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Lynn did not pull any punches following his side’s latest performance when speaking immediately after the extraordinary finish

Alex Malcolm19-Jan-2020Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn has lambasted his side’s record BBL collapse against the Melbourne Renegades as “piss-poor” and “embarrassing”.The Heat were 0 for 84 after 5.5 overs chasing a target of 165 at the Gabba only to lose a record 10 for 36 to fall 44 runs short and put their finals hopes in severe jeopardy.This followed an embarrassing 10-wicket loss to the Adelaide Strikers last Thursday when they were bowled out for 100. They were also bowled out for just 109 earlier in the tournament against the Perth Scorchers attempting to chase just 150.Dan Christian wins an lbw against Ben Cutting•Getty Images

Lynn did not pull any punches following his side’s latest performance.”I’ve seemed to be in this position a couple of times this year,” he told Channel Seven. “I can’t really sugar-coat it, it was a piss-poor effort. Another embarrassing effort. We got off to a flyer. These guys that are playing they’re not first or second-year players, they’ve got four or five years under their belt.”We’re doing all the right things at training but I don’t know what is going on out in the middle because we just seem to panic. It’s not just a wicket or two, it’s a train wreck.”Lynn was the first man to fall holing out to deep long-on in the last ball of the powerplay which then triggered the stunning collapse. The Heat lost three wickets in four balls including AB de Villiers and Matt Renshaw, who both fell to Player of the Match Cameron Boyce in the seventh over.Lynn and coach Darren Lehmann called a strategic timeout at the end of the seventh over to try and steady the ship but the message to rebuild consolidate was not heeded.”Something has got to change,” Lynn said. “Our preparation has been awesome, you can’t fault that but it’s just out in the middle. I don’t know what goes through our guys’ heads. We had our strategic timeout, we had our plans in place not to play dumb cricket, knock it around, hit the guys in the deep, no run-outs, um … yeah, I’m pretty speechless.”Lynn was probed further by former Heat captain Brendon McCullum, now a Channel Seven commentator, and fellow commentator Ricky Ponting, as to why the Heat’s batsmen are recidivists but he could not find an answer.”I don’t know,” Lynn said. “I’m standing here for the second time after an embarrassment. It’s the biggest record loss after a powerplay of [84]. We were cruising and doing better than walking it in, I don’t really know what to say, to be honest.”Every player has got to look in and not out. We’re playing as a group of individuals and unless we change that we’re going to end up missing the finals again which is not good enough in the position we’re in and the players we’ve got in the line-up.”The Heat could have moved to fourth on the table with a victory, ahead of both the Sydney Thunder and the Perth Scorchers, but instead they remain sixth with just three games remaining and their net run-rate took a battering as a result of the stunning collapse.

Five single-figures have followed two prolific years for Australia’s wicketkeeper

Alex Malcolm17-Feb-2020Australia coach Matthew Mott has backed opener Alyssa Healy to continue to play her natural risk-reward game in the T20 World Cup despite a poor run in the recent tri-series against India and England.Healy registered scores of 9, 1, 0, 1, and 4 in the tri-series. It was the first time in her career she had been dismissed for five consecutive single-figure scores in T20I.In the previous 18 months Healy had dominated the format scoring a staggering 867 runs in 20 innings, at an average of 54.18 and a strike-rate of 157.63, including in a world record 148 not out against Sri Lanka in her last T20I in 2019.On the eve of a home World Cup, having been player of the tournament in the West Indies in 2018, Mott said Healy was upbeat and backed her to once again be a dominant force for Australia at the top of the order.”She knows she plays a game that’s high risk and it’s not going to come off all the time,” Mott said. “She had a golden run there for a while which I think she’s mindful it was probably as good as she could get and the good thing is she hasn’t wasted too much form.”She’s pretty up and about. She’s not out there struggling at the moment. Every time she’s had one chance when she has made a mistake she’s paid a heavy price. The good thing is the main tournament is coming up, she delivered in the last World Cup in just about every game so with quality players like that you’ve just got to keep backing them in because they can win you matches.”It was a view echoed by captain Meg Lanning. “She’s been so successful in that over the last few years and gets us off to a really good start,” she said at the captain’s day in Sydney. “I’d be more worried if she was going out and blocking it for three overs because that’s not her natural game. I’m sure she’ll hit a few in the middle and be off and running.”Mott was also adamant Ash Gardner would remain at No. 3 for the World T20, ahead of Lanning and Ellyse Perry, in order to maximise the powerplay.”Players like Gardner and Healy aren’t in every team and they can take the game away from the opposition, so you’ve got to continue to back that and have back up policies as well. If you want us to be fearless and all the things we bang on about all the time when you get out a couple of times, you can’t try and reinvent the wheel.”The beauty that we’ve got is we’ve got a lot of depth and that’s one thing we’ve spoken about in the past. We bat down to probably No. 8, genuine batters who can open in the WBBL, so if someone is not firing and we’ve got four or five match-winners there then you’d hope someone else could step up on that particular day.”In recent times Beth Mooney has done that well as well. It’s not like the opening partnership hasn’t been a success and there are different times where both will have their day but I think the strategy is something where we’re going to be very keen to stick to.”Australia have a couple of fitness concerns heading into Friday’s opening match against India at Sydney Showgrounds. Erin Burns is still recovering from a knee injury while Sophie Molineux is overcoming a corked calf. Mott expects both to be available although it is unlikely they will play in Tuesday’s practice match against South Africa in Adelaide. Australia is planning on playing 13 and also practicing a Super Over regardless of the result after losing one against England in Canberra in the tri-series.”It’s something we discussed with the ICC the other day,” Mott said. “They’d like to see it. I think it’s a great idea. It’s a good initiative. Certainly, we were caught out a little bit with some rule changes in the tri-series so an extra chance to practice it in a game against another opposition we’ll be definitely putting our hands up for it.”

The board’s CEO, however, warned of a ‘real challenge’ if the situation persists beyond that timeframe

Umar Farooq21-Mar-2020The PCB is set to incur an estimated loss of PKR 200 million (USD 1.2 million approx) in term of gate revenues alone following the postponement of the PSL’s semi-finals and final, and the matches that were played in empty stadiums, and a loss of a further USD 3 to 4 million from not staging the remainder of Pakistan’s home series against Bangladesh in April. Despite these blows, the PCB’s financial health is still sustainable for the next 12 to 14 months, according to its CEO Wasim Khan.Since March 16, all professional cricket in Pakistan has come to a halt in the light of growing concerns around the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic that is sweeping the globe. After the PSL, Pakistan was set for another month of home domestic and international cricket, with the Pakistan One-Day Cup and the final leg of Bangladesh’s tour of Pakistan. Amid all this, Pakistan’s five-year broadcasting deal and the kit sponsorship were about to end with the PCB preparing to seek out new deals; this means the board will not lose anything financially from their existing commercial deals.Pakistan only had away tours to play in the five months after the scheduled end of their home season, with their next domestic season due to start in October, and their next home international series set for December. This has given the PCB a bit of breathing room. The board has shut down cricketing operations at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, asking players and coaches to remain at home with all upcoming courses suspended infinitely. The board’s offices are shut as well, with employees working from home.How long this shutdown will continue is uncertain, but the PCB is hopeful that it will have sufficient funds to survive by the start of its next round of home fixtures.”For now our financial grounds are fine, and obviously we just had a PSL, and the losses we incurred were from gate receipts and sponsorships,” Wasim said. “I was roughly calculating that it could be around the 200-million-rupee mark in terms of gate receipts that we actually lost on our revenue. This is something we will have definite numbers for in the next couple of weeks, and we will provide the details of where we made the greatest losses.”So we are in a fortunate position in the fact that the only immediate loss we have is the the Bangladesh series. We lost three to four million dollars because we are not playing the Test and and ODI. Apart from that we have two things: one, our shirt sponsorship is up for taking, so we are not losing money on that, and we are looking for a new sponsor, and secondly, our broadcasting rights are ending and the Bangladesh series was the last of the Ten Sports deal that we currently had.”We are moving on to negotiate and looking for new deals and we are very fortunate in the fact that we don’t have home cricket and international’s cricket until we move on to the Asia Cup and Zimbabwe in October. Our finances are okay but like any other country if this continues for another 12 or 14 months, then we will start to see a real challenge in our finances. So for time being we are absolutely fine.”The next domestic season faces significant changes, with the PCB working to decentralise its domestic stakeholders, forming six independent provincial and city associations. It had already implemented the new structure last year with six teams playing every format in the country, abolishing the old structure with departments playing first-class cricket. The PCB is exploring a plan to squeeze in another tournament, allowing departments to return to the fold.Administratively, the PCB over coming months is likely to implement a constitution for the provincial boards to form their management committee, which will have its own departments – accounts, finance, marketing, HR, audit, selection, coaching staff. The entire model will be detached from the PCB to work independently with the PCB not retaining any direct role in the decision-making of each regional team. Before this, the PCB had been directly involved in funding and running cricket operations in each region, and last season alone had spent over PKR 1 billion (USD 6.3 million approx) in doing so.

Chairman Daryl Mitchell has shouldered a significant burden during lockdown

George Dobell10-Jun-2020Tony Irish, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), is expected back at work on Monday.Irish, who is also executive chair of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), started his role at the PCA at the beginning of the year, but was soon obliged to take time off for personal reasons.In his absence, Daryl Mitchell, the organisation’s unpaid chairman, has been left to shoulder a significant burden as the game attempts to navigate its way through the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is understood that Irish will initially return to work three or four days a week.ALSO READ: Knight, Harris named as PCA vice-chairsMitchell is no stranger to taking on such responsibility. Irish’s predecessor as PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, was also obliged to take several months away from work due to a stress-related illness in 2018. As a result, Mitchell was left at the helm as the PCA negotiated pivotal issues regarding the Hundred and the new County Partnership Agreement.Recognising the huge workload taken on by Mitchell, the PCA announced the appointment of two new vice-chairs (Heather Knight and James Harris) on Tuesday. In an attempt to better represent the women’s game, one of these positions will always be filled by a woman.With both these roles also unpaid, there is likely to be a debate over the need to properly compensate the individuals involved for the large amount of time required. While the PCA remains keen to ensure every possible pound is directed to the Professional Cricketers’ Trust (PCT, former the PCA Benevolent Fund), there is a growing belief that the complexity and seriousness of the issues involved demand a level of commitment that should be properly compensated. The PCA discontinued the paid role of deputy chief executive a few years ago and has no plans to resurrect it.ALSO READ: Professional Cricketers’ Trust faces £250,000 shortfallWhile the PCA is anticipating a sharp decline in its income this year – it has been unable to hold many of its fundraising events – there is the possibility of help at hand. ESPNcricinfo understands England’s centrally-contracted players are still considering where the money they have donated from their salaries – around £500,000 – should go, with the PCT among the favoured options.The PCT, which estimates the pandemic may have cost it £250,000 in lost revenues to date, provides a wide range of assistance to current and former professional cricketers who have fallen upon hard times or who require medical or psychological help.The PCA has not, at this stage, called off its lucrative awards night which follows the end of the season. Many staff at the organisation have taken a pay cut or been furloughed.

Joe Denly and Barry McCarthy ruled out of series with Boyd Rankin managing back issue

The Preview by Alan Gardner31-Jul-2020

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Let’s be honest, it could have been a lot worse. At 28 for 5, Ireland were in record low total territory but they battled and scraped their way up to 172 – thanks in large part to the impressive debutant Curtis Campher – and then gave England something to worry about in the chase, albeit that Sam Billings and England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, saw them home pretty comfortably in the end.Morgan, not for the first time, finished Ireland off with a six, extending an impressive personal record against his former side (he averages 76.25 from six encounters). Probably more pleasing, however, was the performance of Billings, who stepped up in the absence of several first-choice batsmen to produce his highest ODI score some five years after his debut, as well as a stirring comeback from David Willey after last year’s World Cup disappointment.England’s white-ball revolution has reached the stage where even a depleted side still comes with a formidable aura. Billings, who was there at the start against New Zealand in 2015, is still trying to prove himself worth a consistent run, while the likes of Sam Hain, Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone prowl with the Lions; James Vince, too, though a flashy 25 in the first ODI was symptomatic of his problems in kicking on. Tom Banton looked scratchy in an unfamiliar role at No. 4, and will surely have plenty more chances to come.Ireland were always going to be up against it defending such a modest total, and seeing Barry McCarthy limp off in his opening over only compounded the difficulty for Andy Balbirnie. Ireland boldly trusted in youth with their opening selection, leaving out the old salts William Porterfield and Boyd Rankin; and while Campher shone, there were ducks for two other members of the new generation, Harry Tector, also on debut, and Lorcan Tucker.Balbirnie was disappointed with the way the top order failed to “assess conditions” after being put in to bat, and the captain will be expecting more from himself, and deputy Paul Stirling, over the next two matches. The World Cup Super League means Ireland will be gaining extra exposure over the next couple of years – but they won’t want to be as exposed as they were on Thursday.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)England WWLWW
Ireland LLLLW

In the spotlight

Why do you do it to us, James Vince? Why? At 29 and with five years of international cricket under his belt, he ought to be in his pomp. Never mind bio-secure environments, there are some who would willingly live in a Vince bubble, filled with crisp straight drives and dismissive pulls – as he showcased, briefly, in the first ODI – but too often it quickly goes pop and leaves everyone feeling unsatisfied. In 11 innings since scoring fifty in his first ODI bat, against Sri Lanka back in 2016, he has somehow managed to get out between 14 and 43 nine times. So far, so frustrating: Vince might only have a couple more chances to convince.After long years of stability when Paul Stirling was joined by William Porterfield at the top of the order, Ireland are seeking a new combination to start the innings off. With Porterfield coming towards the end of his international career, and having moved down to No. 4 last summer, Stirling has since been partnered by James McCollum and, in the current series, Gareth Delany. At 29, and as Balbirnie’s vice-captain, Ireland need Stirling’s experience to bolster a callow batting order. He could also do with improving a poor record against England, with a top score of 48 from nine innings.

Team news

Joe Denly has been ruled out of the series after suffering a back spasm, with the uncapped Liam Livingstone promoted to the squad from the reserves. Morgan hinted at sticking with the same top order, but there is a chance Reece Topley could return in England colours for the first time since the 2016 World T20, depending on how the bowlers pull up.England: (possible) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings, 6 Tom Banton, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib MahmoodMcCarthy had an MRI scan after feeling “unusual discomfort” when bowling on Thursday, which revealed a tear in the muscle at the back of his left knee. As a result, he is out of the series. Rankin would have been the most likely replacement, but has been pulled out of the 14-man squad to manage a flare-up of an old back injury. Peter Chase has been added to the squad along with George Dockrell, who could come in for Simi Singh to offer a left-arm spin option.Ireland: (possible) 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Gareth Delany, 3 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 4 Harry Tector, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Lorcan Tucker (wk), 7 Curtis Campher, 8 Simi Singh, 9 Andy McBrine, 10 Craig Young, 11 Josh Little

Pitch and conditions

The same pitch will be used for the second ODI, and another warm forecast means spin could play a greater role as the game goes on. There were signs that the surface was not quite as pristine as it looked to the naked eye, and the top orders on both sides might have to adapt accordingly.

Stats and trivia

• Campher’s 59 not out was the second-highest score on ODI debut for Ireland, behind only… England’s captain, Morgan.
• Jonny Bairstow needs 75 runs to reach 3000 in ODIs. If he gets there in this match, his 72nd innings, he will equal Joe Root’s mark as the fastest for England.

Quotes

“It’s an unbelievable squad. You look at the players that still aren’t getting a look-in and the guys that went home from this camp: there are some brilliant cricketers sat on the sidelines that are still trying to find a way in.”
David Willey on England’s luxury of riches“The batters were really disappointed. We’ve been working really hard in the last six-eight weeks, putting in countless hours, gym sessions, so it was really disappointing that it had to go that way.”
Curtis Campher on Ireland’s failure to launch

Surrey left-armer Reece Topley could play his first ODI in more than four years

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2020Reece Topley could win his first cap in more than four years after being recalled to England’s ODI squad to face Ireland this week. In the absence of a number of first-choice white-ball players, Sam Billings, Liam Dawson and David Willey have also returned to contention for the three-match series.The uncapped trio of Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory and Liam Livingstone will stay with the 14-man group, captained by Eoin Morgan, as reserves. Phil Salt, who scored a 58-ball hundred for the Lions in a seven-wicket win over Ireland on Sunday, misses out entirely.Explainer: Men’s ODI World Cup Super LeagueMoeen Ali was last week named as Morgan’s vice-captain, and he is joined by fellow World Cup winners Jonny Bairstow, Tom Curran, Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy and James Vince in the squad. Joe Denly, who was dropped from the Test team earlier this month, is also selected, having moved over to the white-ball bubble.The likes of Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have not been considered for selection due to their involvement in the ongoing Test series against West Indies.Ireland’s arrival, a series moved forward from September as part of Covid-19 rescheduling, will mark the start of the World Cup Super League, established by the ICC as part of its World Cup qualification path.Topley was part of the England squad that reached the 2016 World T20 final, but has struggled with back problems, including a number of stress fractures. He underwent surgery in 2018 and was subsequently released by Hampshire, but impressed last season on a short-term deal with Sussex – where he was their leading wicket-taker in the T20 Blast – before signing for Surrey over the winter.Willey returns for the first time since missing out on World Cup selection due to the rise of Archer, while Billings’ last ODI appearance came in 2018, with a dislocated shoulder ruining his World Cup chances.England’s white-ball group, originally featuring 24 players, have been training at the Ageas Bowl since July 16, playing two intra-squad matches before the Lions match against Ireland. Matthew Parkinson was ruled out after spraining his ankle last week, while Chris Jordan missed the cut after undergoing surgery on an elbow problem.England squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Joe Denly, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, James Vince, David WilleyReserves: Richard Gleeson, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone

England coach says ‘no complaints from us’ if 10.30am start is introduced for third Test against Pakistan

George Dobell19-Aug-2020Chris Silverwood has joined the chorus of voices calling for earlier start times to Tests in England to make up play lost to bad light or rain.Silverwood, the England coach, believes starting at 10.30am would make “a lot of sense” and confirmed there would be “no complaints from us” if the change was introduced for the final Test of the series against Pakistan starting on Friday.Poor weather limited the second Test to just 134.3 overs; the fewest in any Test in England since 1987. There were periods of bright sunshine just before the scheduled start time on a couple of days, however, which resulted in calls for more flexibility within the game. At present, in England, time can be added on to the end of a day’s play, but the start time remains rigid at 11am.Conversations on the issue remain on-going, but it currently looks probable that the third Test will see the playing regulations adapted to allow 10.30am starts where bad light or rain has reduced the amount of play earlier in the game. It is a solution that has been used effectively elsewhere in the world and does not require ICC permission.”The earlier start time makes a lot of sense to me,” Silverwood said. “What is the harm in starting at half-ten? That was mentioned on commentary and in the papers. We have a period we could use at the start of the day, but we lump it all on the end when we know light is probably going to be an issue again. So to me the earlier start time would be perfectly acceptable. It makes sense.”I’ve had no official word it’ll happen. But in my opinion it would be a good idea. I know there are chats going on around it. There will be no complaints from us if it happens.”Yes, it should be straightforward. We’re all here anyway. It’s not like any of us are travelling. It wouldn’t be very difficult to make it happen.”ALSO READ: ‘I’d love to go and visit Pakistan’ – RootOne of the stumbling blocks to such an initiative in normal times is communicating such a change to spectators. But with no spectators present, that is a non-issue. Instead, it is understood there are complications surrounding the global broadcast deals but progress has been made over the last 24-hours and there is increasing confidence a solution is at hand.So relentlessly poor has the weather been, there is a possibility the third Test will be played on the same pitch used for the second. While the intention of all involved is to use a fresh surface, the groundstaff are struggling to prepare the pitch amid the deluge. If it is a used surface, it could affect the selection of both sides with the possibility that spinners could enjoy what could be, by the end, a surface that is effectively six-and-a-half days old.Silverwood also called for more research on other solutions to the bad light issue, including brighter balls and improved floodlights.”There’s a lot of chat going on about possible solutions,” he said. “There’s a few things we can look at. A possible change in the colour of ball is one of them. Whether pink is the answer I’m not sure, but could we use a lighter shade of red instead of the real dark reds that bowlers like because they swing more.”Could we get to a stage when floodlights offer a minimum standard of light? I’m not an expert, but could that be achieved? And are light enhancing glasses an option as well? We all want to play as much as possible. That’s what we’re here for.”

England Test captain takes 2 for 25 and scores 64 but Yorkshire go down by seven runs

ECB Reporters Network17-Sep-2020Lancashire 167 for 6 (Livingstone 69, Croft 58, Root 2-25) beat Yorkshire 160 for 6 (Root 64) by seven runsJoe Root’s superb all-round display was not enough to prevent another Roses Vitality Blast defeat for Yorkshire as Lancashire qualified for the quarter-finals with a thrilling seven-run win at Emirates Old Trafford.The England Test captain’s 2 for 25 from four overs of offspin helped to stymie a blistering Lancashire start at 132 for 1 in the 15th over, with them ending on 167 for 6. Root then hit a memorable third fifty in four North Group innings this summer, 64 off 39 balls with eight fours and a six, only for the Vikings to slip from 115 for 1 after 13 overs to 160 for 6 after 20, failing to get 12 off the last over.Lancashire strengthened their second place in the North with a fifth win from eight games, while Yorkshire are now out of contention having lost their last four. Yorkshire are still without a Blast Roses win since August 2017.Lancashire opener Liam Livingstone top-scored with 69 off 43 balls and Steven Croft almost matched him with 58 off 45, but Root contributed significantly to the loss of five wickets for 16 runs.Twenty four hours earlier, on the same pitch, he returned a golden duck and two wickets in England’s ODI decider against Australia.Second-wicket pair Livingstone and Croft shared 130 – their side’s record partnership in Blast games versus Yorkshire. They united for 14.1 overs after the early departure of Alex Davies, caught behind off Duanne Olivier with the third ball of the first domestic match on this ground this summer.The second-wicket pair were not without fortune. Inside the Powerplay, there were three lbw appeals from the spin of Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan which all looked out. The first of those, with Livingstone not yet in double figures against Lyth, was hardly appealed for.Livingstone and Croft shared all seven sixes in the innings; Livingstone reached his fifty first off 34 balls before Croft’s came off 39.Yorkshire employed five spinners in their seven-man attack, including Root and left-arm wrist spinner Sam Wisniewski, an 18-year-old debutant who bowled two overs for 15.With five-and-a-half overs remaining, Lancashire were eyeing close to 200. But then came the quite remarkable collapse of five wickets for 16 runs, including two wickets apiece for Root and seamer Jordan Thompson.Joe Root flicks off his pads•Getty Images

Thompson had Livingstone caught at long-on at 132 for 2 in the 15th over before Root had Croft caught at short fine-leg sweeping. In all, Lancashire only added 35 runs for the loss of five wickets in the final 33 balls, with 13 overs bowled by spin through an innings which saw no other home batsman reach 20.Lyth viciously cut Luke Wood for six over backward point in the third over of Yorkshire’s reply, only for Malan to miscue a pull against Danny Lamb to mid-on in the fourth as the score fell to 24 for 1.Root then pulled Wood for six over midwicket in the fifth over and also added four boundaries in his first 12 balls, scoring 28 out of 58 for 1 after six overs of Powerplay. He continued to dominate in classy fashion, helping reach 92 for 1 after 10 overs with 46. Lyth had provided impressive support with 32.The pair went on to share 91 inside 10 overs before a White Rose collapse to match Lancashire’s saw Lyth, Root and Will Fraine all run out coming back for two and Harry Brook trapped lbw as the score fell to 148 for 5 in the 18th.The target became 19 off two overs, with Matthew Parkinson getting Thompson caught at long-on before Saqib Mahmood defended 12 off the last against Jonny Tattersall and debutant Matthew Revis.

Agreement reached that will reduce remuneration for 12-month period until October 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2020England men’s centrally contracted cricketers have agreed to a 15% pay cut for the 2020-21 season, following an agreement between the ECB and the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP), the body which represents the interests of the men’s international squads.The decision, which had been widely anticipated in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, comes after the ECB was forced to lay off 20% of its workforce, a total of 62 roles, in response to a financial hit in excess of £100 million for the 2020 season.Last month, the ECB announced 12 red- and 12 white-ball contracts for the 12-month period from October 1, with five players – Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes – being awarded both.Previously, a Test contract would have been worth £650,000, and a white-ball deal approximately £275,000 (with some performance and appearance-related elements factored into both) while the players stood to earn a further £14,500 per Test appearance, and £4,500 for each limited-overs match. Joe Root, as the England Test captain, also received a supplement of £175,000.However, from the outset of the pandemic, England’s players have been conscious of the need to play their part through an unprecedented period of uncertainty, and agreed back in April to make a voluntary contribution of £500,000 to the ECB and selected good causes – which was the equivalent of a 20% cut to their retainers for the first three months of the season.According to a report in the Guardian, the agreement this time around is also understood to include a significant reduction in team win bonuses – which range between £44,100 and £176,400 per Test, depending on where the opposition sits in a five-tier system drawn up by the ECB, and between £11,000 and £58,800 in white-ball cricket, with additional bonuses for outright series victories.”I would like to thank the players and TEPP for their collaboration, which has enabled us to reach this agreement,” Ashley Giles, the England men’s managing director, said. “The relationship with our men’s players and their representatives (TEPP) is strong, and we need to recognise that our players, led by captains Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, have conducted themselves with great maturity and responsibility throughout this challenging time.”We now want to build on this agreement and work together on a number of areas relating to player welfare, particularly mental health, which remains a high priority for all of us, as we continue to navigate a path through this pandemic.”Richard Bevan, the TEPP chairman, added: “These are unprecedented times and once again the players have shown that they fully appreciate the important role they play in helping cricket emerge from this pandemic in as strong a position as possible. In agreeing to this revised remuneration package, they have shown great responsibility and unity with the wider game.”TEPP would like to place on record our appreciation to the ECB for their cooperative approach in agreeing a way forward throughout these challenging circumstances.”Meanwhile at county level, Worcestershire have confirmed that they will be taking up the option of the government’s new Job Support scheme, which will run for six months from November 1, with other clubs likely to follow suit. In a statement, Worcestershire said that they recouped approximately £500,000 after furloughing their staff at the height of the pandemic, an option that was taken by all but two counties this summer.

The match ran an hour beyond its scheduled finish, and technically went past the SCG’s lights curfew

Andrew McGlashan28-Nov-2020India have been fined 20% of their match fee for their slow over rate during the first ODI in Sydney. The match ran an hour beyond the scheduled finish, and techically went past the SCG’s curfew limit for lights, but no one flicked the switch as the contest finally ended at 11.10pm.These ODIs are part of the World Cup Super League – the qualification pathway to the 2023 tournament in India – and India – and perhaps Australia too – could have faced a potential points deduction, with the playing conditions stating: “If, at the end of the match, the over rate calculation determines that a team has bowled one or more overs less than the minimum over rate requirement, that team will incur a deduction of one point per over for each full over the team falls short of its minimum over rate required in a match.”The ICC’s release detailing India’s over-rate fine, however, did not mention a points deduction. It would have not been of massive concern to India, who have already qualified for the 2023 World Cup as hosts, but it could have been an issue for Australia.Australia legspinner Adam Zampa has conceded that “something has to be done” about slow over-rates.”I don’t know what the ruling should be, or if there should be punishment, but something definitely has to be done about it,” Zampa said. “From a viewers’ point of view it’s probably not the best look for the game.”Steven Smith, who scored a match-winning hundred for Australia, said: “It felt like it went all day. The longest 50 overs in the field I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.”Zampa suggested one factor in the tardiness was players needing some time to find the intensity for one-day cricket after 14 days of quarantine where, although they were allowed to train for a few hours a day, he said it was difficult to replicate the pressure of the international game.While there was plenty of high-quality batting in the opening match – led by centuries from Smith and Aaron Finch – there was a raggedness to a lot of the work in the field, especially the catching of both sides.”I wouldn’t want to make excuses but it’s really hard to imitate the pressure of one-day cricket and the best way to do it was when you are together as a squad and you do fielding sessions and the intensity of the training is at that international standard,” Zampa said.Zampa was guilty of one of the dropped chances when he gave Virat Kohli a life on 1, spilling a top edge at long leg, and briefly it looked as though it could prove costly but Kohli picked out midwicket off Josh Hazlewood having made a run-a-ball 21.”It’s literally the worst feeling in the world,” Zampa said of the drop. “Each run you start to feel it after that, but from my point of view I was pretty keen to try and make amends with the ball. Fortunately, I didn’t end up having to bowl to him but it’s one of those things, you have to want the next ball to come to you and also want the ball and try and get the wicket as well.”Zampa’s figures of 4 for 54 were his second-best in ODIs and took his tally in his last four matches to 14 wickets. While wicket-taking records have less significance this year given the overall lack of cricket, Zampa is currently a comfortable leader with 24 wickets at 22.25.”My bowling is at the stage where I’m really confident in my game, confident in my action,” he said. “I’ve played enough now [to know] what I need to do and how to get the best out of myself.”GMT 0830 The story was amended following the ICC’s announcement of India’s over-rate fine.