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Shikhar Dhawan says the time he has spent away from the national team after being dropped has helped him play without pressure and rediscover his love for the game

Arun Venugopal31-Mar-2017Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to playing with less pressure and enjoying his cricket in the last few months following his exclusion from the national side. The proof of the enjoyment came in his performances in the Deodhar Trophy, a 50-over competition, where he finished as the second-highest run-getter (223 runs in three matches at 74.33) behind Dinesh Karthik.However, Dhawan’s numbers in the lead up to the Deodhar Trophy hadn’t been nearly as spectacular. In his most recent international assignment, against England in January, he made 1 and 11 in the first two ODIs before being dropped for the final game in Kolkata. He returned to the domestic circuit to regain form, but runs remained elusive initially.In the Syed Mushtaq Ali inter-zonal T20 tournament, he scored 110 runs in four matches at an average of 27.50, while his aggregate stood at an even less-impressive 99 from five matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the national one-day competition.With few auditions remaining in the 50-over format ahead of India’s title defence of the Champions Trophy in June, Dhawan’s return to form couldn’t have been more opportune. He made a 122-ball 128 against an India A attack comprising Shardul Thakur. Siddarth Kaul and Harbhajan Singh and followed it up with a 50 off 48 balls against Tamil Nadu. He capped things off with a 34-ball 45 in the final, albeit in a losing cause against the TN.How does he explain the turnaround after five consecutive scores under 30? ” (Time has helped sort things out for me),” Dhawan, 31, told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the Deodhar Trophy final. “I didn’t really worry too much about what I needed to do. I just went in and enjoyed myself. I was more relaxed this time. Actually, I enjoyed my cricket more in these [last] few months because there was less pressure on me and I was free.”Of course, you want to put on partnerships, say a 50-run partnership that will stabilise the team. Once you spend time, the flow starts coming, and I am that kind of batsman who makes runs quickly once I am in the flow.”The importance of the timing of these knocks, though, weren’t lost on him. “In the tournaments before this, I hadn’t had a good run. I knew that I had to do well to find a place in the Indian team once again,” he said. “So, that was always in the back of my mind. Luckily, the right things happened at the right time, so I am very thankful to god that things have fallen in place.”Dhawan somewhat made up for his lack of runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy by hitting a century in the Deodhar Trophy•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Despite averaging 57.40 in ODIs in 2016, Dhawan’s twin-failures against England resulted in him dropped for the final game of the series. That he was given a short shrift was largely down to his poor form in Test matches, where he averaged just 26 last year. Dhawan felt the impact of his low scores in one format was felt in the others.”When you aren’t in good form, there is always pressure on you to make runs in international cricket regardless of the format,” he said. “If you look at ODIs, I had played only two matches after the Australia series, and then I was dropped from the playing XI. I feel that the flow that is there – like, when I was doing well, I was playing all the three formats. When I wasn’t scoring runs, the flow naturally got affected. It wasn’t as if my ODI record suffered because of those two matches – my records are still very strong. But, the flow that you are in will obviously be a factor.”Dhawan’s most recent Test came against New Zealand in Kolkata last September where he made 1 and 17. He was stuck on the thumb twice by Trent Boult, with scans subsequently revealing a fracture that ruled him out of the third and final Test in Indore. Despite scoring only one half-century in the 10 innings prior to the Test, Dhawan said there was no sense of relief at being put out of his misery by the injury.”In fact, I was putting all my efforts into getting back to form,” he said. “I felt very proud of myself for continuing to bat with a fractured hand against New Zealand. I stood there for my team. Playing with a broken hand when I was not among the runs was a very satisfying moment for me. So I cherish it.”Dhawan said he was happy to see a successful India dressing room, but sad to not be a part of it. “When you go through a rough patch, you will be out of the team, and those who do well will be picked. The selection committee and team management gave me a fair chance but I didn’t perform,” he said. “Whether it is Delhi team or India team, it really doesn’t matter to me – I just want to be in a happy space and make sure people around me are happy.For me to return to the team, I have to stay positive and happy. That’s the only way I can climb up the ladder again. Of course, I am happy for those who are doing well in India, but I want to return to the Indian team because I know I have got the ability to play international cricket for a long time. [Right now] I want to keep performing well in the IPL as well and try to win another IPL title for Sunrisers Hyderabad.”

India will tour the West Indies for five ODIs and one T20 international in June and July, with the trip beginning almost immediately after the Champions Trophy final in England.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2017India will tour the West Indies for five ODIs and one T20 international in June and July, with the trip beginning almost immediately after the Champions Trophy final in England.The Champions Trophy final is scheduled for June 18 and the first ODI between India and West Indies is on June 23 in Trinidad. The second ODI is at Queen’s Park Oval as well, before the teams move to Antigua for the next two matches.The last ODI and the T20I will be played at Sabina Park on July 6 and 9.Unlike India, West Indies are not part of the Champions Trophy and will be hosting Afghanistan while the top eight ranked ODI nations compete in the ICC tournament in England.This will be the fourth bilateral series between the sides since 2013. India had toured West Indies in 2016 as well, for Tests and T20Is but no ODIs.

Sam Billings has returned from the IPL with a message: England’s opposition are “petrified” of them ahead of the Champions Trophy

Andrew McGlashan in Bristol04-May-2017Sam Billings has returned from the IPL with a message: England’s opposition are “petrified” of them ahead of the Champions Trophy.It has come from the horse’s mouth as well: the international contemporaries he has been sharing dressing rooms and playing fields with over the last month while playing for Delhi Daredevils.While it’s unlikely that players from the other seven nations will be using quite the same word when they arrive ahead of the tournament later this month – it doesn’t do to build up your opposition in public – it has been impossible to ignore England’s two-year revolution from the timid, behind-the-times outfit of the 2015 World Cup to the power-packed side that is among the favourites for the Champions Trophy.”The best thing about the IPL is you share a dressing room with these guys and previously in this country we haven’t made one-day cricket a priority as such, but now people are petrified of our side and you only find that out by talking to them,” Billings said.”It is very interesting to hear what other internationals think of our side. It’s kind of gone full circle, people now thinking we have a seriously good squad. Generally there is a buzz around the reputation of the England cricket team in white-ball cricket – it’s amazing to think about that transition from two years ago.”The initial plan had been for Billings to return to the IPL after the two fixtures against Ireland, but that may now change. It is set to be decided to Friday whether he will join Eoin Morgan back in the plane to India or, like Jason Roy, remain the UK. For now, the next few days are a chance to showcase his skills in front and behind the stumps.Billings made his debut at the beginning of the revival, against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 2015, but has not been a fixture over the two years, building up just nine ODI caps despite being capable of eye-popping feats with the bat. If all goes to plan he will have two more by Sunday after being given his chance with the gloves in place of Jos Buttler and ahead of Test keeper Jonny Bairstow.Morgan and the selectors have said it is about using these two matches against Ireland as a chance to assess Billings as an international keeper – a role he has only done once for England, in a T20 against Pakistan in Dubai – rather than signalling a definite hierarchy behind Buttler in the white-ball sides.”We haven’t seen a lot of difference between Jonny and Sam with the gloves on,” Morgan said. “These two games are an opportunity to have a look at Sam and in a very similar position to where Jos would play and he’s more than capable of filling that position. These two games are a good opportunity to see. In the past I think his fielding has overshadowed his keeping because he’s such a gun fielder.”Billings is a wicketkeeper by trade, having done the job since he was 10, but Friday will be his first match behind the stumps since last September in a County Championship outing for Kent. He has spent the last six months flying around the world for England and other T20 league commitments, but his work with the gloves has been restricted to training.”I’m a natural keeper as such, so hopefully I can use that to my advantage. I have the years banked with the keeping and hopefully it’s like a duck to water,” he said. “I feel in a really good place with where my game is at after working with Bruce French and Michael Bates, I’m very happy with how it’s going. Match intensity is a different beast but hopefully I can continue with what I’ve been doing.”When the squads were named and James Whitaker, the national selector, confirmed Billings would keep in the Ireland games he said Bairstow had expressed “disappointment” at the decision but Morgan insisted it had been fully explained and Bairstow was content.”He understands the position he’s in,” Morgan said. “It’s completely different to his Test position where he’s the No. 1 keeper. The dynamics of our one-day team are always changing and it might need to change in the lead-up to the World Cup so having an understanding and acceptance of it is part of the game.”If you can’t accept that as a player it hinders your development, potential and performance in the side so it’s important he understands that. It’s been explained to him a number of times. This isn’t a straight second-keeper choice. It’s an opportunity to look at Sam.”When the Champions Trophy starts, neither Billings nor Bairstow are likely to be in the starting XI so they will be able to share notes on being the understudy.”The thing we have with the squad at the moment – you look at the guys who aren’t in the Champions Trophy squad – the competition for places is phenomenal,” Billings said. “You can’t get too caught up with lists or where you are in the pecking order.”Whether keeping or not Billings and Bairstow are two fine batsmen not to have in a starting XI. Perhaps it’s no wonder oppositions are on their guard.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between England and South Africa at Lord’s

The Preview by Alan Gardner28-May-2017

Match facts

May 29, 2017
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)David Miller and Chris Morris contemplate failing to score seven off the final over at the Ageas Bowl•Getty Images

Big picture

After the liveliest of finishes, a dead rubber. England’s resurrection at the Ageas Bowl condemned South Africa to their first defeat in a bilateral ODI series since 2015 but there will still be interest in the third match, at Lord’s, thanks to the imminence of the Champions Trophy, which begins on Thursday.South Africa could look back on Saturday’s two-run defeat and legitimately wonder what went wrong. Having made good use of the overcast conditions after winning the toss, the fact England had been 13 for 1 after five overs of their innings looked like being the key difference between two hefty totals. Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers and David Miller had all weighed in and, with ten balls to go, the chase appeared to be well in hand.Jake Ball and, in particular, Mark Wood ensured that would not be the case. England had to scrap with every fibre to defend 330 – which gives an indication of where their strengths lie – but the fact they managed to pull it off, without their senior ODI bowler in Chris Woakes and with Ben Stokes only delivering three overs, will add to the sense of optimism around the team.Stokes’ importance was illustrated with bat in hand, though South Africa could again reflect on the fact England’s centurion might have been caught off the first two balls he faced. He cashed in his good fortune and left South Africa ruing their luck (as well as their catching). England have now won eight ODIs in a row – two short of their best run – and may feel they are yet to properly click.For both teams, the fine-tuning will continue on Bank Holiday Monday. England will rotate after deciding to rest Stokes, Woakes and Moeen Ali due to minor injuries*, while South Africa still have questions about their preferred XI. De Villiers was indignant at the way the umpires at the Ageas Bowl raised questions about the state of the ball, and he will hope to retrain the focus by getting a win on the board before the Champions Trophy.

Form guide

England WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LLWLW

In the spotlight

There may still be question marks over England’s bowling but, with the batsmen regularly throwing up 300-plus scores, they at least have the cushion of big runs to defend. Liam Plunkett has capitalised on this in 2017, with only Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan taking more than his 20 wickets so far. Plunkett’s experience and skill – particularly in delivering the ball cross-seam – has been apparent in both games against South Africa, his dismissal of AB de Villiers on Saturday potentially a match-winner. With Woakes missing, he is effectively the leader of the attack.Although David Miller was not quite able to finish off the chase, his performance in the second ODI demonstrated his increased importance to South Africa. During the last ten overs, he faced just two dot balls, making light of a slow pitch and two old balls – conditions de Villiers felt made England favourites to defend the target after Quinton de Kock fell with 120 still needed. With JP Duminy lacking form and Farhaan Behardien seemingly ill-equipped as a finisher, Miller brings clinical power to the middle order and could allow them to play another allrounder.

Team news

England have called up Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones and Liam Dawson* after deciding not to risk Stokes, Woakes and Moeen at Lord’s. The likelihood is that England will give game time to members of their Champions Trophy squad, however, with Jonny Bairstow the next batsman in line and David Willey offering another all-round seam option.England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Adil Rashid, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Jake BallSouth Africa made three changes for the second ODI and could make as many again at Lord’s. De Villiers has previously said Morne Morkel will get a game, while Keshav Maharaj will hope for a second outing after seeing three catches dropped off his bowling on debut. Could Morris or Wayne Parnell provide an alternative to Behardien at No. 6?South Africa: (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Chris Morris, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Dwaine Pretorius, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Keshav Maharaj/Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

England racked up 328 for 6 against Ireland earlier this month, with Lord’s surfaces tending towards batsmen-friendly. The possibility of showers breaking up the afternoon may encourage whoever wins the toss to chase for a third match running.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have lost all three of their ODIs at Lord’s, all against England. The most recent was a six-wicket defeat in 2012.
• Hashim Amla needs another 23 runs to reach 7000 in ODIs. He has 11 innings in which to get there ahead of Virat Kohli and continue his record of being fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 runs.
• Stokes and Moeen Ali both need three more wickets to reach 50 in ODIs.

Quotes

“It’s unbelievable really. I don’t know how to explain it. To have won it without taking wickets is an unbelievable effort.”
“There’s a lot still to play for at Lord’s and I think if we play a similar hand there, that’s all we want. A win will be great.”
AB de Villiers targets another good performance – and a better result*6pm BST – This story was updated with news of changes to the England squad

Billy Godleman struck his best Twenty20 score to keep Derbyshire near the top of North Group with a victory at New Road

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2017
ScorecardFile photo: Billy Godleman reached new T20 heights•Getty Images

Experienced Derbyshire duo of skipper Billy Godleman and Wayne Madsen powered Derbyshire Falcons to a third win in four Natwest T20 Blast matches to leave Worcestershire Rapids still searching for their first success of the campaign.The Rapids had posted a challenging looking target of 187 thanks to the efforts of Joe Clarke, Ross Whiteley and Ben Cox. But the Falcons made light work of their task and achieved a seven wicket win with 10 balls to spare once Godleman and Madsen joined forces and added 93 in 10 overs for the third wicket.Godleman achieved his career best score in T20 cricket and his 70 came off just 42 balls and contained two sixes and seven fours. It was his first half century for Derbyshire in the short format and he also surpassed his previous best of 69 for Middlesex.Madsen finished unbeaten on 58 from 35 deliveries with nine fours to add to his tidy spell with the ball.Falcons skipper Gary Wilson said: “At half-time I thought it would be a tough chase. They potentially did have enough runs.
“But credit to Billy and Wayne with the way they played. I knew Wayne was a good player but probably didn’t realise how good he was until I played with him. He has been unbelievable so far in this T20 competition and it was great to see Billy strike the ball the way he did.”Worcestershire have lost their opening three T20 Blast matches – all at New Road – and already are facing an uphill battle if they are to maintain hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.The Rapids were put into bat under murky skies and Daryl Mitchell, who has become their highest ever T20 scorer, holed out to wide mid on in Madsen’s opening over.Joe Clarke reeled off a series of impressive strokes, mixing power with delicate ramp and scoop shots, in making 42 off only 18 balls with seven fours and a six. The England Lions batsman was eventually bowled by a Hardus Viljoen full-toss as the Rapids reached 63 for 2 by the end of the powerplay.Madsen and Imran Tahir then slowed the run rate and Brett D’Oliveira was trapped lbw by the former attempting a reverse sweep.Tahir claimed his 199th victim in domestic T20 cricket when Mitchell Santner was caught behind but his last over cost 16 runs and the Rapids regained momentum via Ben Cox and Ross Whiteley.Whiteley produced typically big hitting against his former club but he had an escape on 23 when Derbyshire debutant Callum Brodrick spilled a straightforward chance at deep mid wicket off Henry. To add salt into the wound for Academy product Brodrick, the ball trickled from his grasp and to the boundary.Whiteley eventually fell in the final over from Henry to deep extra cover after making 39 off 28 balls with two sixes and two fours. But Cox continued his recent good form in making 40 not out and John Hastings pulled and straight drove Henry’s last two deliveries for six.Derbyshire openers Godleman and Matt Critchley gave their side a hurricane start and plundered 57 from the opening four overs. Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach conceded 28 runs in two overs and spinner George Rhodes was taken for 19 in his initial over.Jack Shantry, who passed a fitness test on an ankle injury, had Critchley (31 off 16 balls) safely pouched at deep mid wicket.
Then the introduction into the attack of Santner quickly paid dividends as Luis Reece was caught at long on.New Zealand spinner Santner bowled two typically tight overs and scoring was not so straightforward with the pace taken off the ball.The Falcons 100 came up in the 11th over and Madsen wrestled the initiative back with the Falcons by striking three fours in a third over from Santner which cost 15 runs.Madsen had a let-off on 36 as Leach at mid off spilled a chance off Ed Barnard. Godleman was stumped by Cox off Santner, who finished with 2 for 27 from his four overs, but by then only 18 were needed for victory.

Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent

George Dobell19-Aug-2017Matt Walker has withdrawn from England’s tri-series against Australia and New Zealand due to his commitments with Kent.While Walker, the Kent head coach, had previously indicated to the England team management that he was keen to take the opportunity to join the coaching unit during the T20 tournament, he contacted head coach, Trevor Bayliss, on Friday night to inform him of his unavailability. Kent are intending to spend February playing cricket overseas as part of their pre-season plans.”I have been asked. But I’m unable to do it because of my commitments with Kent. It coincides with hopefully going abroad,” Walker told Kent Online. “You can’t have your head coach not being around for the whole of that pre-season trip. It makes no sense to me, so yes, great to be asked, really honoured and hopefully another opportunity will arise in the future.”It’s very flattering absolutely. I’m chuffed to bits. It’s a shame I can’t do it, I would’ve loved to have been involved with England over that period but my priority is with Kent.”The original plan was for Walker to replace England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, for the tri-series section of the tour allowing Farbrace a month off during a hectic winter. It is understood England will continue to search for a suitable stand-in.

The legspinner, who was bashed for three consecutive sixes by Hardik Pandya in the first ODI, feels bowling bad balls willfully could sometimes buck the pressure off bowlers

Alagappan Muthu in Kolkata 19-Sep-20172:45

Bowling right lengths important in India – Zampa

Perhaps because three of his deliveries – at a length he was meant to bowl – disappeared for sixes, Australia legspinner Adam Zampa realises the value of willfully bowling bad balls in one-day cricket.He was bashed for three consecutive sixes by Hardik Pandya during the course of a lower-order recovery that became match-changing for India. In the aftermath of that 26-run defeat, captain Steven Smith admitted that his lead spinner may have bowled a bit too full. On Tuesday, Zampa said the same, contemplating the possibility of giving up a single to deep point as a good option against a batsman on a roll.”The length over here is very important, particularly with the size of the grounds,” he said. “In Australia, you can mix up your length a little bit and you’ll get away with it purely because of the size of the Ovals. And here, sometimes I think you’ve got to try and bowl a bad ball, almost, to buck the pressure off you, to get a player off strike. A cut shot out to deep point can play a good role, sometimes. I was thinking the other day but just didn’t execute it well enough. I pride myself on bowling well under pressure and the other day I just didn’t execute as well as I’d have liked to.”R Ashwin had echoed similar sentiments to ESPNcricinfo in 2016 that an over of six well-constructed dot balls might be the way forward – although he was talking specifically about T20 cricket. As Pandya showed, batsmen are happy to get under a bowler – especially a spinner – when he hits a good length and hit straight – which carries much less risk than cross-bat slogs.”You never like to be hit for three sixes in a row,” Zampa said. “But I guess it does happen, it’s probably happened to Shane Warne and guys like that too. As long as you don’t put yourself under too much pressure and learn from those situations, and hopefully if it happens again, I’ll get him out earlier, I’ll get out of that situation better.”Zampa eventually got Pandya out for 83 – although too late in this case – in his ninth over with a flatter, faster ball. “It is tough sometimes knowing that you just have to execute this ball because if you don’t, it’ll probably going to be the same result. So as I said, a bad ball can sometimes be your best way out and just getting the wicket, that’s your job as a spinner in the middle overs.”Against teams like India, there’s always going to be a partnership, and there are going to be situations like that that you have to get out of and I think the best thing to do in those situations is to just take a deep breath and think about what the team needs – whether getting that player off strike or getting him out and that could be the difference of 20, 30, 40 runs that you have to chase.”

PCB chairman Najam Sethi had earlier said that Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi would receive a farewell in Lahore, but now looks to have been given the cold shoulder by at least two of them, with Afridi also reportedly unlikely to attend

Danyal Rasool10-Sep-2017Younis Khan was almost as famous during his playing career for his fractious run-ins with the PCB as for his batting ability, and it appears his grievances with the board haven’t ended with his retirement. In a lengthy interview with a local television channel, Younis rebuffed an offer from PCB chairman Najam Sethi to attend a farewell event to honour three recent big-name retirees: Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, and Younis himself.”I don’t think this farewell matters now,” Younis said in an interview with . “What is the use after Misbah and I retired in May this year? In other countries, former captains or stalwarts are given farewells within days of their retirement. I don’t see the use of this farewell now and I’m not after any money. Someone from the PCB called me and invited me and said I would receive a handsome amount but I have decided not to go because whatever I have seen in the PCB or have gone through when I was playing is not something I can forget.”The board has been keen on a farewell for some time, but now looks to have been given the cold shoulder by at least two of them, with Afridi also reportedly unlikely to attend. There were earlier plans of a farewell for Afridi, but that was shelved after the T20I series against West Indies in 2016 did not materialise. And while Younis and Misbah had looked the picture of contentment upon their retirement after a last-gasp series win in the West Indies, it appears – at least in Younis’ view – that had little to do with the PCB.”For me nothing is more important than pride and respect. I don’t think the board has treated many players with the dignity and respect they deserved,” he said.Over the years, Younis has expressed his unhappiness with the board over a number of matters. The latest seems to centre around his contractual status immediately after his retirement. While his contract was set to expire at the end of June, he said his salary for the last 45 days was deducted because he retired on May 14. “I informed the board about this [my contractual situation] but I never expected them to deduct the amount. It is not a sign of respect for a senior player. They also did the same with Misbah.”A number of his grievances had to do with incidents strewn across his playing career that he believed showed the lack of respect the PCB afforded its senior players. “There are so many examples,” he said. “Ask Inzamam (ul-Haq) who is chief selector now. Was he not stopped at the Gaddafi stadium main gate? Ask Misbah, was he not told during a Pakistan camp at the stadium that he can’t bring his car into the stadium?”There are so many incidents and they hurt. At one time there were no LCDs, refrigerators or phones in the rooms at the NCA where the players stayed. All the facilities were for administrative block.”Pakistan is due to host a World XI side at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for three T20Is in the upcoming week, with the farewell event was tentatively planned in between the games.

With Middlesex appealing the two-point penalty imposed as a result of their slow overrate in the abandoned game at The Oval a few weeks previously, it remains possible they could jump back above Somerset in the table

George Dobell12-Oct-2017Somerset are preparing to take legal action against the ECB should they suffer relegation as a result of Middlesex’s appeal against an over-rate penalty.Somerset finished one point above Middlesex having beaten them in the final game of the season and, as a result, Middlesex were relegated.
But, with Middlesex appealing the two-point penalty imposed as a result of their slow over-rate in the abandoned game at The Oval a few weeks previously, it remains possible they could jump back above Somerset in the table. As a consequence, Somerset could still face relegation.But Somerset’s chief executive, Lee Cooper, has claimed the ECB will have “brought the game into disrepute” if his club are relegated and threatened immediate legal action.”The implications of overturning the [over-rate penalty] decision are significant,” Cooper told Somerset members at a club lunch that was also broadcast on Facebook. “We would be relegated. Having fought so hard to survive, that would be an unfair outcome.”The decision regarding Middlesex’s points deduction was made and because of that ours and other teams’ tactics were determined by what we needed to do to stay in Division One.”One example of that was the last game: if we needed two extra points, we would have had completely different tactics. We would have scored 300 in the first innings and we would have been fine. We prepared a result wicket, we won the game and we achieved the number of points we needed to survive. If in retrospect the ECB change that decision, they have brought the game into disrepute.”If they overturn their decision, the case goes to the High Court and is deferred until 2019. What does that do to the game of cricket and where are we next year? So the decision that will be taken this afternoon is: do we go along that path and effectively play the same game that Middlesex are playing? On balance, I expect we’ll issue legal proceedings this afternoon.”Shortly after the members’ lunch, Somerset issued a statement confirming they had instructed a London law firm to prepare a case.Cooper, who was appointed in June but has only been in the role at Somerset a few weeks, also raised some doubts as to the integrity of the ECB disciplinary process. As well as claiming the ECB had already broken their own rules by allowing Middlesex an appeal – at the time of the original penalty, the ECB said there was no right of appeal available – Cooper said he had been given some sort of “reassurances”
that the appeal was now taking place only so the ECB could be “seen to be going through a process” and Somerset had “nothing to worry about.”As a result, he suggested he had little trust in them.”The conversations [with the ECB] started with them saying ‘Middlesex have no right of appeal’ and that was quite conclusive,” Cooper said.
“Since then it has gained some traction and an appeal process is underway, which is a contradiction.”We have reassurances – albeit not guarantees – from the ECB that they need to be seen to be going through a process but that we have nothing to worry about. [But] Having said there was no right appeal and now there being an appeal, we are not trusting that.”We are left with a decision: we either trust that we’ll be okay or we issue legal proceedings against the ECB.”The ECB has been contacted for comment.

Chris Woakes’ second spell of the day yielded four wickets for 15 runs, and his six-for took his wickets tally in two first-class matches on the tour to 12

George Dobell in Townsville15-Nov-2017
ScorecardChris Woakes doesn’t fit the classic image of a fast bowler.While the newspapers in Australia are full of stories of his counterparts – brooding, menacing types persuaded to stare down the lens like it just took the last pringle – promising to unleash pace and destruction upon England, Woakes responded to another outstanding performance by saying “it was nice”. And then, after a pause, “and pleasing”.Make a headline out of that: “It’s nice,” roared Woakes. “It’s pleasing,” bellowed Woakes. “I’m focusing on my processes,” vowed Woakes.But beneath the bluster, beneath the wearying propaganda that seems to preface Ashes series these days, Woakes is getting on with his job “very nicely” indeed. And while most of the media may be fixated on the damage the Australian fast bowlers are promising to inflict on England and the absence of Ben Stokes, the tourists’ other fast-bowling allrounder is enjoying the opportunity to warm-up for a confrontation that could go a long way to defining his career. And the result of the series.Woakes’ performance is vital. If he can replicate his record in England – where he has 42 Test wickets at a cost of 24.28 apiece – he will have given England a potency that will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad and ensure they have a viable attack. If he cannot improve his overseas record – he has currently taken eight Test wickets outside England (and Wales) at a cost of 63.75 apiece – then too much will be required of England’s opening bowlers and it is hard to see how they win.The key would appear to be movement. If Woakes can persuade the Kookaburra ball (used here) to move laterally as he can the Duke’s (used in England) then his other qualities – his control, his relative pace (upper 80s, you would think) and his bounce – will all be enhanced.So the good news – from an England perspective – from this tour to date is that he is finding that movement and, as a result, proving a tough proposition. Even on these pudding pitches.Getty Images

Woakes, for the second time in successive innings, produced a spell that effectively cut the opposition in half. This time it was four – the first four wickets to fall – for 15 in six overs. Later he returned to claim two more. It means he has, at present, claimed 12 first-class wickets on this tour at a cost of just 10.25 apiece. The opposition is about to get much tougher but the pace he is bowling and the movement he is generating are encouraging.It may be tempting to read some diffidence into Woakes’ softly-spoken manner. To imagine that he will recoil in the furnace of the Gabba.

‘Getting close to being cooked’ – Woakes

Chris Woakes feels he is coming to the boil nicely ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.
Woakes claimed 6 for 54 on the first day of the match against a CA XI in Townsville and afterwards spoke of his delight at his own rhythm and his ability to move the Kookaburra ball.
“All the numbers are saying I’m getting close to getting cooked,” Woakes said. “I’m pleased with where my body is at and getting overs in the legs is important. You don’t want to go in to the Test series undercooked and I’m pleased with where I’m at.
“We got a bit of shape with the ball, which was nice. There has been a lot spoken about the Kookaburra ball not doing as much as the Duke’s and generally it doesn’t. The fact that we got a bit of movement today is pleasing and builds some confidence with this ball that we are not as used to.
“The most important thing today was that I was pleased with how it came out and my rhythm. Six wickets is pleasing but had I picked up one or two I would still have been pleased.”

Tempting but wrong. Instead his quiet manner reflects a confidence in his own ability, which doesn’t require the layer of bravado others see fit to use. He knows it is performances that matter, not rhetoric. And he knows, if he “nails his processes” he will end the tour in a “very nice, very pleasing” mood. What’s that saying about empty vessels and loudest sounds? Talk doesn’t take wickets.It’s been noticeable in Woakes’ career to date that he has produced some of his most eye-catching performances when his side have been under pressure. How about that 11-wicket haul against Pakistan at Lord’s? England lost. Or that unbeaten 95 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge? He came in when England were 82 for 6 and chasing 287. Both times, the pressure brought the best out of him.His wickets here generally came from deliveries on or around off-stump that either bounced or nibbled away. So once Nick Larkin and Josh Carder’s fine opening stand (they put on 66 in 26 overs as England failed to fully utilise the first new ball) was ended with Larkin slashing to gully, Carder and Ryan Gibson were unfortunate enough to receive balls that demanded a stroke and nipped away just enough. Jason Sangha and Simon Milenko were beaten for pace by full deliveries while Harry Nielsen also pushed one to gully.Broad’s figures, in comparison, were modest. But he bowled fine generally and used this game for the warm-up that it is. He is, in the best sense of the word, something of a show-off. And performing amid the bucolic charm of Riverway Stadium – and a vocal crowd who were never far away from reminding him he remained wicketless for most of the day – was never likely to inspire him.This is another slow pitch, too. Disappointingly slow. England opted to come here over other options (Drummoyne in Sydney and Hobart were mentioned) as the ground had a reputation for pace that was akin to that expected in Brisbane. Instead, they have something more akin to New Road. Mount Louisa, off in the distance, even did a passable impression of the Malvern Hills. For the third time in succession, they surface they have encountered has been markedly different to that expected in Brisbane.The England camp are remaining tight-lipped on their view of the preparation they have been provided. But it will be no surprise if, the next time they are here for an Ashes series, they bring a battery of their own seamers (and perhaps hire their own training facility) to ensure they face more taxing bowling. The likes of Mark Footitt, Stuart Meaker, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson could all have been employed – fitness permitting – to ensure England experienced some pace ahead of the Ashes.Getty Images

Cricket Australia would have you believe this CA XI represents almost the best opposition available with the Shield in full swing. It’s not entirely true, though. Ed Cowan, for example, says he would have loved to play this game but, having been offered the opportunity to appear only 48-hours ahead of the Adelaide match, could only promise his availability for the second game. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, the likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger could have been included, too?England experienced a few nervous moments during the day, though. The most serious came when Jonny Bairstow had to leave the field after hurting the middle finger of his left hand in scuffing a delivery off the bowling of Woakes that appeared to bounce just in front of him.While Ben Foakes, who was permitted to take the gloves by the umpires despite not being named in the XI, is a more than capable deputy (and soon had a catch – perhaps the first ‘caught Foakes, bowled Woakes’ of many), the thought of losing Bairstow from England’s middle-order is enough to keep Joe Root up at night. He will, therefore, have been hugely relieved to see Bairstow reclaim the gloves about 50 minutes later having been diagnosed with nothing more serious than a bruise.The cordon remains a bit of a concern, though. While James Vince, so fallible in the slips during his first spell in the side, has taken to the gully position with some class – he held three sharp chances on the first day here, none of them easy – another two or three chances went begging in the region. The most straightforward went to Root, off Mason Crane, when Matthew Short had 36, while Bairstow – leaping in front of first slip – put down another (this time off Woakes) to reprieve Milenko. Another edge, again off Crane, went between Bairstow and Root, while Mark Stoneman dropped a tough chance – he did well to get a hand on it, really – when Short cut Crane on 25.Short took advantage of his reprieves to record a stubborn half-century (51 from 122 balls with just two boundaries) and ensure the CA XI recovered from the loss of four wickets for 25 runs either side of lunch.Craig Overton impressed, too. He has settled into this tour nicely and, with his height and ability to generate movement, has demanded respect from the batsmen. He has conceded almost exactly two an over in the first-class games on this tour so far and has given himself an outstanding chance of a Test debut in a week’s time.There was also good news off the pitch for England. James Anderson, who missed training on Tuesday due to illness, bowled in the nets, while Jake Ball returned to running for the first time since sustaining strained ankle ligaments in Adelaide, and later also enjoyed a gentle bowl.