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England face tantalising prospect of setting a tricky target if they can weather Australia’s next barrage

Andrew McGlashan10-Dec-2021The new ball never came into the equation in England’s first innings, but both teams know it shapes as a potentially crucial period on the fourth day at the Gabba after Joe Root and Dawid Malan ate significantly into Australia’s advantage.There will be 10 overs to go in the morning with England 58 behind and the tantalising prospect that if they can weather the next barrage from Australia’s three frontline quicks that they could yet set a tricky final-innings target.When Root won the toss and opted to bat he noted that the pitch was starting slightly soft and he thought it may cause indentations that could become tricky. Malan indicated that was happening – Root himself was hit by a vicious delivery from Pat Cummins that climbed from a length – although the paltry 147 and a deficit of 278 gave them a mountain to climb to exploit it.Related

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“It has hardened up a little and a few more divots,” Malan said. “There’s that big period now and then that second new ball is going to be crucial for them and hopefully we can counter that.”It has got a little more inconsistent… there’s really big divots in the wicket. It’s still coming through really nicely but it’s slightly two-paced and the odd one hits the back of a divot and bounces a bit more. It’s a little bit tougher to judge the bounce.”That first hour will be really important tomorrow then we can start thinking about how well we can play. But we need one more good hundred-run partnership to put a good score on the board, then who knows what can happen.”Dawid Malan ducks under a bouncer•Getty Images

There were eyebrows raised that Josh Hazlewood was only used for eight overs on the third day – particularly given his record against Root who he has dismissed eight times – but the indication from the Australia camp was that it was with an eye on that second new ball even though he was not used beyond the 29th over.”Hoff’s fine. We’re just making sure we’re prepared really well,” Marnus Labuschagne said. “We know that there’s some times at the Gabba where there’s not as many wickets that fall and we’ve just got to hold in that period and make sure we rotate our bowlers well so we’ve got someone fresh.”With home-ground knowledge of the Gabba, Labuschagne remained confident that Australia would be able to break the back of England.”I certainly think there’s enough in the pitch,” he said. “If they keep batting well and putting runs on then we’ll need to go to plan B,C and D but the key for us is building pressure. I’ve played a lot here at the Gabba, we know the format, we know the template to take wickets.”

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2020Sussex captain Luke Wright led by example with a thunderous innings of 82 from 55 balls as Sussex beat Hampshire by six wickets with one ball to spare in the Vitality Blast.Victory for Sussex was always likely once Wright and Phil Salt had put on 89 for the first wicket in just eight overs – the normally dominating Salt was on 23 when Wright reached his half-century.But there was drama in the last over, when Sussex still needed six to win. Ravi Bopara was out lbw to the first delivery, bowled by James Fuller. New batsman Harry Finch then hit a single to leave five off four. David Wiese pulled to the leg-side boundary for another single.When Fuller bowled a dot ball to Finch Sussex suddenly needed four runs off two balls. But the Sussex batsman pulled the penultimate delivery of the game to square leg for four. Wiese was left unbeaten with a cool-headed 43.One of Wright’s sixes broke a flat window outside the east side of the ground, something Fuller had achieved in the Hampshire innings as both sides exploited the short boundary there.The only moment of anxiety for Wright came when he was on 74, and sliced a high full toss from Ryan Stevenson to backward point. But after a consultation between the umpires a no-ball was ruled. Wright hit eight fours and four sixes and when he was out in the 17th over Sussex needed just another 22 runs for victory. Wright and Salt, with two sixes apiece, took 29 runs from Fuller’s opening over. But the Hampshire allrounder had ensured this would be a meaningful match with a rapid fifty of his own earlier in the day.Hampshire started poorly when George Munsey was out second ball, well caught by the returning Wiese at mid-on off George Garton. And the Hampshire innings continued to falter, with just one of the first five batsmen reaching double figures.They lost their second wicket in the fourth over when Sam Northeast, surprised by the bounce of a Tymal Mills delivery, was caught at backward point. And it was 49 for three when Joe Weatherley was caught on the leg-side boundary by Ollie Robinson to give Danny Briggs the first of his three wickets.The first half of the Hampshire innings was held together by Tom Alsop, who took few risks in compiling a 42-ball fifty, with seven fours. He lost his fourth partner, Lewis McManus, at 77, and he was out himself immediately after reaching his half-century to make it 88 for five in the 13th over.The Hampshire innings was then transformed by some strong-arm tactics from Fuller, who made an unbeaten 53 from just 31 deliveries, with five sixes and a four. Garton went for three sixes in the space of five deliveries. Fuller was well supported by Ian Holland, who made a 22-ball 36 not out.”It would have been a cracker of a match with a crowd here – lots of sixes, lots of broken windows,” Wright said. “When a game goes to the last couple of balls it’s disappointing that there are not people here to watch it.”But it’s great to get a win. It was closer than we wanted it to be at the end but the lads did really well.”

Aguilleira led West Indies from 2009 to 2015, including in the final of the Women’s World Cup 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2019Former West Indies women captain Merissa Aguilleira has retired from international cricket. Aguilleira, 33, was one of the senior-most players in the West Indies team, having played 112 ODIs and 95 T20Is in an international career that started in 2008.Aguilleira, a wicketkeeper-batsman, had been captain from 2009 to 2015, including in the final of the 2013 World Cup and the semi-finals of the World T20 in 2010, 2012 and 2014. She was also part of the West Indies team that won the World T20 in 2016 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.As a wicketkeeper, Aguilleira was involved in 104 dismissals in ODIs, the most for West Indies and fifth overall, and 72 in T20Is. She scored six half-centuries in ODIs in a total of 1752 runs at an average of 20.61. In T20Is, she scored 768 runs at an average of 14.49 with a best of 39 not out.”I wish to thank all members of the team with which I worked and that worked with me to secure success in our endeavors to bring pleasure, pride, happiness and inspiration to West Indian people everywhere,” Aguilleira said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “It is an absolute honor to have been of service to West Indies cricket. My continued goal is to assist CWI to build and develop women’s cricket and help others like me to achieve their dreams.”Aguilleira’s last international series was the T20I tour of Pakistan in February, in which she also led the side in regular captain Stafanie Taylor’s absence. Her last ODI was in September last year against South Africa, a series in which she brought off her 100th ODI dismissal. Aguilleira, however, had been left out of the squad for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England in May-June.”From my own experience this cannot be the easiest of times for Merissa,” CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams said. “However, her dignity and candor in communicating this decision has been exceptional. The highest of accolades are due to her for a career spanning more than 10 years which included over 100 ODIs. Far exceeding the statistics, Merissa has been the epitome of professionalism throughout her career whilst consistently upholding the highest possible standards on and off the field.”Personally I am very grateful to Merissa for all her help and assistance she gave me since I became Director of Cricket, and I have no doubt that she will continue to add value to the game in the region in the future. I wish her all the very best as she begins a new chapter in her life.”

Matt Renshaw’s third century in as many Shield Games helped Queensland set Western Australia a target of 305. They fell 212 runs short, collapsing in just 38.2 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2018
ScorecardGetty Images

A staggering collapse from Western Australia on the final day has all but assured Queensland will host the Sheffield Shield final at the Gabba.Matt Renshaw’s third century in as many matches allowed the Bulls to set the Warriors 305 to win from 59 overs. Renshaw is the first Queenslander to score three centuries in three straight Sheffield Shield fixtures since Matthew Hayden in 1993-94.Charlie Hemphrey added an unbeaten 68 to his first-innings hundred to total 171 runs for the game without being dismissed and was rewarded with Man of the Match.On the same surface where Renshaw peeled off 143 not out, the Warriors folded in the fourth innings chase for 93 in 38.2 overs. Seven of the Warriors’ wickets came from outside edges to the wicketkeeper or the slips cordon.No Warriors player reached 20 as Jack Wildermuth, Michael Neser and Luke Feldman took nine wickets between them.The Warriors will now battle for the wooden spoon in the last round against South Australia.

A round-up of the Group A matches in the WICB Regional Super 50 2016-17 played on February 8, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2017Leeward Islands continued their impressive run through Group A with a four-wicket win over Windward Islands at Coolidge. Leewards did it in style as well, completing the highest successful chase in the competition this year by overhauling Windwards’ total of 293 for 8 with eight balls to spare.Leewards captain Kieran Powell continued his stupendous form by striking 80 off 84 balls to begin the chase, his fifth 50-plus score in six innings. Along the way, Powell crossed the 500-run barrier for the tournament. Powell added 112 for the first wicket with Montcin Hodge (46) and another 52 with Jermaine Otto (37) for the second before he eventually fell in the 32nd over to Liam Sebastien.Nkrumah Bonner fell in the 34th to Delorn Johnson to make it 190 for 4, leaving 104 to win but Man of the Match Rahkeem Cornwall entered and struck a blistering 74 not out off 50 balls to get Leewards across the line. Cornwall teamed with Akeal Hosein for an unbeaten 89-run seventh-wicket stand to seal the match.Hosein finished unbeaten on 26 off 24 balls and helped set up the win in the first innings by taking 4 for 57 with his left-arm spin. His spell included the wickets of Devon Smith, who came into the match with just 30 runs in six innings but finished with 101 for his seventh List A century, and Sunil Ambris for 53 off 36 balls, the wicketkeeper’s sixth half-century in seven games putting him second behind only Powell for the tournament runs lead with 375 runs.Trinidad & Tobago clinched their spot in the semi-finals with a five-wicket win over Kent at North Sound. Jason Mohammed struck an unbeaten 78 to track down a target of 195 with 8.4 overs to spare and in the process eliminated Kent from contention for the knockout stage.Mohammed and Denesh Ramdin came together at 65 for 3 and added 127 runs for the fourth wicket, taking T&T within one shot of victory before Ramdin fell to Matt Coles for 56 in the 40th. A runout Roshan Primus was runout off the next ball and Khary Pierre played out a maiden in the 41st before Mohammed struck a boundary two balls into the 42nd to finish the match.Ravi Rampaul took 4 for 37, doing his damage in a late spell after going wicketless with the new ball, to bowl out Kent for 194 in 46 overs after they were sent in by T&T. Will Gidman top-scored with 50 for Kent and added 75 for the fifth wicket with Alex Blake. But when Rayad Emrit bowled Gidman in the 41st it sparked a collapse of 6 for 21. Rampaul began the 42nd with the wicket of Blake for 36 before working his way through the tail and now has 14 wickets in the tournament, just two behind Ashley Nurse and Alzarri Joseph for the tournament lead.

With PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan set to meet BCCI president Shashank Manohar in New Delhi on Monday, there is expectation that a decision will be made on India’s proposed bilateral series with Pakistan in DecemberWith PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan set to me

Arun Venugopal19-Oct-2015With PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan set to meet BCCI president Shashank Manohar in Mumbai on Monday, there is expectation that a decision will be made on India’s proposed bilateral series with Pakistan in December.According to a report, Shaharyar, accompanied by PCB executive committee head Najam Sethi, will meet Manohar and BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur along with other government officials.”The PCB is mentally prepared to even settle for a shorter series but want it to be Pakistan’s home series and in the UAE,” a PCB source was quoted as saying by .Meanwhile, it is understood that the BCCI, as reported by ESPNcricinfo on Saturday, had discussed the possibility of a tri-series featuring Pakistan and Bangladesh in its working committee meeting, but was apprehensive about the viability of non-India games played in India.”The BCCI does intend to promote tri-series, but non-India games are not attracting revenue and BCCI’s cost of production is so high it’s not remunerative. We’re trying to work out how it can be done,” a BCCI member privy to the discussions told ESPNcricinfo.He also said that should Bangladesh be the third team in the tournament certain games would have to be played in the country. “If Bangladesh were to be involved, then we’ll have to work out things in a way where Bangladesh’s matches will have to be played in Bangladesh,” he said.BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that although his board hadn’t received any proposal about the tri-series from the BCCI, there were informal discussions. “It was not a formal proposal. We had a discussion about matches,” Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka.”Since we have a slot [after December 15], the possibility of it [tri-series] cannot be ignored,” Chowdhury said. “The host country will decide who will be the participating nations. Not just the BCCI, we spoke with a few other boards too regarding playing some matches in December. It can be at home or away.”

Dinesh Karthik, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batsman, is enjoying his time at No. 3

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2013Dinesh Karthik, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batsman, is enjoying his time at No. 3. Batting up the order, Karthik said after setting up Mumbai’s victory over Delhi Daredevils with an explosive 86, allowed him to take advantage of the Powerplay.Karthik’s half-century came after Mumbai were reduced to 1 for 2, with Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting dismissed within the first two overs of the match. It came after knocks of 37 (a steadying innings against Chennai Super Kings after another poor start for Mumbai) and 60 (against Royal Challengers Bangalore, in a game where Mumbai fell two runs short). The tournament’s leading run-scorer so far, Karthik’s runs have come at a strike-rate of 166, easily the best among the top 10 batsmen on the runs-aggregate chart.”When I bat at No. 3, it gives me the opportunity to play in the Powerplay. It’s a slot that I really like batting at,” Karthik said after the Daredevils game. “It is important that when a team like Mumbai Indians gives you the opportunity up at the top, you have got to [repay] their faith, and show some effort and get some runs.”Karthik strung together a 131-run stand with Rohit Sharma at over 10 runs an over. Rohit provided him with ideal support, Karthik said: “Rohit and I put up a big partnership and the way he batted was just beautiful. He was giving me the strike when I required it and, towards the end, he hit the big shots after I got out.”Ponting and Tendulkar began this year’s IPL with a half-century stand against Royal Challengers, albeit at a little over a run a ball, but have not been able to contribute much with the bat since. Ponting followed up his opening-game 28 with scores of 6 and 0. Despite his failures with the bat, Karthik said, Ponting was still having a big influence on the team.”The intensity he brings on the field has been out of the world,” he said. “Probably in terms of runs he has not had a great IPL thus far, but just the intensity he brings towards captaincy and trying to bring the unit together [is admirable]. He is a great captain.”

Report of day three from Cardiff

21-Apr-2012
Scorecard
Ben Wright scored a century to give Glamorgan a chance of securing a first victory of the season going into the last day against Hampshire at Cardiff. But Hampshire also have their own ambitions of winning. They will resume the fourth day on 112 for 4 needing another 92 runs.That was after Glamorgan made 256 in their second innings with Wright making 104 and Stewart Walters supplying a half-century.The start of the third day was held up for an hour because of torrential rain and hail, with play resuming at noon with Glamorgan on 73 for 3, a slender lead of 20. Walters and Wright continued where they left off yesterday evening, going on to put on a 100-run partnership – the first of Glamorgan’s season.Glamorgan reached lunch at 143 for 3 with the fourth-wicket pair building their lead to 90 with Walters going to his half-century from 125 balls – the first by a Glamorgan batsman this season. But he was out 11 balls later edging a drive off Sean Ervine behind. Despite the loss of Walters, Wright also went to his 50 from 87 balls.Glamorgan reached 200 in an innings at the sixth time of asking before Jim Allenby was caught by wicket-keeper Michael Bates standing up to Hamza Riazuddin. That was the first of four wickets to fall in the space of six overs. Moises Henriques was bowled by Riazuddin who struck again as Mark Wallace was caught by James Vince at backward point, before Graham Wagg chipped the bowler to mid-on as Glamorgan slipped to 237 for 8.Despite the clatter of wickets Wright kept his cool to register the fifth century of his first-class career – Glamorgan’s first hundred against Hampshire for eight years. He reached the landmark with his 13th four in 150 balls. Wright’s vigil ended when Vince took a sharp catch at leg slip off Danny Briggs and David Balcombe ended the Glamorgan innings when he yorked Dean Cosker.Tea was taken with Hampshire set a victory target of 204 and 41 overs in the final session.Wagg struck with the final ball of the first over when Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams edged to Wallace, and the left-arm seamer broke through again trapping Liam Dawson lbw.Simon Katich, the first batsman to score a Test century at Cardiff, in the 2009 Ashes Test, and James Vince consolidated as they put on 41 for the third wicket. Katich survived a loud appeal for leg before off Jim Allenby but there was no such reprieve in Allenby’s next over.Sean Ervine and Vince showed positive intent with the latter pulling Henriques for six, but the Ervine gained his revenge two balls later trapping Vince lbw for 28. Ervine was joined by Michael Bates as they shared a fifth-wicket stand of 44 before play was abandoned for bad light with 13 overs left.

Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande has urged his team to give veteran batsman Steve Tikolo a fitting send-off against Zimbabwe at Eden Gardens on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2011Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande has urged his team to give veteran batsman Steve Tikolo a fitting send-off against Zimbabwe at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Tikolo, 39, has been an integral part of all five of Kenya’s World Cup campaigns and has announced that he will retire after the current tournament, the match against Zimbabwe his last for Kenya.”We call him ‘Gunnzie’ (one who bats like a gun),” said Kamande. “He is a legend. He is the man, actually, who made me play one-day international cricket and he is the one who made us qualify for the first time in the 1996 World Cup. I remember watching him play in the qualifiers in 1995 and we owe a lot to the guy. Hopefully, we will send him off with a win.”A towering figure in Kenyan cricket and for a time widely held to be the best batsman outside the Test arena, Tikolo played his first representative match for Kenya against Zimbabwe in Nairobi in 1993 at the age of just 21 – a match that Kenya actually won by three wickets – and top-scored with 65 in Kenya’s first ever World Cup game, against India at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in 1996.He was also part of the Kenyan team which pulled off an upset win over West Indies in that tournament, and captained Kenya to the Semi Finals of the 2003 competition. Kenya’s leading runscorer in ODIs by a distance, Tikolo has amassed 3,411 runs, including three hundreds, and has also taken 94 wickets with his offspin.Kamande also expressed his disappointment over Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s remarks that Associate cricketing nations shouldn’t be involved in the World Cup. “What is disappointing is that someone like Ricky Ponting saying that Associates don’t need to be here (in the World Cup),” said Kamande. “We need to keep improving and all we need to do is to play good cricket.”This tournament is a stepping stone for Kenyan cricket. A lot of guys here have never been to the World Cup, we know what it takes to achieve here, whatever we gain, we take it back home with us and try to improve our performance.”Kamande suggested that his side desperately needed more top-class matches in between World Cups to raise standards.”One thing I know for sure is that if we keep playing against the Test-playing nations or their ‘A’ sides the [improved] performances will be there. But the thing is after this World Cup you might go and never see these teams again so it becomes very difficult.”If we’re going to prepare to play Australia again [in a World Cup] in the next five or 10 years it’s going to become very difficult for us [without] regular matches.” Since their successful 2003 World Cup campaign, Kenya have played a meagre 12 one-day internationals against the top Test-playing nations, with none at all in the two years leading up to the current competition.

third-wicket partnership of 223 between Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali saw Worcestershire recover well from the shock of losing both openers without scoring on the second day of their County Championship match against Surrey at Whitgift School

22-Apr-2010

ScorecardVikram Solanki’s silky hundred rescued Worcestershire from a tricky position•PA Photos

A third-wicket partnership of 223 between Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali saw Worcestershire recover well from the shock of losing both openers without scoring on the second day of their County Championship match against Surrey at Whitgift School.Facing an intimidating Surrey total of 493 in the Division Two encounter, Worcestershire started poorly when Andre Nel claimed Daryl Mitchell leg before in his first over and Iftikhar Anjum had Phil Jaques caught behind in his second.But Solanki and Moeen countered with a century apiece before Worcestershire closed on 262 for 3, 122 runs behind. The pitch was remarkably dry for April and the ball was turning for Gareth Batty and Chris Schofield, two former England spinners, but Solanki, still one of the best batsmen in county cricket at 34, and Moeen, the former England Under-19 captain, did not allow them to dominate.Solanki greeted both spinners by hitting them for four and six in their first overs and on one occasion Moeen hit Schofield for eight – a six over long-on and two penalty runs for a no ball.
Solanki had a fright on 94 when he gave Schofield a return catch off another no ball but was the first to his hundred off 153 balls with four sixes and 12 fours. He had made 114 when he was bowled pushing forward to a ball from Nel that seemed to nip back at him.Moeen reached his century off 179 balls with two sixes and 14 fours and was still there on 122 at the close. Their partnership was a record for Worcestershire’s third wicket against Surrey, beating the 165 set by Solanki and Ben Smith at New Road in 2007.Surrey had started the day on 415 for 6 but lost Schofield in the second over without addition to their score when he drove Richard Jones to Moeen at cover point. Steve Davies, playing against his former county, added 18 to his overnight 119 before skying Moeen to mid-wicket where he was well caught by Alan Richardson running round from mid-on. He had scored his 137 off 200 balls with a six and 16 fours.There were more useful runs from Nel until he was run out by Solanki’s direct hit from mid-off and Iftikhar before he holed out to mid-on off Moeen .