All posts by n8rngtd.top

New Zealand quick unavailable due to persistent Achilles injury

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2022Birmingham Phoenix have signed Ben Dwarshuis as an overseas player after Adam Milne was ruled out of the Hundred with an Achilles injury.Milne was one of Phoenix’s star performers as the reached the final of the first edition of the competition, finishing joint-top of the wicket-takers’ list, with 12, and the best economy (0.95 runs per ball) of any bowler.The fast bowler last played at the IPL in March, and he was unable to feature in New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Europe due to the same problem.Related

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Dwarshuis, the Australia left-armer who won his first cap in Pakistan earlier this year, has previously played county cricket for Worcestershire.He is due to arrive in the UK on Monday and will be available for the second half of the group stage, with Phoenix currently sitting on four points from three games.”We’re really pleased to be able to recruit such an experienced fast bowler in Ben,” Craig Flindall, Birmingham Phoenix general manager, said. “Naturally, we’re disappointed that Adam couldn’t feature for us this year, but Ben will add a left-arm option to our exciting group.”

Pretorius, van der Dussen, Kapp and Nortje also express their support for BLM movement

Firdose Moonda17-Jul-2020Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s Test and T20I captain until February this year, has admitted to having “got it wrong before” as he, alongside Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen, Anrich Nortje and Marizanne Kapp, became the first members of the white Afrikaans cricket community in South Africa to publicly voice their support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, joining Lungi Ngidi and 32 former players and five current coaches of colour.”In the last couple of months I have realized that we must choose our battles,” du Plessis, who along with Pretorius has indicated he will take a knee during the 3TC exhibition game on July 18, wrote in an Instagram post on Friday. “We are surrounded by many injustices in our country that require urgent attention and action to fix them. If we wait only for the ones that attack us personally, we will always live for ‘my way vs your way’ and that way leads us nowhere.”So I’ve remained silent, with the intent to listen, but not respond. Slowing down my point of view, but quicker to hear the pain of someone else. I knew that words would be lacking and that my understanding is not close to where it needs to be.”I surrender my opinions and take the knee as an intercessor. I acknowledge that South Africa is still hugely divided by racism and it is my personal responsibility to do my best to emphasize, hear the stories, learn and then be part of the solution with my thoughts, words and actions.”Du Plessis acknowledged that his comment earlier this year, in which he had said the team did not see colour – when talking about Temba Bavuma being dropped from the Test team – was naïve. “I have gotten it wrong before. Good intentions were failed by a lack of perspective when I said on a platform that – I don’t see colour,” he said. “In my ignorance I silenced the struggles of others by placing my own view on it.”A race problem is a human race problem, if one part of the body hurts ,we all stop, we empathize, we get perspective, we learn and then we tend to the hurting part of the body. So I am saying that all lives don’t matter UNTIL black lives matter. I’m speaking up now, because if I wait to be perfect, I never will. I want to leave a legacy of empathy. The work needs to continue for the change to come and whether we agree or disagree, conversation is the vehicle for change.” Pretorius, who was talked out of a Kolpak deal to play for South Africa late last year, also said he would get behind the BLM movement as a way to start taking steps against racism. “I will be proudly supporting the BLM movement and I will be taking a knee on Saturday. I honestly and wholeheartedly believe it’s the right thing to do. I also believe taking the knee is only the start,” he posted on Facebook.”To me the BLM movement stands for the most basic right all people across the world deserve and that is the right to not be judged or segmented because of his/her colour. But rather for WHO they are. It’s not a movement that says: Black lives are MORE important than any other colour. It’s my brother from another mother asking me please see me for WHO I am and don’t persecute me because of my skin colour. Give me the same benefit of the doubt you would given someone with the same colour as you. Yes,the movement says ‘Black’ but I believe it’s relevant to any color and race. As a person and a Christian, I believe it’s my responsibility to strive, to treat every person I come across with the same respect and not judge them. We are all equal and loved the same way by God. There are no exceptions.”I would love to see my boy one day live in a world where colour has no judgement. It’s time to be the change you would like to see in the world. Talk is cheap and action is more powerful. The knee for me means it’s time to take action. #blacklivesmatter.”Whether van der Dussen will join the pair is not yet known but he was the first white South African cricketer to show his support when he replied to a tweet by journalist Max du Preez. In Afrikaans, van der Dussen said that he supported BLM and rejected the notion that standing with the movement indicated support for violence. It has been a fractious fortnight, which started when Ngidi indicated he would be in favour of his team-mates “making a stand” like many others around the world since the BLM movement picked up steam.Ngidi faced a backlash from four former players – Rudi Steyn, Pat Symcox, Boeta Dippenaar and Brian McMillan – who called on South African cricketers to also acknowledge murders of predominantly white farmers around the county. But Ngidi has since received a swell of support. His stance, along with Michael Holding and Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent’s moving documentary aired on before the first Test between England and West Indies, also prompted several players to speak out about issues of racial discrimination. That culminated in a statement from 31 former players, including Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander, JP Duminy and Ashwell Prince, and five coaches. Hashim Amla issued an independent statement on Instagram the following day. CSA has since sent out two statements expressing its commitment to being part of the BLM campaign, with the board’s director of cricket Graeme Smith, saying last week that the players were mulling a fresh means of showing support during the 3TC event that may not include the BLM logo on shirts, because the kits had already been printed.

Visitors leave Glamorgan with plenty to do at Sophia Gardens

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025Glamorgan 265 and 41 for 2 trail Lancashire 374 (Wells 78, Jones 62, Balderson 51) by 68 runsLancashire have left Glamorgan with much to do to force a positive result after gaining a three-figure lead at Sophia Gardens.

Luke Wells’ dogged 78 to pass 1,000 runs for the season along with a much-needed 62 for Scottish international Michael Jones and George Balderson took Lancashire to 374. Several other starts, including Keaton Jennings’ 1,000-run landmark, also boosted the visitors to a 109-run lead.Allrounder Timm van der Gugten’s involvement in his 100th first-class match wasn’t finished with a half-century on day one as he took the reigns to take 5 for 85, Glamorgan fighting back with the final four wickets inside nine overs with the second new ball.Resuming overnight on 55, openers Wells and Jennings resumed momentum with the expectation to bat all day. Jennings’ half-century looked inevitable before being removed on 49 as Van der Gugten’s first victim despite Jennings’ tall stature batting outside his ground on a rising delivery.George Bell was next to fall short of a half-century with a stylish 45 while Wells remained quiet since pulling a boundary to bring up his thousand-run season.Partnerships of substance without kicking on continued to be the theme. When Wells eventually was undone by Mason Crane finding some turn, a chance to rip through the middle order looked possible, Jones struggling to line up Crane initially in a good battle. Even after two sixes in quick succession from the Scot, Sam Northeast persevered with bowling the former England leg-spinner who created numerous chances in a long spell which deserved more than his 2 for 109 suggests.Ned Leonard hobbling off two balls into a spell left more pressure on Glamorgan. Jones’ second half-century of the season came after just 42 balls and Hurst was the next to fall short of the milestone.Tom Hartley pleasantly drove the first ball of the 89th over (Glamorgan’s first with the new ball) for four, giving warning signs of more to come at 337 for 6 – but Van der Gugten’s experience to gain his 300th first-class Glamorgan wicket, and one for Harris, was enough to wrap up before more potential damage on a variable pitch.Similar to the previous day, the opening pair would need to negate 17 overs as the sun lowered at Sophia Gardens. Zain Ul Hassan avoided his pair and stuck out the day after an important spell of bowling claiming both Jones and Hurst, who put together 88 in the afternoon.Asa Tribe and nightwatcher Harris couldn’t grind out Lancs’ seamers despite a positive start from the former; a low ball making him the latest to succumb to that method on the deteriorating Cardiff pitch.

Seamer thinks successful tournament with Rajasthan Royals can push him forward in England queue

Andrew Miller27-Feb-2020Deception and subterfuge are key parts of the armoury of a T20 death bowler, but for Tom Curran, Rajasthan Royals’ latest English recruit, those traits may have to be deployed in the nets at Jaipur too. That’s because, with the T20 World Cup looming large on the horizon, a number of his IPL colleagues – not least the team’s Australian head coach, Andrew McDonald – are likely to be grateful for an insight into his mindset come October.Curran’s growing reputation in the crunch moments came to the fore in England’s recent T20I win in South Africa, where he held his nerve with the series on the line to seal a two-run win in the second match at Durban.ALSO READ: Five series takeaways for England’s T20 World Cup preparationsHaving started the final over of that game with a healthy 15 runs to defend, Curran and England were pushed to the brink of a series defeat when Dwaine Pretorius connected with a six and a four from consecutive balls to take the requirement down to five from three.But from that point on, Curran found the resolve to seal the contest, producing a pair of fine yorkers followed by a perfectly executed back-of-the-hand slower ball, that the new man on strike, Bjorn Fortuin, could only flick over his shoulder to short fine leg.”That’s cricket, it can go the other way very quickly,” said Curran during a Rajasthan Royals event in London. “But that game was really big for me. At the start of the over I should have been defending it anyway but, with three balls to go, they were on top. So looking back on it, I was really proud of that. The fact that, in that moment, I had no choice but to execute and I managed to do so.”As Curran recalled, there had been a meeting of England’s brains trust before that final delivery, with the captain and vice-captain, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, in on the discussions, along with the experienced Chris Jordan. But ultimately, as soon as Curran was clear in his own mind what needed to be done, that was the end of the matter.”I was weighing up the options,” he said. “I’d just bowled two good yorkers, so if he tries to stand there and whack it, if it’s on the money then a yorker is still a good option. But I just thought a slower ball, he actually has to hit it for four, whereas a yorker you can still nick it for four.”I just went with my gut really, and when I said that to Morgs and Jos, everyone was like ‘cool, let’s go with it’. Luckily it came off.”Tom Curran poses in his Rajasthan Royals colours•Getty Images

No doubt his new employers were watching that performance closely. For, with Jofra Archer, Rajasthan Royals’ go-to at the death, set to miss at least the first half of the tournament as he recovers from an elbow fracture, Curran knows that the coming tournament offers him a massive opportunity to cement a role, and his reputation, ahead of the World Cup.”It’s an unbelievable standard at the IPL, so it’s a great experience for me,” he said. “These are sold-out games and it’s proper loud. So it’s mirroring as close to the biggest games on the international circuit, what they’ll be like. It will be a great experience. If guys go there and do well, they’ll take a lot of confidence from that. That’s what it’s all about.”Curran has had one previous taste of IPL action when, in April 2018, he was called up by Kolkata Knight Riders as a late replacement for Mitchell Starc, and performed creditably with six wickets at an economy rate of 11.60 in five matches. This time, however, he was picked up by Rajasthan for his base price of INR 1 crore (approx. £110,000), where his profile will doubtless be raised by the presence of two of the most influential members of England’s white-ball squads, Buttler and Ben Stokes.”I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve already played a lot of cricket now with the guys there, so it makes it that much easier. Especially being somewhere like India, where it’s a busy hectic schedule, to have those familiar faces there will be nice.”Not all the familiar faces will be on the Curran’s side come October, however. Rajasthan’s squad contains two overseas stars in particular – Australia’s Steve Smith and South Africa’s David Miller – who may find themselves at the other end of the pitch come the World Cup. And when it comes to sharing knowledge during the IPL, weaknesses as well as strengths, Curran conceded he’d have to be cautious about being too open.ALSO READ: ‘Test cricket is the best form of the game’ – Jos Buttler“I don’t think you chat weaknesses with loads of people anyway,” he said. “There’s a few people who you might trust, and you might ask, ‘what does Steve Smith do in this situation?’ but it’s more about developing and getting better, which we players focus more on.”If I’m bowling in the nets to some of the Indian guys, I’m not going to be showing them all the tricks. But that’s a huge benefit of having Jos, Stokesy and these guys. I think you actually learn a lot too. Speaking to Jos I’ll learn about batting. You just need to have some of the players on the international stage to talk to, and try things with.”However, Buttler, who was also present at the event, added that there was some merit in sharing a bit more of your repertoire with future rivals, because too much knowledge can be used against your opponent in the heat of battle.”It evolves, as well,” said Buttler. “TC will show someone his slower ball – you can use it both ways. It can be a bluff as well. He might say: ‘Yeah, I always bowl this slower ball.’ But there will be times when TC says at the end of his mark, ‘Yeah I said to Smith in the nets that I bowl this ball, so let’s bowl something else.’ That might become part of your [repertoire].”It definitely does happen,” Curran added. “You’ll be aware of it. If you have it in the back of your mind that I’ll throw in the odd curveball in there.”As for McDonald, Rajasthan’s highly-rated new head coach, Curran insisted that his dual status as Australia’s assistant coach would have little bearing on their relationship, even though the Aussies are set to go into their home World Cup as favourites after winning nine of their last ten completed T20Is.”It seems to be the way things are going now,” he said of McDonald’s roles. “I don’t think it will make too much of a difference. It will be great to work with him there and he’ll be fully involved once he gets to India.”I haven’t worked with him full-time but I have bumped into him,” he added. “Nowadays you tend to bump into people and have conversations, so it will be a really good experience.”You’re always going to have coaches, but it’s about filtering information. There are things that people say… some people you’re going to listen to, and you almost build up that relationship over time from working with someone.”If a [new] coach comes and gives you some information, you take it with a pinch of salt. You don’t want to be making massive technical changes mid-tournament, but it’s different for everyone.”

Somerset get the better of Kent in rain-reduced match

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2024Somerset 55 for 6 (Kohler-Cadmore 24, Gilchrist 2-12) beat Kent 46 for 5 (Billings 16) by 14 runsTom Kohler-Cadmore played a whirlwind cameo with the bat as Somerset beat Kent Spitfires by 14 runs in a tense Vitality Blast contest reduced by rain to five overs a side at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.The former Yorkshire batsman smashed 24 runs off nine balls as Somerset raised 55 for 6 from their five overs, Nathan Gilchrist taking 2 for 12 on his debut, while Charlie Stobo and Grant Stewart claimed a wicket apiece.Charged with the task of chasing a revised target of 61 off five overs, Kent imploded in the face of tight bowling from Somerset’s Australian quick Riley Meredith and Jake Ball, who returned figures of 1 for 15 and 1 for 19 in two overs respectively.Kent came up short at 46 for 5 as Somerset claimed their fourth win in six games to retain leadership of the South Group.Kent skipper Sam Billings won the toss and elected to field, Xavier Bartlett conceded 11 runs to openers Tom Banton and Will Smeed in the first over and then the rain intervened, forcing the players to run for the cover of the pavilion at 6.35pm.Thereafter, umpires Ian Blackwell and Mark Newell staged a couple of inspections and the Taunton ground staff twice attempted to remove the covers, only for the wet weather to return on each occasion and prevent a quick resumption.When the elements finally relented and mopping up operations were completed, it was announced that play would resume at 9.02pm with the game reduced to five overs-a-side.Kent made the best possible start upon the resumption, stand-in overseas bowler Stobo having Smeed caught at deep mid-on with his first ball. Kohler-Cadmore promptly made amends, smashing a six and four off the first two deliveries he faced as Somerset plundered 13 runs to finish the second over on 24 for 1.Kohler-Cadmore pulled Stewart for another four in the third, only for the pace bowler to exact an instantaneous revenge next ball, inducing Banton to hit straight to cover and depart for seven with the score on 31. Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory hit the ground running, driving his first ball for a sumptuous four as the home side advanced to 37 for 2.Gilchrist’s first delivery in T20 cricket will be one he will want to forget in a hurry, Kohler-Cadmore carting him over mid-wicket for an enormous six. Gregory drove the third ball of the over back down the ground for four, only to then hole out in the deep, while Kohler-Cadmore departed in similar fashion as Gilchrist held his nerve to reduce the home side to 49 for 4 at the end of the fourth.Ben Green and Tom Abell were run out in the final over as disciplined Kent turned the screw, Bartlett conceding just six runs from it as Somerset finished up on 55 for 6.Required to score 61 off 30 balls to win, the Spitfires made a poor start to their reply, Zac Crawley being run out by substitute fielder Kasey Aldridge and Daniel Bell-Drummond top-edging a pull shot to short square leg as Meredith reduced the visitors to 9 for 2.Billings opened up with a pulled four at the expense of Jake Ball, but the seamer recovered well, persuading Marcus O’Riordan to present Abell with a straightforward catch at long-off in an over that cost just nine runs. Kent’s frustration knew no bounds when Meredith restricted them to a mere seven runs in the third over, his nagging accuracy leaving the visitors needing to score an unlikely 36 off 12 balls.Big-hitting Billings opened his shoulders and helped himself to a brace of fours off Ball in the fourth, only to then take on Abell’s arm and be run out for a 10-ball 16 attempting a second run. Kent required 26 runs off the final over, but Green demonstrated a cool head to frustrate the best efforts of Joe Denly and Stewart.

Australia captain says the ODI World Cup “is at the top of the mountain” compared to the WTC title and retaining the Ashes this year

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Nov-2023Australia weren’t the clear favourites heading into the 2023 ODI World Cup. They began their campaign with two big losses (to India and South Africa), had injury troubles, and a number of out-of-form players. And most of their wins in the league stage were not necessarily convincing. But captain Pat Cummins was pleased his side “saved the best for last” as they convincingly beat hosts India – who were unbeaten in the tournament until Sunday – by six wickets in the final to lift the ODI World Cup trophy for the sixth time.”You’ve got to go and win a World Cup,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “You just can’t wait for it to happen. And I think you got to be brave at times, you got to take the game on. And it was a real shift after those first two games. With our batting particularly, you saw the openers going out really aggressive and pretty much didn’t waver from that for the rest of the tournament.”Think we saved our best for last. And a couple of big-match players stood up and, yeah, we’re pretty chuffed.”Related

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Cummins also put Australia’s turnaround down to their openers’ aggressive approach. Australia’s openers finished with the best combined average of all teams, of 47.86, in the tournament and their strike rate of 111.19 was only second to India’s 116.99.In the final, Australia found themselves in trouble when they were down 47 for 3 chasing 241. Mohammed Shami had removed David Warner for 7 in the second over and Jasprit Bumrah had Mitchell Marsh caught behind for 15. Soon after, Bumrah removed Steven Smith in the seventh over, pinning him in front for 4.It was only after that did Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne combine for the match-winning partnership of 192, not letting India into the game at any point.”I was one of those blokes with the hearts fluttering upstairs, I was pacing [after 47 for 3],” Cummins said. “Marnus walked in and out and a cool head straightaway. And Trav just does what he does – really brave again, he takes the game on, puts the pressure back on the bowlers. And to do it on the biggest stage shows a lot of character.”Australia were impressive with both bat and ball, but even more with their fielding. Thirty-seven-year-old Warner in particular was electric in the outfield, flinging himself to save a number of boundaries. He wasn’t the only one. Head’s catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma must count as one of the great catches in the game’s history.”[We were] desperate for sure [on the field],” Cummins said. “It all started last week [in the semi-final against South Africa]. The boys are fantastic. And we’ve got an ageing side. But everyone’s still throwing themselves around in the game, [especially] when you got a big stadium like this packed.”Head, who was the Player of the Match in the final for his 137 off 120 balls, was injured at the start of the World Cup. The selectors, however, persisted with him and kept him in the squad. Making his comeback only in Australia’s sixth match – against New Zealand – in the tournament, he smashed 109 off just 67 balls, playing an important hand in the five-run win. He was also the Player of the Match in the semi-final against South Africa for his all-round effort of 62 runs and two wickets.”Amazing,” Cummins said of Head’s performance. “I think you have to give it to the selectors that backed him even when he was out with a broken hand and the medical team to get him back. It was a big risk that we took and it paid off and you couldn’t be happier for Travis, a legend. We love him and he’s easy to watch.”2:56

‘Travis Head has matured over the last two years across all formats’ – Moody

Cummins had said ahead of the final there would be “nothing more satisfying” than silencing the 100,000-plus crowd in Ahmedabad. His side did that, but he also said it was a “pretty special” moment to win in front of a massive crowd despite the support being one-sided in favour of India.”It [the crowd] was awesome, I must say,” he said. “I was pretty happy. They were solid for a lot of the bowling innings. A couple of times they got loud and it was really loud. But fantastic. I mean, the passion in India is unrivalled around the world and I think it’s amazing.”Every single person is wearing the blue shirt. So you look around and it’s a pretty special moment – one that whatever the result happened, we’re never going to forget a day like today.”Australia have won laurels across formats this year under Cummins’ captaincy. They became the Test world champions in June by beating India in the final, retained the Ashes in England, and have now won the ODI World Cup. For Cummins, this tops it all.”Yeah, it’s been awesome,” he said. “It’s been pretty much through the whole Aussie winter away overseas playing but we’ve had a lot of success and this pips it all, this is at the top of the mountain.”

Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s determined 65 from No. 7 held up Leicestershire for a while

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2023A season’s best 5 for 73 by fast bowler Matt Salisbury gave Leicestershire the early advantage against Sussex in a LV= Insurance County Championship match they must win to keep up their chances of promotion from Division Two.Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s determined 65 from No. 7 held up Leicestershire for a while at Hove but the visitors were still happy enough, after putting Sussex in, to bowl them out for 262 and then score 68 for 2 in reply in 21 overs’ batting before the close, with opener Rishi Patel finishing unbeaten on 36 – exactly the score he needed to complete 1,000 championship runs for the season.Sol Budinger fell early for a duck, skying a pull at Ari Karvelas high to midwicket, but Patel continued to impress in what has been a breakthrough season for the 25-year-old former Essex player, who is averaging more than 50, and Leicestershire’s only other wicket to fall was that of Lewis Hill, caught off Tom Haines’ medium pace swingers for 11.On a hard-fought day the 30-year-old Salisbury brushed off a disappointing new ball spell, when 28 runs came from his first four overs, to take the prized wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara on his return to the attack before lunch and then, in the afternoon, also remove James Coles for 44.And there was more to come from him at the start of the final session when Salisbury reacted well to hold Hudson-Prentice’s leading edge off his own bowling before dismissing Henry Crocombe lbw for six and Karvelas brilliantly held by a diving Colin Ackermann at second slip for 18.Leicestershire came into the match in third place in Division Two, 24 points behind Worcestershire but with a game in hand on the county currently in the other promotion position behind near-certain second tier champions Durham.There were four wickets for Leicestershire’s seamers in an entertaining morning’s session, after they initially saw Haines and Tom Clark get Sussex’s first innings off to a flying start.Haines, in particular, scored freely and the pair also scampered a number of quick singles to rotate the strike and frustrate the visiting attack, but after the fifty partnership had arrived in the eighth over it was Chris Wright who made the breakthrough an over later.Clark, pushing forward on 15, was beaten off the pitch and edged low to third slip where Budinger scooped up a good low catch and, in the 10th over, Haines’ 29-ball 39 – featuring eight fours – ended when, after driving Scott Currie’s first and third balls to the straight boundary, he edged another attempted forcing shot waist-high to Budinger.It was 80 for 3 when Tom Alsop was brilliantly caught by a diving Umar Amin at midwicket for 10 from a solid clip off his toes against Tom Scriven’s medium pace, and a good-sized crowd then saw Indian Test star Pujara settle in with some excellent strokes as the runs continued to flow despite Leicestershire’s early successes.And the visitors’ decision to bowl first was fully vindicated when Pujara, on 26, was drawn into an indeterminate push at a fine ball from Salisbury and edged low for Ackermann to fall to his left at second slip and take a sharp low catch.Honours were even in the afternoon session, with Leicestershire taking another three wickets but both Hudson-Prentice and Coles looked comfortable in predominantly cloudy, warm and humid conditions.Oli Carter went for 16, steering a rising leg-cutter from Currie – on loan from Hampshire for the last three fixtures of the summer – to second slip, but Sussex’s total had moved steadily from 135 to 179 before Coles, who hit seven fours, clipped Salisbury to mid wicket.Jack Carson also looked disgusted with himself when he too lifted a full delivery on his pads from Scriven to mid wicket to go for five, but Karvelas hoisted Currie into the pavilion for six and Hudson-Prentice completed his half-century just before the tea interval, at which Sussex were 231 for seven.Hudson-Prentice hit eight fours in his 92-ball effort, spanning almost two and a half hours, but it was Salisbury who had the final word to give Leicestershire the edge going into day two.

Durham beaten as Duckett, Clarke combine but hopes fade for hosts

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2022Nottinghamshire 184 for 6 (Duckett 53*, Clarke 51) beat Durham 183 for 8 by four wickets Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ last desperate hopes of a seventh successive T20 quarter-final berth finally vanished despite a comfortable victory over Durham Jets by four wickets in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge. Amongst other things, they needed a tie, no less, in Leicester to retain any hope but Leicester just refused to oblige.It was at least a rousing farewell for Dan Christian, their departing veteran captain who led the Outlaws to T20 glory in 2017 and 2020. He could revel in watching 51 from 30 balls for Joe Clarke and Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 53 from 34 that helped bring success at the gallop with three overs to spare.Christian’s fellow Australian and opposite number, Ashton Turner, threatened to upstage things earlier with a rapid 33 as Durham’s third wicket added 54 in five overs but Steven Mullaney removed him and two new batters in four balls as the Jets backfired.From 98 for five with 51 balls to come, Michael Jones, the opener, reached 41 until brilliantly caught on the mid-wicket rope by Mullaney off Jake Ball and Durham finished with 183 for eight, late-order hitting bringing 70 from the final six overs. It proved far from enough.The evening had started painfully when the opening delivery, from Ball, cut back to strike Graham Clark flush in the box, flooring him and causing a three-minute delay for treatment. Durham, already out of quarter-final contention, chose to bat but lost Clark, slicing his drive for 14, and Ollie Robinson, who skied a swipe to the keeper, as Ball conceded only four in the fifth over.But in the later charge, Brydon Carse, batting at No.7, was dropped off Ball when twelve before surging to 25 from 17 balls when becoming Lyndon James’s maiden T20 scalp, whilst Ned Eckersley finished unbeaten with 23 from a dozen balls. Andrew Tye hit two sixes in his not-out 13.Even by the second over of the reply, however, with Liam Trevaskis taken for 19, the target seeemed less than daunting. The left-arm spinner had revenge of sorts when Alex Hales top-edged a sweep to go for 26 but the Outlaws had struck as many sixes in the reply’s first 47 balls as the Jets managed in their entire innings.Clarke, who had creamed 53 with Hales in 26 balls for the first wicket on a typically good Nottingham pitch with short boundaries inviting mayhem, then added another 55 in 35 balls with Duckett.Eventually miscueing against a leg-break from the Australian, Nathan Sowter, Clarke gave way to Mullaney, another victim of spin when soon stumped by Robinson off Trevaskis next over. James arrived to send his third and fifth balls for six off Carse and at the end of an over that cost 16, only 46 were needed from the final 42 balls.James fell smiting for 20 but, maintaining the tempo, Tom Moores hit his first four balls for boundaries until magnificently caught by Sowter who took the ball jumping on the boundary, threw it up before crossing the rope then grasped it again back on the field. Dramatic, indeed. But not enough, even though Sol Budinger fell stumped with three needed.

His unbeaten 104-run sixth-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja gives India the advantage after two days

Andrew McGlashan26-Dec-2020A century of the highest calibre by Ajinkya Rahane put India in control of the second Test after it appeared Australia would bowl themselves back into contention. Instead, with the help of a string of middle-order allies, chiefly the recalled Ravindra Jadeja in an unbroken stand of 104, Rahane lifted his team to an advantage of 82.Australia started the day well – Pat Cummins producing a magnificent eight-over spell that removed both overnight batsmen, Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, and included barely a delivery off line – but tailed off during the final session which included shipping 45 runs in 11.3 overs of the second new ball. Rain brought a slightly early finish, what ended up being the final delivery of the day bringing Rahane his third life when he fended a short ball to point against an increasingly frustrated Mitchell Starc but the chance burst out of Travis Head’s hands as he hit the turf.Ajinkya Rahane takes a moment after a hard-fought century•Getty Images

They had two other opportunities to remove Rahane – one a miss and the other a drop. On 57, he edged Starc between Tim Paine and the lone slip Steven Smith moments after the off-side field had been strengthened at the expense of the cordon. Then, on 73, in the first over with the second new ball a chance went to hand, Rahane jabbing at a full, wide delivery from Starc, but Smith was late to react above his head at second slip. By the end of the day, Australia were ragged and in need of regrouping.Rahane needed treatment for what appeared a back problem twice during the afternoon session (and later for blows on the hand and neck) but it did not disrupt his almost zen-like progression at the crease. His 12th Test century, and second at the MCG, came up from 195 balls with a fierce square cut against Cummins, a hallmark of an innings where his strokeplay flourished when he wanted it to. Rarely did he miss the chance to score amid over after over of keeping out the good balls, the softness of his hands ensuring when the edge was found it usually went to ground. His most prolific scoring area with 20 runs was third man.India managed just 54 runs in the first session and Australia will have come away feeling they could have had more than two wickets. Cummins was magnificent – he beat Pujara with the first delivery of the day, close to enough for Paine to burn a review – and Josh Hazlewood could have had Gill in the second over when Paine was unable to hold an inside edge diving to his left.Cummins eventually lured Gill into an expansive drive to end a promising maiden Test innings and in his next over claimed the huge prize of Pujara, although this one owed everything to Australia’s captain as he flung himself in front of first slip to hold a low chance that would not have carried. That was, however, to prove the exception in the fielding effort. At the time, Australia’s 195 was looking considerable and Cummins was rested with a spell that read 8-4-12-2.India, with Rahane absorbing a lot of pressure, did very well to take the sting out of the session, whittling the deficit down well inside three figures before Nathan Lyon, who found considerable turn on occasions to suggest a fourth-innings run chase will be a demanding prospect, removed Hanuma Vihari with a gloved sweep.Up to this point, Australia had controlled the run rate so despite a small first-innings total they always had a little bit of breathing space. That changed with the arrival of Rishabh Pant who brought impetus and quickly skipped to 24 at a run-a-ball with some measured, selective strokeplay. It appeared to help free up Rahane, too, although that was also the reward for his hours of earlier hard work.Pant was cut off by Starc, bringing up his 250th Test wicket, when he edged a cut with India still behind and Australia hopeful of something close to parity, but that door was slammed shut. Jadeja, effectively brought in as Virat Kohli’s replacement, played a central role with an innings of maturity and patience. By the close, when he had faced 104 deliveries, he had struck just one boundary – a neat back-foot punch off Cameron Green. He showed a defence to match Rahane’s and resisted trying to take on Lyon.As the wind suddenly swirled around the MCG, Starc got a delivery to climb at Rahane but it was the India captain’s day. He was getting treatment from the physio when, in what was perfect timing for India, the rain arrived and the umpires called play off. Few deserved the comfort of the dressing room more than Rahane. A chance to take stock and resume tomorrow. However, he may already have defined this game.

The two matches will provide Australia’s preparation for the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2025An extra ODI has been added to Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka which will provide the visitors additional preparation for the Champions Trophy.The two matches will now take place on February 12 and 14 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and will be day games.The first of the games begins just two days after the scheduled fifth day of the second Test in Galle so it remains to be seen how many players featuring in that match can turnaround for the one-dayer if the Test goes the distance.However, Australia have nine players in their preliminary Champions Trophy squad who aren’t part of the Test series, including captain Pat Cummins and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood.But Cummins’ participation remains uncertain as he is carrying an ankle injury which he played with during the India Test series.Australia’s ODI players are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka around the start of the second Test. Their first match in the Champions Trophy is against England on February 22 followed by South Africa on February 25 and Afghanistan on February 28.The first semi-final will take place in Dubai on March 4 with the second in Lahore on March 5 following confirmation of the hybrid model due to India not traveling to Pakistan. The final will be on March 9, in either Dubai or Lahore depending on whether India qualify.