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Stokes must be on 'best behaviour' to avoid ban – Root

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Allrounder set to resume Test career, but his ICC disciplinary record is hanging over him

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2018Joe Root has conceded that Ben Stokes will have to be on his “best behaviour” when he makes his comeback to Test cricket against New Zealand in Auckland on Thursday, amid the very real threat of more time on the sidelines if he steps out of line.Stokes, who missed the Ashes after being arrested in Bristol in September and subsequently charged with affray, resumes his Test career with three active ICC demerit points to his name. He is therefore just one transgression away from triggering an automatic one-match ban, an issue that was brought back into focus this week by Kagiso Rabada’s disciplinary hearing during the South Africa-Australia Test series.Stokes’ points, which stay on a player’s record for 24 months, stem from three previous on-field incidents. In October 2016, he was sanctioned for an altercation with Bangladesh’s Sabbir Rahman, and then picked up two further Level 1 offences, against India at Mohali in November 2016, and West Indies at Headingley in September 2017.”You’re always aware of that,” said Root. “You want to make sure, not just that [your players’ behaviour] is sitting well with you, but they’re able to be on the field for the next game and next series.”I’m sure there might be a bit of noise about that after what’s happened [to Rabada] – about demerit points and missing games. He’ll have to be on best behaviour.”Stokes’ disciplinary status had been hanging over him even before his Ashes omission, with opposition teams beginning to realise that his hot-headed nature was liable to boil over if provoked. And, to judge by the events of Australia’s subsequent series, a flashpoint would surely only ever have been a matter of time.On Tuesday, Rabada was cleared to play in this week’s third Test at Newlands, after successfully appealing against a Level 2 charge, and two-Test ban, imposed in the wake of his shoulder-brushing incident with Steven Smith, the Australia captain, at Port Elizabeth.However, the nature of Rabada’s original punishment has highlighted a potential flaw in the ICC’s demerit point system, in that players with previous blemishes on their records are likelier to find themselves in repeated hot water.Radaba had already served a one-Test ban during last summer’s tour of England, after being caught swearing on the stump microphone after taking the wicket (of Stokes, as it happens) during the Lord’s Test in July.However, arguably the biggest incident of the Australia-South Africa series to date was David Warner’s off-field outburst against Quinton de Kock, which was caught on CCTV as the teams left the field during a break in play at Port Elizabeth. Warner was charged with a Level 2 offence and handed three demerit points – but because he had not previously attracted the attention of the ICC match referee, he did not automatically cross the four-point threshold for a ban.”It is a perception thing, I suppose, isn’t it,” said Root, “because no one really knows what’s said out in the middle. You can see what you think is going on. But I suppose the consistency of things has to be there. It’s certainly got people talking about Test cricket, hasn’t it? That’s one thing, for sure.”There’s always been that cloud of recent times between Australia and ‘the line’ – where theirs is compared to everyone else’s,” Root added. “But I’m sure they’ll come back and say they’re probably disciplined less than anyone else around world cricket – in terms of bans and fines.Asked if it was the captain’s responsibility to uphold a team’s standards of behaviour, Root said: “For me, it’s your team and you want to make sure…you’re heading up this team, and if it’s portraying an image of something you don’t like then I suppose that’s on you.”James Anderson last week insisted there was still a place for “emotion” on the field, in the wake of Rabada’s admission that he needed to curb his temper out in the middle, and Root agreed that there needed to some leeway for players to get their juices flowing during an intense passage of play.”I suppose you want to make sure you’re getting the best out of your players and they feel they can maximise their game – if they like to get in a little one-on-one battle with the batter, then they’re able to do so.”But [it’s] to a point which does not exceed your own line. That’s where I’m at with it. It has to sit well with me – and generally I think we’re very good at it.”Root hoped, however, that it was not the case that opposition teams were starting to target certain players in an attempt to trigger a reaction.”I wouldn’t want to go into a series as captain and my players be trying to get someone banned,” he said. “You want to beat the best team. That [would be] detracting from the game.”For me, it’s about making sure you’re doing everything you can to improve Test cricket and make it the best it can be – so that when you go and win, it’s that bit more special.”I think one of the problems is they’re on demerit points in the first place. They can almost use the excuse ‘I’ve been pushed to this point of getting banned’ – but they’ve got themselves into a position where they’ve got two demerit points to start with. People sort of forget that bit.”If then someone wants to behave out of order on the field, then that will be called upon … but I suppose that’s the responsibility of the match referee, to see if someone is trying to provoke it.”That’s his responsibility to keep an eye on that and make sure that’s not the case.”

Nat Sciver: England wary of 'fearless' India as they approach Test learning curve

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England vice-captain hopes home conditions will help overcome visitors’ mix of experience and bold youth

Valkerie Baynes14-Jun-2021Nat Sciver, England’s vice-captain, says the team will be wary of “fearless” elements within the India camp when they meet in a Test match for the first time in seven years from Wednesday in Bristol.Sciver is one of six women in the current England squad who played in their last Test encounter with India at Wormsley, which the tourists won by six wickets. India have also named six players from that match in their current squad along with talented 17-year-old Shafali Verma.Richa Ghosh, another 17-year-old who was recently added to India’s list of centrally contracted players, is not part of India’s combined Test and ODI group but is in the T20I squad for the multi-format series in which points are awarded across the standalone Test, three ODIs and three T20Is to decide the overall series winner.”They’re an ever-growing side,” Sciver said. “There’s always a new, young talent on the team who isn’t afraid to go out there and show what they’ve got. They seem to be more fearless than I’ve seen before.”Couple that with a lot of experience in their team – with Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami – they can be a very difficult side to beat. Hopefully in England, in our conditions, we can hone our skills and make sure that we’re doing the right things.”Last time we played India, we weren’t very good in that Test match and we didn’t play to our potential so hopefully we can do better this time.”Related

  • 'Sign me up for more' – Sciver relishes role as stand-in captain

  • Dunkley replaces Gordon in England Women central contracts list

  • Arlott earns maiden England call-up for India Test

  • Arlott's England call-up just the start, says Knight

  • Elwiss welcomes pressure as competition for Test spots heats up

India have only played one Test since their last meeting, an innings victory at home to South Africa in November 2014, while England have played three, all against Australia for the Ashes.”They don’t come around very often so it does bring something different to training and when you’re looking at tactics and stats that have been before you can’t really go on any of those because they’re so few and far between, women’s Tests,” Sciver said.”So it is a learning curve every time we start to prepare and turn our minds to it. We’ve had a practice game and we’ve had a few centre-wicket practices where we’re just seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t work.”Sciver was awarded the vice-captaincy on a permanent basis when England named their Test squad last week, having stood in for the injured Anya Shrubsole on the winter tour of New Zealand. She has already had a taste of the top job after acting as captain when England completed a 3-0 sweep of their T20 series against New Zealand while Heather Knight had a hamstring injury.”I thought that Heather might hold on for that game that I actually had to captain so that was very nerve-racking,” Sciver said. “But it’s an absolute honour to be asked and something that I’ve had aspirations to do, to become more of a leader in the team, so I’m really looking forward to it.”Naturally, I lead by action, not so much with my voice… helping girls along and I guess leading by example a little bit. That’s my style and hopefully I can grow from there really because if Heather does go down I’m going to need to lead in a different way. It’s a learning opportunity and something that I’m welcoming and really excited about.”Nat Sciver has taken on the England Women’s vice-captaincy on a permanent basis•Daniel Lewis/Daniel Lewis

Allrounder Sciver was Player of the Match, scoring a half-century and taking 3 for 26 as England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in their ODI series in New Zealand in February. Her form at the start of the English summer has been more modest, with 26 runs and two wickets from three rounds of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy before entering England’s bio-secure training bubble.”I feel good, I’d like a few more runs, being selfish,” Sciver said. “It was good to play some games. The practice games that we had were a bit rain-affected and a bit disjointed so it was good to play the last couple of weekends with my domestic side, the Northern Diamonds. It’s coming out nice with the ball but I’d like a few more runs, hopefully that will come.”India’s most recent form is less impressive than England’s after they were defeated at home by South Africa 4-1 in their ODI series and 2-1 in the T20Is in March.In the multi-format series, four points will be up for grabs in the Test with two points for a draw and one for no result while each of the three ODIs and three T20Is will be worth two points for a win.

Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis provide the power for Perth Scorchers

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They are unlikely to see much of Jhye Richardson but have signed Tymal Mills

Tristan Lavalette08-Dec-2021Captain Ashton Turner
Coach Adam VogesSquad
Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly (replacement), Laurie Evans (England), Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Nick Hobson (replacement) Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Tymal Mills (England), David Moody (replacement), Lance Morris, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Kurtis Patterson, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew TyeIn Laurie Evans, Peter Hatzoglou (Renegades), Lance Morris (Stars), Tymal Mills
Out Joe Clarke (Stars), Fawad Ahmed (Strikers), Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green, Liam Livingstone, Joel Paris (Hurricanes), Jason Roy, Sam Whiteman,Last season Runner-up
After a couple of seasons in the wilderness, the BBL’s most successful franchise stormed back into title contention with a gutsy effort where their trademark fight returned. Scorchers weathered a horror start and were only able to play four home games due to Western Australia’s strict border controls. They impressively rallied against the odds to claim second spot with a formula reminiscent of their heyday under coach Justin Langer. The Scorchers, however, were thwarted twice by Sydney Sixers in the business end and went down to their old rivals by 27 runs in the decider at the SCG.Related

  • Patterson fifty, Kelly four-for help Scorchers overcome Heat attack

  • Colin Munro accepts international career probably over but questions remain

  • Ashton Turner backs uncertainty to galvanise Perth Scorchers

International impact
Scorchers’ depth – a key staple during their glory years – will be tested at the start of the season with stars Jhye Richardson, Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis and T20 World Cup final hero Mitchell Marsh part of Australia’s Ashes and A squads. Inglis was overlooked as Tim Paine’s replacement so should be available for most of the season barring injury to Alex CareyPlayer to watch
Without dynamic English pair Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro will be relied upon even more so than last year when he starred in his Scorchers debut with a team-leading 443 runs at a strike rate of 128.03. His pyrotechnics helped fuel several massive totals for the Scorchers during their memorable late season surge. Munro, 34, will be hungry for runs with having a point to prove after contentiously being left out of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup team, which may have ended his international career. That raises the likely prospect he’ll be available for the entirety of the Scorchers’ campaign, where Munro will shoulder a heavy burden early with Inglis and Marsh absent.Key stat
Pace bowling has always been their strength and last season was no different. In the mandatory powerplay, the duo of Richardson and Jason Beherendoff took 18 wickets. Scorchers took 19 wickets and averaged 24.73 in the first four overs – the best in the competition.

Buoyant South Africa enter new territory

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It will be the first time since 2004 that South Africa are playing a Test without both AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale11-Nov-2016

Match facts

November 12-16, 2016
Start time 1030 local (2330 GMT)3:07

‘Conditions are like an English seamer’

Big picture

That South Africa won the first Test at the WACA was in some ways not surprising, for in their previous three Tests at the venue they were unbeaten, and they were accustomed to recent success in Australia, having not lost a series here since 2005-06. Even without their captain AB de Villiers, they were in familiar territory. Not so for the second Test at Bellerive Oval in Hobart, which will be South Africa’s first Test appearance at the venue. And after Dale Steyn suffered a serious shoulder injury in Perth, South Africa are also on new ground in quite another way. Steyn and de Villiers made their debuts together against England in Port Elizabeth in December 2004 and this will be the first time since then that South Africa have entered a Test with neither man in the XI.That might have been cause for concern were it not for the manner of their victory in Perth, where the performances of South Africa’s newer players proved critical. There was Kagiso Rabada, the Man of the Match who stepped up heroically in Steyn’s absence. There was Temba Bavuma, who made a fighting fifty, took his maiden Test wicket, and pulled off one of the finest run-outs in Test history. There was Quinton de Kock, who scored a pair of half-centuries, one a salvage mission and the other a savage mission. And there was Keshav Maharaj, the debutant spinner who took four wickets and smashed late runs that just rubbed in South Africa’s dominance. True, hundreds from JP Duminy and Dean Elgar were key, but it was the contributions of these more junior figures that bode so well.What about Australia? Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood bowled well on day one. David Warner looked in good touch in both innings. Usman Khawaja fought for 97. Peter Nevill showed his grit in the second innings. But by the end of the Test, the Australians were falling apart like the WACA pitch. They had lost a fourth consecutive Test. The balance of their side, with an underperforming Mitchell Marsh at No.6, was again cause for consternation. Nathan Lyon seemed to lack the confidence of his captain. Adam Voges’ Bradmanesque 2015-16 summer seemed as distant a memory as the summers of Bradman himself. And to add injury to insult, Shaun Marsh and Peter Siddle were then ruled out of the Hobart Test.Down in the series, already questions have been asked of Australia’s preparation. Their men had not played red-ball cricket since the Test tour of Sri Lanka in August, for the only Sheffield Shield games came in a day-night round using pink balls. For the first time in two decades the first Test of the summer was moved from the Gabba, a fortress at which Australia have not lost since 1988, to the WACA, where they have not once beaten South Africa. Last time Australia won a home series after losing the first Test was in 1968, when Bill Lawry’s men staged a comeback against West Indies. This time, Australia must overcome not only South Africa but also the Hobart weather, with rain expected over at least the first couple of days.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)


Australia: LLLLW
South Africa: WWDWL

In the spotlight

Joe Mennie will be hoping his Test debut is more impressive than his first ODI. Last month, Mennie took 0 for 82 against South Africa in Johannesburg, the worst figures ever by an Australia bowler on ODI debut, and three of his likely Test opponents – Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy – batted against him in that game. But Mennie has fine recent red-ball form against the South Africans, having claimed two five-wicket hauls against South Africa A in first-class games in July and August. And plenty of his Test opponents were among his victims: Mennie dismissed Dean Elgar and Vernon Philander twice each, and Stephen Cook and Temba Bavuma once each. The leading Sheffield Shield wicket taker of last summer, Mennie’s long-form record is far superior to his short-form figures.One of the most impressive things about South Africa’s win in Perth was that they achieved it with virtually no contribution from Hashim Amla, who made 0 and 1. As the only member of this team to have played in the pre-Steyn and pre-de Villiers era, Amla’s experience will be invaluable to the squad for the remainder of this series. South Africa will hope his Perth failures were just a blip, and that Amla returns to the kind of touch that has brought him five Test hundreds against Australia, including two in Australia.Will it be Morne Morkel or Kyle Abbott for South Africa in Hobart?•Getty Images

Team news

At least two changes will be necessary for Australia, with Shaun Marsh and Siddle both out injured. Joe Burns will therefore resume his partnership with David Warner at the top of the order and fast bowler Mennie will make his Test debut. But there is also the chance of a third change, with Mitchell Marsh under pressure after the inclusion of Callum Ferguson in the squad. Captain Steven Smith said on the eve of the game there was a chance Australia would go in with “six genuine batsmen”, especially with the prospect of bad weather in Hobart, which would ease the workload on the bowlers. Adam Voges tweaked a hamstring in Perth but passed a fitness test on Friday and is expected to play.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh/Callum Ferguson, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Joe Mennie, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan LyonSouth Africa will also be forced to make one change due to the shoulder injury suffered by Dale Steyn in Perth. Kyle Abbott appears to have the front-running to replace Steyn, although Morne Morkel would come under consideration if passed fit. There is also the possibility that South Africa might choose four fast men given the conditions. Spinner Keshav Maharaj trained indoors on Friday, separate from the rest of the group, and is by no means a guaranteed starter. Dwaine Pretorius will not arrive in Hobart until Saturday, so a four-man pace attack would mean both Abbott and Morkel in the XI.South Africa (possible) 1 Stephen Cook, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kyle Abbott, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Keshav Maharaj/Morne Morkel.

Pitch and conditions

The Bellerive Oval pitch is typically very good for batting in Test matches, and there is no reason to expect anything different this year. However, rain is expected on at least the first two days, and overcast conditions should help the fast bowlers swing the ball.

Stats and trivia

  • Only once in the past five Hobart Tests has the team batting first been bowled out. The other four first-innings scores were 5 for 542, 8 for 519, 5 for 450 and 4 for 583 – all by Australia.
  • Australia will miss Siddle in Hobart, where he is the all-time leading Test wicket taker among fast bowlers, with 22 wickets at 15.72.
  • Perhaps a good start for Smith would be to win the toss. Of the past 20 Tests in which Australia batted second, they lost 11; of the past 20 Tests in which they batted first, they lost only two.

Quotes

“It was a disappointing loss, I’m going okay. Things haven’t gone to plan so far, but we’ve got an opportunity to turn it around this week. The guys are in good spirits, we’ve prepared well again like we have for every Test and guys are keen and eager to get out there and turn this series around.”

As it happened – England vs India, 1st Test, Trent Bridge, 3rd day

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Get your dose of analysis, stats and colour from Trent Bridge on ESPNcricinfo’s live blog

Sidharth Monga06-Aug-2021

Rain has the final say on day three

Getty Images

No more play. The rain has won this session. India now have a maximum of 196 overs in which to force a result. I leave you with a teaser from my final report

Ravindra Jadeja pulled out his sword celebration, Jasprit Bumrah hit a six and also his top score in Tests, Mohammed Shami displayed text-book defensive pushes, and Mohammed Siraj had some fun too as India’s much-maligned lower order took them into a position of strength, a first-innings lead of 95 runs, in the Trent Bridge Test. Not before KL Rahul added 27 to his already fine overnight 57.Rain, though, frustrated them as only 49.2 overs of cricket was possible on the third day, England playing out the 11.1 bowled to them without the loss of a wicket. India now had a maximum of 196 overs to force a result in.Not long ago, in the World Test Championship final in the same country but against a different opponent, India lost their seventh wicket on 205, the same score as here, but lost the remaining three for 12 runs. Then the last four added 28 in the second innings. The difference in two lower orders – home ones generally tend to outscore their opponents – was believed to be the difference between the two sides leading into the series.

Then Ben Stokes pulled out.5.40pmOkay the rain is back, and the resumption is pushed back to 6.10pm.5.25pmThe rain has cleared out, and we are set for a resumption at 5.45pm. Remember we can play on till 7.30pm.

England catch a breather

5.10pmTwenty-five minutes into the final session of the day, England catch a break with the rain arriving without any forecast. It is not very dark, and it is windy, so we are not expecting this to be a long shower. England 25 for 0 in 11.1 overs, Burns 11 off 38, Sibley 9 off 33. Batting has looked slightly easier than the first time around, which shows in how India are operating with two slips and a gully, but by no means would you call it easy out there. Be back soon.

Tea. (And cakes for India)

4.25pmEngland go to tea at 11 for 0 with largely uneventful six overs behind them. They still trail by 84. Yet another session that belonged to India with their score going for 205 for 7 to 278. Interestingly India opened with Bumrah and Siraj, and not Shami.

India lead by 95

3.45pmHave India already sealed the game? They lead by more than half of what England scored. What will please India the most is that their three wickets have contributed 73. That’s 30 more than what England’s last seven managed. This is what happens when the opposition doesn’t have the class of New Zealand. A lot of debates centred on India’s bowling to lower orders, but once you take Ben Stokes out, things change. The opposition doesn’t have the depth. Sam Curran is their fourth bowler. You run through their lower order and also you are not facing fresh bowlers because the opposition is playing 3.5 bowlers. On such days, the luck rolls with you too: three catches and five run-outs missed.How many will England lose by the time they wipe off this deficit? Will they even wipe it off? We will find soon.

Three Nos 11? Think again?

3.30pmAll the talk of India carrying three Nos 11, and justifiably so, and all of a sudden India add 31 since Jadeja got out. Shami and Bumrah have shown better application here, and then the luck has also conspired to help them. And that flat pulled six from Bumrah is something he will want to frame. Also the straight drive from Siraj. And the push for three from Shami to bring Jadeja back on strike. India’s back-room staff will be happy with what they are seeing. India’s lead is now 81.England meanwhile have dropped three catches and missed five run-outs. It is also a timely reminder that there is nothing wrong in India’s bowling against lower orders, they used to be up against deeper line-ups. Now with an allrounder out, you can see the difference.

Sword time

2.55pmRavindra Jadeja has a fifty now. This is such a smart innings. he batted normally with KL Rahul – except for some dodgy running – but has taken charge after he got out. With England looking for an opportunity against the lower order, Jadeja has manipulated strike beautifully and has played the big shots perfectly. He has gone well past the 50 and his sword celebration. In a 25-ball partnership with Mohammed Shami, Jadeja played 22 balls and scored 24 runs to take the lead to 49.Off the last ball of an Ollie Robinson over, Jadeja tried the big hit, but ended up skying him to be dismissed for 56 off 86. India 232 for 8 in 75 overs, lead by 49.

They finally hold one in the slips

Shardul Thakur, brought in as the fourth seamer who can also bat on evidence of his Brisbane exploits, has nicked Anderson and Joe Rot takes a really good catch low at first slip. India 205 for 7 still. Lead by 22. Jadeja with three Nos 11 now.

KL Rahul c Buttler b Ander 84

Finally the excellent Rahul knock comes to an end. The key, Anderson might say, is to induce a thin edge so that the keeper finishes off the job. This one just held its line as Rahul pushed at it outside off. This is a high-quality innings in a Test where only one other batter has crossed 50. India 205 for 6 in 68.5 overs, Rahul gone for 84 off 214, Jadeja unbeaten on 38 off 58.

Anderson unlucky again

Anything that goes wide of England’s wicketkeeper, and England bowlers must be getting justifiably nervous. Your captain picks three-and-a-half bowlers because the allrounder is not available and your batting is wonky, they still put on 183, and then you create two chances against the top scorer but both are put down. James Anderson is doing well to not blow a gasket.In the first over after lunch, KL Rahul makes the rare unforced error, playing a nothing half-flick-half-cut to a short-of-a-length ball, gets the edge, and Joe Root spills it at first slip. I wonder if Jos Buttler could have gone for the rebound. It doesn’t look too far from him. India 193 for 5 in 67 overs, lead by 10, Rahul dropped on 52 and 78.Here’s Sampath Bandarupalli with a timely stat: “22 catches dropped off James Anderson’s bowling since the start of 2018 (including 16 in England). Only Nathan Lyon (27) had had more catches dropped in his bowling in Tests in this period.”

India’s session

Getty Images

India are eight runs in the clear and still have their wickets standing. That is an excellent position to be, and they have reached there thanks to the KL Rahul vigil. It is quite remarkable how many different roles he has played for India. And just when they had moved on from Rahul the opener, a window opened up for that role and he has moved in once again.India added 66 in that rain-interrupted session. Rahul and Jadeja have added 46 for the sixth wicket now. The big number to look out for here is that out of 66 overs, the fourth bowler, Curran, has bowled only 11. And Broad has been expensive. So a bulk of the threat has come only from two bowlers. Will they be feeling overworked? There is an opportunity for India to cause a severe dent in this Test if they can bat the next session out. A lead of 80 could be a match-winning one.

India in the lead

KL Rahul continues to play his excellent knock on comeback, and he has support from Ravindra Jadeja, and India now are in the lead. The partnership is in the 40s. India’s XI showing more bowling and batting depth here than England. India 186 for 5 in 64.1 overs, Rahul 75 off 198, Jadeja 24 off 46.

Jadeja. Anderson. Trent Bridge

That’s the post.

Four, six, gone

12.15amWhat hectic action upon resumption. Rishabh Pant plays like Rishabh Pant does. Field is spread because there is hardly a score on board. An edge goes wide of gully, a bouncer top-edged for six, and all of a sudden England are just 38 ahead. And then one stops at Pant and he ends up chipping it straight to short extra cover. Not quite how England have planned it, but it is a wicket that allows them to breathe. India 145 for 5 in 50 overs, Pant gone for 25 off 20. KL Rahul still there on 58 off 159.

Fascinating Anderson interview

11.50amGetty Images

For those who can’t see the lovely James Anderson interview with Michael Atherton because of geo restrictions, here is a summary of it. The most fascinating part of it, of course, is the two balls that Anderson bowled to Pujara and Kohli to get them out. Let’s just look at it from the point of view of Pujara and Kohli and imagine what they are seeing.First thing: wobble seam.Second thing: shiny side outside.That is a definite sign the bowler is trying to bring it in. It is the change-up most classic outswing bowlers use these days because otherwise it becomes easy to line them up and leave them alone outside off. The moment you see the wobble release, or a split-finger release, your antenna is up for the lbw ball. If it is anywhere close to off, you are going to play at it.Add to it that Anderson says he held the shiny side outside to get some drift in because in his first spell he had allowed India to leave just a few too many. If you do that, if the ball does anything in the air, it will drift in. And both those balls swung in. For Pujara it pitched on off, so there is no doubt he had to play at it. An entrenched Kohli might have left what he faced alone, but this was the first ball he was facing and surely he had not seen so closely what had happened with the Pujara delivery because he just walked out immediately.So both of them played at the ball, both of them covered for the inswing, and the ball landed on the seam and left them. “I wish I could say I am this good,” Anderson tells Atherton on Sky TV “but it [what happens after the ball pitches] is a fluke.”My thinking there is: I’m using the wobble-seam grip so I want the seam to wobble slightly so it might nip either way. And putting the shiny side on the left, trying to angle it in, so if there is any swing it will drift and it might seam either away once it hits the pitch. So it is just trying to make them play basically. If I tried to bowl that ball with an outswing shape there’s every change he would have left it. So it’s just to make them play, trying to drag them into the shot and also brings the stumps into play.”Absolute bloody genius. It is a nightmare for the batter. All that happening, and the ball landing on a length. And then doing what it does? What do you do, Jack?It has stopped raining, and we are due to resume play at 12.05pm.

It’s raining again

11.10amOnly 11 balls bowled before the rain arrived, but one of them was Rishabh Pant charging down the wicket and driving James Anderson wide of mid-off for four. So frustrating this contest hasn’t been allowed to take off.From Sampath BandarupalliJames Anderson’s 14th over:
First ball – 2:28 PM local time (Day 2, Session 2)
Second ball – 4:15 PM local time (Day 2, Session 3)
Third and Fourth balls – 4:59 to 5:01 PM local time (Day 2, Session 3)
Fifth and Sixth balls – 11:00 to 11:01 AM local time (Day 3, Session 1)First time an over was spread across three different sessions. (Where BBB is available)Anderson-Atherton masterclass

We are starting on time

10.45amIt rained in the morning, but the weather looks good for now. Play will begin on time, 11am. Another lovely session in store. James Anderson, you’d think, has the bit between his teeth, but India know they are just 58 behind and have six wickets in hand. The forecast for the rest of the day is a mixed bag. Don’t think we will get a whole day’s play in, but looking at the conditions, how much time do we really need for a result?

Hohns denies ageism as selectors reappointed

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Australia’s chairman of selectors insisted the panel was not against picking older players, but that younger players had been selected with the strategy of building a successful team over time

Daniel Brettig10-Mar-2017Australia’s selection chairman Trevor Hohns has denied the panel are biased against older players after Cricket Australia confirmed Hohns, Greg Chappell, Mark Waugh and Darren Lehmann would remain selectors – albeit with Twenty20 selections streamlined to be the purview of Waugh and Lehmann.Hohns, 63, who previously served as chairman from 1996 to 2006, has signed a contract that will take him through to 2020, while Chappell and Waugh are locked in until August 2018. Lehmann last year signed a contract taking his role through to the end of the 2019 Ashes tour, which will be preceded by the next 50-over World Cup.The quartet had been named in an interim capacity to chart Australia’s selection path in November after the resignation of the previous selection chairman Rod Marsh, who conceded “fresh thinking” was needed in the wake of a humiliating defeat to South Africa in Hobart, which was the fifth consecutive Test defeat for Steven Smith’s team.That result hastened the selection of several younger players, most notably Matt Renshaw and Pete Handscomb, the batting duo who slipped seamlessly into the XI during the home summer and have since shown encouraging signs on the current tour of India. While there was consternation among some players about the return of Chappell in particular, on the basis he has a history of favouring youth over experience, Hohns said the panel needed to be strategic in building a national team to be successful over time.”We’re not about having a team full of Under-23 players, we need a good blend of players, experienced players are definitely not ruled out, so there’s no need for anybody to be concerned about that,” Hohns said. “What we have right now, of course, and what we’ve attempted to do here is build a squad of players that can take us forward for some time to come, and we see by their ages that there are a lot of a similar age.”History has shown us that good teams develop over a period of time but they develop because they’ve got players who play together and they’re all of a similar age, and that’s what we’re trying to do here. As for that question, no, that’s a [misconception] I would believe.”We are responsible for putting the players on the field and trying to pick the right players for the right conditions, and obviously pick the right players to win games for Australia. Cricket in my view is Australia’s national sport so it’s only natural that people all over the country are going to have varying opinions and if they’re talking about cricket I say that’s good.”Australia’s T20 selections will now fall under the purview of Lehmann and Mark Waugh•Getty Images

Significantly, the tradition of having a selector at every state match has seemingly been abandoned. The separation of T20 selection responsibility from those for Tests and ODIs means that there will be greater onus placed on state talent managers and coaches to communicate with the panel around Sheffield Shield and limited-overs performances.At the same time, Waugh and Lehmann will be freed up to spend more time concentrating on finding the right team for a format that has been Australia’s most problematic for some time. “I think it certainly makes sense to separate the T20 format of the game from the others,” Hohns said, “because we are, in effect, trying to increase our performance in that format and also our ranking, of course, so it does make sense to have a little bit of a split panel in that area.”That’s our intention, to use the state talent managers a bit more. That will give the selectors, or the people on the selection panel, a little bit more flexibility as to who we go to watch. We might pick and choose a little bit more but we’ll certainly have a presence at all games if we possibly can. It is an attempt to get everybody heading in the same direction and also gives our state talent managers the opportunity to have some input with their feedback to the selection of our national side.”Hohns acknowledged that the selections of Renshaw and Handscomb stood out as examples of what the panel was now trying to achieve. Other examples of youth being injected into the side have included the selection of the young Queensland batsman Sam Heazlett for the ODI tour of New Zealand. The search for an allrounder now seems to have replaced that for a spin bowler as the most vexing – Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis have all been part of the Test squad at different times over the past nine months.”We obviously knew a fair bit about them and as I say we have all watched a lot of interstate cricket over the last few years so we did know a bit about them,” Hohns said. “And of course when we made the decision to make several changes it was a little bit unknown, everyone accepts that, but sometimes when you give people the opportunity some grab it and some don’t. It just so happens a couple of them have really grabbed it and done very well for us.”Questions have been asked of Waugh’s multiple roles as a selector, television commentator and ambassador for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, but Hohns deflected concerns about conflicts of interest. “I’m sure that’s something Cricket Australia will deal with if they feel that it’s inappropriate,” he said.David Peever, the CA chairman, said the changes to the panel’s structure were the result of a review conducted in the aftermath of the Hobart result. “In making these decisions, the Board considered findings of a review conducted by CA management which looked at various aspects of the selection function, including the selection approach, the relevant structure and ensuring that we have the best possible candidates for the period ahead,” he said.”Trevor, Greg and Mark all have a vast amount of experience, we are pleased with their performance in the role over recent months, and are satisfied that this new structure will allow the Panel to be well supported by our national talent pathway and talent identification systems,. The head coach will remain involved in selection on all three formats, but the other selectors will take on more focused roles, enabling a refined selection process and clearer lines of accountability.”We believe this new structure will enhance the performance of the selection function and deliver clearer accountability around selection and, at the same time, offers the Board the opportunity to review a two-person selection panel in the T20 format, and how well this works.”

Kent seek legal advice after missing out on promotion

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Kent are to take legal advice as they seek to appeal the decision to readmit Hampshire to Division One of the County Championship in place of Durham

George Dobell03-Oct-2016Kent are to take legal advice as they seek to appeal the decision to readmit Hampshire to Division One of the County Championship in place of Durham.Kent, who finished second in Division Two of the County Championship, were under the impression that they would be considered for the position after Durham forfeited their place as part of a financial rescue package agreed with the ECB.They were especially disappointed to discover the news via Twitter rather than receive a call from anyone at the ECB.”We will consult our lawyers,” Kent chairman, George Kennedy, told ESPNcricinfo. “We need to find out how we can appeal against a decision we consider unfair.”We are very upset. We expected we would be given an opportunity to present our case to the ECB. It seems to be an arbitrary decision and the ECB are hiding behind regulations that nobody appears to have seen.”While the ECB claim the decision was taken “in accordance with competition regulations”, it is not immediately clear what those regulations are. Indeed, in Section 4, paragraph 4.2 of the ECB’s regulations for the 2016 County Championship season, it states: “Promotion and relegation arrangements will be separately confirmed.”With the shape of the domestic season changing, it was only agreed in March that one team would be promoted from Division Two. Kent are insistent that the ECB has not so much followed protocol as made a deliberate choice to favour Hampshire.It is understood the decision to readmit Hampshire was taken at an ECB board meeting at which county representatives and the new MCC representative, Matthew Fleming (a former Kent player) were barred from voting.”It is the second time this year a decision has gone against Kent,” Kennedy continued. “The previous one concerned an abandoned match at New Road for which we were given just five points despite it being clear that the ground was unfit for play the day before the game.”The fact that there is no right to appeal makes the ECB like the Star Chamber.”I am also considering my own position in the game. Unless you have confidence in the governing body, there seems little point and I have almost completely lost confidence in the ECB.”An ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo: “Today’s decision to reinstate Hampshire was in line with the two-down, one-up relegation and promotion rules for this season’s County Championship which were notified to all counties and published prior to start of the 2016 season.”

Selman carries bat but Northants dominate

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Nick Selman, the Glamorgan opener, carried his bat for a maiden Championship century, as Glamorgan battled to stay in contention against Northamptonshire at Swansea

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2016
ScorecardLaurie Evans pressed Northants’ advantage in the second innings•PA Photos

Nick Selman, the Glamorgan opener, carried his bat for a maiden Championship century, as Glamorgan battled to stay in contention against Northamptonshire at Swansea. However, by the close, the visitors were strongly placed to push for their first Championship win of the season, as they closed with a lead of 315 with three wickets still in hand.Selman’s battling effort, which lasted 302 minutes and included 15 fours from 208 balls, meant he became the first Glamorgan batsman to carry his bat since the Australian Matthew Elliott achieved the feat against Hampshire in Cardiff in 2004.Although he received some support from the lower order, with Andrew Salter, Ruaidhri Smith and Owen Morgan all falling in the twenties, six of Glamorgan’s batsmen were dismissed in single figures as Northants’ seam attack, led by Mohammad Azharullah and Ben Sanderson, thrived in the conditions.Azharullah was their most impressive bowler with 3 for 58, as Northants’ seamers observed the virtue of bowling a full length on a pitch that does give them some assistance. However, had Selman not been dropped by Rory Kleinveldt from an easy caught and bowled chance from the first ball of the day, the damage would have been even greater.As it was, Northants secured a first-innings lead of 85, and were once again rattled by the teenaged debutant, Lukas Carey, who dismissed both openers early in the innings. Ben Duckett failed for the second time in the game when he drove loosely outside the off stump, and he was quickly followed by Rob Newton who edged to second slip.

Laurie Evans remained steadfast however, and passed fifty for the second time in the game in adding 75 with David Murphy, who was eventually lbw to Carey. The 19-year-old then claimed his fourth wicket when Saif Zaib edged to the wicketkeeper, before Northants lost two wickets in successive balls to Tim van der Gugten.After striking 32 from 17 balls, Kleinveldt holed out on the extra cover boundary then Evans, who scored 73 with eight fours, was visibly annoyed with himsef when he pulled a short ball to the fielder on the square leg boundary. Graeme White and Sean Terry added some useful runs towards the end of the day as Northants closed on 230 for 7.

Glamorgan reveal £2.5m compensation from ECB for not staging Tests

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Confirmation of Glamorgan’s £2.5m payout from ECB comes ahead of an emergency meeting of county chairmen on March 26

David Hopps22-Mar-2018Glamorgan have confirmed a compensation payment of £2.5m from the ECB in exchange for not applying to host Test matches for a five-year period between 2020 and 2024.Overall contributions from the ECB amounted to nearly £5.2m – a figure which also includes the annual share-out to county clubs from international proceeds, and an additional £1m payment from ECB reserves that all counties received in the past year. The total sum is thought to be a record ECB payout to a county.The revelation, shown in the county’s annual accounts, comes at a tense time for the first-class game with an emergency meeting of county chairmen scheduled for March 26.Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, is under scrutiny after it emerged that ‘compensation’ payments could be habitually paid to some Test-hosting clubs in the years they did not stage a match despite the policy having not been discussed at Board level.It remains to be seen whether other counties will also be identified as having been promised similar sums.Bob Warren, the Sussex chairman, has written to Graves, saying: “The ECB policies are, taking into account the way matches and money are being distributed, going to produce eight super-counties with dire effects for the rest of us.”Glamorgan said of their financial support: “Following discussions with the ECB the club decided not to apply to host Test matches during the 2020 to 2024 period in return for a compensation payment of £2.5m. The Club has agreed that if it wishes to host Test match cricket in the future, it will repay this sum on terms to be agreed with the ECB.”This formed part of the Club’s strategy to become the white-ball venue of choice which resulted in the successful allocation of international T20s and ODIs and the appointment of the SSE Swalec as a venue for the ECB’s new T20 tournament.”The appointment of Cardiff as one of the venues for the ECB’s speculative new T20 tournament was not without controversy as both Taunton and Bristol had ambitions to share the south-west venue and, in the case of Somerset, have expressed the belief that they were given reason by the ECB to expect this would be the case.Glamorgan, meanwhile, are nearly out of the financial woods. At their AGM on March 28, they will announce an EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation and Amortisation) profit of £4.146m.The statement read: “Since 2012 the Club has made EBITDA profits of £4.0m, before debt write-offs and before this recent agreement with the ECB. These profits have been delivered through successful hosting of a number of high profile cricket events, including two Champions Trophies and an Ashes Test match, alongside very close control of costs.The debt burden, not so long ago a crippling £15.1m, which came close to driving Glasmorgan into bankruptcy until the chief executive, Hugh Morris, negotiated a way out of the mess, has been reduced to £2.5m.Glamorgan concluded: “The Club is very focused, alongside a close partnership with Cricket Wales, upon developing the game of Cricket in Wales, producing the highest quality players, and providing top quality entertainment for audiences within Cardiff and around Wales. The sporting, social and financial impact of these aspirations for Wales could be enormous.”Durham are another county who might look askance at the situation. They were relegated at the end of the 2016 season, and suffered other sanctions, in exchange for a £3.8m bale-out by ECB – another county that made the heady rush towards Test status and suffered financial hardship in the process.

'Hardik Pandya with bat and ball sounds better than just a batter'

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The newly-appointed captain of the Ahmedabad franchise says he has “mentally always been ready” to be a leader

Hemant Brar01-Feb-2022″You don’t have to be a captain to lead.”That’s the view of Hardik Pandya, who will lead the Ahmedabad franchise at IPL 2022. Pandya has captained only once at the senior level – in a tour game against Australia in 2017 – but he isn’t bothered about the lack of experience as he has always been “mentally ready”.”I’ve always believed that you lead in a lot of different ways,” Pandya said in a media interaction on Tuesday. “In my team, yes, I will be the captain but everyone else will be also a leader in their own role. Whatever little opportunities or roles I’ve been given [in the past], I’ve always tried to embrace them and learn something new out of them. And now when I have the opportunity, I’ll try to make sure that I use that experience I’ve got from all these little, little roles in my captaincy.Related

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But has he done any preparation for the role?”I don’t think there is a manual to learn how to become a captain,” Pandya said. “But I’ve always been a guy who likes to take up responsibilities in whichever games I have played. I’ll make sure that all the boys who are with me, we play as one [unit]. And that they get enough from me, that is what I’ve learned over the years. I’ll make sure I give a lot of time to the players, my doors will be always open for them. So no preparation as such but I’m looking forward to it and mentally I have always been ready.”During his India and IPL career, Pandya has played under three highly successful captains in MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. When asked what one trait from each of them he would like to have as captain, Pandya said: “From Virat, I would pick his aggression, his passion and his energy, which is tremendous. With Mahi [Dhoni] , the composure, the calmness. In every situation he is the same. From Rohit, I will pick that he lets the players decide what they want to do.”Pandya’s motto as captain, though, is to be there for his players, especially those who are not doing well.”When someone is on a high, when they are doing well, when things are falling in place, generally they don’t need anyone. When someone is having a bad day, that’s when they need you. So as an individual, or as a captain as well, when someone is doing good, I will never bother them. I will let them have their space. But when someone is feeling down, whatever they need from me, I will be always available. That is the motto which I believe in and I’ll try to follow that. And anyone who needs my help, anyone who needs me, I’ll be always there for them.”Pandya made his IPL debut in 2015 and until now, he has played only for one franchise, Mumbai Indians. During the seven seasons he played for them, he was part of the title-winning side on four occasions. Talking about the ideal template for a successful T20 team, Pandya said it’s all about winning the small battles.”No matter how much fireworks you have, it’s all about the situation, it’s all about picking the right moments,” Pandya said. “There are small, small moments which you have to win in a T20 game, and for us, that will be more important. We will be focused on the small, small battles – it might be winning the 14th over, or it might be doing well in the 16th over, for example. Whichever team plays the best [in those] situations will win. So that will be my template for our team.”

‘I always want to play as an allrounder’

In the last couple of years, Pandya hasn’t bowled much because of his back injury. When asked where his bowling is at the moment, he gave a cryptic answer: “It’s a surprise for everyone.”He did say, though, that the Indian team management is aware of his fitness status. “It has been communicated to everyone, so they know where I am.”Of late, there have been many occasions, both for India as well as in the IPL, when Pandya played purely as a batter. And that has been “challenging” for him. However, Pandya is keen to be back as an allrounder.Hardik Pandya has played for the Mumbai Indians since 2015, starring in four title-winning seasons•Sandeep Shetty/BCCI

“I’ve always been someone who has given three areas – fielding, batting and bowling, but at that point of time when I decided that I will [only] bat for some time was because I wanted to spend some time on the ground. It has been challenging yes, but I think we all love challenges and I am one of those who like to face them and fight them out.”Healthy criticism is good but generally, criticism does not bother me. I know what I’m doing, I know how I prepare, I know how much hard yards I put. For me, the results do matter but I don’t work hard for the results, I work hard for the processes and the results look after themselves once you have put in genuine hard work, which I’m doing right now.”I’ve realised one thing that I as an allrounder give a lot of different options to the team. For me as an individual, it has always been that I want to play as an allrounder, and I’ll always try to do that. If something does go wrong, my batting is always there. And you know, Hardik Pandya with bat and ball combined sounds better than just a batter.”With bat, Pandya’s role in T20s has been mainly that of a finisher, with him coming in mostly at No. 5 or below. But will that change now given he is the captain?”I have always been a cricketer who has played the situation and whatever the team requires at that point of time. If my team needs certain roles from me, as a group we will decide that when the matches come, but I have not made any plans regarding that yet. If the situation demands me to go in early, I will go in early. If the situation doesn’t demand that, I will stay back and make sure that I look after back end.”

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