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Gloucestershire’s weather-affected Championship Division Two game against Kent at Bristol petered out into a draw

18-Aug-2012
ScorecardGloucestershire’s weather-affected Championship Division Two game against Kent at Bristol petered out into a draw, despite finishing in blazing sunshine.The visitors finished the fourth day on 300 for 9 declared before the hosts opted to declare their own first innings with just one run on the board. It was an unsatisfactory conclusion for both sides, who finished with six points each.With almost three days of the game washed-out by downpours, Kent resumed their first innings on 29 for 1 from the 11.2 overs that had been possible on the second morning. The visitors soon lost Sam Northeast, who had added only one run to his overnight total when he departed for 13, snapped up by Rob Nicol’s brilliant slip catch off left-armer David Payne.New batsman Brendan Nash survived a confident appeal for a catch behind from the first delivery he faced, but went on to share a partnership of 95 for the third wicket with Alex Blake. Nash was four runs short of his half-century when he edged a ball from Liam Norwell to slip, this time presenting Nicol with a straightforward chance to pouch his second catch of the morning.Soon after lunch Kent lost Mike Powell, when Norwell clipped the top of his off stump, and Blake then perished for 73 as he attempted to crash a delivery from Will Gidman through the off side but edged to wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty.Darren Stevens and Geraint Jones pushed Kent past 200 to collect their first bonus point, but Gloucestershire bagged their second when Stevens became the sixth wicket to fall, caught on the boundary by James Fuller off Nicol’s bowling for 45.Simon Cook edged to Ian Cockbain at second slip for 15 to give Gidman his second scalp, and he quickly picked up a third when Mark Davies also edged to slip, but former England keeper Jones made an unbeaten 65 to help steer Kent to their third bonus point.

He replaces WV Raman, coming back after his last stint had ended in an acrimonious fallout with Mithali Raj

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2021Ramesh Powar has returned as the India Women coach, after his first stint ended in acrimony in late 2018 amid a fallout with Mithali Raj.Powar was replaced by WV Raman, and will now take over from the incumbent. While Raman’s coaching tenure began in December 2018, the Indian team has been largely inactive for almost two years, including the time period after which the Covid-19 pandemic struck.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Under Raman, India reached the final of the T20 World Cup in 2020, losing to Australia on March 8. With the pandemic striking worldwide almost immediately after, the team didn’t play another international match until their home series against South Africa Women that began on March 7 earlier this year. South Africa won the ODIs 4-1, and the T20Is 2-1. Raman’s position had come in for scrutiny following the losses to South Africa, and those reversals, ESPNcricinfo understands, prompted the selection panel led by Neetu David to ask the BCCI for a rethink on the support staff. BCCI secretary Jay Shah is believed to have spoken to at least one member of the selection committee before the Indian board put out an advertisement, on April 13, inviting applications for the head coach’s job – for a term of two years, with the job including overseeing the senior team as well as the India A and Under-19 teams.Powar was then selected by the Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Madan Lal, RP Singh and Sulakshana Naik, who interviewed a number of candidates for the post which saw 35 applications. Besides Powar and Raman – who re-applied – the others in the fray were Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Ajay Ratra, Mamtha Maben, Devika Palshikar, former chair of selectors Hemlatha Kala, and former assistant coach Suman Sharma.Related

• New Mumbai coach Muzumdar's top priority: Getting the team 'back on track in red-ball cricket'

• Shiv Sunder Das named India Women batting coach for England tour

• WV Raman alleges 'smear campaign' against him in email to Ganguly, Dravid

• Uncertainty over contracts for India Women as they prepare for England tour

• Selectors request BCCI to consider a female candidate

ESPNcricinfo understands Powar is expected to meet with the five-member selection panel, led by Neetu David, on a virtual platform this week to pick the squad for India’s upcoming tour of the UK, which kicks off with a one-off Test on June 16 in Bristol.Powar had first been appointed as coach in July 2018 in an interim capacity, and his contract was then extended to cover the 2018 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. While India reached the semi-finals of the event, its aftermath had Raj and Powar trading accusations, with Raj saying she felt “deflated, depressed and let down” by the actions of Powar during the tournament, and Powar countering that Raj had “threatened to retire” mid-tournament if she wasn’t given the opener’s slot.The controversy meant Powar’s contract was not renewed, even though senior players Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana had both written to the BCCI urging them to continue with him.Powar then worked at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and with the India A sides, before taking over as the coach of Mumbai men’s team in February 2021. Under his charge, Mumbai turned their fortunes around to romp to the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50-overs domestic competition) title after a forgettable Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in which they won only one of their five games.In his playing career, Powar played two Tests and 31 ODIs for India from 2004 to 2007, taking a total of 40 international wickets. His domestic career spanned from 1999-00 to 2015, as an offspinning allrounder of considerable skill. He took 470 first-class wickets (average 31.31) while also scoring 4245 first-class runs (average 26.53) in 148 games. He played 113 List A matches, taking 142 wickets and hitting 1082 runs. Powar played 28 T20 games, including in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Former Derbyshire all-rounder Wayne White condemned his ex-team mates to a fifth Friends Life t20 defeat as Leicestershire won a thrilling North Group match by four wickets off the last ball at Derby.

30-Jun-2012
ScorecardFormer Derbyshire all-rounder Wayne White condemned his ex-team mates to a fifth Friends Life t20 defeat as Leicestershire won a thrilling North Group match by four wickets off the last ball at Derby.White hit the final ball from Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to the fine leg boundary to clinch victory and overhaul Derbyshire’s 171 for 3 which was built around Wes Durston, who batted through the innings for an unbeaten 55 from 50 balls.Leicestershire looked out of it needing 37 from the last three overs but after 23 came from the penultimate over from Alex Hughes, White and Robert Taylor saw their side home. It was a jolt for Derbyshire who had amassed their biggest total in this season’s competition.Leicestershire sped off from the outset as Josh Cobb and Abdul Razzaq took 66 from the first five overs. Cobb pulled Jon Clare for six in an over that cost 20 and Razzaq drove Hughes for three fours before he carved the spinner into the hands of cover.Cobb hoisted Durston for another six but Rana beat him with a slower ball that he chipped to midwicket and after 10 overs, the Foxes needed another 82 with a lot resting on the West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan. With the pressure building, he was run out by a direct hit for 22.The game appeared to be in Derbyshire’s grasp but when Chesney Hughes dropped White at short fine leg off the fourth ball of the last over, White made them pay by clipping Rana for four to clinch a dramatic victory.

Ross Taylor’s whirlwind half-century went in vain as New Zealand lost to South Africa by nine runs in their second warm-up match in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRoss Taylor blasted seven sixes in his 75•Associated Press

Ross Taylor’s whirlwind half-century went in vain as New Zealand lost to South Africa by nine runs in their second warm-up match in Colombo. Besides a big target, New Zealand also had to contend with several of their players falling ill* due to queasy stomachs. New Zealand weren’t able to field 11 fit men in the warm-up game, with bowling coach Damien Wright having to step in as a fielder.When Taylor arrived at the crease after the fall of Brendon McCullum, 160 runs were still required. Taylor immediately set the pace with a boundary off Dale Steyn and a four and a six off Morne Morkel to race to 17 off 7 balls. He then went into consolidation mode for the next eight overs before exploding as the pressure of the chase mounted. Taylor shared a 94-run stand with Rob Nicol and hit seven sixes in his 42-ball 75, which left New Zealand with 44 runs to get in the last 4.3 overs with six wickets in hand. However, the contest was closed by Steyn’s triple-strike in the penultimate over.New Zealand opened the bowling with two spinners after the start was delayed due to rain. But South Africa’s openers – Richard Levi and Faf du Plessis – took 19 runs off Ronnie Hira’s second over to inject momentum into the innings. New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne then removed both batsmen in consecutive overs and when Nicol took Hashim Amla’s wicket, South Africa were in danger of ceding the early advantage.But AB de Villiers scored a 30-ball 54 and raised 62 runs in partnership with JP Duminy. A late assault by de Villiers, Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel shocked New Zealand as South Africa took 51 runs off the last three overs to end up with 186.* September 18, 0400 GMT This story has been updated with the news of New Zealand players’ illness

Hampshire hold a big advantage at the end of day two at Headingley

Myles Hodgson at Headingley17-May-2012
ScorecardSimon Katich progressed to 196 before being dismissed by Adil Rashid•PA Photos

Sunshine may not be regarded as a common currency at Headingley but it remains an influential factor in conditions when in residence and, during another weather-interrupted day’s play, it was Hampshire that profited most from its absence.At their own admission, they enjoyed the better of the conditions on the opening day and settled down to bat with the sun on their backs after overcoming an early collapse. But it was an entirely different proposition for both sides once rain relented by early afternoon of the second day with consistent cloud cover providing new challenges for all concerned.Already in a strong position on 352 for 5 when play resumed, Hampshire did their best to make hard work of passing 400 and claiming maximum batting points, losing three wickets in eight overs to ensure an unnecessary scramble to reach their target and were dismissed for 427. Yorkshire found equal difficulty in handling the conditions and lost three early wickets before finding a measure of stability through an unbroken 68-run stand between Phil Jaques and Gary Ballance.The sudden change from boundaries to regular dismissals was begun by a lack of concentration from Michael Bates, who had brought up his maiden championship hundred two overs earlier but was slow to switch on when he was called for a quick single by Simon Katich.Australian batsman Katich had pushed Steve Patterson, Yorkshire’s whole-hearted seamer, back down the ground and set off for an easy single, but Bates was slow to react and finished several feet out of his ground by the time Andrew Gale threw from deep mid-on to wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy, ending a Hampshire record-equalling 170-run sixth wicket stand against Yorkshire.From a position of relative comfort, that breakthrough changed the impetus quickly with Yorkshire turning to the legspin of Adil Rashid and earning immediate success. Now in his sixth season as a county player and two years since he was last considered as a legspinning allrounder of international class, Rashid has not developed as quickly as either Yorkshire or England would have liked.Out-bowled by the offspin of Joe Root during the opening day, Rashid still provided the occasional delivery that almost begged to be hit yet improved considerably on his first day efforts. He will have been proud of the ball that ended Katich’s six-hour innings four short of a double century, beating him in the flight as he attempted to sweep and inducing a leading edge to mid-on.His other two wickets were the result of Hampshire, who only reached maximum batting points with seven deliveries of the 110 overs remaining, attempting to score quick runs from their lower order. Yet figures of 3 for 86 represent a considerable improvement after claiming only five wickets in his five previous matches.Yorkshire’s reply could not have had much worse a start with Adam Lyth, desperate for runs after struggling throughout last season, falling lbw to Kabir Ali shouldering arms to the fifth ball of the innings. Root chose defensive defiance as a strategy and edged to slip after taking 63 minutes to score eight runs.Gale, a key figure in Bates’ run out earlier in the day, suffered the same fate with Jacques pushing to cover and setting off for a single, only for Michael Carberry to pounce superbly and throw down the stumps with the Yorkshire captain short of his ground. At 32 for 2, it may not have been the best judgement of a single, but it should not detract from Carberry’s athleticism to engineer the breakthrough, which was celebrated by a football-style celebration as his team-mates mobbed him.Jaques and Ballance, whose 203-run partnership at Bristol enabled Yorkshire to chase down 400 at Bristol last week, halted the slide, but with 178 runs still needed to avoid the follow-on, they will hope for bright sunshine when play starts on the third morning.

Ireland will host a Test nation for the first time in an international Twenty20 when Bangladesh arrive for a three-match series. The matches on July 18, 20, starting at 5pm, and 21, at 4pm, will all be played at Stormont in Belfast.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2012Ireland will host a Test nation for the first time in an international Twenty20 when Bangladesh arrive for a three-match series. The matches on July 18 and 20, starting at 5pm, and 21, at 4pm, will all be played at Stormont in Belfast.Ireland are stepping up their preparations for the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September and their coach Phil Simmons is keen to play more T20, believing his squad can find success in the shortest format.”We have a number of players ideally suited to the short form of the game,” Simmons said. “There are still a few slots up for grabs and it’s an ideal opportunity for the players to make a case for themselves to be included in the World T20 squad.”Kevin O’Brien struck the winning runs in Ireland’s victory over Bangladesh at the 2009 World T20 in England and is hoping for more success in this series. “We’re currently ninth in the world rankings and a series win would help us in our quest to get extra points to get up the ICC Rankings,” O’Brien said. “We’ve just beaten Afghanistan and we’ll be looking to keep that winning momentum going. I’m sure the Irish public will flock to what is always a great evening out.”Cricket Ireland have promised to lay on an extravaganza of entertainment and ticket holders for the abandoned ODI against Australia can gain free entry to one match of the series.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli said the team’s total against Kings XI Punjab was good enough to defend, and it is worrying that his bowlers are misfiring at this important stage of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2013The question mark over Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling remains, following their seven-wicket loss to Kings XI Punjab at the Chinnaswamy after posting 174. After the game, captain Virat Kohli said the total was good enough to defend, and it is worrying that his bowlers are misfiring at this important stage of the tournament.”The bowling has not been great. That’s something we need to look into,” Kohli said. “That was a bit of concern last year as well, so we thought bringing in more options would be helpful but the guys haven’t been able to execute in the last few overs.”One-seventy-five was a pretty good total to defend. But we didn’t hit the right areas.”Royal Challengers had bought four seamers at the IPL auction in February, in Ravi Rampaul, RP Singh, Jaydev Unadkat and Pankaj Singh. Their other three acquisitions were seam-bowling allrounders Moises Henriques, Dan Christian and Christopher Barnwell. Kohli had said in the lead-up to the season that he had specifically wanted to shore up their attack, but still the bowling issues persist.For the game against Kings XI, Rampaul, who has been one of the better Royal Challengers bowlers this season – with 12 wickets from nine games, he has the best average and economy rate for the team so far – was left out. Kohli said that was prompted by Kings XI’s line-up: “Ravi didn’t play because they had three impact left-handers [Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh and David Miller], so we decided that [Muttiah] Muralitharan would be a better option.”When they batted, Royal Challengers had got off to a sedate start, with Kohli and Chris Gayle only scoring at around a run-a-ball until the 14th over. That, Kohli said, was because of the nature of the pitch: “The wicket looked pretty good to play on but that actually wasn’t the case. It was pretty slow, keeping low and the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat. That’s why Chris and I decided to stick around.”In the first five-six overs, the pitch was a bit different [to the usual tracks at the Chinnaswamy] and it was keeping low and slow. It settled down beautifully in the second half and we didn’t expect that. I thought it would remain slow throughout the game.”Royal Challengers now need to win their final game, against current table-toppers Chennai Super Kings, and hope other results go in their favour to progress to the playoffs. “It’s not a good position to be in, with a must-win game at hand. But we have to deal with it,” Kohli said. “We have to let the guys be themselves and not put pressure on them. They are professionals and know what to do.”

Sam Curran shone with the ball before England chased down their target with four balls to spare

George Dobell27-Nov-2020Jonny Bairstow’s highest T20I score carried England to a final-over victory over South Africa in the first T20I in Cape Town.Most players perform at their best when they feel valued and secure. But others – notably Kevin Pietersen in 2012 – seem to be at their best when they have a point to prove.Bairstow appears to fit into this second category. Having forged an excellent reputation as an opener in ODI cricket, he would have been understandably disappointed to be demoted to No. 4 in the T20I team as England preferred Jason Roy and Jos Buttler at the top of the order. Having already seen his Test career falter after he was asked to move up the order and relinquish the gloves, he could be forgiven wondering if history might be repeating itself.But from his first delivery – when he quite beautifully threaded the field with a dab to the third man boundary – he looked in imperious touch. And if there were times he hit the ball murderously hard – a heaved six over long-on off the back foot from deep inside the crease off Tabraiz Shamsi – there were also moments, such as when he guided the ball behind point with precision, when he demonstrated his touch and timing.England were in some trouble during Bairstow’s early moments at the crease. While South Africa made 57 for 1 in their six-over Powerplay, England were restricted to just 34 for 3, with all those promoted above Bairstow dismissed.For a while, as Bairstow and Ben Stokes thrashed the ball around Cape Town, memories were revived of their vast stand of 399 in the New Year Test of 2016. On this occasion they added 85 off 8.4 overs, until Stokes heaved a long-hop down the throat of long-on and England’s innings stalled. With 25 balls remaining, they still required 55.But a nine-ball over from Beuran Hendricks – the 17th of the innings – was taken for 28 runs by Bairstow to put England back on track. And while Lungi Ngidi conceded just five and took the wicket of Eoin Morgan from the 18th, the nerveless Sam Curran thrashed his second ball for six off the faultless Kagiso Rabada to keep England in the hunt.Even then there were seven required from the final over. But with Bairstow pulling the first ball of the over for four and carting the second for six over mid-on, England clinched a five-wicket victory with four deliveries remaining.Whether this proves Bairstow’s point – that he belongs at the top of the order – or the team management’s – that he can play an important role in the middle-order – is debatable. But by producing a high-class innings and also seeing his side home, Bairstow must have gone a long way towards making his place in the side safe.Linde’s fine startGiven the pace options available to South Africa, you wonder how much time England gave to thinking about the left-arm spin of George Linde ahead of this match. As it happened, though, Anrich Nortje – the quickest bowler at the IPL – was omitted so South Africa could include two spinners in Linde and Shamsi.Linde, on T20I debut, enjoyed a particularly impressive day. Bowling two overs in the Powerplay, including the first of the innings, he gained a surprising amount of turn and, having dismissed Jason Roy, edging an attempted cut, from the second ball of the innings, had the world’s top-rated T20I batsman, Dawid Malan (brilliantly) caught sweeping a few minutes later. In all, he conceded just 20 runs from his four overs – the most economical return in the match – and contributed with that bat, too, hitting 12 from six deliveries at the death.Tom Curran fails to take chanceAt the start of this year, Mark Wood bowled with such pace and hostility in South Africa – albeit in Test cricket – that it seemed hard to imagine a scenario where England would leave him out. Since then, however, he’s spent more time carrying drinks than charging in and was recently given just a limited-overs central contract. Sometimes it seems England don’t appreciate quite what a gem they have in Wood.Sure enough, he was left out again here. But, in a funny way, his case for selection might have been made for him by the struggles of the man who won the nod ahead of him. For Tom Curran conceded 55 here – his worst T20I figures – including four sixes. None of his colleagues conceded more than one six and there were only seven in the South African innings.Curran started well enough. His first ove in the Powerplay cost only three. But his second was plundered for 24 – the most expensive of his T20I career – as Faf du Plessis appeared to target him.It wasn’t that he bowled especially poorly. It was more that, without the extra pace offered by the likes of Wood, his control of length has to be immaculate. But here he bowled either short or on a length and, without much variation from his cutters, was carted for each of those sixes over the leg side. With England using this series in the hope of settling upon a T20 World Cup line-up, it may have proved an expensive evening for Tom Curran.Sam Curran shinesIt was a much better day for Sam Curran. After winning the race for selection against Moeen Ali – in truth, after the impressive IPL Curran enjoyed, he was always going to play – he took the new ball and took a wicket in the first over. His two Powerplay overs cost a respectable 13, with four of those runs coming from an edge just wide of slip.But it was his bowling when he returned for the 14th over that was most impressive. Going round wicket, cramping the batsmen for room and demanding they attempt to hit to the longest boundary, he claimed two more wickets – his 3 for 28 was the best return of his brief T20I career – with an accurate and surprisingly sharp bouncer complemented by cutters that left the batsmen struggling to settle against him. Later, his six from the penultimate over calmed England’s nerves just as it appeared South Africa could hold on.Afterwards Curran reasoned that the regular cricket he had enjoyed at the IPL going into this series had given him something of an advantage in terms of rhythm. But it was another remarkably mature performance from a 22-year-old who already seems to have been around for years.

Shahid Afridi has expressed relief after playing a key role with both bat and ball in Pakistan’s win against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2012Shahid Afridi has expressed relief after playing a key role with both bat and ball in Pakistan’s win against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final. Afridi scored a critical 32 runs when Pakistan were in trouble and then bowled his 10 overs for just 28 runs to stifle Bangladesh’s batsmen.”It lifted a lot of pressure off my shoulders but more importantly it helped Pakistan win the title,” Afridi told Pakistani daily the .Before the final, Afridi had only managed two wickets in the Asia Cup, against Bangladesh, having failed to make an impression against India and Sri Lanka. He had similar problems against England in the UAE where he took three wickets in four ODIs. His poor batting form has not helped either, with only one score above 50 in his previous 11 innings. Consequently, he has attracted criticism. Prior to the present slump, Afridi had picked up 23 scalps in nine games against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.”To my critics, I will say just one thing: haven’t you heard of players going through a lean patch?” Afridi said. “It happens to even the greatest sportsmen then why is that I cannot be spared during my bad patch?”Questions have been asked about his fitness in the media. However, Afridi refuted such doubts by saying that he has been fortunate to be injury-free for most of his playing career. “I’m fully fit at the moment and plan to continue working hard to make sure that I give my 100% for Pakistan each time I represent the country.”He said he would quit one-day internationals the day he was not able to give his best to the national side and concentrate on Twenty20 cricket. This season, Afridi has played Twenty20 matches for local franchises in Australia and in Bangladesh. However, he has opted out of the ongoing Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty20 Cup in which he represented Karachi Dolphins for the past six seasons.Edited by Devashish Fuloria

Tom Blundell will take over as wicketkeeper and move down the order

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2020Will Young has been handed his Test debut against West Indies in Hamilton after BJ Watling was ruled out with a hamstring injury.Tom Blundell will take the wicketkeeping gloves and move down the order with Young partnering Tom Latham at the top.

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Young, 28, has been close to a Test debut before and was set to play against Bangladesh in 2019 before the final Test in Christchurch was cancelled following the terror attack in the city.He averages 43.76 in his first-class career with ten centuries, the most recent of which came against West Indies for New Zealand A last week”It’s an exciting opportunity for him at the top of the order and I know he’s just looking forward to getting involved after some near opportunities that didn’t eventuate,” captain Kane Williamson said. “He’s been around the environment for some time without getting his first opportunity so I think that’s also a real positive. Often you come into teams and it’s new, you are trying to get a feel for the group but he’s got that feel, he’s an experienced player, has played a lot of first-class cricket and to a very high standard and he deserves that opportunity.”He’s pretty calm and relaxed and knows that he just wants to go out and contribute as much as he can to the team so that attitude is a great thing to have.”Watling picked up the injury during his last outing in the Ford Trophy and following assessment in Hamilton it was decided there was too much risking including him for a Test.”He has seen it all before,” Williamson said. “He knows his body better than anybody. Obviously, he has got a sore hamstring at the moment, but he’s very confident that he can get back to full fitness quite soon. He himself is aware of the challenges you put your body through over a five-day period, and so it’s very difficult to go into a match at a sort of half-fitness.”He cares about the team more than anybody, so he sees it from that perspective. Through discussion with the management, they found that was the best option. He’s a leader in the group, and he showed that through the conversations we had yesterday.”A decision over the rest of the final XI is yet to be made with one of the key debates whether New Zealand go in with a frontline spin option in Mitchell Santner, who was called up in place of the injured Ajaz Patel, or opt for an all-pace attack.”It’s a little bit tricky,” Williamson said of the make-up of the likely XI. “Naturally that is always a bit of a challenge playing in New Zealand, and looking at the roles that you might believe have larger factors. It’s unique to here more than in other places in the world.”