Lingering hopes of a positive outcome to Derbyshire’s match against Glamorgan at Derby were not so much put on ice as frozen out by a spectacular storm midway through the final afternoon

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2016
ScorecardJacques Rudolph said he had never played in colder conditions than at Derby•Getty Images

Lingering hopes of a positive outcome to Derbyshire’s match against Glamorgan at Derby were not so much put on ice as frozen out by a spectacular storm midway through the final afternoon.A violent hailstorm broke over the ground shortly after 2.25pm and turned the outfield white, leaving conditions too wet for the match to resume.By that stage, there was little chance of anything other than a draw with Glamorgan 87 for 2 in their second innings, a lead of 119, with Jacques Rudolph and Chris Cooke making sure there was no late panic in the visiting dressing room.Even before the start of the fourth day, both teams were struggling to get into a position from which they could have exerted enough pressure to force victory with Derbyshire 46 behind with one wicket intact.Tom Poynton and Andy Carter extended their partnership to 56 in nine overs and Derbyshire were only five away from a fourth batting point when Carter got a steepling leading edge off Michael Hogan.Carter’s career-best 39 had helped reduce the deficit to 32 so Derbyshire still entertained slim hopes if they could strike early.The lead had increased by 26 when James Kettleborough made his second misjudgment of the match with the same result, off stump knocked back offering no shot, and Will Bragg followed his first-day century with another lbw dismissal to Wes Durston’s off-spin.At lunch, Glamorgan were 79 ahead and Rudolph and Cooke quietly eased the game towards the draw that was confirmed when hailstones the size of marbles descended on the ground.In all, 138 overs were lost to weather of varying shades of winter and spoiled what Derbyshire’s elite performance director Graeme Welch believes could have been a very good game.”It’s not very often you see snow nearly at the start of May and Jacques Rudolph said it was the coldest he’s ever played in.”I think they probably got 50 or 60 runs too many in the first innings but we did well to get what we did with Andy Carter smacking it around and I think if the weather hadn’t intervened, it would have been a very good game on a very good cricket pitch.”For Hogan, who finished with four wickets, it was a case of what might have been. “It’s a shame because the weather ruined a good game of cricket.”If we had a full four days of play, it would have been a really nice game. Given our performance last week, we had some things to take care of and prove that was just a mishap and they probably thought they might be able to knock us over.”So we took it as a way to exorcise some demons.”

Dominic Sibley starred with bat and ball as Surrey moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast South Group by thrashing Hampshire by 80 runs at a packed Kia Oval

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2016
ScorecardDominic Sibley starred with bat and ball on his T20 debut•Getty Images

Dominic Sibley starred with bat and ball as Surrey moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast South Group by thrashing Hampshire by 80 runs at a packed Kia Oval.Sibley, a 20-year-old making his T20 debut, took 2 for 33 after scoring a fine 67 in a second-wicket stand of 114 in 10 overs with Kumar Sangakkara, whose 72 off only 35 balls featured two sixes, nine fours and a balmy evening’s most memorable strokeplay.Surrey’s 188 for 5 proved too much for Hampshire, who were already struggling at 38 for 4 after the initial six-over powerplay and eventually subsided to 108 all out. Zafar Ansari hastened Hampshire’s demise by dismissing Will Smith and Darren Sammy in successive balls at the end of the ninth over.There was no Shahid Afridi for Hampshire, either, with the Pakistan T20 specialist pulling out of the game through illness. Surrey, though, hardly needed any contribution from their own second overseas player, West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who was making his debut for the club and only delivered four balls right at the end of the game – one of them a no-ball bouncer.It was Surrey’s third win in four group games but, for Hampshire, it was a fourth defeat from five matches and quarter-final qualification already looks a difficult task for them as they bid for a record seventh successive appearance at Finals Day.Despite this match starting soon after the opening day’s play between England and Sri Lanka ended at Lord’s, six miles to the north across the Thames, a crowd of almost 17,000 turned up – with a few spectators no doubt managing to attend the two matches. Either way, the fact that around 45,000 people watched international and county cricket in London on the same day proves the continuing popularity of the game at both levels.Jimmy Adams uppercut the third ball of Hampshire’s reply for six over backward point but dragged Sam Curran’s next ball on to his stumps and Adam Wheater departed for 8 when he was bowled trying to make room to hit a leg break from Sibley square on the offside.Sibley had figures of 2-0-9-1 after bowling the second and fourth overs, and both the fifth and sixth overs brought further Hampshire wickets as Sean Ervine edged a drive behind off Ravi Rampaul and Liam Dawson was also out for 1, bowled as he heaved at Tom Curran.Ansari reduced Hampshire to 52 for 6 by having Smith held in the deep and Sammy caught by keeper Ben Foakes for a first ball duck, and when Sibley returned to the attack he had Lewis McManus caught at deep square leg for 41 one ball after being struck for six.After that, there were some defiant blows from Gareth Andrew in a 22-ball 31, ended by an athletic leaping boundary catch by Bravo, celebrated by an impromptu jig facing that section of the crowd, before Bravo followed that up by having Ryan Stevenson caught behind with his second ball and last man Tino Best held at mid off from his fourth ball.Jason Roy fell for 9 in the fourth over of the game, caught at mid-off from a leading edge as he aimed something violent at Sammy’s medium pace.Surrey’s innings was soon galloping along, however, as Sangakkara and Sibley matched each other stroke for stroke until the great Sri Lankan surged ahead to reach his half-century first from a mere 24 balls.Sibley soon followed his partner to the landmark, from 35 balls, and his fifty included sixes flicked over mid-wicket off an Andrew over costing 16 and lofted straight against Dawson’s left-arm spin.Sangakkara, who earlier clubbed Smith’s off-breaks for six, slog-swept Sammy for his second maximum before, later in the same 14th over, mis-hitting to long on.Bravo edged Stevenson to the keeper after making only 3, and Sibley’s fine innings ended in the 17th over when he was held on the ropes attempting to swing fast bowler Best beyond the mid-wicket boundary.Tom Curran fell cheaply to Stevenson, but the seamer – also making his T20 debut – conceded two legside sixes in the 20th over with Ansari clearing long on and Rory Burns producing a superb pick-up over mid-wicket as 16 runs came from the final six balls of the innings.Hampshire’s players wore black armbands in memory of Hamza Ali, who made a first-class appearance for the county earlier this season and who has tragically drowned at the age of 20.

Joe Root has credited “the pain of defeat” for spurring him on over recent months as he was named England’s player of the year in both Test and limited-overs cricket

George Dobell16-May-2016Joe Root has credited “the pain of defeat” for spurring him on over recent months as he was named England’s player of the year in both Test and limited-overs cricket.Root, whose awards were announced at the England team awards dinner in Leeds on Monday night, highlighted the World Cup debacle in New Zealand and Australia in early 2015 and England’s Ashes humbling in 2013-14 as the turning points of a career that has reached impressive heights over recent months. Root, who was also named as the fan’s choice player of the year in the men’s game, was rated the world’s No. 1 Test batsman for a while during the year and has been heralded by some as the finest player England have yet produced over the three international formats. He won the overall award in 2015.But it was, Root said, the pain of failure that inspired him to improve his game. Dropped from the Test team at the end of an Ashes series that England lost 5-0, Root resolved to work harder than ever to succeed in international cricket. And, realising how far England had slipped behind the field after the early elimination from the World Cup, he resolved to push himself.”Coming out of the Ashes in 2013-14 and the World Cup in 2015 I realised how much I wanted to be a force in international cricket,” Root said as he reflected on a year of progress both personally and for the England team. “I knew then how much work I was going to have to put in if that was going to be the case. And I have worked very hard.”The World Cup was probably the lowest point. It was tough to take; an incredibly frustrating tour. The thing was, we had everything there: it was all starting to come together. But it was probably a year too soon.

Other award winners

Anya Shrubsole won the England Women’s player of the year award after she claimed 32 international wickets across all formats. The highlights included a spell of 4 for 11 in a T20I against Australia in Cardiff and a haul of 4 for 29 against South Africa in Benoni.
Charlotte Edwards, who last week announced her retirement as a player after 20 years in international cricket, won the fan’s player of the year award.
Dan Lawrence, of Essex, won the England Development Programme Cricketer of the Year award for amassing 712 runs for England U19s and becoming, aged just 19, the youngest man to make a first-class century for Essex.
Callum Flynn was recognised as the Disability Cricketer of the Year after helping England to victory in the inaugural Physical Disabilities World Cup in Bangladesh last autumn. A talented schoolboy cricketer who was previously in Lancashire’s county-age-group squads, Flynn needed a titanium knee replacement to continue his cricket career after being diagnosed with bone-cancer when he was 14 years old.
Sky Sports commentator David Lloyd was presented with the ECB’s Special Achievement Award in honour of a cricket career which has spanned more than 50 years and included spells as an England Test player, England coach, Lancashire captain and coach, a first-class umpire and as a summariser for BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

“The pain of those defeats helped spur me on. You need that desire and that hunger. You learn from the mistakes you make. You learn from the bad games and the bad tours.”And, when things are going well, you think about that and you make the most of it. You don’t get lazy; you don’t rest on your laurels. You make it count. This game can be brutal. As soon as you get comfortable, it bites you. You have to stay on it all the time.”Root reached 50 13 times in 27 Test innings (three centuries and 10 half-centuries at an average of 54.83) in the last 12 months. He added four centuries and four half-centuries in 14 ODIs (at an average of 59.23 and a strike-rate of 95.53) and three half-centuries in 11 T20I innings (at an average of 41.10 and a strike-rate of 145.22). Two of those Test centuries came as England regained the Ashes, while he finished the World T20 in India as England’s leading run-scorer.His excellence helped England improve in all formats. After starting 2015 with the World Cup disappointment and a drawn Test series against West Indies, they won the Ashes at home and beat South Africa, at the time the No. 1-ranked Test side, away before reaching the final of the World T20. They also enjoyed some improved performances in ODI cricket, including a memorable series success over World Cup finalists New Zealand who had thrashed them a few months previously.”It’s hard to look past winning the Ashes as a highlight,” Root said. “To have had such a strong Ashes series was really pleasing as Australia were the one side who I’d not really scored big runs against. I was very keen to put that right.”Then going to South Africa and coming away with a Test series win was a fantastic effort from all the players and it gives us a lot of confidence going into this summer. If we win these two series, I believe we hold every [bilateral series Test] trophy across world cricket.”For Root, though, the real satisfaction in these awards comes from what they signify: his contribution to an improving team.”The reason you play is to contribute to England winning,” he said. “During the last 12 months or so, we’ve come a long way and kept improving. To be able to say I’ve contributed makes me really pleased and proud.”You can’t win these personal awards without great people – and great team players – around you. These personal awards are great, but they don’t mean as much as the ones you win together.”He admitted he was surprised by how quickly he reached the No. 1 Test ranking and remains adamant that he has much to learn from his rivals for the position.”It surprised me to reach that target, to be honest,” Root said. “I know that my cricket can develop so much more. There are so many areas that I have to keep working on and keep improving. I don’t think you’re ever happy as a batter: there as always more runs you can get and more tweaks you can make to improve. There’s plenty on the horizon for me to work at.”The rankings look after themselves. If you’re playing well for England – and scoring runs for England – it takes care of itself. It’s not really a target. When it comes to Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith, I try and look and learn from them all the time. They are the best in the world and I know I can learn from what they do and how they go about things.”There are, of course, still bridges to cross for Root. He has, to date, played just one Test in India and he is yet to enjoy red-ball success in Australia. Perhaps his most significant adversary, though, will come from closer to home. England’s schedule is so demanding that it threatens to burn out its best players – either mentally or physically – long before their time.For Root the danger are particularly obvious. Not only is he a key part of the side in all formats, but he has a history of back trouble and is earmarked as England’s next Test captain which could yet come sooner than the 2017-18 Ashes that Alastair Cook is targeting. While he is, by instinct, keen to play as much as possible – for Yorkshire as well as England – he accepts it will be something that needs monitoring.”The management and backroom staff have been very good with knowing when to pull me out of games and giving me time to rest and recover,” he said. “Mentally, more than anything, it can be quite draining sometimes. You do need some time away from cricket. It’s about making sure it doesn’t affect your performances on the field. At the minute they have the balance exactly right. I’m really pleased with where my game is and where my head is.”My back is fine. I batted for a decent amount of time against Surrey last week and it held together pretty well. Fingers crossed, that’s something that shouldn’t be too much of an issue over the summer.”For an England side that have come to rely on him, that will come as a relief.

Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2016
ScorecardJosh Cobb’s half-century sank his former team-mates•PA Photos

Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road.Chasing just 150 after Mark Pettini’s 56 for the visitors, Cobb and Rossington knocked off the bulk of the chase with a partnership of 89 for the second wicket in 9.4 overs. Northants cruised home with three overs to spare and now, with 11 points on the board, just two more wins from their final seven matches should be enough for a quarter-final place – a home tie is very much in their sights.Rossington arrived in superb touch after a career-best 138 not out in the County Championship during the week and here made his third T20 fifty and second for Northants in 29 balls with nine fours. His timing was exceptional with some clean striking down the ground and also showed a clever touch with two late cut fours – the second of which during a over from Jigar Naik that went for 12 to leave only 57 needed from the final 10 overs.Cobb has relished the number three role and was again in excellent touch. He began by cutting Rob Taylor for his first boundary and he lifted another over midwicket. Kevin O’Brien was introduced and his first ball was heaved over mid-on. His third half-century in four inning was raised in 40 balls with four fours and a six. He chipped Cameron Delport to extra-cover for 57 when two were needed to win.Northants didn’t need a contribution from Richard Levi, in his first game back after a shoulder injury. He took 12 from the opening over – two leg side flicks and a straight drive – but edged Clint McKay to third man. His failure mattered not. There was time for Ben Duckett to lift Mark Cosgrove down the ground and wide of midwicket for boundaries as he and Cobb took their side home.Leicestershire’s total was well below par. Their 149 for 5 was built around a partnership of 74 in 8.1 overs for the third wicket between Pettini and O’Brien. They recovered the innings after the early loss of Mark Cosgrove for 2 and Cameron Delport for 6 – both bowled by Richard Gleeson, whose opening two overs conceded only seven runs.But Pettini clipped the first ball of Azharullah’s spell for six over midwicket – an over that yielded 17 runs and injected momentum into the innings. Petting swung Azharullah to long leg and deftly cut Steven Crook for four en route to a half-century in 31 balls with six fours and a six.Cobb ended the stand with the second ball of his spell – O’Brien chipping him into the hands of Graeme White at long-on – and three overs later Pettini also fell, trying to paddle sweep White and being plumb lbw for 56. It left Leicestershire 111 for 4 with five overs remaining.Paul Horton, playing his first T20 of the season, was left to try and provide the late-innings power and he twice classically drove through extra-cover for four. But facing the first ball of the final over, was struck in the ribs by a Gleeson beamer and retired hurt for 29. Only six runs came from the final over.

The Supreme Court has accepted most of the Lodha Committee recommendations covering wide-ranging aspects of the game in India

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-20166:39

Ugra: The BCCI will look for legal wriggle room

The Supreme Court has accepted the majority of the Lodha Committee recommendations covering wide-ranging aspects of Indian cricket at the central and state level. It has given the BCCI between four and six months to implement the recommendations and appointed RM Lodha, the former chief justice of India who was the architect of the report, to oversee the transition.The order was delivered on Monday afternoon by the two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla, which has been hearing the case since January.

Highlights of the court order

Recommendations that were accepted
♢ Each state will have only one vote at BCCI elections
♢ Ministers and civil servants cannot hold BCCI offices
♢ BCCI and state office bearers must not be over 70 years old
♢ No person can hold office at the BCCI and state association simultaneously
♢ No person can hold more than three, three-year terms as a BCCI official, and no official can serve consecutive terms
Recommendations that weren’t imposed
♢ Bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information Act
♢ Legalising betting in India
♢ Limiting TV advertisements during the broadcast of matches
♢ Making the BCCI fund the proposed players’ association

“In the result, we accept the report submitted by the [Lodha] Committee and the recommendations made therein with such modifications and clarifications as have been set out by us in the body of this judgement,” the bench said in its order. “The transition from the old to the new system recommended by the Committee shall have to be under the watchful supervision of this Court.”The supervision of the transition can, in our opinion, be left to be undertaken by the Committee not only because it has a complete understanding of and insight into the nature of the problems sought to be remedied but also the ability to draw timelines for taking of steps necessary for the implementation of the proposed reforms. We are conscious of fact that the process may be time consuming but we hope that the same should be completed within a period of four months or at best six months from today. We, therefore, request the committee headed by Justice Lodha to draw appropriate timelines for implementation of the recommendations and supervise the implementation thereof.”With these observations we dispose of the matter finally placing on record our deep appreciation for the commendable work which the Committee has done in a short period.”The BCCI counsel KK Venugopal told the court that his client “will show greatest respect in implementing the judgment”. BCCI president Anurag Thakur offered no comment because he said he wanted to study the order first, but IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the BCCI would respect the judgement and discuss the procedure for implementation at a meeting.Reacting to the court order, Lodha said he hoped it would be a positive influence on the game. “Great day for Indian cricket and Indian sport, think cricket fans should rejoice the verdict of Supreme Court,” he told ANI.The panel – comprising Lodha and retired Supreme Court judges, Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran – had been formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for Rajasthan Royals official Raj Kundra, Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan and their respective franchises, and decide on Sundar Raman’s role in the IPL 2013 scandal, and propose changes to the BCCI’s functioning to streamline its functions and prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.The most important set of recommendations announced by the Lodha Committee in January this year were accordingly aimed at transforming the BCCI’s power structure. The court accepted the committee’s recommendation of giving each state only one vote in the BCCI’s elections and and removing the vote from associations without territorial definitions (Railways and Services, for example).The court also approved of recommendations that sought to define stringent eligibility criteria for the board’s office-bearers and set limits to their time in office. Ministers and bureaucrats currently holding office will not to be allowed to hold BCCI positions, neither would those officials holding office in their state associations or those above 70 years of age.The committee’s recommendation that there be five elected office-bearers – president, secretary, one vice-president instead of the current five, treasurer and joint-secretary – but that they serve no more than three three-year terms across positions was also accepted by the court; as was the motion to have a “cooling-off” period between terms to prevent an official from holding high BCCI office for several years at a stretch.The Lodha’s report had also recommended that the Working Committee, the BCCI’s highest decision-making body, be replaced with a nine-member Apex Council, which will include representatives from the players’ community – including one woman. There should also be a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General to keep an eye on how the board’s vast resources were being utilised. The BCCI was asked to implement all these recommendations.There were three major recommendations made by the Lodha Committee that the Supreme Court did not direct the BCCI to implement. The court did not accept the recommendation to impose restrictions on television advertisements during the broadcast of matches, and it said that the matters of bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information Act and legalising betting in the country were matters for the Indian legislature.

Joe Root’s fourth successive half-century in ODI cricket eased England to a deceptively comfortable four-wicket win over Pakistan at Lord’s

The Report by George Dobell27-Aug-2016England 255 for 6 (Root 89, Morgan 68) beat Pakistan 251 (Sarfraz 105, Imad 63, Woakes 3-42, Wood 3-46) by four wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root again marshalled an efficient England chase•Getty Images

Joe Root’s fourth successive half-century in ODI cricket eased England to a deceptively comfortable four-wicket win over Pakistan at Lord’s.While Root fell just before the victory line – and just before he could record equal Kevin Pietersen’s record of nine ODI centuries (only Marcus Trescothick, with 12, has more for England) – he had done enough to assure England of victory with 15 balls to spare. They take a 2-0 lead in the five-match Royal London series and a 12-8 lead in the Super Series.While this game was not a rout in the sense of Wellington 2015 (where New Zealand thrashed England by eight wickets with an eye-watering 226 balls remaining), or Edgbaston 2016 (when England defeated Sri Lanka by 10-wickets) it never really threatened to be the contest on a glorious summer’s day and full house crowd deserved.A Pakistan team branded “behind the times” by their coach, Mickey Arthur, the day before the game was reduced to 2 for 3 within the first 19 deliveries and, despite a tremendous century from Sarfraz Ahmed, never fully recovered. Their final total of 251 was well below par on a very good surface for batting.While England lost two early wickets – Jason Roy, who played on having driven without sufficient foot movement, and Alex Hales, who snatched at a sweep shot – Root and Eoin Morgan added 112 in 21.3 overs to break the back of the challenge. Root, without ever having to move into top gear, than marshalled the chase with impressive maturity.

Morgan wants fielding improvement

Eoin Morgan hailed a “clinical performance” from his England side as they stretched their winning run to five ODIs in succession.
He was especially full of praise for his opening bowlers, who reduced Pakistan to 2 for 3, and Joe Root, for his fourth successive ODI half-century, but he said England would have to improve in the field.
“They bowled jaffas,” Morgan told Sky Sports in reference to Chris Woakes and Mark Wood. “It was an awesome way to start. The bowlers put in a great effort. But our performance in the field has to be the priority. We’re a better fielding side than we’ve shown in the first two games.”
Meanwhile Root insisted he would be fine for Tuesday’s ODI in Nottingham after a nasty collision with Adil Rashid. The pair collided when attempting to catch a lofted stroke from Hasan Ali, with Root ultimately holding on to the chance despite Rashid sliding into his legs.
“I should be fine for the next game,” he said. “I could see him in the corner of my eye. I’m pretty sure I put my arms out and shouted to say it was my catch but he mustn’t have heard.
“He hit me pretty hard actually. It’s surprising such a little guy would make such a strong tackle but no dramas, nothing serious. We were lucky, really, He nearly head-butted my knee.”

So comfortable was England’s chase that, once Root had reached 14, he did not strike another boundary until he had made 75. There were, in all, 53 singles in his innings. While it was impressively controlled, you sensed spectators may have yearned for more drama.The tone for the day had been set in the early moments. After Pakistan were quickly made to regret their decision to bat first on a green surface – a decision that pleased Eoin Morgan, the England captain, who admitted he would have chosen to bowl first anyway – Sarfraz was obliged to adopt a measured approach to his rebuilding operation.Pakistan’s first three batsmen could only manage one run between them. If Sami Aslam could count himself slightly unfortunate to be given out caught behind down the leg side – the on-field umpire, Marais Erasmus, originally gave him not out, but the TV umpire, Simon Fry overruled on the basis of a spike in the snickometer even though there was no Hot Spot – the other two batsmen were the recipients of fine deliveries.Mark Wood produced a beauty, pitching on leg stump and swinging late, to take the off stump of Sharjeel Khan, before Chris Woakes bowled one that nipped away down the slope and bounced to take the edge of Azhar Ali’s bat.But Sarfraz, with his second ODI century, posted half-century partnerships for the fourth, fifth and sixth wickets. Having also made a half-century in the first ODI in Southampton, he recorded his highest ODI score here, overtaking his unbeaten 101 against Ireland at Adelaide during the 2015 World Cup, as well as recording the highest score made by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in an ODI in England. It was also the first century by a Pakistan batsman in an ODI at Lord’s. The previous highest was 88, made by Mohammad Yousuf against Australia in 2004. There were 61 singles in his innings.While Sarfraz took a couple of early boundaries off Wood – once driving an over-pitched ball and once pulling a short one – he was generally obliged to adopt a low-risk approach. Pakistan could not pick up a boundary for almost 11 overs once the field went back at the start of the second Powerplay, losing Babar Azam, bowled off the boot as he tried to squeeze a full ball through midwicket, in the process.While Shoaib Malik skipped down the pitch and drove Moeen Ali’s second delivery for six, the reintroduction of Wood brought the breakthrough. Gaining steep lift and movement from a back of a length delivery, Wood took the edge of Shoaib’s bat to leave Pakistan in trouble once more at 125 for 5 in the 27th over.But Imad Wasim gave Sarfraz steadfast support and, in making his highest ODI score to date, helped add 77 in 16.3 overs for the sixth wicket. While Imad started slowly – his first 17 deliveries brought only three runs – he accelerated nicely once he had settled and took 14 off three deliveries from Liam Plunkett – a slashed six over point followed by two driven fours – at one stage.Sarfraz was reprieved by the TV umpire on 102 after Marais Erasmus had adjudged him leg before to a Plunkett slower ball. But he was unable to take advantage and succumbed to a catch on the mid-wicket boundary as he attempted a slog-sweep in the following over.While Hasan Ali was caught in the deep -Root looked in some pain after colliding with Adil Rashid in taking the catch, but was able to continue after treatment on his shins – and Wahab Riaz was brilliantly caught by Plunkett, flinging himself to his left at cover, Imad helped Pakistan take their total above 250.Perhaps the most fluent batting of the day game from Morgan. With an array of sweeps, flicks, cuts and pulls, Morgan recorded his first half-century in 13 ODI innings and his highest since November. Though he perished attempting to make room for a cut, Ben Stokes missed a horrid smear, Jos Buttler was run out by a direct hit when called for an optimistic single and Root holed out to mid-off, the sense was that England were cruising long before they reached the finish line.For Pakistan, the prospect of automatic qualification for the next World Cup is receding by the match.

India’s Test captain, Virat Kohli, has given a strong indication that India will start using DRS in the future

Sidharth Monga29-Sep-20161:27

Will look to introduce DRS in future – Kohli

India’s Test captain, Virat Kohli, has given a strong indication that India will start using the Decision Review System (DRS) in the future. “We will certainly look to probably introduce it [DRS] in future,” Kohli said on the eve of the Kolkata Test against New Zealand.India have been the biggest opponents of DRS for a while now, but Kohli said that there have been discussions and meetings about it, and DRS is something they “definitely want to think about”. This is a big departure from the previous captain’s views and BCCI president Anurag Thakur’s ambivalent musings. MS Dhoni always opposed DRS because it was not 100%, and Thakur recently wondered, if the machine is going to make the same error as humans, “what are we getting out of it”?Kohli still had reservations about the system, but he seemed convinced about the merits of having a review system. It is noteworthy that under Kohli’s captaincy India have been at the receiving end of calls that could have been reversed easily under DRS in two Tests where the said decisions made a big difference. India ended up losing those two Tests – Adelaide in 2014-15 and Galle in 2015. In the Adelaide chase, where India came close to beating Australia, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane were sent back when DRS would have recalled them. In Galle, Sri Lanka mounted an incredible comeback in the second innings, but both their heroes, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, would have been out in single figures had DRS been there.Virat Kohli: ‘[After opposing the use of DRS] for us to then say that the umpires made an error and it is going against us, it is not logical’•BCCI

“Those are the things I can’t say yes or no to sitting here,” Kohli said about DRS. “But these are the things we have discussed. These are things we have had meetings on. Because there were some areas that we felt can be debated. Especially the ball-tracking and HawkEye. But, all in all, obviously when you feel that – I personally feel these things can be discussed and debated on.”We wouldn’t take [wrong umpiring] decisions too hard because we, in the first place, decided we would not use DRS. For us to then say that the umpires made an error and it is going against us, it is not logical. There is no room for excuses. Once DRS is in place, once DRS is up and running for us as well, then you can sit and think what are the grey areas. As I said these things have been spoken about. We want to definitely think about it. but I can’t make a decision sitting here right now. It’s something we have had discussions on.”As it stands now, no other team in the world opposes DRS even if there isn’t enough technology available with the host broadcasters. Every Test not featuring India has DRS, except Zimbabwe’s recent Tests, when they couldn’t afford it. In ICC 50-over tournaments, India are forced to use DRS, but that uniformity does not extend to Test matches because they are seen as bilateral arrangements.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to channelling the disappointment of being omitted from the playing XI for the recent T20I series against West Indies into improving his standards

Arun Venugopal14-Sep-20161:04

‘I look within for motivation’ – Dhawan

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has admitted to channelling the disappointment of being omitted from the playing XI for the recent T20I series against West Indies into improving his standards. Dhawan had a mediocre outing in the Test series in the West Indies, where he managed only 138 runs from four innings before being dropped for the final Test in Port of Spain.”I feel my motivation always increases even when things don’t go well for me,” Dhawan told reporters after the Duleep Trophy final between India Blue and India Red. “Sure, it does hurt me, but I channel the hurt to keep getting better; I don’t let it bog me down. That’s how I work.”Like, when I was left out for the T20s – of course I wanted to be in the playing XI. So, that required me to do better. So, I thought, ‘OK man, I have to raise my standards. As simple as that.’ I don’t look outside; I look inside and say, ‘I will have to do this, I will do it.'”Dhawan also said his motivation to do well increased with time, and that age didn’t have a bearing on it. “It depends on your desire [to do well], how much you love the game and what goals you have.”With the emergence of KL Rahul, India have had the luxury of opting for any two of three potential openers – Rahul, Dhawan and M Vijay – and the team used all possible pairings during the West Indies Tests. Dhawan’s middling returns have coincided with a breakout season for Rahul – he scored 236 runs, including a hundred, from three Test innings, before smashing an unbeaten 51-ball 110 in the first T20I in Florida.Dhawan agreed that the competition for the opening spots had intensified, and that it had kept every player on his toes in the lead-up to a long home season. “It is a good thing. [One needs to give it one’s all to keep one’s place in the side],” he said.”Rahul, anyway has done quite well in Test matches and T20s, so if you look at the bigger picture it’s very good for India that there are three or four openers pushing one another, as well as openers in the domestic circuit who are also pushing for places. Such competition ensures each individual keeps working hard.”With the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur set to begin in a little over a week, Dhawan said he was preparing well and getting physically and mentally stronger. Asked if there was any specific preparation involved, he replied with a laugh: “I am batting for 40 minutes [in the nets].”Dhawan was also appreciative of head coach Anil Kumble’s cricketing smarts, and said he was learning from him the importance of hard graft. “It’s been great having Anil around. Of course, he is a great legend,” he said. “He is so well educated and obviously has a sharp brain. He has great cricketing intelligence as well, so you obviously learn a lot for him – be it the dedication and hard grind he brought to his game, or the aggressive mindset with which he played.”Dhawan, who turned out for India Red who lost the Duleep Trophy final to India Blue, said the tournament provided useful game-time ahead of a busy season. “It’s quite useful because I believe practice in the form of matches is always good as it gives you a feel of the pressure,” he said. “Especially, after you field for two successive days, your body also loosens up and you get a good vibe. So, you take that confidence forward.”

USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has picked the team’s batting as the area in need of the biggest improvement ahead of their opening match in the WCL Division Four

Peter Della Penna20-Oct-2016USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has picked the team’s batting as the area in need of the biggest improvement, heading into their first match at the World Cricket League Division Four – the ICC’s 50-over tournament for Associates and Affiliates – in Los Angeles. USA lost the first two games in the recently-concluded Auty Cup against Canada, before chasing down 222 to win by two wickets in the final match. Dassanayake said they could have performed better with more consistency in the batting.

Santhanam doubtful for WCL Division Four

USA allrounder Srini Santhanam is likely to be ruled out of the WCL Division Four, after a recurrence of the right shoulder injury that has plagued him over the last three years. Santhanam re-injured the shoulder at the five-day national camp in Indianapolis last month. He was fit enough to bowl six overs in USA’s 34-run loss to Canada in the Auty Cup opener, but aggravated the injury when firing in a throw from the boundary, and missed the final two games.
“Srini is definitely injured and he’s not going to be 100% before the tournament, but we are taking medical advice from the physio and Srini’s family doctor,” USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake said. “We are going to wait for those reports and how they advise us, but it looks it’s very doubtful that he’s going to be 100% fit.”

“It’s always good to get a win going into the World Cricket League against Canada, but, overall, we could have done better in the first two games,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo. “Especially in the second game, we had a chance at winning. Overall, we were improving every game. First game, we were very low, did lots of mistakes. Second game, we were better, and [last game] I think bowling and fielding were up there. We want some good performance in the batting, but there are lots of areas to improve.”The batting still needs to settle down. We have a very decent bowling attack. I’m happy about that. Fielding, there’s a few things we need to fix, but I’m not that nervous because the guys are putting a lot of effort, and I’m pretty sure we’ll get there. Batting, when you take the seven batters we have in the squad, they are quality, they can do the job. But, coming out from club cricket to this level may have made a huge impact.”Opening batsman Fahad Babar topped USA’s scoring charts in the Auty Cup with 148 runs, including two half-centuries. But, apart from him, Akeem Dodson was the only member of the original squad to score a fifty in the series. Ravi Timbawala, who came in as a replacement player for Sunday’s match and is currently not a part of USA’s squad for WCL Division Four, had USA’s best score with an unbeaten 73 in Sunday’s win. Incidentally, Elmore Hutchinson, a left-arm medium pacer, topped the batting averages at 59, albeit with two unbeaten knocks of 21 and 37. Dassanayake said the players are still adjusting to the rigours of 50-over cricket, given most of their local leagues are 40-over competitions.”They are used to playing a lot of 40-over cricket, so that mentality has to change. I think they’re working hard towards that, but I would still say that we are slightly behind on those areas. Next 10 days, we’re going to work hard and come to the level we want to be to win this tournament.”Dassanayake also said the team was affected by the absence of Timroy Allen and Ali Khan during the Auty Cup. Allen withdrew to attend to a personal matter, while Khan was nursing a left hamstring strain sustained at a five-day national camp in Indianapolis. Both are expected to return for Division Four, and Dassanayake was sure they’d make an impact.”Timroy is going to be one of the most important players in this tournament for us. The last three games, after Srini [Santhanam] got injured, it was tough for us to balance the team. On Friday, we went with an extra bowler and were a batsman short. [Sunday], we played an extra batsman and were a bowler short. When you go like that, it’s kind of a risk where we don’t know how we’re going to end up. I would say, on Friday, if we had that extra batsman, maybe we would have won that game in that 20 runs.”So, Timroy coming into the team is going to solve a lot of issues. As a top allrounder, he can even bat early in the order, and he can contribute 10 overs. Ali is always, when somebody bowls at 135-plus at this level, is always going to be very effective. In these types of wickets and conditions, he is capable of picking up early wickets and then very good bowling in the death overs. I’m sure both of them are going to make a huge impact by coming into the XI.”Half of the USA squad secured enough time off work to stay on in Los Angeles after the Auty Cup, while the rest went home. They will return to Los Angeles on October 23 for five days of training ahead of their first Division Four game, against Bermuda on October 29. USA will also have a warm-up match on October 25 against a Southern California Cricket Association XI. Dassanayake is hopeful that he can maximise the time he has with the players and translate it into positive results.”Even though we could have done better in the last three games, I’m confident with the talent and ability that I have with these 14 players, and I’m confident going into the tournament,” Dassanayake said. “But in saying that, this team has to do certain things well to win that tournament, and I’m just trying to have time with these players. That’s my toughest job.”

The promoted Jonny Bairstow held together a poor England batting display on the opening day in Mohali as they reached 268 for 8

The Report by Andrew McGlashan26-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:41

Ganguly: Haven’t seen a surface as dry as this in Mohali

“There was a glint in his eye,” Alastair Cook said of Jonny Bairstow’s reaction to being moved up England’s order amid a batting reshuffle for the Mohali Test. After a year of rescuing the side from No. 7, this time he kept their head just above water from No. 5 after England had gift-wrapped the advantage for India despite having won the toss.England’s 268 for 8 was a huge missed opportunity especially as India dropped four catches. But without Bairstow’s 89 off 177 balls – ended when he was lbw the ball after being dropped by Parthiv Patel – this Test would have escaped them already. And they would only have had themselves to blame. Winning the toss needs luck, but when the important ones fall your way it is careless not to embrace the opportunity.Five of England’s eight wickets fell to shots that could be classed as careless at best, reckless at worst. Bairstow, who helped add consecutive stands of 57, 69 and 45, gave them a chance although the late loss of Chris Woakes dented the prospect of a lower-order boost. Compared to last year’s Test involving South Africa, the total is already handsome although local judgement is that this pitch is not at that level of mischief.

184 runs, 1 dismissal

• 184.00 Jonny Bairstow’s batting average in this series against spinners – the highest for any batsman from either side. India’s Cheteshwar Pujara averages the next-best among batsmen who have faced at least 50 balls from spinners.

• 10 Number of fifty-plus scores by Jonny Bairstow batting at No. 5 or lower this year. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, in 2002, and Angelo Mathews, in 2014, are the only other batsmen to get as many fifty-plus scores from that low in the order in any calendar year.

• 72.73 Bairstow’s average batting in the first innings of Tests. Among batsmen to score at least 1000 runs, his average is the sixth-highest. Bairstow has made 1091 runs in the first innings of a match, including three hundreds and six fifties in 17 innings.

• 4 Number of catches dropped by India’s fielders on the first day. Alastair Cook was given two reprieves and Bairstow benefited from the other two drops.

• 60.75 Jos Buttler’s batting average in Tests against India – his best against any team. He has scores of 85, 70, 45 and 43 in his four innings against them. Buttler is playing his first Test and only his second first-class match in over a year.

India’s bowling was exacting throughout the day. Ravindra Jadeja performed an excellent holding role either side of tea and claimed two wickets, after the run rate had briefly got away from India in the afternoon session, the pacemen challenged with new ball and old and Jayant Yadav continued his impressive start to Test cricket with the scalps of Bairstow and Joe Root.There was turn from early, but nothing extravagant, and after the brutish delivery received by Haseeb Hameed, which reared off a length, the bounce largely behaved itself. Reverse swing, especially a spell before tea by Umesh Yadav, posed a significant challenge which was repelled by Bairstow and Jos Buttler, but in the final session it was the squeezing of the run rate – a boundary took Bairstow to 53 off 76 balls, then he needed 99 balls for his next 36 – more than devilish deliveries that made life hard work.Buttler, playing just his second first-class match since being dropped from the Test side last October, played the other significant innings of the day. Ended with a loose drive to cover, as India throttled the scoring after tea, it was not substantial enough to satisfy England’s needs but he played with confidence that belied his lack of recent cricket.During a frenetic morning, Alastair Cook and Root gifted their wickets to India, as did Moeen Ali to leave England 92 for 4 at lunch. In the afternoon, Ben Stokes joined the list of haphazard dismissals when he charged at and missed a straighter delivery from Jadeja. He had begun the rebuilding job alongside his regular partner-in-crime, Bairstow, as the pair added 57 for the fifth wicket, rather than their usual sixth, which took their tally together for the year to over 800 runs.Only Hameed could reflect that he did not have a hand in his dismissal in the first session. England were 32 for no loss in the tenth over when the first sign of the tricks that the surface could play brought Hameed’s wicket. A delivery from Umesh spat off a length and smashed into Hameed’s top glove, forcing him to drop the bat as the ball looped to gully. As with the grubber he received in the second innings of the previous Test, there was little Hameed could do except curse his bad luck.Cook’s was an incident-filled stay as he was twice offered lives. His first came in the third over of the day when he had 3 and was squared up by Mohammed Shami. The leading edge flew quickly towards third slip where Jadeja did not even get a hand on the chance. Then, when Cook had 23, R Ashwin spilled a simple chance at midwicket as Cook flicked at Shami’s first ball from round the wicket.It was shaping up as a morning to forget for Ashwin who also made a mess of trying to intercept a leg-slide flick from Root – with Virat Kohli’s expression growing more angered by the minute – but he quickly made amends when tossed the ball, striking first delivery as Cook thin-edged a cut off a wide delivery.Cook’s dismissal meant England had lost their two key batsmen in the space of seven deliveries after Root had absent-mindedly swiped across the line at Jayant having skipped his way to 15 at better than a run-a-ball. After his first-innings dismissal in Vizag, it was another poor moment that England could ill-afford from their best player.Moeen, one of the England batsmen most comfortable using his feet against the spin, attempted a counter-attack when he came down the pitch to Jayant, who had started with four consecutive maidens, sending back-to-back deliveries straight for four and six. But a return to pace ended his stay when Shami produced a well-directed bouncer towards Moeen’s shoulder that he could not control and a top edge picked out fine leg.It meant a familiar pairing had to come to the rescue. During Bairstow’s stellar year there has been much debate as to whether he is wasted down at No. 7, particularly given the struggles of others tried higher up by England. His footwork was confident whether playing forward or back, which enabled him to pick the lengths of the spinners instead of being caught betwixt and between.Stokes, too, had looked in good order – with a stinging straight drive off Shami being particularly eye-catching – before Jadeja earned reward for keeping him quiet. He had only been able to take Jadeja for three runs off 30 deliveries before using his feet and driving around a delivery that did not turn, giving Parthiv plenty of time to complete the stumping. Words were briefly exchange between Stokes and Kohli, two cricketers who don’t take a backward step, leading the umpires to intervene.Bairstow was reprieved on 54 when Parthiv, playing his first Test for eight years and now slated to open the batting after an injury to KL Rahul, could not hold a thin edge off Ashwin. Initially it appeared to be a missed stumping, as Bairstow dragged his back foot out of the crease, but subsequent replays confirmed the nick. Parthiv later spilled another as Bairstow edged Jayant but he only needed to stew for a matter of seconds before Jayant straightened one into Bairstow’s front pad.Woakes and Adil Rashid almost made it through to the close but Umesh capped India’s day by knocking back Woakes’ off stump after working over the outside edge. Both sides will know they made mistakes, but India will feel like they got away with theirs. For England it was a day of what could have been.