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Warwickshire, the defending champions, relied upon a “mad 20 minutes” to subdue newly-promoted Derbyshire on the opening day of the season

Jon Culley at Edgbaston10-Apr-2013
ScorecardChris Wright removed both Derbyshire openers•PA Photos

It says something about the spring in Derbyshire’s step as they begin life as a Division One county that 226 all out after being put in by the County Champions left them feeling less that they had fared respectably well than that they might have done a little better.Having battled through a tough morning, one notable for Chris Wright, Warwickshire’s leading wicket-taker last summer, enhancing the good impression he made in the curtain-raiser against the MCC in Abu-Dhabi, Derbyshire were looking well set for a solid afternoon after Dan Redfern’s aggressive hitting had begun to unsettle the home side’s plans.Redfern knocked the county debutant, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, out of the attack and even ruffled Wright for an over or two but then came what Karl Krikken, Derbyshire’s head coach, described as “a mad 20 minutes” in which four wickets fell for 12 runs in the face of Jeetan Patel’s off-spin, two of which he was particularly unimpressed with as Redfern took a swing and missed a straight ball and Ross Whitely ended up on the seat of his pants, run out when Chesney Hughes changed his mind about a single to backward point.”We played really well at the start to get through three down for a hundred but unfortunately from there we had a mad 20 minutes where we lost four wickets and from there we were always fighting,” their coach, Karl Krikken said. “The guys down the order pulled out the stops to get us to 226 but we would have liked 50 more. It is a learning curve but whether you are playing against First Division or Second Division opponents that passage of play where we lost the wickets was poor.”Nonetheless, Derbyshire were aware that life among the elite would be a challenge with little room for error and this was a tough introduction, even against a Warwickshire side lacking Boyd Rankin and Keith Barker through injury and with Chris Woakes rested. Then again, Krikken agreed that there was no harm in knowing the scale of the challenge right from the off.He follows the lead of Chris Grant, the millionaire former stockbroker under whose guidance as chairman the Peakites have risen above their downtrodden recent past, and whose presence at Edgbaston was a challenge in itself, two days after undergoing surgery for a broken toe suffered in a collision with a door on the last day of Derbyshire’s pre-season trip to Barbados. Heavily dosed with painkillers, Grant might not viewed the world quite so sharply as usual but he will have been no less delighted for that when the ninth-wicket pairing of Tony Palladino and Mark Turner secured Derbyshire’s first bonus point of their new status.Their partnership, the highest of the innings after Palladino had profitably attacked the second new ball, gave Derbyshire’s total a healthy respectability on a pitch that was a little too slow for fluent strokeplay and just zippy enough when the ball was new to give the bowlers something to work with. Palladino, whose highlights included a four and a six off consecutive balls against Hannon-Dalby, walked off with 68, his highest Championship score.It tempered Warwickshire’s earlier bullishness. Wright, their leading wicket-taker of last season, had been handed his county cap (as well as a new four-year contract) and had responded to the arrival of England head coach Andy Flower and national selector Geoff Miller by removing both Derbyshire openers in an 11-over spell that cost only 15 runs.Hannon-Dalby, the former Yorkshire seamer, claimed his first Warwickshire wicket early in the afternoon, yet Derbyshire, despite the slump that so dismayed Krikken, kept fighting back.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on his Derbyshire debut, did not achieve much beyond hanging around for 34 overs but first Wes Durston, then Redfern and Hughes, seized the initiative before Palladino cut loose. Warwickshire’s response will determine to what extent 226 is below par, if at all.

Chris Gayle’s prospects of representing the West Indies again look grimmer than ever after he was left out of the WICB’s 30-man training squad ahead of the home series against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2012Chris Gayle’s prospects of representing West Indies again look grimmer than ever after he was left out of the WICB’s 30-man squad for a fitness and training camp ahead of the home series against Australia.While the squad featured a host of other players not contracted directly to the WICB – Tino Best, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin among them – 32-year-old Gayle was conspicuous by his absence, following earlier calls by the board’s chief-executive Ernest Hilaire for the former captain to make his priorities clear.Gayle has not played for West Indies since last year’s World Cup, in large part due to comments he made against the board and the coach Ottis Gibson during a radio interview.The WICB asked Gayle to retract his comments and the batsman has refused to do so.

West Indies training squad

• Contracted players: Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Shannon Gabriel, Nelon Pascal, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford, Devon Thomas.

Non-contracted players: Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Nkrumah Bonner, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Shane Dowrich, Danza Hyatt, Garey Mathurin, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Krishmar Santokie, Dwayne Smith

“The Board requires you to provide a general public retraction of the comments made in the interview in question and the effect it has had on the team, coach, captain and management, and to express a commitment to team and management,” Hilarie told Gayle in an email in January.”If the terms of that retraction can be agreed, WICB will be happy to consider you eligible once again for selection.”In the meantime, Gayle has taken part in various Twenty20 competitions around the world, including the IPL, the Big Bash League in Australia and the BPL in Bangladesh.He is currently in South Africa as part of the Dolphins’ T20 squad in Durban, but is yet to make his debut due to a groin injury.The other notable absentee from the training squad was Ravi Rampaul, who could not be considered for the camp due to illness.Rampaul had earlier this month been ruled out of regional matches for Trinidad and Tobago due to a shoulder problem.Editied by Daniel Brettig

The comprehensive thumping of Kenya is likely to have pleased the Pakistan team management more than they will let on

Osman Samiuddin in Hambantota23-Feb-2011An entirely different proposition awaits Pakistan on Saturday but given how poorly they often start big tournaments, the comprehensive thumping of Kenya is likely to have pleased the team management more than they will let on.The only slip was the stilted start to their innings, on a pitch which did a little more than expected. But four middle-order fifties, a successful implementation of their trademark ODI batting plan (build first, blast later), the captain’s five-fer and some lively fielding made for an unexpectedly smooth start. The selection of Abdur Rehman over Saeed Ajmal, or even Wahab Riaz seemed puzzlingly defensive – Ajmal and Riaz are wicket-takers and they will need them in this campaign – but Pakistan maintained the intensity in the field they had shown in a quite electric practice session on Monday.Then the younger men in particular had thrown themselves into fielding practice, yapping away, diving and leaping around, hitting stumps, taking good catches. Keeping things at that pitch was Waqar Younis, the coach himself, screaming for catches to be taken as if they were off his own bowling, throwing gloves down in disgust at misfields, not putting up with slackers, taking time out for fresh faces and generally making sure things ran precisely to plan.It is what Pakistan’s demanding followers say they always want, even if in defeat: spirit, fight, passion and energy. “The way we practiced, we were very focused and positive and what we do there, we deliver in the games as well,” Shahid Afridi said. “We try to focus on practice sessions and don’t waste our time. The coaches are doing a great job with the fast bowlers and the senior players are helping the young batsmen.”So, despite having 300-plus to defend, Afridi insisted the team go out and defend much less. “We wanted to make a big total and when we went in, I told the team that we are defending 120, we need to fight like we are defending 120, because tough matches lie ahead.”In those tough matches the middle order will not be allowed to rebuild as freely as they did here if the start is squandered. The concern over Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez’s contributions were not so much with the score as the tentative manner in which they came: the former made a single from 18 balls.The pair has been in good form recently, scoring fluently so the sudden, sharp dip and the nature of it concerned Afridi as well. “Whether in batting or bowling you need a positive start always,” he said. “The ball was sticking to the pitch a little, so it wasn’t so easy but we need to stick to our strengths and play positively. The start is always important and I’m confident our openers will not repeat these mistakes. Shehzad and Hafeez are positive players so hopefully they will change their style in the next game.”Good starts guarantee nothing of course and nobody forgets that Pakistan’s two world titles have come when campaigns have stuttered at the beginning. Nevertheless in a week in which several big sides have made statements against associate nations, Pakistan have put in their own. “Definitely it emphasises that we are a dangerous team. It’s a good start but we shouldn’t be 100% satisfied because there is a lot of work ahead of us still.”

A round-up of the ninth round of matches in the Plunket Shield

Cricinfo staff23-Mar-2010A comprehensive batting display, led by Gareth Hopkins’ double-hundred helped Auckland thrash Central Districts by an innings and 93 runs at the Colin Maiden Park.Central elected to bat, but little else went their way as seamer Dean Bartlett struck twice before they could open their account, removing Brad Patton and Timothy Weston in his first over. Mathew Sinclair followed soon after to leave Central in disarray. George Worker and Bevan Griggs struck fighting half-centuries to give their side a semblance of a competitive score, as offspinner Bhupinder Singh grabbed four wickets to end the innings at 269.When Central’s bowlers reduced Auckland to 128 for 3, the game was in the balance, but things went pear-shaped for the visitors from there. Opener Richard Jones and Hopkins added 135 to all but wipe out the deficit before Jones fell for a fine 123. Anaru Kitchen continued the dominance with his captain, the pair putting on a massive 206 runs to put the game out of Central’s reach. Kitchen struck 14 fours and three sixes in his sparkling innings of 116 before becoming Worker’s third wicket. Colin de Grandhomme then walked in to heap more misery on the tired attack, smashing an unbeaten 86-ball 106. Through it all, Hopkins batted with consummate assurance and style, picking up 23 boundaries on his way to 201.The declaration eventually came with a lead of 366 runs, and with little hope of survival for Central. The new-ball bowlers, Michael Bates and Bartlett, wreaked havoc once again, picking up eight wickets between them, while Sinclair fought hard with 129, but could not prevent the resounding defeat.Canterbury were made to scrap for their five-wicket win over Wellington in Rangiora. After winning the toss, the Canterbury seam attack had Wellington reeling at 66 for 6. Luke Woodcock’s rearguard 76 lifted them out of the morass, to an under-par score of 176, as Brandon Hinii grabbed four wickets.Canterbury’s batsmen then went about building a handy lead, anchored by Shanan Stewart’s ton and a useful contribution from Michael Papps. Ili Tugaga ran through the tail to finish with four wickets and keep the lead down to 142. Wellington put up a much-improved show in the second innings, with the openers Neal Parlane and Stephen Murdoch batting patiently to add 124 and bring their side back into the game. Todd Astle then delivered a twin strike to create a minor wobble, Murdoch departing for 59, and Cameron Merchant, soon after for a duck. But James Franklin and Parlane joined forces to ensure that there was no collapse.Parlane was the first to reach hundred, and eventually fell for a well-made 137 off 243 balls. Michael Pollard helped Franklin add 90 runs and raise visions of a spectacular comeback for Wellington, before both departed within ten runs of each other. Franklin struck 26 fours and a six in his 214-ball 162. Astle, who finished with a five-for, and Johann Myburgh, polished off the lower order to keep Wellington’s lead down to 305. At 85 for 4, it was anybody’s game and for the second time in the match, Stewart seized the moment in style. His 92 was supported well by Peter Fulton’s 77, and Dean Brownlie’s unbeaten 74, as Canterbury coasted home by five wickets.In the only non-decisive result of the ninth round, Northern Districts and Otago played out a high-scoring draw in Whangerei. Otago opted to field and but couldn’t make early inroads due to a solid opening stand from Michael Parlane and Daniel Flynn, who both struck 60s and added 113 runs. Nathan McCullum sparked a middle-order wobble before Brad Wilson’s 107 shepherded the side, in the company of the tail. Peter McGlashan contributed 71, while McCullum and Nick Beard took three wickets each before Northern declared at 465 for 9. Craig Cumming and Darren Broom led Otago’s reply with fine centuries and a 247-run stand for the second wicket. Cumming struck 27 fours in his 160, while Broom made 119. Greg Todd and McCullum then took over, with knocks of 91 and 88 respectively, as Otago went past Northern’s score. They eventually declared 111 runs ahead of Northern, with Graeme Aldridge picking four wickets. Northern had no problems in surviving 63 overs and proceeding to 212 for 7 before the match was called off.Auckland remained at the bottom of the table despite the win, while Northern maintained their top spot.

Stand-in captain backs Khawaja to bounce back from back spasm; hopeful of Cummins return at Brisbane

Tristan Lavalette22-Nov-2025

Travis Head made a flying start to Australia’s fourth innings•Getty Images

Still in a whirlwind following a frenetic first Ashes Test, skipper Steven Smith was non-committal over whether Travis Head would continue to open the batting after his 69-ball century powered Australia to a crushing eight-wicket victory at Perth. Head opened the batting for the first time in a Test innings outside of South Asia, replacing Usman Khawaja who had spent some time off the ground in England’s second innings due to back spasms.His elevation, after Marnus Labuschagne had been given the task in the first innings, proved a game-changer and he smashed 123 off 83 balls to knock England’s all-out pace attack off the lengths that had proved so effective on the opening day.The opening positions have been a cause for concern for Australia for some time. With Khawaja, 38, under pressure and Jake Weatherald posting scores of 0 and 23 in his debut, there could be a push for Head to take the role on an ongoing basis in this series.”Let’s just digest this first, the last couple of hours have been pretty incredible,” Smith told reporters after the match. “It’s probably too early to say anything on that, but what we just witnessed was quite incredible. I’m glad to have been in the house to see it.”We didn’t like how things functioned in the first innings with Marn going up top and me batting three. So Trav took it on and played one of the great Ashes knocks.”Related

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Khawaja was forced off the field during England’s second innings in a recurrence of back spasms he first experienced on day one. He was fit to take the field on day two, but felt further pain after stretching high for a ball that flew above him in the slips.”He was reasonable this morning. I actually thought it was his knee at one point,” Smith said. “Fortunately, it was the same thing [back spasms]. He [Khawaja] said before that it’s probably one of the best back spasms he’s ever had given the circumstances [of Head’s century].Smith said the circumstances around Khawaja’s ill-timed absence in the field in England’s first innings, making him ineligible to open the batting, was a “little frustrating”. Khawaja eventually batted at No.4 and was dismissed for just 2.”Wasn’t ideal, it all happened pretty quickly,” he said. “I got told, I think just before we got the last wicket….that he needed to be on the field to go and bat.”I think that’s why we landed where we landed yesterday [with Labuschagne opening]. Today we had a little bit more time to go through it and work it out.”I mean, those things can happen in the game. No one’s fault. Move on.”Much like Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, Smith defended Khawaja’s decision to play golf prior to the Test match. “He’s not moving particularly well in there, the old fella, but his preparation was the same as it’s been for every Test match I think that he’s played,” he said.”There was nothing out of whack there by any stretch. Unfortunately, he just pulled up a bit lame early in the game. That happens when your back goes.”I’ve been there myself when your back seizes up and it’s not a nice place to be. So I can feel his pain right now.”Offspinner Nathan Lyon had very little to do in the match, bowling just two overs in the seam-friendly conditions. But he did cop a blow to his hip while batting and was visibly wincing in the field.”He’s got a few bruises, keeps showing them off. He’s tough though, he’ll be fine,” Smith said.There has been no update on quick Josh Hazlewood amid fears that he might miss the entire series with a hamstring injury. But Pat Cummins has revealed that he’s a chance of returning for the second Test in Brisbane starting on December 4, as he progresses well from a lower back injury.”It’s on track and pulling up pretty well. [I’m] half a chance for the next game,” Cummins said on the Fox Sports broadcast. “I’m pretty hopeful and it’s probably better than it was a few weeks ago.”

Emma Lamb’s unbeaten 44 toppled a meek target of 110 with 31 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network19-May-2024Lancashire Thunder began their Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over ‘Roses’ rivals Northern Diamonds at a sun-soaked Emirates Old Trafford.Excellent bowling figures from Mahika Gaur, Fi Morris and Kate Cross ensured the visitors stuttered their way to 109 for 5 from their 20 overs with only Emma Marlow (47*) showing anything like the resistance needed to post a decent total.Thunder showed no mercy in reply as they reached the target in the 15th over thanks mainly to Emma Lamb, who hit a dominant unbeaten 44 with four boundaries and 30 not out from Seren Smale.Diamonds were immediately on the back foot when Leah Dobson skied a Gaur delivery to Morris for seven in the second over with Lauren Winfield-Hill departing just five balls later when she hit Cross to Alisa Lister at mid on for two.10 for two quickly became 19 for three when Hollie Armitage was trapped in front by Phoebe Graham for three, although the Diamonds skipper couldn’t hide her disgust at the decision as she walked off the field.A semblance of a recovery was triggered by Sterre Kalis, who hit the first boundaries of the day, and put on 32 for the fourth wicket with Marlow before she was caught at long on by Cross off Morris for 16.The emphasis was now on Marlow, and once Phoebe Turner was run out following a mix up for four, she finally found a partner in Katherine Fraser as the sixth wicket pair steered Diamonds to something approaching respectability as they put on 42 unbeaten runs.The very modest target of 110 always looked achievable by the hosts, especially with an in-form Lamb at the top of the order, and Thunder duly got off to a flyer, despite Morris being unlucky to have been given out lbw for six from a Katie Levick delivery she clearly hit.The powerplay finished with Thunder 56 for 1 and already more than halfway to the win with Lamb and Georgia Voll with their foot on the throttle.Voll’s run out for 19 following a bad call stopped the momentum momentarily. But the in-coming Smale’s energy and quick running between the wickets ensured the pace didn’t let up as Thunder closed in on the target before reaching it with 31 balls to spare to secure a bonus point win.

Fast bowler in form and fitness of his life after playing starring role in England’s series win

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Dec-2022Two Tests against Pakistan down with one to go, with a series win secured and history made, Ollie Robinson is in a good place.He might “only” have eight wickets in his four innings to date, but they have come at an average of 18.37, to reduce his overall Test figure to 19.61 after 13 appearances, and have showcased his impressive dexterity. He has dabbled in bouncers and reverse-swing, along with his usual unerring accuracy with the new ball, and in the second Test at Multan, he became the first seamer to bowl Pakistan’s captain and batting phenomenon Babar Azam twice in a match. Most heartening of all, his 62.1 overs have been of a base level intensity that has not let batters off the hook.Heartening because Robinson has revealed he considered retirement in the summer, after constant bumps in the road on a long journey to his return to action.After having his conditioning called into question at the end of a humbling tour of Australia last winter, back issues meant that Robinson was unable to play any part in the three-Test tour of the Caribbean that followed. Complications followed at the start of the 2022 summer: further back troubles and a dental issue saw him miss a chunk of cricket with Sussex, as well as the first four Tests under the new leadership duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.In light of the comments about his lack of fitness, Robinson’s subsequent setbacks triggered something of a pile-on from those who assumed that a lack of work ethic was the reason for his continued absences. In reality, Robinson believes that those ailments were nothing more than unfortunate timing for a cricketer still only 28, and attempting to return fitter than ever before. Speaking on Thursday in Karachi ahead of the third Test which begins on Saturday, Robinson opened up about a dark time which had him wondering about leaving the game altogether, with a vague idea of moving into property.Related

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“There were points when I didn’t think I was going to play for England again, or play cricket again,” Robinson told BBC Sport. “I kept coming back to full fitness, then getting an injury or illness, then another injury. There was a point in June time when I thought ‘I might have to look at what else I can do here, I don’t think I’m going to be able to carry on playing cricket’. It’s been tough and there has been some dark days, but tours and series wins like this make it all worthwhile.””It’s a massive confidence-booster for myself,” he said of the Pakistan series, on pitches that have seemed unhelpful to quick bowlers, and yet England’s have taken 23 of the 40 wickets available so far. “Twelve months ago I was struggling to even get on the park. It’s a really proud tour for me, in the fact my body has got through it, I’ve bowled well and I’ve proved to the world, almost, I can do it in any conditions. Not just for the team, but for myself. It’s been a really good tour so far and hopefully we can win 3-0 this week.”The nature of Robinson’s back issues were particularly grating, and for a time they showed no signs of abating even while he was focussing on the rehabilitation and reinforcement of his body. The root of the problem proved hard to establish, in part because the spasms would come and go, ultimately at random but frustratingly just when it seemed he was on the verge of making a return to competitive action.”I had different types of scans. MRIs, X-rays. It was just a bit of wear and tear,” he said. “Because there was so much inflammation, every time I got back to full fitness, the inflammation was there. It was jarring again and giving me another back spasm. I ended up having five injections, which took the inflammation away and allowed me to train a bit harder. Then it settled down. It was a strange one, because I felt it was career-ending, the way it felt.”Things can change so quickly. When you’re in those dark spaces it’s hard to see through that. When you get to this time, and if it ever happens again in the future, I know I can come out the other sides of it, still fighting, still bowling well.”He feels he is lucky to get out the other end. And so are England. Robinson returned to the Test side for the second match of the series against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford and, not only has the team won all four matches since, but Robinson has contributed 20 dismissals at 16.35. He went past 50 Test wickets in his 11th Test – the joint-fastest by an England bowler since Ian Botham in 1978 – and, at the age of 29, there is a very real sense he is in it for the long haul as a new-ball bowler for his country.In the absence of Stuart Broad, who sat out the trip following the birth of his first child, the manner in which Robinson has dovetailed with Anderson has been vital to England’s approach. His skills have not been dulled with an older ball in hand, and he has been able to work to unconventional plans, including hitting the pitch on a slightly shorter length, and utilising the skid available from the surfaces to hit the top of off stump.It should be said, none of that application of fine-tuned skill is a coincidence. it is merely the reward for a change of lifestyle based on those around him.”I’ve changed my gym sessions, I’ve changed my training. I’ve upped the intensity of my training,” he said. “You only have to look at Stokesy, when he trains, to look at how intense some people train. I’ve tried to get as near that as possible. Jimmy has played for 20 years now. He’s a great role-model for me and someone I look up to.”Test cricket has thrown up a myriad of challenges for Robinson, even if his on-field exploits have been impressive. His debut against New Zealand was tumultuous when historic offensive tweets emerged hours after he was presented with his maiden cap at Lord’s at the start of the 2021 season.Now, his focus is on closing out 2022 with another win to seal England’s second clean sweep in Asia, after beating Sri Lanka 3-0 in 2018.”It’s an exciting time for English cricket. We’ve done 2-0 and if we can do 3-0 it will be an amazing effort. The boys are prepared for one, last big push to get the 3-0 whitewash.”

Insists Hundred is ‘really important’ for young players called up as replacements from Royal London Cup

Matt Roller03-Aug-2021Sam Billings has insisted that the last-minute withdrawals of a number of players from the Royal London Cup as replacements for teams in the Hundred will leave young cricketers “far better off” than staying with their counties.Kent, where Billings is club captain, have ten Vitality Blast regulars – including overseas players Qais Ahmad and Adam Milne – involved in the Hundred, with Zak Crawley on England Test duty, Jack Leaning (Trent Rockets) and Matt Milnes (Welsh Fire) both called up as late replacements in the last week, and Jordan Cox (Oval Invincibles) and Fred Klaassen (Manchester Originals) picked as wildcards.As a result, their Royal London Cup campaign has started poorly, with three defeats and a no-result, but Billings said that players’ involvement in the competition would serve the club well ahead of their Blast quarter-final against Birmingham Bears later this month and in the longer term.In particular, he highlighted the example of Milnes, who played for Kent in the Royal London Cup on Sunday afternoon and was called into the Fire’s set-up on Monday as an injury replacement for Liam Plunkett. With Jake Ball also sidelined – he had a scan on Monday after leaving the field in Saturday’s fixture against Manchester Originals – Milnes went straight into the side against Billings’ Oval Invincibles and dismissed Jason Roy with his first ball in the Hundred, eventually returning figures of 1 for 28 from 20 balls and capturing the attention of Dale Steyn on Twitter as he was clocked at 87mph/140kph.”What a great opportunity for him,” Billings said. “This is what the Hundred is about. Look, I know that in terms of the 50-over comp, the performances for Kent haven’t quite been there at the moment and of course as a club it’s disappointing.”But the positive is we’ve got nine or ten guys in this Hundred at the moment and this is international cricket. You’ve got a full Oval crowd there and he’s come in for his first game after playing for Kent yesterday. It’s a completely different atmosphere, completely different level, against an international line-up.”What a great experience for a young bloke, getting a wicket with his first ball and riding the emotions of that game. That is what’s going to produce international cricketers. For us as a club – and as Kent fans in general – that’s what we want to do: produce England cricketers and franchise cricketers.Related

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“These young guys, nine or ten of them, for a ‘small county’, that’s really shown the work we’ve done as a club. It’s great for Matt Milnes and other guys like that and going into our T20 quarter-finals as a Kent group, it’s really important that these guys have this experience because they are going to be far better off for it.”The Invincibles won their second game of the men’s Hundred on Monday night, chasing 122 with seven balls to spare against the Fire, and Billings said that it had been a relief to get back to winning ways on the back of a washout against London Spirit and defeat against Northern Superchargers.”It was hard to get into a rhythm so it was nice to get the win on our home ground,” he said. “We weren’t far away at Headingley and considering how badly we played, we did exceptionally well to take that game that deep.”I still think we can play better and that’s the exciting thing for our group. The fielding certainly hasn’t been up to the standards we’ve set and that’s me included, setting the tone with the gloves. That’s the positive thing: I still think there are areas we can make really good strides in, and if we put it together, we know what a quality outfit we are. We don’t fear anyone and can put anyone under pressure on our day.”The Fire, meanwhile, failed to reach 150 for the first time in the competition and have now lost both of their games since Jonny Bairstow joined up with England’s Test squad. Ben Duckett, their stand-in captain and the leading run-scorer in the men’s Hundred, admitted that the loss of Bairstow – as well as Liam Plunkett, Lungi Ngidi and Ball – was “not ideal”.”If you lose big names it’s obviously going to hurt you but we believe we’ve got the squad to come in and cover for that,” he said. “We’ve had guys stepping up, like Milnesy tonight taking a wicket with his first ball to get J-Roy. We were 20 or 30 short of par so obviously nowhere near good enough, but it’s the first time we’ve struggled with the bat and it’s going to happen in this comp at some stage.On his own form, Duckett said: “It’s probably the best I’ve hit the ball – ever, I’d say – but I was probably 10-15 short myself tonight. I really struggled to get going and we kept losing wickets. I’m feeling good but I don’t like scoring runs when you don’t win the game so I’m a bit disappointed.”

He played nine first-class matches, scoring 277 runs at 23.08, and wrote a number of cricket books

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2020Vasant Raiji, the former Bombay and Baroda batsman and prominent cricket historian, has died aged 100. Raiji had been the world’s oldest living first-class cricketer, and Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Steve Waugh visited him at his Mumbai home when he turned 100 on January 26 this year.”He passed away at 2.20am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old age,” his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati was quoted as saying by .ALSO READ – Vasant Raiji brings up special centuryRaiji played nine first-class matches in a career that ran from 1939 to 1950, scoring 277 runs at an average of 23.08. He scored two half-centuries, both in the same Ranji Trophy game for Baroda against Maharashtra in December 1944. After his playing career, Raiji turned his attention to chartered accountancy, but retained close links to cricket, writing a number of books on the sport including biographies of Ranjitsinhji, Duleepsinhji, CK Nayudu and Victor Trumper.

Western Australia roll over for 147 in their second innings to go down by an innings and 51 runs

Alex Malcolm26-Feb-2019A five-wicket haul from Steve O’Keefe helped New South Wales to an innings victory over Western Australia despite another defiant innings from Cameron Bancroft.O’Keefe took 5 for 52 in 33.2 overs on a crumbling Bankstown Oval surface to bowl WA out for 147 in their second innings with more than hour left on the final day.

Bancroft’s feat

He faced a total of 621 deliveries across two innings
Fourth instance of a batsman facing 600-plus deliveries in a Shield game
Steve Waugh holds the record – 649 balls for NSW v Queensland in 1996
Bancroft held the previous WA record too, having faced 567 balls v NSW in 2015
He is the only one to face 550-plus balls in a Shield game twice
He scored 52.58% of WA’s runs in the game; the highest ever when they have batted twice

But Bancroft did cause the Blues a headache. The WA opener faced 263 balls for 86 runs as he stonewalled the New South Wales charge to victory while his teammates collapsed at the other end.The Warriors had slumped to six for 98 before Bancroft finally found an ally he could bank on in Joel Paris. The pair put on 47 in 22 overs and weathered a difficult period against the second new ball.Bancroft reached 620 balls for the match without being dismissed, having faced 358 of them in the first innings for his 138 not out. He did have a fair amount of luck to stay alive before O’Keefe finally found the kryptonite on the 621st. He spun one sharply past Bancroft’s outside edge in the 90th over of the innings and the opener was stumped by Peter Nevill as he overbalanced.WA only lasted ten more balls after that. Trent Copeland dismissed Paris in the next over before O’Keefe took the last two wickets with the first two balls of the 92nd over to complete his five-for.Earlier, WA’s top order found some unusual ways to get out in their efforts to save the game. Josh Inglis and Hilton Cartwright both fell to the part-time leg spin of Jason Sangha. Inglis was caught at cover driving on the up, while Cartwright fell in bizarre fashion when he pulled a long-hop into Nick Larkin at short leg and the ball ricocheted off the fielder’s body and popped straight up in the air for Sangha to complete the catch.New South Wales are on second spot on the Sheffield Shield table with their third win of the season.