s director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, who said it was “a privilege to come to New Zealand to play sport, but in return teams must stick to the rules that are designed to keep Covid-19 out of our communities”.The message appears to have been conveyed, in no uncertain terms, to Khan. “This is a matter of national pride,” he went on in his message to the Pakistan players. “It would be very embarrassing if they end up sending the team back. I know it’s very tough and difficult, but stay disciplined and follow the protocols they have set. We have no margin for error with the New Zealand government. This is a final warning. They will not compromise on health and safety. Do what’s right for your country.”The low rate of Covid-19 transmission in New Zealand means the bio-secure bubble need not be maintained following the expiry of the quarantine period. With no active cases outside of borders or isolation facilities, the entire nation is operating under what are known as Level 1 conditions, which effectively mean no restrictions on movement within New Zealand. At one point, the nation went over 100 days without an officially recorded positive Covid-19 case, and a second wave that saw a few hundred further cases was swiftly extinguished.That may go on to explain the seriousness with which New Zealand appears to treat any violations of its Covid protocols. If Pakistan’s travelling squad weren’t aware of the ramifications of falling foul of the regulations before today, they certainly will be now.

North Group leaders rack up batting points as Durham flounder

ECB Reporters Network24-Aug-2020Derbyshire’s batsmen kept the North Group leaders in contention for a place in the Bob Willis Trophy final on the third day of the match against Durham at Emirates Riverside.A century for Luis Reece and 50s from skipper Billy Godleman and Wayne Madsen helped Derbyshire pocket four batting points as they closed on 355 for 4 in reply to Durham’s 337 for 9 declared.Godleman passed 9,000 first-class runs and some late acceleration from Leus du Plooy and Matt Critchley completed a productive day for Derbyshire.After 57 overs were lost to rain on Sunday and with Storm Francis threatening to wipe out day four, Derbyshire were desperate to get in three full sessions to pick up bonus points. Excellent work by the groundstaff made sure play started on time after heavy overnight rain and after Durham immediately declared, Godleman and Reece laid the foundations for a substantial first innings score.With overhead conditions bright and sunny, there was little on offer for the Durham bowlers on a pitch which has become increasingly easy to bat on and they toiled throughout the first session without reward. Godleman certainly enjoyed himself, reaching his career milestone when he made 32 and cutting and driving Gareth Harte for three fours in an over.That prompted Harte to hurl the ball into Godleman’s pads and although there was no reaction from the Derbyshire skipper, the umpires spoke to Durham captain Ned Eckersley before play resumed.Godleman survived a tough chance to second slip on 37 but after completing his 50 from 103 balls, he made only one more run after lunch before he drove Matty Potts one-handed to point.But Durham had to wait for another 38 overs for another success as Reece and Madsen moved through the gears with Reece dispatching Harte over long on for the game’s first six to bring up the 150.With the wicket offering nothing, Durham opted for containment after tea and even turned to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter, playing as a batsman in this game, who bowled his first overs in first-class cricket.If Durham hoped the element of surprise might conjure a wicket, the ploy was shelved after Poynter’s four overs yielded 21 runs and little else and it was Derbyshire’s pursuit of quick runs that broke the second-wicket stand.After Reece completed his seventh first-class hundred from 217 balls, Madsen attempted to dispatch Matthew Salisbury out of Chester-le-Street and lost his footing along with his middle stump.The pair had added 124 and Reece also perished trying to clear the ropes when his one-handed drive at Chris Rushworth was well judged and taken by Potts at long-on.Another 69 from 76 balls were added before Harte produced a slow yorker to bowl du Plooy for 40 but this was not a day the bowlers will want to remember.

Australia captain Meg Lanning becomes the first Australian – male or female – to pass 2000 T20I runs during the course of a modest chase

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai28-Mar-2018 ScorecardDelissa Kimmince’s career-best 3 for 20 helped Australia restrict England to their joint second-lowest T20I score, before their batsmen razed the 97-run target in just 11.3 overs. Both sides will face each other in the tri-series final on March 31.England’s rut started right at the top as they lost Danielle Wyatt, their centurion from the previous game, off the fourth ball after Australia opted to field. Kimmince sniped out Tammy Beaumont in the fourth over. Two overs later, Amy Jones and Nat Sciver were gone. Sciver’s dismissal was particularly breathtaking as Meg Lanning snaffled a one-handed airborne, back-arching blinder at mid-off before falling on her right shoulder, which is still under recovery from a surgery.England’s 40 for 4 became 40 for 5 six balls later as Heather Knight, the captain, was trapped plumb in front while attempting a premeditated sweep. This capped off a full-blown collapse they couldn’t recover from. A 27-run seventh-wicket stand, the highest of the innings, between Jenny Gunn and Davidson-Richards helped deny Australia for a while, but they didn’t threaten to take the game away from England. Kimmince’s return for her second spell triggered another collapse as England lost their last four wickets for just eight runs. Davidson-Richards top scored with 24 in the team’s 96 all out in 17.4 overs.Australia came out all guns blazing. Opening in Beth Mooney’s absence because of a mild abdominal strain, Perry peppered nine fours en route to an unbeaten 32-ball 47 to go with her 1 for 25. Keeping her company for the greater part of the chase was Lanning, who became the first Australian – male or female – to notch up 2000 runs in T20Is.That Lanning was out to bat in the fourth over was down to Natalie Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone removing Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani for single-digit scores. The first five overs fetched Australia 21 runs, but the sixth alone earned them those many as Lanning carted five back-to-back fours off offspinner Danielle Hazell.Lanning began with an inside-out drive over point, followed by two firm hits through the covers. A change of angle from Hazell made no difference to Lanning’s approach as she then backed away to sweep the delivery fine. The fifth, another inside-out lofted drive, fell inches short of the cover boundary, with the sixth ball intercepted for a single at extra cover.Lanning’s 28-ball 41, her highest score on this tour, featured eight fours, including one off Ecclestone in the seventh over that earned her the milestone 2000th T20I run. Perry, on her part, smashed four fours off the tenth over, bringing the equation down to 20 off the last ten overs. It took Australia another nine balls to seal the chase, with Perry sweeping Hazell for a four past backward square leg.

Mustafizur Rahman has been named in a 22-member preparatory squad that will train in Australia next month before Bangladesh embark on their tour of New Zealand

Mohammad Isam04-Nov-2016Mustafizur Rahman has been named in a 22-member preparatory squad that will train in Australia next month before Bangladesh embark on their tour of New Zealand. The left-arm pace bowler is recovering after undergoing shoulder surgery in August after sustaining an injury playing for Sussex last season.Mustafizur’s last international match was at the World T20 earlier this year. On December 10, the day after the final of the Bangladesh Premier League, Bangladesh will fly to Australia, where they will train and play matches in Sydney during a ten-day camp, before leaving for New Zealand for three ODIs, three T20s and two Tests in December and January.There was no place in the preparatory squad for Rubel Hossain, Nasir Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Mosharraf Hossain, who are among the nine standbys. Rabbi is the only member of Bangladesh’s XI in the second Test against England to not feature in the squad.Apart from Mustafizur, the selectors have included the uncapped Tanveer Haider, Ebadot Hossain and Nazmul Hossain Shanto, and Subashis Roy, who was in the senior squad for the second Test against England last month.Tanveer is a batting allrounder who bowls legspin, Ebadot is a pace bowler who emerged from a fast-bowling hunt, Shanto is a young batsman who was part of Bangladesh’s squad during the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, and Subashis is a fast bowler with plenty of first-class experience.Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahid has also been included in the preparation squad though he missed out on the two Tests against England due to injury.Bangladesh’s preparatory squad for New Zealand tour: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Subashis Roy, Mohammad Shahid, Ebadot Hossain, Tanveer Haider.

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.”