Category Uncategorized

Mahika Gaur and James Rew collect Young Player awards at end-of-season event

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2023Tammy Beaumont and Harry Brook have been voted winners of the cinch Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) Player of the Year awards, with Mahika Gaur and James Rew collecting the Young Player awards.Beaumont, winner of the women’s award in 2016, collected the accolade for a second time after a stellar summer in which she broke the record for the highest individual international score for England Women with her double-hundred in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, as well as finishing as the second-leading run-scorer in the women’s Hundred.Brook, who won Men’s Young Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022, added the senior award to his collection on the back of a prolific run of form in the Test team, as well as helping England to win the 2022 T20 World Cup.”I’m really pleased to win it,” Beaumont said. “I was shocked just to be nominated with lots of players having really good individual summers in Nat [Sciver-Brunt], Georgia [Adams] and Bryony [Smith]. I’m very grateful that my peers have voted for me and I think that’s what makes the PCA Awards so special because it’s voted for by your team-mates and opposition.”I tend not to look at my statistics, yes the double-hundred was nice but we didn’t win that game, so I should have got more in the second innings but I’m very proud of that achievement.”Brook, who forced his way into England Men’s ODI World Cup squad after hitting a 41-ball century in the Hundred, said: “I wasn’t expecting to win this award if I’m honest, the last 12 months have been a dream come true and this is a huge honour. To contribute to wins for my country has been fantastic and I want to continue doing that. I’ve had the experience of playing in different conditions with and against some of the best players in the world so to help win games of cricket for England has made it even sweeter.Harry Brook was named PCA men’s player of the year•Getty Images for PCA

“It’s a great feeling having players vote for you and I want to say thank you to them. Looking at the high profile names on this trophy and to be alongside them is incredible. To have done what I have in the last 12 months in international cricket is a dream and hopefully it continues.”Left-arm seamer Gaur became the third 17-year-old in succession to win the PCA Women’s Young Player award, after Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp. Gaur, who had previously been capped by UAE, made her England T20I and ODI debuts against Sri Lanka last month.”It means a lot more to me than a normal award because with the cinch PCA Awards, it’s the other players voting for you,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed moving over from Dubai and I’ve learnt lots this season, I didn’t think at the start of the year that I’d be playing for England so I’m really grateful.”Rew, meanwhile, enjoyed a breakthrough summer with Somerset. The 19-year-old wicketkeeper scored 1086 runs in Division One of the County Championship, including five hundreds, to become the first teenager to win the PCA Men’s Young Player award since James Taylor in 2009.”I was just trying to keep it simple and score runs, I was overjoyed just to be nominated for an award that has some amazing names on it, it’s really special for me,” Rew said.”I want to keep performing well for Somerset and try and put in a title challenge and hopefully I can break into the Somerset white-ball side and try to get into the England Test team in the future.”The PCA awards, held at the Troxy in east London, also saw Liam Dawson and Georgia Adams acknowledged for their domestic performances, Gloucestershire’s Tom Smith receive the Outstanding Contribution Award, and Special Merit prizes handed out to retiring England greats Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Stuart Broad.PCA Chief Executive, Rob Lynch, added: “This year was a momentous one for the game. To be able to celebrate all our winners at the most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket was the perfect end to a summer to remember. Congratulations to the four main award winners at this year’s cinch PCA Awards, all of them performed at an inspiring level and are deserving of their prizes.”Well done to all award winners from this season, your phenomenal performances have helped make this an unforgettable summer.”I would like to thank cinch for making the PCA Awards possible and for supporting the professional game.”

Former Yorkshire coach describes board inquiry as ‘tainted process’ following sacking

David Hopps29-Jun-2022Andrew Gale, the former Yorkshire head coach, will refuse to defend himself against ECB charges that he has brought the game into disrepute because of his alleged role in the Azeem Rafiq racism allegations.Gale, who is one of seven people to be charged by the ECB, has broken his silence for the first time since he was sacked by Yorkshire in December.”I am not willing to take part in a tainted process,” Gale wrote in a post on Facebook. “I am moving on with my life.”In a lengthy and wide-ranging statement, Gale:

• Castigates the ECB, Yorkshire and others for pre-judging the issue and says he has no confidence of a fair hearing.
• Complains that he was not interviewed during the ECB’s own inquiry, even though he had expressed a willingness to take part.
• Reveals that he has moved on from cricket and has started a joinery business in Yorkshire with his cousin.
• Challenges Yorkshire to confirm or deny his suspicion that a mass removal of 16 members of staff was part of an agreement with Rafiq, during an out-of-court settlement of Rafiq’s own employment tribunal claim.

Lord Patel contended during the Headingley Test that Yorkshire had to act to avoid a real risk of bankruptcy, with sponsors leaving in droves and the ECB demanding rapid evidence of change if they were not to remove the club’s right to stage international cricket.Gale is also claiming unfair dismissal and his own employment tribunal is scheduled to take place in Leeds on October 31. It appears that attempts to call the warring parties before judicial mediation and agree a settlement now may have collapsed.”The Club agreed to attend a Judicial Mediation on the 21st and 22nd June 2022 but recently sought to postpone that process and gave the reason of the rail strike for postponing,” Gale added in his statement. “The Judicial Mediation would have been a great opportunity for the Club to reach a settlement with all the staff who were unfairly dismissed. We shall now let the Employment Tribunal consider any additional victimisation claims and the remedy that is due to us on the hearing on 31 October.”The Employment Tribunal is a court of law and is a more senior jurisdiction to the ECB process. I will be bound by its findings.”Only two of the 16 staff members to have been sacked or paid off by Yorkshire have been charged by the ECB: Gale and his fellow coach, Richard Pyrah.Gale complains that the identities of the seven charged players were leaked to the media, and confirmed that they had been correctly identified as himself and Pyrah, alongside another member of the Yorkshire coaching staff, John Blain, and four former England players – Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, Gary Ballance and Michael Vaughan, who this week announced he was ‘stepping away’ from his work with the BBC, following internal criticism at the corporation. The disrepute charge relates to the use of racist and discriminatory language.The Yorkshire CCC logo, painted on the side of the roller at Headingley•Getty Images

Gale is particularly scathing about the ECB inquiry into the affair and accuses the board of deliberately excluding him from the investigatory process.”I offered to meet with the ECB and to travel anywhere in England where they wanted to meet. When I chased up a meeting date, I was informed that the ECB had chosen not to interview me, but they clearly spent considerable amounts of time interviewing Azeem.”I haven’t had a single phone call from the ECB. My requests for details of the interviewing panel, and what the exact nature of the investigation was, was not answered. Accordingly. I do not share the ECB’s view that it has conducted a “thorough and complex” investigation.”I believe that we are being put forward as scapegoats and I simply will not cooperate in that process.”According to Gale, he had no meeting or communication with Lord Patel, who took up an emergency role as Yorkshire chairman in November, other than a single email which terminated the employment of 16 people in the most tumultuous day in Yorkshire’s cricket history.”Lord Patel quickly reached a settlement with Azeem in connection with the Employment Tribunal claim,” he added. “I was never invited to meet Lord Patel. He has never spoken to me or communicated with me. I am astounded that he took the action he did without meeting me. I have asked for the particulars of that settlement to be disclosed to me, as I suspect it was a term of the settlement that I and other members of staff were to be dismissed.”There was no right to appeal. To this day, I am still unclear as to the exact evidence upon which the club relied upon to dismiss me, save that it appears to rely solely on the previous evidence of Azeem.”Gale contends that the mass sackings took place because of a joint letter sent by employees of the club to Yorkshire in October which doubled down on criticism of Rafiq, levelling him as “problematic” and accusing him of an “extremely hurtful one-man mission to bring down the club and with it, people of genuine integrity”.Related

• Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, John Blain withdraw from ECB racism hearing

• Yorkshire face more financial strife as Andrew Gale wins initial tribunal hearing after sacking

• ECB charges Yorkshire and individuals over racism allegations

• Lord Patel: Yorkshire would have gone bust if Headingley Test had been removed

• Michael Vaughan 'steps back' from BBC coverage following Yorkshire racism charge

He wrote: “Other than two individuals, all the dismissed / terminated staff were signatories to the October letter. If we hadn’t signed the October letter, I do not believe the 14 of us would have had our contracts terminated. The October letter was a request for information and communication. It should have been treated as a grievance letter. Nothing contained within it justified summary dismissal six weeks after it was provided to YCCC.”He rejects the charge that Yorkshire have been institutionally racist.The term, often misunderstood, always bears further explanation. It is commonly defined as: “Discrimination or unequal treatment on the basis of membership of a particular ethnic group (typically one that is a minority or marginalized), arising from systems, structures, or expectations that have become established within an institution or organization.”There is criticism, too, for the approach of Julian Knight, the chair of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee which heard evidence from Rafiq in November.Gale wrote: “I haven’t met anybody who wasn’t astounded to hear that the chairman of the DCMS, Julian Knight MP, made a public announcement a week before the hearing to confirm that he had already decided that there was “endemic racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club” and that he couldn’t think of any reason why “the Board should remain in post”. The DCMS committee accepted every word that Azeem said when briefly interviewed. Nothing he said was challenged.”Rafiq, whose testimony before the committee had included his claim that he had lost his career to racism, has privately indicated that he would have been happy to be cross-examined more forcefully.Gale added of Rafiq: “It’s fair to say that we didn’t always agree on team selection and tactics. Azeem was never shy about stating his view. He adopted that approach with a number of captains at the club. He seemed to have an issue with colleagues who captained the club, but my differences of opinion with him only related to cricket matters and not race or religion.”In the wake of his sacking, Gale said that he has moved into a joinery business with his cousin, and added that he felt that cricket had abandoned him after a 20-year professional career.”My career in professional cricket was destroyed on the 3 December 2021,” he says. “My income was cut off and my temporary coaching role with Hobart Hurricanes was retracted. I applied for a number of jobs in cricket but have become a persona non grata as a result of the Club’s actions.”

Buttler has remodelled his thinking after watching other players

Matt Roller09-Mar-2021What should be at the forefront of a batsman’s mind during a T20 run chase?Conventional wisdom would suggest that the answer is the required run-rate, but for the world’s best players, that might not be the case anymore. Instead, batsmen are now thinking in terms of the boundary equation: how many balls do I have left, and how many boundaries do I need to hit off them?It was a method embraced by the West Indies side that won World T20 titles in 2012 and 2016: while their opponents fretted over minimising dot balls and their speed between the wickets, West Indies focused on clearing the ropes, recognising that the risk was merited by the pay-off. Across the three tournaments between 2012 and 2016, West Indies hit 121 sixes; no other team managed 90.And while West Indies’ own focus on six-hitting has continued, epitomised by Kieron Pollard’s six sixes in an over off Akila Dananjaya last week, other teams and players have wised up. Jos Buttler, renowned as one of the world’s best batsmen in limited-overs chases, revealed his own mindset shift during England’s T20I series in South Africa last year.”I’ve almost changed the way I look at T20 batting a bit from the last IPL, watching the West Indian guys who back their six-hitting a lot,” Buttler said. “So if I’m getting a bit stuck, [I’m now] looking at my score and thinking if I hit the next two balls for six, suddenly I’ll jump into a different position.”Related

• Jos Buttler: 'Managing risk is a big part of T20 batting'

• Buttler on NZ Tests-IPL clash: 'No perfect answer'

• Rathour: Ind should know T20 WC team by end of series

• Billings: 'I just want to be tricky to bowl at'

• Archer in doubt for T20I series

Three days out from England’s T20I series in India – which he sees as a “vital” chance to take on a team who are favourites for a T20 World Cup in their own conditions – Buttler elaborated on his approach, explaining that the shift in his mentality was about “continuously learning: looking at other players and how they set up their own innings chasing targets down”.”For me, I’ve always wanted to operate around a run-rate and try to make sure I’m up with the rate [when I’m] chasing,” he said. “I would feel like I would force the issue sometimes and sit in the dressing room and think I’ve tried maybe to force it a bit earlier [than I needed to].”Having watched other players in the IPL and in other international games, they seem to maintain a calm look on it and see chasing as ‘we need to hit seven sixes in the remaining five overs’. I’ve never really myself thought of it like that before.”[I’m] actually just trying to bring that a bit more into my game and into my mathematics of chasing scores down – not looking at runs per ball or runs an over that’s required, actually saying if we hit X sixes, that will win us the game. It’s just a change of mindset and [a case of] continually learning.”Jos Buttler has changed his way of thinking about run chases after watching other players•Getty Images

The change may seem subtle, but it typifies the improvements that top batsmen are making to their T20 method as they look to minimise risk while maximising opportunities to score. Increasingly, that involves targeting favourable match-ups and shorter boundaries, meaning that players like Buttler are comfortable going through brief lulls in the knowledge that they will be able to hit several boundaries in a single over when the situation suits them.The shift has been apparent in a number of Buttler’s recent innings. In the English summer, he nudged his way to 25 off 24 balls in a chase of 158 against Australia before adding 52 off his next 30, targeting the spinners as the game wore on. In the IPL, he was happy to soak up pressure when facing Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians’ spinners during run chases and instead took down Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya, who he saw as the bowlers to take down as the game wore on.It was particularly clear in England’s most recent T20I, against South Africa in Cape Town.At the start of the 11th over, England were 85 for 1 with Buttler on 23 off 24 balls, and 107 runs required off the final 10 overs. With the inexperienced Lutho Sipamla bowling to a short leg-side boundary, Buttler thrashed consecutive sixes over long-on, and added another four for good measure to take the required rate below the current one in the space of an over. It was a calculated assault: he was watchful against Lungi Ngidi and George Linde, the bowlers he saw as a threat, but brutal against the perceived weak link.”There are a number of guys who seem to look at the game like that – I’m probably a bit embarrassed that I hadn’t picked up on that sooner to be honest,” Buttler said. “I’ve always been someone who, when chasing, likes to be in and around the rate, but there’s other guys who seem to allow that rate to get larger but backing their six-hitting. It’s more about me backing my six-hitting availability and feeling that I can rely on it if I need it.”The result has been a rich vein of form in T20 run chases. Since the start of 2020, Buttler averages 47.09 in run chases, with a strike rate of 153.25, all while navigating a shift into the middle order for Rajasthan Royals and shifting back up to open for England.If he can maintain that sort of record over the next 12 months, England will fancy their chances of becoming the first men’s team to hold both World Cup trophies simultaneously.

The home side have lost Andrew Tye to injury while they face a side coming off an unexpected 3-0 series win in Pakistan

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan26-Oct-2019

Big Picture

Australia’s men begin their international summer with eyes firmly on a year from now: the T20 World Cup on home soil. It is the global prize that has eluded them, in a format they have struggled to grasp. With the next 50-over World Cup four years away and the Test side rebuilding steadily after a difficult year, there is a sense they are now going to give T20 cricket a proper focus.Whether it works remains to be seen, but a home World Cup means there won’t be many unknowns in terms of conditions and there were some promising signs with their last two series being a draw (at home) and a win (away) against India. Where the unknowns remain a year out is in what Australia’s best T20I side looks like. The start of the series against Sri Lanka – which begins a run of six matches in quick succession – is a chance to start answering a few questions.The series marks the home international returns of David Warner and Steven Smith – two players who need to re-establish their roles in the T20I side – and a chance for the frontline pacemen, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, to settle into the team having often missed this format due to rest and rotation.They are facing a Sri Lanka side buoyed by their recent, somewhat unexpected, success in Pakistan with what was billed a shadow team due to a long list of players not touring but ended up with a 3-0 scoreline which has suddenly boosted their options with an eye on next year’s World Cup.Sri Lanka’s struggles in recent years means they have to go through the pre-qualifying phase of the tournament but there is time for them to build a team that should leave them confident of progressing to the main draw. The batting, in Australia in particular, remains a concern and they were rusty against the Prime Minister’s XI, but the bowling attack has enough variation to pose issues for Australia.

Form guide

(last five completed matches)
Australia WWLWL
Sri Lanka WWWWL

In the spotlight

A poor World Cup has left his one-day spot under question again and Test cricket appears to be gone, but Glenn Maxwell remains a lock in the T20I side. His last two innings, against India in February, were 56 and a brilliant unbeaten 113 to take Australia to their 2-0 series victory. His bowling will allow Australia to play one frontline spinner if they want while he remains one of the outstanding fielders in the game.After being a beneficiary of the need for some new batsmen for the tour of Pakistan, Oshada Fernando hit 78 off 48 deliveries on his debut when he came in at 30 for 3 so has set himself a high benchmark. He looked the best of the Sri Lankan batsmen in the warm-up against the PM’s XI – albeit against a less demanding attack than he’ll face in the T20Is – with 38 off 25 balls and his form may be enough to keep an experienced player like Kusal Perera on the sidelines.

Team news

Andrew Tye was ruled out of the series due to a suspected elbow ligament injury, sustained when throwing during the team’s main training session on Friday afternoon. The injury more or less guarantees a spot for Kane Richardson alongside Starc and Cummins, while Ashton Turner is expected to play in the middle order even though he is still somewhat restricted in his throwing and is still unable to bowl as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Captain Aaron Finch looks fit to play following a side strain.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Steven Smith, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Kane RichardsonLasith Malinga will come in to lead the side after missing the warm-up match against the PM’s XI in Canberra on Thursday night. Given the limited preparation time in Australia, they may give the top order that played the warm-up the first chance. Isuru Udana, the left-arm seamer and hard-hitting batsman, is likely bolster the lower order.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Kusal Mendis, 3 Bhanuka Rajapakse, 4 Oshada Fernando, 5 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Lasith Malinga (capt), 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide Oval’s drop-in surface looked a pleasant straw colour for batting after the ground staff had both a hot spell, and also periods of cooler weather and rain to contend with in the lead up to their first fixture of the Australian season. The weather forecast is for temperate conditions with a top of around 19C.

Stats and Trivia

• Malinga took 5 for 6 – including four wickets in four balls – in his last T20I against New Zealand
• Sri Lanka have an impressive T20I record in Australia with five wins from six matches. In 2017 they secured a 2-1 series win against a hotchpotch Australia team due to a Test series taking place in India, although five of that Australia squad are in this current set-up (six if you include the injured Tye).
• Starc has played just one T20I in the last three years – that was against India last November when he was a late addition to the squad.

Quotes

“I’m all good, ready to go. I felt really good batting in particular. I was a bit worried about throwing yesterday, it wasn’t the most comfortable thing over the last few days in Perth, but getting here and batting yesterday and today, throwing a fair bit gave me a lot of confidence. The last three days it’s been really good, I’ve got full movement, full training today and pretty heavy batting session yesterday, not a lot of throwing, but I feel confident to go.”
“We’re expecting good cricket, because these days they play Big Bash also, so they’re a tough team. They’re in touch, they know the conditions, but still we want to do our best here. I’ve got a good young side and we had a winning note in the last tournament and we have good confidence. But we don’t have much experience in these conditions, so mental preparation is very important I think.”
Lasith Malinga

Nottinghamshire’s recent signings made a good impression, but Yorkshire’s seamers found late inroads

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge04-Sep-20181:56

Burns piles on the runs after England snub

ScorecardIf Ben Slater’s motivation for leaving Derbyshire for Trent Bridge was to improve his conversion rate for fifties into hundreds then so far it has been 100 percent successful. The busy left-hander completed 25 half-centuries in a little over five seasons at the County Ground but turned only three into centuries, the last one more than two years ago; on his home debut for Nottinghamshire, he achieved his objective at the first attempt.Slater and the West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite, who made 71 on what is his home debut also, put on 182 for the first wicket, comfortably the most productive partnership of Nottinghamshire’s season, although Yorkshire mounted something of a fightback late in the day.

Talking T20

Dan Norcross and Matt Roller start the build-up to the Vitality Blast Finals Day
Listen on ESPN Radio

Ben Duckett, coming in at No. 4 rather than his familiar position at the top of the order, marked his first appearance since his move from Northamptonshire with a bright 80 from 89 balls, but four wickets claimed for 39 runs redressed the balance a little for Yorkshire in may yet be a crucial fixture in the final equation at the bottom of the Division One table.The first half of the day, though, belonged squarely to Nottinghamshire, and Slater especially. Apart from one major aberration when he had made only 6, his hundred was a fine one, with boundaries flowing freely as his confidence grew. He worked the ball well off his legs in particular, although some of Yorkshire’s bowling made boundaries a little too easily had at times.There might have been some nerves as he moved into the 90s, but then Josh Poysden, the legspinner, obligingly lobbed him a rank full toss on 99. He pulled it gleefully between mid-on and mid-wicket for four – his 18th – and raised both arms in the air, the home spectators responding by rising to their feet all round the ground.Leaving Derbyshire has meant passing up the chance to work again with Dave Houghton, who was batting coach at the County Ground as Slater was breaking into the senior side.  Then again, Peter Moores is not a bad substitute.  If there is another level Slater has yet to reach, the former England coach will steer him towards it.Nottinghamshire’s 182 without loss before the first wicket fell was clearly not a score Yorkshire expected to be staring at bleakly on the first afternoon after assessing a thick layer of cloud cover and deciding to bowl. Not too much grass had been left on the pitch but it seemed like a good decision when the first few overs turned into a series of plays and misses by the opening pair.There seemed to be movement through the air and off the pitch but luck eluded Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan.  Brooks in particular came up with some testing deliveries and it was he who suffered the exasperation of seeing Slater dropped off a miscued pull.  Matt Waite, at square leg, seemed to pick the ball up late and it was on him before he was set, a good chance gone begging.Matthew Waite celebrates•Getty Images

Waite, a pretty sharp 22-year-old right-arm bowler making only his third first-class appearance, made some amends for his error later by claiming three wickets in the space of 20 deliveries, Slater’s being the last of them when he was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Jonny Tattersall.He had paid a heavy price, nonetheless, although one that was hard to envisage after an hour, with Nottinghamshire 21 without loss and Slater and partner Brathwaite obliged to take a cautious approach.The mood changed rather abruptly after Waite, who had bowled well after coming on first change for Brooks, undid five pretty tight overs with a wayward sixth, from which Brathwaite took four boundaries. That was followed by a fairly awful one from Mathew Pillans, making his Yorkshire debut after his move from Surrey, who never found a consistent rhythm all day. Suddenly 30 runs had been added in just two overs and with it the balance tilted to Nottinghamshire.After Waite’s mid-afternoon burst, though, it began to shift back towards  Yorkshire, more so after they were able to claim the second new ball, when Brooks took out Steven Mullaney’s off stump before Bresnan had Duckett caught behind flashing outside off stump and Tom Moores taken at cover in consecutive overs.Yorkshire, next to bottom of the table after last week’s heavy defeat to Somerset, will draw some encouragement – and they need it in what are tough times. The team picked here showed six changes, although three were down to injuries – the bane of their season – and another due to Kane Williamson’s return to New Zealand. Jack Leaning, though, is dropped.Nottinghamshire have made three changes. Luke Fletcher has a niggle and Billy Root steps aside for Mullaney’s return. The more surprising omission is Riki Wessels, left out to accommodate Duckett, although it will presumably have been a close call between him, Samit Patel and Jake Libby, whose stats have been broadly similar.

England have suffered a major setback in their preparations for Saturday’s Women’s World Cup opener against India at Derby, with the news that Lauren Winfield, their hard-hitting opener, will miss the match after sustaining a wrist injury

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2017England have suffered a major setback in their preparations for Saturday’s Women’s World Cup opener against India at Derby, with the news that Lauren Winfield, their hard-hitting opener, will miss the match after sustaining a wrist injury.Winfield chose to retire out on 27 during England’s final warm-up match against New Zealand at Derby on Wednesday, but it did not appear an issue at the time as England coasted to a seven-wicket victory with more than 22 overs remaining.She is set to undergo a further assessment next week, but the team management are already anticipating that she will have to miss England’s second fixture, against Pakistan at Leicester on Tuesday.In the meantime, her hand will put in a protective cast until further information is available to the medical staff.Winfield, 26, has been an integral part of the England team’s revival in the past 12 months, in the aftermath of a disappointing showing at the World T20 in March 2016.Lauren Winfield had been in good form in England’s World Cup warm-ups•Getty Images

Following the retirement of Charlotte Edwards last year, Winfield’s partnership with Tammy Beaumont at the top of the order has injected a new intensity into England’s one-day batting, and against Pakistan at Worcester last June, they both made centuries in a record opening stand of 235.Winfield followed that up with two half-centuries in a hard-fought 3-2 series win over West Indies in the Caribbean in October.It is the latest setback to England’s preparations, following the foot injury that Heather Knight, the captain, sustained in the build-up to the tournament. Knight sat out the New Zealand fixture, but confirmed she is back to full fitness with wickets and runs in England’s previous warm-up game, against Sri Lanka at Chesterfield.

Delhi Daredevils defended 164 against Mumbai Indians and sealed a hat-trick of wins for the first time since IPL 2012

The Report by Sirish Raghavan23-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAmit Mishra tied down Mumbai Indians with his googlies and sliders•BCCI

Delhi Daredevils defended 164 against Mumbai Indians and secured a hat-trick of wins for the first time since IPL 2012. They became the second team, after Royal Challengers Bangalore, to defend a total in IPL 2016. Mumbai appeared to be cruising in the early part of their chase, but legspinners Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir strangled them in the middle overs, before seamers Zaheer Khan and Chris Morris fired inch-perfect yorkers to seal Daredevils’ tense 10-run victory.Mumbai still had a chance when the equation was 42 off 18 with Kieron Pollard on 8 and Rohit Sharma on 50. Morris, coming back for his third spell, conceded ten runs in the 18th over and Zaheer followed it with the wicket of Pollard to leave Morris with 20 to defend off the final over. Hardik Pandya slapped the first ball to long-off and Rohit gave Mumbai hope by clouting the second ball for six. A ball later, when scampering back for a second run, Rohit collided with Hardik near the middle of the pitch and was run out. Mumbai also had to bear the anxiety of Rohit being helped off the field by the physio. Morris trapped Harbhajan Singh lbw the next ball and consigned Mumbai to their fourth loss in six matches.Mumbai, however, had started brightly in their chase. Rohit and Ambati Rayudu pierced the packed off-side field frequently, after Parthiv Patel was run out for 1 in the second over. Rohit and Rayudu built momentum with seven fours in 12 balls and the score raced past fifty by the sixth over.Rayudu could have been dismissed on 16 had JP Duminy hung onto a sharp catch at slip. He added nine runs before Mishra bowled him with a googly in his second over. Krunal Pandya, who was promoted to No.4, mixed finesse with power and hit 36 off 17 before Zaheer caught him short with a direct hit off his own bowling.Krunal’s run out applied the brakes on Mumbai’s innings. Mishra’s googly then made a reappearance in his third over and pinned Jos Buttler lbw for 2. Mishra celebrated the wicket by setting off on a celebratory run. Mishra and Imran Tahir tightened the screws and ended with combined figures of 8-0-53-2. Rohit then brought up his third fifty of the season with a crunching drive in the 17th over but his collision with Hardik killed the chase.Hardik was involved in a similar nasty collision when he tore to his left from deep backward square leg and bumped his face into Buttler who was running to his right from deep midwicket.Daredevils met an early stumbling block when Quinton de Kock, coming off a century against Royal Challengers, miscued a leg-side slog to backward point for 9 in the second over off Mitchell McClenaghan. Shreyas Iyer showed promise before he fell to a leg-side slog of his own. By the time Karun Nair sent a top edge to fine leg the following over, Daredevils had been reduced to 54 for 3 in eight overs.Duminy then joined Sanju Samson and revived Daredevils’ innings. They did so under pressure, given that Daredevils had packed their team with bowlers, with Pawan Negi batting at No.6. At one point 26 off 27 balls, Samson broke free with a huge six off Harbhajan Singh over long-on. A ball later he swept the offspinner for four between deep square leg and fine leg. He went on to bring up his fifth half-century against Mumbai off 40 balls.Samson holed out in the 17th over but Duminy took 22 runs off 11 balls from Jasprit Bumrah. The highlight of Duminy’s unbeaten 49 off 31 was an over-the-shoulder scoop for six. Mumbai, on the other hand, did not find impetus in their slog overs.

Monty Panesar has been given professional help in overcoming the personal problems which have dogged his season but it is now down to him to show he is a reformed character

Andrew McGlashan23-Sep-2013Monty Panesar has been given professional help in overcoming the personal problems which have dogged his season, but it is now down to him to show he is a reformed character after being handed a place on the Ashes tour.Panesar was forced to leave Sussex for Essex in August after being fined following an incident in Brighton where he urinated on bouncers. When England wanted a second spinner for The Oval Test they went for Lancashire’s Simon Kerrigan, but his awful debut – where he bowled just eight overs for 53, amid a series of full tosses and long hops – meant the decision on who would support Graeme Swann in Australia was between Panesar and James Tredwell.With 164 wickets at 33.78 in 48 Tests there was no doubt that Panesar remained the second best spinner, but a key part of England’s success in Australia during 2010-11 – of which Panesar was a squad member – was having a tightly-knit squad and the management will have wanted assurances that Panesar would be able to fit into that mould.In India last year Panesar formed a matchwinning partnership with Swann during England’s series victory, but then struggled in New Zealand when he was left as the sole spinner after Swann’s elbow injury flared up.Even before his raucous night out, Panesar’s domestic form for Sussex had not been outstanding – although he was part of the squad for the Old Trafford Test – but he has shown signs of regaining his form and confidence with Essex even if 12 wickets at 33.66 is not overwhelming.The ECB has provided support for Panesar over the last few weeks and he will continue to be offered the assistance he needs, but he could face a tour with a lot of time on the sidelines which will be a test of his focus.Hugh Morris, the outgoing managing director of England cricket, said: “We try to provide different support to different players. Clearly that remains confidential, but you can rest assured that the support Monty needs – both on and off the field – he is getting.”Geoff Miller, the national selector, said he had been given enough assurances that Panesar will be able cope with the two-and-a-half month trip from late October to early January.”He’s very prepared to let his bowling do the talking for him, so I’m prepared to accept that,” Miller said. He’s an experienced international player, and it’s up to him to actually produce the goods for us.'”Monty had his problems, which we’ve worked hard to rectify in the last six weeks – and he has too,” he said. “There’s a very strong management in that side to help all aspects of it. He’s appreciated he’s made errors and he’s very sure that those errors are behind him now.”Although official stand-by players for the main squad have not been named, Miller did say that he had been in conversation with Tredwell about being ready for a call-up if the situation regarding England’s spin options did change. “He’s not on stand-by as such, but anything can happen on tour – injuries or an unforeseen problem – so a phonecall can be minutes away. These fringe players know the call may not be far away.”Spin bowling is the one area where English cricket is not overly stocked with options at the moment. Kerrigan and Danny Briggs, the Hampshire left-arm spinner, are the two spinners in the performance squad although the likes of Azeem Rafiq, Adil Rashid and Scott Borthwick may come into consideration for the Lions tour of Sri Lanka early next year.

Leicestershire spinners Claude Henderson and Jigar Naik shared five wickets as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 234 on the first day at Grace Road

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2012
ScorecardLeicestershire spinners Claude Henderson and Jigar Naik shared five wickets as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 234 on the first day at Grace Road. The home side then tightened their grip by reaching 94 for 3 at stumps, with Greg Smith unbeaten on 47.Victory in this final match of the season would take Leicestershire above Gloucestershire in the table. Henderson took 3 for 32 and Naik 2 for 36 as Gloucestershire lost their last four wickets for nine runs in four overs. Ian Cockbain and Hamish Marshall shared a fifth-wicket stand of 96 to prop up a disappointing Gloucestershire performance.It was an eventful and entertaining pre-lunch session after Gloucestershire won the toss and decided to bat. They raced along at more than four runs an over but lost four wickets on a pitch that offered some assistance to the home side’s seamers.Nathan Buck struck the first blow, yorking Ed Cowan for 19 with the total at 31. Ben Howell followed four runs later, bowled off stump by Wayne White after being dropped at slip in the same over. Despite a flurry of boundaries the wickets continued to fall with Alex Gidman trapped lbw by Shiv Thakor, who then produced an absolute beauty to bowl Dan Housego in his next over.That left Gloucestershire on 71 for 4, but Marshall and Cockbain launched a spirited counter-attack sharing a stand of 96 in 17 overs. It was an exhilarating partnership while it lasted with 56 of the runs coming in boundaries – seven to each batsman.But Marshall was caught behind for 47 slashing at a wide delivery from Buck shortly after lunch, and when Leicestershire turned to the spin of Henderson and Naik, the Gloucestershire innings subsided. Henderson had Cockbain caught at short extra cover for 48 and the final four wickets fell for nine runs in four overs either side of the tea interval, Henderson claiming the last two with successive deliveries.Leicestershire’s reply began badly, with Michael Thornely out lbw to Will Gidman without scoring. But Smith, recalled to the side after an unbeaten century in the Second XI Championship final last week, looked in good touch.He lost two more partners however, as Liam Norwell bowled Ned Eckersley for 25 and Will Gidman pinned Matt Boyce lbw. Smith stood firm and was 47 not out at the close, with Leicestershire trailing by 140 runs.

Hampshire recorded their fourth Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season after defeating fellow Group B strugglers Scotland by four runs on D/L

14-Aug-2011
ScorecardHampshire recorded their fourth Clydesdale Bank 40 victory of the season after defeating fellow Group B strugglers Scotland by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in Aberdeen.After rain had forced the contest to be reduced to 23 overs a side, Scotland made 131 for 5 batting first, with opener Kyle Coetzer contributing a half-century. Hampshire had then reached 73 for one off 14 overs in their reply when more rain forced the teams off, and with no more play possible the county side had just done enough to be declared victors on Duckworth-Lewis.Scotland, who have now lost eight of their 11 matches as they continue to prop up Group B, saw their penultimate home fixture in the competition abandoned yesterday without a ball being bowled following heavy overnight rain and the weather affected today’s clash as well.Having won the toss and opted to bat in sunny conditions, Scotland lost Fraser Watts for a duck in the first over before the teams were forced off by rain for the first time with the hosts on 13 for one with four overs gone.When the teams returned after a lengthy break and the overs reduced, Coetzer helped his team recover from their poor start. The opener, who struck two fours and two sixes in his 54-ball 50, shared in stands of 41 for the second wicket with Calum MacLeod (20) and 52 for the third wicket with Josh Davey (19).However, Hampshire then hit back by taking three wickets for the addition of only 10 runs – including that of Coetzer – as Scotland slipped to 104 for 5 before eventually finishing their innings on 131.Hampshire looked on course to overhaul that total as captain Jimmy Adams and James Vince put on a steady 62 for the first wicket, before the latter fell for 45 in the 13th over, stumped by Gregor Maiden off the bowling of Preston Mommsen immediately after hitting the slow bowler for six.That brought Sean Ervine to the wicket and he and Adams had added 11 more runs before the players were forced off again. This time there was to be no more action as Hampshire claimed the win.