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Ayush Mhatre raced to an 80-ball 126 but with all results on the table, rain had the final say again

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Jul-2025Ben Dawkins struck a century and Ralphie Albert claimed a ten-wicket haul as England Under-19 drew against India Under-19 in the second Youth Test in Chelmsford. Kent opener Dawkins made an impressive 136 and shared a 188-run opening stand with Adam Thomas before England declared on 324 for 5 thanks to some middle-order firepower, as they looked to pursue an unlikely win. But Ayush Mhatre’s century extinguished those hopes despite Surrey spinner Albert’s eventual match figures of 10 for 129. The result meant that the two-match series finished level.With the pitch offering little assistance at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, England’s openers picked up where they left off and Dawkins brought up his half-century with a flick off his pads for two in the fourth over of the day.Thomas provided ample support, on his way to 91, as England quickly extended their lead towards 200 in the first hour as the Indian attack toiled.India had a half-chance for an opening wicket as both openers entered the nervous nineties, but Dawkins narrowly avoided a run-out after taking a hasty single to cover.With lunch looming, Aditya Rawat finally got the breakthrough, taking a regulation caught-and-bowled chance as Thomas fell short of a century.Dawkins brought up a deserved hundred on the brink of lunch with a piercing cover drive for four, having nearly been caught on 99 playing the same shot on the previous ball.Ben Mayes looked to counterattack but was dismissed by Rawat for a quickfire 11 when a leading edge flew straight down the throat of Henil Patel at deep third.As England’s lead passed 250, Dawkins and Thomas Rew began to attack more with the skipper hitting a flurry of boundaries before Rawat bowled him for 19.As the runs flowed, so did the wickets, as Dawkins and Rocky Flintoff continued the boundary assault before both were caught in the deep.After Aaryan Sawant and Ekansh Singh smashed a few sixes of their own, England eventually declared on 324 for 5, leaving India with 65 overs to chase down 355 or simply survive.England got off to a dream start when Alex Green’s opening delivery was chopped on by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, fuelling the hopes of victory.But India soon extinguished these hopes. While Vihaan Malhotra dug in, Mhatre attacked, racking up 50 in just 25 balls as India steadied the ship.Albert’s drop at long on when Mhatre was on 54 looked like a potentially pivotal moment as the clouds grew darker and the floodlights switched on.But Albert wasted no time in making amends with the ball, as he dismissed Malhotra in his first over, leaving India 100 for 2 as tea beckoned.India also harboured dim hopes of victory as Abhigyan Kundu joined Mhatre and hit two sixes in the first two overs after the break to keep ahead of the required run rate.Mhatre also kept the momentum going and made the most of his earlier reprieve to bring up a remarkable century off 64 balls.Kundu was equally aggressive in the middle and brought up his half-century with a well-placed four, striking at over 150 in the process.But Mhatre finally fell for 126, caught by Mayes on the long-on boundary as Albert got his revenge, triggering a mini-collapse for India.Kundu edged to slip 15 minutes later before Rahul Kumar chipped the ball straight back to Mayes, swinging the momentum back towards England.However, India’s lower order rallied and when drizzle forced the players off the umpires ended the match as a draw.

Travis Head has been rested by Cricket Australia ahead of the West Indies Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2024Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey have been made available for their club’s next BBL matches in the small window between the Pakistan and West Indies Test series but ODI World Cup final hero Travis Head has been rested.Khawaja and Labuschagne are both set to feature for the undefeated Brisbane Heat against Perth Scorchers at the Gabba on Wednesday while Carey will line up for Adelaide Strikers against Hobart Hurricanes the day before.Steven Smith is also expected to feature for Sydney Sixers against Sydney Thunder on Friday with David Warner planning to helicopter to the game after his brother’s wedding.Related

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The availability of Khawaja and Labuschagne, who featured in the first game of the season against Melbourne Stars, will lead to some tricky selection decisions for Heat who have been the standout team so far this season with six wins in eight matches and are already assured of at least a top-three finish in the regular season.Their remaining two games are against defending champions Scorchers with those fixtures likely to determine who will finish top and host the Qualifier final on January 19.”It will be good for the group to have Usman and Marnus back around the team, especially as we get into the business end of the competition,” Heat coach Wade Seccombe said.Carey’s return is a boost for the struggling Strikers who are currently sixth with just two wins and will likely need to win their remaining three games to stand a chance of progressing.A Strikers statement added: “In consultation with Cricket Australia medical staff, Travis Head will not be available for Big Bash selection during the break between international Test series”Steven Smith was in spectacular form for Sydney Sixers last season•Getty Images

It has yet to be confirmed whether Carey will be available for the return fixture against Hurricanes in Hobart on Thursday. Mitchell Marsh won’t be available for Scorchers against Heat in Brisbane on Wednesday.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc signed as marquee supplementary players with Thunder and Sixers respectively this season so they can have a role promoting the competition but have never been in line to play. Cameron Green does not have a BBL deal having opted not to take one this season due to a combination of the schedule and to focus on red-ball cricket.Lance Morris (Scorchers) and Scott Boland (Stars) have previously been released from the Test squad to play in the BBL.Nathan Lyon won’t be able to debut for Melbourne Renegades this season with their next game on Saturday, the day the Test squad is due to gather in Adelaide ahead of the first Test against West Indies from January 17.There is set to be a far larger window for Australia’s Test players to feature in the BBL next season with the Sydney Test against India in the first week of January to be the last of the home summer. This season’s schedule was pushed to a later start due to the ODI World Cup.

England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies are represented this season

Andrew McGlashan09-Oct-2022

Suzie Bates (Sydney Sixers)

The leading run-scorer in T20Is is back in the WBBL after missing last season and is set to form Sixers’ opening pair alongside Alyssa Healy. Bates has been in excellent form this year with runs throughout the ODI World Cup, Commonwealth Games, Hundred and tour of West Indies (plus a few wickets in the latter).

Tammy Beaumont (Sydney Thunder)

Beaumont has lost her England T20I place but brings a vast amount of experience to Thunder where she will have a key role at the top of the order. She has scored 1063 runs from 55 WBBL innings and will be looking to increase a strike-rate of 94.23. Had a lean end to the home season, not reaching 20 in her last nine innings in various competitions

Alice Capsey (Melbourne Stars)

One of the most exciting young players in the game, 18-year-old Capsey has followed Hundred success with evidence of her talent on the international stage. Has been used sparingly with the ball by England so far, but don’t be surprised to see her used significantly by Stars.

Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers)

Devine is the leading overseas run-scorer in WBBL by a comfortable margin – 3076 at 39.94 and a strike-rate of 128.81 – and will again line up for the defending champions, forming a formidable combination with Beth Mooney at the top of the order.

Deandra Dottin (Adelaide Strikers)

Now, effectively, a freelancer cricketer having retired from the international game, Dottin will be at her third club in Strikers. She will hope to improve on her overall modest WBBL record, but recently led Trinbago to the inaugural WCPL title where she was the leading run-scorer and player of the tournament.Sophie Ecclestone will have a big role for Sydney Sixers•Getty Images

Mignon du Preez (Hobart Hurricanes)

Hurricanes’ leading run-scorer last season with 414, du Preez will hope for more support in this campaign. She now focuses on T20 having retired from ODIs and Tests following the World Cup earlier this year. Is closing in on becoming the third overseas player to 2000 WBBL runs after Devine and Rachel Priest.

Sophie Ecclestone (Sydney Sixers)

The world’s No.1-ranked bowler across ODIs and T20Is, left-arm spinner Ecclestone will play in the WBBL for the first time as part of a Sixers side looking to rebound after three poor seasons under new head coach Charlotte Edwards. The team specifically targeted a left-arm spinner, having had India’s Radha Yadav last year, and could not have gone for a better option.

Maddy Green (Perth Scorchers)

With the top order well looked after, Scorchers have recruited Green with an eye on bolstering the middle order. She has previously played 28 games for Heat, averaging 17.52 with a strike-rate of 104.28. Was impressive in tough conditions in West Indies. She is also an excellent fielder.

Shabnim Ismail (Melbourne Renegades)

One of the fastest bowlers in the world is back at her original club after a spell at Thunder were she produced some rapid spells and had an economy rate of just 5.72. Will help cover for the absence of Tayla Vlaeminck who remains sidelined with injury.Marizanne Kapp has a fantastic record of winning domestic tournaments•Getty Images

Hayley Jensen (Hobart Hurricanes)

The New Zealand allrounder, who was drafted in by Hurricanes as a replacement player in 2020, has been signed following the withdrawal of England’s Issy Wong. Her bowling has proved effective on the recent tour of West Indies.

Amy Jones (Sydney Thunder)

After a break of a couple of seasons, Jones returns to the WBBL for her third club following spells with Sixers and Scorchers. She arrives having captained England in the final stage of their home season and joins team-mate Beaumont at the club.

Marizanne Kapp (Perth Scorchers)

The South Africa allrounder is something of a trophy-winning machine having been part of back-to-back Hundred titles with Oval Invincibles alongside last season’s WBBL title with Scorchers – and she was Player of the Match in all three finals. Her 102 WBBL wickets make her comfortably the leading overseas bowler in the tournament’s history.

Harmanpreet Kaur (Melbourne Renegades)

One of the in-form players around the world at the moment. Harmanpreet, India’s captain, enjoyed a prolific ODI series in England and also had an impact in the Commonwealth Games with 65 against Australia. Is a well-known force in WBBL with 1119 runs at 41.44 and a strike-rate of 121.63. Will likely miss the start due to the Asia Cup.

Amelia Kerr (Brisbane Heat)

Kerr, the legspinning allrounder, is back in WBBL having missed last year as she took a break from the game. She has had a terrific year across formats, beginning with the prolific batting form that led into the ODI World Cup and has recently been very consistent with the ball in the Commonwealth Games, Hundred and in West Indies. Her 31 wickets for Heat have come at just 20.16 with an economy of 5.80.Jemimah Rodrigues has swapped Melbourne teams•Associated Press

Jess Kerr (Brisbane Heat)

The sister of Amelia who is a swing bowler has been drafted in by Heat as cover due to the later arrivals of Danni Wyatt and Pooja Vastrakar.

Lizelle Lee (Hobart Hurricanes)

Like Dottin, Lee is now a freelance cricketer having retired from South Africa duty amid a stand-off with the board. She has two WBBL hundreds, both made for Stars, and her move to Hurricanes comes after she opted out last year due to bubble fatigue.

Hayley Matthews (Melbourne Renegades)

At her best, Matthews is a dynamic player with bat and ball. After five seasons with Hurricanes she has moved to Renegades and will be looking to improve on batting returns of an average of 18.02 and strike-rate of 98.18. Her bowling has brought more WBBL success, though, with 40 wickets.

Jemimah Rodrigues (Melbourne Stars)

Rodrigues has moved across town from Renegades where she was their second-leading run-scorer last season. She was in superb form during the Commonwealth Games before picking up an injury at the Hundred. Is part of the Asia Cup squad, so will likely miss early matches.

Chloe Tryon (Sydney Thunder)

Tryon, the South Africa allrounder, has previously represented Hurricanes and will bring power to Thunder’s middle order with a T20I strike-rate of 139.13 – the highest of anyone who has played at least fifty innings. In the recent 6IXTY competition in the Caribbean she struck 63 off 29 balls.

Pooja Vastrakar (Brisbane Heat)

The allrounder was considered a little unlucky not to bag a deal last season, especially as the Indian players were already in Australia at a time when border restrictions were still in place. This time, however, she has been picked up by Heat who have previously had Poonam Yadav and Smriti Mandhana. Will likely be tasked with bringing some power to the middle order.

Lauren Winfield-Hill (Melbourne Stars)

Winfield-Hill, who has previously played 41 WBBL matches, has lost her England place but, in her own words, has “fallen in love” in the game again after struggling through the Covid years. The results have shown on-field where she impressed in the Hundred for Oval Invincibles, striking at 136.02, then finishing the domestic season in prolific style for Northern Diamonds as they won the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy.

Danni Wyatt (Brisbane Heat)

Having played 55 matches for Renegades between 2015 and 2019, which brought 1345 runs, Wyatt returns to the tournament with a new team. On the Ashes tour of Australia earlier this year she made 70 off 54 balls in the T20I in Adelaide which began the series. Will have a delayed arrival due to workload management.

Laura Wolvaardt (Adelaide Strikers)

Wolvaardt returns for another season at the top of Strikers’ order after finishing as their second-highest run-maker last season. Her off-side strokeplay can be highlight reel in itself, but she will want to convert some of the starts into more substantial contributions after two fifties in 16 innings last time out and four overall from 45 WBBL knocks.

It is understood that spectators only need to wear masks when moving around inside the ground

George Dobell26-May-2021Up to 18,000 spectators will be able to attend every day of the Edgbaston Test between England and New Zealand after the match was deemed a pilot event by the UK government.It was feared that the Test, which starts on June 10, would see spectator numbers limited to 25% of ground capacity because of Covid-19 restrictions. But, in what may feel like a major step towards a return to normal, Warwickshire announced on Wednesday that 70% capacity will be admitted.Spectators will be contacted imminently and asked to sign a consent form and take a lateral flow test. It is understood that they only need to wear masks when moving around inside the ground.The first three days of the match have effectively been sold out for many weeks. Tickets for day four will go back on sale. Around 10,000 have been sold at present.ESPNcricinfo revealed in April that Warwickshire, with the backing of council leaders and the local mayor, had written to the government requesting that the game be utilised as a “validation event”. At the time, though, the club hardly dared hope for more than 50% attendances.Although there is relatively little financial upside to the news – Warwickshire were insured for lost revenue and are going to need to spend heavily to ensure the correct protocols are followed – it will come as a significant morale boost for players and spectators, and for a region that has suffered financially in recent months.With England having played their entire 2020 home summer behind closed doors, the game will be the first home match since 2019 that England have played in front of something approaching normal conditions.”This is great news,” Becky Fairlie-Clarke, of the Cricket Supporters’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo. “People have been through a lot over the last year and more. The chance to return to cricket with friends and family will feel like a giant step back towards normality. It really does give us a hope that we are getting through this. I think the entire game will feel like a celebration.”There will be no such boost for Lord’s. The first Test of the series, which starts there on June 2, will be played in front of crowds of 25% capacity, or about 7,500 a day. “We too have been communicating with the ECB and government with a view to staging a pilot for some time,” an MCC statement said.”However, with decisions only just being made following the first round of the government’s Events Research Programme, we simply ran out of time with the New Zealand Test match starting next Wednesday. This timeframe has been compounded by the additional complexities of delivering our new Compton and Edrich Stands this season, the biggest redevelopment in the history of Lord’s.”Although timing is one issue, Warwickshire’s ability to demonstrate the closeness of their relationship with local government and provide details of their willingness to work together across the travel and hospitality sectors to make the event work are also understood to be relevant. As such, the news is something of a triumph for the club’s new chief executive, Stuart Cain, and the city’s mayor, Andy Street.The decision to allow larger crowds at Edgbaston follows successful trials at a range of other events. There were around 20,000 spectators at the FA Cup final and around 1000 at the World Snooker Championship final – which was an indoor event – and many more at various gigs and concerts adding up to a total of 58,000. In all, the government reported 15 positive Covid-19 cases from those involved.May 26, 0930 BST – This story was updated following confirmation from Warwickshire

The Mumbai opener is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2020Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw will miss India A’s upcoming warm-up matches against New Zealand due to a shoulder injury he picked up in the Ranji Trophy against Karnataka last week. Shaw, who is currently undergoing rehab in Bengaluru, will play no part in the two 50-over matches, scheduled for January 17 and 19 in Lincoln. His availability for the three one-dayers and two four-day matches is also in doubt.Shaw hurt his left shoulder on the first day of the Ranji game while covering for an overthrow. MRI scans revealed he had hurt his rotator cuff on his left shoulder. However, in a surprising move, the BCCI asked the Mumbai team management to pull Shaw out of the match and send him to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to manage the rehab.”Prithvi is currently under rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and has been ruled out of India A’s two upcoming practice games in New Zealand,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a board release. “A call on his participation in the one-day and four-day matches will be taken at a later stage.”This is the second time a freak injury has disrupted Shaw’s career. At the outset of India’s Test tour of Australia in 2018, Shaw tripped on his ankle in the field and was forced to watch the series, which India won, from home. Shaw had gone to Australia brimming with confidence after a century on Test debut, against West Indies.This time, too, Shaw was in good nick before the injury. He returned from his doping ban on a confident note, cracking a maiden double-century against Baroda in first round of the Ranji Trophy in December. That came on the back of three half-centuries in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Playing only his sixth Test, the wristspinner is learning how to adapt to bowling in Test cricket as batsmen get more familiar with his style of bowling

Melinda Farrell in Sydney05-Jan-20193:52

You can control variations when you bowl the right line – Kuldeep

Familiarity breeds contempt, they say. In cricket terms, it allows batsmen to read a bowler, learn the tricks, pick the variations. It’s something Kuldeep Yadav has experienced in his young Test career.Kuldeep is unique in India: the only left-arm wristspinner to represent his country in any format and his skills are still a rarity worldwide. His figures are often better early in a series or a Test than later, as batsmen move from struggling to read him to picking his wrong ‘uns.On his debut against Australia in the final Test of the 2017 home series, Kuldeep took 4 for 68 in the first innings and 0 for 23 in the second. He started last year’s tour of England with a bang, taking 6 for 25 in a Player-of-the-Match performance at Trent Bridge but had diminishing returns in the following games, as England’s players adapted and grew more comfortable attacking.When India misread the Lord’s pitch for the second Test and plumped for two spinners, the likes of Joe Root had seen enough and while Kuldeep only bowled nine overs and went wicketless for 44 runs it seemed that familiarity had negated his novelty.In the time since leaving that tour following the Lord’s Test, Kuldeep has taken 10 wickets in two home Tests against West Indies and gone back to his childhood coach, Kapil Dev Pandey, in a bid to get back to the basics of his craft.”Sometimes it’s hard you know when the batsmen are picking you,” Kudeep said after the third day’s play in Sydney. “And that’s the beauty of cricket you have to keep learning every day and I’m still learning every day.”That England tour was challenging for me and when I played there in the Lord’s Test match, after that I really worked on my bowling with my coach so you know for a spinner, any spinner, it’s very important to stick with the basics and just follow what we call the basic thing of spin bowling: little bit of flight, turn the ball.”More important than the perfect area is deceiving the batsman in the air. That’s the more important thing for me and I’m still working on that. I don’t believe in mystery or something like that. If you’re good enough to deceive the batsmen in the air that’s good enough for me and I’m looking for that only.”For the second time in his Test career – this is just his sixth appearance for India in the format – Kuldeep finds himself bowling in the final match of a series against Australia with his side almost certain to seal victory. In a side blessed with the spinning strength of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep has become a kind of joker in the pack for India, a wildcard that can be thrown into the mix when something different is needed or injuries are an issue. But it also makes it difficult for him to spend an extended time in the side and learn to adapt to batsmen just as they become adept at reading him.”I have played enough cricket to have decent enough knowledge and in Test cricket I will need a little more time perhaps to improve,” Kuldeep said. “The more you play with red ball the more you can improve.”So definitely there are many senior players…Virat is there, Rishabh also keeps telling [me things], any wicketkeeper will tell you things. It’s easier in ODIs because you are playing regularly and [MS] Dhoni is there, so he has played so much cricket he keeps telling you what to do.”Test cricket is similar, the more you play the better you can read batsmen and there is enough time to plan for batsmen, can bowl more overs, change the field. In ODIs you have only 10 overs and bowl to a field plan because you can have only four fielders outside the circle. Test cricket is quite different. [There are] enough senior players who are happy to talk and help.”When you know you have Ashwin and Jadeja, the best spinners and you are the third one, so there is a lot to motivate yourself and learn from them. They keep pushing me in the nets that you have to bowl this way in good areas. So I am very motivated and it is important to learn from them because they have played enough cricket and I am still learning.”

Current India Under-19 coach believes it would be ‘dangerous’ for the development of players if they stick on to age-group cricket for long

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2017Rahul Dravid has warned against exposure to too much age-group cricket, calling it “dangerous” to the development of a player. Dravid, currently in charge of India Under-19 and the A team, said the decision to limit participation of players to just one Under-19 World Cup was made keeping this in mind.Prithvi Shaw, the 17-year-old Mumbai batsman, was recently not picked for the Under-19 Asia Cup and released to play in the Ranji Trophy, which the selectors felt would be more beneficial to his growth as a player. Many other players who were part of the youth series in England are currently involved in the Under-19 domestic one-day competition.”When I took over the U-19 coach, one of the things I felt was that people stay on and play too much of U-19 cricket, which I think is very dangerous so we took a decision of not allowing anyone to play more than one World Cup,” Dravid said in New Delhi on Tuesday.As a direct consequence, five players from the last World Cup who were eligible for the next edition in New Zealand in January, won’t be returning. “Guys like Washington Sundar, Zeeshan Ansari and Mahipal Lomror have all been picked in their respective Ranji Trophy teams. Even the state associations are looking ahead and not forcing them to keep playing in U-19,” Dravid said. “Their mindset and horizon are increasing. I think age-group cricket has a purpose to solve but it is a limited purpose and from then on you have to play men’s cricket.”Dravid also underlined the importance of the feeder system through the ‘A’ route. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant are two recent beneficiaries. Iyer, in fact, has been prolific for India A, racking up tall scores against South Africa A and New Zealand A, and has subsequently earned his maiden call-up to the T20I side.”A lot of these young guys are being given opportunities,” Dravid said. “Their performances are being recognised by the selectors. We are having more A team matches to bridge that gap between domestic cricket and international cricket. Hence a lot of these youngsters are performing and doing well. We have already seen four of our boys from the team have got into the national side, which is a great thing. But sometimes it is hard to break into such a successful team (like the present Indian squad) and they need to wait for their opportunities.”

A computerised rankings system has gone where the selectors have been reluctant to tread, by offering Kent’s troubled allrounder, Matt Coles, an opportunity to make his case for England’s one-day squad

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2016A computerised rankings system has gone where the selectors have been reluctant to tread, by offering Kent’s troubled allrounder, Matt Coles, an opportunity to make his case for England’s one-day squad when the inaugural North v South series takes place in the UAE next March.Coles, who was left out of Kent’s County Championship fixture against Derbyshire in June following a drink-related incident, was suspended by the ECB for two further Championship matches after being found guilty of throwing the ball in a dangerous manner during their victory against Glamorgan in May. In 2013, Coles was also sent home from an England Lions tour of Australia due to excessive drinking (the same punishment also handed to Ben Stokes).However, his recent one-day form has been impressive. He claimed figures of 6 for 56 against Hampshire, his former county, last week, and 4 for 39, with an economy rate of 4.33, against Sussex yesterday, to finish third in the Professional Cricketers’ Association MVP Rankings for the Royal London Cup, the system by which eight of the squad members for the North v South series have been selected.Tim Bresnan, Harry Gurney and Liam Dawson are three previously capped England players to have made the MVP cut, with the England Lions batsman Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire left-arm spinner Graeme White, and the Somerset pair of Lewis Gregory and Tim Groenewald also in the mix.Duckett has been in prolific form of late, both for Northamptonshire and the Lions, making unbeaten scores of 163 and 220 in the recent triangular series with Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A although it is purely his Royal London Cup form that has earned this selection.”I had been following the MVP for the last few games when I realised I was in the mix and it put a bit more on the games we had left,” said Groenewald, who was born and raised in South Africa but who has lived in England for 12 years. “I’m really happy to be involved in something like this particularly with it being the first one and it should be a really good tournament.The PCA and the ECB’s National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough have worked closely to enhance the PCA MVP formula, which was first introduced in 2007.The rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches, using a formula that measures each player’s total contribution by taking into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike rates, as well as runs scored and wickets taken.The remaining players in the North v South series will be chosen by the England selectors, who will have not only the 2019 World Cup in their thoughts, but also the 2017 Champions Trophy, which will be hosted in England in June, three months after the UAE series.”It’s brilliant how the system has worked giving an incentive from guys outside the England set-up to work for,” said Groenewald. “I am sure there will be some really good players out there, players who will be playing in the next World Cup so it’s brilliant to be involved in this tournament.””The North v South series is something that there has been a lot of banter about in the dressing room since the start of the competition and as we got close to the end of the group stage I knew that I was there or thereabouts,” said Gurney, who made his last international appearance in December 2014.”It’s a good opportunity for someone like me just to remind the selectors that I can still do it and that I believe that I have still got an awful lot to offer the international game. It’s up to me now to persuade them that’s still the case.”

Somerset wrested back the initiative in dramatic style at the close of a rain-affected first day against Sussex

05-Jul-2015
ScorecardLuke Wells battled more than two-and-a-half hours for 54•Getty Images

Somerset wrested back the initiative in dramatic style at the close of a rain-affected first day against Sussex. Resuming on 105 for 2 after the third of the day’s interruptions for rain, Sussex lost four more wickets as Somerset’s seam attack fully exploited the conditions, getting plenty of swing and finding movement off a wicket with grass left on it.Somerset had bowled tightly throughout the morning and afternoon but, despite two wickets in two balls from Lewis Gregory, saw countless deliveries beat the bat or drop just short of the slip cordon.The breakthrough came as Sussex were starting to edge in front after Luke Wells and Chris Nash had brought up a gritty 50 partnership in 23 overs. Craig Overton got a ball to cut back off the surface and trim Nash’s bails as the batsman was left in two minds whether to cut or leave.

New contracts for Gregory, Overtons and Bates

Somerset have acted to secure the services of three of their brightest talents on new three-year contracts. Lewis Gregory and twins Craig and Jamie Overton, who have all received England call-ups this year, have signed with the club until the end of 2018. Jamie has been invited to help England with their preparations ahead of this summer’s Ashes series and will meet up with the squad on Monday, where he will bowl in the nets ahead of the first Test in Cardiff.
Somerset have also extended the contract of wicketkeeper Michael Bates, who was released by Hampshire at the end of last season. Bates was originally signed by Somerset on a one-month deal and has already made an impact with the gloves. Matthew Maynard said that the challenge for Bates now was to score runs and the contract extension would give him the opportunity to do that.

Four overs later, Peter Trego struck in his opening over to end a two-and-a-half hour vigil from Wells, who hit an elegant 54 off 122 balls, frustrating the Somerset bowlers in between the showers.Wells lived dangerously early on. Almost run out without facing in the first over, he edged a number of boundaries through the slip cordon during the morning session before starting to score runs on both sides of the wicket as the afternoon went on. He admitted after close that it was a pitch he never felt comfortable on, with the rain delays meaning he had to play himself in each time.Trego struck again in his third over as Craig Cachopa played forward and got an edge through to Jim Allenby at first slip. Trego’s figures by this stage were 3-2-4-2. The momentum firmly shifted Somerset’s way as they claimed a fourth wicket towards the close of play when Ben Brown edged Alfonso Thomas to Trescothick at slip for 9.Somerset had won the toss and put Sussex in. After surviving a tight, but never penetrating, opening spell, Wells and opening partner Ed Joyce started to look increasingly comfortable and score runs on both sides of the wicket before the first of the day’s interruptions for rain at 47 for 0 from 15 overs.One over after the resumption, Gregory struck with consecutive deliveries. First, Joyce got an edge through to Michael Bates behind the stumps, attempting to pull, for 28. Matt Machan then prodded at a good-length ball and edged to Allenby.It was a much tighter spell from Somerset, which saw them concede 25 runs from 8.2 overs before the rain returned with some force to bring an early lunch and leave pools of water on the covers and puddles on the outfield.Somerset’s director of cricket, Matthew Maynard, was impressed with the way his charges had gone about their business. “The way that we bowled today was very reminiscent of the way we bowled against Hampshire,” he said. “We were very disciplined with good skills and the ball was swinging but they didn’t try to get too greedy and try too many things, we just kept on trying to hit our lines.”I don’t think that we got our rewards in the first session but just said to keep on hitting good areas and going past the bat and hopefully find the edge which is what happened and we are in a good position after day one.”Wells pointed to the quality of batting still to come in the Sussex line-up and said that if they could scrap out a total between 200 and 250, it would be very competitive on this surface.

ICC match referee Chris Broad has said there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed by Australia during the Hobart Test

Andrew Fernando at Bellerive Oval18-Dec-2012ICC match referee Chris Broad has said there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed by Australia during the Hobart Test, after Sri Lanka had expressed concerns over alleged tampering. Broad said the umpires had reviewed the video footage and will not lay charges.”The umpires frequently inspect the ball during play, and did so again after they had reviewed the video footage in question on Sunday [third day]. They found no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed,” Broad said after Australia won the first Test by 137 runs. “During the tea interval on that day, I spoke with Australia coach Mickey Arthur and told him that the umpires will continue to inspect the cricket ball regularly, and monitor the actions of all players.”I subsequently informed the Sri Lanka team management of my discussions with the Australia coach. In the opinion of the umpires, there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball was changed, or that the video or photographic evidence would support a charge under the Code of Conduct, so they will not be laying any charges relating to these incidents.”Sri Lanka’s team management had expressed concerns over footage it believed showed Peter Siddle tampering with the ball in their first innings.They alleged that broadcast cameras might have captured Siddle using his fingernails to raise the seam of the ball in the 88th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, while bowling to Prasanna Jayawardene. According to the team manager Charith Senanayake, their suspicions had been raised in the dressing room as they received the video-feed in real time, in the second session on day three. However, the visitors did not make an official complaint to the match referee.”We have the footage with us,” Senanayake had said. “We recorded the game and it’s there for everybody to see. We saw something illegal and have reacted to that. I have spoken to the match referee informally. It’s up to them to act now, but we will have to pursue it further if nothing happens.”Senanayake had also drawn attention to another incident much earlier in the innings. He alleged the team had noticed tampering soon after Dimuth Karunaratne’s dismissal in the 10th over. “It didn’t just happen in the 88th over, it also happened at the beginning of the innings when our first opener got out … they were picking the seam,” Senanayake told News Ltd. “I went straight into [Broad’s] room when the match was over and asked him if he is watching the same game I am watching. [He] said, ‘Yes, we have seen it’ and I left it at that.”A Cricket Australia spokesman had declined to comment. “This is a matter for Sri Lanka and the ICC,” he said.0730 GMT The story was updated after the ICC issued a statement with match referee Chris Broad’s comments