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Kent have signed New Zealand opening batsman Tom Latham for the 2016 English season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2016Kent have signed New Zealand opening batsman Tom Latham for the 2016 English season and he will be available for all formats.Latham, 23, is Kent’s second significant recent signing after they brought Kagiso Rabada to the club for a month in mid-season.

New Zealand internationals in county cricket

Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner (Worcestershire), Brendon McCullum and Mitchell McClenaghan, Hamish Rutherford (Derbyshire), Jesse Ryder, Adam Milne (Essex), Ross Taylor (Sussex), Neil Wagner (Lancashire), Kane Williamson (Yorkshire), Tom Latham (Kent)

Latham currently averages close to 40 in Test cricket with three centuries and also provides an extra wicketkeeping option should the need arise. In first-class cricket he has a career-best of 261.”I’m delighted to have joined Kent for the season. Playing county cricket has always been a goal of mine,” he said. “I’ve heard great things about the playing group and coaching staff, so I can’t wait to get started and help the boys push for some silverware.”Kent’s head coach Jimmy Adams said: “We’re delighted to have Tom playing with us this season. He brings valuable experience gained from playing at the international level across all formats.”We are confident that he will play a big role as the club pushes for County Championship promotion and white-ball success.”

Chris Dent struck an unbeaten century as Gloucestershire’s County Championship match against fellow promotion-chasers Northamptonshire at Wantage Road drifted to a tame draw.

05-Aug-2013
ScorecardChris Dent struck his fourth first-class century on day four•Getty Images

Chris Dent struck an unbeaten century as Gloucestershire’s County Championship match against fellow promotion-chasers Northamptonshire at Wantage Road drifted to a tame draw.Dent’s 128 not out off 211 balls, including 17 fours and one six, eased Gloucestershire to 227 for 1 as they batted through the day with their captain Michael Klinger contributing 78 from 181 deliveries.As a result, the visitors go up to third in the Division Two table, two points clear of Essex having played a game more. But with second-placed Northants coming out of this match with three more bonus points than their opponents the gap between them is now up to 27 points.Gloucestershire began the day on 31 without loss, 178 runs behind their opponents, with Klinger resuming on 21 and Dent, who went for a four-ball duck in his side’s first innings, on 10. But, for the second day in a row, the start of proceedings was delayed – on this occasion due to a wet outfield caused by overnight rain.Play eventually got under way at 12:15pm after 20 overs had been lost but what went on thereafter was a total anticlimax as Klinger and Dent easily batted through to lunch on a lifeless wicket. Runs continued to come easily in the afternoon with Klinger to first to go past 50 off 112 balls with a boundary through fine leg off the bowling of Steven Crook.The pair made their fourth opening partnership of 100 plus of the season with Dent also completing his half-century off 102 deliveries by smacking James Middlebrook through square leg for four. Dent, 22, then accelerated to his fourth century in first-class cricket and his second of the season off 159 balls by sweeping a four behind square leg off Cameron White.But Klinger was to fall on the final ball before tea when he edged his attempted sweep off White went to Andrew Hall at slip to finally break the stand on 190. He became the first wicket to fall since White himself was dismissed at 2:30pm yesterday, but it understandably only drew subdued celebrations from Northants.With the evening session not bringing any further incident, the two captains shook hands at 4:50pm with Gloucestershire wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick unbeaten on 11. Northants come out of this contest with 11 points and Gloucestershire eight and both sides now have five games left to try and secure their place in Division One next season.

Wayne Parnell, the South Africa seamer, is unlikely to be sanctioned by his board over allegations that he took recreational drugs

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2012Wayne Parnell, the South Africa seamer, is unlikely to be sanctioned by his board over allegations that he took recreational drugs, CSA acting chief executive Jacques Faul has said. Parnell had failed a drugs test after being detained by Mumbai police following a raid on a party in May.Faul questioned the handling of the matter by the Indian police. “To take action against Wayne will be next to impossible at the moment because the whole process over there has been shambolic,” he told . “The police are talking to some sections of the media but not to the cricket boards. The whole testing procedure was not done according to the standards that normally apply in sport and Wayne would be able to contest any action we take with absolute ease.”Parnell has insisted he is innocent, claiming he “was at the wrong place at the wrong time”. Rahul Sharma, the India legspinner and Parnell’s Pune Warriors team-mate in the IPL, had also tested positive, but denied taking any drugs.The Indian board has contacted the police for details of the specific test reports, and the Indian police have yet to lay any charges on the two cricketers.

Only Mark Ramprakash displayed the required application to fashion an innings worthy of note as Surrey limped into a 110-run lead at the mid-point of their Second Division match with Gloucestershire

20-Jun-2011
Scorecard
Only former England batsman Mark Ramprakash displayed the required application to fashion an innings worthy of note as Surrey limped into a 110-run lead at the mid-point of their Second Division match with Gloucestershire.Having finally dismissed the visitors for 261 on a sporting Oval pitch, to concede a first-innings lead of 35, Surrey reached 145 for 5 before rain led to a premature close. Ramprakash remained on 61 from 92 balls but his team-mates had failed to match his graft to leave the hosts in trouble.On an overcast afternoon in SE11 that favoured seam bowling, the hosts lost two wickets even before clearing the first innings deficit. But Ramprakash showed the mettle to dig in by adding 49 in tandem with Zander de Bruyn (13) then 42 with Steven Davies (14).The home reply started miserably when Jason Roy, off balance and playing around his front pad, went lbw to Ian Saxelby and 13 runs later Rory Hamilton-Brown aimed an expansive back-foot force against the same bowler only to drag the ball onto his stumps. De Bruyn padded up to Will Gidman’s last ball before tea to go leg-before and Davies was unlucky to see his backfoot defensive push bounce back up from the crease and onto the top of leg stump.In fading light Ramprakash posted the 147th first-class 50 of his career with a leg glance for four against Saxelby, but lost Tom Maynard for a 10-ball duck – bowled when looking to drive on the walk against the same bowler. Four balls later the umpires took the sides off for bad light and rain soon followed.Resuming on their overnight score of 171 for 4 at the start of the second day, Gloucestershire lost their last six wickets for 60 in posting a modest first-innings lead of 35. Their lead might have been even smaller had Surrey taken early chances, but Alex Gidman, on 32, then Payne, with five, were both dropped at second slip by Maynard and De Bruyn respectively.Neither batsman took full advantage, however, and both were soon undone by Tim Linley the pick of the Surrey attack with 3 for 66. Gidman fenced a legcutter to the keeper then Payne was squared up by an away swinger and shovelled a low catch to short extra cover.Just before lunch, left-hander Will Gidman edged a push drive against De Bruyn to see Davies pull off a stunning catch diving in front of first slip to make it 239 for 7 at the interval for a slender advantage of 13. Surrey needed a further 10 overs after the break to polish the job off. Ed Young was run out from mid-on by Yasir Arafat having been sent back to the non-striker’s end, then Saxelby went for a third-ball duck giving Davies his fourth catch of the innings.England one-day prospect Jade Dernbach finished off the innings by bowling last man Jonathan Lewis for 17 to return figures of 2 for 35 and see Surrey batting again by 2.30pm on day two.

Matthew Wade blasted 80 off 50 balls to set up Australia A’s 27-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the one-off Twenty20 in Townsville

Cricinfo staff02-Jul-2010Australia A 4 for 176 (Wade 80) beat Sri Lanka A 7 for 149 (Udawatte 28) by 27 runs

ScorecardVictoria’s Matthew Wade top scored for Australia A•Getty Images

Matthew Wade, the Victoria wicketkeeper, blasted 80 off 50 balls to set up Australia A’s 27-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the one-off Twenty20 in Townsville. Wade opened for the hosts and crunched nine fours and two sixes in his half-century, which raced them to a challenging 4 for 176.The captain George Bailey provided a late surge as he finished unbeaten on 35 off 24 balls, while Aaron Finch (29) and Adam Voges (17) also chipped in. James Pattinson struck twice in the first five overs to build on Australia’s strong position and have Sri Lanka 2 for 32.Mahela Udawatte started well with 28 off 22 but the assignment quickly became difficult and there was no way back after Dinesh Chandima (23) and Chamara Kapugedera (26) were dismissed. Brendan Drew (2 for 19), Moises Henriques and Andrew McDonald ensured there would be no escape by the visitors, who finished at 7 for 149.Despite today’s success, Wade said he wasn’t going to push for an opening spot in Twenty20s at Victoria in place of 35-year-old Brad Hodge. “Hodgie called me last night actually, I won’t be asking him to hang them up just yet,” Wade said after the match. “He’s a great player and has done so well for us. I try and model my game a little on Hodgie, who strokes the ball around a bit and gets into the innings later on, since I’m not a natural hitter.”Sri Lanka have already lost a couple of first-class matches as well, but Wade expected them to put up a better show in the one-dayers coming up. “I think their game suits one-day cricket more,” he said. “They play a lot of shots, good strikers of the ball, if they can get the ball to reverse late in the 50-over game, it’s going to be a good challenge.”

Lancashire bowled out for 204 with no one making fifty, Surrey reply at 83 without loss

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024Rocky Flintoff made a creditable 32 on debut, as Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer at the age of 16 years and 137 days, but it was champions Surrey who ruthlessly took first-day honours at the Kia Oval.Put in, Lancashire were bowled out for 204 inside 59 overs, with no one making it to 50, and Surrey then replied with 83 for no wicket before bad light ended play 15.4 overs early. Skipper Rory Burns was 44 not out, including straight driving George Balderson’s medium pace for successive fours, and Dom Sibley unbeaten on 37.Jordan Clark (4 for 57) and Dan Worrall (3 for 31) continued their fine red-ball seasons by spearheading a five-pronged seam attack in which Conor McKerr also took two wickets and Sam Curran one in what was, for both, their first Vitality County Championship appearance of the summer.Matty Hurst, with 46 from 64 balls, played Lancashire’s best and most assertive innings, while Balderson’s 33 and Josh Bohannon’s 26 were other worthy efforts in seam-friendly overhead and pitch conditions.But most eyes were on Flintoff, who made 167 runs in seven Metro Bank One-Day Cup innings after becoming his county’s youngest player in any format last month, and who came in at 33 for 2 in the 11th over after both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings had fallen to the new ball.Wells went in the fourth over for 9, dragging an attempted off drive into his stumps against Clark, while Jennings looked aggrieved to be given out leg-before for 12, pushing forward to an inswinger from Worrall.Off the mark first ball, clipping Worrall confidently for two off his pads, young Flintoff was soon living up to his reputation as one of the best players of his age to emerge in recent decades – on a day when most 16-year-olds around the country were more concerned about getting their GCSE results.Uncannily like his father Andrew in build and mannerisms – the former England captain and television celebrity was watching proudly from a hospitality box – the young Flintoff saw off Worrall’s fine opening spell of 7-3-9-1 and helped Bohannon to add 40 for Lancashire’s third wicket in tough, overcast conditions.He did have some moments of good fortune, being dropped at third slip on 13 when he edged Tom Lawes and later also flailing a returning Worrall just over the cordon for four as lunch approached, but otherwise he looked comfortable at the crease and mature beyond his years as Lancashire reached lunch on 98 for 3.Bohannon had gone by then, chopping on to McKerr for 26, and unfortunately for Flintoff he sliced a drive at the first ball after lunch, and his 64th – from Clark – and saw Sai Sudharsan dive forward at backward point to scoop up a brilliant catch.Jordan Clark celebrates a wicket•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Hurst played some superb shots but was dropped by Clark from a skier on 45 before McKerr dived to his right to hold a magnificent low catch at leg slip in Curran’s next over and from 155 for 4 the Lancashire first innings fizzled out as Worrall, McKerr and Clark combined to overpower the tail.Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, on his Championship debut, played one memorable cover drive before optimistically jumping down the pitch to swing at Worrall and edge behind while Balderson, playing defensively, nicked the same bowler to first slip.McKerr’s pace and lift did for Tom Hartley, caught at the wicket for 5, and only some defiance from Tom Aspinwall – who hooked McKerr for six and extra cover drove him for four in a bright 23 not out – took Lancashire past 200 before they lost both Josh Boyden, who lifted a simple catch to mid off on 5, and Will Williams, caught behind, from successive deliveries from Clark.

Kent still need seven wickets to inflict first defeat of the season on league leaders

ECB Reporters Network13-Jun-2023A brilliant century by Jamie Smith has given Surrey stand a chance of making history in the LV= Insurance County Championship: they need another 238 for victory against Kent and what would be their highest-ever run chase.The Division One leaders were 263 for 3 at stumps and more than halfway to their target, with Dom Sibley on 61 not out and Ben Foakes unbeaten on 22, after Smith made 114 and Tom Latham 58.Kent were all out for 344 just before lunch, a lead of exactly 500. Jordan Clark took 5 for 79, but only after Hamid Qadri had hit a highly entertaining 72 and put on 117 in a crucial stand with Joey Evison that looked to have batted Surrey out of the game.However, having lost just two wickets in the last two sessions Surrey stand an excellent chance of overhauling their previous highest run chase, which was against Kent at this venue in 2002 when they finished on 410 for 8.Surrey began a pulsating third day with hopes of getting Kent’s final four wickets cheaply, but Qadri, who had looked like he might get out with every delivery on Monday evening, was enjoying what’s known on the circuit as a “day out”. He survived a dicey early spell, smacked Sean Abbott for six over cow corner and brought up his fifty with a heave past the bowler, Gus Atkinson, for four.By the time Clark took three wickets for no runs in the space of five balls, Kent’s lead was already 445 and the seventh-wicket stand that exasperated Surrey only came to an end when Evison was caught by Smith off Clark for 42.Clark then bowled Wes Agar, promoted up the order, for a second-ball duck and Qadri’s fun finally ended when he hit the same bowler to Jacks on the boundary, but the last-wicket pair of Arshdeep Singh and Matt Quinn then put on a further 53. Arshdeep hit fours off his first two balls and Quinn then hit 37 from 22 balls, including three sixes before Clark bowled him.Just as it looked like Surrey’s morning couldn’t get any worse, in the two over mini-session before lunch Rory Burns managed to hit the first ball for four before edging the second to Jack Leaning at second slip and Latham was nearly run out. He survived by an inch and the let off seemed to remind Surrey of the discipline they’d need as he and Sibley batted through the entire afternoon.They only looked vulnerable when Qadri came on, but his earlier luck deserted him as he had Latham dropped twice, by Ben Compton and Agar, in the space of two overs.He finally got his man when Daniel Bell-Drummond took a diving catch at mid-on shortly after tea but while Sibley continued to score steadily Smith then started flaying the bowlers. He was on 77 when he cut Quinn and Compton couldn’t hold a difficult catch and he reached three figures from 70 balls when he smashed Joe Denly’s first ball for six over long-on.A wave of relief went round the ground when Arshdeep sent his off stump flying to end a stand of 138 but with Ben Foakes joining Sibley and taking eight off the final over it left Kent members with long memories fearing something even worse than their defeat 21 years ago, when Ian Ward and Jimmy Ormond put on 97 for the eighth wicket to steer Surrey home by two wickets.

South Africa’s captain explains his decision to bat first in the second Test, and has words of praise for Erwee, Verreynne and Maharaj

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-20221:29

Elgar: ‘Decision to bat first was purely about playing a positive brand of cricket’

Sent in to bat in the first Test in Christchurch, South Africa were bowled out for 95 in the first innings, and 111 in the second, losing by an innings and 276 runs. So when Dean Elgar opted for first strike in the second Test, his decision had every chance of biting him in the back. But Elgar went by what he saw on the pitch, nothing else, and chose not to take the “the easy, soft decision” of bowling because, well, that’s not him.”Visually, the wicket did look a lot different to the first Test, so it wasn’t as green, there was a lot less green grass, maybe a lot more browner grass on the wicket. So it did look a bit like a bat-first wicket,” Elgar said after South Africa won the second Christchurch Test by 198 runs to square the series. “I think, because of what happened in the first Test, the easy, soft decision would have always been to bowl first after winning the toss. My nature, my character as a leader, is not to take the easy way out. It’s obviously to run towards the pressure that you’re facing and, yeah, sometimes you have to make these tough calls for your squad, and it was great to see the guys respond.Related

• Dean Elgar: 'I didn't come here to play second fiddle. I came here to win a series'

• Elgar's South Africa showcase resilience of the good old days

• 'Got a lump in my throat' – Erwee opens up on battles

• Verreynne overcomes doubts to show glimpse of future

“The wicket played quite nicely in our favour. It was maybe a little bit slower. The bowlers still posed quite a tough challenge for us up front. But we managed to negate it and put on a good opening-wicket partnership [of 111 runs, between Elgar and Sarel Erwee]. But yeah, basically the decision was purely about us playing a positive brand of cricket and playing off the front foot. And for me, taking the easy way out is… doesn’t sit well for me.”After South Africa won the initial exchanges, they scored 364, bowled New Zealand out for 293, put up 354 for 9 before declaring and setting New Zealand 426 to win. Then they finished the hosts off for 227. One-all. Crucial World Test Championship points in the bag. And a happy feeling all around.”One-all, coming to New Zealand, I think at the start of the series I would have taken the result,” Elgar said. “It was a little bit difficult for us to take things after that first Test because there were so many learnings, and we didn’t really pitch up in that first game. But to see the boys bounce back showed a lot of character, showed a lot of growth and maturity.”The other brave decision was playing Keshav Maharaj after neither side fielded a frontline spinner in the first Test. Kagiso Rabada had said earlier that when the South Africans saw the pitch before the start of play, they felt the dryness of the pitch would ensure the “footmarks would be created for Keshav to exploit” as the game wore on. Maharaj picked up one wicket in the first innings, and three in the second, including those of top-order batters Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell, bowling both of them.”He has always been someone that is a banker of mine, and I know what I get from when it comes to playing in a competitive nature,” Elgar said.There were many heartening takeaways from the Test for South Africa, as is often the case after a special win. Erwee, for example. Kyle Verreynne too. Erwee was playing his second Test. And Verreynne his sixth. Both scored their maiden centuries in Test cricket.”I think his story is a lot deeper than just playing cricket. He is a little bit older, and he understands the concept of hard work,” Elgar said of Erwee, his new opening partner. “I think he came close not too long ago to giving up the game, which would have been a massive loss. So I think he understands the concept of working for what you believe and where you feel you can be one day.Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj formed an excellent partnership for South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

“He’s great. He is a good team man. He is always looking to influence. It’s never about him, it’s always about what he can do for the side. So, for me, it’s not surprising that he has come in and done well. He is an inexperienced Test cricketer, but he isn’t an inexperienced cricketer with regards to the bigger scheme of things.”About Verreynne, South Africa’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in Tests after Quinton de Kock’s surprise retirement from the format, Elgar was equally effusive. “Great to see his natural ability come out and kick in,” he said. “A lot of scrutiny has been put on his plate, too early in his career, which is a little bit unfair. Bear in mind that he has got a massive role to play being a wicketkeeper-batter. But yeah, great to see him come out and do what he does best.”Rabada was Player of the Match for his haul of eight wickets, Marco Jansen picked up seven, and crucial runs came from many batters, but there was an innings of 42, scored off 103 balls in just over two hours, that meant a lot for South Africa. Because it came from Aiden Markram, whose best score in his previous five Tests was 31. The 42 wasn’t earth-shattering, but it was good for a man under pressure.”There’s no doubt that Aiden has been under pressure a little bit from a run-scoring point of view,” Elgar said. “I’ve always said Aiden’s one innings away from being back in form. He got some runs in the first innings, which was great to see. It’s good for him. Hopefully the confidence that he brings, or gets out of that innings, goes a long way for him.”I know he has a lot more in the tank when it comes to scoring runs, and I can see the disappointment that he goes through when he fails.”

These players would not be exempted from the cancellation of Kolpak registrations after this year

Matt Roller and Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2020South African Dane Vilas and Cameron Delport’s hopes of continuing to play in county cricket as local players courtesy their ancestry visas have been dealt a terminal blow, after the ECB confirmed that they would not be exempted from the cancellation of Kolpak registrations when the UK’s transition period with the European Union (EU) ends on December 31, 2020.Alan Fordham, the ECB’s head of first-class cricket operations, sent a letter to the counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the relevant boards last week, setting out the changes that would be made to eligibility registrations following the end of the transition period. That included the long-anticipated cancellation of Kolpak registrations and confirmation that EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK would continue to qualify as local players.After lobbying from the PCA, the ECB had confirmed this July that counties would be able to field two overseas players rather than one in both the County Championship and the One-Day Cup in order to protect the jobs of players on Kolpak deals.ALSO READ: ECB clarifies player retention plans for postponed HundredBoth Vilas and Delport had appealed to the ECB in the hope that their ancestry visas would mean they remained eligible to play as non-overseas players for Lancashire and Essex respectively, and both remained optimistic when contacted by ESPNcricinfo last week.But Fordham’s letter, published on the ECB’s website, affirmed that the cancellation of Kolpak registrations would “apply regardless of whether such player currently holds, or is able to obtain, an ancestral or family visa giving them the right to work in the UK”.ESPNcricinfo understands that the changes have been approved by the ECB board and are not pending appeals. It is unclear, however, whether the ruling will face any legal challenge from players affected at this stage.Vilas, 35, is expected to stay at Lancashire next season despite the ruling. Since signing for the club in 2017, he has settled in London with his wife Pippa, whose ancestral visa means that he has – and would continue to have – the right to live and work in the UK. Lancashire have previously given him guarantees that he would stay on as an overseas player. That said, he is unlikely to retain his top-bracket contract in the Hundred with the Manchester Originals, competing for one of three overseas spots rather than being one of the better local players available.For Delport, meanwhile, the ruling could be the first step on his return to the international fold. He has previously held conversations with South Africa’s director of cricket Graeme Smith and head coach Mark Boucher about the possibility of playing for his native country in the 2021 T20 World Cup, and publicly revealed his intentions to represent them while speaking to ESPNcricinfo last month.In practice, many players on Kolpak registrations – including Simon Harmer, Duanne Olivier and Stiaan van Zyl – will become their respective counties’ overseas player next year, while a handful – like Fidel Edwards and David Wiese – are expected to be released at the end of the season.Confirmation that EU nationals would only be eligible if they have settled or pre-settled status came as a blow to Dutch cricket as well, seemingly ending the pathway for young players to gain experience at the county level – much like the now first-class-veteran Ryan ten Doeschate – unless they move to the UK on a permanent basis.

Catch all the buzz from around the World Cup in one place

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

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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.”