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Pair put on 177-run stand with Threlkeld unbeaten on 107 to end Thunder’s season on a high

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2023Thunder ended their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a five-wicket victory against Western Storm in an entertaining and spirited game at Emirates Old Trafford.Half-centuries from Emma Corney, Sophia Smale and skipper Sophie Luff led Storm to 250 for 7 with Thunder spin duo Olivia Bell and Liberty Heap taking three wickets apiece.In reply, Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld and Naomi Dattani posted the highest-ever partnership of 177 for Thunder, with both players making career-best List-A scores of 107 not out and 82 respectively to chase down their target with 20 balls to spare.Corney and Smale made the perfect start for the Storm after Luff won the toss, compiling a 98-run partnership across the opening 20 overs.Corney, who played a confident range of shots on both sides of the wicket including a six over midwicket off Bell, reached an excellent 57-ball fifty but perished for 53 after hitting Bell to Tara Norris at long-on.The introduction of Bell in the 14th over had started to apply the brakes to the Storm run-scoring and the off-spinner next bowled Fran Wilson for 24 to give Thunder some further relief.Sophia Smale responded in fine fashion reaching her fifty off 77 balls before slicing a drive back to Bell who took a good diving catch to claim her third wicket. It was a sensational effort by Bell who bowled her ten overs in one spell that produced a return of 3 for 30, and the 19-year-old has now taken 25 wickets from her last eight Thunder outings.Heap backed that up with a further three wickets to bring Thunder back into the game, bowling Niamh Holland for a duck and Nat Wraith for 8 with two sharply turning deliveries to have Storm 160 for 5 in the 35th over.Heap (3 for 39) then broke a good 39-run partnership between Luff and Katie Jones when the latter top-edged a pull to Dani Collins at backward square leg for 16.Luff, who had arrived at the crease at the fall of the second wicket, played a gem of an innings using all her experience to rotate the strike and keep the score moving steadily, and she next joined forces with Chloe Skelton in an enterprising partnership of 50 off 51 balls over the closing overs.Visiting skipper Luff went to a 63-ball half-century in the penultimate over of the innings before falling in the last, caught for 54 off Norris with Skelton unbeaten on 21.Chasing 251, the Thunder made a disastrous start to their reply losing three wickets for 17 runs inside eight overs.Heap was run out without scoring, Seren Smale fell lbw to namesake Sophia for 3 who then held onto a good caught-and-bowled offering at the second attempt when Fi Morris drove back up the wicket having made 11.Dattani and Threlkeld stopped the rot with a steadying partnership that initially added fifty inside 11 overs and the pair kept the momentum going, reaching the halfway point of the innings on 115 for 3 with 136 required.Once established, the Thunder duo played their shots and ran cleverly putting the visitors under increasing pressure with both reaching fifties, Threlkeld from 54 balls and Dattani off 83.It took a spectacular one-handed diving catch by Holland off her own bowling to break the partnership and dismiss Dattani, leaving Thunder on 194 for 4 and needing 57 off 67 balls.Threlkeld expertly finished the job, reaching a fabulous century from 107 balls and getting good support from Laura Delaney (22) and Dani Collins (12 not out) before hitting her 14th boundary to win the game in the 47th over.

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

• Cooper Connolly gives off Shaun Marsh vibes during dream debut

• 'It's a difficult job' – Gannon prepares for Shield final after a career on the fringe

• Whiteman and Connolly give Western Australia the edge early in Shield final

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.

“Being in India and a star Indian player, to be in that position is certainly something he wouldn’t have experienced”

Nagraj Gollapudi and Raunak Kapoor29-Mar-20246:16

Steven Smith: Didn’t expect Hardik to be booed in Hyderabad

Steven Smith’s suggestion to Hardik Pandya is to simply “block out” the boos and the abuse he has been copping from fans at the IPL so far.Smith, target of constant heckling across the globe a few years ago for his role in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal, said that Hardik needed support from his team-mates at Mumbai Indians, including from Rohit Sharma, who Hardik replaced as captain ahead of IPL 2024 after a 11-year stint.”I’d try and just say, to block it out, it’s all irrelevant,” Smith said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “No one outside knows what you are going through. No one [from outside] is in that change room.”Related

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• The People vs Hardik Pandya – why, what, and the way out

• Ashwin defends Hardik: 'Fan wars should never take an ugly turn'

• Moody and Klaasen baffled by Mumbai holding back Bumrah

• Ahmedabad shows its feelings in Hardik's night of agony

Smith was handed a year-long ban by Cricket Australia after admitting to “leadership failure” in the Newlands Test, and was also forced to “step down” as Rajasthan Royals captain in IPL 2018. He said he had treated the heckling he had experienced – including at the 2019 ODI World Cup in England where fans chanted “cheat” – as “white noise”.But can the abuse from fans, coupled with criticism of his captaincy in Mumbai Indians’ back-to-back losses in IPL 2024 by pundits, impact Hardik adversely?Smith suggested that Hardik might have been surprised at the reception because it is not often India’s top players are booed by fans. It is not unprecedented, though, with Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri being at the receiving end at various points in their careers.”Personally, for me, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t care. I don’t pay any attention,” Smith said. “You know it’s all white noise, but certainly players do hear things and everyone’s entitled to their own emotions and how they respond to those.”So is it affecting him [Hardik]? Maybe. It’s possible. He probably hasn’t experienced that before in, in any walk of life. So it’s natural, I suppose, and particularly being in India and a star Indian player, to be in that position where some fans are booing you, it’s certainly something he wouldn’t have experienced.”

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It has been a poor start for Mumbai Indians to IPL 2024, where they have suffered two defeats in two games, first against Gujarat Titans in front of a near sellout crowd in Ahmedabad, and then in Hyderabad where Sunrisers Hyderabad registered the highest IPL total, which Mumbai lost by 31 runs. Smith said that while he could understand the Ahmedabad crowd coming down heavilty on Hardik as he left Titans to rejoin Mumbai Indians. However, he failed to get the “context” of why fans in Hyderabad joined in.Hardik Pandya did not get a warm reception in either Ahmedabad or Hyderabad•AP Photo / Mahesh Kumar

Hardik was picked by Titans and appointed captain immediately after Mumbai Indians released him ahead of the 2022 mega IPL auction. Titans won the IPL in their maiden season and reached the final in 2023, establishing Hardik as a successful leader. Last November, though, Mumbai Indians pulled off a coup of sorts by bringing Hardik back into their fold via a monetary trade, details of which have remained a source of intrigue. Immediately after that, Hardik was appointed captain.In his first media briefing, responding to a query on whether he had spoken with his predecessor Rohit, Hardik was vague, triggering a critical response including vitriolic trolling on social media.In 2017, Smith was installed as captain at Rising Pune Supergiant replacing MS Dhoni, who had then recently retired as India’s white-ball captain. It was a challenging moment for Smith, but he said that Dhoni had supported him all the way.”It was an enjoyable season and we had some success that year [2017], I suppose, which helped as well,” he said. “But MS was great with everything that he did. He was supportive, he helped me in any way that he could. He was great behind the stumps, obviously. He’s got a great view of what’s going on in the game and the angles that sort of take place on the field, and was able to sort those out and get people in the right areas.”Hardik is in the middle of a challenging time, losing the first two games their IPL season. It’s a big one for him. He’s filling big shoes with Rohit Sharma, who’s been the most successful captain [with Dhoni] in IPL history, lifting five titles, and it hasn’t started well for him.”So he’s under a little bit of pressure at the moment and it’ll be interesting to see what the reception’s like in their first home game at Wankhede in a couple of days’ time. We have heard a few boos going around at the grounds, which… that’s been disappointing from my aspect. But I’m intrigued to see what the reception’s like in Mumbai. We know how big a star Rohit is and how much he is loved inside that stadium.”2:25

Should Hardik have reassessed his plans?

‘Hardik’s made a few tactical errors’

Outside of the noise, Smith said that Hardik had erred tactically against Titans as well as against SRH.”I feel like he’s under a little bit of pressure. I think he’s made a few tactical errors in the first couple of games: batting himself a little bit low, probably in the first one, is my assessment. And then, in particular in the second one, [Jasprit] Bumrah only bowling one over in the first 13 overs was in my mind just a little bit mindblowing,” Smith said. “He [Bumrah] is the best bowler in the world and to have only bowled one over when the team’s got 173 on the board in the 12th over, I was in disbelief, to be honest.”I’m sure he is going to learn from that. As a captain, you have to have plans in place for the start of the game. And clearly the plan was to bowl Bumrah straight up to Heinrich Klassen. But you’ve got to shift your plans when things aren’t going well. And it didn’t look like they shifted. They sort of just kept doing the same thing. It was a bit of a blunder in his first outings.”Now then, can Rohit do for Hardik what Virat Kohli did for Smith in 2019?Five years ago, during the World Cup match against Australia at The Oval, Kohli put an arm around Smith during the game and asked Indian fans, who had been heckling Smith, to stop booing.”It was lovely, wasn’t it? I remember that game and Virat – I walked past him and sort of gave a little fist bump, I think, from memory. It’s nice when someone does something to… you are in the middle of a game, you are playing against an opponent. I thought it was really nice gesture.”Maybe someone can do something [similar for Hardik]. Maybe it’s Rohit Sharma. Maybe he stands up and says, ‘guys, what’s going on, let’s support this guy’. I don’t know. That could happen, I suppose. Well, we’ll wait and see.”

McCullum told Crawley to “chase moments” before the start of the series and he duly delivered

Matt Roller01-Aug-2023Brendon McCullum believes that Zak Crawley’s success against Australia validated England’s approach to Test cricket since he took over as head coach, saying of his Ashes record this summer: “People don’t do that, you know?”Crawley is one of three players – along with Joe Root and Ben Stokes – to have featured in every one of England’s 18 Tests since McCullum’s appointment, and has consistently been backed publicly despite averaging 23 last summer, with a single half-century.McCullum told Crawley to “chase moments” before the start of the series and he duly delivered, thumping the first ball of the series for four through the covers off Pat Cummins on his way to an agenda-setting 61 off 73 at Edgbaston.After 48 and 3 at Lord’s, he made 44 and 33 in a low-scorer at Headingley, then thrashed 189 off 182 balls in Manchester as England dominated a rain-ruined fourth Test. He finished with 22 and 73 at The Oval, helping to set up England’s 49-run win and securing his status as their leading run-scorer for the series.Related

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“Coming into the series, he was under quite a lot of pressure,” McCullum said. “The great thing was he was able to block that out as much as possible… you hope that’s down to the environment the skipper’s trying to create, and the sincere messaging.”480 runs at a strike rate of 90 [88.72], against the best bowling attack in the world, against the Dukes ball, in an Ashes series: people don’t do that, you know? As the skipper said: you look at what people’s upsides are, what their best days are, what they’re capable of achieving rather than focusing on things that might not be there. He’s a case in point.”I think we’ve seen someone really grow and mature and really develop over the last six weeks or so. I’m sure he’ll be proud of the series he’s had and won’t get carried away, because that’s the type of personality he is. It’s great – not just for Zak, but also for other guys around the side and around county cricket. They know that when they get the opportunity, they’ll get support.”For the first time in a decade, there are no doubts about the identity of England’s best opening pair, with Ben Duckett averaging 35.66 for the series and 53.21 since he was recalled to the Test set-up for the tour to Pakistan last year.”Their contrasting skills – which we’ve talked a lot about leading into the series – is pretty evident and it helps one another,” McCullum said. “Ben Duckett’s turned into a really serious player at the top of the order for us. Away from home as well, his game in sub-continent conditions you’d expect to really flourish, too.”McCullum said that squaring the series from two-nil down – while doubling down on their attacking style with the bat – proved the point that the approach he and Stokes have implemented gets the most out of England’s players. “We have a certain style we try to exhibit every time we play,” he said.”I think for us, that is our best chance of winning. The skipper and I firmly believe that, and some of the performances we’ve seen… are testament to that. Look, you’re always trying to win, right? You just don’t want to be bogged down in key moments by the result.”What we are trying to do is allow ourselves to get in a space in our own minds where it allows your talent to come out. If you’re weighed down by fear of failure or by external noise, all you’re doing is suffocating that talent. It’s as simple as that. For us, entertainment is a big part of it and how we play is a big part of it. But for sure, we want to win.”From one win in 17 when Stokes and McCullum took over, England have won 13 of their 18 Tests under new leadership. “You look back to when the skipper took over and to come in as well,” McCullum reflected, “would we be able to take on a great Australian team – and they are a great Australian team – and go toe-to-toe with them?”I think the answer is yes – and that’s a tremendous confidence-booster for the group, but also testament to the investment to all the guys who have really gone quids-in with their belief in this side and the direction the skipper wants it to head. When you go two-nil down in a series and you’ve played some really good cricket, you know there’s going to be some challenges.”To come back from that and square the series two-two, both teams will be disappointed they don’t end up walking away with the scoreline, albeit Australia walk away with the urn. We stayed true to that under the fiercest of pressure.”

Unbeaten half-century does enough to edge victory by two runs on DLS method

ECB Reporters Network07-Sep-2024Eleanor Threlkeld staged a superbly-judged knock of 69 not out as Thunder beat Western Storm by two runs on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern Method in a rain-shortened Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy contest at Taunton’s Cooper Associates Ground.Thunder’s captain won the toss, elected to bat first and then led by example as the visitors raised 216 for 9 from 50 overs, Alice Clarke weighing in with 41 and Grace Johnson contributing a useful 23, their efforts representing atonement for three self-inflicted run outs in a rollercoaster innings.Making her final appearance of what has been a successful campaign in Storm colours, Australian international Amanda-Jade Wellington signed off with 2 for 28 from 10 overs, her leg breaks doing much to undermine northern progress during the middle overs. Restored to the attack, Mollie Robbins impressed with the new ball and again at the death to finish with 3 for 28, keeping things tight while her fellow seamers proved expensive.Required to score at four an over as the rain clouds gathered away to the south west, Storm appeared to be in control of their own destiny. Openers Emma Corney and Sophia Smale departed early on, but the experienced pair of Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson restored calm and were in a position to dictate terms.But the third wicket pair inexplicably failed to move their team ahead of the DLS requirement of 71 as the rain began to fall and, when umpires Mark Newell and Fiona Richards finally led the players off the field after 20 overs, Storm were 69 for 2 with Luff and Wilson unbeaten on 16 and 13 respectively.Needing to resume their innings if they were to register a second win in three days and move off the foot of the table, Storm were ultimately frustrated by the weather, the umpires deciding they had no option but to abandon the game at 4.42pm.When Storm last encountered Eve Jones, playing for Central Sparks on this ground two weeks earlier, they found themselves on the receiving end of a match-winning 130. No wonder Ellie Anderson celebrated when having the experienced opener caught at the wicket for 16 with the score on 26 after Thunder had won the toss. But the home side had to be patient thereafter as Clarke and Seren Smale staged a steadying partnership of 40 in 10 overs for the second wicket.Wellington entered the fray with the scoreboard on 66 for 1 and immediately made her presence felt, having Smale comprehensively stumped by Katie Jones for 18 and then accepting a straightforward return catch to send back Fi Morris for six. When she was not taking wickets herself, the Australian was spreading panic among the opposition, her reputation inducing muddled thinking and contributing to a trio of run outs that saw the visitors lose their way.Danielle Collins was run out by Fran Wilson’s throw from the deep, while Clarke was nine runs short of a maiden half century when she was run out in the act of backing up her captain as Thunder slipped to 102 for 5. Threlkeld pushed a ball from Wellington into the leg side and set off on a single, only for stop-start confusion to set in, allowing Emma Corney time to throw in to Jones, who completed a slapstick dismissal. It was a disappointing end to a workmanlike innings that had seen Blackburn-born left-hander Clarke graft her way to 41 from 78 balls.Panic reared it’s head once more when Wellington returned to bowl the 37th over. Having gone along nicely in accruing 23 in a stand of 43 with Threlkeld, Grace Johnson clipped a ball from Wellington behind square and was called through for a risky single by her captain.Corney’s pick-up and throw was precise and Johnson was still out of her ground when Wellington whipped the bails off. Darcey Carter then played on to the returning Robbins as the visitors further subsided to 149 for 7.Having been involved in two of the three run outs, Threlkeld no doubt felt it incumbent upon herself to make amends, the 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batter taking charge of affairs to claim a spirited unbeaten half century and ensure the tail wagged. Tara Norris played her part, contributing 11 runs in a partnership of 34 for the eighth wicket, before being caught at the wicket by Jones, standing up to Robbins, who then had Hannah Jones held by Luff at mid-on later in the same over on her way to season’s best figures.Thereafter, Sophie Morris faced 13 balls without scoring, surviving long enough for Threlkeld to reach her 50, Thunder’s skipper going to that landmark from 77 balls with a reverse sweep off Sophia Smale for her fourth boundary. Storm succumbed to pressure at the death, Anderson being removed from the attack after sending down two beamers and being replaced by Alex Griffiths in a final over that cost 17 runs as the last wicket pair raised an unbeaten alliance of 33.

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.

WBBL finishes on December 2 with Australia’s bowlers to build their loads during the tournament ahead of multi-format tour

Alex Malcolm09-Sep-2023Australia’s women are set to face the challenge of preparing for a Test match in India while playing the WBBL with national selector Shawn Flegler revealing that planning is already underway to have both the fast bowlers and spinners increasing their bowling loads during the six-week T20 tournament in preparation for a day-night pink-ball encounter at the start of the tour.Australia are set to play their first Test match in India since 1984 as part of a multi-format series in December and January. The dates and venues for the tour are yet to be announced but Australia are preparing to begin the series with a day-night pink-ball Test. The two teams played a day-night Test on the Gold Coast during India’s tour of Australia in 2021.The WBBL will run from October 19 until December 2 with all of Australia’s internationals likely to play the full season. Harmanpreet Kaur is the only India player currently contracted to play in this year’s competition after being picked by Melbourne Renegades in last weekend’s overseas draft.The current Australia team have not faced such a short turnaround from the WBBL into a Test match, let alone a Test match in India. Flegler said it would be a unique preparation but one they are already planning for.”We’ve got to do preparation during the WBBL,” he said. “Which is really important for, one, our pace bowlers to have their loads up and be ready to go if required to bowl long spells during the Test match, but also our spin bowlers.”So it’s a balancing act playing WBBL but also getting some loads in and preparing.”Flegler also revealed that Australia would not play a long-form warm-up fixture before the Test despite playing a three-day tour match against England A ahead of this year’s Ashes Test.Australia will instead hold a training camp in India with centre-wickets and an intrasquad game set to be the only match practice they get before the Test. Australia are also planning on using local Indian players in their preparation, similar to Australia’s men using net bowlers for their pre-series camp in Bengaluru ahead of the four-Test tour earlier this year.”We’re going to go to India a week or 10 days before the Test match starts,” Flegler said. “So we’ll have some good training prep leading into that. We’ll have some extra players from India that we will use in some centre-wicket scenarios. We don’t have an actual warm-up fixture. We’ve gone down the path of having an intrasquad game essentially. So we’ll have the squad over there with some extras from India. It’ll be a good challenge for everyone coming out of WBBL into a pink-ball Test match under lights.”

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.

Hosts cruise in chase after England had scrapped a score from the depths of 24 for 4

Alan Gardner06-Nov-2024West Indies made light work of their run chase under the Kensington Oval floodlights, centuries from Keacy Carty and Brandon King setting up a dominant eight-wicket win that sealed a 2-1 series victory over England.Carty’s maiden hundred, from 97 balls, made him the first cricketer from St Maarten to reach the landmark for West Indies. He was followed to three figures by King, who made the most of being dropped twice with a timely knock, his first 50-plus score in ODIs since the World Cup Qualifier in July 2023. Their double-century stand, eventually worth 209, was the highest for West Indies against England in the format.England had scrapped their way up to what might have been a competitive total after a nightmare start saw them 24 for 4 at the end of the first powerplay. Phil Salt knuckled down to play his longest international innings, in terms of balls face, while Dan Mousley was inventive on the way to a maiden ODI fifty. With an injury to Romario Shepherd forcing Shai Hope to turn to Sherfane Rutherford – whose 3.5 overs at the death disappeared for 57 – England had at least given themselves a glimmer.It took one ball of the reply to suggest that conditions for batting had eased, as King spanked Jofra Archer’s opening gambit through the covers. He did the same to the second delivery, with Archer’s first three overs eventually costing 24 – and although Jamie Overton claimed a first ODI wicket with his third legitimate ball, Evin Lewis bounced out for 19, West Indies were already up and running.King finished the powerplay by bashing Reece Topley for two fours in three balls, putting West Indies ahead of the asking rate at 65 for 1 after ten. And while Carty, who picked up his first four by gliding Topley behind square in the same over, had some uncertain moments against the legspin of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone early on, the second-wicket pair were soon motoring towards the target.Rashid’s first three overs had gone for just seven, but King pumped him down the ground for six to mark a shift in the mood. An edge off Livingstone evaded Salt’s gloves when King was on 44, and the West Indies opener went to a 60-ball fifty in the next over, clubbing Rashid emphatically through midwicket.Carty had been given out lbw to Livingstone’s first ball, but reviewed in the knowledge that there was bat involved. He cut and swept consecutive boundaries in the same over, and later launched Rashid over the deep midwicket boundary as West Indies steadily brought the required rate down while negotiating England’s seven bowling options. After bringing up a 61-ball fifty, Carty again took back-to-back fours off Livingstone, before doing the same to Sam Curran.A muscular pull for six off Topley ended up in the crowd at deep midwicket, as Carty overtook his partner, followed up by a flat-batted four down the ground. Having surpassed his previous ODI best of 88, he reached his hundred with a glide for four off Jacob Bethell’s left-arm spin – removing his helmet and raising his arms aloft as applause rolled around the ground.The moment was repeated at the start of the following over as King, who also saw a cut off Archer burst through the hands of Jordan Cox in the covers on 86, swatted the same bowler through fine leg to raise his third century in the format. King was bowled by Topley with 13 required but the result was beyond doubt.The alacrity with which West Indies hunted down their requirement amply demonstrated why both captains had wanted to bowl first at the toss. Shai Hope, who grew up at Kensington Oval, said he was “not sure what we’re going to get” from the surface – but his seamers certainly knew how to exploit the conditions, leaving England four down and tottering inside the first powerplay.The main source of discomfort for West Indies early on came via an extraordinary on-field contretemps between Alzarri Joseph and Hope, the fast bowler seemingly unhappy with the field set for England’s No. 3, Cox. Joseph could be seen repeatedly remonstrating with his captain from the top of his run-up, and he took his frustration out on the batter, Cox barely seeing a 148kph/92mph lifter that flicked the glove on its way through. Joseph didn’t celebrate and walked off at the end of the over, briefly leaving West Indies with 10 men on the field.Matthew Forde had already struck in his second over, responding to being driven for four by Will Jacks with a similar delivery that went away just enough to take the outside edge. Shepherd then enjoyed immediate success when replacing Joseph, as Bethell slashed at a wide delivery only to be spectacularly held by the leaping Roston Chase at point. When Livingstone fell to another catch at the wicket trying to force a drive off Shepherd, England were flatlining at 24 for 4 with one ball left in the powerplay.One of the England batters still standing was Salt. His half-century in the second ODI was the first time he had batted through the powerplay since June 2022, but he backed up that effort in Barbados – albeit 11 not out off 26 balls told of England’s struggle.He found useful allies in Curran and Mousley, adding consecutive stands of 70 for the fifth and sixth wickets. Curran, again up the order at No. 6, was proactive from the outset but fell looking to take on Chase’s offspin. Mousley then continued the rebuilding effort, with Salt grinding away to a 79-ball fifty – by far the slowest of his five in ODIs.England were 163 for 5 at the end of the 40th but lost Salt in the following over, King’s athleticism at deep midwicket resulting in a comfortable relay catch for Joseph. Shepherd then collapsed after catching his studs in the turf and had to be helped from the field, as the momentum shifted again. Mousley fell shortly after reaching fifty but lower-order cameos from Overton (32 off 21) and Archer (38 not out off 17) saw Rutherford’s medium-pace take a battering and 100 runs bleed from the last ten overs. That ended up as a footnote after King and Carty took charge.

Though his batting is yet to come good, the left-arm fingerspinning allounder has picked up four wickets in two T20Is

Deivarayan Muthu04-Sep-2021Rachin Ravindra had fairly a low-key return to the scene of his first Under-19 World Cup from more than five years ago, falling for a golden duck in New Zealand’s drubbing in the first T20I against Bangladesh. Two days later, Ravindra claimed 3 for 22 – his best T20 figures – to stall Bangladesh’s progress after their openers had struck up a 59-run stand.At first, Liton Das unleashed a slog-swept six to unsettle Ravindra, but the left-arm fingerspinner responded by shortening his length, finding some turn and having the batter playing on for 33 off 29 balls. Next ball, he tricked Mushfiqur Rahim to such an extent that a master of these conditions was stumped for a duck. The hat-trick ball was darted into the surface, stopping on it so much that Shakib Al Hasan almost spooned a return catch.Ravindra had success bowling at the death too, sliding one away from Mohammad Naim’s swinging arc and having him dragging a catch to long-on. “Yeah, it was nice,” the up-and-coming allrounder said as he recalled the spell. “I think it was good to be able to break up partnerships a little bit and contribute a bit; ultimately lead to a few poles and a couple of dots. It was good to have those comms, especially Tommy [Latham]; just discussing with them [about] how to go about it and I think that sort of helped me a lot in being able to bounce off those senior guys.”Ravindra said that pushing the ball quicker through the air and bowling into the pitch is his default mode of operation in T20 cricket. The other left-arm fingerspinner, Ajaz Patel, reaped 1 for 7 in his four overs in the first match with a similar bowling style.”That’s usually how I look to bowl in T20s – trying to bowl a little bit back of a length that sticks hard and in these conditions. It works quite well [here] because the odd ball can skid or turn and it’s quite hard to hit down the ground using that pace.”Related

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Adapting to Dhaka’s pitches as a batter though is an entirely different proposition. Ravindra has made only 10 runs in two innings. It had been a similar struggle at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, where he managed 58 runs in five innings at strike rate of 54.20.Ravindra understands he needs to do more. “It’ll be nice to bat a little bit longer and hopefully contribute a few more runs towards a win,” he said. “I think it’s about hitting good cricket shots on these sort of wickets. You play good cricket shots, you’re going to get that boundary eventually. You don’t necessarily need to manufacture too much, but seeing the way he [Latham] played to his strengths and hit his sweeps, [it] looks like he was well-prepared.”Despite suffering back-to-back losses and facing a must-win situation so early in the series, Ravindra said the mood in the camp was upbeat and that New Zealand weren’t too far away from clicking in unison.”As I said, the improvement between game one and game two is incredible, maybe on a slightly better surface, but it showed in our batting, especially the way we were able to adapt. I think that’s great signs coming up for our next three games. We can look to take learnings from here and we are still not firing on all cylinders. Hopefully, we can get it right next game and get our combinations right and hopefully [get] a win.”