All posts by n8rngtd.top

He followed up an unbeaten half-century with two key outfield catches

AAP09-Jan-2025Glenn Maxwell’s heroics inspired the Melbourne Stars to a crucial 16-run upset of the ladder-leading Sydney Sixers at the MCG, keeping their slim BBL finals chances alive.On the same day his Test ambitions likely ended for good, Maxwell belted a game-high unbeaten 58 and took two important catches in the deep.Related

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Marcus Stoinis was out cheaply, but Stars’ captain claimed 2 for 30 in a valuable contribution with the ball.Ben Duckett appeared to have cost Stars dearly when he dropped countryman James Vince on 36. It was only two weeks ago Vince smashed an unbeaten century in a thumping Sixers win against Stars at the SCG on Boxing Day.But Maxwell made no mistake when he hung on to a high catch in the deep, leading to Vince departing for 53. The 36-year-old almost spilled the chance, too, and stayed on the ground for a long time in pure relief.Just two balls later, Maxwell was in the action again when he took a catch to dismiss Sixers captain Moises Henriques, sparking passionate, animated celebrations with Stoinis and other Stars players.James Vince scored a half-century but the Sixers fell away after his dismissal•Getty Images

Maxwell was overlooked for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka on Thursday, with selectors preferring younger options in the squad.Numerous replays were needed to decide on a return catch to Stars spinner Usama Mir, with Sixers allrounder Jack Edwards eventually given out by the TV umpire.Stuck in a deep hole at 64 for 4 at the halfway mark of their innings, Stars were rescued by an 88-run stand between Maxwell and Test hero Beau Webster.After a fairytale debut for Australia, Webster’s golden run continued when he was out off a no-ball and was called back, then was dropped by Vince.During Maxwell’s blazing 32-ball knock, he became the fifth player in BBL history to reach 3000 career runs, joining Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, D’Arcy Short and Henriques.Play was stopped for about two minutes after a seagull was taken down by a powerful shot from Vince.After starting the season 0-5, Stars can still qualify for finals if they beat the Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in their remaining two games and other results go their way.Sixers (4-2, one no-result) missed a golden opportunity to consolidate their position on top of the table ahead of a clash at the SCG on Saturday against Perth Scorchers.

Imam-ul-Haq notches fifty as Yorkshire wrap up comfortable win in Scarborough

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025Ben Cliff’s maiden five-wicket haul in first-team cricket – a superb 5 for 46 from 8.3 overs – set Yorkshire up for an opening day Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over last year’s semi-finalists Warwickshire at Scarborough, by five wickets chasing 138.New-ball quick Cliff, aged 22, was playing his first first-team game since the summer’s opening week following a side injury, and he was the chief tormenter as the Bears were bowled out for 137 inside 37 overs at the start of Group B.Cliff struck four times in a devastating opening spell, with Warwickshire slipping to 38 for 7 before Vaansh Jani’s brilliant 82 off 92 balls. It was the 20-year-old’s maiden first-team fifty in his second game.Yorkshire, for whom Adam Lyth took four catches in the slips – equalling a club record for outfield catches in a List A innings – didn’t chase with ease on a tricky pitch. But Pakistani international opener Imam-ul-Haq held things together with 55 off 83 balls.Cliff struck twice in three balls in his opening over and four times in all as the Bears crumbled to 24 for 5 in the 10th having been inserted. He had both Rob Yates and Zen Malik caught at cover by James Wharton in the second over, the former via a leading edge as he looked to play to leg and the latter off a miscued drive.Cliff’s new-ball partner Jack White clipped Warwickshire captain Ed Barnard’s off bail with a beauty before Cliff struck again to get a driving Hamza Shaikh caught at second slip by Lyth. And when extra bounce forced Kai Smith to loop a catch to backward point, the Bears were five down and in serious strife.Things got worse before getting better. Alex Davies fell to Matthew Revis’s first ball for 15, the seam-bowling allrounder getting him and Jake Lintott caught by Lyth at slip. When Lintott fell to the third ball of the 14th over, Warwickshire were 38 for 7.Batting at No. 7, Jani’s first of six boundaries was a lovely on-drive against George Hill as Warwickshire strove for respectability.Hill’s seam accounted for Michael Booth caught at slip by Lyth – 63 for 8 in the 21st. Hill added a second wicket when Ethan Bamber drilled to mid-off, though Jani counterattacked.He hoisted Hill over long-on and scooped White over fine-leg for his first two of five sixes, reaching a 67-ball fifty, by which time the visitors were 101 for 9 in the 31st over.Right-handed Jani smashed Revis out of the ground over long-on before miscuing Cliff to mid-on to end the innings.Jani and Oliver Hannon-Dalby added 64, a Warwickshire List A record stand for the 10th wicket and comfortably the best of the innings. Last man Hannon-Dalby contributed one run.Yorkshire were cautious in reply. They lost Lyth and Will Luxton, the latter for 25, to the seam of Hannon-Dalby and Bamber – 47 for 2 in the 14th over.Booth’s pace then accounted for James Wharton and Revis in successive deliveries, caught behind off the inside-edge and caught low down at second slip, as the score fell to 72 for four in the 21st.But left-handed Imam anchored things. His first five scoring shots were boundaries, strong on the pull and drive, and he shared a calming fifth-wicket stand of 56 with Hill, 20 not out. Imam fell caught at deep square-leg with 10 to win, but it was a consolatory third wicket for Booth. Yorkshire won with 17.1 overs remaining.

Chair Richard Thompson says last year’s bid from Bridgepoint informed the sales benchmark

Matt Roller20-Nov-2024Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chair, has revealed a target to raise at least £350 million in the Hundred’s sales process – a target that he believes the board will surpass “comfortably” when deals are signed off early next year.The private equity group Bridgepoint made a lucrative offer to buy a majority stake in the whole competition two years ago, which was turned down due to the ECB’s desire to retain control of the Hundred. Thompson said the offer had informed the benchmark that the ECB are attempting to clear during its ongoing sales process.The ECB is selling 49% stakes in each of the eight teams in the Hundred, which will be turned into franchises and will initially be run as joint-ventures with host counties (or, in the case of London Spirit, MCC). The sales process launched in early September and has progressed into the second of three rounds, with a final target deadline in January 2025.Thompson said last month that the pool of prospective investors was “way broader and bigger” than the Raine Group – the US investment bank who are running the process – had anticipated. The ECB have not previously committed to a projected figure from the sale in public, but Thompson has now revealed that £350 million is seen as the minimum target.Related

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“Our target was to raise £350 million from sales,” Thompson told . “I think we’re going to exceed that comfortably, but we’ve still got some way to go. I think all of us have been genuinely shocked over the quality and quantity of interest… There’s hardly anyone in sport that isn’t at the table.”The ECB was questioned last week by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee on the sale of the Hundred. Chief executive Richard Gould responded in writing to a letter from the committee’s chair Caroline Dinenage and defended the sale after questions around its likely impact on English cricket.”This process presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a significant capital injection into cricket in England and Wales,” Gould wrote. “It is a rare moment when we have the collective power to ensure that these funds are utilised fully in ways that will provide long-term financial sustainability for the whole game.”Gould also revealed that the ECB will soon establish a ‘Hundred committee’ designed to “lead, scrutinise and monitor the administration, operation and commercialisation” of the competition. Its members will comprise ECB non-executive directors, representatives from the franchises and independent appointments.

Century stand for second wicket books reigning champions a return trip to Finals Day

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2024Somerset 215 for 3 (Banton 75, Kohler-Cadmore 63) beat Northamptonshire 198 for 5 (Willey 57) by 17 runsTom Banton smashed 75 off just 43 balls to set up a Somerset victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks and book the reigning champions a place at Vitality Blast Finals Day.Banton made hay against an often-wayward Northamptonshire attack, hitting five sixes and six fours as Somerset racked up an intimidating 215 for three at a sold-out Wantage Road.Banton was the dominant partner in a stand of 125 in 11.3 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore who at first struggled to get going before finding his groove and registering 63 off just 43 balls with two fours and five sixes.Steelbacks captain David Willey led a spirited run chase, contributing 57 off just 39 deliveries (two fours, four sixes), finding good support from Saif Zaib, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Justin Broad to keep the hosts in the hunt. But with Somerset’s skipper Lewis Gregory taking three wickets for 35 the target ultimately proved beyond their reach as they closed 17 runs short..Earlier Willey struck in the second over having Will Smeed (6) caught behind, but both Willey and Ben Sanderson gifted Somerset free runs as they sent down a series of wide legside deliveries.Banton showed early intent, smashing Willey through the covers, but nearly holed out as the ball held up in the wind. Next ball though he crunched one down the ground and hit the next over deep point, Somerset ending the powerplay on 49 for one.With strong winds making it difficult to judge high catches, Gus Miller failed to get into position to take a straightforward chance off a leading edge from Kohler-Cadmore on 7.Banton though had no problem locating the boundary, punishing a loose Freddie Heldreich over with consecutive sixes over deep midwicket, reaching his half-century off 31 balls.Kohler-Cadmore finally hit his stride with a big six over long-off followed by two further boundaries as Australian overseas spinner Ashton Agar conceded 23 off an expensive over. Kohler-Cadmore added two further sixes off the next over, Justin Broad in the firing line this time.Banton’s departure came thanks to some excellent fielding on the boundary as he attempted to hit Saif Zaib for six. First Broad held onto the ball before tossing it to George Bartlett to complete the catch as he stepped over the rope.Kohler-Cadmore survived a strong appeal for a stumping, the third umpire deeming the delivery a no ball because the keeper’s gloves were in front of the stumps. The batter duly put the free hit away for a six, going on to reach his half-century off 38 balls before muscling Agar out of the ground for yet another maximum. It took a spectacular diving catch from Zaib at deep midwicket to finally remove the Somerset man, Sanderson finally getting one in the wickets column.Sean Dickson (33) and Lewis Gregory (20) shared a stand of 44 in the last 3.4 overs, the skipper ending proceedings with an audacious reverse ramp off White for six.Northamptonshire began their innings in persistent rain, losing George Bartlett in Craig Overton’s opening over with a chip to midwicket.Willey though showed real intent against Josh Davey, smashing him down the ground for four and depositing him over long-off for six.Despite a broken hand, Vasconcelos was manoeuvring the ball nicely, ramping Jake Ball for six as Northamptonshire finished the powerplay on 52 for one. Willey got the crowd singing by pummelling Overton straight for six and swinging Gregory over fine leg into the gardens on Wellingborough Road.Vasconcelos (30) was caught at fine leg off Gregory, but after a slow start, Broad (29) hit his straps, scooping Ben Green for six and four off consecutive balls and pulling the next delivery for another boundary.The Steelbacks reached 92 for two after 10 overs ahead of Somerset, but still behind the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern equation.Broad reverse swept Roelof van der Merwe for four and six to keep the scoreboard ticking but fell in tame fashion giving Gregory a straightforward return catch.Zaib (32) picked up the baton, sending a Green delivery over fine leg and dissecting the field with great precision, while Willey brought up his half-century off 35 balls.Northamptonshire started the last five overs needing 79 to win and despite taking a blow to the helmet, Zaib swung Gregory high over fine leg for six before becoming Gregory’s third wicket when he skied a catch to mid-on.Willey continued to press, hitting Ball down the ground before he was caught on the cover boundary.Agar (28*) smashed a four and consecutive sixes off the final over but it was in vain as Northamptonshire fell short by 17 runs.

Worcestershire make early running but are hunted down in thriller at Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network07-Jul-2024 Lancashire 182 for 8 (Bruce 50*, Waite 3-19) beat Worcestershire 181 for 4 (Cobb 74, Hose 45) by two wickets Luke Wood hit the fifth ball of the last over for six to ensure that Lancashire Lightning defeated Worcestershire Rapids by two wickets in their tense Vitality Blast T20 match at Emirates Old Trafford.Wood’s blow over square-leg off Tom Taylor ensured the home side strengthened their hopes of a home quarter-final and enabled Lancashire to chase down the 182 runs they needed to prevent Rapids achieving their first T20 double over Lancashire.However, defeat was hard on Josh Cobb, who made 74 in Worcestershire’s 181 for four, and also on Matthew Waite, who took three for 19 in Lancashire’s innings. But Tom Bruce’s first T20 half-century for Lancashire – the New Zealander finished on 50 not out – kept his side in the hunt even as wickets were falling.Worcestershire scored 40 runs in their Powerplay overs but lost two wickets in doing so, both to Saqib Mahmood. In the second over, Brett D’Oliveira was hustled for pace by Mahmood and could only shovel the ball behind him to wicketkeeper Matty Hurst.And having lost their skipper for seven, the Rapids then suffered another blow in Mahmood’s next over when Kashif Ali, having casually chipped the fast bowler over the square-leg boundary for six, tried to hit him down the ground next ball but only skied the shot to Steven Croft at mid-off and was caught for 16.The next few overs were dominated by Cobb and Gareth Roderick, who cleared the rope three times in taking their side to 81 for two after ten overs and had put on 57 in 43 balls when Roderick was leg before to Chris Green for 26.The savage hitting continued in the following seven overs as Cobb and Adam Hose put 78 for the fourth wicket, Cobb reaching his fifty off 40 balls before finally holing out at long-off when Croft clung on to a steepling catch off Green to dismiss the former Northamptonshire batter for 74, an innings that included eight fours and three sixes.Hose had whacked two enormous straight sixes in the over in which Cobb was dismissed and he went to make an inventive 45 not out off 26 balls before Worcestershire’s innings closed on 181 for four. Luke Wood was the meanest member of Lancashire’s attack, conceding 24 runs off his four overs, but Mahmood and Hartley were the most obviously successful, each bowler taking a couple of wickets.Lancashire lost three wickets in their Powerplay but scored an impressive 63 runs, with Keaton Jennings taking heavy toll of the Worcestershire debutant Harry Darley, who conceded 39 runs in his two overs.Jennings was 40 not out when the first six overs ended and his runs offset the loss of Luke Wells, who was caught behind off Taylor for a single, Matty Hurst, who was caught by Ed Pollock off Matthew Waite, also for one, and George Lavelle, who was run out for 20 by a direct hit from the ex-Lancashire favourite, Rob Jones.Three balls later, Hayden Walsh struck what seemed a vital blow for the Rapids when he bowled Jennings for 41 but Bruce and Steven Croft then put on 37 in five overs before Croft was well caught by D’Oliveira off Ethan Brookes for 16 when he blasted the ball to cover.Shrewd accumulation by Bruce and Chris Green left Lancashire needing 53 off the final four overs and 39 off three only for Green to be caught at long-on off Brookes for 19. But Tom Hartley hit his first two balls from Brookes for six to leave 18 required off 12 balls. Waite then removed Hartley and Tom Aspinwall with successive deliveries, only for Wood to decide matters.

Bryce Jackson claimed four wickets as the home side collapsed when they had a chance of reaching the final

AAP23-Feb-2025Queensland crashed out of the One-Day Cup title race in humbling fashion, suffering a six-wicket loss to wooden spooners Western Australia at the Gabba.WA paceman Bryce Jackson snared 4 for 39 in a player-of-the-match performance as Queensland were skittled for 131 in 29.2 overs.In reply, a WA side featuring mostly emerging players reached the victory target in just 26 overs, with Hilton Cartwright, Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin all chipping in.Queensland entered their last match of the regular season in third spot and well in the hunt to claim a spot in the March 1 final. They needed to beat WA and for Victoria to beat second-placed NSW to lock away a spot in the decider.Even if NSW beat Victoria, Queensland could have still made the final by posting a bonus-point win over WA. But things went awry for the Bulls from the outset.Star trio Ben McDermott, Jimmy Peirson and Matt Renshaw all fell cheaply as Queensland slumped to 17 for 3 in the fifth over.Lachlan Hearne and Angus Lovell briefly steadied the ship, but those knocks were only a temporary reprieve as WA’s youth-laden attack continued to wreak havoc.Queensland were 102 for 9 before No. 10 Mitchell Swepson whacked 45 off 35 balls to at least give Queensland some sort of chance to pull off a miracle win.Jackson, playing just his fifth List A match, was the star of the show with four wickets, while Brody Couch and Mahli Beardman were also influential.The pace trio have just 15 List A appearances between them, and spinner Corey Rocchiccioli was playing just his second List A match.But despite their youth and inexperience, the WA attack ripped through Queensland’s talented line-up with ease.  Swepson whacked three sixes and three fours in the sole real resistance Queensland were able to put up.WA made light work of the run chase, with teenage paceman Callum Vidler the only Queensland bowler to make any true inroads.The win was only WA’s second of the season, with their hopes of winning four straight titles derailed by injuries and poor form across the campaign.

Kent seamer turned down contract extension but Tawanda Muyeye has agreed new deal

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2025Nathan Gilchrist, the Zimbabwe-born English-qualified seamer, has turned down a contract extension at Kent and will move to Warwickshire at the end of the season.Kent have however received a boost with the news that highly rated batter Tawanda Muyeye has signed a new deal until the end of the 2027 season, with the option for a further year.Gilchrist, 25, came through Somerset’s academy before joining Kent in 2020. He initially broke into the red-ball team, and has since taken 107 first-class wickets for the club at an average of 32.40.In 2022, he was part of the Kent team that won the Royal London One-Day Cup, claiming 3 for 65 in the final. He only made his T20 debut last year, but has since taken 29 wickets at 18.93, albeit at an economy of over 10.”This was an extremely tough decision for me to make, but this is the best move for me, and for my career, at this point in time,” Gilchrist said.Related

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“I’d like to thank everyone at Kent for believing in me from day one when I arrived here as a 20-year-old looking to prove myself back in 2020. I hope that I have done just that and I’m extremely proud to have been a Kent cricketer.”I’ve made some lifelong friendships during my time at the club, and under Adam Hollioake, I can definitely see a bright future for Kent. I’d also like to give a big thank you to the Kent Members and supporters for all the support that they have given me during my time here.”It’s not quite goodbye just yet, and I’m fully focused on ending this season on a high note. Hopefully we can make some more great memories together to go with all of the others that we’ve made over the past five years.”Warwickshire subsequently confirmed that Gilchrist had agreed a three-year deal with the club. “Nathan is a proven performer at county level who has demonstrated real quality with the ball,” Ian Westwood, Warwickshire’s head coach, said.Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said: “We’re disappointed that Nathan has chosen to not sign a new contract here and move to Warwickshire, but we wish him all the very best for the future. He will always be welcome back at the Spitfire Ground.”The retention of Muyeye is a positive, with the 24-year-old having topped Kent’s run-scoring charts as they qualified for the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast. As well as recording a maiden T20 hundred this season, he has made 570 runs at 35.62 in Division Two of the County Championship.Muyeye was also born in Zimbabwe but came to the UK as a refugee before attending Eastbourne College. He signed for Kent in 2021 and has since played more than 100 times for the county.”This club is now my home, and I’m delighted to commit my future to Kent,” Muyeye said. “Ever since I arrived here, I’ve been so grateful for the support that my team-mates, coaches and the Kent supporters have given me.”I’m determined to continue to develop as a player in a Kent shirt and put in more match-winning performances.”

Price signs for Sussex

Tom Price gets a hug from James Bracey•Getty Images

Another promising young player on the move is Gloucestershire allrounder Tom Price, who has agreed a three-year deal with Sussex. He will also move at the close of the 2025 season.Price, 25, made his Gloucestershire debut in a tour match against Australia in 2019. His most-memorable moment came in 2023, when he became the first player in history to score a century and take a hat-trick on the same day of a first-class match, against Worcestershire at New Road.Overall, he made 35 first-class appearances, taking 94 wickets at 31.11. His time at Gloucestershire was disrupted by injury, and he only featured sporadically in white-ball cricket – but he did feature in Gloucestershire’s T20 Blast win last season, playing in both games on Finals Day.”I’m really excited by and grateful for this amazing opportunity at Sussex Cricket,” Price said. “It’s a very impressive club, with a lot of ambition, a squad that’s going from strength to strength and a highly respected group of coaches and support staff – it was always going to be a hard decision for me to leave my home club but I’ve had some very positive conversations and really believe this is a great fit.”I’m really grateful the club are putting their faith in me for the next few years. I’m excited to continue developing my game, and will give everything I can to help the club win games and trophies. I look forward to meeting everyone when I join up in November.”Paul Farbrace, Sussex’s director of cricket, said: “We are all delighted that Tom has committed to joining us at Hove for the next stage of his career. He has been so impressive during the recruitment process, that involved our full coaching staff.”Tom is someone I have followed closely for a few years now, he is a genuine all round cricketer who will really enhance our talented squad, and I look forward to him being a central player for us in all forms of the game.”Price is the second Gloucestershire player to agree a switch to Hove for next season, after tall seamer Dom Goodman signed a three-year contract with Sussex earlier this month.

Tasmania could barely get their scoring rate above two an over then lost late wickets

Tristan Lavalette22-Mar-20241:19

Matthew Wade: ‘I call myself the first genuine allrounder: bat, bowl, field, keep’

Western Australia grabbed control of the Sheffield Shield final against Tasmania after a sustained attack on day two resulted in the late wickets of Jordan Silk and Beau Webster.Tasmania reached stumps at 152 for 6 having struggled to cope with an onslaught from WA’s outstanding attack led by Cameron Gannon, who used his towering frame to devastating effect.Related

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Spinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who is battling a flu, produced a lionhearted performance to continue his outstanding season as he continued his penchant for bowling on the WACA. He claimed the only two wickets of an attritional second session to finish with 2 for 44 from 22 overs.”I think those last couple of wickets might have helped us get ahead of the game. We just need to continue to go out there and get these four wickets,” said debutant Cooper Connolly who scored 90 in WA’s first innings.There’s almost no chance of Tasmania overtaking WA on bonus points, so they will have to win the game to end an 11-year title drought. They suffered a double late blow by Gannon when Silk was superly caught by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis before Aaron Hardie claimed an athletic catch to dismiss Webster.”Obviously not in a great position, but we’re still within touching distance,” Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell said.Aaron Hardie got one through Jake Doran late in the day•Getty Images

WA’s first innings received a lift with Connolly falling short of being the second youngest Shield final centurion behind Phillip Hughes.WA resumed at 325 for 8, with anticipation high as a number of patrons rocked up early in the hope of seeing something extraordinary from a 20-year-old some observers have compared to Shaun Marsh.Connolly started on 73 after his fireworks late on day one, but didn’t go for broke even after the early wicket of Gannon. He received strong support from No.11 Rocchiccioli, who shed his attacking instincts and defended solidly. Every ball he survived received applause from the fans, who cheered with gusto at each run from Connolly.With the field spread far and wide, Connolly was tasked with playing a game of cat and mouse, but on 86 he unfurled a big stroke that was mistimed and hung in the air only to be dropped at deep backward point by Bradley Hope. It was reminiscent of the epic BBL final when he survived a similar drop from Josh Brown, but Connolly could not cash in as he succumbed shortly later.Connolly’s innings ended tamely on his 115th ball when he was caught in two minds and edged the hardworking Iain Carlisle to slip. Connolly scurried off to a standing ovation from the WACA faithful as Tasmania were soon faced with a thorough examination from WA’s miserly quicks.In his last first-class match, Matthew Wade was trapped lbw just before lunch by a superb inswinger from Gannon and he seemingly accepted his fate as he trudged off the ground not appearing disappointed at the decision.It didn’t take long for Corey Rocchiccioli to have an impact•Getty Images

Gannon and Joel Paris exploited the conditions superbly with Tasmania crawling at barely a run an over. Having survived close calls, Jewell and Charlie Wakim fought hard and combined for a 68-run partnership but eventually WA’s pressure proved too much.After Jarrod Freeman spun the ball sharply on day one, Rocchiccioli loomed as the dangerman and he immediately caused problems. Wakim countered by using his feet and clubbing a six over the long-on boundary, which required Hilton Cartwright to scale the white pickets and find the ball amid the vacant seating.But it was a risky strategy and proved his undoing when he holed out to Cartwright then Rocchiccioli, just before tea, dismissed Jewell caught behind with a sharp delivery that bounced and hit the edge.WA eyed further inroads in the final session where wickets often fall in clumps late in the day at the WACA. On restricted bowling duties, Hardie bowled menacingly from the get go and was rewarded by dismissing Jake Doran with a cracking delivery.But WA were left frustrated with numerous loud appeals turned down with Silk on 28 appearing to edge a rising Gannon delivery outside the off stump.The rowdy fans in the terraces – with a strong crowd of 1852 in attendance – were starting to get agitated until Silk and Webster fell as the shadows crept onto the ground as WA nestled into a strong position.

He was also effusive in praise for left-arm spinner Kuhnemann

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Feb-20252:48

Steven Smith: ‘A near-flawless performance’

It was the length Australian spinners bowled that helped them take 20 Sri Lanka wickets so easily. This is what the stand-in captain Steven Smith felt after his team inflicted a record innings-and-242-run victory on Sri Lanka in the first Test.The Sri Lanka batters struggled substantially against the spinners, losing 17 wickets to them in Galle. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann took 9 for 149 in the match, to top the wicket-chart for the series so far.”I just think he bowls nice balls consistently,” Smith said of Kuhnemann. “Left-arm spinners to right-hand batters – it just works in the subcontinent.Related

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“He did a wonderful job when he bowled in India [where he took nine wickets across five innings in early 2023], and he bowled beautifully again in this game. It’s a pretty good effort.”Australia, unusually, played only one frontline seam bowler. Mitchell Starc has an outstanding record in Sri Lanka, but spin nevertheless claimed a bulk of the Sri Lanka wickets to fall in this Test, leaving just three for Starc.”I thought all the spinners worked really well together, and that’s the beauty of having three frontline spin bowlers,” Smith said. “You can sort of chop and change them, and as soon as one’s not looking quite as effective, and the batter gets a bit of a read on them or they get a little bit tired, you put the next one on and wait to see what’s happening.”But, while Australia’s spinners took 17 wickets in the Test, Sri Lanka’s spinners managed only the six.”For me, for [the] spinners it’s more length than pace,” Smith said. “If you can consistently hit a good length, then regardless of what’s going on, you’re going to be in play. If you can get the ball to skid or one to rag – the length where they’re lunging forward and can’t get back to it or they can’t drive at that length. If you’re hitting that consistently, your pace is kind of irrelevant, I think.”Australia scored 654 for 6 declared in the first innings. This is generally a position from which teams tend not to lose, and Australia felt especially confident, considering how quickly the pitch was deteriorating.”I think they lost 7 for 17 [7 for 15] across the day today at one point. It was one of those where it was really tough to start on, and as soon as we got a breakthrough, we always felt we could get another one quickly.”

Glamorgan lead by 58 overnight, with potential to set final-day run-chase

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2024Glamorgan take a lead of 58 with nine wickets in hand into the final day of their Vitality County Championship match against Leicestershire after the home side declared in arrears on a rain-restricted third day at the Uptonsteel County Ground.Having been 280 for five from 85 overs overnight, Leicestershire lost not out centurion Peter Handscomb in the second over after a delayed start, and then puzzled spectators by showing little inclination to chase more than one extra batting bonus point before declaring at 343 for nine in reply to Glamorgan’s 387 all out.Handscomb made 103, his second hundred of the season. Nightwatchman Scott Currie was out five short of following last week’s career-best 72 against Gloucestershire with the second first-class fifty of his career.Timm van der Gugten, in his first match of the season after injury, finished with five for 65.Glamorgan lost opener Billy Root for one and were 14 for one when a very heavy shower at around 4.30pm left parts of the playing area underwater, forcing the umpires to abandon play for the day.The morning session was limited to just eight overs after rain delayed the start until noon and then forced an early lunch, with a 10-minute stoppage along the way for some extra mopping up in parts of the field still wet from the earlier downpour.Australian Test batter Handscomb could add only one to his unbeaten 102 overnight before he was leg before to a ball from Van der Gugten that kept more than a touch low from the Bennett End.New batter Ben Cox picked up three boundaries off Zain-ul-Hassan and Leicestershire emerged from the interval needing exactly 50 to claim a third batting point and, with 17 overs left of the 110, the possibility even of going for a fourth, mindful of the value of a high-scoring draw in this summer’s points structure.Yet those 17 overs yielded just 26 runs, with scarcely a shot struck in anger by either Cox or the nightwatchman, Currie, who had proved on the second evening that he is no mug with bat in hand. Glamorgan’s bowling remained tight and tidy but the absence of aggression in Leicestershire’s approach was difficult to fathom.To make matters worse, Leicestershire then lost two wickets in the space of five deliveries as Van der Gugten executed a brilliant caught-and-bowled to remove Cox and followed it up by bowling Ben Mike off an inside-edge on to pad, the Australian-born Netherlands international celebrating the 14th first-class five-for of his career.The general sense of bafflement with what was happening then only increased.Currie, who had been joined by the injured Tom Scriven and his runner, was leg before to James Harris, and when Matt Salisbury walked out at No.11, one assumed his role was to give Scriven the chance to swing the bat, even on one leg.Yet after just eight more deliveries, only one of which Scriven actually faced, Leicestershire declared, conceding a lead of 44.Glamorgan lost Root early in the sixth over of their second innings when he was bowled by Matt Salisbury, another ball that kept low, before the heavens opened.