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Dieter Klein puts up stubborn resistance with half-century as Leicestershire trail by 156 runs

Paul Edwards05-Jun-2019
Countrymen are wont to refer to a skulk of foxes but you will never find a side coached by Paul Nixon hiding itself away. Defeat is one thing; gutless capitulation another. So on an afternoon when Glamorgan went top of Division Two it was heartening to see another less fancied side taking to the barricades against the very warm title favourites.Everywhere you looked in the final two sessions of this day you found foxes whose courage would have inspired John Masefield. Desperately placed on 82 for 5 at lunch, a score which had some home fans pondering a three-day finish, Leicestershire’s lower order scrapped for every run and sold their wickets so dear that George Soros might have baulked at the price. The resistance was led by Dieter Klein, who was ninth out for 87, seven short of his career-best score, at the very point when his team had become favourites to save the follow-on. Klein was uncontroversially leg before to Richard Gleeson, and Leicestershire still needed another dozen runs to avoid one of cricket’s most unpalatable invitations when Mohammed Abbas was caught behind by Dane Vilas without scoring.Rather worse was to follow in the day’s very last knockings as nightwatchman-opener Chris Wright was bowled by Graham Onions, playing no shot, for nought. All the same, if Paul Horton’s men bat with the similar courage on the final day of this fine game they will collect five points for the draw and they will deserve them. We are set for another fine finish and another excellent advertisement for four-day cricket.Yet such a prospect seemed distant indeed at lunch after a morning session in which the visitors had lost five wickets and may even have been comforted by the notion that things could have been so much worse for them. Both openers and Neil Dexter were removed by Onions and Tom Bailey with the new ball in little more than the first half hour of the day and suddenly the game became an 11 v 1 contest. Every shot, however secure, was accompanied by a cacophony from the slips, whose comments rang out across the bitterly cold air.This was a session for the game’s devotees but they needed to be properly insulated. Those at the River End huddled together like long-tailed tits on a branch in winter. It looked as though each spectator was giving his fierce attention to the game; well, either that or rigor mortis had claimed another scalp. Gradually Mark Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann began to make something of the innings, both batsmen punching fours through midwicket when the seamers searched too eagerly for an attacking length.It remained cold. One fellow was seen unpacking a picnic and was generally judged to have lost his wits. This was a rug and Bovril day. After an hour’s resistance Ackermann drove at Gleeson but only edged a catch to Vilas. Bury-born Harry Dearden lasted half an hour for his two runs but edged Liam Livingstone’s final ball before lunch to Keaton Jennings at slip. The players went in and the sun came out. Aigburth became cricket’s answer to the weather house.Lancashire made further breakthroughs in the afternoon session but never as frequently as their supporters expected. The visitors’ determination was epitomised by a 20-year-old debutant, Harry Swindells, who put on 50 for the sixth wicket with Mark Cosgrove. Swindells is slim, innocent and athletic, three adjectives which are rarely used in connection with Cosgrove. Yet the pair combined well and repulsed every Lancastrian challenge. The youngster’s first runs were edgy in both respects but he soon warmed to his new environment and seemed unfazed by the yakking of Lancashire’s close fielders. Indeed, Cosgrove was the first to depart when Onions brought one back off the pitch and had him lbw for 70. Swindells’ first innings in his new surroundings lasted another half hour and he had accumulated a very respectable 37 when the ball ballooned off bat and pad and Keaton Jennings plunged forward from short leg to grab the catch which gave Livingstone his second wicket.At that point Leicestershire were 150 for 7 and Lancashire had re-established their ascendancy. But the main battle had yet to be joined. It was led by Klein but he was ably assisted by Callum Parkinson, the twin brother of Lancashire’s Matthew. For while Matt may be the better spinner, Callum has clearly secured a monopoly of the family’s batting genes. In company with Klein, he added 119 for his team’s eighth wicket. Neither the tea interval nor the taking of the new ball disturbed the pair; indeed it required a slightly generous leg before decision in favour of Gleeson to get rid of the other Parky for 37 when Leicestershire still needed 31 to avoid batting again tonight.Lancashire’s bowlers had become frustrated in the afternoon; perhaps they, too, were considering the attractions of a day off. But Gleeson recovered his discipline sufficiently to finish with 4 for 58 and set us up for a tense battle tomorrow. That is, if frostbite doesn’t get us all first; but fingers are overrated anyway.

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ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2019Previous World Cup Central entries: May 24-June 5 | June 6-June 18 | June 19-July 3

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 12, 2019

“I don’t understand why the organizers put the race on the same day as all these other big events,” Hamilton told . “I hope in future they (don’t). This is such a special weekend it needs the focus of the whole country. People will be switching between channels on Sunday not knowing what to watch.”I come here to raise the flag and do the country proud,” Hamilton said. “It’s such a privilege to be here. The British Grand Prix is the most special of the year. The sheer magnitude of it, how many people come here. It’s a special weekend, there’s excitement, adrenaline. My whole family is coming this weekend so it’s that one weekend where it’s the most special because your closest support surround you. I’ve had some spectacular races here.”Williamson and Co eye big paydayKane Williamson’s corner in the dressing room•IDI via Getty Images

Put yourself in the shoes of Tom Blundell. Despite having sat out the entire World Cup, you are one match away from landing yourself a USD 250,000 (NZ$ 375,000) payday.Blundell, as with captain Kane Williamson and all the other 13 players in the New Zealand squad, would secure themselves USD 4 million (NZ$ 6 million) should they beat hosts England in the final at Lord’s on Sunday. In the event of a defeat, the amount would be halved. New Zealand have already earned USD 200,000 (NZ$ 300,000) for winning five league matches, each victory fetching them USD 40,000 (NZ$ 60,000).The New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills said that the winner’s bounty would be split 16 ways. All 15 players will earn NZ$ 375,000 each and the other portion worth NZ$ 375,000 is to be divided among the support staff, in keeping with the provisions under the NZC central contract system.”It is a significant payday if they go well. And they deserve it,” Mills told . “The prize money for the event is a direct correlation to the amount of revenue that the event brings in.”Under the NZC central contracts, there is no provision, however, for performance bonuses from the board over the prize money the ICC allots for tournaments. The current annual NZC retainers are worth NZ$ 236,000 (USD 157,000 approx.) each. Williamson is the side’s top earner, being entitled to an NZ$ 50,000 (USD 33,000 approx.) captain’s bonus.

July 11

Bloodied Carey on his ‘best catch’Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey said his best catch of the World Cup was not off an outside edge, but clutching his helmet before it fell onto the stumps after it was dislodged from his head by a vicious Jofra Archer bouncer.Carey was hit in the head by a brute of a ball from Archer when he was on 4 in the 8th over with Australia reeling at 19 for 3. The ball smashed into the grill of his helmet, which in turn split his chin open, and it toppled backwards off his head. He had the incredible presence of mind to catch the falling helmet before it fell onto the stumps, even as blood began pouring from the gaping wound on his chin.”That’s the best catch I’ve taken all World Cup,” Carey joked. “Jofra’s got a pretty good bumper and a few stitches is nothing to worry about.”Carey continued to bat after being patched up by the Australian Team doctor. He required so much tape to stem the blood flow he had his head swathed in bandages, sporting a similar look to that of Rick McCosker when he had his jaw broken by Bob Willis in the 1977 Centenary Test.”I didn’t really want to come in with three down that quick but it was good to grab the opportunity, Steve and I just tried to absorb the pressure and get something on the board,” Carey said. “We wanted to bat first but credit to their quicks who really learned from playing us at Lord’s and it just wasn’t our day with the bat.”We thought we’d get back in it with early wickets but Jason and Jonny soon got going and took any momentum away from us. If we went back 12 months not many people would have given us a chance to make the semi-finals and we’ve played some cricket to be proud of. There’s still disappointment to get here and not make the final.”Alex Carey is ready to continue with some extra padding on the chin•Getty Images

Edulji to Dhoni: ‘Don’t retire, mentor youngsters’As India exited the World Cup after an 18-run loss to New Zealand in the semi-final, the focus quickly shifted to MS Dhoni and his immediate future. Virat Kohli, the India captain, emphatically said “no” when asked if Dhoni had conveyed any decision about his retirement, effectively putting a lid on the debate for the moment.There’s been speculation over Dhoni’s future right through the World Cup. His manager – Arun Pandey, a former first-class cricketer himself – stirred the pot further when he said Dhoni’s decision to use different bats during the tournament was his way of thanking all the bat manufacturers over the years.Now, Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain and part of the three-member Committee of Administrators running the BCCI, has said that she wants Dhoni to stick around and mentor youngsters.”That (retirement) is his personal decision,” Edulji told . “Only he can take that decision and it is his body which has to answer him. I still feel that he has a lot of cricket left in him. The youngsters in the team still need his mentorship.”

— Patrick Farhart (@patrickfarhart) July 10, 2019

The other support staff member who has chosen not to renew his contract is Shankar Basu, the fitness and conditions coach. Basu was instrumental in Virat Kohli turning his lifestyle around and becoming among the fittest athletes in the world, having first come into contact with the India captain during a stint with his IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore. The quoted a BCCI official as saying that both Farhart and Basu were offered fresh contracts but chose to move on. “Basu has informed the team management of not continuing as a trainer as he needs a break. So has Patrick. The Indian team will look out for their replacements after the World Cup and West Indies series,” the official said.Matthew Wade is all smiles after being confirmed as Usman Khawaja’s replacement•Getty Images

Wade approved as Khawaja’s replacementMatthew Wade has been confirmed as Usman Khawaja’s replacement in Australia’s World Cup 2019 squad, with the ICC’s event technical committee approving the change.Wade had joined the Australia squad from the A squad he had been a part of earlier, once Khawaja was ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring strain, and was awaiting the go ahead from the technical committee to be named the replacement. Cricket Australia sent the relevant paperwork to the ICC on Wednesday morning, and got the nod for Wade within hours.Whether Wade will get to feature in the XI remains to be seen. Coach Justin Langer has already confirmed that Peter Handscomb – who replaced the injured Shaun Marsh – will be a starter, and Marcus Stoinis is fit, over whom there was an injury cloud. “He did a good job today and he’s fit to go,” Langer said of Stoinis, adding that Handsomb deserved his chance. “I’ll tell you the truth. Peter Handscomb will definitely play, 100%. He deserves it. He was stiff not to be on this tour, he was so unlucky not to be in the initial squad after what he’d done to get us to that point. He’s in good form, he played well for Australia A, gives us that nice balance in the middle order. He’s got good temperament, he plays spin well, he’s on top of his game, so Pete will definitely play.”

July 8

Getty Images

Australia go barefoot to prepare for EdgbastonThe Australians took the notion of getting a feel for a ground to a new level at Edgbaston on Monday when the entire squad followed Justin Langer’s lead in walking barefoot around the outfield.It is a method that Langer has used before – including on the tours of India and UAE earlier this year – and the unconventional preparation routine also involved the whole tour party sitting around in a circle telling stories of what the World Cup means to them.”It was just a moment to get a feel for the ground, literally, it’s something the coach has done with us before in other venues as well, it’s just a bit of grounding,” Peter Handscomb explained. “You do that lap and you can see all the different views, potentially where you might be fielding, gives you an opportunity to take it all in before it starts on Thursday.”Some really good stories, was just an open and honest conversation and it’s great to see that some of guys poured their hearts out about what it meant for them and what I meant growing up watching the World Cup. I liked Mitch Marsh’s about 1999 and his dad coaching, having a photo at Lord’s with the trophy and if he’s here he wants to have a photo on the balcony at Lord’s.”

July 6

Head-to-head would be better tiebreaker – ArthurPakistan coach Mickey Arthur has bemoaned the use of net run-rate to separate sides level on points in the World Cup saying head-to-head would have been a fairer system.Pakistan put together a surge in the second half of the tournament to keep themselves in contention, but were left with an impossible scenario in the final group match against Bangladesh, where they needed to win by more than 300 runs overhaul New Zealand’s net run-rate, following their trouncing by West Indies in their opening game.However, New Zealand were one of the sides Pakistan beat as their form improved – convincingly by six wickets at Edgbaston – and Arthur believes that when two teams are level on points the head-to-head result would be a better tie-breaker.”I would have liked the ICC to consider head to head because tonight we would be in the semi-final,” he said after the hollow victory against Bangladesh. “It is disappointing, and it just goes back to our first game [a heavy defeat] against the West Indies.”And we had an opportunity to beat Australia, and we didn’t take that. Those are the two nightmares I’m going to have. What the system has done to us is that after one very poor game, you really battle to recover again.”So it’s a very disappointed dressing room, no congratulations going on because we haven’t qualified. Congratulations to the four who have, I think they’ve played the best cricket so far and may the best team win. But it is nice for us to sit here and know we’ve beaten two of those teams [England and New Zealand] which shows we’re not a mile off in terms of ourselves as a cricket team.”Political messaging returns to HeadingleyMuch like during the game between Afghanistan and Pakistan, airplanes carrying political messages returned to the sky above Headingley during the India v Sri Lanka World Cup fixture on Saturday.On that occasion, one message said “Justice for Balochistan”, while the other said, “Help end disappearances in Pakistan”. This time, it was “#JusticeforKashmir” and “India stop genocide & free Kashmir”.A plane carrying a political message was spotted above Headingley again•Getty Images

The ICC, as it had back on June 29, issued a statement expressing its disappointment.”We are incredibly disappointed this has happened again. We do not condone any sort of political messages at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup,” it said. “Throughout the tournament we have worked with local police forces around the country to prevent this type of protest occurring.”After the previous incident we were assured by West Yorkshire Police there would not be repeat of this issue, so we are very dissatisfied it has happened again.”

July 5

Malik retires from ODIs to focus on T20sAlthough he did not play the match against Bangladesh, Shoaib Malik was given a guard of honour after they secured a comfortable victory in their final match of the 2019 World Cup. The 37-year old allrounder had previously said that he would be end his 50-over career at the end of the tournament.”I’m retiring from ODI cricket. I had planned this a few years ago – to retire after Pakistan’s last World Cup match,” he said in a statement on Friday. “I’m sad that I’ll be leaving a format of cricket I once loved but happy that I have more time to spend with my family. This will also allow me to focus on T20s.”Malik played 287 ODIs and finished with 7534 runs – fifth-highest for Pakistan – including nine hundreds and 44 fifties.

July 4

Mashrafe set for an ’emotional’ World Cup farewellMashrafe Mortaza stayed away from training on the eve of what will be the last World Cup game of his career, and also skipped the pre-match press conference – the second one he has missed in a row, having stayed away from the interaction after the match against India. That, added to the fact that Bangladesh don’t have too many ODIs lined up over the next 12 months, has led to speculation about Mashrafe’s future in international cricket, even though he has said he has no plans of retiring just yet.”The players respect him incredibly. I often use the word ‘warrior’. He goes to war for the team and people respect that, understand that, and they love him because of that,” Steve Rhodes, the team coach, said when asked about Mashrafe’s plans. “The players in the dressing room do love Mash, and he has said it’s his last World Cup, and it will be emotional for him.”Let’s understand and respect Mash’s situation regarding his last game in World Cup but then concentrate on the cricket. Hopefully, the boys will give him the right sort of respect playing his last game in the World Cup, but then most importantly, we’ll concentrate on the match.”Mashrafe will decide himself with the board, and everybody ought to leave that up to them, and I think whilst it’s a great story for the media, let’s pay a little respect and let him organise whether he does or he doesn’t.”I’ve never hit the ball better – MaxwellGlenn Maxwell feels he is hitting the ball as well as any stage of his career and is confident a telling score is around the corner after not quite being able to find lift-off during the group stage.Maxwell has scored quickly – with a strike-rate of 190 – but not for very long, making just 143 runs in eight innings ahead of facing South Africa. He threatened against India when the asking rate was steep, struck an unbeaten 46 off 25 balls against Sri Lanka and was cutting lose against Bangladesh with 32 off just 10 balls before being run out.”I feel like I haven’t hit the ball better in my career, I just haven’t got the runs,” he said. “It’s been nice to be relaxed when I got out into the middle, just runs probably haven’t come the way I would have liked but sure they aren’t far away. If I was out form and out of runs I’d be a bit more nervous but feel I hit the ball in the middle the other day [against New Zealand] then got one on the toe end, so I’m not too worried. I’ve been training really well so a big one not far away.”Maxwell, who spent a month in county cricket with Lancashire before the World Cup instead of going to the IPL, won’t be changing any of his routines ahead of the semi-final.”I feel like I’ve been able to play my role over different times. Over the last two or three games I just haven’t got away and the first bit of bad luck seems to go against you – against Bangladesh I was run out when I was hitting them as well as I ever have and from then it’s been a bit tough going. It’s just about not over complicating it and clouding your head even further.”

A failure to reinstate the board could result in the termination of Zimbabwe’s ICC membership, the governing body says in its written communication

Liam Brickhill24-Jul-2019The ICC has written to Zimbabwe Cricket to formalise the results of last week’s board meeting in London, instructing ZC to “unconditionally” reinstate the board elected in June or risk “termination” of their membership.Representatives of both the interim committee, put in place to manage cricket in Zimbabwe by the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission, and ZC were heard at the ICC’s meeting, after which it was unanimously decided to suspend Zimbabwe’s ICC membership. The formal communication between ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney and ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani doubles down on the ICC’s heavy-handed response, warning of the dire consequences of non-compliance.”Should you wish the ICC to reconsider your suspension, you are required to take all relevant steps to ensure that the Board of Zimbabwe Cricket elected on 14 June 2019 is unconditionally reinstated forthwith and, in any event, no later than 8 October 2019 so that the ICC Board can review the matter when it convenes on 12 October 2019 for its next meeting,” the letter reads. “You are also required to provide satisfactory evidence to ensure that the Zimbabwe Cricket will administer its affairs free of external interference and influence.”The timeline put forward in the letter for a possible end to Zimbabwe’s suspension appears to rule out any chance that either the women’s or men’s teams will be able to take part in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers later this year, or that there will be any cricket at all played by Zimbabwean teams before mid-October at the earliest.”Should the ICC not receive a satisfactory response from you on the above terms, within the stipulated timeframe, the ICC reserves its right to take such further action as it deems appropriate including to proceed by way of termination of your membership as provided for in the Articles of Association,” the letter concludes.The ICC’s latest correspondence also outlines the official reasons for their response to the squabble between the ousted ZC board and the SRC, referring specifically Article 2.4 of the ICC’s Constitution. The actions of the SRC in suspending the ZC board were found to be in breach of sections (D) and (E) of Article 2.4, which cover “government (or other public or quasi-public body) interference”, and the obligations of Full Members.The letter also reminded ZC of the terms of Zimbabwe’s current suspension: that ZC is “deprived of all its rights as a member”, shall not receive any ICC revenue, participate in ICC events “or Cricket sanctioned by the ICC” and will not be able to attend or vote at any meetings.

Left-hander hits unbeaten ton as Durham fail to force win

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2019A defiant century from Mark Cosgrove salvaged a draw for Leicestershire on the final day of their game against Durham at Emirates Riverside.The Australian began the day unbeaten on 21, with his team still 155 runs behind the home side. He battled throughout to keep the Durham bowlers at bay, even using his head on one occasion. Cosgrove held his composure, scoring his first century of the campaign to save his team from defeat before bad light ended the contest.Durham were frustrated in their attempts to claim the victory, although the pitch at the Riverside for once was not helpful to seam bowling. James Franklin’s men remain in contention for promotion, extending their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven games, but they will need raise their game in their remaining matches to beat out their rivals.Leicestershire began the day with Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann at the crease still trailing the home side by a significant margin. The two batsmen were able to see out the first hour with relative ease as the Durham bowlers were unable find life from the pitch.Cosgrove did provide one moment of bemusement in his otherwise untroubled morning, opting to leave a Ben Raine delivery that struck him straight on the helmet. Ackermann found his range to dispatch Liam Trevaskis for back-to-back boundaries before pulling Carse to the fence to bring up the fifty partnership from 139 deliveries. They fended off the threat in the morning session, reaching the interval unscathed, although still with work ahead to erase the deficit.After the interval, Cosgrove continued his impressive stand by moving to his half-century, drilling the ball through the covers to the fence from a short Carse delivery. Ackermann joined his team-mate by hitting two boundaries from the same over, reaching his sixth fifty of the campaign. The duo carried on their resistance, working their way past their century stand, but Ackermann eventually fell to Trevaskis by edging the ball to first slip.The home side attempted to put the clamps on Leicestershire, although Cosgrove remained a thorn in their side. Raine was able to dismiss Harry Dearden, who played down the wrong line and lost his off stump.Nathan Rimmington’s introduction into the attack from the Lumley End produced the wicket of Harry Swindells to give Durham hope of forcing a result at the tea break. Cosgrove and Gavin Griffiths held firm amid pressure from both seamers and spinners in the evening session. Durham captain Ned Eckersley tried to force the issue with time against his team after the visitors had edged into a slender lead.Trevaskis and Cameron Steel struck to remove Griffiths and Chris Wright to put the pressure on. Cosgrove upped the ante to notch his century from 261 deliveries, saving the game for Leicestershire as bad light brought a premature end to the game.

Glamorgan advance to healthy 300 for 4 after being inserted by visiting Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2019Glamorgan 300 for 4 (Lloyd 66, Patel 66) v LeicestershireGlamorgan, who may need to win this and their final game of the season against Durham to be in contention for promotion, were on course for a respectable first-innings total against Leicestershire at the end of the first day at Sophia Gardens. They will resume on 300 for 4, after two batsmen scored 66, there were four partnerships of 50 or more and three batting points gained with 19.4 overs left to achieve the maximum.Glamorgan were hoping to bat first on a pitch that played better than it looked and is likely to take spin as the game progresses, but the decision was made for them when Leicestershire opted for an uncontested toss.The visitors also decided to omit Callum Parkinson, their recognised spinner, a decision they may regret, especially as Glamorgan recalled offspinner Andrew Salter for only his second Championship game, in addition to the left-arm spin of Samit Patel.Nick Selman and Kraigg Brathwaite made a quiet start to the innings, before Selman accelerated to strike Ben Mike for four boundaries in the seamer’s fourth over. Mike got his revenge in the following over when Selman was well caught one handed by Will Davis at cover for 36.Brathwaite, who averages 39 in first-class cricket and will be remembered for the 134 and 95 he scored against England for West Indies at Headingley two years ago, continued to play watchfully and was at the crease for 3 hours 40 minutes for his 44 before he was trapped leg before by Gavin Griffiths.After Selman and Brathwaite had put on 62 for the first wicket, the second wicket pair of Brathwaite and David Lloyd continued the good work with their stand of 82. The third half-century partnership followed when Lloyd shared 52 for the third wicket with Patel. Lloyd scored 66 from 148 balls, with a six and eight fours, most of them driven with perfect timing through the off side, before he was bowled by Chris Wright.Patel, playing the third of his four games on loan from Nottinghamshire, equalled Lloyd’s score before spooning the first ball of the 81st over to square leg. Leicestershire, for reasons unknown, did not take the new ball until the 90th over, and a fifth half-century partnership was in sight with Billy Root and Chris Cooke sharing 45 for the fifth wicket. When play ended due to bad light with 5.4 overs remaining Glamorgan would have been satisfied with their day’s work.

Heroics at Headingley and Lord’s top the table as PCA mark 50th anniversary

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2019Ben Stokes’ heroics at Headingley and Lord’s this summer have been voted as the sport’s greatest performances in half a century, in a poll conducted to mark the 50th anniversary of the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA).More than 1000 cricket fans were surveyed by the PCA and NatWest ahead of tonight’s PCA Awards in London, at which Stokes has been shortlisted for the prestigious Players’ Player of the Year award.And Stokes’ masterful 135 not out in the third Ashes Test at Headingley, which followed on from a vital spell of 3 for 56 in Australia’s second innings, has sealed top spot in the poll, ahead of his unbeaten 84 in the World Cup final against New Zealand, with which he carried England into the decisive trophy-winning Super Over.”When you are out there and trying to win the game you are in such a bubble you don’t let anything else get into that bubble,” Stokes told the PCA, as he recalled the events of that one-wicket win at Headingley.”Obviously, you are aware of the atmosphere and the situation and the crowd but then when I eventually hit the winning runs it, the feelings I had, just went and it was ‘oh my god, this is incredible’.”I was actually in the moment like everyone else was at that time, taking in the atmosphere, taking in the noise and looking around because everybody who was there in that ground on that day lived the same emotions as I did throughout that whole day, so to be able to take it all in and share that moment with them out there was pretty cool and something I’ll never forget.”Stokes’ twin performances pushed Andrew Flintoff’s matchwinning heroics at Edgbaston in 2005 into third place on the poll, with Ian Botham’s original Headingley miracle, his 149 not out in 1981, in fourth spot.Stuart Broad’s 8 for 15 against Australia, at Trent Bridge in 2015, was named at No.5, and Stokes even featured for a second time in the top ten, courtesy of his remarkable 258 from 198 balls at Cape Town in January 2016.In addition to voting on their favourite performances, the respondents to the survey also indicated an uplift in interest in cricket thanks to the events of a memorable summer. Fifty-four percent of female respondents said they were more inclined to follow cricket on television or radio, while 46 percent are likelier to attend a match. Among 16 to 24-year-olds, 54 percent showed a greater interest in playing the game.Reflecting on his memories of England’s World Cup win, Stokes added: “It will be something I will look back at in 15-20 years’ time and truly understand and appreciate what those two occasions meant and what they did for cricket.”We did not just want to win the World Cup and the Ashes this summer, we wanted to win over the country in terms of what we do with our cricket. We wanted to reach out to new fans, we wanted more people to take up cricket on what we could potentially achieve.”We have won the World Cup and had a brilliant summer which is what we wanted but I am also 100 percent convinced we have created new fans, inspired the next generation of England players and got people watching cricket again to a bigger extent than any of us could have imagined.”The PCA/NatWest Greatest Cricket Performances1. Ben Stokes: 3-56 & 135 not out v Australia, Headingley 2019

2. Ben Stokes: 84 not out v New Zealand, Lord’s, World Cup Final 2019

3. Andrew Flintoff: 68, 3-52, 73 & 4-79 v Australia, Edgbaston 2005

4. Ian Botham: 149 not out v Australia, Headingley 1981

5. Stuart Broad: 8-15 v Australia, Trent Bridge 2015

6. Alastair Cook: 71 & 147 v India, The Oval 2018

7. Ben Stokes: 258 v South Africa, Cape Town 2016

8. Bob Willis: 8-43 v Australia, Headingley 1981

9. James Anderson: 2-54 & 3-45 v India, The Oval 2018

10. Jos Buttler: 110 not out v Australia, Old Trafford 2018

Netherlands captain wants to build a pool of 20-25 players ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2019Pieter Seelaar, the Netherlands captain, would love to have the services of Ryan ten Doeschate at next year’s men’s T20 World Cup even as the talismanic allrounder approaches his 40th birthday.Ten Doeschate was Netherlands’ second top-scorer at the men’s T20 World Cup qualifiers in the UAE, making 233 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 136.25.Seelaar knew the importance of having a performer like that at an ICC event but insisted the decision would be “entirely Ryan’s alone”.”There are no concerns, Ryan is one of the fittest blokes around in the change room,” Seelaar said after their win over Papua New Guinea in the final. “I’m not sure what his decision is going to be, it’s entirely up to him. He’s got a contract extension at Essex, which will keep him busy, but he’s told me he’d like to play another World Cup. We have to see when we get there, but it will be helpful to have his experience and quality, which we don’t get very often.”He’s the sort of guy who can win you games at No. 5 from any sort of position. For me, he’ll be quality to have in Australia. Having a guy like him helps not just on the field, but off it as well. There’s a lot of knowledge you can turn to, take a lot of information from when he’s out on the field. Having him out in a tough chase eases the nerves down a little because he’s such a quality player. He’s done it in tournaments around the world, so his quality and experience are invaluable not just for me but the whole team.”Seelaar also heaped praise on Roelof van der Merwe, another allrounder who delivered at crucial moments, most notably in the final with figures of 2 for 15 in four overs. “The fast bowlers as a whole have been good, but I have to single out Roelof van der Merwe,” Seelaar said. “Be it with the bat, ball or on the field, he always does something special.”Looking ahead to the next 12 months, the captain hoped Netherlands would be able to build a pool of 20-25 players, as compared to the 15 to 20 they have currently. He also hoped clarity of roles and clear communication would be the endeavour as they looked to sustain this momentum going into the T20 World Cup.”You can’t go in depending on 15-16, we need a pool of 20-25 guys to choose from when we go to Australia,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of players waiting in the wings, but this team has set high standards. It’s up to them to live up to the standards. We’ve to keep working on our fitness. Tournaments like these break you down physically and mentally. We’ve got Pakistan up next at home, which is going to be tough. Generally, we should build a squad of 20-25 who all have an equal shot at going to Australia.”We want the guys coming in to play a certain way. We want to pick guys suitable to roles, but it’s not just about winning games, it’s about coming from hard practice and having good solid plans so that everyone’s clear and have the freedom to do something special. We’ve to create a hard-working culture to make sure we maintain this success and bring it along by the time we get to Australia.”

Uproar after pacer Tushar Deshpande ignored for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s; Pradeep Kasliwal and Sanjay Patil get the axe

Vishal Dikshit07-Nov-2019The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has sacked two selectors – Pradeep Kasliwal and Sanjay Patil – after a controversy over the squad picked for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 tournament. While picking an inexperienced bowling attack as part of the 15-man squad on Monday, the five-member panel omitted frontline quick Tushar Deshpande, leading to an uproar in the Mumbai circuit.Deshpande picked up 15 wickets in Mumbai’s victorious Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign last year.Upon finding out about Deshpande’s omission, MCA president Vijay Patil summoned the selectors on Wednesday. It is understood that he sacked Kasliwal and Sanjay Patil after that, and the MCA later issued a statement saying the remaining three members of the panel – Milind Rege (chairman), Shridhar Mandale and Guru Gupte – were “appointed” as members of an “adhoc senior selection committee” until a new panel is appointed after the association’s next annual general meeting, the date for which hasn’t been announced yet.Deshpande and left-arm-spinning allrounder Sujit Nayak have now been added to the Mumbai squad for the T20 tournament, which starts on Friday. Mumbai will take on Mizoram at Wankhede Stadium in a Group D fixture on Friday.This is the second controversy this year around Mumbai’s selectors. Earlier in March, the entire committee, with Ajit Agarkar as chairman, had had stepped down.Mumbai had had an up and down 2018-19 season in which they won the Vijay Hazare Trophy but failed to make the quarter-finals in the Ranji Trophy, which put pressure on Agarkar’s panel.Mumbai squad (for first three games): Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Jay Bista, Aditya Tare, Sarfaraz Khan, Sujit Nayak, Siddhesh Lad, Shubham Ranjane, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shams Mulani, Parikshit Valsangkar, Raunak Sharma, Kruthik Hanagavadi, Deepak Shetty, Tushar Deshpande, Dhrumil Matkar

The Pakistan legspinner on his fabulous Test century – which helped him go one up against his idol Warne, no less

Deivarayan Muthu01-Dec-2019Yasir Shah might not have Shane Warne’s numbers when it comes to legspin, but the Pakistani has now achieved something that his childhood hero couldn’t during his 15-year Test career. When Yasir dragged seamer Josh Hazlewood over mid-on in the 86th over of Pakistan’s first innings, he became a Test centurion – and that too against the pink ball. Incidentally, this was also Yasir’s maiden first-class hundred.”I haven’t spoken to him [Warne] about it [the Test hundred],” Yasir said after the third day’s play in Adelaide. “I’m always in touch with Shane Warne. We communicate over phone messages too. And he only talks to me about bowling.”Yasir’s landmark now probably gives him good authority to speak to Warne about batting. His innings provided the Pakistan fans something to cheer about after the other batsmen had collapsed around captain Babar Azam’s 97 in response to Australia’s 589 for 3 declared. So, did Yasir believe that he would score a Test ton?”When we were on our way to the ground in the morning, I had this thought in my mind that I will bat throughout the day,” he said. “And if I bat throughout the day, I will make a century. That was exactly what I was talking to my friends Naseem Shah and Muhammad Musa about this morning. Then, I went to the nets and batted, and kept thinking about batting throughout the day.”Yasir was reprieved at least three times – on 35 (a stumping), 43 (a dolly of a caught-and-bowled to Marnus Labuschagne) and 106 (another simple chance to Labuschagne at short leg) – and he capitalised on it, reaching 113 off 213 balls before he was the last Pakistan batsman to be dismissed in their first innings.”I tried my best to make sure I spend a lot of time at the crease,” he said. “When you do that, you get set and you find batting becomes easier. It’s tough against this world-class Australian bowling attack, and to score a century against them was good.”ALSO READ: Yasir Shah – Pakistan’s first centurion at No. 8 since 2006Yasir celebrated the landmark by leaping in the air and waving his bat towards the crowd, with all his team-mates warmly applauding him from Pakistan’s corner.”I was so excited and happy,” he said of his celebration. “It’s a dream to score a century in Adelaide and on an Australian tour. At that point, I wasn’t aware of what I was doing really but I know I jumped in the air and swung my bat around. And I enjoyed it a lot. It was great fun.”While the century might not make up for his poor returns with the ball in Australia – he averages nearly 90 in the country – Yasir said that he had learnt lessons from the previous trip although he couldn’t quite implement those against a rampaging David Warner who made history with 335 not out.”I was trying to perform at my best even the last time I came here,” Yasir said. “It’s every spinner’s wish to do well in Australia because that raises your image and profile. I’ve put in a lot of hard work.”The last time I bowled too fast. And I was bowling at a faster pace than what I wanted to here, too, and I didn’t use my variations well.”David Warner played really well to score a triple-ton. He didn’t let me settle and get my lines and lengths. And, at times, he even scored runs of our good balls. And he’s too good a batsman to miss out on our bad balls.”

Chris Silverwood proud of environment that has allowed young players to thrive

Valkerie Baynes21-Jan-2020You gotta love it when a plan comes together. While Chris Silverwood didn’t even have his A-Team on the park in Port Elizabeth, his players gave their best impression of a formidable outfit that fell off TV screens before many of them had even been born. Either way, their coach could be forgiven for reaching for a cigar and channelling his inner Hannibal Smith.While the protagonists of that 1980s hit show were driven by the desire to clear their names, England’s youngsters, in particular, have looked hell-bent on making a name for themselves in South Africa and Silverwood is proud of the squad environment that has allowed them to play that way.”We saw the template that we are trying to put into place in this game,” Silverwood said after England’s innings-and 53-run victory at Port Elizabeth which handed them a 2-1 series lead with one Test to play in Johannesburg from Friday. “Heavy first-innings run, then scoreboard pressure to try and take 20 wickets. It sounds really simple but there’s a lot of hard work gone into that.”The great thing is we are moving towards the template we want to use in these matches. We are learning, that’s the top and bottom of that. We are assessing conditions really quickly, we have a lot of skills in that bowling attack we can use at any given point. We are learning.”I knew the youngsters were there, that’s the thing. My job is to create the environment that they can thrive in – feel comfortable in, confident in and go out and express themselves.”One of the pleasing things for me is those guys have talked about that in their press interviews so it means what we’re doing behind the scenes is working. It’s still a work in progress, we haven’t cracked everything by a long way and still have lots to learn to get where we want to. But at the same time there’s some real positives coming out.”Chris Silverwood shares a joke with Mark Wood•Getty Images

The third Test featured a good balance of success between England’s newcomers and old hands. On the bowling front, Dom Bess’s first-innings five-for was followed by Joe Root’s four-wicket haul second time around (only mildly soured by that record-equalling 28 runs off an over in the closing stages). While England’s solitary innings was underpinned by centuries for Ollie Pope (his first) and Ben Stokes (who passed 4000 runs in the process). In the second Test, another emphatic victory for the tourists after their defeat at Centurion, it was Dom Sibley who stood out with his first hundred in just his fourth match at this level.In a further boost for the good vibes in England’s camp, South Africa appear unsettled, rattled even, with captain Faf du Plessis suggesting the Wanderers Test could be his last on home soil and Kagiso Rabada banned for one demerit point too many after his forceful celebration of Root’s wicket on a frustrating first day in Port Elizabeth.But it may not be all bad for the hosts, who gain strength in the form of Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keegan Petersen and Beuran Hendricks returning to their squad from the domestic ranks, where Bavuma struck a first-class career-best of 180 last week.And, as Silverwood is at pains to point out, England are not the finished article.There are question marks over the fitness of Jofra Archer following his elbow injury and fellow speedster Mark Wood’s readiness to play back-to-back Tests will be carefully monitored after Port Elizabeth marked his return to action since suffering a side strain in the World Cup final in July. That said, Chris Woakes is said to be training well and is yet to play a part in this series.ALSO READ: ‘It’s my team, the guys are listening to my message’ – Root“We’ve got a couple of sessions coming up so Jofra will bowl then and if he’s fit that’s another great headache isn’t it? I’ve got to find a way that potentially he comes back in and at the same time we’ve got Woakesy sat there as well. He’s been bowling beautifully,” Silverwood said. “So we’ve got options available to us that is again superb. Jofra today felt good so hopefully he’s going the right way.”You look at the bench we’ve got, they’re working incredibly hard and there’s so much talent there and so much experience. We need that as well. We talk about the youngsters a lot but we need the experience dotted in amongst it as well so they can learn by getting it right rather than making mistakes all the time.”The England bench also includes Jonny Bairstow, dropped after scores of 1 and 9 in the first Test, while Jos Buttler is struggling after failing to reach 30 in five innings this series. So long as the top three can continue to do a job for the tourists, albeit a “boring” one as du Plessis put it, the plights of Bairstow and Buttler are less pressing concerns.”If we keep getting 490 I’m happy with that,” Silverwood said in response to what was actually praise from du Plessis. “They’re picked to play in their way – it’s as simple as that. They don’t get told how to play.”We pick a team that will try and get us big first-innings runs and the top three have laid some fantastic foundations time and time again for us to go on and get the big scores. We’re learning to do that now. As I’ve said before we’re not the finished article by a long way but for them to go out and do it in this game and win will give them a heap of confidence. The team is picked to get us where we want to go.”