Tag Futebol

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.

Damien Wright, the New Zealand bowling coach, has said that New Zealand have to bowl really well on the fourth morning if they are to have a chance of winning the Test

Brydon Coverdale at the Bellerive Oval11-Dec-2011Damien Wright, the New Zealand bowling coach, knows Bellerive Oval intimately. As the leading first-class wicket-taker at the venue, he is well aware of how hard it is for batsmen in the morning. Six wickets fell before lunch on each of the first two days, and seven in the opening session on the third day. New Zealand need a similar start on Monday if they are to win a Test in Australia for the first time since 1985.After they closed the second day in a strong position thanks to outstanding bowling from Chris Martin, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, New Zealand lost their advantage on Sunday. They set Australia 241 for victory, a challenging but not unreachable target, and then struggled to find the same rhythm with the ball that they had in the first innings, leaving Australia at 0 for 72.”We have to turn up tomorrow and start really well with the ball,” Wright said. “There’s been a little bit of assistance in the wicket throughout the game. We know that’s going to be there in the morning. Bellerive traditionally over the years always offers a little bit in the morning. It’s really important for us to come tomorrow and break this partnership, to start with, and take early wickets. There’s a little bit of variable bounce and we’re hoping that plays a part in the morning.”The guys bowled really, really well [in the first innings]. All four of them did a great job. Unfortunately in this innings we certainly haven’t started the way we would have like to. We’ve been a bit off our lengths and overpitched a little bit. We need to look at the stuff that we did in the first innings and stick to that plan. Hopefully in the morning the guys can come and do that.”In the first innings, New Zealand rarely sent down a bad delivery, building the pressure with accuracy, swing and seam movement. Especially professional was the way Martin bowled to plan against Phillip Hughes, who has struggled with the ball moving across him and has edged to the cordon three times already in the series.On day three, Martin didn’t quite find the right spot to Hughes, often bowling too straight or too full; a few more cuttable balls might have tested Hughes more. But things won’t get any easier for Australia’s openers in the morning after two ball changes late in the day due to the Kookaburras losing their shape: the one that New Zealand ended up with swung more than either of the others.”They had to change a couple up in Brisbane in the first Test as well,” Wright said. “Generally the Kookaburra ball is a good ball. I think conditions out there were just a bit wet and maybe the ball got a bit damp and maybe went out of shape a little bit. There were no complaints about the cricket balls. But this one is swinging, so let’s hope we keep this one.”Only 53.3 overs were bowled on the third day due to rain, but those overs that were completed couldn’t have gone much better for Australia. Kane Williamson fell early in the day and New Zealand lost their final seven wickets for 87 runs, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson finishing with three wickets each, while Nathan Lyon also picked up three when he ran through the tail.”We came feeling that we were in front in the game,” Wright said. “For us it was important to build a substantial lead and make Australia chase anything from 280-plus. We’ve got 240 and that’s not saying we don’t feel confident that we can defend that, but we just haven’t started well enough with the ball.”Australia’s vice-captain Brad Haddin described the efforts of Siddle in the first session as “world-class”. He said Australia had been intent on building pressure on New Zealand early in order to break into the lower order, and by the close of the day Australia found themselves in a strong position to push for victory.”Day three is always a massive day in a Test match,” Haddin said. “I thought the way we presented ourselves in the first session was world-class after being a bit flat going into the last session yesterday. I thought what we did with the ball was top shelf and we spoke about the first 10 to 15 overs out there batting, it is tough work and I think the guys did a fantastic job to get us into the position we did.”

Kevin Pietersen was in bullish mood after launching his Ashes tour with a confident 58 against Western Australia and feels “on fire” after his short stint in South Africa ahead of travelling to Australia.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2010Kevin Pietersen was in bullish mood after launching his Ashes tour with a confident 58 against Western Australia and feels “on fire” after his short stint in South Africa ahead of travelling to Australia.Pietersen’s form was the biggest boost to come out of the second day at the WACA but the rest of England’s top order struggled as they visitors slipped to 8 for 159 before Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann clubbed a face-saving partnership. Pietersen hasn’t scored an international hundred since March 2009, against West Indies in Trinidad, and even though England have been successful during his lean run many feel he has to perform for them to retain the Ashes.Pietersen, given a life in the slips on 25, drove strongly through the off side and used his feet to loft Michael Beer, the left-arm spinner, down the ground before miscuing a drive to gully off Michael Hogan and he said his confidence is now coming flooding back.”I have never really been a technical player, you’ve seen me play for six years,” he said. “I play like a clown, it is my mental approach that I needed to change. I needed to get a load of confidence back and I’m on fire at the moment, so I am very happy.””I really enjoyed today, it is always nice to get time out in the middle,” Pietersen added. “I have been working really hard over the last six weeks to get to a place where I am at at the moment. As I said, coming back from South Africa a couple of weeks I feel top draw again.”This was his first innings for England since making a first-ball duck in the final Test against Pakistan, at Lord’s, in August. He was omitted for the Twenty20 and one-day series which and signed a loan deal with Surrey before organising his own trip to the Natal Dolphins in a quest to regain his form by linking up with one of his mentors, Graham Ford.”It was amazing, I have worked with him since I was six or seven years old and he is a great family friend,” he said. “Fordy just knows me. He knows how to sort me out.”Pietersen insisted that he hasn’t taken any notice of Australia’s problems in recent days as they slumped to a series defeat against Sri Lanka amid talk of disquiet in the team.”I haven’t watched a single ball,” he said. “My computer is turned on to Skype, and I speak to my wife and my baby as much as I can. I haven’t even turned my television on in Australia; I haven’t read a headline, nothing. Somebody told me this morning that they lost, but that’s got nothing to do with us.”

In the first practice match on their tour to New Zealand, England’s women have lost to New Zealand state side, Otago, having fielded four England players in the Otago line up

ECB Media Release25-Dec-2009

England: 193-9 (50 overs)
Otago: 195-8 (41 overs)

In the first practice match on their tour to New Zealand, England’s women have lost to New Zealand state side, Otago, having fielded four England players in the Otago line up.Coach, John Harmer, was keen for the whole squad to play in the one-day match and Otago retained their overseas player Clare Taylor (Yorkshire), who was joined by Claire Taylor (Berkshire), Arran Thompson (Lancashire) and Lucy Pearson (Staffordshire). Claire Taylor also kept wicket for the New Zealand side.England’s young bowlers Nicky Shaw (Notts) and Laura Spragg (Yorkshire) finished with the figures of 3-30 and 3-31 respectively, and Sarah Collyer (Somerset) top-scored for England with 44, followed closely by Captain, Clare Connor, who made 40.A second wicket partnership for Otago ensured they reached the England total with Clare Taylor and New Zealand’s leading all-rounder Rachel Pullar reaching 43 and 69 respectively.Pullar has confirmed that she will not take part in the first women’s quadrangular tournament due to family commitments.England Assistant Coach, Jane Powell said: The quadrangular series between hosts New Zealand, England, Australia and India begins on 27th January and sees England take on India at Lincoln University, Christchurch.

Heinrich Klaasen was the only batter to resist as Orcas were bowled out for 82, which took Freedom just 9.2 overs to overhaul

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2025Shimron Hetmyer had done it three games in a row for Seattle Orcas, but couldn’t on this occasion, against Washington Freedom. That Orcas batting line-up, which had stuttered and stumbled to five losses in a row before Hetmyer took charge, went back to being incompetent as Hetmyer had an off-day, putting up a paltry 82. It took Freedom just 9.2 overs to complete the chase and climb back to No. 2 on the MLC 2025 points table.Freedom won the toss, bowled, and Saurabh Netravalkar struck first ball, sending back Shayan Jahangir. Next over, Glenn Maxwell had Aaron Jones’ number. Netravalkar got rid of Sikandar Raza in the third over. First ball of the fourth, Maxwell sent back Steven Taylor. And Maxwell then finished the powerplay with Kyle Mayers’ wicket, leaving Orcas at 21 for 5 after six overs.Those three wickets gave Maxwell, who finished up by bowling the tenth, figures of 3 for 12 from four, while Netravalkar, who came back to bowl the 16th and got the wicket of Jasdeep Singh, the ninth of the innings, returned 3-13. Jack Edwards was the other major wicket-taker for Freedom, finishing with 3 for 19, including the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen, the only Orcas batter to put up a fight before becoming last man out for a 39-ball 48.The chase was a straightforward one even though Raza saw the back of Mitchell Owen in the third over. By the end of the powerplay, Rachin Ravindra and Mukhtar Ahmed had taken Freedom to 50 for 1, leaving just 37 runs to get from 14 overs. They needed just 3.2 more, as Ravindra scored 32 from 23 before becoming the next batter out, and Mukhtar remained unbeaten on a 21-ball 36.For Orcas, despite the big defeat, the three-match winning run has kept them in the fray for the playoffs. They are still at No. 4, though after nine games, as opposed to fifth-placed MI New York, who are one win behind but with a game in hand.

Marcus Trescothick recognised with OBE for work in area of mental health

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2023Stuart Broad, who retired in July as England’s second-highest wicket-taker, has been awarded a CBE in the New Year’s honours list. Marcus Trescothick, England men’s batting coach, receives an OBE.Broad, 37, called time on his storied career at the conclusion of the men’s Ashes, signing off with a wicket with his final ball to seal victory over Australia at The Oval – having also hit the last delivery he faced for six.His final tally of 604 Test wickets is second only to James Anderson for England and fifth overall. Broad also took 178 wickets in ODIs and 65 in T20I cricket, as well as scoring more than 4000 runs.”All I ever wanted to do was play cricket, and to have had the career that I was able to enjoy and to receive honours like this is incredibly special,” Broad said. “I’m very proud that my contributions to cricket have been recognised, and it means a lot to me and my family.”Trescothick, 48, scored more than 10,000 runs for England but has been recognised for his work as an ambassador for mental health, having helped to open up conversations in the game by documenting his own struggles since stepping away from international cricket in 2006.”It’s a huge honour to have been awarded an OBE,” he said. “I was delighted in 2005 when we were recognised as a team with MBEs but this is very special. I’ve always wanted to let people know my story and to try and raise awareness to help anyone who may be struggling with poor mental health alongside the Professional Cricketers’ Association, so recognition of that work means a lot.”Richard Thompson, ECB chair, said: “As a whole game we’re absolutely delighted to see Stuart and Marcus honoured in this way.”They have been fantastic ambassadors for cricket for many years, and they have played a major role in helping build the profile of our game and in turn bringing more people into our sport.”Stuart has long been an inspirational figure and will be remembered as a true great of English cricket, and the spectacular nature of his retirement this summer was the perfect farewell.”It’s also so fitting that Marcus has now been recognised both for his achievements on the field and for his bravery in talking so honestly about his own mental health challenges which has helped so many people.”I would also like to pay tribute to all those hard-working people who have been honoured for their work in cricket. I am delighted to be able to share with them my warmest congratulations, on behalf of everyone in our game.”

England opener back in the fold after three-year absence

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2022Alex Hales has earned a recall by England for the first time since his banishment from the set-up prior to the 2019 ODI World Cup. He has been named as Jonny Bairstow’s replacement for the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, as well as the preceding tour to Pakistan, which gets underway next week.Hales, 33, was reportedly close to a recall for the original squads, as the selection panel considered its options to replace Jason Roy, who has been dropped following a prolonged run of poor form. The opportunity arose again following the bizarre injury sustained last week by Bairstow, who has been ruled out for several months after fracturing his leg while slipping at a golf course.The recall came after a noticeable softening of attitude towards Hales from the team management, particularly in the wake of Eoin Morgan’s retirement. The former England captain was staunchly opposed to Hales’ return, having accused him of showing “complete disregard” for the team’s values, and creating “a lack of trust between Alex and the team”, following the revelation that he had failed two tests for recreational drugs prior to the 2019 World Cup.Hales was also involved in the nightclub incident in Bristol in September 2017 that led to the arrest and subsequent trial of Ben Stokes. Stokes himself responded in a guarded fashion when asked, on the eve of the third Test against South Africa, about the prospect of being reunited with Hales at the World Cup.”At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to win that World Cup for England,” Stokes said. “My goal, Alex’s goal and everyone else’s goal who is part of that squad is to win the World Cup. It’s an injury that presents an opportunity to someone else. Alex is definitely one of the best T20 players in the world and unfortunately, with what happened with Jonny, we had to call another player up and Alex is definitely one of the guys that bowlers don’t want to be bowling at in the T20 format. Everyone’s goal is to win World Cups.”When it comes down to the big moments in games and World Cup games, knockout games, you want your best players there to be taking that pressure on and he certainly is one of those.”Hales hit the headlines again last year, when Azeem Rafiq claimed during the DCMS hearings that Hales had named his black Labrador “Kevin” in recognition of a racial slur. Hales had denied the claim.However, on the field, Hales’ form has long merited another opportunity at international level. He was a stand-out player for Trent Rockets, last week’s winners of the men’s Hundred, with 259 runs at a strike rate of 152.35 including an agenda-setting opening partnership with Dawid Malan, and in the course of the tournament he became the first England player to pass 10,000 runs in the T20 format.Many of those runs have been scored in overseas franchise leagues, including the Big Bash, in which he has played 45 matches for Sydney Thunder since 2019, with 11 half-centuries and one hundred. With the World Cup to be played in Australia in October and November, that experience was a key factor in Hales’ recall. And, as England return to Pakistan for their first international tour since 2005, Hales brings with him huge experience of conditions there as well, having been a regular in the PSL since 2018.Overall, he has played 60 T20Is since his debut in 2011, averaging 31.01 at a strike rate of 136.65. In 2014, at the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, he became the first England player to score a T20I century, hitting a match-winning 116 not out from 64 balls against Sri Lanka in Chattogram.Speaking about Hales following the original squad announcement last week, ECB managing director Rob Key had revealed that the player had called him up to ask why he had been omitted from the set-up, with England initially preferring Bairstow as Roy’s replacement at the top of the order, with Lancashire’s Phil Salt also included in the 15-man party. Key acknowledged that Hales had “done his time” and that his future selection would be based purely on form and ability.