Nathan McCullum, 35, has said that he will retire from international cricket at the end of this New Zealand international season to spend more time with his family

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-20151:02

Quick Facts: Nathan McCullum

Nathan McCullum, 35, has said that he will retire from international cricket at the end of this New Zealand season to spend more time with his family.”I don’t want to make a big song and dance about it, but it’s time to start thinking about the next phase of my life,” McCullum told the . “I’ve got the sense that the end of this season is the right time to call it quits in international cricket.”The offspinner had a meeting with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson and manager Mike Sandle, and will help mentor young spinners such as Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner over the remainder of his playing career. “We’ve got to get these guys up to speed and I’m looking forward to playing a mentoring role there.”He said he was also keen to be able to devote more attention to his wife and three young children. “It’s been hard work for Vanessa in the past five years,” McCullum said. “She’s spent a lot of it pregnant and has had to do it on her own most of the time. It’s time for me to start investing time in my family and being there for dinners and helping the boys with their homework.”McCullum made his T20I debut in 2007 against South Africa while his ODI debut came in 2009 against Sri Lanka. Till date, he has taken 63 wickets from 84 ODIs at an average of 46.92 and an economy-rate of 5.01. In T20Is, he has 55 wickets from 61 games at an economy of 6.9. He has also struck four fifties and has a batting average of 20.98 in ODIs.McCullum said the 2011 World Cup quarter-final win over South Africa was “special.” He took 3 for 24 from ten overs as New Zealand defended 221 by 49 runs. “To come back and win a match we shouldn’t have won was pretty special.”He had words of praise for his younger brother and captain Brendon. “Every now and then it’s hard case when your little brother is barking orders at you… but he deserves everything he gets in terms of praise. He’s worked his butt off and created this team along with Hess and Mike Sandle.”

The BCCI has appointed its first ever ombudsman in Justice Ajit Prakash Shah, to look into matters relating to conflict of interest in the board

Raunak Kapoor09-Nov-20152:19

Kapoor: Justice Shah, a rock star in the legal world

At its Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Monday, the BCCI appointed its first ever ombudsman in Justice Ajit Prakash Shah, to look into matters relating to conflict of interest in the board. Justice Shah, 67, a former Chief Justice of the Delhi and Madras High Courts, is widely considered as one of the boldest jurists India has witnessed in recent times, delivering landmark judgments in matters of societal equality, human rights, individual liberties, and freedom of speech and expression.An ombudsman, or a “legal representative”, is generally either a public official or an employee or member of an organisation who acts as an impartial intermediary between two parties.In case the ombudsman is appointed by the government or his position is created by law, for example a Lokpal or a Lokayukta, the official often assumes the role of a watchdog, overseeing the activities of the government or bureaucracy and addressing the grievances of the public against them.Ombudsmen are often considered institutions in themselves. Once appointed, they are free from procedural or technical complexities that most judicial or governmental bodies are subject to. They have the power to initiate proceedings without any approval, summon parties, direct appropriate bodies to conduct investigations, and in some cases even impose punishments of their own accord.The scope of power, authority and jurisdiction of an ombudsmen, as well as the rules and procedures that he must follow, however, are all decided by the appointing authority. Therefore the ambit of Justice Shah’s powers will be set in place by the BCCI itself.A key component of the ombudsman’s authority would be whether he has the power to initiate proceedings against individuals (on its own) and whether he is authorised to impose sanctions or punishments independently, without prior approval of the BCCI.When asked by ESPNcricinfo about the freedom and influence that Justice Shah will enjoy, BCCI President Shashank Manohar said “he would be given complete freedom and authority like a judicial body”.However, the BCCI is yet to clarify, in detail, what the jurisdiction of and procedures to be followed by its ombudsman would be while initiating, hearing and deciding matters relating to conflicts of interest.After retiring as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in 2010, Justice Shah has been the chairman of the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC) and the chairman of the Law Commission of India. Earlier this year, he turned down an offer from the Delhi government to be the state’s Lokayukta (state ombudsman).Justice Shah is considered the architect of the historic ruling in 2009 that struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, thus decriminalising gay sex in India. The judgment earned him national and international recognition. He is credited with other brave rulings including a Public Interest Litigation in 2004 where he imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the Shiv Sena (the right-wing Mumbai political party that has a history of disrupting cricketing activities in India) for calling an “illegal” (strike) in Mumbai. He delivered another landmark judgment in 2010, when he declared that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a “public authority” that falls within the ambit of the Right to Information Act, thereby making the country’s top-most judge obliged to share details of his assets publicly as per the act.At present, he serves as a member of the Committee of Experts at the International Labour Office in Geneva. As BCCI ombudsman, Shah can be contacted at [email protected].

Todd Astle’s all-round performance in the both innings set up Canterbury’s 161-run over Central Districts in Rangiora

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Todd Astle scored an unbeaten 96 and finished with a match haul of eight wickets•Getty Images

Todd Astle’s all-round performance in the both innings set up Canterbury’s 161-run over Central Districts in Rangiora.Set a target of 386 in the fourth innings, Central Districts were reduced to 34 for 3 by Canterbury with Astle and Matt Henry taking the lead. Tom Bruce then combined with opener Dean Robinson to take Central Districts close to 100 before Robinson fell for 34. Central Districts soon slumped to 99 for 5 and Bruce then found an able partner in Adam Milne with whom he added 54 for the sixth wicket. Bruce and Milne were dismissed by Astle for 67 and 61, respectively, and the legspinner ran through Central Districts’ lower order to dismiss them for 224.Canterbury built on their 75-run lead from the first innings thanks to middle and lower-order contributions by Henry, Ken McClure , Astle (45) and Ryan McCone (46). Henry and McCone added 87 runs for Canterbury’s ninth wicket. Henry’s unbeaten 52-ball 75, which included 12 fours and two sixes lifted Canterbury to a second-innings score of 310.Canterbury were driven to 320 in their first innings by Leo Carter’s 101 and Astle’s unbeaten 96, after they were put in to bat. Astle then picked up three wickets to bowl Central Districts out for 245. Will Young, the Central Districts’ captain, top-scored in the first innings with 63, while Robinson and Bruce chipped in with 42 each.

The veteran pacer wants to double up as a mentor to India’s emerging crop of fast bowlers on his return after a long hiatus

Gaurav Kalra13-Jan-20167:16

“I don’t agree that T20 is a young man’s game. It’s a fast game but I have been playing IPL, and that’s a big boost. The intensity is good as international cricket”

Ashish Nehra, who was recently recalled to the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 series in Australia, has urged greater consistency in the selection of fast bowlers for national duty. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Nehra said that it was important to “look after and nurture” fast bowlers to ensure they can have an extended stint at the international level.”For ODIs and T20s, you have to choose your five-six bowlers, that these are the guys we are going to back,” Nehra said. “I know it is very difficult sometimes for the captain and selectors; sometimes when you lose series you are picking different bowlers and nobody settles in. Injuries are a major part of fast bowling as well, like we’ve seen with [Mohammed] Shami, Ishant [Sharma] and Mohit [Sharma]. Even if you see Australia right now, Nathan Coluter-Nile, [Mitchell] Starc and [Pat] Cummins are all injured, so Australia is almost playing with their second string of bowlers.”If somebody says India doesn’t have talent, I won’t agree. But the only thing is you have to look after them well, nurture and support them. When Test cricket is not on and you have three-four bowlers who only play T20s and ODIs, you have to keep an eye on them. How to look after fast bowlers is very important, if you want them to sustain for 10-12 years and play for India. When they are young, 90% of fast bowlers don’t know what to do. When they mature, sometimes it’s too late.”Nehra last played for India in the semi-final of the victorious 2011 World Cup campaign against Pakistan. After missing the final due to a finger injury, he was overlooked for nearly five years before being recalled on the back of an impressive IPL season, where he finished fourth on the wicket-takers list with 22 scalps from 16 games. Nehra, who will turn 37 in April, admitted that while the disappointment of being ignored for such a long period will linger, he is looking to make the most of this opportunity on the home stretch of his career.”I was surprised when they weren’t picking me for the last two-three years to be honest,” he said. “Better late than never, hopefully I can do well, I am just working hard. If I go to Australia and play the World T20 and deliver, people will say ‘Oh he should have been there earlier.’ If I don’t, people will say, ‘It was right that they didn’t pick him!’ That’s how it works in India. Whatever is gone is gone, I am just looking forward and hopefully everything will go my way.”I have always worked hard to play international cricket. Once you have been there, you know how much pleasure you get playing for India. There were times when it was very difficult for me to motivate myself, despite not being picked, to go to the gym or ground and train. It was difficult. Age is just a number for me. If you can keep yourself fit, you can keep playing.”Since featuring in the IPL final for Chennai Super Kings in May, Nehra hasn’t played much competitive cricket. Over this domestic season he has played only one game of the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and two games of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy for his state team Delhi.He will not be playing in the Super League stage of the Mushtaq Ali tournament starting later this week despite making himself available as Delhi has decided to give its younger bowlers a run. Nehra though isn’t worried about the lack of match practice leading into the series in Australia.”Some people really want match practice, I am among those who wants a lot of practice,” he explained. “Most of the time I like to practice in open nets, so I get the same kind of feeling. If I am bowling well in the nets or to a single wicket, I get that confidence, that’s how I have been playing for the last seven-eight years, this is not the first time I will be doing it.”People say T20 is a young man’s game, all those theories I don’t believe in. You have to be on top of your game, especially as a bowler and the kind of job I do, bowling two-three of the first six overs and one or two in the last four. In the sub-continent or outside also these days, wickets will be flat. You have to be physically fit and mentally strong, especially as a bowler. It’s a fast game but I have been playing IPL, and that’s a big boost. The intensity is as good as international cricket.”Nehra has identified being selected for the World T20 as his major “goal” before taking a call on his international future. He is also eager to mentor India’s emerging crop of fast bowlers on his return to the dressing room after this long hiatus.”This is a short tour, but whatever little I can help the youngsters, I will,” he says. “If I can play till the World T20, I will definitely look at that job, I have done it for CSK and I really enjoyed it. Most of the bowlers have different strengths, but you can’t buy experience. I made my debut 17 years ago. In the sub-continent, somebody like me, who has had so many injuries, undergone 10-12 surgeries, still standing there and playing the fastest format of all, it has taught me something which I can pass on to the youngsters and give my experience.”

Steven Finn has been ruled out of the World T20 with a calf strain and Liam Plunkett named as his replacement.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-20161:43

Injured Finn replaced by Plunkett

Steven Finn has been ruled out of the World T20 in India with a calf strain with Liam Plunkett named as his replacement.It is the latest blow for Finn who has suffered an injury-hit period. He was forced out of the tour of the UAE before Christmas with a stress injury to his left foot and left the tour of South Africa early with a side strain he picked up during the third Test in Johannesburg.”He was just warming up for a bowl a couple of days ago and felt his calf go ping,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, told ESPNcricinfo. “He had the scan today and unfortunately we can’t take him. I’ve just spoken to him and he’s pretty low at the moment.”In between his injuries, Finn has developed into an automatic pick for England in all three formats, and the absence of his hostile method of attack on India’s wickets will be a major dent to England’s hopes of progressing deep into the tournament.He has endured a bittersweet period in the past six months, having fought back from being deemed “unselectable” during the 2013-14 Ashes to claim eight wickets on his return to Test cricket last summer. Against Australia at Edgbaston last July, he claimed a second-innings haul of 6 for 79 in his first outing for two years.”Really disappointed to have picked up another injury on my road to recovery,” Finn tweeted. “Gutted doesn’t describe it. Good luck to the guys out there!”Plunkett was considered unlucky not to make the original 15-man squad, having impressed in the T20 series against Pakistan in the UAE. He claimed three wickets in each of his two appearances in England’s 3-0 series win, including a decisive haul of 3 for 33 in a three-run win in the second match at Dubai.Plunkett will now form England’s pace options for the tournament alongside David Willey, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan and Ben Stokes.

A fine performance by Sri Lanka’s spinners was capped by a stroke-filled 95 from opener Avishka Fernando as they brushed England aside by six wickets to move into the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLegspinner Wanidu Hasaranga was Sri Lanka Under-19s’ best bowler with returns of 3 for 34•ICC

A fine performance by Sri Lanka’s spinners was capped by a stroke-filled 95 from opener Avishka Fernando as they brushed England aside by six wickets to move into the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup.England had won the toss and opted to bat, a decision their captain Brad Taylor defended quite strongly at the presentation. “We didn’t think it did an awful lot early,” he said and thought 250 could have been within their reach had the middle overs gone better. As such they were all out for 184 without facing their full quota of overs.Not that the first few overs went England’s way either. Opener Dan Lawrence dragged one onto his stumps for 9, his partner Max Holden was caught at slip for 8 and the tournament’s top scorer Jack Burnham could only manage 11 at No. 3. Callum Taylor tried to resurrect the innings with 42 off 57 balls, but his wicket triggered a middle-order collapse. What would rankle England more was the ball that got Taylor lbw had pitched outside leg stump while he was playing a shot. England fell from 120 for 4 in the 35th over to 136 for 7 in the 40th as Sri Lanka strangled the innings with spin. Legbreak bowler Wanidu Hasaranga picked up 3 for 34.Out walked the Sri Lanka openers and cashed in 51 runs in eight overs before the lunch break. Avishka battered left-arm seamer Sam Curran for four successive fours in the third over and never looked back. He got to his 50 off 44 balls and looked set for a hundred until he chose to swipe at a bouncer he had originally seemed to duck under and was caught behind for 95. It was only a minor roadblock for Sri Lanka though, who coasted to victory with six wickets and 86 balls to spare.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA four-for from pacer Rory Anders skittled Canada Under-19s out for a paltry 139, paving the way for Ireland Under-19s’ six-wicket win in their semi-final playoff for the 13th place.Anders, with help from Gary McClintock (2-26) and Fiachra Tucker (2-21), ran through the Canada side, reducing them to 73 for 8 in the 26th over, vindicating Ireland’s decision to bowl in Cox’s Bazar. The little resistance that Canada put up came through partnerships for the last two wickets, guided by batsman Arslan Khan and tail-enders Shlok Patel and Prushoth Wijayaraj. Arslan, who top-scored with 47, shared a 29-run stand for the ninth wicket which pushed Canada’s score past 100, before the side’s No. 10 and No. 11 batsmen stitched together 37 runs for the last wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.A 75-run opening stand between Jack Tector and Stephen Doheny eased Ireland in their chase and the low target meant that a brief stutter, which reduced them to 103 for 4, was easily negated. McClintock played a role with the bat, too, guiding the side home with an unbeaten 45-ball 31.

New Zealand’s record in World T20s has been disappointing, but with a promising squad coming off dominant T20 wins at home, they will be confident of their chances this time

Brydon Coverdale14-Mar-20167:08

O’Brien: Taylor’s form will be pivotal to New Zealand’s campaign

Big picture

At the 50-over World Cup, New Zealand are often a bridesmaid, never the bride. Seven times they have reached the semi-finals, though not until last year did they win one and gain maid-of-honour status. But at the World T20, not since the first tournament back in 2007 have they so much as passed the group stage. Forget being a bridesmaid, New Zealand go home before the speeches even begin. It is a surprising record for a team like New Zealand, a side that generally boasts a few big hitters, some canny bowlers, and is viewed as a perpetual danger at world events. At least they enter the 2016 World T20 with some sort of form behind them, having won their past two series, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, albeit in home conditions.This is also the start of a new era for New Zealand after the retirement of Brendon McCullum last month. He farewelled international cricket in front of a sparse crowd on the fifth day of a Test against Australia in Christchurch. The post-McCullum age begins on Tuesday, half a world away in Nagpur, where Kane Williamson will lead his country in a T20 against India. Not that New Zealand should be unprepared for change. In fact, McCullum had not played a T20 international since June last year, Williamson having led the side to six wins from their past eight matches.They have batsmen capable of quick scoring – Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Luke Ronchi and Williamson himself. They have all-round talent – Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner. They have quality specialist bowlers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Ish Sodhi. But the challenge is to transfer their recent form to spinning conditions against quality teams – India, Pakistan and Australia – in the group stage. New Zealand are No.4 on the ICC’s T20 rankings, and will feel they have something to prove.

At the helm

No one could accuse McCullum of going with the flow as captain. He instilled in his team a distinct ethos and was always trying new tactics on the field. He is a hard act to follow. Williamson might be the best batsman New Zealand will ever produce, but how will he lead? Will we see a less adventurous New Zealand? Will the spirit of the side carry on as if nothing has changed? Williamson has stood in as captain on many occasions, but this is the beginning of his own era. And he is only 25, so it could be a long one.

Key Stat

11That’s the number of wins New Zealand have managed in World T20 matches, from 25 games. Among ICC Full Members, only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have had fewer victories than New Zealand at the past five tournaments. Incidentally, New Zealand have a remarkable habit of tying T20 matches. There have been nine ties in the history of T20 international cricket, and New Zealand have played in five of them.Martin Guptill – with the bat – and Kane Williamson – as captain – will play decisive roles in New Zealand’s campaign•Getty Images

Leading Men

Martin GuptillOnly McCullum and Tillakaratne Dilshan have scored more T20 international runs than the 1666 Guptill has made. Notably, though, his best work has been done in bilateral series rather than at the World T20, where he has managed only 269 runs at 19.21 and has yet to score a half-century. He has the potential to dominate a tournament like this and at 29 years of age, the time is now to do so. In the absence of McCullum, New Zealand need Guptill to step up.Grant ElliottAt the World Cup last year, Elliott showed that he can rise to the occasion. When he launched Dale Steyn for a six from the penultimate ball of New Zealand’s semi-final chase against South Africa in Auckland, he lifted a giant weight off the collective shoulders of New Zealand cricket. Before that moment they had appeared in six World Cup semi-finals for six losses. How New Zealand would love Elliott to bring his big-moment mentality to the 20-over version as well.Adam MilneTrent Boult and Tim Southee might be the big names in New Zealand’s attack but in conditions that are unlikely to offer much swing or seam, Milne’s pace through the air could be key to New Zealand’s hopes of restricting their opponents. A fast bowler who can crack the 150kph mark, Milne also has recent form on his side, as New Zealand’s leading T20 international wicket-taker over the last 12 months.

Burning Question

How will New Zealand go without Brendon McCullum?
It is one thing to lose McCullum the captain, quite another to lose McCullum the batsman. McCullum is the all-time leading run scorer in T20 internationals, the only man with 2000 runs in the format, the only man with two centuries. He chose to depart from international cricket in what he called “the purest form of the game”, but New Zealand could really have used him in this tournament. Williamson’s class will be important to New Zealand’s hopes, but there can be no passengers among the rest of the batting order. There will be plenty of pressure on Guptill, Williamson, Taylor and their more junior colleagues to cover for the loss of one of the shortest format’s finest exponents.

World T20 history

If New Zealand often perform above themselves at the 50-over World Cup, you would have to say they have underachieved at the World T20. Only once have they progressed past the group stage, and that was at the very first tournament back in 2007, when they lost a semi-final to Pakistan.

In their Own Words

“It’s important that we adapt. We’ve been playing some good T20 cricket but at the same time you want to play smart, and over here cricket can be quite different to our conditions.”

A round-up of all the news coming out of the IPL, on April 25, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2016Delhi Daredevils batsman Sanju Samson helped set up his team’s third win of the season, on Saturday, with 60 off 48 balls. Coming in at No.3, after Quinton de Kock was dismissed in the second over, Samson rebuilt the innings with allrounder JP Duminy and pressed on to score his fifth half-century against Mumbai Indians. Samson did so without taking too many risks, which is something Virat Kohli has mastered.”I picked up one big point from watching Virat bat,” Samson told . During each of his innings, he (Kohli) was scoring consistently. But the [important] thing was that he played risk-free cricket in the T20 format [during ICC World T20]. I think it is a great lesson [for] all youngsters that we can play risk-free cricket in T20 and get runs too and that’s what I applied today.”On 26 off 27 balls at one point, Samson took Harbhajan Singh for a six and a four in the 12th over. JP Duminy then took 22 runs off 11 balls from Jasprit Bumrah.”He [Duminy] gave me great support in the middle,” Samson said. “We had a good clear plan… It is mainly about targeting some opponents and some bowlers. The decision has to be clear. Against a good team like the Mumbai Indians we have to be very good in our planning and we were this time.”Samson also said he was looking forward to finish games for his side. “I love to finish games,” he said. “It takes a bit of character and it’s a great challenge to finish matches and win matches for your team.”“We prepared really well before the auction” – Raina
Playing their first IPL, Gujarat Lions have been the early pace-setters along with Kolkata Knight Riders, with four wins in five matches. Lions captain Suresh Raina attributed the team’s success to smart buys before and at the auction.Lions picked Raina himself, Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, James Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo at the player draft in Mumbai in December and built their squad with a sprinkling of good Indian players at the auction.”We prepared really well before the auction,” Raina told . “We picked well at the auction and got a bunch of players we wanted. We have won four of our five matches so far and for that the credit goes to the coaching staff of Hodgy (Brad Hodge), Heath Streak, Shitanshu Kotak and all the members of the support staff.”Raina said that his captaincy benefitted from his association with MS Dhoni over the “last 10-15 years”.”I have learnt a lot from the likes of Baz [McCullum], Bravo, Fleming and MS Dhoni,” Raina said. “I have spent a lot of time with MS over the last 10-15 years and I have seen how he goes about his job as a captain before and during a game. I keep talking to him and asking him questions in the field, standing at slip or point, as to what he is thinking and why he made a particular move.”

Joe Denly made his first century of the season but four wickets after tea left the opening day between Northamptonshire and Kent quite even

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2016
ScorecardMonty Panesar celebrates his first Northamptonshire wicket since 2009•Getty Images

Joe Denly made his first century of the season but four wickets after tea left the opening day between Northamptonshire and Kent quite even, with the visitors closing 300 for 7 after winning the toss. There were also two wickets for Monty Panesar – his first for Northamptonshire since 2009 – on his return to the county where he started his career.Denly’s only previous innings of note was a half-century against Glamorgan but here he looked assured, drove the ball smartly, and went through to three figures in 207 balls with 12 fours.He might have departed for 26 had Panesar, on his comeback, claimed a sharp caught-and-bowled chance; one of three missed chances for the hosts in the morning session. But Denly took advantage and, having resumed 92 after tea, drove Panesar for four in the second over after the break and was soon celebrating a third Championship century back in Kent colours, having rejoined at the start of last season.Panesar’s return was for the most part less noteworthy, wheeling away for 31 overs on a docile wicket, but he did claim a second caught-and-bowled opportunity, this time offered from Sam Northeast on 49, that he took low down by his left boot, before having Calum Haggett caught behind four overs from the close. It was a fair return, seven years on from his last appearance for Northants.”I’ve really enjoyed my first day back,” Panesar said. “It was nice to get a good workload in. I was nervy first thing but I got some rhythm going. The first chance came at me harder than expected but the second chance was one of my best catches.”Northeast’s wicket was the first of several tame dismissals that saw Kent fail to take full advantage of their strong position. At 202 for 2 they were in control of the day but after Northeast departed, no other partnership breached 30.Sean Dickson tried to lift Rob Keogh – also making his first appearance of the season – down the ground, only for Alex Wakely to leap to his right from mid-off and claim a stunning one-handed catch. The celebration was surely learned from Shahid Afridi in his time at Wantage Road last season.Darren Stevens fell in the first over of the second new ball, clipping Rory Kleinveldt straight to square leg. Adam Rouse fell in similar fashion looking to hit Kleinveldt through the leg side, only to get a looping leading edge to cover giving Wakely a much easier catch.Northants should have been in a much better position earlier in the day, having broken Kent’s opening stand in the fifth over, Wakely helping to run out Tom Latham.Panesar’s miss of Denly was the second of the three early chances to go down. Richard Levi twice spilled Daniel Bell-Drummond in the slips, first on 9 and then on 26. But Bell-Drummond couldn’t take full advantage as Northants finally did hold a catch after lunch with Kleinveldt taking Bell-Drummond for 47 at first slip. By then he had helped Denly put on 85 for the second wicket as Kent made a solid start.

Denesh Ramdin has indicated he will not be part of West Indies’ squad in the upcoming Test series against India, which begins in Antigua on July 21

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2016Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin has indicated he will not be part of West Indies’ squad in the upcoming series against India, which begins in Antigua on July 21. West Indies have not announced their squad yet, but Ramdin gave his fans a “heads up” on Twitter, suggesting the “new chairman” had spoken to him of his sacking.
Courtney Browne, the former West Indies wicketkeeper, had replaced Clive Lloyd as West Indies’ chairman of selectors in June.Ramdin has played 74 Tests and has scored 2898 runs at an average of 25.87. He captained West Indies in 13 Tests before Jason Holder replaced him in September 2015. Ramdin scored 59 and 62 in his most recent Test innings, during West Indies’ 2015-16 tour of Australia, and alluded to those scores while voicing his frustration.
West Indies have not played any Tests since that tour. In their last international assignment, the ODI tri-series last month, Ramdin scored 197 runs at 28.14, with a highest of 91 against Australia in Bridgetown.