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Maxwell will lead a depleted Stars’ side as 10 players contract Covid-19, Scorchers have had one player test positive

Alex Malcolm02-Jan-2022Three more Melbourne Stars players have contracted Covid-19 but Sunday’s clash with Perth Scorchers at Junction Oval will go ahead despite 10 Stars players and eight support staff being in isolation. A Scorchers player has also returned a positive Covid-19 test and another is in isolation awaiting a result.Stars have named a completely revamped squad and coaching staff for Sunday’s clash after Covid-19 ravaged the club following an initial case that was detected on December 30 causing an earlier fixture with Perth Scorchers to be postponed.Scorchers will miss two players and one coach from their squad. Batter Nick Hobson returned a positive PCR Test while fast bowler Matthew Kelly and batting coach Beau Casson have been deemed close contacts and are in isolation as a precaution. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis are also unavailable after they were called up to Australia’s Test squad after Travis Head was ruled out of the Sydney Test due to Covid-19.Stars confirmed seven players and eight support staff returned positive PCR tests on December 31 and all are isolating for seven days under Victoria government health rules. A further three cases were confirmed late on January 1. The Stars also have a derby against Melbourne Renegades on January 3 before most of their Covid-19 cases are out of isolation.Related

• Brisbane Heat hit by Covid-19 cases forcing BBL into last-minute fixture change

• Thunder vs Strikers goes ahead despite positive Covid-19 cases

• Travis Head tests positive for Covid-19 as Australia scramble for replacements

• Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers postponed due to a Covid-19 case in Stars' camp

Stars will still be captained by Glenn Maxwell but they have called up six players to supplement the squad as per BBL rules. Tasmania Sheffield Shield batter Charlie Wakim and former Sydney Sixers batter Justin Avendano have been flown in. Victoria squad member Xavier Crone comes in as bowling cover while Victoria premier cricketers Patrick Rowe, Tom Rogers and Lachlan Bangs have all been called up. Rowe and Rogers played in Victoria’s two most recent second XI matches and Rogers is coming off an unbeaten 200 from 151 balls for Ringwood against Prahran in a 50-over first grade match just prior to Christmas. Rowe was Australia’s wicketkeeper in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup while Bangs is a left-hander from Prahran.Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf returns to Stars for the first time this season.Coach David Hussey and his entire team of assistants are also in isolation with Victoria state coach Chris Rogers called in as interim coach. Stars’ WBBL coach Jarrad Loughman and former Victoria, South Australia and Adelaide Strikers wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite will be Rogers’ assistants for the next two games.Melbourne Stars squad: Glenn Maxwell (c), Qais Ahmad, Justin Avendano, Lachlan Bangs, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (wk) Brody Couch, Xavier Crone, Tom O’Connell, Haris Rauf, Tom Rogers, Patrick Rowe, Charles Wakim
Perth Scorchers squad: Ashton Turner (c), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft (wk), Jason Behrendorff, Laurie Evans, Aaron Hardie, Peter Hatzoglou, Tymal Mills, David Moody, Lance Morris, Colin Munro, Kurtis Patterson, Andrew Tye

Birmingham get home with seven balls to spare as Adam Hose fires chase

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2020Birmingham Bears claimed their first win of this year’s Vitality Blast with seven balls to spare, but Glamorgan were left to rue the fact that no one supported their captain Chris Cooke, who made 72 in a disappointing total of 140 for 9.The Bears’ batsmen showed a more disciplined approach, with all their top order playing useful innings – this after their five-man attack had restricted the home batsmen to a below-par score.Chasing a moderate 141 to win, the Bears lost an early wicket when Prem Sisodiya, Glamorgan’s left-arm spinner dismissed Ed Pollock with his second ball, but Adam Hose soon made his intentions clear, by striking Andrew Salter for four then lofting the offspinner over long-on for six.After he was dropped in the gully on 14, Hose continued to play freely on both sides of the wicket, and with the 38-year-old Ian Bell in his usual sublime form, the second wicket pair continued to dominate. They had put on 64 in 8.2 overs, before Glamorgan made the next breakthrough, when Marchant de Lange bowled Hose. In the following over, Bell was mortified to see a long hop from Salter end up in deep midwicket’s hands.The Bears were well placed at the halfway stage, and with five overs remaining needed a further 35 to win – but after losing Will Rhodes for 16, the run rate increased and 18 were needed from the final two overs. But Timm van der Gugten delivered the penultimate over and was plundered for 22 runs by Sam Hain and Michael Burgess, including a six from a no-ball to end the game.Glamorgan, who elected to bat, were soon in trouble, losing their first wicket to Olly Stone’s first ball – the seventh of the innings – and at the end of the first Powerplay were 45 for 3. Stone, in only his second competitive game of the season, bowled within himself, and claimed two wickets in the innings.Cooke had rescued his team in the previous game, top-scoring with an unbeaten half-century, and much depended on him if Glamorgan were to set the opposition a challenging total. While his team-mates found ways of getting themselves out – two were caught on the midwicket boundary – Cooke was selective in his shot selection.Jake Lintott, a left-arm wristspinner who had played only four previous T20 games with Hampshire and Gloucestershire, and was making his Bears debut, made the most of a slow pitch with some turn, and ended with the excellent figures of 4-0-13-1.Jeetan Patel, the veteran offspinner in his final season, wasn’t so effective, conceding 36 runs, including two sixes, but the other Bears bowlers stuck to their task, while their fielders gave little away.Cooke continued to plunder the attack, and when he was out in the final over, he had struck 72 from 56 balls, which included three sixes and five fours. Such was his dominance, no other Glamorgan batsman, apart from Dan Douthwaite with 15, reached double-figures.Batting has been Glamorgan’s problem this season, and in this competition they will miss Colin Ingram, who is stranded in South Africa, and their influential allrounder David Lloyd, who has broken his foot.

Kent captain suffers injury in opening over of Royal London Cup game in Cardiff

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2019Sam Billings could miss the rest of the season after being told the shoulder dislocation he suffered at Cardiff on Thursday will require surgery*. Kent have put his recovery timescale at “three-five months”.Billings’ return to action for Kent, having just flown back from India, lasted a matter of minutes. He was quickly ruled out of England duty, having been picked for an ODI in Dublin next week and the subsequent T20I against Pakistan, with Ben Foakes called up in his place.Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, revealed the extent of Billings’ injury with an update on Friday afternoon.”Sam has seen a specialist this morning, where he underwent a scan to assess the extent of his injury,” Donwton said. “The scan highlighted significant damage to his shoulder, meaning he will require surgical intervention. This surgery has been scheduled for next week and it is anticipated that he will be back to fitness within three-five months.”I know I speak for everyone at Kent when I say we really feel for Sam. To have picked up this kind of injury ahead of what was set to be an exciting summer is tough. However, I have no doubt that his dedicated professionalism and strong mindset, will see him working hard behind the scenes to return back to fitness as soon as possible.”Billings, the Kent captain, had returned to the team for his first county fixture of the season, against Glamorgan in the Royal London Cup, after completing his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.However, he was hurt attempting to stop a shot in Harry Podmore’s first over of the match. In obvious pain, Billings was left prone on the outfield for several minutes, and was administered oxygen before being helped off the field.Kent later confirmed that he had been taken to hospital, where the shoulder was relocated, and returned to Sophia Gardens afterwards.Billings had not been included in England’s 15-man squad for next month’s World Cup, but was likely to be one of the batting reserves. England already have a number of injury concerns, particularly among their batsmen, as they build towards the World Cup opener against South Africa at The Oval on May 30.Jason Roy is missing for Surrey in the latest round of Royal London Cup games after suffering back spasms earlier this week, while Eoin Morgan also sat out the same fixture for Middlesex after complaining of sore shins before the toss.Kent’s other England selection, Joe Denly, was not included for the trip to Glamorgan after suffering a back spasm while batting against Gloucestershire on Tuesday.Alex Hales, meanwhile, has been put on indefinite leave by Nottinghamshire for personal reasons, but is expected to link up with the England squad for a pre-season training camp in Cardiff this weekend.*1530 GMT, April 26 – This story was updated with news of Billings’ scan results

On the day of a heroic draw, the big number that loomed was that New Zealand have played only four Tests this season, a reality that captain Williamson said was frustrating

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch 03-Apr-2018Kane Williamson had never bagged a golden duck in Test cricket. When he edged his first ball from Stuart Broad on the final day in Christchurch, it meant New Zealand had lost two wickets off the first two balls of the day – just the fourth time that had happened in Test cricket.By the end of the first hour they had lost four wickets, including Ross Taylor, and the prospect of preserving their 1-0 lead was rapidly slipping away. Yet six hours later, as the setting autumn sun illuminated Hagley Oval until the dying moments of a gripping contest, they were celebrating just a fourth series win over England.Though, officially, the umpires ended things because of the light, there was no assistance in this escape. New Zealand did it all themselves, from a position few would have given them a chance. It was a shame that Neil Wagner was given out – eventually caught off an inside edge on the DRS – because there was no time for the match to continue, but Wagner had left the field so could not walk off triumphant alongside Ish Sodhi.Instead, there was the somewhat odd scene of Sodhi the lone batsman in the middle, Tim Southee having not yet reached the centre, being embraced by the 12th man as the umpires removed the bails and the England players sagged in disappointment. Sodhi, unbeaten on 56 off 168 balls, had played the innings of his life and so, too, had Wagner as he blocked for 103 balls in making 7 when every ounce of him was probably wanting to try and deposit the spinners out of the ground.At times, the pair even managed who would take which type of bowling with Sodhi reckoning Jack Leach’s spin was more of a danger to Wagner out of the footmarks but easier for him to defended as a right hander.”He kept me going, there were some demons out there for sure,” Sodhi said. “The ball started turning from rough a little and found it quite to pick up the bowlers from around the wicket. He’s a bit of mongrel with the ball and he’s got that same mentality with the bat. He was trying to keep fighting against his instinct. Was probably tough but he did it so well. The way he played the bumpers was amazing and showed his character…we got a bit of luck along the way but you have to ride it.”New Zealand’s tail had looked a little longer in this Test without the injured Todd Astle, but in the first innings Tim Southee made an important half-century to narrow the deficit then Sodhi and Wagner defied England during the final session. The pitch, by and large, continued its history of not deteriorating massively but for the eighth-wicket pair to soak up 31 overs was a magnificent effort along with the previous stand between Sodhi and Colin de Grandhomme which lasted 25 overs. The efforts of Tom Latham, in stemming the early trouble, were also very impressive.Sodhi was given a life at silly point before he had scored – at that time it did not appear a major moment – then after tea, when England found the second new ball didn’t swing, he was handed a peppering by the short stuff from Mark Wood and Broad (as was Wagner in a taste of his own medicine) taking a blow on the arm which required treatment and a hastily delivered arm guard.”I was trying to figure out which balls to play and which to get under,” he said. “It started becoming quite difficult when the odd one would jump and another would keep a bit low. But you can’t really nick it, you can’t really get bowled or lbw so if you can get out of the road it’s a bit of a win.”The result meant Williamson joined the small group of New Zealand captains to secure series wins over England: Stephen Fleming, Geoff Howarth and Jeremy Coney. His attempts to control the final day ended with the first-ball lifter from Broad, so all he could do was watch nervously through 100 overs.”We thought there were all three results still possible at the start,” he said. “The first two balls today changed that, but credit to the way the guys batted – de Grandhomme curbed his instincts, Neil and Ish were heroic really. If it wasn’t for them, putting their hand up and weathering the storm, bumps and bruises and all, this series result could have been so different. Fantastic to see that, credit to their character. Just so satisfying to come away with the series win.”Emotions are running high, guys are pretty stoked in the sheds so it’s a great way to finish the season which had a lot of white-ball cricket. The way the Test team performed was superb in a number of different situations.”That Test team is now ranked No. 3 in the world after leap-frogging Australia on the back of their hammering in Johannesburg. There can be no sweeter feeling for a New Zealander than to be above the Australians in a sporting table. But this home season has consisted of just four Tests and the 2018-19 summer is likely to be same with visits from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. When the team faces Pakistan later this year, it will be their first Test cricket overseas in two years.”We’ve played four Tests this year, I think there’s a little bit of frustration, guys want to play more Test cricket,” Williamson said. “But it is what it is, a year without much Test cricket. We know the coming years have a lot more so it’s about being patient. We’ve had so many great games against England. The team love playing Test cricket. As a Test team we are growing, and I think we’ve seen that in this series.”This team consists of some of New Zealand’s finest ever Test players and some new heroes. For now they can bask in the glory of a significant series win, but they deserve not to be undersold.

The Olympic Stadium in London is moving closer to hosting matches in the 2019 World Cup

Tim Wigmore23-Jan-2017The Olympic Stadium in London is moving closer to hosting matches in the 2019 World Cup after a full inspection of the ground* found that the pitch dimensions complied with requirements for one-day internationals. A final decision on the use of the stadium is expected in the coming months, but the London Stadium, as it is now named, is viewed as having a better than even chance of staging games.The move, which is strongly supported by the ICC, is an attempt to use the 2019 tournament to attract new audiences to the sport and produce the best spectacle possible. The London Stadium has a capacity of 60,000 – twice that of any other cricket ground in the UK. It appears likely to host two or three matches, and its capacity raises the possibility of it being used to stage some of the most enticing games in the group stage. The ICC has been struck by the possibility of large crowds at the London Stadium, similar to those at multi-sport grounds like the MCG and Eden Park during the 2015 World Cup, adding to the excitement surrounding the tournament.The venue is also being explored as a possibility to host a stand-alone opening ceremony. The 1999 World Cup began with an infamously damp firework display in drizzle at Lord’s, and it is hoped that a glitzy opening ceremony at the London Stadium, combined with hosting matches there, could help to ensure the 2019 tournament is more successful in engaging the wider public. Fan zones around the country are also being explored to help promote the tournament.Were the London Stadium to be selected to host matches, it would be likely to use drop-in pitches, as the ground is normally used by the English football club West Ham United. The 2019 World Cup is scheduled for outside the football season, and it seems most likely that all the matches at the London Stadium would be played within a short time frame, giving ground staff sufficient time to prepare without encroaching too much upon preparations for the following football season. The London Stadium has long been considered a viable option for T20 cricket – Essex hope to play matches at the ground in 2018 – although hosting 50-over matches for the first time, for a non-cricket specialist stadium, during the World Cup could carry unforeseen risks.However, there could be some resistance to the plans among English counties. At the end of 2014, the ECB announced the full allocation of matches for the 2019 World Cup: 11 venues were guaranteed a certain number of matches, adding up to the full 48 in the tournament. Should the ECB now attempt to unpick this arrangement, counties would be certain to demand compensation. Paying this would be well within the financial capabilities of the ECB – its latest accounts announced cash reserves of £73.1m – if it considers using the London Stadium as a tool to grow the sport. Given its capacity, matches at the London Stadium would also be likely to generate more revenue than at other grounds, and so some could be used to compensate any venues that lost matches.Debate about using the London Stadium also comes against the wider backdrop of the current tussle between the ECB and counties over plans to introduce a new eight-team domestic T20 tournament. Surrey have been one of the most vociferous opponents of the plans. But if the London Stadium is seen as an increasingly viable ground to host matches, it would appear possible that it could be used as a second London venue – in addition to Lord’s – for the new T20 competition. Were that the case, The Oval could be at risk of not hosting a side in the new tournament.

Jahurul Islam has not played for Bangladesh since 2013 and admitted to feeling like a “lost soul” owing to some personal trouble over the last two years. Now he has made vital contributions to table-toppers Rangpur Riders in the BPL

Mohammad Isam09-Dec-2015A teenage prodigy who was once seen as a future Bangladesh captain, Jahurul Islam made his first-class debut as a 16-year old in 2002-03. He had to wait another eight years for a Test debut, against England in 2010. Although he had become a domestic stalwart by then, he could only play a total of 24 matches for Bangladesh across all formats.Over the last couple of years, he had been a “lost soul.” A couple of injuries coincided with his daughter’s illness but then came the birth of his son and a change in luck. He recovered from an ankle surgery in November to be fit in time to play in the Bangladesh Premier League.On Tuesday against Comilla Victorians, Jahurul’s unbeaten 62 set up Rangpur Riders’ seventh win in the league phase. He became only the fourth local batsman (not in the present senior side) after Junaid Siddique, Yasir Ali and Mohammad Mithun to score a fifty in the competition. His 35 not out and 47 against Dhaka Dynamites and Chittagong Vikings respectively, also played a part in Rangpur’s surge to the top of the BPL points table.Jahurul admitted he didn’t think he would get a BPL contract after missing much of the 2015-16 domestic season. “Two injuries in as many years prevented me from playing,” he said. “But I was happy with the last operation in Chennai, which was last month. I didn’t think anyone would pick me so I am thankful to Rangpur. And now I am getting runs so that always feels good.”Jahurul, 28, also said his ambitions are to just play cricket, and not worry about if he can restart his international career. “I don’t think about targeting the Bangladesh team anymore. I was like that when I was a kid, always dreaming to play for Bangladesh. I used to have a lot of fun in training but now it is a part of my life. Now I just try to enjoy playing cricket.”What happened in the last two years was totally a personal matter,” Jahurul said.. “There were some problems with my family. I thought I was getting lost. Now everything is fine.”Mashrafe Mortaza, who was captaining against him on Tuesday and has dealt with family problems himself, could perhaps relate to Jahurul.”He has batted very well,” Mashrafe said. “He got settled at the wicket, hardly made a mistake. I particularly liked the fact that he made runs, because he was going through a tough time in his private life.”He spent the last two years with his daughter who was sick, taking her to hospital regularly. He was not in the national team for the last two years while we were playing. Now I hope he continues to do well.”

Kings XI Punjab’s campaign in IPL 2013 gathered pace with their second consecutive win, a stroll in the park compared to their adrenalin-charged chase against Pune Warriors

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran23-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHarmeet Singh made an impact in his first game of 2013•BCCI

Kings XI Punjab’s campaign in IPL 2013 gathered pace with their second consecutive win, a stroll in the park compared to their adrenaline-charged chase against Pune Warriors. A fine bowling effort from the Kings XI’s seamers, backed by some sharp fielding, restricted the bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils to a modest 120, which the Kings XI batsmen chased comfortably with three overs to spare.Kings XI opted to bowl on a slow Kotla track and they didn’t let partnerships to blossom, the highest being 39 between David Warner and Manprit Juneja. Mahela Jayawardene’s promotion to the opening position clicked against Mumbai Indians, when he made 59, but today his innings ended on 4 when he edged Praveen Kumar to slip. Roelof van der Merwe’s promotion to No.3 didn’t work as he top-edged Parvinder Awana to cover. It set a pattern for the evening as several batsmen from both sides perished to top-edges.Perhaps it was the slow nature of the Kotla track that prompted Kings XI to bring in the seamer Harmeet Singh, known for his back-of-the-hand slower balls. Playing his first game of IPL 2013, replacing Manpreet Gony, Harmeet was hammered for a four and a six by Virender Sehwag off consecutive balls in his first over. In his second, he frustrated Sehwag with his slower balls, forcing the batsman to improvise. Sehwag looked to open up, made room and ended up scooping the ball low to extra cover, where Mandeep Singh timed his dive well and took the catch.Warner gave the innings some impetus with a flurry of boundaries in one over by Piyush Chawla, taking 16 off it. The stand between Warner and Juneja was the only period in which Daredevils had a semblance of control, until Harmeet steered the momentum Kings XI’s way in his second spell. Juneja pulled a slower ball, bowled short, straight to fine leg, before Kedar Jadhav top-edged to extra cover in the same over.The boundaries dried up with the procession of wickets and it only increased the pressure on Warner. The drought lasted four overs before Warner clipped Praveen behind square leg, before the bowler knocked the base of the base off stump with a swinging yorker. In the end, Daredevils limped to 120, in contrast to the record-shattering pyrotechnics earlier in the evening by Chris Gayle and Royal Challengers Bangalore.Adam Gilchrist fell three balls into the chase, trying to smash his way into form and convince his franchise he can still hold his position in the team, seeing how certain franchises are grappling with the issue of non-performing overseas captains. Mandeep gave the chase momentum with scoops and cuts off the seamers, but a promising knock was cut short thanks to a direct hit by Warner. A top-edge sent back Manan Vohra and at 70 for 4 in the tenth over, Daredevils had narrowed the gap a bit. However, David Miller ensured no further jitters as he and David Hussey took Kings XI closer.

Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been awarded a category A contracts by the PCB for the calendar year 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2012Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been awarded category A contracts by the PCB for the calendar year 2012. Mohammad Sami, who had been picked in Pakistan’s teams in all three formats for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka after being sidelined for two years, has not received a contract.

The PCB’s new match fees

Category A: Tests – Pak Rs 385,000, ODIs – Rs 363,000, Twenty20s – Rs 275,000
Category B: Tests – Rs 330,000, ODIs – Rs 275,000, Twenty20s – Rs 220,000
Category C: Tests – Rs 275,000, ODIs – Rs 220,000, Twenty20s – Rs 165,000

Afridi had not figured in last year’s list of central contracts as he was in the middle of a spat with the PCB then. Umar Akmal has been moved up from category B.There are no other changes to the top category: Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman are the others in the premier bracket.Shoaib Malik, who was not given a contract last year, has been awarded a category B contract, while Abdul Razzaq, who was in the second bracket last year, has been cut from the list. Fast bowler Aizaz Cheema has made the biggest jump, moving from the stipend category up to category B.Other players who were selected for Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in June and July but have missed out on contracts are Yasir Arafat and Khan Research Laboratories fast bowler Rahat Ali. Quetta’s Bismillah Khan, who was recently banned for a year following a fight during a Grade Two match, has been included in the stipend category.In all, 21 players have been given full-fledged contracts, while 21 players have been placed in the stipend category. On Friday, the PCB had announced an increase of 25% in the retainer for centrally contracted players, and an increase of 10% in match fees.That means category A players will now receive a retainer of 312,500 Pakistan rupees (US$3400 approx), up from Rs 250,000 last year. Category B players will receive Rs 218,750 (up from Rs 175,000), and category C Rs 125,000 (up from Rs 100,000). Players in the stipend category will receive Rs 62,500 (up from Rs 50,000).Category A: Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman, Umar AkmalCategory B: Shoaib Malik, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Junaid Khan, Aizaz CheemaCategory C: Sarfraz Ahmad, Adnan Akmal, Hammad Azam, Wahab Riaz, Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Nasir JamshedStipend category: Sohail Tanvir, Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Shakeel Ansar, Haris Sohail, Raza Hasan, Ahmed Shahzad, Usman Salahuddin, Mohammad Ayub, Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Awais Zia, Shahzeb Hasan, Mohammad Khalil, Anwar Ali, Afaq Rahim, Bismillah Khan, Babar Azam, Sami Aslam, Zia-ul-Haq, Usman Qadir

It took one month and five attempts last season for Middlesex to win a Championship match but after 20 wickets fell in 92.1 overs at Lord’s they will have victory sealed against Essex in just over two days

Sahil Dutta at Lord's16-Apr-2011
Scorecard
With the hard work done on the second day Middlesex enjoyed the first sighting of sunshine at Lord’s this Championship summer, needing just over 40 minutes to seal victory over Essex.20 Essex wickets fell the previous day to leave Middlesex needing just 54 for victory and despite a second failure in the game for captain Neil Dexter they reached their target inside 11 overs. With everyone chasing a Saturday off in the sunshine Scott Newman hurried the victory with seven boundaries in his unbeaten 38.The day before Newman had been goading Ravi Bopara on Twitter after Bopara had taken to the internet to vent his frustration about the Tiflex ball – which is used in Division Two and has a reputation for prodigious swing – and state of the pitch. Newman response was clear: “Dry your eyes, big lad. No feet movement and loose shots is a recipe for nicking off.”James Foster, the Essex captain, was not quite as resolute as Newman but dismissed any complaints about the ball for his side’s second defeat in as many games.”It’s the same for both sides,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s early season, the ball is going to swing a bit because of the conditions, it’s going to nibble a bit because of the pitches. It’s early April, it’s always happened. I’m not sure if it’s the ball, that’s just what it’s been like for the last x amount of years I’ve been involved in cricket. We haven’t performed well enough, it’s as simple as that.”One man who certainly wasn’t complaining about the ball was Steven Finn. He is looking to push his case for an England recall after losing out during the Ashes and though he only took five in the match the quality of his bowling, and his scalps – Bopara in both innings and Alastair Cook second time round – put down an ideal marker to start his season.”I’ve had my ups and downs over the last year but I’m developing all the time, he said. “There are still areas of inconsistency I need to work on and get better at though.”I feel like I’ve become a better bowler over the last year, I’m learning to swing the ball more and getting it to move away from the right-handers but consistency is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if your bowling with an apple or a cricket ball, you still have to put the ball in the right area and let the rest happen. We went out there looking to enjoy ourselves and if we keep doing that results will come.”Middlesex will hope England don’t come calling because with Finn at the helm they could be a formidable attack in Division Two.

Warwickshire bounced back well from defeat to Yorkshire in the opening round of the season to dominate the opening day of their County Championship match against Lancashire at Old Trafford

15-Apr-2010
ScorecardAshwell Prince led Lancashire’s fightback for 14 for 4 in the morning session•Getty Images

Warwickshire bounced back well from defeat to Yorkshire in the opening round of the season to dominate the opening day of their County Championship match against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Ian Westwood’s men reduced the home side to 14 for 4 within the first seven overs of this Division One clash thanks to three wickets from England Lions seamer Chris Woakes.The 21-year-old took advantage of early movement to dismiss Tom Smith, Paul Horton and Stephen Moore cheaply on the way to three for 44 from 20 overs. But the hosts mounted a recovery with a fifth-wicket partnership of 133 between overseas player Ashwell Prince and all-rounder Steven Croft.Lancashire, who were lifted by seeing all-rounder Andrew Flintoff bat in the nets at lunch for the first time since his knee operation in August, were finally bowled out for 253 inside 86 overs. James Anderson then boosted the hosts with the ball when he bowled Varun Chopra in his second over. Warwickshire closed on 13 for 1 from eight overs in reply.South African left-hander Prince top-scored for Lancashire with 82 off 153 balls, including eight fours and a straight six off Imran Tahir, while Croft added a useful 64 and Glen Chapple 54 not out.After Westwood won the toss and elected to bowl, the four quickfire wickets were all caught in the slips by either Ian Bell or Jonathan Trott – Bell clinging on three times. Smith fell from the third ball of the match to Woakes, who soon undid both Horton and Moore with extra bounce. Chilton fell to Carter’s first ball courtesy of a loose waft outside off-stump.The experienced right-hander was Carter’s first of three victims and Prince was the second after lunch, also with the first ball of a new spell. Prince and Croft made batting seem a lot easier either side of the break. Croft, who had survived three strong lbw shouts from Carter early in his innings, brought up his half-century two overs after lunch and Prince’s came shortly afterwards.But both fell within the space of ten overs to halt their side’s recovery. Croft slapped a friendly Naqaash Tahir delivery to Chopra at point to leave the score at 147 for 5 in the 45th over. Prince then pulled a Carter short ball straight down the throat of Naqaash at deep square-leg in the 55th with only another 21 runs added.Luke Sutton (33) and Chapple navigated their side beyond 200 in the midst of a seventh-wicket partnership of 59 before the wicketkeeper was caught by Jim Troughton at backward point off the medium pace of Trott in the 78th.Anderson was bowled for a duck in Trott’s next over and Lancashire were back in bother at 227 for 8. Tahir snared Simon Kerrigan before Carter had Sajid Mahmood caught in the slips by Rikki Clarke to complete the innings and finish with figures of three for 64 from 19.4 overs.Chopra fell early with Warwickshire’s total on 8, but Westwood reached nine not out and nightwatchman Naqaash played out 17 scoreless deliveries as they reached the close without further loss.