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Eoin Morgan said he had “never seen anything like it” as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI at Edgbaston

George Dobell at Edgbaston24-Jun-2016Eoin Morgan said he had “never seen anything like it” as England thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the second ODI at Edgbaston.Morgan, England’s captain, hailed an “absolutely remarkable” unbroken opening stand of 256 – a record for any wicket for England in ODI cricket – as Alex Hales and Jason Roy both recorded unbeaten centuries and career-best ODI scores. It is the highest total overhauled by a 10-wicket margin by any side in the history of ODI cricket.”That chase was absolutely remarkable,” Morgan said. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. We were so in control without being reckless. The two boys were outstanding. They were very imposing and they played brilliant, very entertaining cricket.”But both Roy and Morgan also praised England’s bowlers for a much-improved performance that kept Sri Lanka to a total that could have been as much as 100 under par on an excellent batting surface.”I said after Trent Bridge that we were way-off with the ball,” Morgan said. “Here, I didn’t think we did anything exceptional, but we did the basics well. It didn’t swing or nip off the seam and there are always huge challenges in one-day cricket when that doesn’t happen.”But we starved them of runs. We banged out a length and we used our bouncers well. We built pressure that way which resulted in us taking wickets. It was brilliant.”It was a lesson for us last year when we played against Australia. They are a really good at doing that and we picked up that we needed to be better at it.”Roy, who celebrated his first international century in England, agreed. “The bowlers kept Sri Lanka to a total where we didn’t feel under a huge amount of pressure going out there,” he said. “So a huge amount of credit must go to them.”The victory not only gave England a 1-0 lead in the series, but an unassailable 13-3 lead in the Super Series. It left Morgan reflecting on England’s fortune in escaping with a tie from the first ODI in which they played “poorly” in his words.”I emphasised after that game that it was our get out of jail free card,” Morgan said. “We played very poorly as a team, but a few individuals performed exceptionally well and did enough that we went unscathed. A six off the last ball doesn’t happen very often.”Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, admitted it was a “disappointing performance” from his side’s batsmen but suggested they must “forget about it as quickly as possible” with another ODI looming on Sunday.”Simply we didn’t get enough runs on the board for our bowlers to get them out,” Mathews said. “It was a belter of a wicket. 256 was below par; 300 is a must on that wicket. It played brilliantly. It was a little bit slow in the first half but it got better and better so we fell short by 50 or 60 runs.”We have to try to flush it out of the system and forget about this game as quickly as possible because we’ve got only one day to come back and play pretty well.”Our batsmen are in good nick and unfortunately they get 20s and 30s and getting run out is absolutely not on. And it is unfortunate that it has been happening the last two games and hopefully we can run well in the next three games and not give run outs to the opposition.”He was also full of praise for the England batsmen. “They are explosive openers and if you give them a chance then that’s what they can do; they can destroy any attack and unfortunately we didn’t have the penetration today. Jason and Alex batted brilliantly to get them home.”

Nick Gubbins adds to first-innings ton as Middlesex take charge at The Oval

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2020Middlesex 347 for 6 dec and 184 for 3 (Gubbins 49*) lead Surrey 282 (Borthwick 92, Smith 80, Stoneman 45, Murtagh 5-47) by 249 runs Tim Murtagh’s devastating second-new-ball spell of 6-5-4-4, and a dramatic Surrey collapse in which they lost their last seven first innings wickets for only 28 runs in 15 overs either side of lunch, has given Middlesex full control of the Bob Willis Trophy’s London derby.By the end of day three Middlesex had stretched their overall lead to 249 by reaching 184 for 3 in their second innings with Max Holden scoring 43 and Nick Gubbins following up his first innings 192 with 49 not out. Gubbins added a handy 71 in just 11 overs in the late afternoon sunshine with Martin Andersson, who has so far hit seven fours in a punchy unbeaten 35 off 37 balls.Holden was joined by Sam Robson in a first wicket stand of 70 before being brilliantly caught by Rikki Clarke at slip off slow left-armer Dan Moriarty, who then had Robson caught behind from one that bounced and turned and Stephen Eskinazi taken at short leg for 18 in a fine spell of 3 for 39 from 15 accurate overs.Veteran seamer Murtagh, who turned 39 on day two of this match, earlier finished with figures of 5 for 47 as Surrey, at one stage cruising on 254 for 3 in reply to Middlesex’s 347 for 6 declared, were tumbled out for 282. And, despite the efforts of Moriarity, 20, on his first-class debut, Middlesex will fancy their chances of beating their traditional rivals on a pitch that is starting to take more spin and also showing some signs of inconsistent bounce.Most counties are facing this abbreviated season with significant absentees, particularly those who are included in the extended England Test and one-day international ‘bubbles’, but Surrey are perhaps more handicapped than others in the South Group with a full XI of senior players currently unavailable.This includes their seven England squad players, two Kolpak-registered South Africans Morne Morkel and Hashim Amla, absent due to global travel restrictions, and the pace bowlers Liam Plunkett, Conor McKerr and Jade Dernbach because of injury niggles.And Middlesex, although themselves without the powerful fast bowling trio of Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones and Tom Helm, still have the estimable Murtagh to lead their attack and he swept aside Jordan Clark, Moriarty, Matt Dunn and Amar Virdi to take his career first-class wickets tally to 821.The third day, however, had begun with Surrey looking the likeliest side to get on top until Scott Borthwick’s dismissal for 92, hoicking a first-ball long hop from Andersson to midwicket, and which followed a fourth wicket stand of 105 with Jamie Smith, who went on to make an impressive 80 from 166 balls, with a six and 14 fours.Surrey had resumed on 189 for 3, and initially Borthwick and Smith added a further 65 in 18 overs. But, just when it seemed that Surrey would push on to a first-innings advantage for themselves, Borthwick fell in the 86th over – after facing 240 balls, hitting 12 fours – and, suddenly, fortunes changed.Clarke was well caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson for 1, gloving a sweep at legspinner Nathan Sowter, and then Murtagh grabbed the second new ball to huge effect. Clark and Moriarty fell before lunch, and Dunn and Virdi to consecutive balls to finish off the innings soon after Smith was eighth out, caught at second slip off Miguel Cummins.Clark was superbly held by a diving Simpson for 1, trying to leg glance, and Moriarty leg-before for a duck. Dunn was bowled for 1 by a beauty which clipped the top of his off stump and Virdi was struck in front shuffling across to his first ball. No fewer than 13 of Murtagh’s 27 overs were maidens.

Billings hit a half-century to push the Thunder up to a good score, but it wasn’t enough

Hemant Brar18-Jan-2021Ben McDermott struck a scintillating 96 as Hobart Hurricanes trounced Sydney Thunders by six wickets at Manuka Oval. On their way, the Hurricanes also pocketed the Bash Boost point to leapfrog from seventh to fourth on the BBL points table.Chasing 178, the Hurricanes didn’t have a great start but a third-wicket partnership of 109 in 61 balls between McDermott and Dawid Malan helped reduce the equation to 56 needed from 44 balls. Malan fell to Tanveer Sangha for a 28-ball 42 but McDermott kept attacking. In all, he smashed eight fours and five sixes in 56 balls. By the time he got out, the Hurricanes needed only 13 from 21 balls, which they scored with two overs to spare.Earlier, Scott Boland picked up 4 for 41 – three of those in one over – but Sam Billings’ 50 off 34 balls helped the Thunder post a challenging total. Billings, who scored 40 out of his 50 runs on the leg side, was also helped by the Hurricanes fielders, who put him down on 22 and 38. In the end, however, it didn’t matter.Ben McDermott uses the long handle•Getty Images

Boland’s three-wicket over dents Thunder
After being put in on a used pitch, the Thunder were off to a brisk start as Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales added 64 in 7.1 overs for the first wicket. While Riley Meredith found some extra bounce to trouble Hales, the runs came easily from the other end. Boland was taken for 18 in the second over of the game with Hales smashing him for a six and a four. Khawaja got into the act with a scooped four off Nathan Ellis as the Thunder ended the powerplay with 40 for no loss.As soon as the field restrictions were lifted, the Hurricanes introduced wristspin from both ends, in the form Sandeep Lamichhane and D’Arcy Short. The move seemed to work until Khawaja started using his feet and found a couple of boundaries. That forced Peter Handscomb to go back to Boland in the eighth over, the one where the momentum shifted.Hales tried to attack Boland once again only to top-edge a pull to deep midwicket. A ball later, Oliver Davies edged a slower bouncer behind the stumps. Callum Ferguson took a single on the next ball before Boland bowled Khawaja via an inside edge. From 64 for no loss, the Thunder slipped to 66 for 3 in the space of five balls.Billings, sloppy fielding hurt Hurricanes
Ferguson and Billings consolidated for a while and took the Thunder to 101 for 3 at the end of 13 overs. Lamichhane gave away only 28 runs in his four overs despite conceding ten in the final, and Short was en route to similar figures when Billings decided to go after him. Billings was on 16 off as many balls before Short started his fourth over, the 14th of the innings. After a brace on the second ball, Billings slog-swept the next for four. The Hurricanes had a chance to end Billings’ innings on the next ball as the batsman mistimed a long hop to long-off but Mitchell Owen dropped the catch. To rub salt into the wound, Billings dispatched the next ball over deep midwicket for six. Billings got another life two overs later when Will Jacks, coming in from long-on, spilled a low chance.Ferguson departed for 23 off 24 balls but with 137 for 4 at the end of 17 overs, the Thunder were well set to take advantage of the Power Surge. Billings brought up his fifty – off 33 balls – with a four off Boland but fell on the next ball to give Boland his fourth wicket. Ben Cutting (15* off 10) and Daniel Sams (16* off 6), though, smashed three fours and six between them to ensure the Thunder finished strongly.McDermott, Malan help Hurricanes earn Bash Boost point
The Hurricanes needed to start well. Instead, they lost a wicket on the first ball as Adam Milne rattled Will Jacks’ stumps with a late inswinger. Short started with a straight-driven four but holed out to mid-on off Nathan McAndrew for 6 to leave the Hurricanes 14 for 2 in the third over. Milne could have had Malan too but Sangha put down a low chance at short fine leg on the last ball of the powerplay. Malan was on 3 at that time.Usually a slow starter, Malan took the offensive route right from the start, slog-sweeping Sangha for a six before cracking a pull against McAndrew to move to 20 off 10 balls. But the real impetus was provided by McDermott, who after labouring to run-a-ball 23, smashed McAndrew for a 97-metre six. In the next over, he reverse-swept Chris Green for four. With six needed from the tenth over for a Bash Boost point, Ferguson brought back Sams but even he couldn’t defend that.McDermott masterclass stuns Thunder
With 94 required from 60 balls, the Thunder were still very much in the game. But the Hurricanes’ decision to take the Power Surge straightaway changed the dynamics completely. The Thunder deployed their two best bowlers – Milne and Sams – but with Malan and McDermott well set, they still ended up leaking 31 in those two overs. McDermott brought up his half-century off 37 balls with a four off Milne. His brutal hitting, that included two towering sixes and a four off Sams, meant the Hurricanes needed 63 off 48 balls at the end of the Surge.Hurricanes lost Malan in the 13th over but there was no stopping McDermott. Another big six off Sangha took him to 94. He went for the slog sweep next ball but ended up mistiming it. Milne though put it down at deep square leg. On the next ball, McDermott tried to go over covers only to top-edge it. Davies didn’t make a mistake at backward point. But by then, the result was a foregone conclusion.

A three-wicket burst by Jhye Richardson ensured Australia U-19s remained in control at Chester-le-Street after they had piled up 446

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2015
ScorecardMatthew Parkinson kept England in touch with two late wickets•Getty Images

On a grim day for his senior countrymen, Jhye Richardson provided a glimpse of a more promising future for Australia as his five-wicket haul cemented control of the first Under-19 Test at Chester-le-Street.By the close, Australia had built on Richardson’s figures of 5 for 75 to reach 91 for 3 in their second innings, a lead of 145 with Caleb Jewell unbeaten on 38 at the close.Australia’s position would have been all the more dominant had it not been for a late intercession from Matthew Parkinson, the Lancashire legspinner, who grabbed two lbws in his final two overs of the day, Jordan Gauci for 14 and Will Pucovski for 3, suckered by a last-ball googly.Ben Green claimed England’s other wicket of the day, that of Jonte Pattison, who was caught by Dan Lawrence for 28 to end an opening stand of 56.Earlier, England’s lower order had added 150 runs to their overnight 242 for 5, with Ryan Davies converting his overnight 42 to top-score with 73. Though he was the first wicket of the day, England’s momentum was maintained by Parkinson, who presaged his late contribution with the ball to make a valuable 32 from 89 balls at No.10.

Tour will be split in three legs, with the T20Is in January, the first Test in February, and the ODI and second Test in April

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2020Bangladesh will play two Tests, one ODI and three T20Is in Pakistan – though the matches will be split across three legs. There will be three T20Is played from January 24 to 27, all in Lahore. The first Test will take place in Rawalpindi from February 7 to 11 in the second leg, and Bangladesh will return in April to play a solitary ODI and the second Test, both in Karachi.The Pakistan Super League, also to be played in Pakistan in its entirety, will be played between the second and third legs of Bangladesh’s tour. After the PSL concludes on March 22, Bangladesh will return to Pakistan to play a solitary ODI, in Karachi on April 3, followed by the second Test of the series, from April 5 to 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “I am pleased that we have amicably achieved a resolution that is in the best interest of this great sport as well as both the proud cricket playing countries. I also want to thank ICC Chairman Shaskank Manohar for the leadership he provided and ensured the sport continues to grow and thrive in the two countries.”PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, who also attended Tuesday’s meeting at the ICC headquarters, said: “It is a win-win outcome for both the boards. I am glad that the uncertainty around the series is now over and we can start planning for the smooth delivery of the matches. Bangladesh will visit Pakistan thrice, which should give them the comfort that Pakistan is as safe and secure as any other cricket playing country.”This latest update to the status of the series is, the PCB will hope, the final chapter of a saga that has dragged on for weeks now, with the prospect of the tour believed to be all but killed off after the BCB announced on Sunday it was against government advice to stay on for any more than 6-7 days in Pakistan, which would only be conducive to a T20I series. But the PCB’s announcement the following day that they would continue to have discussions with the BCB on the sidelines of the ICC’s Governance Review Committee meeting implied they had not yet given up on a favourable outcome. Manohar having facilitated these talks led to the surprise outcome announced on Tuesday.BCB President Nazmul Hassan said: “I must thank the PCB for understanding our position. We are pleased that a mutually acceptable resolution has been reached and this is a prime example our sincere efforts at respecting the ICC FTP commitments.”Bangladesh had maintained from the start that they were ready to play a limited-overs series in Pakistan, but the PCB was adamant any visit would have to include the two-Test series set in the ICC Test Championship calendar and the Future Tours Programme. The Bangladesh women’s team toured Pakistan for three T20Is and two ODIs in October-November 2019, with the series going off without incident. That came on the back of the Sri Lankan cricket team touring Karachi for three ODIs and Lahore for three T20Is, before they would return for two Test matches in December 2019, the first Test held in Pakistan since 2009.

Two new captains will face each other at Lord’s, but while Dean Elgar is just a stand-in, for Joe Root it is the beginning of his era of English cricket

The Preview by Alan Gardner05-Jul-2017

Match Facts

July 6-10, 2017
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)

Big Picture

Here we are, then. Three months into the English season: a Lord’s Test. The Champions Trophy has been played out, with England still reliably pot-less in 50-over cricket; the Championship is more than halfway through, Essex sitting atop the pile thanks in part to the efforts of a certain AN Cook (not to mention SR Harmer, although that’s a different story); a one-day final has already been contested at HQ. Now, after a break of almost seven months, England are about to get their Test on.Good things come to those who wait. Since February, Joe Root has known that when he next walked out at Thomas Lord’s grand old ground in whites, he would do so as England’s 80th Test captain. Not since South Africa last visited St John’s Wood for the final Test of the 2012 series has a man other the aforementioned Alastair Cook handled the toss and teams. Andrew Strauss, like a couple of his predecessors, was finished off by the arrival of South Africa – for Root, it is just the beginning.Anticipation is further sharpened by a schedule that bends ever more accommodatingly towards the white-ball formats. The last time England had to wait until July for the Test match summer to begin was in 1983, when the World Cup (still a red-ball business back then) occupied the first part of the season. As if bombarding the format with affection after recent neglect, England will now cram seven Tests into the next nine-or-so weeks.South Africa have tended to enjoy their visits to Lord’s, winning four of their last five Tests here. They are unbeaten in Test series in England in almost 20 years, though relinquished the Basil D’Oliveira Trophy at home 18 months ago. That was Cook’s last great moment as captain, with victory over a feeble Sri Lanka England’s only success in four series thereafter. Five defeats in seven Tests in India and Bangladesh was enough for Cook to finally release his stubborn grip on the job.Plenty has changed for the tourists in that time, too. AB de Villiers, who assumed the captaincy from Hashim Amla halfway through the 2015-16 series, is not currently involved – he is managing an elbow problem – and may not play Tests again. His successor, Faf du Plessis, has led South Africa to four series victories in a row but misses this Test due to complications at the birth of his first child; Dean Elgar will step in, becoming South Africa’s fourth Test captain in a little over 18 months.They may be depleted by the absence of de Villiers and Dale Steyn (who has only played three Tests since the England series due to injury), as well as du Plessis at Lord’s, but South Africa are still able to call on a number of high-quality operators: the veterans of 2012, Amla – who became the first South African to score a Test triple-century – Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel; plus young talent like Quinton de Kock and, perhaps most excitingly, Kagiso Rabada, the gifted quick who claimed a 13-wicket haul against England in Centurion last year, not to mention the Man of the Match award on his first appearance at Lord’s during May’s ODI.This may feel like the night before Christmas for Root, who joins Steven Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson as the last of the Big Four to take on a captaincy role. There won’t be too many surprises to unwrap in the morning, however, with Liam Dawson confirmed to come in at No. 8 and share the spinning duties, rather than Toby Roland-Jones adding a couple more barrels to the seam attack. It seems a tad cautious for a brave new era. Root was supposed to be captain cavalier but his new England look more like allrounder-heads.Whatever, the Root regime is about to begin. Two years ago, New Zealand came to Lord’s and England began their rejuvenation with a barnstorming win, with Root and Ben Stokes (now Test vice-captain) to the fore. Following the trails of a winter on the subcontinent, the Test XI could do with another dose of that magic. South Africa, particularly on tour, have the reputation of being an immovable object. Can England bring the irresistible force?Start of a new era: Joe Root prepares to lead England in Test cricket•Getty Images

Form guide

England LLLLD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa DWDWW

In the spotlight

In 2016, Joe Root scored 1477 Test runs, narrowly missing out on breaking Michael Vaughan’s England record for a calendar year. Nevertheless, with only three hundreds to go with 10 fifties, there was a sense that his stellar abilities were not quite being fulfilled; only his masterful 110 in Johannesburg and 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford indelibly shaped England wins. Will the captaincy elevate his game, as it has appeared to do for Smith, Kohli and Williamson? We are about to find out.Dale Steyn may not be here but the reason South Africa aren’t so perturbed by his absence is down to a winsome 22-year-old. Kagiso Rabada has pace to burn and an old head on young shoulders, as England know from their recent encounters; in the fourth Test at Centurion in January 2016, he took match figures of 13 for 144, the second-best by a South African in Tests. The fact Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel have also had injury problems in recent times only increases the weight of expectation on Rabada.

Team news

Gary Ballance, Root’s former Yorkshire flatmate, returns after averaging more than 100 for Yorkshire in the Championship this season. Root has confirmed he will bat at No. 3, reversing their roles at county level. There was no room for Haseeb Hameed, who shone in India last year, with Keaton Jennings retaining his spot as Cook’s opening partner. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have both recovered from recent injuries sustained while playing for their counties.England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonSouth Africa will have a debutant at the top of the order, with Heino Kuhn coming in for his first Test at the age of 33. Theunis de Bruyn filled in at opener in South Africa’s last Test, in Hamilton in March, but will likely drop down and cover du Plessis’ spot in the middler order – although Elgar suggested there was a debate about “whether to go in with four seamers or three seamers and an extra batter”. That could mean Chris Morris being considered to bat at No. 7 and bulk up the attack.South Africa (probable) 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Heino Kuhn, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Theunis de Bruyn, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Morne Morkel

Pitch and conditions

Lord’s has tended towards the slow and the low, both in Tests and for Championship fixtures, but the pitches have shown signs of life this season – Middlesex beat Yorkshire in three days here last month. The strip for this Test was being covered the day before, most likely to retain moisture, and was fairly green when briefly glimpsed, although it will be cut again in the morning. There is a chance of thunderstorms interrupting play on Thursday but the rest of the weekend is forecast to be clear, with cooler temperatures.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have not lost a Test at Lord’s since 1960. Since readmission, they have won four and drawn two at the ground.
• England have only won one of their last six Lord’s Test – against New Zealand in 2015. They have lost to India, Australia and Pakistan in that time.
• England lost eight Tests in 2016, equalling their worst calendar year.
• Amla goes into the match needing 48 runs to become the third South African to 8000 in Tests.
• Moeen Ali is two shy of 100 Test wickets; England last played two spinners at Lord’s in 1993.

Quotes

“For it finally come around, it’s starting to feel a bit more real now. I’m very excited, I just want to get out there.”
“You can see it in my batting, I’m a little bit tougher and nuggety. So I think the captaincy will be along those lines, a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more of a fighter out there.”

England allrounder hits out at publication of details of family tragedy more than three decades ago

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2019Ben Stokes has hit out at The Sun newspaper for the “heartless” and “immoral” decision to publish a front-page article about a family tragedy that occurred in New Zealand before he was born.In a statement on Twitter, Stokes said the story concerned “events in the private lives of my family, going back more than 31 years” adding that it contained “serious inaccuracies which has compounded the damage caused”.”The decision to publish these details has grave and lifelong consequences for my mum in particular,” Stokes said. “To use my name as an excuse to shatter the privacy and private lives of – in particular – my parents is utterly disgusting.”It is hard to find words that adequately describe such low and despicable behaviour, disguised as journalism. I cannot conceive of anything more immoral, heartless or contemptuous to the feelings and circumstances of my family.”Stokes has hit the headlines for all the right reasons this summer, thanks to his starring role in both England’s World Cup win against New Zealand at Lord’s in July, and his stunning unbeaten 135 in the third Ashes Test at Headingley, a performance that was hailed as one of the greatest innings of all time as England squared the series with a one-wicket win.”I am aware that my public profile brings with it consequences for me that I accept entirely,” he said. “But I will not allow my public profile to be used as an excuse to invade the rights of my parents, my wife, my children or other family members. They are entitled to a private life of their own.”For more than three decades, my family has worked hard to deal with the private trauma inevitably associated with these events and has taken great care to keep private what were deeply personal and traumatic events.”Stokes’ statement has been retweeted more 25,000 times, including by his Test captain Joe Root, who urged his followers to “please take the time to read this and respect it”, and the Manchester United striker, Marcus Rashford, who stated that Stokes had been “huge for sport this summer. He and his family deserve better.” Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, also joined in the condemnation on behalf of English cricket.”We, like the wider sporting world, are disgusted and appalled at the actions taken in revealing the tragic events from Ben’s past,” he said. “We are saddened that an intrusion of this magnitude was deemed necessary in order to sell newspapers or secure clicks.”Ben’s exploits this summer have cemented his place in cricket’s history – we are sure the whole sport, and the country, stands behind him in support.”In a statement, The Sun insisted the paper had the “utmost sympathy” for Stokes and his mother, but said that they had received the co-operation of a family member in compiling the story.”The tragedy is also a matter of public record and was the subject of extensive front-page publicity in New Zealand at the time,” the newspaper added.

AB de Villiers felt he has “a role to play in helping international cricket return to Pakistan” and this had influenced his decision to be available for the Lahore Qalandars’ matches on March 9 and 10

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2019Former South Africa batsman AB de Villiers will play two matches in Lahore for Lahore Qalandars in the upcoming Pakistan Super League on March 9 and 10. De Villiers, who said he had “a role to play in helping international cricket return to Pakistan,” will be one of the most high-profile cricketers to play in the country since the terror attack in Lahore in March 2009.De Villiers, who had retired from international cricket at the end of IPL 2018, was picked by Lahore Qalandars in the draft in November and was originally signed on to play only seven of the side’s eight league matches in the UAE leg of the tournament. However, he stated on Monday that he would be available for the side’s final two league matches – against Islamabad United and Multan Sultans – in Lahore too, before his return home. De Villiers stated he was available only for the group stage, due to family commitments.”I am delighted to confirm that I will represent Lahore Qalandars in front of our home crowds on 9 and 10 March, during the HBL PSL 2019,” de Villiers said in a press release. “I look forward to revisiting the Gaddafi Stadium and aim to play my part in helping Lahore Qalandars achieve something they have been aspiring for since the inception of this tournament in 2016.”I am fully aware that cricket is like a second religion in Pakistan. I still remember the support and appreciation we received in 2007. Furthermore, I feel I have a role to play in helping international cricket return to Pakistan. These have been some of the motivating factors for me to return to Lahore.”I sympathise with the people of Pakistan because they have been cricket-starved for no fault of theirs, but I am optimistic that the days are not too far when international cricket will return to Pakistan and the stadia will once again be packed with crowds.”ESPNcricinfo understands that former Cricket South Africa CEO Haroon Lorgat also played a role to help convince de Villiers to play in Pakistan. Lorgat visited Pakistan several times recently, with the most recent being the Lahore Qalandars player development programme.De Villiers will be one of the most high-profile South Africa players to play in Pakistan, after Faf du Plessis, Hashim Amla, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir and David Miller had toured the country with the World XI side for the three T20Is in the Independence Cup in September 2017. Other South African players, like Rilee Rossouw, Colin Ingram and JP Duminy have also played matches in Pakistan for their respective PSL sides.The Independence Cup in 2017 was the second international tournament in Pakistan, after Zimbabwe’s landmark tour of 2015. Zimbabwe were the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan since 2009 when an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus resulted in the suspension of international cricket from Pakistan. The Independence Cup was followed by a T20I against Sri Lanka in October 2017, after which West Indies toured Pakistan for three T20Is in April 2018.PCB chairman Ehsan Mani welcomed de Villiers’ decision. “I am confident that de Villiers’s decision at the back of his fellow World XI, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and the Windies’ cricketers’ decisions to play in Lahore will encourage other leading cricketers and international sides to visit this cricket-passionate country,” Mani said.Lahore Qalandars captain Mohammad Hafeez, hoped de Villiers would take home great memories from the matches.”Not just me but the entire Lahore Qalandars side will wait eagerly for the unique experience of sharing with him a flight to Lahore and then being in the same team kit in front of what I envisage will be a packed house,” Hafeez said. “This will again be an opportunity for the Lahore crowds to show their passion, respect, love and hospitality, and I am confident that AB will take home memories which will bring him back again and again to this beautiful piece of land.”The fourth edition of the PSL will begin on February 14 with the final on March 17. The last four league matches and the knock-out stage will be played in Pakistan, starting from March 7 in Karachi and Lahore. Lahore Qalandars, who finished at the bottom of the table last season, will begin their campaign 2019 against defending champions Islamabad United on February 14.

Ryan Higgins claimed four wickets as Gloucestershire’s seamers seized control on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Leicestershire at Bristol

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2018
ScorecardRyan Higgins claimed four wickets as Gloucestershire’s seamers seized control on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match with Leicestershire at Bristol.The former Middlesex allrounder returned 4 for 26 from 15 overs to help dismiss the visitors for 111 in reply to 202, nightwatchman Gavin Griffiths top-scoring with 36 not out, having gone in at No. 3. Higgins was well supported by David Payne, Craig Miles and Matt Taylor, who all got the ball to swing and nip about off the seam after Leicestershire had begun the day on 11 for 1.By the close Gloucestershire had cemented their advantage, Miles Hammond making 68 and Chris Dent 61 not out in a second-innings total of 152 for 1, which meant they led by 243.There was little sign of the carnage to come when Paul Horton and Griffiths took the Leicestershire score to 48 for 1 with few alarms before Horton, on 27, edged a defensive shot off Higgins through to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick.Higgins struck again from the Ashley Down Road End, bowling Colin Ackerman with a ball that left him and it was 70 for 4 when Mark Cosgrove’s defences were penetrated by Miles, who disturbed his stumps with a full delivery.Griffiths batted through the morning session to be unbeaten on 24 at lunch, with the score 78 for 4, despite having been struck a couple of painful blows by Taylor, who managed to get some life out of the slow pitch.The afternoon session saw Neil Dexter depart to a diving catch by Roderick off Miles, while Ned Eckersley was caught behind off Payne looking to force the ball off the back foot. Left-armers Payne, who deserved better figures, and Taylor both got the ball to swing from the Pavilion End and the latter picked up his first wicket with a return catch off a leading edge to send back Ben Raine.The accurate Higgins pinned Callum Parkinson lbw and then had Dieter Klien caught at cover before Taylor wrapped up the innings with a leg-before verdict against Mohammad Abbas. Griffiths had watched from the other end as nine wickets went down for 63 runs, finishing unbeaten, having battled away for 144 balls and put some more recognised batsmen to shame.Soon Gloucestershire openers Hammond and Dent were putting conditions in perspective with a century stand in 27 overs as their side built on a lead of 91.Hammond was the more aggressive of the two left-handers, going to his half-century off 76 balls, with 7 fours. His attractive innings ended with the score on 107 when he edged Dexter to Ackerman at second slip. Skipper Dent looked untroubled in moving to fifty off 100 deliveries, with nine boundaries, on a day totally dominated by Gloucestershire.

Board ‘never denied liability’ as it seeks swift resolution to constructive dismissal case

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2019Cricket West Indies say they hope to reach an “amicable resolution” with Phil Simmons, who is suing the board for constructive dismissal in the wake of his sacking as head coach in September 2016.Responding to ESPNcricinfo’s report that Simmons, the current Afghanistan coach, had claimed damages of more than US$300,000, CWI confirmed that they had accepted liability in the case, which came about after Simmons had complained publicly about “interference from outside” in the selection of sides.”CWI never denied liability in the Phil Simmons’ dismissal affair,” CWI said in a statement, “for no other reason than to ensure an amicable resolution in the interest of West Indies Cricket.”The negotiations with the former coach, Phil Simmons and his representatives are ongoing. While we have a hearing date for March 26, 2019, we are hoping to reach a settlement soon.”With legal costs included, the episode could cost CWI US$400,000 or more.CWI also provided clarification of the expense budget allocated to Dave Cameron, the board president, after claims from Ricky Skerritt, his rival in the forthcoming board elections, that Cameron’s tenure had caused “significant damage” to the board in both financial and reputational terms.CWI stated that it was not Cameron himself, but CWI’s Compensation Committee who recently agreed an increase in the president’s monthly expenses from US$2,000 to US$6,000 a month – a sum which comprises a stipend of US$4,000 and a further US$2,000 in mobile phone expenses.The committee was appointed in late 2017 by CWI’s board of directors, and is chaired by Anand Kalladeen, the chairman of finance, alongside two independent directors, Jennifer Nero and Milton Samuda. Johnny Grave, the chief executive, sits on the committee in an advisory capacity, but Cameron himself is neither a member nor attends meetings.”The Office of the President, like any other department, prepares a budget for its operations in any financial year. The budget is approved by the Board of Directors,” read the statement.”The Board of Directors wishes to reiterate that the President cannot and does not dictate or approve any increase in compensation or stipend for himself or other directors. He cannot and does not approve the budgets for his office or CWI. Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate and misleading.”CWI further added that, as of January 31, the president’s office had spent US$61,768 of an allocated budget for 2018-19 of US$258,263, a cost that includes travel. The budget for the previous financial year had been US$217,604, which resulted in a small overspend of US$6319.All accounts of Cricket West Indies are audited externally by international auditing firm KPMG.