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Ben Duckett’s 62 in a 122-run stand with Pope held England’s response together after India finished on 471

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Jun-2025Stumps Saturday in Leeds was a day of opportunities taken and spurned. Unfortunately for India, it was their contribution to the latter that has changed the complexion of this Test match.Having begun the day with Rishabh Pant’s thrill-filled 134, the third century of the innings, India proceeded to lose 7 for 41 to cap their first innings at 471. And yet more profligacy in the field not only allowed Ollie Pope to move to his ninth Test century, but England to close on 209 for 3.Related

• Ollie Pope's century buys him the summer at No. 3

• Rishabh Pant moves to his own beat

• Duckett had 'goosebumps' watching Pope celebrate crucial ton

• Stats – Rishabh Pant goes past MS Dhoni

Pope, unbeaten on 100, rests satiated with a second Test hundred in a row following his 171 against Zimbabwe, at a time when his place has been questioned with the precocious yet century-less Jacob Bethell, who is waiting in the wings.Pope rests dreaming of mimicking his Hyderabad epic that dug England out of a similar-sized hole. But India will rue a drop on 60 by Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip, after Pope had played in the air through that region earlier (when on 48), and where fourth would have been at the very start of his innings when on 10. That he had made all three errors off Jasprit Bumrah was no surprise, particularly as the demonic quick ended up accounting for all three wickets.But just when it looked like Bumrah would head to stumps with a clean record, a third front-foot no ball in his final over of the day ended up giving Harry Brook a life on 0. A brutal short ball was clothed amateurishly by Brook towards midwicket. Umpire Chris Gaffaney, having stuck his arm out for the previously delivery, put his hand to his ear before doing so once more as news of another infringement came through from the television umpire.2:22

Duckett: Bumrah the best in the world

That would have made it 208 for 4 at stumps. India’s frustration was carried in spades by the searing bouncer Bumrah delivered to close out a thrilling day’s play. They could have batted a victory out of England’s reach but instead, the hosts have seven wickets left to claw back more if not all of the remaining deficit of 262.Was it a lack of ruthlessness on Shubman Gill’s first day in the field as India’s Test captain? If so, it was not something anyone could have predicted when he and Pant recommenced India’s first innings on 359 for 3. The first 90 minutes of play was a reassertion of their day one dominance, with Pant at his mischievous best.He was a one-man circus of heaves and tumbles, the first of them coming when he greeted Shoaib Bashir’s first delivery with a fall-away paddle over his shoulder. The second was more choreographed after lifting Bashir over wide midwicket to bring up his seventh hundred as wicketkeeper, from his 146th delivery, this a third century on these shores – no other keeper-batter has more than one – that also sits top of his three-figure knocks for most sixes (six).There were no chances offered, per se, until, on 124, he ran past a delivery from Bashir and was forced to reclaim his ground on his hands and knees, having flung the bat away towards fine leg. Jamie Smith failed to capitalise on the error, but his blushes were saved when Josh Tongue, hidden in the field for most of this session, was able to catch Pant not playing a shot to trap him lbw.2:33

Manjrekar: The world knows how special Pant is

By then, Gill’s own century had been cut off at 147, when he lifted Bashir to Tongue at deep square-leg, angling for his second six and 21st boundary, ending the fourth-wicket stand on 209. Karun Nair had also come and gone, an eight-year hiatus amounting to a four-ball duck when he was plucked gloriously out of the air by Pope at cover.And so, with lunch looming, the thought was India would take it to the break and regroup. Alas, Shardul Thakur brought about an early break when chasing a very wide delivery through to Smith. It gave Ben Stokes figures for 4 for 66, once again the England captain standing out as the best bowler on show.He was soon joined on a four-for by Tongue, who wagged when the tail did not to clean up some untidy figures. The Nottinghamshire quick went from nursing 0 for 78 from 17 to parading 4 for 86 from 20.A tame but delaying shower meant England’s first innings only began at 2.55pm, with ominous looking clouds and a ground illuminated by the floodlights promising movement for Bumrah. He needed just six deliveries to get one bending reality; Zak Crawley turned inside out with one that swung in late and seamed away later, flying through to Nair at face height at first slip.

That he would only take 1 for 21 in his opening five overs was through no fault of his own. Though Gill kept a packed cordon for the first 20 overs, the desire to cover more than one position with just one fielder led to Pope’s initial pseudo life on 10 – a Schrödinger’s fourth slip, if you will. But it was at the end of his fourth over that Bumrah had Ben Duckett dropped on 15, by Ravindra Jadeja of all people, at backward point.Duckett would end up moving to his 19th score of fifty or more from 68 deliveries with a fine sweep off Jadeja, marching forward with Pope in a stand of 122 that for the most part actually felt easier than it maybe should have been.On 62, Duckett drove a thick edge onto his stumps to hand Bumrah his third, met with an exclamation from the 31-year-old that spoke of the fact his frustration was steadily morphing into anger. From that point on, it was Pope who seized the initiative a little more, dwarfing Joe Root (42 to 28) in an 80-run stand where he seemed like the more established pro.Mohammed Siraj emerged from a patchy first spell to hold his own and one end, and seemingly had Root on toast. For a moment, he thought he had him outright, lbw for 7, with the impact in front of the stumps and the right-hand batter selling it well with a stumble over to the off side. But a review would take that from Siraj, with HawkEye projecting the delivery would miss leg stump, forcing umpire Paul Reiffel to overturn his decision.Pope, though, was making hay while Bumrah was powering back up. He had already got away with a flinch outside off that Jaiswal, diving low to his right, should have held. Bumrah’s reaction was to open his arms out to the cordon as if to ask “WHY?!” Understandably, given he had opened the evening session and been immediately dabbed through a vacant third by Pope, who moved to 52 from 74 deliveries.1:12

Manjrekar: Stokes makes England a dangerous side

The remainder of the No. 3’s crisp 100 took just 51 deliveries more, helped by Thakur’s lack of pace, which allowed him to drive on the up through the covers, before a stylish back cut off Prasidh Krishna’s extra pace. The latter decided to be more forceful in his approach to Pope, offering a few choice words along with some short stuff. Pope responded with a well-executed pull-flip over to the fine-leg fence for a one bounce for, clearing the man up around the corner with ease, and taking deep square-leg out of the game entirely.Bumrah’s return for two overs at the end was always going to give us a final shot of drama. A thick inside edge into the leg side brought Pope his century, and as good a reason as any to let the frustrations of talk in the media and behind his back flow out in a cathartic, satisfying roar, punching the air with a mix of relief and glee. It was by no means a convincing way to move to such a landmark, but the fact he walked at Bumrah was an apt reminder of the guts he showed throughout this knock.Joy was short-lived when Root finally succumbed to a teaser outside off. But an over later, Bumrah’s journey to anger had been completed. Brook’s reprieve was all the more irksome for India considering the efforts of Siraj to take the catch running back at midwicket.India still have the surer footing in this match, with England resuming on Sunday 63 off the follow-on target. But they have relinquished the opportunity to be the sole drivers of this match.

Somerset chief Hollins wants amendment to Performance-Related Fee Payments

Matt Roller23-Jan-2024English counties are pushing for an increase in the payments they receive from the ECB when players they have developed appear in international or representative cricket.Early discussions have started between the 18 first-class counties and the ECB over an updated County Partnership Agreement (CPA) which will replace the existing arrangements and cover the 2025-28 period, and Performance-Related Fee Payments (PRFPs) have been raised as an area for potential change.Under existing arrangements, counties receive payments when men’s players to whose development they have contributed make appearances for England Under-19s, England Lions or the full England side. These are weighted according to a points system, which ranks multi-day cricket above the shorter formats.”It’s a really good system,” Gordon Hollins, Somerset’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “The principle of the system is that counties that develop players who go on to play for England are rewarded and we are very supportive of that because it rewards clubs who do the right thing by the national game. To my knowledge, it doesn’t happen in any other sport.”What we would like to see is consideration given to a greater level of payment for success: we believe it should be supercharged to provide a real reward for clubs that do the hard yards and develop those players. We’d like it to provide a real incentive to ensure that those rewards are suitable and don’t just cover the cost of a club replacing that player.”Hollins gave the example of Jack Leach, a graduate of Somerset’s academy who has never played for another county but is now rarely available due to his England commitments. “When we lose Jack, we can back-fill his absence with the money we get, but we don’t get any reward for it and we’d like to see that incentive really boosted.”In many cases, PRFPs are split between a player’s current county and the county that they represented at academy or pathway levels. “Take Jos Buttler: we get the lion’s share of Jos’s England performance fees,” Hollins said. “Lancashire get a bit, but we get the most because we’ve had the most influence on his career. It’s a good system.”There are also suggestions that the national counties (formerly minor counties) should be eligible to receive PRFPs, which they are not under the current system. If Shoaib Bashir makes his England debut in India over the coming weeks, Surrey and Somerset will share the relevant PRFPs but Berkshire, whom he represented at Under-18 level, will not receive any payment.Somerset’s stance is likely to find support from other first-class counties, not least those who are heavily reliant on central ECB funding. Leicestershire, for example, have long argued that they should have received higher payments than they did for their role in developing Stuart Broad and a change in the system would give them greater reward for bringing Rehan Ahmed through their academy.An increase in funds for PRFPs was among the recommendations of Andrew Strauss’s High Performance Review in 2022. “Without sufficient incentive to develop professional cricketers, we risk not making the most of the talent pool we have in England,” the report said, while also proposing an increase in the levels of compensation paid when players decide to leave their home counties.

Will Sutherland continued his fine match with four wickets while Travis Head and Alex Carey were in the runs

AAP07-Oct-2022Test cult figure Scott Boland looks set to maintain momentum from last season after taking a wicket with his second ball of the first-class season.Boland was a key figure as he led Victoria to a position of dominance at the midway point of the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia in Adelaide.Victoria ended a rain-impacted day two at Karen Rolton Oval with a lead of 86 runs after dismissing South Australia for 230 late in the day.Boland picked up three top-order scalps in a haul of 4 for 60, while Will Sutherland made headway through the middle and lower order for figures of 4 for 45.SA captain Travis Head and wicketkeeper Alex Carey kept the innings together with the Test pair both contributing half-centuries. Head made 76 in a 136-ball knock, while Carey’s 70 came from 102 deliveries in an 87-run stand for the fifth wicket.It was a much-needed recovery for the home side who were left reeling at 3 for 30 after Boland’s early impact.Boland squared up reliable opener Jake Weatherald in the second ball of the innings to offer a simple catch at gully. The Test quick had figures of 3 for 24 from 12 overs having also knocked over Henry Hunt and Jake Carder in his opening spell.Allrounder Sutherland collected the other top-order wicket to fall by dismissing Jake Lehmann for 28. It was another successful day for Sutherland who hit his maiden first-class century on day one.Boland even inflicted pain on South Australia with the bat adding 50 for the last wicket in concert with No. 11 Jon Holland.Victoria resumed at 9 for 264 but Boland (24 not out) and Holland (28) lifted the visitors to 310. SA paceman David Grant eventually ended the home side’s pain, collecting his side’s best figures in the process.

Forty women from 29 ICC member countries will be mentored as part of the programme

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2021Brazil captain Roberta Avery, USA Cricket board member and batter Nadia Gruny, and Indian referee Vijeylaxmi Narasimhan are among a total of 40 women from 29 ICC member countries who will be mentored as part of the inaugural ICC 100% Cricket Future Leaders Programme, designed to support emerging women leaders in cricket.Greg Barclay, the ICC chair, former Pakistan Women captain Sana Mir and former West Indies bowler and now broadcaster Ian Bishop are among the mentors.In a statement, ICC described the programme as a part of its “long-term commitment to accelerate the growth of women’s cricket and women in cricket”, and said that there had been more than 300 applicants from 45 different countries before the final 40 had been selected.”The initial intake will be split into two batches and the programme, which (is) designed to address the low percentage of women in leadership positions in global cricket and build a pipeline of new female leaders in cricket will get underway with batch one beginning this month,” the statement said.”The first two batches reflect the diversity of our regions and their areas of focus, and all have received outstanding endorsements from their respective Member Boards,” Claire Furlong, ICC general manager – marketing and communications, said in the statement. “The next six months will be incredibly exciting, and we look forward to a productive learning experience for our mentees.”Batch 1

• Mentor: Greg Barclay (governance and board); Mentee: Nadia Gruny (USA)
• Mentor: Wasim Khan (management); Mentee: Joanna Taylor (ICC)
• Mentor: Andrea Nelson (senior management and events); Mentee: Fizza Abid (Pakistan)
• Mentor: Steve Elworthy (governance and board); Mentee: Tracey Pitt (Bermuda)
• Mentor: Michelle Enright (commercial and business of cricket); Mentee: Ewa Ostaszewska (Ireland)
• Mentor: Hilton Moreeng (coaching); Mentee: Helmien Rambaldo (Netherlands)
• Mentor: Claire Polosak (match officiating); Mentee: Vijeylaxmi Narasimhan (India)
• Mentor: Sana Mir (player growth); Mentee: Benafsha Hashimi (Afghanistan)
• Mentor: Divya Gokulnath (commercial and overall leadership); Mentee: Anna Shaw (England)
• Mentor: Anthony Everard (fan engagement); Mentee: Vaishali Jesrani (Oman)
• Mentor: Sharda Ugra (media and journalism); Mentee: Roberta Morretti Avery (Brazil)
• Mentor: Ian Bishop (broadcasting); Mentee: Xolile Mabuza (South Africa)
• Mentor: Dhiraj Malhotra (game development and events operations); Mentee: Caitlin Spencer (Australia)
• Mentor: Christina Matthews (development); Mentee: Iriho Veronique (Rwanda)
• Mentor: Gemma Davies (digital communications); Mentee: La Donna Williams (West Indies)
• Mentor: Jodie Hawkins (leadership and senior management); Mentee: Mariamma Hyder (Kuwait)
• Mentor: Lisa Keightley (coaching); Mentee: Naome Kayondo Bagenda (Uganda)
• Mentor: Karren Rogers (digital partnerships and fan engagement); Mentee: Nicole Dunn (New Zealand)
• Mentor: Will Glenwright (development); Mentee: Rosy Ryan (Scotland)
• Mentor: Chris Tetley (events and development); Mentee: Charilitah Wambui (Kenya)

Mentees for Batch 2 (starting November 2021)
Tuba Sangar (Afghanistan), Joan Norton (Australia), Lucy Pringle (England), Stephanie Frohnmayer (Germany), Tammy Chu (Hong Kong), Laura Peacock (ICC), Harini Rana (India), Niamh O’Shea (Ireland), Nicky Britten (New Zealand), Ijeoma Azubuike (Nigeria), Marina Iqbal (Pakistan), Margaret Sibona (Papua New Guinea), Samantha Hickman (Peru), Shivani Mishra (Qatar), Stella Siale Vaea-Tangitau (Samoa), Abbi Aitken (Scotland), Karen Smithies (South Africa), Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka), Amanda Reifer (West Indies), Mary-Anne Musonda (Zimbabwe).

Fast bowler cites interference in 2015 World Cup semi-final as biggest regret after calling time on career

Firdose Moonda12-Feb-2020Vernon Philander has admitted that interference in selection ahead of the 2015 World Cup semi-final, and the recent crises at Cricket South Africa (CSA) both contributed to hastening his retirement, which took place last month. In an extensive interview with Afrikaans weekly , Philander confirmed he would have considered playing longer but opted to end his international career and sign a Kolpak deal, because “too many things went wrong” in the country’s cricket administration.”As a player you get to the point where you’ve had enough,” Philander said. “Cricket SA’s previous administration only looked after themselves; the players were the last people they worried about. Too many things went wrong and I had to decide what was the best way forward for me. I am 34 and have a good career behind me, but I would have considered playing longer if it wasn’t for the chaos in our cricket administration.”Though CSA’s long-running battle with the South African Cricketers’ Association, which centred on the now-scrapped proposed domestic restructure, ended last week, the relationship between players and administrators has been strained for several years. In 2015, trust between players and administrators severely broke down when, on the eve of South Africa’s semi-final against New Zealand, former CEO Haroon Lorgat contacted the national team selectors to remind them of their transformation commitments. Ultimately, that resulted in Kyle Abbott, South Africa’s best bowler at the tournament, being left out and Philander, who had nursed a hamstring injury throughout the competition, included in the starting XI.Speaking for the first time on the incident, Philander revealed he didn’t think he should have played. “It’s difficult for me to look back on that,” he said. “I blatantly and openly told the coach that the best player must play. He told me, ‘you’re the best man for the day, you play’. But they were clearly not open and honest with me and Kyle. There were things happening behind closed doors.”South Africa lost the match on the penultimate ball, ending what was considered by many to be their best chance to win a World Cup. Philander only played three more ODIs, later in 2015, and was not considered in the format again. And in early 2017, just as Abbott had nailed down a regular Test spot, he signed a Kolpak deal and ended his international career.Philander traces those repercussions back to what happened before the semi-final and although he and Abbott remain friends, neither felt the same about CSA since. “When I go to Durban, I have a beer with Kyle. There are no hard feelings between us two. But the point is: Cricket SA must sort out their stuff. What happened was a knock to both of us.”Performance-wise, they have both recovered, with Abbott dominating on the county scene – including 17 wickets in one match for Hampshire against Somerset last summer – and Philander finishing as South Africa’s seventh-highest Test wicket-taker, but South Africans may always wonder if there could have been more from both of them.Philander, in particular, struggled with his fitness towards the latter stages of his career and seems to have grown increasingly disillusioned with the way the team was handled during former coach Ottis Gibson’s tenure, which ran from 2017 to 2019. “The administrators became too involved with the game and the players,” he said. “It was also easier for them to target Ottis because he’s a foreigner. They could tell it him, “Do this, do that.”The transformation targets, specifically the black African component, has been highlighted in the last two years with former CEO Thabang Moroe understood to have wanted a significant say in team composition. Moroe currently faces allegations of mismanagement and his position is occupied by acting CEO Dr Jacques Faul, under whom large-scale changes have taken place.Former captain Graeme Smith is acting as director of cricket and is likely to accept the job permanently post a commentary stint at the IPL, Mark Boucher has been appointed head coach until 2023 and “credibility”, in Philander’s words, is returning, but too late for him to reconsider.ALSO READ: Philander – One of those good things we didn’t appreciate enough when we had him“Hopefully we will see a turnaround in the administration and on the playing field,” he said. “We must put out heads together and decide which direction we are going in. Hopefully we can make the path for younger players better.”That suggests Philander is still interested in staying involved in South African cricket in some capacity, something Smith was at pains to say he would welcome. Philander has committed himself to Somerset for the upcoming English summer but with Kolpak deals set to be nullified at the end of the year, he may be available for the South African set-up sooner than expected, if the money is right.”In successful teams like Australia, England and India, former players are involved but in South Africa, we lost our former players to other countries where they do coaching because the money is much better,” Philander said. “We have to decide what we are willing to pay to keep former players in the country and ensure that our cricket goes forward again.”Even if Philander is not absorbed into CSA’s systems, he will continue to do work through his foundation which seeks to use sport to provide alternatives to young people in previously disadvantaged areas of the Cape. Philander is from that part of South Africa and said his background of “learning to survive” is behind his drive to make a difference.”We try to give children other routes away from gangs, drugs and alcohol. I say to myself that I can’t help everyone in the whole world but if I can help one or two, it’s something.”

The Australia batsman has overcome a knee injury sustained in the UAE to be ready for the opening Test against India in Adelaide but had already embarked on his enhanced fitness regime

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2018Usman Khawaja has taken inspiration from NBA star LeBron James to get himself into peak physical condition for the demands of Test cricket.Khawaja has overcome a knee injury sustained in the UAE to be ready for the opening Test against India in Adelaide but had already embarked on his enhanced fitness regime.James is 33 and Khawaja turns 32 later this month and has already felt the benefits of his hard work, which has seen him lose around 10kg, firstly during a spell in county cricket with Glamorgan then when forming his match-saving 141 against Pakistan in Dubai.”It wasn’t a thing where I was like ‘CA’s coming down on me telling me to lose weight and I have to do it or else I’m not playing’. It wasn’t Big Brother or anything,” he told RSN radio.”That was probably one part of my game and place that I wanted to work hard on and make sure I was in the right physical shape for international cricket. Training, playing, travelling. I don’t think people realise how much actually goes into the international schedule.””I just wanted to make sure that I was the best version of myself. One of my favourite athletes, LeBron James, does that as well as anyone else. I had a good Ashes campaign but I just felt like it was something I needed to work on at the time. I just started chipping away at it.”I was actually really surprised with how well I was pulling up after games. Losing weight doesn’t help you particularly score runs. It doesn’t make you a better batter. It’s about the other little things. Being in the field, recovering, running between the wickets.”The exact role Khawaja plays in the Test series against India remains to be confirmed with a decision still to be made over Australia’s opening combination. If Marcus Harris debuts alongside Aaron Finch then Khawaja will be moved down to No. 3, but coach Justin Langer has previously praised the performance of Finch and Khawaja in the UAE.Khawaja admitted he liked the role at first drop as it allows him to gather his thoughts after fielding, but he is more than content with whichever position he takes.”The only thing it affects is how fast I have to run off the field,” Khawaja said. “You only get 10 minutes as an opener, which is a pain in the a***. I love batting No. 3 because you often get a little rest, little breather, put your pads on nice and easy, watch the openers scurry off. But it doesn’t make a difference whatsoever.”

Both openers capitalised on vastly improved batting conditions, both overhead and underfoot, to lead India’s recovery on the fourth day in Kolkata

The Report by Nikhil Kalro19-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:08

Chopra: SL bowlers looked ordinary on day four

Openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan capitalised on vastly improved batting conditions, both overhead and underfoot, to lead India’s recovery on the fourth day in Kolkata. After Rangana Herath’s third Test fifty had bulked up Sri Lanka’s lead to 122, there was only one likely winner in the game. But then after Dhawan struck a 116-ball 94 and Rahul hit an unbeaten 73, there would be none it seemed.Mohammed Shami, on his home ground, rattled through Sri Lanka’s middle order to finish with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar added two wickets on the fourth day to return 4 for 88 in bowling Sri Lanka out for 294. With Umesh Yadav also taking two wickets, this was the third time India’s seamers took all ten wickets in a Test innings at home, and the first such instance since 1983-84.Rahul and Dhawan then replied with aggression that has typified their recent Test run. Sunny overhead conditions and a surface that seemed to have settled down helped drastically.On most pitches, a slightly fuller-than-good length is ideal. But Lahiru Gamage bowled on either side of that, dishing out three half-volleys to Rahul in his first over, which were punched for three boundaries through mid-off. He compensated with a shorter length thereafter, erring in Dhawan’s wheelhouse, who cut and pulled gleefully.In Kolkata’s humidity, Dinesh Chandimal was quickly forced to turn his spinners. With no turn, it played nicely into the openers’ hands. Rahul nudged and nurdled, opening and closing the bat face to accumulate runs, while Dhawan was more expansive, often using his feet to loft the ball straight.Herath, more often than not Sri Lanka’s second-innings star, was taken apart. In 29 overs, India had wiped out their deficit, and undone more than three days of diligence from Sri Lanka.BCCI

With Dhawan on 94 and the light fading, he committed the only two mistakes of his innings off the same delivery. He drove loosely at Dasun Shanaka, but an inswinger found his inside edge. He reviewed immediately, and replays showed a sharp spike as ball passed bat. India finished the fourth day at 171 for 1, with a lead of 49. Cheteshwar Pujara, who finished unbeaten on 2, could become the ninth batsman to bat on all five days of a Test.Niroshan Dickwella and Chandimal began the fourth morning under sunny skies by counterattacking India’s seamers. But like Sadeera Samarawickrama found out on the third day, hitting through the line can be fraught with risk against the moving ball because it threatens both edges. Their approach worked for the first half hour, taking Sri Lanka to 200, a handy lead of 28, but just when it seemed like Sri Lanka wrested control, India hit back. Sri Lanka’s middle order tried to make contact with the ball, as opposed to allowing themselves to be beaten by playing the line. It was a ploy to move the Test along, and on a seaming surface like this, it wasn’t a bad one.Dickwella had punched, cut and pulled merrily, but was also beaten repeatedly. Shami got one to seam in from his around-the-wicket angle, then bounce and jag away – enough to find the outside edge, but not exaggerated movement to beat the edge.Bhuvneshwar, in the next over, set up Dasun Shanaka with an outswinger well outside off. He started the next ball on a similar line, but it hooped back prodigiously to hit Shanaka, offering no shot with an intent to leave as many as he could, on the back pad. Only James Anderson is more adept at using this tactic with the swinging ball in Tests currently.Five balls later, Chandimal was caught fishing outside his off stump against Shami. Again, the ball did just enough to find the outside edge. Suddenly, Sri Lanka had slipped to 201 for 7.It got worse for Sri Lanka when Dilruwan Perera was given out lbw off a sharp inducker from Shami that beat his inside edge. Dilruwan, it appeared, accepted the decision and turned around to walk towards the dressing room, but asked for a review moments later. Replays showed the ball hit Dilruwan outside the line of off stump.Herath was particularly effective with cross-batted strokes on either side of the wicket. He would frequently perch on the back foot, and depending on the line, either cut through point or pull past midwicket. Considering deliveries on a good or short length were routinely beating him with a straight bat, it was a rewarding strategy. He had moved to 67 before slicing a catch to deep backward point off Bhuvneshwar.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the third Test against New Zealand in Indore starting October 8 due to a fractured finger that could take at least 15 days to heal

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-20161:19

What’s changed since Gambhir last Test?

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Indore starting October 8 due to a “very minor fracture” on his left thumb that could take at least 15 days to heal. As a result Gautam Gambhir, who had been drafted into the squad after KL Rahul was injured during the Kanpur Test, is in line to play in the XI after a gap of two years.Karun Nair, the middle order batsman, has been drafted into the squad as a reinforcement.Dhawan, who made 1 and 17 in Kolkata, injured himself while batting on the third day, when he was struck twice on the thumb by Trent Boult. “Shikhar has a very minor fracture on his hand. He is under observations, and he has been advised 15 days’ rest,” India’s media manager Nishant Arora said. “So he is ruled out for the next Test match. The selectors have been informed.”Nair, Karnataka’s second-highest run-getter in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy, made his international debut during the limited-overs series in Zimbabwe in June. He was more recently part of the India A squad that toured Australia for a tri-series and two first-class matches. However, it is likely that Gambhir could return following a good showing in the Duleep Trophy, in which he made 356 runs in five innings with four half-centuries.Gambhir’s last Test was during India’s 1-3 series loss in England in 2014, when he aggregated 25 runs in four innings. That series, too, was a comeback for him, as he was dropped in 2012 and missed all India’s Tests in 2013 due to a sharp decline in form.Gambhir, 34, has 4046 Test runs at 42.58 with nine centuries and 21 half-centuries. The last of Gambhir’s nine Test tons came against Bangladesh in Chittagong in January 2010, when he made 116.

If stardom is about taking your moments then David Willey surely has a chance at stardom. He turned Northants’ quarter-final against Sussex into a rout, striking the fastest century of the season in the NatWest Blast

David Hopps12-Aug-2015
ScorecardIf stardom is about taking your moments then David Willey surely has a chance at stardom. He turned Northamptonshire’s quarter-final against Sussex into a rout, striking the fastest century of the season in the NatWest Blast – and the eighth fastest of all time – to secure victory by seven wickets with four overs to spare.Willey reached his hundred in 40 balls. He was out to the next, caught in the deep at midwicket by George Bailey, 10 sixes and seven fours to his name. You can study the wagon wheel if you wish, or you can just take it as read that all the spokes were roughly in the same place. If stardom lands one invitingly in his arc, and the wind is with him, he will probably flay it over midwicket and take the plaudits.This was a performance to awaken the IPL, one produced by a player who made his England limited-overs debut earlier this summer. But Willey, like his father, the former England allrounder and umpire Peter, does not gush to order: quite the contrary. Invited for his comments in the dugout by Sky TV with the match not yet settled, he gave the impression he regarded it as an imposition.”Got a decent bat,” he said, plugging the make. “Managed to get hold of a few.” Deadpan, possibly techy. But he did mention a few beers in Brighton later when one imagined he would celebrate at the right time. Old-fashioned convictions. And no worse for that.After the match, he was relaxed and happy. “I started quite slowly and didn’t pick up the pace of the wicket but I used the wind and the short boundaries to my advantage,” he said. “The guys know if I stand still and give myself a chance the boundaries aren’t always big enough.”So Northants go to Finals Day. They are increasingly debt-ridden, have asked the ECB for an emergency loan and Willey is bound to leave at the end of the season: perhaps more players besides. Yorkshire, desperate to stretch their Championship domination into T20 are among the leading suitors. Northants’ pre-match chats have included lots of chats about the need for strength in adversity. Willey certainly showed that.Michael Yardy, Sussex’s former England one-day allrounder, suffered the headline over, although to be fair to him there was ample carnage elsewhere. He has announced his retirement at the end of the season, but he might feel like retiring forthwith after Willey swung him for 34 from an over, five sixes and a flat midwicket four off the second ball which fell short by two yards. It was the ninth of the Northants chase and, by the end of it, they needed 54 from 11 with nine wickets in hand. Game over.It was as if Willey said, whether Yardy bowled his left-arm slows over or round: “I know you don’t spin it, I see no guile, you are in my arc, you are disappearing many a mile.”Predictably, Willey went to his century in the next over, one of the largest hits of all, Tymal Mills, the fastest of Sussex’s attack, disappearing into the crowd at deep square. Mills also conceded three sixes, but dismissed Willey with his next ball, George Bailey catching, for once no grin to be seen.Willey’s record-breaking hundred surpassed Brendon McCullum’s 42-ball effort for Birmingham Bears against Derbyshire at Edgbaston earlier this season.Willey launched his onslaught in the third over when he took 18 off England team-mate Chris Jordan, who was playing his first competitive game after two months out with a side strain. He lost opening partner Richard Levi in the eighth over when Levi, who had struck Chris Liddle for two sixes in the previous over, was leg before to the first ball from legspinner Will Beer after they had put on 78.Northants have reached Finals Day for the third time, and Willey will have fond memories of their title triumph in 2013 when he first shot to prominence with a matchwinning performance with bat and ball and enjoyed a run-in with Surrey’s Jade Dernbach along the way.With Willey fit again after missing several weeks earlier in the season with an ankle ligament injury, Northants will feel anything is possible when they return to Edgbaston on August 29.Sussex must have imagined a quite different outcome when they were 97 for 2 midway through their 20 overs. But Mahela Jayawardene’s silky half-century had just come to an end – his scoop off a full toss from Azharullah stunningly caught by Josh Cobb running around the fine leg boundary – and Sussex’s innings immediately declined. Chris Nash, the mainstay, was leg before in the 13th over for 53, hitting across the line at Rory Kleinveldt. Only 67 runs came in the second phase – no wonder Sussex prefer to chase at HoveOne of those responsible was Willey, one of two reliable death bowlers in Northants’ line-up, the veteran Azharullah being the other. Willey returned 3 for 27 with the ball as well. Luke Wright, the Sussex captain who had done so much to plan their progress to the quarter-finals, had fallen third ball for nought and, for good measure, he added Jordan at mid-off – another facet of a malfunctioning return – and Will Beer, undone by a slower bouncer.Willey’s bowling possessed variety, his batting was predominantly a succession of leg-side swings but Hove’s tight square boundaries, his excellent eye, and a bat kindly provided by the makers who will remain anonymous (no point cheapening a record, after all) did the rest.”We were hoping to be 180, but that catch by Cobb changed the innings, we were playing beautifully at the time,” said Wright. “That innings was pretty special. Everybody else made it look like hard work. That innings was pretty special. It was like watching Gayle bat. If we could have had fielders standing in the middle of Hove we might have had an answer to him.”

Perth Scorchers beat Melbourne Stars off the final ball to secure a place in the Big Bash final and the Champions League

The Report by Alex Malcolm16-Jan-2013
ScorecardMichael Hussey celebrates after hitting the winning runs•Getty Images

You need more than the Duckworth/Lewis method to work out how the Perth Scorchers won this extraordinary semi-final against Melbourne Stars, and qualified for the Champions League again. Rain reduced the contest from a 20-over affair to an 18-over match at the end of the Stars’ magnificent batting display. Then more rain initially reduced it to a 17-over chase, before a 13-over pursuit of 139 was finally begun.You could talk about the ten runs needed from James Faulkner’s final over, and Jackson Bird’s drop of Michael Hussey from the first ball of the over. But the match, the BBL final, and the Champions League berth all hinged on what appeared to be the last ball of the match.Adam Voges took strike, needing three runs to win, and two to force a one-over eliminator. Faulkner, who was controversially made the stand-in captain for the Stars with both Shane Warne and Cameron White on sanctions for slow over-rates earlier in the tournament, stood at the top of his mark with his actual captain, Warne, and the former acting captain, White, trying to set a field to keep the scoring to two or less.The trio parted ways, all pointing every which way. Faulkner delivered a brilliant wide yorker that Voges missed and despite Hussey running through for a bye the Stars thought they had won the match, until they saw standing umpire Mick Martell’s right arm outstretched to signal a no-ball.The Stars’ three captains had failed to notice they only had three men inside the circle. To rub salt into the wound Faulkner also over-stepped the frontline. Either way the Stars looked at it, the ball needed to be re-bowled and the Scorchers needed just one to win.Hussey, of course, struck the winning runs over mid-on, and the Scorchers booked a home final for Saturday night at the WACA.The Scorchers can thank Shaun Marsh for getting them there. Chasing 139 to win, Marsh produced another astonishing hand. His innings of 68 from 40 balls was the difference in the end. The Scorchers were 1 for 38 after five overs, having lost Herschelle Gibbs to a hamstring strain and Nathan Coulter-Nile to a superb running catch from Brad Hodge.Marsh then targeted debutant Alex Keath, who was called upon for his first over by one of his captains. The left-hander assaulted the youngster, taking 27 from the over. Both a full toss and a half volley landed in the long-on bleachers. Then two elegant cover drives found the cover rope in different ways, one on the bounce, the next along the carpet. The fifth ball went for six again, the sixth Marsh took a single to retain the strike in a commanding display of batting.Off the first ball of the seventh over, Marsh slashed Bird to third man to bring up his fifth half-century of the tournament, and the third in a row. He and Voges continued to find the rope with ease before Marsh holed out with 38 runs still needed.But it only brought Hussey to the crease to hook his second ball for six. His 18 not out from 12 balls was vintage Hussey, but credit must really go to Voges who finished with an unbeaten 36 from 21 deliveries to help the Scorchers to the most remarkable of victories. Given the wet conditions and the shortened match, Warne did not bowl for the first time in the BBL.It was a result that never seemed likely after the Stars’ phenomenal batting display. Simon Katich asked the Stars to bat with one eye on the looming rain clouds. Cameron White was promoted to open and nearly doubled his tournament run tally in 53 balls of brutal hitting. White had managed just 90 runs in seven innings this tournament. His 88 here looked a match-winning effort. After a cautious start the Stars were 1 for 69 through the first ten overs. But then White and Hodge cut loose. They hit 10 sixes between them, each as large as the next. No bowler was spared with the exception of Coulter-Nile who conceded only a run a ball while his colleagues were clubbed to all corners of a packed WACA ground.A rain delay brought about White’s downfall as he picked out long-off first ball after the resumption. It did not stop Hodge though. His unbeaten 70 from 43 deliveries helped the Stars to an imposing total of 2 for 183, which would have certainly been in excess of 200 had they been allowed to bat the 20 overs.Hodge received a life on 40 when the makeshift wicketkeeper Hussey missed a stumping chance. But the gamble of gloving Hussey would pay dividends in the end for the Scorchers. Perth will host the BBL final for the second successive year, and despite the disgrace and disappointment of the 2012 Champions League, they will be there again in 2013.