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Brendan Taylor’s first century since last June helped put Nottinghamshire on the front foot on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2016
ScorecardBrendan Taylor set Nottinghamshire up after a top-order wobble•Getty Images

Brendan Taylor’s first century since last June helped put Nottinghamshire on the front foot on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Trent Bridge.Taylor, who has struggled for runs in the opening weeks of the season, made 114, scoring his runs from 189 balls, with 18 fours, as Notts recovered from a shaky start to reach stumps on 353 for 6.The former Zimbabwe international shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 168 with Samit Patel, who made 84.With Chris Read absent through a hand injury, Steven Mullaney skippered the home side for the first time since a one-day match against Sri Lanka A in 2011. The stand-in captain won the toss, elected to bat first and then perished to a fine catch at midwicket by James Weighell for 2.Chris Rushworth followed up that wicket by knocking over Jake Libby’s unprotected off stump and then Graham Onions sent back Greg Smith, to leave the hosts on 27 for 3.Michael Lumb helped arrest the slide, making 22 in a fourth-wicket stand of 66 with Taylor but a sharp catch by Paul Collingwood ended his stay just before lunch.Durham used eight different bowlers during the afternoon session but they were unable to part Taylor and Patel, who added 151 runs without too many alarms, Brydon Carse was unavailable to Collingwood – he left the field after bowling only seven overs.Patel brought up two milestones in one hit, pulling Collingwood away for the boundary that took him to 50 from 84 deliveries, at the same time as he hit the 10,000 first-class run mark.Taylor’s 27th first-class hundred came from his 145th delivery, with an elegant cover drive off Onions, his 17th boundary. Combining conventional drives and cuts, with deft flicks and reverse sweeps, Taylor looked a million miles away from the player who had only delivered 80 runs in his first eight innings of the campaign.A knock of 71 at Southampton on Wednesday was an early indicator that he was finding his touch and the confidence gained from that innings helped produce his first championship century at Trent Bridge before he lifted Weighell into the hands of deep midwicket.Patel soon followed, bowled by Scott Borthwick, but Notts closed out the day in stark contrast to the way they’d begun it. Brett Hutton and Riki Wessels plundered 62 in the closing overs, to ensure at least four batting bonus points.

Andy Waller has confirmed that he will begin his new job as Zimbabwe’s head coach on May 1

Firdose Moonda04-Apr-2013Andy Waller has confirmed that he will begin his new job as Zimbabwe’s head coach on May 1. Waller has just returned to the UK from Sri Lanka, where he was on a tour with the Eastbourne College first team, which he currently coaches.In an email from the school, Waller told ESPNCricinfo that he will arrive in Zimbabwe on April 15 and will begin work the next month. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) have yet to officially announce his appointment.Waller will not be involved in the two Tests against Bangladesh, but will take over for the ODIs and Twenty20s, which start on May 3. Stephen Mangongo will be in charge at the start of the tour and will continue in his role as assistant coach under Waller.Grant Flower, the batting coach, has been involved in preparations for the series but there is no word on the future of Heath Streak, the bowling coach, whose contract expired on March 31, along with that of former coach Alan Butcher. It is likely Streak will continue as a bowling consultant, because none of the three coaches currently involved have expertise in that discipline, but the decision is yet to be made.Streak and Flower were pushed to the fringes of Zimbabwe’s structures when they were left at home during the recent tour to West Indies because of a change in ZC’s touring policy. The decision irked captain Brendan Taylor, who said at the time, that the team needed the pair’s experience especially when away from home. Zimbabwe went on to lose all seven matches, across all formats, in the Caribbean.The team has not played at home since late 2011 when they made their Test comeback, and hosted Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand, and have endured a tough year in-between. Things do not appear to be getting any easier in the lead up to the busy home programme, which includes home series with Bangladesh, India (for three ODIs), Sri Lanka and Pakistan.As most of Zimbabwe’s inbound tours take place during the winter, those franchise cricketers who are not centrally contracted often look for opportunity to play club cricket in the UK in order to make some money. A group of those players approached ZC about their financial situation and asked for winter contracts as security, but a source close to the situation said their request had been denied. Instead, ZC has only made provision for a small daily allowance.As a result, many of those players have indicated they will continue to pursue money-making opportunities overseas and not stay at home through the winter. That will leave Zimbabwe with only the 15 centrally contracted players to choose from while most of their next best will be unavailable. Should injuries or poor form strike, Zimbabwe could be in a dire situation with a lack of cricketers to play matches.

Dr DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai will host its first Ranji Trophy tie this season, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2012The Dr DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai will host its first Ranji Trophy tie this season, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has confirmed. Owing to the unavailability of the Wankhede Stadium, the four-year old stadium in Navi Mumbai, on which only IPL matches have been played, is scheduled to host the Mumbai-Gujarat game from December 29 to January 1, 2013.”The Wankhede will host Indian universities’ biggest congress and hence the stadium won’t be available. The managing committee has decided to allocate the Mumbai-Gujarat tie to DY Patil Stadium. The rest of the matches will be held at the Wankhede Stadium,” MCA secretary Nitin Dalal told .Seventeen matches have been played at the stadium since its inauguration in 2008. It has been home to the Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers in 2010, and Pune Warriors in 2011. The last game played there was the Pune Warriors-Kolkata Knight Riders IPL fixture on May 19 last year.”It is a good opportunity for cricket lovers in the suburbs to watch quality cricket,” Vijay Patil, president of DY Patil Sports Academy and MCA vice-president, said.

Chamara Kapugedera’s inability to fully grab his many international opportunities is frustrating for the Sri Lankan hierarchy

Abhishek Purohit in Pallekele06-Aug-2012Sri Lanka cannot seem to make up their mind about Chamara Kapugedera. His 92 ODIs have been spread over six and a half years for a disappointing average of 22.04. He has batted all the way from No. 2 to No. 9. He has gone out of the squad many times, and has made his way back again. Mahela Jayawardene spoke for almost ten minutes on Kapugedera on Monday, but the debate still remained open.Jayawardene conceded Kapugedera had not made the most of his chances, but felt that the opportunities had not been consistent. He said Kapugedera was committed and focused during practice, but admitted he struggled to handle the pressure in a game. Jayawardene hinted that time could run out for Kapugedera eventually, but asked for some more patience given that he was still only 25.”It is frustrating,” Jayawardene said of Kapugedera’s struggles. “If you see the way he bats at nets, and the way Isuru Udana bowls at nets, it’s totally different, and we give them an opportunity. I don’t know whether it’s the occasion, whether they can’t handle pressure, [but] it does not come good for them. If they cannot handle the pressure then we have to move on and give that opportunity to someone else.”But what we see at the nets, the commitment and the attitude we feel that there is something that could spark these guys. We have had players like Marvan [Atapattu] who didn’t have a great start, but people gave him opportunities and he reacted to that. Obviously if they are not performing and others come and grab hold of their chances then they will get more opportunity than guys like Chamara.”Jayawardene said Kapugedera was not being able to carry his focus in the nets to the middle and said that was something for coaches to work on. “He is still young and if he can turn a corner it’d be good. In the last World Twenty20 he was awesome for us in the Caribbean batting at No. 6 [Kapugedera made 95 runs in six games at a strike-rate of 121.79]. The talent is there, but the execution is not there and we have to identify how we can trigger that. We have to be patient. If he is struggling [then] giving him a break, obviously see if there are any other players, but if he is good we have to try him.”Jayawardene said Sri Lanka had limited resources and were looking to give chances to young players. “If you see a player like Nuwan Pradeep wasn’t bowling well six months ago, but we kept him in the squad and today he is doing well.”We try to do justice to all players. We can’t throw out simply because players fail in few games. They are all young players and we need to be patient.”Jayawardene said it was the selectors’ call on whether or not to persist with Kapugedera but added that opportunities had to be capitalised on. “He has not made most of the opportunities, but the opportunities have been far and few. Not consistent. But obviously if someone is fighting for a spot, whatever the opportunity you have to grab it. It’s tough, it’s under pressure, it’s not easy, but we will see how it goes.”

Peter George, the young South Australia fast bowler, has been called into Australia’s Test squad in New Zealand as cover for Ryan Harris

Cricinfo staff17-Mar-2010Peter George, the young South Australia fast bowler, has been called into Australia’s Test squad in New Zealand as cover for Ryan Harris, who is battling a side injury. Harris is carrying the slight problem following the one-day series and was unable to train outside due to the rainy conditions in Wellington on Wednesday.Alex Kountouris, Australia’s physiotherapist, said it was not clear if Harris would be available for Friday’s opening Test at the Basin Reserve. “The plan is he will bowl again outdoors [on Thursday] and hopefully be passed fit to play,” he said.Harris, who has not appeared in a Test, has been outstanding in the one-day games this summer and has been jostling with Clint McKay for the final bowling spot in the XI. George, 23, had a strong season with South Australia, finishing second on the Sheffield Shield wicket list with 36 at 30.44.Andrew Hilditch, the national selection chairman, said George was an exciting fast bowler. “The panel believes that should the opportunity arise, Peter has the skills
to succeed at this level and will benefit greatly from being around the
Australian set-up,” he said.Queensland’s Ben Cutting seemed a more suitable candidate for some work experience but he is involved in the Sheffield Shield final against Victoria at the MCG. Australia are already without Peter Siddle (back) and Ben Hilfenhaus (knee), while Brett Lee has retired from Tests to extend his limited-overs career.

Pakistan got off to a solid start to their tour of Australia, as Salman Butt’s 153 took them to 270 for 4 on the first day against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.

Cricinfo staff19-Dec-2009
ScorecardPakistan got off to a solid start to their tour of Australia, as opening batsman Salman Butt’s knock of 153 took them to 270 for 4 at stumps on the first day against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.Under overcast conditions, the hosts decided to put the visitors in and, much like in their recent tour of New Zealand, the openers struggled initially. Butt was dropped and reprieved again when Tim Paine missed a stumping opportunity before he could get his eye in. He went on to make the most of the lapses, dropping anchor and settling in for a long vigil at the crease. Building upon the confidence he picked in his final innings in New Zealand, he dug in and, along with Imran Farhat, added 69 runs for the opening wicket. Tim Macdonald then got Farhat’s scalp after which Faisal Iqbal fell cheaply.Butt carried on and found a willing partner in Misbah-ul-Haq, who is looking to resurrect his international career. Misbah struck two sixes in the partnership of 113 before Macdonald sent him back, seven short of a half-century. With stumps in sight, Butt was dismissed by the economical Brett Geeves, but not before he had crossed 150 with 23 fours, a knock that will give him confidence ahead of the Test series. Pakistan will hope Umar Akmal and the rest of the lower order can swell the total before they have a go at the home team on the second day.

Rana collided with Vastrakar while fielding, but came on to bowl six more overs to finish her quota and was taken to hospital after complaining of headache

Srinidhi Ramanujam30-Dec-2023India allrounder Sneh Rana was taken for scans after “complaining of headache” post her collision with Pooja Vastrakar in the field during the second ODI against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium, the BCCI said. Former India captain Anjum Chopra, a commentator at the match, said Rana also complained of nausea.Rana will take no further part in the match. Harleen Deol has been named as her concussion replacement.”She [Rana] had a little bit of headache post the first innings,” India’s head coach Amol Muzumdar said after the match*. “We felt it was appropriate for her to do the scan. The reports have been fine and she is back in the dressing room. She is still having a little bit of a headache, but that’s normal. She is available for the third match.”Related

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• Ball-by-ball: The seven catches that India dropped

The incident happened in the 25th over of the first innings. Trying to stop a cut by left-hand batter Beth Mooney, Rana moved to her left from short third and Vastrakar to her right from backward point. In the process, Rana’s head banged into Vastrakar and both players fell onto the ground. Rana was taken off the field immediately, with the physio applying ice on her head, but returned after a couple of overs.Rana, who had bowled four overs at the time of the collision, went on to complete her quota of ten overs. She dismissed Ashleigh Gardner in the 37th over and finished with figures of 1 for 59.Rana was the Player of the Match for her seven wickets in the one-off Test played between the two teams last week. In the first ODI that India lost, she dismissed Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield.Deol, who bowls spin but is primarily a batter, was considered a like-for-like replacement for Rana, who is an offspinner primarily and a lower-order batter. Deol’s last ODI outing was against Bangladesh in Mirpur in July, when she scored 77 in a tied game and was named Player of the Match.

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

• Pieces shuffle into place in India's batting jigsaw

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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.