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The batter feels the attack-first mantra he has now instilled in his Test-match batting puts him in a better position defensively

Andrew McGlashan25-Feb-2023Travis Head had “robust” conversations with Australia’s selectors after he was surprisingly dropped for the opening Test in India but believes he has shown he can find success in challenging conditions amid a hasty switch to opening the batting.Head was left out in Nagpur despite a prolific home summer based on his poor returns in Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year. He admitted that having worked hard to adapt his game ahead of the tour, he was shocked by the decision but swiftly returned to the side in Delhi albeit the reasoning was curiously linked as much to his bowling as batting.”The conversations were robust, I guess, and everyone has different opinions,” Head said. “But I respect the coaching staff and selectors. I have a really strong relationship with them so think that’s what made the conversations the way they went because there’s respect both ways and we are able to voice our opinions.Related

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“It’s something I didn’t expect coming here, but sometimes that happens and thought I was able to go through that week and prepare myself for another chance… Now it’s making the most of that.”Head made 12 in the first innings in Delhi before edging Mohammed Shami to slip and then produced a sparkling 43 when he opened in place of the concussed David Warner. It was an innings that had put Australia ahead in the game, only for things to come crashing down on the third morning after Head edged R Ashwin.Head’s outstanding form at home – where he has averaged 73.50 over the last two seasons – has come with a blistering approach which has seen him strike at 91.20. He struggled to replicate that in the subcontinent last year, going at 48.40 in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but was encouraged by the way he was able to counter Ashwin in Delhi where he scored at better than a run-a-ball against him during the second evening flurry.”I was pleased with the way I was going forward and back, watching length, and a few things I’ve worked on,” Head said of his innings. “It was a small sample piece but over here small sample pieces can be a little bit of gold to hopefully push forward for the next two Tests.”Felt like the way I played the other day was a step forward in that direction. Would have loved to have done it in the previous series, but that’s development, that’s understanding, that’s watching other teams go about it and other players and trying to learn on the go with not much experience in the subcontinent.”Head feels the attack-first mantra that is now instilled in his Test-match batting also puts him in a better position defensively and it was not being able to commit to that philosophy that brought his downfall on earlier tours.”[In] Sri Lanka, especially, when it was more spin-friendly than Pakistan, I found myself sitting on the crease a little bit and probably looking more to defend and waiting to attack, whereas here I’ve come with the approach that I want to attack first and defend second,” he said. “When I do that, and I’ve found it in Australia, my feet move better and I’m in better positions.”With Warner having been ruled out of the final two Tests, Head is all but certain to continue to open the batting in Indore next week. While Warner was defiant about his own future when he returned to Australia, it is far from guaranteed he will have the opportunity to resume his Test career in the World Test Championship final – should Australia qualify – and the Ashes.Whether Head is a viable long-term option remains to be seen – he appears inked in as the ODI opener heading towards the 2023 World Cup – but having been jolted by his omission in the first Test, he is more determined than ever to make himself valuable in any role.”Honestly, after missing out in the first Test, I would bat anywhere the team needed me to get a game. I’ve always said that. I didn’t come here expecting to open the batting last innings but whether it’s opening or No. 5, I’ve got to find a way in both of them if needed for the team.”Australia had a final training session in Delhi on Saturday before flying to Indore, which was hurriedly handed the third Test in place of Dharamsala. Mitchell Starc is expected to return to replace absent captain Pat Cummins who has remained in Australia with his seriously ill mother while Cameron Green will also be back from injury.

History will be made one way or another at the CPL final in 2020

Peter Della Penna09-Sep-2020

Big picture

It’s the CPL blue bloods vs the sea blue jerseys in this year’s final. One side is very familiar with their role in the winner takes all championship showdown. The other couldn’t be more alien to the playoffs, let alone playing for the title.Three-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders have been the chalk team virtually since the CPL’s inception. They have never missed the playoffs and have topped the regular season table in three of the last four seasons. The old Oakland Raiders NFL teams of the late Al Davis era might have been envious of the commitment to excellence the Knight Riders have demonstrated in 2020 though, reeling off a run of 11 straight victories as they attempt to be the first CPL side to finish as undefeated champions.Though the Knight Riders have more than their fair share of stars to draw upon, the standout quality from this group has been their collective depth. Sunil Narine, Colin Munro and Ali Khan have all missed time due to injury, but the Knight Riders haven’t skipped a beat as they received handy contributions from unheralded sources like Tion Webster, Jayden Seales and 48-year-old legspinner Pravin Tambe. You know TKR is a juggernaut when Akeal Hosein – arguably the fourth choice spinner behind Narine, Fawad Ahmed and Khary Pierre – is claiming a Man of the Match award in the tournament semi-final after claiming 3 for 14 in a nine-wicket romp over the Jamaica Tallawahs.Standing across from the Knight Riders at Brian Lara Academy on Thursday morning will be the St Lucia Zouks. They have been bottom-feeders throughout their history, making the playoffs for just the second time in eight seasons this year. After years of historic futility, an infusion of Afghan might in 2020 has sparked Daren Sammy’s side to their first ever tournament final.A decade ago it would have been unthinkable for three Afghanistan players to be present in all the world’s franchise leagues combined. But the country’s players are in ever-increasing demand and the trio in the Zouks starting XI – Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran and Zahir Khan – are a microcosm of the battling qualities which have seen both Afghanistan and the Zouks rise in prominence.Their fighting spirit, along with shrewd captaincy from Sammy, has spread throughout the team. On paper, one might think it impossible for a team that has produced just two half-centuries with the bat all season – both by Roston Chase – to be capable of going all the way to the final. But a never say die attitude in the field has galvanized them to some improbable wins. Defending 92 to beat the reigning champions Barbados Tridents tops the list, but sparking a Tallawahs collapse from 84 for 0 to defend a total of 145 isn’t far behind. So it shouldn’t be too surprising then that their bowling unit led by Scott Kuggeleijn, Nabi and Zahir shredded the Guyana Amazon Warriors for 55 in the semis, the second lowest total in CPL history.Logic says the Knight Riders are the obvious choice to prevail on home soil in the final. But there is nothing logical about how the Zouks have continued to defy the odds to arrive alongside them with tournament hardware on the line. One way or the other, there will be a historic result – a maiden undefeated champion or a maiden Zouks crown – by Thursday afternoon.Rahkeem Cornwall smashes one over long-off•Getty Images

Form guide

Trinbago Knight Riders WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
St Lucia Zouks WWLLW

In the spotlight

Tion Webster only played half the matches in the league stage, but he has been finding form at the right time as a more than capable replacement in the top-order, first for Narine and then for Munro. He ended the league stage with an unbeaten 41 off 33 balls against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, then followed it up in the semi-finals with 44 not out off 43 balls against the Tallawahs. While both innings came chasing targets of 78 and 108 respectively, many top order players have found batting tricky in the second innings on tough surfaces. Webster on the other hand has remained carefree and that confidence may play a significant role in the final.Last year it was Hayden Walsh Jr who played a leading role for the Barbados Tridents on their way to the title. Another Liberta Blackhawk from Antigua has a chance to play a key role if his team lifts the trophy in 2020. Rahkeem Cornwall has hit the most sixes for the Zouks, with 13 in nine innings. In an event where most batsmen have struggled to time the ball to the rope, his strike rate of 142.62 has given the Zouks short but fiery starts. The big man showed off his agility in the field on Tuesday’s semi-final with a superb catch diving forward at slip to end the first innings.

Team news

If the Knight Riders were unwilling to risk Colin Munro in the semi-final, it’s unlikely he’ll be fit enough for this game. Ali Khan has bowled below full pace in his two matches back from a hamstring injury. TKR management will have to decide whether they value his experience in a final – he took a wicket first-ball in 2018 against the Amazon Warriors at the same venue to give TKR a huge lift – is enough to keep his place ahead of Seales.Trinbago Knight Riders (possible): 1 Sunil Narine, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Tion Webster, 4 Tim Seifert (wk), 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Khary Pierre, 10 Fawad Ahmed, 11 Ali Khan/Jayden Seales.The Zouks have had a fairly settled side down the stretch of the season. It’s unlikely they have any fitness issues after a semi-final which lasted a combined total of 18.1 overs. Expect an unchanged XI.St Lucia Zouks (possible): 1 Rahkeem Cornwall, 2 Mark Deyal, 3 Andre Fletcher (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Javelle Glen, 8 Daren Sammy (capt.), 9 Scott Kuggeleijn, 10 Kesrick Williams, 11 Zahir Khan.

Pitch conditions

The five highest totals in the CPL this season (all 172 or more) have all come in 10 am starts at Brian Lara Academy, all made by the team batting first in victory. Though T20 strategy traditionally points teams towards chasing, things could be different in the final, if only because the Knight Riders were responsible for four of those five wins and the Zouks round out the stat. Expect a higher scoring contest than the pair of semi-final duds.

Stats and trivia

• The two half-centuries scored by the entire Zouks roster – both by Chase – are the fewest for any CPL finalist since the inaugural season when the 2013 CPL champion Jamaica Tallawahs had one apiece from Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Gayle. However, the Zouks total of two is the fewest for any team in the current 10-match regular season format as teams only played seven league stage matches in the 2013 CPL.
• Darren and Dwayne Bravo are the only remaining players from the 2015 Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel squad, the previous incarnation of the Knight Riders, which won the first of the three championships for the TKR franchise.
• Though the Zouks don’t have a title as a franchise, it would not be the first title for several of their players. Deyal played one match as a member of the Red Steel in 2015. Kesrick Williams was the leading wicket-taker for the 2016 champion Tallawahs while Leniko Boucher joined the Zouks in 2020 after being a member of the 2019 champion Tridents.

Quotes

“We have come here and played fantastic cricket throughout the tournament and we need the cherry on top of it. Looking around the dressing room, you don’t see overconfidence. You see guys who want to improve each and every time out.”
“We didn’t come here to celebrate a semi-final. You don’t carry anything from before into the finals. It’s a clean slate. Whoever plays good cricket on the day… on Thursday we’re going to come with the same attitude.”

Victoria and New South Wales played out a sedate final day at the MCG before the teams shook hands on a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2019Victoria and New South Wales played out a sedate final day at the MCG before the teams shook hands on a draw.Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin put on an unbroken opening stand of 129 with no chance of a result being forced. New South Wales started marginally behind, but once they avoided losing any early wickets the action fizzled out.The draw consolidates New South Wales’ position at the top of the table after they started the season with four consecutive wins although the gap to second has been narrowed after Queensland’s two-day victory over Tasmania.There is one more round of Sheffield Shield matches before the BBL break.

New Zealand’s bowling coach was pleased with the efforts of the left-arm quick, who took three important wickets on day four at Hagley Oval

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch29-Dec-2018Pitches in New Zealand tend to flatten out after a roaring start, but even though opposition teams struggle to get wickets in the second innings, New Zealand’s own quicks are generally capable of bowling their team to victory. Why? Because they hunt as a pack, according to their bowling coach Shane Jurgensen.There was evidence of that teamwork as they removed four Sri Lanka batsmen on day four – three of those wickets falling to Neil Wagner. The performance left New Zealand four further wickets from victory, with day five to play. In fact they may only need three wickets, if the injured Angelo Mathews does not bat again.”It’s awesome, because I think the bowlers actually bounce off each other,” Jurgensen said after play. “They all get on with each other – they’re really good mates. You’ve got the two left-handers in Neil and Trent Boult, and then you’ve got Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme, when there’s a bit more on offer in terms of seam and swing. You’ve got those four guys – two lefties and two righties. Neil’s ability to bowl those bouncers, it just adds another string in the bow for the group.”One of the big things with our bowling is we want to bowl in partnerships and put pressure on from both ends. I think that’s what we did in the first innings and that’s we needed all our bowlers to do in the second.”Having arrived in New Zealand only six days before this series started, following their three Tests in the UAE, New Zealand’s bowlers have also had to contend with a huge workload, having earlier spent six months without any international cricket on their schedule. Boult – New Zealand’s quickest bowler – has played in all five of those Tests, and Tim Southee has played four.”Trent is really fit,” Jurgensen said. “I think that’s what I’ve been really impressed with our bowling group – it’s our fifth test in six-and-a-half or seven weeks, and it’s a testament to their fitness during the winter, how hard they’ve worked, to still keep trucking in. Neil just provides that extra punch that we need, particularly at the back end of the game, and you saw another example of that today. He’s been doing it for a while now for us.”Perhaps the best on-field battle of day five was Wagner v Dinesh Chandimal. In the past, teams have targeted Chandimal with the short ball, on account of his reputation for being an impulsive hooker. Aware of this potential weakness, New Zealand and Wagner bowled a lot of bouncers at Chandimal, without much success for the first two sessions, with Chandimal routinely ducking or swaying out of the way.It was Wagner who eventually got his wicket. Early in the third session, Chandimal could not get out of the way of a delivery headed toward his throat, and ended up fending at it with his gloves, sending an easy catch to short leg. Wagner was ecstatic at having taken that wicket, letting out an almighty scream.”I was a good battle between them,” Jurgensen said. “Dinesh batted very well, he applied himself fantastically. His hook shot is certainly something that we’ve targeted. But one of the things that I was mentioning in the dressing room is that I don’t think he’s playing the pull or hook shot today, so maybe we need to change our fields slightly to suit that. Eventually Neil got him.”

Usman Khawaja became the first Glamorgan player to hit hundreds in his first three Championsip figure – then a familiar figure rudely interrupted

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-20181:34

Surrey hit with five-run penalty

ScorecardUsman Khawaja made history on the second day of Glamorgan’s Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.But there was also a century for Northamptonshire’s opening batsman Ben Duckett, as he guided the visitors to 169 for 0 at the close, a sizeable second innings lead of 196. They are in firm control after a lacklustre bowling and batting display by the Welsh county, with the notable exception of Khawaja.After showing glimpses of his best form in Northants’ opening win of the season, this was Duckett at his most destructive and suggests better times ahead for a player who was in England’s thoughts only recently.Khawaja’s 103 made him the first player in Glamorgan’s history to score a century in his first three Championship matches for the county, surpassing the two consecutive hundreds achieved by Javed Miandad (in 1980) and Shaun Marsh, earlier this season, with Khawaja adding to his centuries against Warwickshire (125) at Edgbaston and Derbyshire (126) at Swansea.”I wasn’t expecting the record at all,” Khawaja said. “There were even ifs and buts whether I’d get here at all because I was still waiting for a visa in India. I got over here with not too much time to spare and to get that first hundred alone… It’s nice that it’s flowed on a little bit from there.”The Australian left-hander brought up his century from 138 deliveries, striking 16 fours and two sixes, before he was caught at fine leg by Richard Levi off Hutton for 103, as Glamorgan were dismissed for 254, 27 runs behind in the first innings.Earlier in the day, Luke Procter had taken two Glamorgan wickets in the first session as the Welsh county battled to 115 for three in their first innings reply to 281. Nick Selman was first to depart, touching an outswinger to keeper Adam Rossington off Ben Sanderson for 29.
Jack Murphy was then trapped lbw for 21 from Luke Procter’s second delivery of the day before Owen Morgan was caught behind for 20, having struck four fours. Kiran Carlson, off the mark from the sixteenth delivery he faced, was struck in front by Sanderson, who bowled Chris Cooke two balls later before Andrew Salter was lbw to Brett Hutton, with Glamorgan in trouble on 195 for 6.Ruaidhri Smith was dropped by Richard Levi at second slip on two, before Nathan Buck took three wickets in successive overs, getting Smith caught behind before bowling both Prem Sisodiya and Timm van der Gugten. Khawaja was eventually dismissed for 103 as Glamorgan were all out for 254, a first innings deficit of 27.Northamptonshire’s openers Luke Procter and Ben Duckett started their second innings and the final session aggressively, building a valuable partnership and making Glamorgan’s bowlers suffer as they built a sizeable lead.Duckett brought up his half century from 52 deliveries and his century from 92, as the visitors continued to dominate late into the day. Procter also posted a half-century as the visitors looked to build a comprehensive lead.After completing his 14th first-class century for Northamptonshire, Duckett said, “Tomorrow is massive. In the past, we’ve been on the opposite end of days like this where sides have really hammered us. I think it’s really important for us to do the same in the morning.”

Dale Steyn could still make an appearance in South Africa’s ongoing Test series against England, which he is currently sitting out of with a shoulder injury

Firdose Moonda14-Jan-2016Dale Steyn could still make an appearance in South Africa’s ongoing Test series against England, which he is currently sitting out of with a shoulder injury. Steyn posted a picture on Twitter of himself in a hyperbaric chamber, which he is using to speed up his recovery.
“Boring, but healing,” Steyn posted, along with a collage of photographs including Scar Tissue, the autobiography of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, which he is reading during sessions.Steyn initially posted that he would spend a fortnight in the chamber, which would rule him out of the fourth Test, but then corrected himself and confirmed he would only need a week of treatment. That period ends on the eve of the Centurion game, which begins on January 22. Steyn will not have much time to get overs in the legs before the game, but he should be bowling fit by the time the ODIs start, on February 3.
Should Steyn not recover in time for the SuperSport Park Test, he would have missed six of South Africa’s eight Tests this season. In the two he played, Steyn broke down both times, first with a groin injury in Mohali, which kept him out of the remaining three Tests in India, and then with a shoulder injury in Durban which forced him out of the New Year’s Test and the ongoing Wanderers Test.South Africa have had to search their reserves in Steyn’s absence and have given two debuts to two bowlers in their last two games. Chris Morris was capped at Newlands and Hardus Viljoen at the Wanderers.

Wayne Madsen, the Derbyshire captain, has been awarded the inaugural Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket Elite Award

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2013Wayne Madsen, the Derbyshire captain, has been awarded the inaugural Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket Elite Award, created by MCC and the BBC to acknowledge exceptional sportsmanship, for walking during a crucial County Championship match.The award is bound to reawaken the debate over whether “walking” is to be regarded as a preferable form of behaviour in the modern game or whether the MCC, by championing the issue, is in danger of pushing the Spirit of Cricket to a point where it risks alienating majority support.Walking has been uncommon in all forms of cricket in England for half a century or more, yet in a display of double standards which has long been accepted as inevitable, a failure to walk still ensures a batsman who remains at the crease is treated to ritual abuse.The issue came back into the public eye when England’s Stuart Broad failed to walk for an obvious edge in the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, his “sin” looking worse than it was as the ball deflected off the gloves of the wicketkeeper, Brad Haddin and was caught at first slip.At Chesterfield, in July, chasing Yorkshire’s first innings total of 617, Madsen feathered a ball from bowler Steve Patterson to the wicketkeeper.With one lone appeal coming from the Yorkshire fielders, umpire Jeff Evans gave the Derbyshire captain not out, only for Madsen to walk back to the pavilion on his own accord. Saying that it was a matter of principle, Madsen went on to score a defiant 141 in the second innings, but his side still lost by an innings and 113 runs.MCC president, Mike Griffith, said: “MCC is passionate about its role as Guardian of the Laws and Spirit of Cricket, and it is instances like Wayne Madsen walking when his Derbyshire side was in real trouble against Yorkshire, which set an example for everyone in the game to follow and must be encouraged.”The winners of the youth award were Alton CC under-13 girls’ team who impressed the judges after lending their opposition players to field during a league match and also allowing some of the opposition to bat twice.”Deciding on the winner of the Youth Award and the school beneficiary was simultaneously challenging and heartening,” Griffith said. “We received so many wonderful examples of how the Spirit of Cricket is alive and kicking in the junior game at clubs and on school playing fields across the country. Congratulations to the Alton CC under-13 girls team who ultimately won the Youth Award. Their story really epitomises what the Spirit of Cricket means.Broad was pilloried in sections of the media for dishonesty and his actions, in return, were passionately supported by other critics as well as the vast majority of those involved in the game who said decisions should be left to the umpires.

Joe Root leads calls for more sympathetic fixture list after players voice physical wellbeing fears

Vithushan Ehantharajah06-May-2024Joe Root says that a greater focus on player welfare amid an ever more congested fixture list is a “non-negotiable”, after a survey by the Professional Cricketers’ Association revealed a startling 81 per cent of county cricketers have been left fearing for their physical health due to their season-long workloads.The survey, which was conducted in pre-season with all 18 counties, has led the PCA to brand the current playing schedule “not fit for purpose”, in particular due to stark issues around matchday travel that have led to calls for an urgent rethink by the ECB and county chiefs to “pre-empt disaster”.More than eight out of 10 county cricketers admitted they were concerned for their well-being as the result of a packed season, while as many as 76 per cent revealed safety concerns around travelling to and from fixtures during the season, notably during the Vitality Blast when teams finish late and play the next day. This year will see 55 back-to-back T20s, an increase from 34 last year.Perhaps the starkest example is Gloucestershire, who play T20s against Glamorgan in Cardiff on June 20, before returning to Bristol the very next day to host Somerset. They then start a four-day match against Yorkshire at Scarborough after a one-day break on June 23.Related

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While teams usually travel by bus, issues arise when players drive themselves home, often in the early hours of the morning. The PCA revealed they had to intervene when they discovered one county used minibuses driven by players last season. It is understood the county has stopped that practice.”Back-to-back games have gone up considerably, and are only looked at through a commercial lens,” Daryl Mitchell, the PCA chief operating officer, said. “We understand that, but there needs to be a balance.”Over 10 per cent of our membership accessed our mental health services last year. It’s difficult to get away from the pressure of professional but I think the relentless schedule is a factor.”There’s reports of players who have got off the team bus, driven home and forgotten how they got there, almost on autopilot. Switching off while driving has an element of danger. We want to pre-empt it before anything disastrous happens.”Our CEO, Rob [Lynch] is worried about getting the call in the early hours of the morning when someone has driven off the M1. That scares us. Seventy-six per cent of players have concerns about safety when travelling, which is a high number.”In addition to calling for a minimum standard of three days between four-day matches and at least one rest day between T20s, 66 per cent of those surveyed believe the current schedule is not conducive to high performance.That sentiment was echoed by Root, who believes change will bring about “long-lasting benefits for English cricket”. Though protected from the schedule as a centrally contracted England cricketer, Root is playing five matches for Yorkshire in the County Championship.Joe Root, pictured with Harry Brook, has been back in action for Yorkshire this season•Getty Images

“I am fortunate to play a significant part of the season for Yorkshire this year and looking at the fixture list from a physical, wellbeing and high-performance angle does cause me concern,” Root said.”County cricket is the breeding ground for some of the best talent in the game and this requires world leading structures to allow players to reach their full potential. This is a benefit for everybody in the game.”Having space to recover, prepare and improve your game during the season is crucial and the creation of minimum standards to protect travel windows and player welfare is non-negotiable.”The PCA’s findings and call for action come at a pivotal time in English cricket, with the County Partnership Agreement – the agreement binding the ECB, PCA and counties – up for renewal. This week will also likely see the counties and MCC agree on the ECB’s proposals around private investment in the Hundred which could raise around £500 million for the domestic game. All of which leads into the next broadcast cycle, which begins in 2025.The Hundred remains the elephant in the room as far as fixture congestion is concerned, particularly with the Blast. This year’s eight-team competition has ring-fenced July and the first three weeks of August, with no Blast fixtures and just three days of Championship cricket scheduled in this period.While appreciating the value the Hundred and the importance of matchday revenues for clubs at a precarious time for county finances, Mitchell has called on chiefs and stakeholders to collaborate more around their decision-making. A more altruistic approach is required to ensure players, and by extension, the game, are better protected moving forward.”The power constitutionally is with the county chairs. But from our side it needs a really joined-up approach. Our focus is player safety, physical or mental wellbeing. It needs to be collaborative between the ECB, PCA and the counties to come up with solutions.”We saw with the High Performance Review, if you look at the structure from one particular lens without the others, that makes it very tricky to get anything over the line. It has to be joined up.”We could very easily put out a structure that the players think is ideal, but players also understand the need for the commercial side of the game, the passionate members we have in this country, who are the lifeblood of the counties, who are represented by their chairs. All these stakeholders need to have that approach. We need a collaborative solution to some of the problems we’ve got.In a statement released in response to the PCA’s survey, the ECB said: “As the PCA recognises, the men’s domestic schedule is a complex issue. The players have an important voice in discussions around this, and we are committed to working with them and the First Class Counties to discuss the best ways of overcoming some of the challenges.”

Stafanie Taylor is yet to recover from the injury she sustained during the series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2022Shemaine Campbelle and Kycia Knight are back in West Indies’ squad for the three-match Women’s ODI series against England in Antigua from December 4 to 9.While West Indies will welcome the return of these two experienced keeper-batters from injury, they will be without allrounder Stafanie Taylor, who is yet to recover fully from the injury she suffered during the third ODI against New Zealand in September.Related

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The selectors have also picked the uncapped left-arm spinner Kaysia Schultz, who had taken part in a ten-day training camp with the West Indies players during the New Zealand series while not being part of the official squad.Shamilia Connell, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean and the uncapped fast bowler Jannillea Glasgow have been left out after being part of the squad against New Zealand, with the playing group downsized from 17 members to 14.The series is an important one for both West Indies and England, who are looking to bounce back after defeats in their respective opening bouts of the 2022-25 ICC Women’s Championship. While West Indies suffered a 2-1 loss to New Zealand, England were blanked 3-0 by India, with both defeats coming in home series.West Indies are currently in fifth place on the Women’s Championship table, and England are seventh among the eight teams who have played so far. Australia and Bangladesh are yet to begin their campaigns.The top five teams at the end of the 2022-25 cycle will qualify automatically for the 2025 ODI World Cup in India.”This series against England comes on the heels of the New Zealand tour to the West Indies and continues our important preparation for the upcoming tri-series against India and South Africa and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to follow,” lead selector Ann Browne-John said. “It gives the players a great opportunity to develop and push for final selection for the tri-series and World Cup.”West Indies ODI squad: Hayley Matthews (capt), Shakera Selman (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight (wk), Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Rashada Williams

Somerset slump to 55 for 7 before salvo of late hitting takes them past west country rivals

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2022Roelof van der Merwe was the match-winner as Somerset recovered from a shock start to win a rain-affected Vitality Blast clash against arch-rivals Gloucestershire by three-wickets (DLS) at Bristol.After the visitors had won the toss, Miles Hammond smote four sixes off the opening over of the game, bowled by Tom Lammonby, on his way to making 29 off just 12 balls. By the time rain interrupted play after five overs, Gloucestershire had raced to 61 for 1. A resumption at 8.45pm saw the game reduced to ten overs per side and the hosts went on to post 101 for 5.Somerset’s revised target was 112. They slumped to 55 for 7 before van der Merwe hammered an unbeaten 48 from 15 balls, with four sixes and four fours, to see them to an unlikely victory with three balls to spare.It was an extraordinary end to a game Gloucestershire had dominated. With a very short boundary on one side of the ground, the last thing Somerset could afford was to bowl too straight from the Ashley Down Road End. Left-arm seamer Lammonby erred in that respect and saw his second, third, fifth and sixth deliveries effortless lofted over the leg side by left-hander Hammond.Hammond and James Bracey took the score to 46 off 3.5 overs before Josh Davey made a breakthrough, having Hammond caught at short third man off an edged drive. Bracey was undeterred, taking a boundary off Siddle’s opening delivery of the fifth over, which also saw new batsman Ian Cockbain strike two fours.When rain sent the players off, Bracey was unbeaten on 21 from 14 balls. He added only a single to his score before being caught at cover off a leading edge in the first over of the resumption, bowled by left-arm spinner van der Merwe.Somerset opted for spin at both ends. Lewis Goldsworthy’s first ball was dispatched for a straight six by Cockbain, who fell to the second, caught at deep cover to leave Gloucestershire 72 for 3.Jack Taylor hoisted Goldsworthy for another straight six. But van der Merwe completed two canny overs for 14 and when Glenn Phillips skied a catch to wicketkeeper Tom Banton off Lewis Gregory, Gloucestershire were 90 for 4. Gregory’s over cost just five runs. The final one was delivered by Ben Green, who sent back Taylor, caught at deep midwicket in conceding only a further six.Now it was Gloucestershire bowling with a wet ball. David Payne used it to good effect, having Banton caught a short third-man off his second delivery in an opening over costing eight. When Rilee Rossouw was caught in the deep attempting to pull Josh Shaw over the longer square boundary and Tom Abell tamely cut Zak Chappell to backward point, Somerset were 15 for 3 in the third over.Will Smeed skied a Shaw full toss to be caught on the leg side and Gregory drove Benny Howell to long-on where Hammond took a fine diving catch.Lammonby had quickly cleared the ropes twice, the second time with an audacious reverse scoop off Shaw. But when he tried to reverse sweep Tom Smith and guided the ball straight to extra cover it was 50 for 6. Smith accounted for Green in the same over. But van der Merwe kept things interesting by hitting the left-arm spinner for 6-6-4, in the eight over.Somerset needed 27 off the final two. That became 12 off the last when van der Merwe hit Payne for a six and a four.Ryan Higgins, bowling for the first time in the innings, saw his first ball swept for four by van der Merwe. The second, a slower delivery was dispatched over deep square for six and the third through the off side for four.