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An allround display from Papua New Guinea gave them a winning start to their campaign as they beat Jersey by 24 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2015
ScorecardAn all-round display from Papua New Guinea gave them a winning start to their campaign as they beat Jersey by 24 runs.Five of the top six PNG batsmen made twenties after Jersey chose to bowl to take their side to 145 for 9. Tony Ura and Lega Siaka began with an opening stand of 44 inside five overs. Assad Vala, who top-scored for PNG with 29, and Kila Pala followed with a third-wicket partnership of 37.PNG were in a strong position of 93 for 2 in the 12th over before managing 7 for 52 off the last 53 balls. Anthony Kay and Ben Stevens picked up three wickets each for Jersey.Jersey managed to build themselves a decent base at 61 for 2 in ten overs but as the asking-rate climbed, they crumbled in the last quarter of the chase to be dismissed for 121. Apart from No. 3 Jonty Jenner, who made 44 off 29, no Jersey batsmen made more than 15. Norman Vanua took 3 for 19 for PNG while Willie Gavera and Chad Soper snapped up two wickets apiece.

Sussex show fight in reply but face a long haul to reach first-innings parity

ECB Reporters Network27-Sep-2022Chris Cooke and Shubman Gill both made impressive hundreds as Glamorgan put themselves into a strong position in their must-win game against Sussex.Gill scored 119 – his first LV= County Championship hundred – and Cooke 141 as they piled up 533 for eight declared on the second day at the 1st Central County Ground.Sussex responded positively and were 86 for one when bad light forced the players off with 13 overs still to be bowled at Hove after there had been two short rain delays earlier in the day.Glamorgan need to win to have any chance of overhauling Middlesex and claiming the second promotion place from Division Two and although Sussex bowled well in the morning session when they took three wickets, their bowlers suffered thereafter with Cooke leading the charge as he made his tenth first-class century.Earlier it had been Gill who went on the offensive. He quickly added the nine runs he’d needed overnight to lodge his seventh first-class hundred before greeting Jack Carson’s arrival by hitting the off-spinner for three boundaries in his first over.But Carson had his revenge in his next over when he tossed another one up and Gill picked out long-on, having faced 139 balls and hit 16 fours and two sixes.Left-armer Sean Hunt had already broken through when he yorked Billy Root and Carson picked up a second wicket when he gave the ball air again and Andrew Salter was also caught at long-on.When Sussex took the new ball Brad Currie soon had James Harris caught behind for 34, after Harris had added 77 with Cooke. Timm van der Gugten helped the South African put on 41 for the eighth wicket before van der Gugten was held at long leg off Tom Clark.Acceleration came either side of tea as Cooke and Ajaz Patel thrashed 96 in 13 overs with Patel hitting an undefeated 51 from 37 balls including three sixes, two of them hit over long-on in an over from Carson.Cooke hardly played a false shot before edging Hunt to wicketkeeper Oli Carter after making his second Championship century of the season. His 141 came off 165 balls with 14 fours and two sixes. Carter was one of two substitutes employed by Sussex after Charlie Tear and Fynn Hudson-Prentice went down with food poisoning overnight. The Glamorgan total was also swelled by 50 extras.Sussex began their reply needing 384 to avoid the follow-on and they made a positive start, Ali Orr and Tom Haines laying into some wayward new-ball bowling from Harris and Mick Hogan.They added 69 in 11.2 overs before Hogan’s nip-backer struck Orr on the back leg and he was lbw for 45. Haines and Tom Alsop saw their side through to the close but Glamorgan will still feel they can claim their first Championship win at Hove since 1975, even though the pitch shows little sign of deterioration.

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s 3 for 52 and opener Dimuth Karunaratne’s 93 were the highlights in another modest day for the Sri Lankans in their three-day tour match in Queenstown

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Dushmantha Chameera was the only Sri Lankan seamer to take a wicket•AFP

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s 3 for 52 and opener Dimuth Karunaratne’s 93 were the highlights in another modest day for the Sri Lankans in their three-day tour match in Queenstown. The NZC President’s XI took a 95-run lead at the end of day two, having dismissed the Sri Lankans for 193, then hitting 288 for 7 on the back of a brisk 179-run opening stand. Ben Smith struck 81 from 108 balls, and Bharat Popli made 79 from 137.The Sri Lankans began the day on 97 for 5, having lost four wickets for eight runs the previous evening. They quickly resumed losing batsmen, as both Milinda Siriwardana and Kusal Perera were dismissed for 1. A 59-run stand between Rangana Herath (34) and Karunaratne helped push the visitors towards respectability, but the tail fell quickly after Karunaratne’s dismissal for 93.Offspinner Tim Johnston picked up the innings’ best figures, with 4 for 43 from 16 overs, but New Zealand will also be pleased with Neil Wagner’s outing. The left-arm seamer, who is in the New Zealand Test squad, took 3 for 31 from his 16 overs.The President’s XI openers had raced to 179 from 38.3 overs before Chameera made the Sri Lankans’ first breakthrough. He was the only Sri Lankan seamer to take a wicket. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and left-arm spinner Siriwardana took one each, while Kusal Perera claimed two in something of a Sri Lankan resurgence. The visitors took six wickets for 42, but then conceded a 51-run partnership to the seventh-wicket pair, towards the end of the day.

We run the rule over all the teams featuring in the inaugural Women’s Hundred

Matt Roller20-Jul-2021

Birmingham Phoenix

Coach: Ben Sawyer
Captain: Amy Jones
Overseas players: Shafali Verma (India), Erin Burns, Katie Mack (both Australia)Significantly weakened by withdrawals of Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine and Ashleigh Gardner but the signing of Shafali Verma is perhaps the most exciting of the whole competition, on the back of her top-order pyrotechnics against England. Exciting young seam-bowling attack with Central Sparks’ new-ball combination, Issy Wong and Emily Arlott – likely to open the bowling together, while Kirstie Gordon has a point to prove after losing her England central contract.Verdict: Verma can win them games on her own but will need support from the middle order.Possible XI: Shafali Verma, Katie Mack, Amy Jones (capt/wk), Erin Burns, Georgia Elwiss, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Ria Fackrell/Abtaha Maqsood, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Kirstie Gordon

London Spirit

Coach: Trevor Griffin
Captain: Heather Knight
Overseas players: Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Deepti Sharma (India), Chloe Tryon (South Africa)The Knight-Griffin combination that has enjoyed success in both the KSL and the WBBL takes on the Hundred, with a strong top order that should see them score consistent runs throughout. Their bowling attack is a little lighter, with Freya Davies the spearhead, but Knight and overseas players Deepti Sharma and Chloe Tryon offer useful spin options, particularly on slower surfaces, while Charlie Dean is the leading wicket-taker in this season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Verdict: Strong squad which should be eyeing a top-three finish, especially if the batting line-up clicks.Possible XI: Tammy Beaumont, Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight (capt), Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon, Naomi Dattani, Amara Carr (wk), Grace Scrivens/Dani Gibson, Charlie Dean, Freya Davies, Sophie Munro

Manchester Originals

Coach: Paul Shaw
Captain: Kate Cross
Overseas players: Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Mignon du Preez, Lizelle Lee (both South Africa)Emma Lamb is the in-form allrounder in the country, leading both the runs and wickets charts in the early rounds of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, and could form a powerful opening partnership with Lizelle Lee, while Harmanpreet Kaur and Mignon du Preez add quality to the middle order. The spin attack of Sophie Ecclestone, Alex Hartley and Hannah Jones is strong but Kate Cross carries a heavy burden in the seam department.Verdict: Emirates Old Trafford’s spinning pitches and big boundaries should boost their chances.Possible XI: Lizelle Lee, Emma Lamb, Harmanpreet Kaur, Mignon du Preez, Georgie Boyce, Cordelia Griffith, Ellie Threlkeld (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross (capt), Alex Hartley, Hannah JonesKate Cross will lead Manchester Originals after a successful ODI series against India•Getty Images for ECB

Northern Superchargers

Coach: Dani Hazell
Captain: Lauren Winfield-Hill
Overseas players: Laura Kimmince (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Jemimah Rodrigues (India)Strong, deep batting line-up but bowling attack looks light on paper and will need either plenty of runs to play with or an unheralded domestic player to step up. Tough calls to make over batting order: should the silky Laura Wolvaardt open or continue at No. 4, where she has batted for South Africa, and will the specialist finisher Laura Kimmince face enough balls to make an impact?Verdict: Batting strength offset by bowling attack’s lack of international quality.Possible XI: Lauren Winfield-Hill (capt), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues, Holly Armitage/Sterre Kalis, Laura Kimmince, Alice Davidson-Richards, Beth Langston, Bess Heath (wk), Linsey Smith, Phoebe Graham, Katie Levick

Oval Invincibles

Coach: Jon Batty
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk (all South Africa)Different squad composition to the majority of the tournament, with all three overseas players – all South Africans – offering bowling options. Lacking a star-name England player but Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers and Fran Wilson are all regular squad members and Georgia Adams is pressing for inclusion. New-ball attack of Farrant’s left-arm swing and Shabnim Ismail’s genuine pace should be potent.Verdict: Competitive squad that can challenge for a top-three finish, especially if South African core performs.Possible XI: Georgia Adams, Sarah Bryce (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Wilson, Alice Capsey, Grace Gibbs, Mady Villiers, Tash Farrant, Shabnim Ismail, Dani Gregory

Southern Brave

Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Smriti Mandhana (India), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia)Destructive opening combination between Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt, and head coach Charlotte Edwards was particularly pleased to secure Sophia Dunkley’s services before her England breakthrough this summer. Versatile seam attack with Lauren Bell’s height, Anya Shrubsole’s swing and Tara Norris’ left-arm angle while Amanda-Jade Wellington’s legbreaks and Charlotte and Stafanie Taylor’s darts are all useful spin options.Verdict: Top three should be the minimum expectation.Possible XI: Smriti Mandhana, Danni Wyatt, Stafanie Taylor, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Carla Rudd (wk), Anya Shrubsole, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tara Norris, Charlotte Taylor/Fi Morris, Lauren BellSmriti Mandhana forms half of an imposing opening duo with Danni Wyatt•Getty Images

Trent Rockets

Coach: Salliann Beams
Captain: Nat Sciver
Overseas players: Rachel Priest (New Zealand), Sammy-Jo Johnson, Heather Graham (both Australia)Ellyse Villani, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux’s withdrawals have hit the Rockets hard: veteran keeper-batter Rachel Priest starred in the KSL for Western Storm but Sammy-Jo Johnson and Heather Graham have a single Australia cap between them. But with three of England’s best T20 players in Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt and Sarah Glenn, they have more than enough talent to overcome those losses and compete for a top-three spot. Expect a fluid batting line-up, with Glenn an option as a pinch-hitting opener.Verdict: Remarkable batting depth and all-round quality of England stars means they should be in contention.Possible XI: Rachel Priest (wk), Nat Sciver (capt), Michaela Kirk, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Katherine Brunt, Abi Freeborn, Sarah Glenn, Kathryn Bryce, Teresa Graves, Lucy Higham

Welsh Fire

Coach: Mark O’Leary
Captain: TBC
Overseas players: Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Piepa Cleary, Georgia Redmayne (both Australia)Perhaps the weakest squad in the competition on paper but with enough talent to cause a few upsets: Georgia Redmayne had a dominant 50-over season in Australia, Hayley Matthews comes into the competition on the back of an ODI hundred, and Sophie Luff and Bryony Smith have been dominant in domestic cricket. Sarah Taylor’s return adds intrigue while Piepa Clearly will lead the seam attack with Katie George’s injury meaning she has played as a specialist batter for most of the summer.Verdict: Bowling attack lacks international quality of other sides, while batting isn’t strong enough to compensate.Possible XI: Georgia Redmayne, Bryony Smith, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Luff, Sarah Taylor (wk), Katie George, Georgia Hennessy, Piepa Cleary, Lissy Macleod, Alex Griffiths, Nicole Harvey

A fourth quarter-final defeat in two seasons helped further the narrative of an Essex side that never quite delivers

David Hopps27-Aug-2015
ScorecardFour wickets, but no victory for Reece Topley as another Essex quarter-final went begging•Getty Images

The sight of Yorkshire, with their England contingent back in tow, arriving at Chelmsford for a Royal London quarter-final did Essex no favours in an uncomfortable season in which Paul Grayson’s future as coach hangs in the balance. The upshot of a fiercely competitive tie was a fourth quarter-final defeat in two seasons to encourage the narrative of an Essex side that never quite delivers.Yorkshire got home by 20 runs in a match that was much closer than the margin suggests. Their 252 for 9 was par at best, and even that required a transformative, unbroken last-wicket stand of 50 in 34 balls between Liam Plunkett and Matthew Fisher at a time when Grayson must have felt Essex were strong favourites to secure their first 50-over semi-final since 2008.Plunkett’s stern-faced muscularity was witnessed firstly with the bat – a bullish, unbeaten 49 from 32 balls with Jamie Porter the chief target – and then with the ball as he recovered from early punishment, much of it met with a haughtily disapproving sniff, to return 3 for 58 in a single spell in which Yorkshire’s stand-in captain, Alex Lees, dared to bowl out his fastest bowler in search of much-needed wickets and was rewarded for his enterprise.Essex looked down and out at 129 for 5 when Bopara, edging one slid across him, became Plunkett’s final victim, but Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster evened the tie once more with a stand of 59. Will Rhodes, the former England U-19 captain, dismissed both, ten Doeschate falling at long-on with 47 needed, but even then Yorkshire knew they had little licence for error.”Once again we have fallen at the quarter-final stage and that has to be a great disappointment – not just for me and the players, but for our supporters,” ten Doeschate said. “We felt on top for much of the game.” Lees called Yorkshire’s score “a fighting total,” a relief after losing the toss on a nibbly pitch but well below what they envisaged at 163 for 3 with 16 overs remaining.It was uncertain which Yorkshire would pitch up at Chelmsford – the Yorkshire who stand 30 points clear in the Championship with a game in hand, or the Yorkshire who fell so far below expectations in Twenty20 that they finished second bottom, never had the luxury of a settled side and responded by blooding youngsters with a vengeance. In the end, they fell somewhere in between.The first stage of Yorkshire’s innings was a procession to the wicket of slightly damaged England batsmen, regretting a summer that had not quite gone according to plan. Adam Lyth was an Ashes winner but barely averaged double figures in the series and had drawn a line by pouring out his regrets on Facebook; Gary Ballance had been dropped after two Tests, his back-foot play analysed as critically as if it was the Retreat from Mafeking; Jonny Bairstow had re-established himself but then, to the shock of many, he had been omitted from the ODI squad where he had made such an impact against New Zealand.Broken, not so; dented, without question. All made starts, all failed to deliver a matchwinning innings. On a slow pitch, they were given a sounding out by Essex’s medium pacers, who found the assistance that Essex had anticipated upon winning the toss. Pretty much every club in England has a bowler of the pace of David Masters, now in his 38th year, but like many before them Yorkshire never quite came to terms with his nibbling seam and he completed his 10 overs off the reel for 28.Lyth dragged on Porter as he tried to pull a slower ball; Bairstow was undone by the wiles of Jesse Ryder, who wanders up to the wicket with the insouciance of someone taking an empty glass back to the bar before heaving strong shoulders into the ball; and Ballance followed, the wiles this time bearing the mischievous outlook of Bopara.

Semi-final draw

Sunday, September 6: Yorkshire v Gloucestershire 1030
Monday, September 7: Surrey v Nottinghamshire 1130

It could have been worse. Lyth and Ballance narrowly avoided run outs and Ballance escaped when Reece Topley, diving close to a pitch mat at short midwicket, allowed the ball to spill from his grasp, a fact confirmed by the TV umpire.Topley’s most costly drop, though, was that of Jack Leaning, who has grown in stature this season while Yorkshire’s England trio have been otherwise engaged. The subsidence to 202 for 9 was damaging enough – six wickets lost for 39 in 11 overs with Rashid’s attempt to get off the mark with a six over midwicket the most outlandish contribution – but without Leaning’s 72 from 99 balls, his fifty brought up by flaying Porter over mid-on for six, the collapse could have been terminal.Topley silenced him with a skied pull into the deep, one of four wickets in a decent bowling night ahead of what he hopes will be an England T20 debut against Australia in Cardiff on Monday. His languid left-arm found swing with the new ball and his back-of-a-hand delivery offers solid variety in the later overs.Essex’s innings had early misfortune when Tim Bresnan ran out Mark Pettini, backing up, in his follow through, but they rallied with a second-wicket of 97 in 16 overs between Nick Browne and Tom Westley, the latter producing a half-century replete with handsome drives until Plunkett struck his stumps.The plucked-out stump that stuck in the mind, though, belonged to Ryder. Few cricketers play the game in such a relaxed fashion, but when Plunkett, from around the wicket, followed a delivery that whiplashed back into him with one that held its line to uproot his off stump, his look of befuddlement was proof of the quality of the delivery.

Du Preez returns to set up while Brits and Tucker miss out on the trip to Birmingham

Firdose Moonda15-Jul-2022Dane van Niekerk, South Africa’s regular captain, will miss a second major tournament after failing to recover from an ankle injury in time for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Sune Luus will continue to captain in van Niekerk’s absence with experienced campaigner Mignon du Preez returning after being left out of the group that played against Ireland.Van Niekerk broke her ankle after slipping and falling at her new home in Gqeberha in January, which ruled her out of the ODI World Cup. She returned to training in May but has not regained full fitness yet. She last played competitive cricket at the WBBL in November 2021.Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta and Masabata Klaas, who were also not part of the T20Is against Ireland, return to the squad for Commonwealth Games, with Tazmin Brits, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Andrie Steyn missing out. Wicketkeeper-batter Delmi Tucker, who has been called up for the last two ODIs against England, has also been left out.SA squad for CWG 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Klaas, who has linked up with the squad in England after an injury, will complete a full-strength pace attack, which also has Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune and Nadine de Klerk.South Africa have one frontline spinner in their squad – left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba, who will be supported by Luus and Chloe Tryon, and two wicketkeeping options in Trisha Chetty and Sinalo Jafta. Lizelle Lee’s surprise retirement earlier this month has created an opportunity for Anneke Bosch to cement a role in the top order.Women’s cricket will make its debut at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later this month. South Africa are grouped with New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. Two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

Lord’s will play host to the start of the Stokes-McCullum era, not to mention a bizarrely out-of-form Williamson

Matt Roller01-Jun-2022

Big picture

The champions are back. One year ago to the day, New Zealand arrived at Lord’s for the first of three seismic Tests: the first two – a draw in London followed by a convincing win in Edgbaston – gave them only their third-ever series win in England and their first since 1999; the third was their crowning moment, beating India at the Ageas Bowl to become the inaugural World Test Champions.For England, that Lord’s Test represented a sliding-doors moment, the first step on the Joe Root-Chris Silverwood era’s gradual, then sudden descent towards self-destruction. With fans back in the stands for the first time since the pandemic, England declined the opportunity to chase 273 in 75 overs, instead grinding their way to 170 for 3; Root defended the move but lost the goodwill of his team’s supporters and never won it back.When selecting the squad for the series – which saw several multi-format players rested after their IPL excursions – Silverwood had created a rod which was used to beat him for the next seven months. “Playing the top two teams in the world […] is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series,” he said, fatefully; one win in six home Tests and a 4-0 drubbing in Australia sealed his fate.Related

• Ben Stokes wants 'blank canvas' not 'reset' as England begin new Test era

• Broad relishing latest reinvention after brush with Test mortality

• Southee: 'The Kiwi way is to muck in and get the best out of what we've got'

• Henry Nicholls, Trent Boult doubtful for first Test against England

• Potts to make debut at Lord's in first Test

And so 12 months on, England have a new look about them; a snarling, bearded, tattooed one with a distinctly Kiwi flavour, personified by the new captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. The pair have spoken at length about positivity, mindsets and brands of cricket since their respective appointments but this week will be the first chance for their side to walk the walk.Unsurprisingly, there have been changes in personnel. Only five members of the side that played the equivalent Test last year are retained in the playing XI which England named on Wednesday and even the survivors have a sense of freshness: Root has been released from the burden of captaincy, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have been shuffled into new positions and James Anderson and Stuart Broad are recalled after they were jettisoned in the Caribbean.One of their most pressing tasks is to win back their fan base, a challenge highlighted by the public’s reluctance to shell out extortionate sums for tickets at Lord’s. Of course, there is a fine line between attacking, attractive cricket and recklessness, but McCullum’s track record as a captain suggests he will strike the balance.New Zealand, meanwhile, are entering a new era of their own, with this series representing a benchmark for their succession planning. “We’re quite a different team to even a year ago at the World Test Championship,” Gary Stead, their understated coach, said on Monday while pointing to the retirements of Ross Taylor and BJ Watling. “Those changes are felt within the team but that’s an opportunity for someone else to come up and play the game.”The transition has not been seamless so far: New Zealand have played three two-match series since the WTC final and won none of them, losing 1-0 in India before back-to-back 1-1 draws at home to Bangladesh and South Africa. On the back of a warm-up defeat to a County Select XI at Chelmsford last week, there is just a hint of vulnerability.It is their batting line-up which will come under particular scrutiny. Will Young is yet to nail down his spot at the top of the order while the engine room of Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell have had limited preparation time after their involvement in the IPL. Even still, they will prove tough first opponents for England’s new regime, especially given their main strength – fast bowling – remains unaffected.

Form guide

England: LDDLD
New Zealand: LWWLLKane Williamson will return to Test cricket at Lord’s•PA Images/Getty

In the spotlight

Only seven weeks ago, Joe Root was still England’s Test captain and for a fleeting moment it seemed as though he was determined to cling onto that position despite a run of one win in 17. Instead, he handed the reins to Stokes and has kept a low profile since, warming up for this series with six appearances – three in the Championship, three in the T20 Blast – for Yorkshire. Most ex-captains return to the ranks in the twilight of their career and with a limited shelf-life but at 31 and in the form of his life, Root could press on for many years to come.Kane Williamson‘s persistent elbow injury means he has played a solitary Test since the WTC final and missed New Zealand’s entire home summer. When he has played, he has struggled for form: at the IPL, he finished the season with a glacial strike rate of 93.50 after Sunrisers Hyderabad opted to retain him on a INR 14 crore (USD 1.86 million approx) contract. Following a purple patch, the last 12 months have served a reminder of Williamson’s mortality.

Team news

England named their playing XI on Wednesday, with Matthew Potts due to make his Test debut after he was preferred to Craig Overton as the third seamer. The reshuffle in the batting line-up sees Pope promoted to No. 3, a position he has never batted in first-class cricket, while Root, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes form the middle-order engine room. Jack Leach plays his first home Test since 2019.England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Matthew Potts, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.Trent Boult, who arrived late from the IPL, was under consideration before New Zealand trained on Wednesday but appears to be a major doubt. Henry Nicholls, whose rehabiliation from a calf injury was delayed by a positive Covid test, has been ruled out and Williamson confirmed Daryl Mitchell will bat at No. 5 in his place. The main selection call is whether Ajaz Patel – who has not played a Test since taking 10 wickets in an innings against India in Mumbai – should be included, with Stead hinting that he might earlier this week. If he plays, one of Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner or Matt Henry will miss out.New Zealand (possible): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt Henry/Ajaz Patel.Stuart Broad and James Anderson pose in the Long Room•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

After an unseasonably dry spring, the rain has returned in London this week and may cause some delays over the weekend, though the first two days are expected to be clear. Pitches at Lord’s have been significantly better for batters this season with an average of 34.24 runs per wicket in the Championship, compared to 20.76 on the green seamers of 2021. There was still some live grass on the surface 24 hours before the toss, but cut much shorter than New Zealand are used to from their home pitches. Supporters have been encouraged to wear red, white and blue to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubillee but some empty seats are expected after slow ticket sales.

Stats and trivia

• Ben Foakes will play his first Test in England, after five in the Caribbean and three in both India and Sri Lanka. Potts and Alex Lees will also make their home debuts.
• Root needs 111 runs to reach 10,000 in Tests; he would be the 14th player and second Englishman to reach that landmark.
• Stokes is 18 sixes away from overtaking his coach, McCullum, as the leading six-hitter in Test history. Stokes is currently sixth on the all-time list; Tim Southee is 15th.
• New Zealand are unbeaten in their last four Tests in England. They have twice gone five Tests in a row without losing in England, from 1937-49 and from 1986-90.
• Southee needs seven wickets in the match to go clear of Glenn McGrath and Sir Richard Hadlee as the leading overseas wicket-taker in Tests at Lord’s.

Quotes

“There’s been talk around the word reset, which is something that I don’t particularly like. I just see this as a complete and utter blank canvas for this Test team going forward.”
“I’ve seen him a couple of times around the hotel and it is strange to see him in it, but good on him. He’s done exceptionally well in his transition from cricket and to get a job like this shows you the type of person he is, and the coach he is as well.”

Fourteen Associate teams attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast one another in Ireland and Scotland starting Thursday at the World Twenty20 Qualifier

Peter Della Penna in Belfast08-Jul-20152:06

The tournament format explained

Fourteen Associate teams will attempt to outwit, outplay and outlast one another in Ireland and Scotland starting Thursday at the World Twenty20 Qualifier. The six surviving teams after an intense 51-match event in 18 days will earn a ticket to India for the 2016 World Twenty20 next March. With the World T20 scaling back from a biennial event to once every four years from 2016 onwards – and no guaranteed places for Associates in the 50-over World Cup – there is even greater desperation in this tournament.To add to that, the event has been trimmed from 16 to 14 teams from the last time it was held in the UAE, while two playoff berths in the knockout stage have also been slashed. Now, only the top four from each group will advance to the playoffs. The respective table-toppers during the round-robin challenge receive immunity until the semi-finals as well as the prize of a guaranteed slot for the main event in India.Duckworth-Lewis may play a massive role at this event, unlike the last time. Consistent rain that washed out much of the official warm-up matches may have teams pining to bat last, with overs reduced and all 10 wickets in hand.

Group A

The favoritesContinuity in the Ireland squad has been a hallmark of their success in their title-winning runs from 2012 and 2013. However, only five players remain from the squad that secured the trophy three years ago and a slew of retirements since 2013 has left them somewhat vulnerable. The bowling unit is particularly untested with Trent Johnston and Tim Murtagh’s T20 retirements leaving a gaping hole in the pace department.Scotland exposed the lack of depth in their batting last month with senior players William Porterfield, Paul Stirling and Gary Wilson absent from a pair of swift defeats in Bready. The youth brigade of Andrew Balbirnie, Tyrone Kane and Craig Young need to step up if the big guns don’t fire.Hong Kong have had a steady build-up to the tournament, splitting a T20 series with Namibia in May before travelling to England. They won against a Sussex second XI and tied with Warwickshire second XI in two high-scoring affairs before defending 113 against Netherlands in their last warm-up.Irfan Ahmed has struggled under the spotlight of bigger Associate tournaments in the past but comes into this tournament in excellent touch. The squad is also boosted by the return of vice-captain Mark Chapman in the middle order. Hong Kong’s biggest asset is their pace bowling unit spearheaded by Ahmed, Aizaz Khan and captain Tanwir Afzal, who will all be a handful on seaming wickets.Battle for playoff spotsSompal Kami will have a big role to play in Nepal’s bowling unit•ICC

After finishing third at the last qualifier, Nepal had extensive preparation leading into this event but fared poorly in the Netherlands just before coming to Ireland, winning just one of the four T20Is. It did not get much better on arrival with a low total against UAE in a warm-up loss on Wednesday.Nepal’s bowling attack is their biggest asset, particularly their pace unit. Sompal Kami and Karan KC will have big roles to play but the focus will be on what kind of support the batting unit can give the captain and vice-captain – Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla. Sharad Vesawkar was the hero of the knockout stage in 2013 and top-scored in their loss to UAE, so if his bat can heat up it will cool down pressure elsewhere.Papua New Guinea have the most cramped schedule for any team in group stage, with their first match coming three days later than anyone else before having to wrap up six games inside of eight days. The team has shown during their pre-event tour in the UK that they are geared up to get over the hump that saw them fall agonisingly short in 2013. They faced up for two matches each against Worcestershire second XI and Gloucestershire second XI, winning one against each of them.Pulling up the rearNamibia won the Africa Qualifier in March to get to Ireland and registered a two-run win at home against Hong Kong in May. The early signs since landing for the tournament were not good though as they were blitzed by Scotland and Canada. Since making 59 against Botswana on March 28, Gerrie Snyman has scored 60 runs in eight innings, across formats. If his bat doesn’t fire, Namibia are in trouble.USA were dealt a significant blow with the withdrawal of Steven Taylor ahead of the tournament. His bat served as a great leveller against high-class bowling but without him they may be overmatched. Despite non-existent team preparation, USA benefit from a favourable schedule in terms of rest days and sequencing of opponents, starting off against Nepal.Jersey make their debut in the qualifier after winning the European Championship in May. They registered a surprise win over Kenya on June 29, defending 157 after a 64 from Ben Stevens. A truer reflection of their abilities came in the last two days against Afghanistan, who bowled them out for 46, before Scotland won by 69 runs on D/L method after racking up 199. They’ll do well to avoid the wooden spoon.

Unmukt Chand came agonisingly close to converting his recent scores into a big one, but his stroke-filled 99 helped Delhi win in a tense finish against Haryana

The Report by Sidharth Monga in Delhi18-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Harshal Patel picked up four wickets, but couldn’t prevent Haryana’s defeat

Unmukt Chand’s recent scores have read: 52, 90, 64, 56, 84, 51 not out. In the second innings at Kotla, in a chase made tricky because of zero experience in the Delhi middle order, Chand came agonisingly close to converting it into a big one, but his stroke-filled 99 helped Delhi win in a tense finish.When Chand became the fourth wicket to fall, Delhi needed only 60 on a slow pitch where batsmen were getting more and more difficult to dislodge, but Delhi supporters became tense. Soon it became apparent why, with Haryana growing a leg, their players finding a voice, and two wickets falling immediately. Pradeep Sangwan, who opens the innings both with the bat and ball in all local tournaments in Delhi, then eased the situation with a couple of fours early on. Harshal Patel and Ashish Hooda bowled their hearts out in the afternoon. Harshal bowled 12 straight overs either side of lunch for 39 runs and two wickets, Ashish’s afternoon analysis read 7-2-16-1, but Delhi prevailed by four wickets in the grudge match against the side led by former Delhi player Virender Sehwag.The day began for Delhi with 155 required and all their wickets intact. The pitch had become slow. Looking at how Haryana’s lower order had dragged the innings out, it looked increasingly difficult to get wickets if the batsmen did not become adventurous. Gautam Gambhir, though, for the second time in the match, fell to a contentious lbw in the second over of the day. He was fine 10% of his match fee for trying to mislead the umpire by suggesting the ball hit him higher than it actually did.The experiment of Mohit Ahlawat at No. 3 failed with a pair against the rookie wicketkeeper’s name. Nitish Rana and Chand then steadied the innings with sensible batting. Chand, who began the day on 48, batted with intent. He drove beautifully through the covers, none of such boundaries coming off half-volleys. He drove them on the up, with a long stride in to get into position. He slowed down in the 90s, and when he got the short and wide delivery to cut, he managed just the outside edge. Chand later said he was not aware he was batting on 99. “I was not looking at 100, but at the 224 the team needed,” he said.Harshal and Hooda got into their zone. Four wickets fell for 29 runs, the injured Ishant Sharma began to walk up and down in the Delhi balcony. It would have been interesting if he would have been available to bat and also able to run. Coming in with 41 required, Sanwgan eased the nerves by racing away to 10 off 13. This was decisive batting. Drawing confidence from the other end, Milind Kumar, the No. 6 batsman under pressure, went to weather the storm.Once the score went past 200 and Haryana had to go to Jayant Yadav and Sanjay Pahal, Milind too opened up. Yadav admitted he should have done better on a last-day pitch than 14 overs for 48 runs and no wickets. “I have let myself down,” he said. “If I had chipped in with one or two wickets or held one end up like Manan did for Delhi, this game would have been closer.”Milind ended the game with two fours in one over, one through gully and the other through midwicket. Relief was palpable all around. Milind raised his bat to the spectators, and Delhi rose to the top of the table after a disastrous off-field start to the tournament. The team management, too, has been under pressure with their left-field selections, but for the moment they sit pretty.

Kent opener carries his bat as Parkinson leads visitors’ charge at Canterbury

Paul Edwards16-Apr-2022When this Championship season began nine days ago, Ben Compton had played ten first-class matches in his life and had scored two hundreds, both for the Mountaineers in Zimbabwe’s Logan Cup. He was 28 years old. He had been signed on a two-year contract by Kent, whose director of cricket, Paul Downton, praised the new recruit’s tenacity. Fortunately, Downton knew whereof he spoke. Compton had played second-team cricket for Kent in 2019 and had scored 613 Championship runs for Nottinghamshire IIs last season. All the same, he was a bit of a punt and he probably knew he wouldn’t get another chance.Now, if you will, turn your attention to this third afternoon at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence. The weather is pure Arthur Ransome but nobody notices it. Kent are in the toils, just as they will be for the rest of the day. Replying to Lancashire’s 506, the home side are 240 for 7 and Compton is unbeaten on 99. Tom Bailey is bowling to him from the Pavilion End and the Lancastrian’s disciplines never waver. Having made 129 in the draw against Essex last week, Compton searches for the single that will take him to his second successive century. It isn’t there. Lancashire’s fielding is unobtrusively outstanding, the product of hours of practice. The cricket is gripping and, please note, .Suddenly, George Balderson, who is bowling from the Nackington Road End, dismisses Matt Milnes and Nathan Gilchrist with successive deliveries. Jackson Bird, Kent’s last man, scores eight runs from his first four balls but Compton is still facing Bailey and tries to drive the 22nd ball he has received when 99. He misses and berates himself. Then Bird plays out a maiden and Lancashire’s skipper, Dane Vilas, brings on Matt Parkinson. Immediately allowed a little width, Compton works the ball through third man and takes a single. He has batted 395 minutes and was on 99 for 28 minutes, 21 seconds. It has been a triumph of desire, concentration and will, much like the rest of Compton’s cricket career.And almost certainly it will not be enough to save the game for his side. Having become the first Kent batsman to carry his bat since Daniel Bell-Drummond at Trent Bridge in 2017, Compton was out there again some twenty minutes later after Vilas had taken the almost unexpected decision to enforce the follow-on. That decision was immediately justified in the fourth over when Zak Crawley edged Balderson to Phil Salt who completed a superb one-handed diving clutch to his left. Eight overs later Bell-Drummond was caught down the leg side by Salt off Danny Lamb for 9 and Kent were 20 for 2.Related

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In the evening session things got worse for them. Tawanda Muyuye, who sometimes seems to have more shots than his temperament can handle, played a short-arm pull to a barely short ball from Bailey, only to see Steven Croft pull off a superb diving catch to his right. Next over, Jordan Cox gallivanted down the wicket and was bowled when trying to hit Parkinson to Chartham.Compton was joined by his captain, Ollie Robinson, and the pair dug in. The flow of runs, which had been a respectable three-an-over in the first innings, became a gentle rivulet. The bounce got lower, too, which was hardly a pleasant augury for Kent’s slim chances. Half an hour before the close, Robinson was lbw for 11 when he couldn’t jab down on a rapid inswinger from Hasan Ali. Darren Stevens arrived and was greeted by a variety of comments. They will have had no effect; Stevens was probably sledged by the Wife of Bath. What mattered more was the straight ball from Parkinson that rapped Stevens on his front dog and left Neil Bainton with a fairly easy judgement.But at least those late wickets allowed one to reflect the collective will of this Lancashire side and a fine day for Hasan, who had taken his first wicket for his new county in the morning session, when Cox played no shot to a ball that nipped back and ripped out his off stump. The bowler’s reactions were also entertaining. Hasan began with a fist pump to the ground, progressed to an arms-aloft bellow of triumph and concluded with another clenched mitt, this time in the direction of the heavens. He was, we may conclude, quite pleased.Lancashire supporters should enjoy Hasan’s celebrations when he plays at Emirates Old Trafford this summer. Then again, one suspects they might enjoy quite a lot of things about their side’s cricket this season. That will be a strange experience for some of them and one hopes they don’t find the adjustment too upsetting.Compton finished the day on 20 not out. He has so far batted nine hours 42 minutes in this match and faced 421 balls for his 121 runs. Nobody has ever carried his bat for Kent in both innings of a first-class match.”I’m just exhausted, so I’m not quite sure how well I’m coming across here,” he said. “But to follow up my innings at Essex with my first century at Canterbury is very important to me. I was just trying to watch the ball as closely as I can.”They aren’t terrible batting conditions and there’ll be other days when you find yourself on the wrong end of things but I’m just grateful I could spend a long time out there and just try to do my job as well as I can. It was a bit weird being stuck on 99. I don’t think that’s happened to me before and they were quite smart about it. They just put the ball there and I had to try to be patient. Thankfully I got there in the end.”