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Key takeaways from the final round of NCL 2021-22

Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2021Dhaka Division lifted the NCL tier-1 trophy after seven years when they beat the other domestic powerhouse Khulna Division by 179 runs in the final round. Dhaka has now won six NCL titles, level with Rajshahi Division, while Khulna is on top of the list with seven trophies.Chattogram Division bagged the only promotion spot from tier-2 after their drawn game against Dhaka Metropolis, taking their tally up to 31.60 points.Best batters
Barishal Division captain Fazle Mahmud finished as the tournament’s top-scorer, with 603 runs at an average of 60.30. His 188 and unbeaten 71 in the drawn game against Rajshahi Division took him to the top of the run-getters’ list ahead of Sylhet’s young gun Amite Hasan. Mahmud struck 17 fours and a six during his 356-ball effort in the first innings.Amite made a career-best 186 against Rangpur, taking his tally to 590 runs at an average of 59.00, with two centuries and two fifties. He struck 19 fours during his near nine-hour marathon in the final round.Dhaka’s title had much to do with Abdul Mazid, who was the other batter to cross 500 runs this season. Mazid made 521 runs at an average of 43.41, with a century and four fifties, including the half-century in their tournament-winning match against Khulna.In this round, Myshukur Rahaman, Zakir Hossain and Shahadat Hossain Dipu struck centuries while the veteran Farhad Reza missed out by just one run.Rangpur’s Myshukur made 157 off 316 balls with 14 fours against Sylhet. Zakir replied with 122 off 248 balls with 14 fours against Rangpur.Farhad struck ten fours and six sixes during his 111-ball 99 against Barishal while young Dipu, part of Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side, struck a career-best 159 off 306 balls against Dhaka Metro.Best bowlers
Chattogram’s promotion had a lot to do with left-arm spinner Hasan Murad and offspinner Nayeem Hasan. The pair took 33 and 32 wickets respectively to lead the NCL’s bowling charts. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam’s 32 wickets helped Dhaka to the tier-1 title.Among the fast bowlers, Al-Amin Hossain took the most wickets – 20 strikes at 19.60, including a nine-wicket match haul.In the final round, Shuvagata Hom picked up only his second ten-wicket haul when he took 7 for 48 and 3 for 66 against Khulna. Mohammad Mithun sprung a surprise with his seven-wicket haul in the second innings, having taken just six wickets in 109 first-class matches previously.Dhaka’s Taibur Rahman took 5 for 40 in the same game, while left-arm quick Ruyel Mia took 5 for 120 for Barishal against Rajshahi.Best match
The Dhaka-Khulna encounter was the only one that yielded an outright result in the final round. Batting first, Dhaka made 335 before bowling out Khulna for 213. Dhaka declared on 256 for 8 in the second innings, leaving Khulna with a mountain to climb on the final day. Khulna managed to bat out 89.1 overs on the final day, but were eventually bowled out for 199 runs.Points to ponder
Dhaka’s 179-run win over Khulna helped them leapfrog Rangpur who were leading the tier-1 points table for the last few rounds of the competition. But their drawn game against Sylhet cost them dearly.Chattogram got their promotion after their drawn game against Rajshahi. If Barishal had beaten Rajshahi, they, too, would have got close to promotion. Seven-time champion Khulna, however, are now demoted to tier-2 next season.Players to watch
Mahmudul Hasan Joy capped off his impressive NCL run with an 83 against Dhaka Metro. His strong form culminated in a maiden call-up to the Bangladesh Test squad.The selectors might want to consider the likes of Mahmud and Mazid for at least the Bangladesh A sides after their healthy returns in the NCL. Amite and Murad could also be on the radar of the selectors.

Head coach says England will digest lessons after India’s “deserved” victory at The Oval

Vithushan Ehantharajah05-Aug-20251:50

Miller: Bazball’s legacy in danger without wins

Brendon McCullum says he has identified areas where England must improve ahead of the Ashes after a thrilling series against India ended 2-2 courtesy of what the head coach believes was a deserved win for the tourists in the fifth Test at the Kia Oval.India completed their fightback from 2-1 down in a remarkable 56 minutes of play on the 25th and final day of this Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, securing a six-run win, their narrowest victory by runs.It meant England missed out on a first series win over India since 2018, which was also the last time they triumphed in a five-match series. They have yet to record a series win over India or Australia under McCullum and Ben Stokes’ leadership.Related

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With England next in action in September for white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland, there is time to decompress. McCullum, as over-arching coach since the start of the year, will be across both challenges. But his immediate focus, once the dust has settled, will be to pore over the last seven weeks to see what worked and what did not. Fine-tuning ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth come November will be his primary aim.”We’ll let this one sit, we’ll digest it,” McCullum said. “We’ll be able to pick out what has gone well then start to work out how we can keep improving so, when we do arrive out in Australia, we give ourselves a huge chance.”We’re in the middle now, halfway through what we knew was going to be an unbelievable 12 months of Test cricket. We know we’ve got some room to improve.”You’re always learning any time you get to see guys having to dig deep and go to places they’ve maybe not been before.”There’s lots to pick out as we give ourselves time for this to digest and work out areas we can look to improve for our next challenge. Ultimately, I’m really proud of the guys and their efforts. It’s been a combative series, it’s taken its toll with injuries, some of the best players have gone home injured.”To sit here at 2-2, yes, you’re disappointed but you’re proud of the efforts.”Brendon McCullum will oversee the England debrief after India fought back for a 2-2 draw•Getty Images

The scoreline mimics the 2023 home Ashes, and though England came from behind two years ago to secure a draw, there were parallels to this summer against India with some of the moments the hosts let slip.Dropped catches cost them in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford, which ended in a draw, and at the Kia Oval. But perhaps the most painful will be a collapse of 7 for 66 in pursuit of 374 after Joe Root and Harry Brook had taken England to 301 for 3 in the chase.McCullum was reticent to dwell on the missed opportunities, something he chalks up as the cost of playing a high-calibre team who were able to rally after those reprieves. He did concede the catching was particularly below par; England dropped six catches in India’s second innings of 396, which ended up costing them 152 runs.”We didn’t catch very well in this game but have caught really well over the last few years,” he said. “Sometimes dropped catches happen and one leads to another. If we had held our catches maybe we would have been stood on the other side of the result. That’s life, there’s so many little things in the game we could pick out and have huge impacts. We are a good fielding unit and had a bit of an average performance in this Test.”We threw everything at them. It was testament to how stoic they are as a team. We knew when they turned up in England it would be a very stern challenge and we’d have to play excellent cricket to get the result we wanted.”Ultimately I thought it was an absolutely unbelievable series to be part of. It had confrontation, it had stalemates, it had passion and it had some sub-par performances under pressure as well.”The way India were late on in this Test, Mohammed Siraj has the absolute heart of a lion to bowl 90mph in his 30th over of his fifth Test match. It’s quite an incredible effort.”As much as we got ourselves in a winning position this Test match, I feel like they deserved to win. They played better cricket.”

Leicestershire on top in fast-developing contest after Patel half-century secures precious lead

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2023Leicestershire held, lost and then regained the upper hand over Gloucestershire on an eventful second day of their fast-moving LV=Insurance County Championship match, which ended with the home side eyeing up a win inside three days as they seek to strengthen their promotion challenge.On a pitch that continued to make batting hard work, Gloucestershire closed on 179 for eight, with a lead of 134 after Tom Scriven (three for 43) increased his match return to seven wickets, although Leicestershire’s points haul from this match may be under threat as a result of their slow over-rate, the scoreboard showing minus five as they left the field.Earlier, Leicestershire had surrendered what could have been an even stronger position by losing their last eight first-innings wickets for just 54 runs as Zaman Akhter (four for 46) and Luke Charlesworth, who took three for 54 on his first-class debut, led a spirited fightback from an inexperienced Gloucestershire attack.But only when Miles Hammond (46) and Ben Charlesworth (33) were adding 70 for the third wicket did Gloucestershire threaten to turn that to their advantage, although Akhter’s late unbeaten 22 from 30 balls could yet be important in a low-scoring contest.Leicestershire’s collapse, from 56 behind overnight with eight wickets in hand, was all the more surprising after they had achieved the day’s first objective by negotiating the first hour without too many alarms.It all changed following a stunning catch by second slip Ollie Price. His one-handed grab as a loose Colin Ackermann drive flew hard off the outside edge precipitated the loss of three Leicestershire wickets for no runs in 11 balls.Rishi Patel, top scorer with 73, became Luke Charlesworth’s maiden first-class victim, hanging his bat out at one that swung away, the 20-year-old right-armer’s older brother, Ben, taking the catch at first slip. Umar Amin’s debut lasted four balls, ending with an expansive drive edged to second slip.Louis Kimber was the fourth casualty of the morning, beaten past the outside of the bat by Dom Goodman two overs before lunch, before another cluster of wickets soon after the interval – four in 14 balls – completed Leicestershire’s spiral from 150 for two to 204 all out.Charlesworth capped a memorable debut by dismissing Leicestershire debutant Ben Cox leg before and then had Matt Salisbury caught behind, either side of two wickets in two balls from Zaman – another of the rookies in this Gloucestershire side – who will be on a hat-trick when he bowls in the second innings, after Wiaan Mulder was caught on the hook and Chris Wright bowled first ball.Although to a degree Leicestershire had been the architects of their own demise, what had been prepared as a result pitch continued to aid those deliveries that landed in the right place, as Gloucestershire discovered as they set about overhauling the home side’s modest 45-run advantage, quickly losing their first two second innings wickets.Wright, whose six-over burst with the new ball conceded just one run, struck first as Chris Dent got an inside edge on to his stumps. Mulder appealed for caught behind off a thin edge against Ollie Price before realising he’d actually dislodged the off bail.A period of relative prosperity for the visitors followed, Ben Charlesworth and Hammond dominant for a while in adding 70 in 13 overs for the third wicket, with change bowlers Scriven and Salisbury somewhat easier to get away than they had been on day one.It was the introduction of Ackermann to bowl the first spin of the match that checked their progress as Charlesworth, attempting to repeat a previous boundary hit over the top, skewed the ball to backward point.At 95 for three at tea, 50 in front, there was still potential for Gloucestershire to establish a lead that might set a test for Leicestershire in the fourth innings but the return of Wright and Mulder after tea made that less likely.Mulder squeezed one between a defensive bat and pad to trap Hammond in front before Wright did for Tector with one that kept a shade low, after which Salisbury and Scriven delivered simultaneous spells of outstanding accuracy that saw just nine runs added in 10 overs, the rewards for pressure going to Scriven, who had James Bracey and Shaw caught behind and Zafar Gohar taken at slip.

The first player to take the honour will be announced in late January

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2022Australia’s men’s Test Player of the Year award will be named in honour of Shane Warne. CA and ACA made the joint announcement at the Boxing Day Test between Australia and South Africa where both sides have honoured Warne in the first Test match to be played at his home ground of the MCG since his passing in March this year.Australia’s Test Player of the Year award is handed out each year at CA’s Awards ceremony alongside the Allan Border medal for the best men’s international cricketer across all three forms and the Belinda Clark medal for the women’s game.Related

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Warne, who won the Test Player of the Year award in 2006, is widely regarded as Australia’s greatest-ever Test match bowler having taken 708 wickets in 145 Tests.Warne was honoured during the pre-match ceremony ahead of the Boxing Day Test with both sets of players wearing white floppy hats when walking out for the anthems as a tribute to his trademark look in the field during his Test career. Fans had also been encouraged to wear floppy hats and zinc cream in tribute to Warne.”The happiness outweighs the sadness tenfold,” Warne’s son Jackson said on . “To see all the zinc cream on everyone’s faces, to see everyone with the floppy hats is unbelievable. To be also in front of the greatest man ever – in front of the Shane Warne stand – is just awesome.”It is the first time a Test has been played in front of the newly named Shane Warne stand at the MCG, which was renamed earlier this year. A highlights package of Warne’s career was played on the big screen just prior to the anthems. His name and Australian Test cap number of 350 has been painted on the MCG outfield for the duration of the Test match.At 3.50pm – to match Warne’s number – the game briefly paused to celebrate his life the crowd rising and doffing their floppy hats with chants of ‘Warnie, Warnie’ ringing around the ground and the players watched in the middle.CA chief executive Nick Hockley said it was a fitting honour to rename the award the Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year.”As one of Australia’s all-time greats, it is fitting we acknowledge Shane’s extraordinary contribution to Test cricket by naming this award in his honour in perpetuity,” he said.

Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, James Neesham and Chamika Karunaratne among those who have listed themselves at the second-highest base price

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2022Jayden Seales and Odean Smith, the West Indies internationals, have listed their base price at Rand 1,750,000 (US$101,000 approx), the maximum for any player at CSA’s SA20 player auction. Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Tymal Mills, David Willey, Jimmy Neesham and Chamika Karunaratne have listed themselves at the second-highest base price of Rand 1,700,000 ($98,000 approx).Related

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The auction longlist has 533 players, out of which 248 are from South Africa. Eleven out of those 248 – Dean Elgar, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorious, Janneman Malan, Keegan Petersen, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Tabraiz Shamsi and Temba Bavuma – have set themselves a base price of Rand 850,000 ($49,000 approx.), the highest among South African players.Of the 52 players who are in the Rand 850,000 ($49,000 approx.) category are Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka and Pathum Nissanka, England’s Craig Overton and Matthew Potts, West Indies’ Alzzari Joseph, Keemo Paul, Carlos Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks, Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi, Samiullah Shinwari and Karim Janat, and Ireland’s Harry Tector. New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, who has retired from international cricket, has also listed himself at this base price.The final auction pool will be confirmed by CSA once it receives the wishlist from the six franchises, the deadline for which is September 8. The auction is on September 19 in Cape Town.Fast bowler Seales is uncapped in T20Is but has proved to be effective both in the powerplay and death overs during his time with Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL and at the LPL with Jaffna Kings. He has played nine Tests and seven ODIs so far, and recently earned his first national contract. In LPL 2021, which was dominated by spinners, Seales emerged as the most prolific seamer, with 15 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.81.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Smith has played 19 T20Is and five ODIs apart from playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL and a bunch of teams in the CPL, and has showcased his big-hitting both at the international and franchise levels.Although all six franchises are owned by IPL owners, there are no Indian players on the list, because of the BCCI’s policy against allowing its players to play overseas T20 leagues. Former India Under-19 captain Unmukt Chand, who announced his retirement last year, has signed up as a USA player at a base price of Rand 175,000 ($10,000 approx.). Chand began a Minor League career in the USA last year. He is also the only Indian male cricketer to feature in the Big Bash League. He played two matches for Melbourne Renegades last season.Khaled Ahmed is the only Bangladesh player who has put his name in the auction, listing himself at a base price of Rand 175,000 ($10,000 approx.). Ben Dunk and Jerome Chinia are the only two players from Australia to have signed up.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, there were no Pakistan players on the list. There have been suggestions that they were not picked because the franchises are owned by team owners from the IPL, where Pakistani players are, in effect, barred. But a league official, while clarifying that the league doesn’t get involved in selections, said Pakistan’s schedule constraints – they have home series and then the PSL this year – have played a part in their players’ non-availability.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The six teams have already signed between two and five players apiece from a pool of 30 marquee players as part of the direct-acquisition process. The franchises have an overall purse of $2 million and can buy as many more players as they can, or want, with the maximum squad strength set at 17.The money available to them at the auction will be based on what is left of the purse after acquiring the pre-auction players [the five included a maximum of three overseas players, one South Africa international, and one uncapped South Africa player]. In total, franchises will be permitted to sign up to seven international players and ten South Africans, with a view of fielding an XI with a maximum of four overseas players, the same as in the IPL.The English contingent dominated the marquee list, with the pair of Jos Buttler (Paarl Royals) and Liam Livingstone (MI Cape Town) standing to earn up to half a million dollars each. Moeen Ali (Super Kings) is the third most expensive on the list at USD 400,000 followed by Faf du Plessis (Super Kings) at USD 350,000.

Experienced Australian has worked in county cricket, Sheffield Shield and the Big Bash

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2022Matt Mason has been appointed as England Women’s fast bowling coach.Mason, 48, has coached extensively in the county game as well as his native Australia, and joins after leaving his current position as bowling coach with Warwickshire. He will be charged with developing a clutch of young quicks coming into the national team, including Issy Wong, Lauren Bell and Freya Kemp, following the retirement of Anya Shrusbole and Katherine Brunt’s decision to focus on limited-overs cricket.The ECB is currently hunting for a new head coach for the women’s team, after Lisa Keightley opted against extending her contract. Her assistant, Tim McDonald, looked after the bowlers previously but departed from his role after the Commonwealth Games.”I am really excited about taking on this role and I can’t wait to get started with England Women,” Mason said. “There are only a handful of jobs I would have left Warwickshire for, this is one of them. I had no intention of leaving the club, I loved my time there, but when this opportunity came up I felt I had to take it.”I’ve never coached at international level before, it’s an exciting prospect and I don’t know if such a chance would ever arise again in the future. I’m looking forward to meeting the group, getting to know everyone and hopefully helping drive the team forward to on-field success.”Mason began playing in Western Australia but spent most of his career with Worcestershire, taking more than 400 wickets for the county. He retired in 2011, having already started to work for the club as a coach, and subsequently took on similar roles with Leicestershire, Western Australia and Perth Scorchers.Mason, who only joined Warwickshire in April, was highly rated for his work with a number of young Australian bowlers. The Edgbaston club said they had already started the process of looking for a replacement.Jonathan Finch, director of England women’s cricket, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have secured someone of the calibre of Matt. He was a very strong candidate for the role and we’re looking forward to seeing what he brings to the England Women’s cricket team.”It was important that we recruited someone with a track record of working with and improving a group of fast bowlers at elite level. Matt will play a central role in developing current and future England bowlers, and we are excited by the leadership he will bring to fast bowling across the women’s game.”We’re in the process of recruiting a head coach and Matt will be a valued part of that person’s coaching staff, bringing great expertise and experience in the field of fast bowling.”I would also like to thank Warwickshire CCC in allowing Matt to make the move to his new role so quickly.”

Earlier on Thursday, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed was ruled out of the first ODI due to a back injury

Mohammad Isam01-Dec-2022Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal has been ruled out of the ODI series against India, which begins on December 4 in Mirpur, due to a groin injury. He is also in doubt for the Test series that begins on December 14 in Chattogram. Tamim picked up the injury during a warm-up match at the same venue on Wednesday.Earlier on Thursday, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed was ruled out of the first ODI due to a back injury.Related

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“Tamim has a Grade 1 strain on his right groin which has been confirmed following an MRI,” Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said. “We will maintain a conservative treatment protocol for him for two weeks after which his rehab will begin. Unfortunately it means he will not be available for the ODI series and will be doubtful for the Test series.”The BCB are yet to name a captain or a replacement for Tamim. They have however called up Shoriful Islam as a back-up for Taskin from the Bangladesh A side who are currently playing against India A in Cox’s Bazar.”Taskin is out of the first ODI and we will know about his availability for the rest of the ODI series only after another fitness test,” Bangladesh’s chief selector Minhajul Abedin told ESPNcricinfo earlier on Thursday.Taskin suffered the injury during a BCL match on November 20 for which he has been taking a pain-killer injection for the last few days. He has emerged as the bowling attack leader in the last 12 months after making a stellar comeback to international cricket. But earlier this year, he was out of action for a few months due to a shoulder injury. He picked up the back injury during a BCL match on November 20.The first ODI will be held in Dhaka on Sunday followed by the second one at the same venue on December 7 and the final match on December 10 in Chattogram.

Off-spinner’s 5 for 7 and Sophie Ecclestone’s 4 for 11 snuff out Phoenix for 87 before hosts make hard work of chase

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Aug-2023Fi Morris picked up the best figures in the Hundred outright as Manchester Originals triumphed over Birmingham Phoenix at Emirates Old Trafford in their first outing of the season.A remarkable 5 for 7 from the off-spinner’s 16 balls, in tandem with Sophie Ecclestone’s 4 for 11, snuffed out the Phoenix for 87, which Originals eventually overcame with a ball to spare. In the process, Morris more than doubled her wicket tally in the competition, having previously taken four for Southern Brave. She did not bowl in either of her two matches for Welsh Fire last summer, but on Originals debut has now bagged the standout Hundred figures for a man or woman. This also tops her best return in Twenty20 cricket.”I knew I’d got the first women’s five-for, but I didn’t know it was the best in either competition,” Morris beamed when informed she had better Josh Little’s 5 for 13, also for Manchester Originals, in the men’s competition. “I’ll take that!””I think it’s probably my best-ever day in cricket, to be honest,” she added. “How the last couple of years have gone, not playing much in last year’s Hundred, to come in and do that first game I’m absolutely buzzing.”I got a bit of help from the pitch. Having Sophie (Ecclestone), Wello (Amanda-Jade Wellington) and Mahika (Gaur) bowl so well up front, I kind of had the easy job. All I needed to do was bowl straight, and I seemed to do it alright.”Victory capped off the individual performance, though it was harder than it should have been. Laura Wolvaardt and Ami Campbell did the brunt of the work with a stand of 69, but a cascade of dot balls and unnecessary dismissals saw the chase go deep into the final set, with the hosts eventually getting over the line by five wickets.After two abandonments, Originals won the toss and set about putting in a near-perfect performance in the field. Maybe there was a hint of pent-up frustration at being one of two teams, along with London Spirit, to have not taken the field this season. But at no point did they clutch or over-stretch. Indeed the key to restricting Phoenix to such a low total was drying things up initially.Gaur sent down all 20 of her deliveries inside the first 30, for just 18 runs. The hype around the tall left-hander is justified, and though she went wicketless, the control assumed, particularly against Sophie Devine, gave a few reasons why England capped her at “A” level this summer.In a patchy Phoenix line-up, Devine either had to do something spectacular, or bat through. But after Ecclestone picked up her first, spinning one between bat and pad and having her stumped by Ellie Threlkeld, the White Ferns legend’s attempt to slog-sweep the left-arm spinner over square leg resulted in a smart catch by Morris on that boundary. Two deliveries later, Erin Burns was caught behind to leave Phoenix 52 for 3 from 53.Morris came on for the next set, and early confirmation this would be her day came when Amy Jones’ was hit on the full in front of middle and leg attempting a reverse sweep. Phoenix unravelled, losing their last six for 30 runs in 40 deliveries, squeezed by Originals as much by Ecclestone’s captaincy as her frugality with the ball.Emily Arlott, trapped on the crease, was the skipper’s fourth wicket, and if anyone was going to get five this afternoon, it would surely be the world’s best white-ball bowler. But Morris had taken three in eight deliveries by the time Ecclestone returned for her final five. And when those passed without incident, Morris needed just one more to bank her five-wicket haul and put Phoenix out of their misery with four of their 100 balls to go.Sophie Ecclestone bagged four wickets•ECB via Getty Images

What jeopardy there was in the chase came first ball when Emma Lamb gloved down the leg side after Tess Flintoff found a bit of lift off the pitch. Jones’ immaculate take had the orange shirts up and about. Had the keeper-batter affected a stumping when Ami Campbell (on seven) advanced down the track and found nothing but air when 77 were needed, or had there been a direct hit at the non-striker’s end when Campbell (13) set off for an ill-judged single, things might have got a bit tastier.Originals, however, wilfully chose a spicy ending by complicating what should have been a bland procession to the finish line. Wolvaardt, responsible for some of the more mouth-watering moments, whether skipping and driving over the top, slapping through point, or working behind square on the leg side, could have seen things home. But in opting for a quick finish, the Proteas opener was trapped lbw by Hannah Baker when she tried to swipe the leg-spinner across the line.Campbell then also passed up that opportunity, skipping down and hitting Katie Levick to midwicket. As Morris arrived, you wondered if this would be her full day out. Alas, a two-ball duck later – to Levick – served as a reminder the game only loves you for so long.The equation of 13 needed from 23 when Ecclestone joined Deandra Dottin should have been a formality, and yet this match somehow ended in the final set of five with two to get. Dottin, by now, had been run out at the non-striker’s end to close out a dire six off 12.Ecclestone then drove down the ground to tie and, after playing out seven dots, Kathryn Bryce squeezed a drive through backward point for four to put everyone out of their respective miseries.

Pessimism abounds after early Lancashire wickets before Abell and Rew fashion prolonged resistance

Paul Edwards20-Apr-2023
Those readers familiar with the oeuvre of Chris Sandford might recall that one of his early hits, “Not too Little, Not too Much” reached No 17 in the charts nearly 60 years ago. The song’s publicity was enhanced by it being included in an episode of the soap in which Sandford played the part of the window-cleaner, Walter Potts. Throughout the history of cricket, however, the title might have stood as an axiom for bowlers of all stripes and persuasions: move the ball too little and most idiots can play it; move it too much and only the Gods nick off.James Anderson has delivered plenty of the latter and occasionally offered a wry smile when he did so. But given that he has bowled more than a thousand balls that strike a perfectly destructive compromise between the two extremes, he can afford to do so. The discouraging thing for Somerset’s batsmen on the first morning of this game – and what made their subsequent achievement all the more memorable – is that Anderson’s thirst for success shows no sign of being slaked.Rather like Derek Underwood, who celebrated every success, Burnley’s finest takes more wickets partly because he very much wants to. And so driven, he picked up two more inside the first 45 minutes at the County Ground as neither Sean Dickson, who was haplessly half-forward, nor Tom Lammonby, who failed to cover the movement off the seam, could deal with him. Nobody who watched those dismissals contemplated the likelihood of the day ending with just two more wickets falling and matters ending in a golden light with applause for two Somerset centurions.Instead, it got worse for the locals in the first session and people merely shrugged when it did. None of the home side’s specialist batsmen began this game with an aggregate of 100 runs from four innings and Somerset had lost one game and been on the wrong end of a draw in the other.Their coach, Jason Kerr, had sought refuge in metonymy: “The dressing room is hurting,” he said, and so one assumes the pain deepened when Cameron Bancroft edged Tom Bailey to George Bell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, having made 38 runs in an hour, whipped Colin de Grandhomme off his hip and saw the ball sail into the hands of Bailey at long leg. In the context of Somerset’s current needs, Kohler-Cadmore’s innings resembled some of West Ham United’s football in the 1970s: it was attractive but ineffectual.Pleasingly, therefore, for most of the spectators who thronged the James Hildreth Stand and maybe also for the students whose singing enlivened the afternoon session, the home side’s fortunes improved rather dramatically in the remainder of the day. Unexpected, one or two dour locals might have called it but that adjective does little honour to the batting of Tom Abell and James Rew, whose unbroken 231-run stand was studded with fine strokes. For many, the second-best moment of the partnership arrived when Abell thick-edged de Grandhomme past slip to go to the 14th first-class century of his career. There should be no surprise at this reaction. Abell’s loyalties to his county go marrow-deep and that love is reciprocated by many in this ground’s four pavilions.But 19-year-old Rew also looks an exceptional prospect and appears to have more strokes around the wicket than his captain, whose gorgeous on-drive nevertheless signs his best innings. For his part, Lancashire’s skipper, Keaton Jennings, was left to rotate his bowlers to a degree he might not have envisaged. For example, at 3.20, left-arm spinner Tom Hartley was given his first bowl of the day, only to be driven through the covers by Rew before being whacked over midwicket, a stroke that took the lad past fifty for the third time in a first-class career that has spanned less than a year.Before long, the pair also set a new fifth-wicket record for Somerset against Lancashire, albeit that only vanquished the 145 set by Rew and Lewis Goldsworthy at Southport last July. More significantly, of course, the balance of the contest and the shape of their side’s early season changed as well. It is easy during the first month or so of a campaign for a county’s season to suffer the same fate as SpaceX and experience a “rapid, unscheduled disassembly”. Had Abell’s team being bundled out below 200 on this wonderful Thursday afternoon when leaves seemed to appear on the trees almost as quickly as Somerset’s day improved, there was a danger that their early season would have been plagued by self-doubt and lack of confidence.Nor have two sessions changed everything. But when Rew cover-drove de Grandhomme to the Ondaatje Pavilion boundary four overs before the close to reach his second first-class century in 18 innings and his first on this ground, one was reminded of the afternoon nearly eight years ago when Abell had made his maiden century and Marcus Trescothick, who had earlier also made a ton, admitted that he felt like a warm-up act for his young colleague. Trescothick and Abell were interviewed that day. This evening, it is Abell and Rew who are facing some kindly faces and appreciative questions.Trescothick and Abell…Abell and Rew. “Pass it on,” says Hector in Alan Bennett’s play “That’s the lesson I want you to learn.”

Tom Latham is expected to captain the side should Williamson be forced to sit out

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-2020Glenn Phillips has been summoned as last-minute batting cover after illness hit the New Zealand camp ahead of the final Test in Sydney, forcing Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls to sit out training for the second day running.Mitchell Santner, whose position in the side was under scrutiny after two poor outings, has also come down with the bug, leaving the possibility that New Zealand’s resources will be stretched very thin as they aim to avoid a whitewash. Jeet Raval, who was dropped after the Perth Test, is currently the one spare batsman in the squad and the decision has been taken to fly in the uncapped Phillips on the eve of the game.Phillips averages 42.54 from 23 first-class matches – with four hundreds – and struck a century for New Zealand A against England late last year.”We’ve obviously got a few balls up in the air at the moment and we want to be on the safe side and have options,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “Glenn has been in terrific form this season and has good versatility with where he can bat and the roles he can play.”He’s been around the T20 team for the past couple of years so should feel comfortable in the environment. We’re still hopeful Henry and Kane will pull through and we will give them every chance to prove their fitness. If one or both are ruled out then we will consider our options and most importantly how they balance the side for this final Test.”ALSO READ: Preview – New Zealand seek pick-me-up in hazy SydneyShould Williamson be unavailable – and it would take a very severe illness to sideline him – Tom Latham would be the likely replacement as captain, although last year, when Williamson was ruled out of the Christchurch Test against Bangladesh that was subsequently cancelled following the terror attack , Tim Southee was in line to lead the side.Latham took on the official duties at a reception with the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday and also did the pre-match press conference.Kane Williamson walks off after his dismissal•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

“[Kane] is obviously a great leader amongst this group and he’s passionate about this group, so I’m sure if there’s any chance of him playing, even if it is a small chance, he’ll certainly be playing,” Latham said. “It’s gone around the team a little bit which obviously isn’t ideal but fingers crossed, they’re resting up today and hopefully they’ll wake up and be good to go.”If we lost those guys it would be disappointing but we’ve got a squad of 15 who are passionate about this team, and whatever side we do play has the backing of the whole group that it’s the right team for the job.England’s preparations for the first Test against South Africa last week were severely impacted by illness which swept through the majority of the squad in the first few weeks of the tour and continued to strike players while the Test was in progress.ALSO READ: Somerville’s SCG journey – tears in the car park to Test cricketIt leaves New Zealand’s planning up in the air although if everyone is available for selection there is the potential for two changes to the bowling attack with Matt Henry replacing the injured Trent Boult and Will Somerville coming in for Santner. While the surface is expected to turn, it is thought unlikely they will field two spinners, particularly after the workloads Southee and Neil Wagner have had during the first two Tests.The series has been a chastening experience for New Zealand after they arrived with the hope of competing with Australia having risen to No. 2 in the Test rankings. They failed to cross 200 in the first three innings before Tom Blundell’s defiant century in Melbourne, in his first Test as an opener, provided belated resistance.”We haven’t played our best brand of cricket and I know the guys are excited about getting out there over the next five days and trying to put a good performance on the board,” Latham said. “Yes, the series is lost but it’s the Test Championship and points are up for grabs. We’ll be doing our best to put a good performance out there.”Tim Paine was expecting Williamson to be standing with him for the toss and was focused on Australia not letting up in their intensity after a dominant Test season which has seen them win all four matches, including two against Pakistan, so far by huge margins. In the Ashes series last year, Australia produced a poor performance at The Oval after they had retained the urn with a match to spare but Paine was confident his team had learned from the experience.”I wouldn’t say we took our foot off the pedal [at The Oval], but we’ve certainly learned how to handle that experience of having the emotional high of the win then switching back on really quickly,” he said. “We spoke this morning about making sure that we turn up tomorrow with the same energy and focus that we turned up at the Gabba. All I’ve asked tomorrow is we turn up expecting New Zealand to come out hard and expecting it to be another fight for five days. We feel if we can match them in that area that eventually we’ll be able to wear them down.”GMT 0800 The story was updated to include the news of Phillips’ call-up.