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England missed crucial chances on the second day to leave themselves well behind in the opening Test

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando25-May-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDon’t act too surprised, but Pakistan have played their second consecutive day of consistent, sober, intelligent cricket. For their reward, they have a 166-run lead with two wickets in hand – though one of those batsmen may not return due to injury.England, meanwhile, were shabby on occasion, missing four catches in the day – two in the space of four balls – and missing one tough run out chance. Their bowlers did not succeed going full as Pakistan had, perhaps because the pitch has settled slightly, but also because Pakistan were more skillful on day one.Ben Stokes did lead one resurgence either side of tea, finding success with a series of brutish bouncers. But then the lower order stood firm for Pakistan. They quickly pushed the lead beyond 150. Nos. 9 and 11 even saw out 4.1 overs before stumps.Three partnerships, involving six different batsmen, built this innings. Up the top were the overnight pair, Haris Sohail and Azhar Ali. Adding a 37 together on the second morning, they brought up their partnership tally to 75, withstanding the worst of England’s swing bowling.Haris fell for 39, edging Mark Wood behind. Azhar continued to his half-century, having batted a little more positively in this session, after having scored only 18 off 72 the previous day. He was out lbw, to a seaming delivery from James Anderson.In the afternoon, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam – two men in need of runs for different reasons – took control of the game, and produced Pakistan’s best partnership, amounting to 84.Shafiq, once an excellent No.6 batsman, has seen his average retreat over the past 18 months when he has more often been asked to bat at No. 4. Babar, a blinding limited-overs talent, is yet to crack the Test format, averaging less than 25 before this match.Together, though, the quelled the last of the swing England were able to generate, saw through one short-ball burst from Mark Wood, and batted positively against Dom Bess, the 20-year-old debutant offspinner. Babar’s innings contained some of the regality that has made him a short-format force: the back-foot punches and cover drives in particular were in alluring flow. Shafiq, a little less flash, but more assured at the crease, strode purposefully along.They both made smart fifties. Shafiq was out to a snorting Stokes bouncer on 59, able only to spasm evasively at a ball that was hunting his throat, the resultant catch off the shoulder of the bat floating to the cordon. Babar had moved to 69 when he too was victim to a Stokes bouncer, but in different fashion – the ball hit the bony part of his unprotected forearm as he attempted to duck beneath it. He went off the field, apparently unable to hold the bat, but did not go for an x-ray while play was on.Stokes had also had Sarfraz Ahmed caught at fine leg, hooking irresponsibly just before tea to prompt a frustrated shaking of the head from coach Mickey Arthur on the balcony. But although three batsmen had fallen to stokes in relatively quick succession, a young, inexperienced lower order pair put on Pakistan’s third excellent stand of the day.Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf didn’t just resist England; in fact, they actively attacked. Their 72 runs together came off 92 balls. This was all the more impressive for having come against a mostly-new ball – England’s seamers getting less seam movement this evening, than they had on day one.Anderson had success late in the day, dismissing Ashraf and later Hasan Ali, while another sharp Stokes bouncer had Shadab caught down the leg side for 59. But England’s bowlers will largely be disappointed at having allowed the lead to swell this much. The pitch is flattening out gradually, but they were especially innocuous for stretches. Bess, bowling offbreaks on a still-green surface is yet to impose himself on the game too – his 17 overs have gone for 59 runs – no first Test wicket so far.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fourth day of the Sheffield Shield final between Victoria and South Australia in Alice Springs

Brydon Coverdale29-Mar-2017
ScorecardSeb Gotch and Daniel Christian batted together for nearly 40 overs and were still unmoved at stumps•Getty Images

A third consecutive Sheffield Shield title for Victoria appears all but certain after the Bushrangers ground South Australia in to the Alice Springs dust on the fourth day of the final. Needing only to draw to lift the Shield, Victoria batted without urgency throughout the day; they started in the morning on 2 for 38 and added 216 over the course of the day, for the loss of a further four wickets.That meant that by stumps Victoria’s lead had swollen to 454 runs, and even the most diehard South Australia supporter would agree that to overhaul a target of at least that magnitude on the final day will be essentially impossible. At the close of play Victoria were on 6 for 254, with Daniel Christian unbeaten on 53 from 178 deliveries and Seb Gotch on 29 from 115.The day began encouragingly for the Redbacks, when nightwatchman Chris Tremain edged behind off Daniel Worrall to give Alex Carey an all-time record 59th dismissal for the Shield season. But to have a realistic victory chance, South Australia needed to run through the Bushrangers cheaply after that; instead, a series of stubborn Victoria partnerships ensured the lead grew to daunting proportions.Aaron Finch combined with opener Travis Dean for a 66-run stand that ended when Dean sent a catch to short cover off Adam Zampa’s legspin for 38 from 86 balls. Cameron White fell cheaply when he was lbw to Joe Mennie for 4, but Finch and Daniel Christian then put together a 39-run sixth-wicket stand to steady Victoria again.Such was the desperation of South Australia’s captain Travis Head that by stumps he had tried nine bowlers, with only Carey and Callum Ferguson not having been called upon. However, one of those changes brought a surprise breakthrough when opening batsman Jake Weatherald, bowling his first over of legspin at state level, found a way through Finch to bowl him for 83.However, it was to prove the last wicket of the day as Christian and Gotch then bedded in for a partnership that by stumps had reached 71 runs and had occupied 39 overs. If Victoria’s approach was not exactly the finest advertisement for the Shield final, which has been under threat in the domestic calendar in recent years, it should at least ensure the first hat-trick of Shield titles in the state’s long history.

A career-best 243 from Jaik Mickleburgh plus a first Championship century for Ben Foakes enabled Essex to take a firm grip on their Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Chelmsford

19-Jul-2013
ScorecardJaik Mickleburgh’s double hundred left Leicestershire with a tough task to save the match•Getty Images

A career-best 243 from Jaik Mickleburgh plus a first Championship century for Ben Foakes enabled Essex to take a firm grip on their Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Chelmsford.Mickleburgh’s effort plus the 120 from Foakes saw their side to an all-out total of 521 and a first innings lead of 156. By the close, the visitors had slumped to 47 for 3 in their second innings and were still facing an uphill struggle to avoid defeat.Resuming on 261 for 4, Mickleburgh and Foakes made progress against a weak visiting attack with embarrassing ease. Seldom did the ball beat the bat as they negotiated the morning session and a large slice of the afternoon without alarm in taking the score to 421 with a partnership of 270 in 74 overs.They were finally separated by left-arm spinner James Sykes when he tempted Foakes to drive into the hands of Ollie Freckingham at long-off. Foakes laced his innings with three sixes and 15 fours in a 198-ball stay before Mickleburgh’s marathon occupation of the crease was ended when he was seventh out having been bowled by Freckingham.In all he batted eight-and-three-quarter hours, faced 434 deliveries and hit 28 fours and a six. But despite the punishment he inflicted on Leicestershire, it did not prevent the visiting players rushing to shake his hand as he made his way back to the pavilion.Graham Napier weighed in with a brisk 41 before he was caught on the deep square-leg boundary attacking Sykes who, on his Championship debut, toiled away for 43 overs while claiming 4 for 176.However, it was pace man Freckingham who was the pick of the Leicestershire bowlers as he finished with three for 60 from 27.1 overs. For most of the day, the visiting captain Matt Boyce could only watch his side being put to the sword from the pavilion, while Greg Smith took over, because he was suffering from back spasms.And he must have been suffering again when his side embarked on their second innings, Smith departing with only a single on the board when he was caught behind by James Foster off Tymal Mills.The introduction of Essex offspinner Greg Smith gained immediate reward when the bowler trapped first innings centurion Ned Eckersley lbw with his first delivery with the total on 31.Worse was to follow, Smith striking again in his second over by having Niall O’Brien caught behind but the visitors steered clear of further disasters before the close. The visitors will resume on the final day requiring a further 109 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

The legspinner Tarun Nethula will have the chance to audition for a Test debut after he was named in the New Zealand side for their tour match against the WICB President’s XI, to begin in Antigua on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2012The legspinner Tarun Nethula will have the chance to audition for a Test debut after he was named in the New Zealand side for their tour match against the WICB President’s XI, to begin in Antigua on Friday. New Zealand chose the dual spin options of Nethula and Daniel Vettori, while the fast bowler Neil Wagner will also be given an opportunity to press his case for a Test debut.BJ Watling and Trent Boult will not play due to quad strains and the fast men Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee have been left out. Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, said the three-day first-class game would provide players with a fine chance to prepare for the Test series and would also give the selectors a look at some of their options for the first Test, which begins next Wednesday.”It’s a good opportunity for the players to get out there and spend time on their feet and it’s not often you get to play a warm-up game on a ground where you will be playing the Test match,” Taylor said. “We’re still undecided on the balance of the side for the Test series. Tarun has come in and spin is going to be a big part of how we play this warm-up game and the Test match. Hopefully he goes well and makes our job a lot harder when we come to pick the Test team.””The few times I played against [Wagner] and saw him on TV he’s very aggressive. He’s a guy who’s been wanting to play for New Zealand for a while and has very good record. He gives us a slightly different option being a left-hander and I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.”New Zealand XI Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (capt), Kane Williamson, Dean Brownlie, Daniel Vettori, Kruger van Wyk (wk), Neil Wagner, Tarun Nethula, Chris Martin.

Nic Maddinson hopes that some words of wisdom from his childhood idol Justin Langer can help him star during the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe

Brydon Coverdale23-Jun-2011Nic Maddinson hopes that some words of wisdom from his childhood idol Justin Langer can help him star during the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe. At 19, Maddinson is the youngest member of the squad, which departs on Saturday for a series of one-day and four-day games, but he’s already achieved plenty in his short career.There have been two cricket trips to India and one to New Zealand, where he helped Australia win the Under-19 World Cup, and last summer he became the youngest New South Wales player to make a century on first-class debut. He completed the feat at 18 years and 294 days, and by the end of the season he had a second hundred to his name.His arrival on the scene was reminiscent of Phillip Hughes, who three years ago became the youngest man to make a century in a Sheffield Shield final. But whereas Hughes has an unconventional style, Maddinson plays with a more classical technique, similar to his close friend and housemate Usman Khawaja.Perhaps Maddinson can now add some Langer-style mental toughness to his elegant game – not that he has struggled for concentration at the crease so far in his career. Langer is Australia’s assistant coach and has been working with the Australia A players during their camp in Brisbane, and Maddinson said it was a thrill to pick the brains of one of his heroes.”The partnership that him and Hayden had, as a young left-hander it was something that I looked up to,” Maddinson told ESPNcricinfo. “A few years ago when I got the opportunity to start opening, he was definitely an idol. I’ve had the opportunity the last month to do some work with him up at the Academy. It’s been excellent and something I’ll take in to the tour.”I’ve talked to him about the approach to batting and how he goes about things, a few of his experiences. Talking away from cricket and different tours and what goes on. It was excellent for me to see him because he was my idol. It was great to learn from him about cricket in Australia and how he came through the system and went on in his career.”One characteristic Maddinson shares with Langer is the desire to bat for long periods of time. When he was called into the New South Wales Shield side last season, he jumped at the chance to open with his club team-mate Phil Jaques, and went on to compile 113 during 206 minutes at the crease with Jaques and Khawaja there to support him.”I just love having the ability to bat all day and go at your own pace,” he said. “That was where I got the opportunity to open, which is what I like to do. Having Hughes and Warner and Jaques and Katich and Watson around, when I got the opportunity to open I just wanted to do well and prove that I could do it at that level.”During the past month in Brisbane, Maddinson has also impressed Tim Paine, the Australia A captain. Paine hadn’t met the young opener before, but was immediately struck by Maddinson’s level-headed nature, and what he described as “a quiet, unflappable demeanour”.”He’s your typical left-hander,” Paine said. “He looks pretty elegant when he hits the ball. He hits the ball very late and watches it very closely. I think he’s going to be a pretty handy player to have in our top three. It looks like his position where he’ll be batting on this tour is going to be No.3. He just looks like a quality player already at a young age.”It’s been a rapid rise for Maddinson, who moved to Sydney from Nowra on the south coast of New South Wales, where his father is a plumber and his mother a hairdresser. If he performs well in Zimbabwe, higher honours could await in the near future, but equally he knows that with the glut of openers in New South Wales, simply establishing himself in the state side next summer is enough of a goal.”It was a massive surprise to be picked for Australia A,” he said. “I was really honoured to be named in the 25 and looked around the squad at other guys who have played a lot of state cricket and are doing really well, so I thought I wasn’t going to get the opportunity to play.”My main goal for the year is cementing my spot and contributing and hopefully being able to win the Shield at the end of the year for New South Wales. Simon Katich is going to be back full-time this year. It’s going to be hard work. If I get the opportunity to open I’d love to do that again.”One thing that Maddinson can count on is being given opportunities. And if he grabs them, he’ll be one step closer to following Langer into Test cricket.

Harbhajan Singh has said India won’t lose their focus in the Asia Cup after the high of beating Pakistan

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla21-Jun-2010Harbhajan Singh, who hit the winning six in the see-saw match against Pakistan, has said India won’t lose their focus in the Asia Cup after the high of beating their arch-rivals. He had launched the penultimate ball of Saturday’s contest to pull off a thrilling victory which secured India’s place in the final against Sri Lanka.”You obviously feel proud and happy that we won the game against Pakistan, but this tournament isn’t over yet,” Harbhajan said after India’s practice session on Monday. “There are two more important matches to play, and we are looking to finish the tournament on a good note.”Harbhajan also stressed that his focus was mainly on his bowling and not on his batting. “I’m not an allrounder,” he said. “Firstly, I’m a bowler who can bat a bit and I want to keep it like that. I don’t take too much of pressure on myself by being called an allrounder.”Ahead of the Asia Cup, MS Dhoni had spoken about the dearth of quality fast-bowling allrounders in India, and Harbhajan also highlighted the lack of multi-skilled cricketers. “There was only one allrounder India has produced, that was Sir Kapil Dev,” he said. “After that forget Kapil Dev, we haven’t even produced an allrounder half as good as Kapil.”India have a decent record against Sri Lanka in bilateral series over the past few years, but have fallen short against them in several multi-team tournaments. Harbhajan said India needed to be wary of the Sri Lankan side. “They are a very good side, if you see their batting line-up, they have a very good line-up, Mahela [Jaywardene], [Kumar] Sangakkara and [Angelo] Mathews,” he said. “Their bowling is also quite good, we need to play as well as we can.”The visitors’ chances received a blow when experienced opener Virender Sehwag was forced out of the tournament by a hamstring injury. The Indian squad had a new member joining them on Monday morning after Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement. Karthik and Saurabh Tiwary, one of whom is likely to take Sehwag’s place in the XI for India’s two remaining matches, both had lengthy batting sessions in the afternoon.Harbhajan remained confident of a good performance despite missing three of their most experienced players. “All the players who are here have performed well whenever given the chance, whether it’s Pragyan Ojha, Dinesh Karthik or Virat Kohli,” he said. “I think we shouldn’t think of them as youngsters, they are here because they are good enough.”

Former Australia coach will join up with club in February after signing two-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024Northamptonshire have appointed former Australia coach Darren Lehmann to take charge at Wantage Road on a two-year contract.Lehmann, 54, succeeds John Sadler, who left his position as head coach in September after Northants were beaten in their Vitality Blast quarter-final. Northants were winless in the County Championship at the time, although rallied to finish fourth in Division Two.Lehmann, who had previously stepped back from some of his coaching work after suffering a heart attack in 2020, will join the club in February after working in a commentary role for ABC during the Australian summer.”Northamptonshire has a great history in our game and I am looking forward to meeting the players and learning about the club and its past and create our own history over the coming months and years,” Lehmann said.”The selling point for me is a group that wants to get better and follow their and the club’s dreams, create memories and play at the highest level possible. I will encourage this on and off the field, as well as open door policy. I’m sure we will have success and fun along the way.”Pre-season will search for the high skill levels that the group possess, and the assistant coaches will drive this until I can get there after our summer. We have excellent coaches who want nothing more than for the players to succeed on and off the field.”Lehmann played more than 100 times for Australia, later coaching them to success in the 2013-14 Ashes. He won the Big Bash League with Brisbane Heat in 2012-13, before returning to the team after his time with Australia, fulfilling the role as assistant coach for their 2023-24 title.He has a wealth of experience in England, having had a long and successful playing career with Yorkshire, later coaching the Headingley-based Northern Superchargers in the first season of the Hundred.Northamptonshire’s CEO, Ray Payne, said: “I am delighted we have been able to secure a new head coach with the history, reputation, skills and knowledge that Darren possesses. It is a real marker in the ground and demonstrates once again, the clubs desire to achieve to its highest level on the field.”From our first conversation with Darren it was clear to see his passion and excitement for the opportunity and his coaching philosophy is something that aligns well with the goals of the club.”With this appointment and David Ripley as head coach of Steelbacks Women, we believe we have strong leadership for both the men’s and women’s Northamptonshire teams and that will be the envy of others and well set for success.”I wish Darren all the best in the role and know he will have the support of the whole club and all of the supporters as we strive for promotion back to Division One of the County Championship and success in both white-ball competitions.”

Guest’s 80*, Scrimshaw’s career-best 5 for 49 and rain keep Sussex at bay after posting 402

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2023Derbyshire 212 for 3 (Guest 80*, Shipley 2-64) trail Sussex 402 (Hudson-Prentice 63*, Scrimshaw 5-49) by 190 runsAn unbeaten 80 by Derbyshire’s wicketkeeper-batter Brooke Guest frustrated Sussex on the second day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Hove.Guest, who has yet to score a century this season, came in during the third over and was still there when bad light forced the players off at 5.45pm, with his side 212 for three from 60 overs in reply to Sussex’s 402 and trailing by 190.In the context of the game, it was an important contribution from the 26-year-old who has so far shared a fourth-wicket stand of 70 with Leus du Plooy, the second-highest run-scorer in Division Two. He has contributed 32.With rain forcing the team off for an hour during the afternoon it was a frustrating day for Sussex, who have moved back into second place in the table as a result of Leicestershire’s inactivity against Glamorgan by claiming five bonus points so far, but are desperate to claim a second win of the season and enhance their promotion prospects.The hosts, dismissed earlier in the day for 402, had to be patient on a slow pitch with little sideways movement.Harry Came, having taken three boundaries off Henry Shipley in the first over of the reply, was caught at square leg off a mistimed pull in the New Zealander’s second over, but Guest and Luis Reece progressed carefully either side of lunch as Sussex employed five seamers and off-spinner Jack Carson in search of a breakthrough.Reece had his share of luck. On three a thick edge off Shipley dropped just short of third slip and then on 20 Ari Karvelas, diving forward at fine leg, couldn’t hold on to a mis-timed pull. But after adding three more runs he drove at Shipley’s away-swinger and edged to slip.Either side of an hour’s delay for rain in mid-afternoon Wayne Madsen accumulated busily and when he reached 23 he passed Denis Smith to become Derbyshire’s second highest run-scorer in all formats on 20,520. Kim Barnett’s club record of 36,212 looks safe for a while yet.But two balls after reaching fifty for the fourth time this season, Madsen was out in unlucky circumstances when a full-blooded sweep at Carson bounced off short leg Dan Ibrahim’s pads and rebounded to Karvelas, who took a simple catch in the covers.With the floodlights on and the light poor Sussex would have fancied making further inroads but Guest, who has so far faced 176 balls and hit 12 fours and a six, and du Plooy stood firm before the players went off with 22 overs not bowled.Earlier, Sussex had been dismissed for 402 with beanpole seamer George Scrimshaw picking up the last three wickets to finish with a career-best 5 for 49 as he took the 1000th five-wicket haul by a Derbyshire bowler.Karvelas was caught in the gully and Carson edged his second ball to second slip with Sussex still 20 runs short of a fourth batting point.But last man Shipley hit a six with the ball lodging on the pavilion roof to bring up the 400 before he was caught at point to give Scrimshaw his fifth wicket. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was left unbeaten on 63, his fifth half-century of the season.

A slip-up against du Plessis’ side could cost the defending champions a playoff spot

Srinidhi Ramanujam03-May-20222:55

Who should CSK’s overseas players be? Is batting letting RCB down?

Big picture

Good planning and clarity of roles can often bring confidence and favourable results for sports teams. Nine games into their IPL 2022 campaign, Chennai Super Kings finally look like they know what they are doing – though the sample size is just one match – and it has coincided with the return of their 2:29

Vettori: Kohli innings had too many dot balls and singles between the boundaries

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Moeen Ali/Dwayne Bravo/Mitchell Santner, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Simarjeet Singh, 11 Mukesh ChoudharyRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Faf du Plessis (capt), 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Mahipal Lomror, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Strategy Punt

Relieved of captaincy duties, Ravindra Jadeja bowled in tandem with Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the middle overs and conceded only 15 runs from his 18 balls against Sunrisers. He will be crucial especially against Glenn Maxwell. Jadeja has dismissed Maxwell seven out of the 13 times they have met in the IPL, with the Australian averaging just 10.1. Jadeja has also removed Kohli thrice in 16 T20s and has brought his strike rate down to 108.

Stats that matter

• Dhoni has hit 46 sixes against Royal Challengers over the years, the most by a batter against them.
• du Plessis has been dismissed by pacers eight times in his ten matches this IPL.
• Kohli has scored 949 runs against Super Kings in the IPL, the most against an opposition for him.