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Meanwhile, Kedar Jadhav is set to play for Maharashtra for the first time since December 2016, in their match against Baroda in Vadodara

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2018No Ashwin, Vijay for Tamil NaduRain affected Tamil Nadu’s prospects in the first round when they were at full-strength. They’ll have to do without R Ashwin, M Vijay and Vijay Shankar for their second-round match against Hyderabad in Tirunelveli. While both Vijay and Shankar will be travelling with the India A squad to New Zealand, Ashwin will be preparing for the Test series against Australia.K Vignesh, CV Varun and Shahrukh Khan have been named in the squad to replace the missing trio.Saha sets tentative comeback dateWriddhiman Saha, who has been battling injury issues since the start of the year, has set a tentative return date. “I am feeling much better now. I hope to be back in action by mid-December. I am preparing and training accordingly. Hope my body recovers in time and I’m fit to play (Ranji Trophy). I’ve started net sessions but I am yet to get match-fit,” Saha said at an event in Kolkata.While Saha may have missed the bus for the Test series against Australia, he could still play a significant role for Bengal if his return goes as per schedule.Jadhav to turn out for MaharashtraKedar Jadhav will turn out for Maharashtra in their match against Baroda at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. He hasn’t represented Maharashtra since December 2016 due to national commitments and injury issues.It is worth remembering that Jadhav first came into the national reckoning due to a blockbuster Ranji season, when his 1224 runs in 2013-14 took Maharashtra from Group C all the way to the final. The last time he played for his state though, Jadhav was only a batsman. He’s now become someone who can chip in with a few overs of spin too. Playing a four-day match while batting and bowling, and crucially coming through unscathed and without injury, will perhaps be an important step in Jadhav proving his fitness.CM Gautam droppedThe Karnataka side that is taking on defending champions Vidarbha in Nagpur will be without a familiar face. CM Gautam, veteran of 94 first-class matches, is not part of the team. Gautam had a middling 2017-18 season, scoring 285 runs in eight games at 31.66 average. The squad is only for the first game, so there is still a chance for him to come back.Gambhir steps down as Delhi captainNitish Rana has been named Delhi captain for the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, after Gautam Gambhir, who led them in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, stepped down from the role a week before the start of the season. Rana will begin his captaincy stint on November 12, when Delhi kick off their season against Himachal Pradesh, in a match that will also feature Ishant Sharma, who is returning from rehab for ankle complaints suffered since the Oval Test against England.Gambhir, who led Delhi to the Hazare final last month, made the announcement via Twitter. “Time to pass the captaincy baton to youngsters, hence have requested the DDCA selectors not to consider me for that role,” he wrote. “I will be in the background helping the new leader to win games.”At the start of this season, Gambhir had been asked by the Delhi selectors to lead the team in the limited-overs tournaments in the absence of Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma, who had both led the side in last year’s Ranji Trophy. But when offered the opportunity to continue in the role for this season, Gambhir told the selectors that it would be good to groom a young leader.”Gautam has intimated the state team’s chief selector Amit Bhandari that he would like to opt out of captaincy,” Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told . “He suggested that someone younger be groomed for the job. Nitish Rana will lead the side and Dhruv Shorey will be his deputy.”Earlier this year, the 37-year-old Gambhir had also stepped down as Delhi Daredevils’ captain during the IPL season, after the franchise managed only one win in their first six games.Rana, the new state team captain, was the second-highest scorer for Delhi, behind Gambhir, in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, with 613 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.72. Shorey, Rana’s deputy, also had a productive tournament, scoring 593 runs in 12 innings, including a hundred in the final.Delhi squad: Nitish Rana (capt), Dhruv Shorey (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Hitel Dalal, Himmat Singh, Anuj Rawat, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Vikas Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Simarjit Singh, Vaibhav Rawal, Varun Sood, Sarthak Rajan, Shivank Vashisth

The chasm between the two sides was in full evidence as Pakistan romped to their joint-highest T20 total before they bowled West Indies out for their lowest

The Report by Danyal Rasool01-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis might have been billed as the day international cricket came back to Karachi, but take that with a pinch of salt. A whole tablespoon, rather.The team Pakistan played against today – and beat by 143 runs – was in no universe international standard. Thirteen individuals cobbled together whose only unifying characteristic was their willingness to travel to Pakistan, they were never a match for the top-ranked T20I side. Especially not if you consider they had arrived in Pakistan from halfway around the world just 24 hours ago (the squad having only been announced late in the early hours of Friday morning), with barely enough time to shake off their jetlag before they were sped to the National Stadium to face off against Pakistan. In all senses of the phrase, this simply wasn’t cricket.A wretched bowling performance from West Indies – if we must call the touring side that – began with Samuel Badree, Keemo Paul and Riyad Emrit well off their lines and lengths, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam easily finding the gaps to take advantage of the fielding restrictions, and Pakistan speeding to 56 for 1 in the first six overs. You might be forgiven for not noticing the fielding restrictions had been lifted thereafter, as Pakistan continued along their merry way, never encumbered by tricky bowling or intelligent field setting. The quality of fielding from the tourists was amateur, singles on several occasions turning into boundaries as fielders under no pressure whatsoever let balls slip through their fingers.Even when West Indies managed to take wickets, it wasn’t down to the skill of the bowling. Until the 17th over, just three wickets and fallen, two of them to run-outs. Debutant Hussain Talat, who looked excellent as he top-scored with 41, was unfortunate enough to be involved in two mix-ups, the first one putting paid to Fakhar’s bright start, while a collision between Sarfraz Ahmed and Kesrick Williams meant Talat himself was left stranded mid-pitch.After a rare spell around the death overs in which West Indies looked to be reining Pakistan in somewhat, the shackles broke again in the penultimate over. What followed devastated West Indies and was arguably responsible for taking the wind out of their sails, even for the second innings. As Faheem Ashraf and Shoaib Malik freed their arms for a final flourish, Emrit and Williams found themselves helpless to stop the carnage. A whopping 41 runs came off the last ten balls as Pakistan surged to their joint-highest T20I total, setting West Indies a target of 204.AFP

It was like bringing a gun to a knife fight; they needn’t have bothered with such a vertigo-inducing total. The six that Chadwick Walton hit
Mohammad Nawaz for off the first ball was a false dawn as West Indies quickly began to unravel. Other than Walton and Marlon Samuels, no one in the top five scored a single run. Andre Fletcher and Jason Mohammed looked to be giving Hussain Talat catching practice at cover, both falling in Mohammad Amir’s first over. Denesh Ramdin, underwhelming in the PSL, didn’t trouble the scorers either, holing out to midwicket, and when Samuels top-edged a big heave off Nawaz, the visitors had slumped to 33 for 6, and the contest was descending into farce.West Indies would have been thankful to get past 39, the lowest T20I total ever, but there was no denying the innings was headed towards an early finish. Shoaib Malik removed the next two off consecutive deliveries just after West Indies crossed 50, and 79 – their previous lowest T20I score – was looking a long distance away. Particularly since West Indies were one man short; Veerasammy Permaul had injured his foot while bowling and would not bat.And sure enough, with the score at 60, the last wicket fell, condemning West Indies to a slew of unwanted records: their lowest T20I score and the largest margin of defeat between two Full Members among the more ignominious ones.It’s hard to read much into either side’s performance today, given the disparity between them. You could make a case that the touring side
didn’t play as well as they could, but one can’t help feeling an improved performance may only win them respectability. To win cricket matches, they may need a number of players who, for all sorts of reasons, aren’t where West Indies would want them to be – in Karachi.

Stunning run of T20 form earns batsman another chance in format he still believes is ‘the pinnacle’

George Dobell at Lord's21-May-20181:57

Will Buttler be able to adapt his IPL game for Tests?

Jos Buttler has admitted he was as surprised as anyone by his Test recall and said it feels like “another debut”.Buttler, who has not played a Test since December 2016, was hailed for his “unique gifts” by new national selector, Ed Smith. But, having not played a first-class match this year or made a first-class century since January 2014, it was a selection that took almost everyone – and certainly Buttler – by surprise.But while he concedes a Test recall was not on his “radar” in the short term, Buttler insists he had never given up hope of a return to the format he believes is “still the ultimate” form of the game. And, whatever happens in this latest recall to the side, he has promised he will do things his own way.”It was quite a lot of a surprise,” Buttler said of his recall. “It wasn’t particularly on my radar. But, through a change of selectors, I’ve been afforded an incredible opportunity. So it’s a fantastic surprise and an incredible opportunity. It feels like another debut, really.”I wasn’t resigned to not playing Tests again, but I was very aware that it might never happen. I knew I was going to be available for a lot of championship cricket for Lancashire at the end of the summer, so that was a real focus of mine for targeting red-ball cricket. But you always think that maybe that race is run and it will never happen again.”He comes back into the Test team in a fine vein of form. He struck five half-centuries – including an unbeaten 94 and an unbeaten 95 – in his final six IPL innings and, though he accepts there will be some “differences” in the challenges facing him in Test cricket, he hopes to retain the same positivity and aggression that has served him well in T20 cricket.Buttler has outperformed the rest of his IPL side in May•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Of course there are differences,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I won’t be opening and trying to slog it in the first six overs.”But hopefully I can entertain. From the conversations I’ve had with Joe Root, the captain, and Ed Smith, the selector, they very much want me to play the way that suits me and in the fashion they believe will get the best out of me in that No. 7 role. They want me to play in the way I play in white-ball games.”For me it’s about expressing myself, trusting my instincts and allowing that to flourish rather than fighting it. I’m not just going to go out there and slog, but I am going to try to be positive.”There have been some great cricketers from all generations who have done it their own way. That’s what’s been asked of me: to play in a way that suits me.”Although he admits it was “hard to leave” the IPL early, Buttler is in no doubt as to where his priorities lie.”It was tough to leave the IPL halfway through,” he said. “It’s an incredible tournament and I’ve loved the last three years I’ve been there.”But I’m delighted to leave as well to come and have this opportunity. Test cricket is the ultimate format and I think it always will be for players of my generation. You get that feeling talking to everyone: they still feel Test cricket is best.”And Virat Kohli signing for Surrey to get used to playing in England shows that Test cricket is still at the forefront of players’ minds. It’s still the pinnacle.”

An off-day in Manchester suddenly leaves hosts in must-win as they ponder team balance and batting flexibility

The Preview by Shashank Kishore05-Jul-20182:22

Dasgupta: Don’t see India making any changes to their XI

Big picture

It is hot and dry, the pitches are flat and there will be lots of spin awaiting England. Add to this a huge Indian contingent that will be cheering their team at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. If there was any doubt before, there is none now – the main challenge of the summer has arrived.A game down, England know one thing already: scoring truckloads of runs against Ashton Agar was clearly no preparation for India’s spin variety. Already, discussion of wristspin and their failure to cope against left-armer Kuldeep Yadav has become a talking point. The second T20I, therefore, gives them an opportunity to prove the Manchester nightmare was an aberration.It is one thing executing badly against this rare bowling style, another not picking them at all, as was the case with four of the five England batsmen in the series opener. While two days between games is unlikely to change their foundation towards approaching spin, it sure could have given England time to ponder over batting strategies – knowing whom to target – and perhaps batting positions. Joe Root, for example, was a complete misfit at No. 6, especially when having at come in as late as the 14th over. His strike rate in T20Is since 2016 a modest 105.74 in seven innings.India have decided to play five specialist bowlers, leaving them vulnerable at times to a bowler having an off day and little else to fall back on. That perhaps explains the team management’s preference for Suresh Raina over the in-form Dinesh Karthik, because he can offer part-time offspin. England must look to capitalise on this.A game down, India may have discovered their best batting line-up too. KL Rahul’s success at No. 3 could mean an end to the musical chairs at No. 4, with Virat Kohli all but likely to settle there for the time being. The success may have come in the shortest format, but India are approaching what would otherwise be a context-less T20I series, with an eye on next year’s 2019 World Cup.

Form guide

England LWWLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight

Moeen Ali took 12 wickets in five ODIs against Australia, but has little to show with the ball in the two T20Is since. Against Australia, he was clobbered for 58 off his four overs. On Tuesday, his 2.2 overs went for 37. He didn’t look great with the bat, either, out to an ugly hoick when England needed to arrest the slide in the wake of Kuldeep’s strikes. England may well be tempted to play a specialist bowler in his stead, given their batting depth. However, should they persist with Moeen, the onus is on him to deliver.Bhuvneshwar Kumar is India’s lead bowler, and one bad outing is unlikely to change that. He’s graduated to become a bowler who isn’t always dependent on swing and seam, and will want to get back to his usual ways after two wicketless matches in Dublin and Manchester. Umesh Yadav’s stunning IPL form that earned a comeback and his fiery spells since have given him a headstart. Should Bhuvneshwar also find his groove back, it will give the team management a healthy headache when Jasprit Bumrah recovers from his thumb injury.

Team news

England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Alex Hales, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Joe Root, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil RashidIndia (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Pitch and conditions

Cardiff has tended to play much slower than other surfaces in the UK, the average score here is just 144. Weather-wise, all of UK is set for a scorching weekend. No prizes for guessing which team is happier.

Stats and trivia

• Umesh Yadav is the highest wicket-taker in Powerplays in T20s this year. In 16 innings, he has 17 wickets; he averages just 14.29 in this period. The only England-based bowler in the top 10 – never mind, he doesn’t qualify to play for them yet – is Jofra Archer (eight wickets in 22 innings at 34.75).
• Jos Buttler’s 69 in the series opener was his seventh fifty-plus score in his last eight T20 innings. All of them have come as an opener.
  Four of England’s top five – Buttler, Roy, Hales, Morgan – have been dismissed at least thrice to wristspinners in T20s. Buttler has been out the most: nine times in 16 innings.

• England are undefeated in four T20Is in Cardiff
• Tuesday’s win was India’s first in T20Is against England in England.

Quotes

“It has been made very clear that there will be few changes in the team and as a batting unit we need to flexible in our heads to be able to perform any role or responsibility that has been given to us by the team. We are all working towards it like you said, I might bat at No. 3 or 5 or 6. Someday we might want to promote MS Dhoni or Hardik Pandya if we get a good start to go and get us a few sixes or get the run rate up. So we will be flexible keeping in mind the World Cup.”

“It was a good spell from Kuldeep Yadav, first of all, and then a very good innings from KL Rahul. They thoroughly deserved the win, but we’ll be looking to bounce back come tomorrow.”

The organisers have said that they are in the process of establishing and operating a new franchise that will be based in St Lucia for CPL 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2019St Lucia Stars have been axed from the Caribbean Premier League, and the franchise will not be participating in CPL 2019 as the Stars. On August 7, CPL Limited terminated the participation agreement between it and the Royal Sports Club, LLC, the entity that operated the St Lucia franchise.While announcing the decision via a media release, the CPL didn’t elaborate on the reasons behind the termination. The release did say that CPL were “in the process of establishing and operating a new franchise to be based in St Lucia that will participate in the 2019 Caribbean Premier League.”Jay Pandya, the chief executive and owner of Royal Sports Club LLC and Global Sports Ventures based out of Pennsylvania, expressed his disappointment with the CPL’s decision in a statement to ESPNcricinfo.”We completely disagree with the CPL press release and will be working to address any issues the CPL may have in an appropriate manner and forum,” Pandya said.ESPNcricinfo understands the franchise had several outstanding payments, which was one of the reasons behind its axing.The 2019 season is scheduled to begin on September 4.The Stars had never won CPL, with their best finish coming in 2016, when they finished third on the table, but lost in the Eliminator to Trinbago Knight Riders. In 2018, they finished fifth among the six teams, with seven points from ten matches. They had several star players on their roster in 2018, with Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard and Rahkeem Cornwall among the local stars, and David Warner, Niroshan Dickwella and Mitchell McClenaghan among their overseas players.This year, they bagged Lasith Malinga and Fawad Alam in the draft as their main overseas players.

The home side piled up a massive 431 for 2 then Cooper Connolly bagged figures of 5 for 22 as South Africa collapse to a record defeat

Firdose Moonda24-Aug-2025

Cameron Green made his maiden ODI hundred from just 47 balls•Getty Images

Centuries from Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and a maiden ODI hundred from Cameron Green, off just 47 balls, took Australia to their second-highest ODI total, behind their 434 for 4 against South Africa 19 years ago.But there was no repeat of that match, as South Africa were bowled out for 155 and slumped to their heaviest defeat by runs by 276 runs to finish the series 2-1 winners. The consolation win meant that Australia’s record of never being whitewashed in an ODI series at home intact and completed their second-biggest ODI victory.While Australia’s seamers found movement under lights to blunt South Africa, the second innings belonged to Cooper Connolly. At 22 years and two days old, he became the youngest Australia to take a five-for in ODIs and the first Australian to do so since March 2023. He also finished with the best figures by an Australian spinner in the format.Related

• Bavuma: 'We're not close to where we want to be as a team'

• Maharaj back in South Africa's T20I squad for England tour

• Lungi Ngidi blossoms in South Africa's age of self-expression

• Ngidi takes five, Breetzke, Stubbs shine as South Africa win series

All three matches in the series have been won by the team batting first, and all by big margins. In Mackay, it was noticeable how much more the ball did under lights and that difference in conditions prompted Marsh to bat first for the first time in 22 tosses. He would have been even happier with the way Australia responded to his call.After being bowled out for under 200 in the first two matches of the series, Australia showed they meant business when Marsh and Head shared in Australia’s fourth-highest opening stand of 250. They batted together for 34.1 overs which still left plenty of time for Green to score the second-fastest ODI hundred for Australia after Glenn Maxwell. In the process, Australia also became only the second side in which the top three all scored centuries in an ODI innings.The other team to have achieved that feat was South Africa against West Indies, a decade ago at altitude in Johannesburg. Australia’s trio of hundreds came on the Queensland coast, on a used but flat pitch, and against a weakened South African attack.With Kagiso Rabada out of the series with an ankle injury and Lungi Ngidi rested, South Africa lacked discipline upfront and struggled to rein Australia in at any stage. Kwena Maphaka, playing in just his third ODI, gave away 73 runs in six overs, Wiaan Mulder was at his most expensive with 93 runs scored off his seven overs and only Keshav Maharaj conceded at under six runs an over.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Maphaka and Mulder took the new balls against an Australian pair who showed no mercy. When they raced to 41 without loss after four overs, returning captain Temba Bavuma had to introduce spin early. While Maharaj and Aiden Markram’s first overs were boundary-less, the pause in power hitting was only temporary.Head brought up fifty off 32 balls and at that point had scored twice as many runs as Marsh, and only faced 10 more balls. It looked as though Head would race to a hundred before Marsh reached fifty but the Australian captain got there when he drove Corbin Bosch square off his 50th delivery.Head’s hundred came off 80 balls, with a single from Muthusamy and his signature helmet-on-bat celebration, fitting of the significance of the moment. Head last scored an international century 25 innings ago in all formats.The Head-Marsh partnership grew to 200 by the 28th over, and was Australia’s first double-century stand since the 2023 World Cup, when Maxwell went wild in their victory over Afghanistan. Six overs later, their stand reached 250 as Head took 19 runs off Markram. With 150 and beyond in his sights, it seemed Head could do no wrong but he couldn’t clear long-off against Maharaj.Travis Head celebrates his 80-ball century•Getty Images

In the over after his dismissal, Marsh reached his hundred, from 105 balls. He was also set for more but top-edged a slog-sweep off Muthusamy and Ryan Rickelton ran from behind the stumps to square leg to take the catch.Australia promoted Green ahead of Marnus Labuschagne and gave him a licence to thrill. By the time Maphaka was brought back in the 43rd over, Green had his eye in. He brought up fifty off 28 deliveries when he hit Maphaka over midwicket for six, in an over that cost 20. Maphaka’s day got worse when he dropped Carey on 29.Green then launched a magnificent assault on Muthusamy and sent him for a hat-trick of sixes to enter the 80s having declined a single to retain the strike. Twin sixes off Mulder put him on the brink and then Green reached his hundred with two off Bosch. He finished unbeaten on 118.Carey iced the cake by reaching his 13th ODI half-century off 37 balls. The third-wicket stand between Green and Carey was worth 164 off 13.3 overs, at a scoring rate of 12.14 and Australia added 126 runs off the last 10 overs.Faced with a daunting target, South Africa’s start was always going to determine how things went and it was badly. Markram’s struggles outside the off stump remain and he nicked Sean Abbott to second slip in the second over. Rickelton has also had a difficult tour and handed Connolly a catch at midwicket to depart for 11.Cooper Connolly celebrates removing Dewald Brevis•Getty Images

In the next over, Bavuma, whose approach was aggressive as he reached 19 off 10 balls, advanced on Abbott, swung and chopped on. By the nine over, Tristan Stubbs was also dismissed, caught at cover off Xavier Bartlett. From 50 for 4, 431 was a world away.Tony de Zorzi and Dewald Brevis shared in South Africa’s best partnership but de Zorzi played a poor shot and was caught at midwicket when he tried to pull Connolly over the inner ring. Brevis looked the best of the South Africans, especially with his two sixes off Adam Zampa, but holed out to long-off on 49 to give Connolly a second wicket.His next two came courtesy of spectacular catching by Labuschagne at long-on. He caught Wiaan Mulder low off the turf running in, and Bosch when he dived full length and avoided the boundary rope.While Connolly had the fielders to thank for his earlier wickets, his fifth came through a clever piece of bowling. He drew Maharaj forward with a flighted ball, beat him as he slogged across the line and Josh Inglis did the rest. Zampa took the final wicket in the 25th over, as South Africa were bowled out with more than half their overs remaining.

All the latest news from the Vitality Blast, including over-rate penalties, Durham’s death-bowling duo, and Worcestershire’s unlikely pinch-hitter

Matt Roller05-Aug-2019Somerset have set the gold standard among counties for streaming their games, and have had to find a way to manage an influx of traffic after the signing of Babar Azam.Ben Warren, Somerset’s digital marketing executive, had to upgrade the club website’s server capacity after their first game of the Blast, a win at Glamorgan that was not streamed live, as fans in Pakistan were so desperate to follow their star batsman’s progress.But the change appears to have been worthwhile: their home defeat against Sussex last weekend, in which Babar made 83, attracted over 1.5 million views on YouTube.It remains a source of frustration for several clubs that due to the technicalities within the broadcast deal between the ECB and Sky, streams on YouTube have to remain ‘unlisted’ – meaning they do not show up in the search bar, and have to be found via hyperlinks.It may seem like a minor difference, but counties are convinced they are missing out on substantial traffic because of it, and hope that after consultation with the governing body, a change will be implemented ahead of next season.***James Faulkner and Glenn Maxwell celebrate a wicket•Getty Images

Lancashire have stormed to the top of the North Group thanks to Glenn Maxwell’s runs, Liam Livingstone’s all-round exploits, and a bowling attack which offers genuine pace and high-quality spin.They could be forgiven for looking forward to the quarter-finals already, but the knockouts pose a real conundrum for them. The quarter-finals are scheduled for the same week as the Old Trafford Ashes Test, which gives Lancashire a headache if they finish in the top two.As reported on Saturday, the club are in discussions with the ECB as to their potential options – Sky would struggle to show a game at any of their outground options, and they will be loath to give their opponents home advantage, so a neutral venue might be an avenue worth exploring.Further, it has emerged that Maxwell will be unavailable if they are to reach Finals Day, as he will be returning to Australia in time for the start of the domestic season, with James Faulkner likely in a similar position.Article 3.5 of the ECB’s regulations on player registration – commonly known as the “Bravo Rule”, since it was introduced after Dwayne Bravo’s ill-fated Finals Day appearance for Essex in 2010 – means that a potential replacement for the knockout stages would have to have played at least one group game, meaning Lancashire would likely go in without an overseas player.And while Jos Buttler is usually available for Finals Day, he may well be made unavailable by England this time around after a hectic summer. Lancashire are flying high, but could soon be in danger of suffering from vertigo.***Durham are set for a scrap to reach the quarter-finals for a second year running, a sentence which must have seemed improbable at the start of last season.What they lack in high-profile names – D’Arcy Short and Peter Handscomb are the only real stars – they more than make up for with wholehearted contributors, which is perhaps epitomised best by their unlikely death-bowling duo.Nathan Rimmington, the diminutive 36-year-old Australian seamer who plays on a British passport, has combined with 20-year-old Matty Potts to great effect so far, and the pair find themselves leading the way among regular death bowlers.Rimmington’s economy rate at the death is 7.01, and his 59 balls in overs 16-20 have brought only four boundaries, while Potts has an almost identical record to last year’s breakout star Pat Brown – both have conceded 65 runs in 48 balls at the death, though Brown has one wicket more.There is another improbable face just behind Rimmington, in Ravi Rampaul, who is quietly enjoying a stellar Blast for Derbyshire, while Tom Helm (12.22) and – surprisingly – Harry Gurney (11.00) find themselves at the wrong end of the rankings.***Wayne Parnell roars in celebration after seeing Worcestershire home•Getty Images

Wayne Parnell is best known for his left-arm seam and a feisty on-field attitude, though he is not completely without pedigree with the bat.He had regularly been deployed as a pinch-hitting opener by Cobras, his domestic team in South Africa, and before the start of last week, had batted in every position from Nos. 1 to 11 in T20, except one.As if to try him out in the only role he was yet to have a go at, Worcestershire promoted him to No. 4 for their run chase against Derbyshire. And the risk paid off in some style: he belted 81 not out off just 46 balls to see them home, before adding an 18-ball 27 in the win against Yorkshire two days later.***Michael Klinger questions an over-rate penalty with Umpire Ian Gould•Getty Images

Gloucestershire were left fuming on Sunday, as their attempts to defend 159 against Sussex were derailed by a six-run penalty applied due to their slow over-rate.The main sources of contention appeared to be the umpires taking some time to confirm Luke Wright was out, after a boundary-rope catch by AJ Tye, and a lost ball, with Michael Klinger convinced his side had not been given sufficient extra time in which to bowl their overs.It meant Sussex only needed eight from the final over rather than 14, which Delray Rawlins knocked off easily enough. Gloucestershire allrounder Benny Howell risked sanction from the ECB by tweeting afterwards: “Such an unfortunate end to a great day and exciting game. The umpires need to be held accountable for costing us a potential 2 points.”Even that controversy, though, could not take the shine away from a memorable occasion, as both teams wore specially-designed shirts to raise awareness for the charity Grief Encounter.Tom Smith, the Gloucestershire and ex-Sussex spinner, lost his wife to a rare form of liver cancer in 2018, and the charity has provided him and his daughters with support and counselling since. For further details, visit www.griefencounter.co.uk/about-us

Jos Buttler and Joe Root are set to go head to head in Friday night’s Vitality Blast Roses match, as well as Lancashire’s Championship match against Yorkshire starting on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2018Jos Buttler and Joe Root are set to go head to head in Friday night’s Vitality Blast Roses match, as well as Lancashire’s Championship match against Yorkshire starting on Sunday, after the ECB confirmed the availability of England players at the conclusion of the ODI series with India.

England player availability

• Moeen Ali: available for everything

• Jake Ball: available from Friday

• Jonny Bairstow: available for Championship

• Jos Buttler: Friday Blast and Championship

• Sam Curran: available from Friday

• Tom Curran: playing 2nd XI as batsman

• Dawid Malan: available from Sunday

• Eoin Morgan: available from Friday

• Liam Plunkett: available for everything

• Adil Rashid: available for everything

• Joe Root: Friday Blast and Championship

• Jason Roy: available if fit

• Ben Stokes: Friday Blast and Championship

• David Willey: available for everything

• Mark Wood: available for Championship

Jonny Bairstow will only be available for the Championship match at Old Trafford, which could also feature James Anderson on his comeback from injury. Anderson and Stuart Broad, who has had a painkilling injection in his ankle, will be assessed by England’s medical staff but should be free to play for Lancashire and Nottinghamshire respectively.Durham’s Mark Wood, who recently spoke of his desire to be involved in the Test series against India, has been rested from the Blast but can turn out in the Championship against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham. Ben Stokes is available for both games.Among others who have featured in the ODIs, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and David Willey will all return to their counties without any restrictions on their involvement.Dawid Malan, currently playing for England Lions against India A, will be unavailable for Middlesex’s two Blast games this week, but will continue to tune up for the India Tests in the Championship fixture against Warwickshire. The five-Test series begins at Edgbaston on August 1.

England captain named Player of the Match after putting himself through 24 overs in India’s second innings at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20252:32

Stokes: I was going to decide when I stop bowling

Ben Stokes, England’s captain, admitted he had taken himself to some “dark places” with his bowling workloads but said “nothing was stopping” him as he embarked on two lengthy spells to help drag his side to a 22-run victory over India on the final day at Lord’s.Stokes was named Player of the Match after taking five wickets across 44 overs – the third-most he has bowled in a Test, and the most since 2019 – to go with innings of 44 and 33 with the bat, as well as the crucial run-out of Rishabh Pant in India’s first innings.On the third evening, he received an instruction from England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, to call it quits after a seven-over spell, with the team management still wary about protecting Stokes’ fitness after hamstring surgery over the winter.Related

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But he again pushed his body to the limit on Monday, resuming his over from the previous evening and bowling a further 9.2 overs during the morning, which included the wicket of India opener KL Rahul. He followed up with a ten-over spell after lunch, eventually dislodging Jasprit Bumrah after a dogged 35-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja for the ninth wicket, as England sought to confirm victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.The Lord’s Test was also the second of back-to-back matches, with just a three-day turnaround from India’s win at Edgbaston, where Stokes bowled 26 overs. In the first Test, at Headingley, he sent down 35 overs and spoke afterwards about how hard it was to recover.”I have taken myself to some pretty dark places before. Today was… but look, bowling to win a Test match, if that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does,” he said, speaking to Sky Sports at the post-match presentation.”With what today was, what was on the line. Yesterday [Saturday] was a bit different. You know, there was still more cricket to be played. And, you know, pulled myself off there. I mean, to be honest, I was absolutely cooked [on day three] as well. But again, today, you know, game was on the line. Nothing was stopping me [carrying on].”Ben Stokes appeals for KL Rahul’s wicket•Getty Images

Although Stokes hinted at a return to form with the bat, Lord’s extended his run without a Test fifty to ten innings. He is now averaging 29.18 in 20 Tests since his last hundred, at Lord’s during the 2023 Ashes, but said that his ability to impact games with the ball meant he had little time to dwell on his batting returns.”I’m an allrounder. I get four opportunities in a Test match to be able to influence the game. And one of the great things about being an allrounder is that if one thing doesn’t quite click, you’ve got an opportunity with the other. And that’s how I look at it.”Obviously, I would like to be scoring more runs at the moment, but as soon as I’ve got my whites on out there on the field, all my thoughts flip over to bowling. And that’s the great thing about being an allrounder, that you don’t really have a chance to sort of worry about anything. And everyone knows, I’ll always put in as much as I possibly can.”Jofra Archer took two crucial wickets in his opening spell•Getty Images

Stokes offered particular praise for Jofra Archer, playing in his first Test since 2021. Archer claimed match figures of 5 for 105 in a display of sustained hostility that regularly pushed the speed gun above 90mph/145kph. On day five, six years on from his heroics in the ODI World Cup final, he made the first breakthrough with the key wicket of Pant, and Stokes said he had backed Archer to do something special.”Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open. A bit of discussion, Brydon [Carse] had an amazing spell [last night], but I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back.”Speaking afterwards to Sky, Archer said that the long periods he experienced in rehab due to back and elbow problems between 2021 and 2024 were made all the more worthwhile by the taste of victory at Lord’s.As well as his involvement in the World Cup final, when he bowled the Super Over as England’s men lifted the trophy for the first time, Archer made his Test debut on the ground during the 2019 Ashes. However, he had not played a Test since February 2021 before his comeback against India, enduring a four-year absence from red-ball cricket while road-testing his body in the limited-overs formats.0:55

Manjrekar: Stokes always makes things happen

“I only played one other Test at Lord’s, but you know, the last one was just as special as this one,” Archer said. “A lot of rehab, a lot of training, but it’s moments like this that make everything worth it.”I feel the hardest part is playing cricket for the last year-and-a-half and then still having training, talking about workloads, and ‘bowl today, don’t bowl tomorrow’, stuff like that. That would probably be the hardest part, because some days you think that you’re ready, but you never know if you’re ready or not until you do it. But the safer way is the best way. So I’m not too fussed. This surely, surely is worth it.”On day two, Archer struck with his third ball on returning to the Test side, having India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal caught at second slip, and celebrated by sprinting away to square leg, where he was enveloped by his team-mates.”Guess I was a little bit emotional,” he said. “It was a long journey. I can’t tell you the amount of keyboard warriors that I had to put up with for the last three to four years as well. I told myself that I was going to try my best not to be [emotional] and when [Jaiswal] nicked it, and it went to Brooky [Harry Brook], I think all of that just went through the window. The joy, the whole crowd, the Long Room yesterday, I’ve never seen it like that ever in my life. So it’s just moments like this that made the rehab all so much worth it.”Archer also revealed what was behind his send-off for Pant on the final day, having removed the batter’s off stump from the ground. “It wasn’t a proud moment,” he said. “I just told him to charge that. Honestly, this morning, I was struggling a little bit, the ball just kept coming out full. One of the full ones, he just charged, and it p****d me off a bit. When the [wicket] ball nipped down the slope, honestly I was so grateful for that.”

Durham opener stars on second day of tour game but CAXI openers made inroads in chase

ECB Reporters Network15-Jan-2025Cricket Australia XI 176 (Hearne 106, Cook 4-15) and 97 for 1 (Ward 39*, MacMillan 11*) need another 164 runs to beat England Lions 223 (Davies 54, Gannon 5-27) and 213 (McKinney 94) Durham’s Ben McKinney fell just short of a century for England Lions, as a Cricket Australia XI took control of their four-day encounter at the Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane.On a day when wickets continued to tumble, with 12 falling in all, the 20-year-old McKinney stood tallest to strike a composed 94 as the Lions were bowled out for 213 in their second innings.The home side reached 97 for one at the close, needing another 164 runs on day three to seal victory. Tim Ward was unbeaten at the close on 39 from 80 balls, having added 77 for the first wicket with Jayden Goodwin.Sonny Baker had earlier wrapped up the CAXI first innings without addition to their overnight 176. He dismissed centurion Lachlan Hearne with his first ball of the day to finish with four for 43, as the Lions took a 47-run lead. Sam Cook, who ran through the top-order yesterday, finished with four for 15.A youthful Lions batting line-up, featuring nine players aged 22 or under, were then unable to fully capitalise on their advantage aside from former Under-19s captain McKinney.The left-handed opener reached his half-century with a textbook cover drive to the rope but had been left with the tail when he pulled Gabe Bell and was caught on the boundary just short of his century. Last man Cook made a handy 23 from 19 balls as he and Baker added 28 for the last wicket. The CAXI wickets were shared around, with Bell and Charlie Anderson claiming three apiece.Bashir claimed the only wicket of the home side’s chase when Goodwin, son of former Zimbabwe and Sussex batter Murray, was trapped lbw on the back foot by Bashir for 35. Raf MacMillan was 11 not out at the close.