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Essex wrapped up a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Worcestershire inside three days to keep their promotion hopes alive with 11 wickets in the match for 19-year-old Reece Topley

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2013
ScorecardReece Topley finished with 11 wickets in the match and removed Jack Shantry to complete victory•Getty Images

Essex wrapped up a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Worcestershire inside three days to keep their promotion hopes alive. This is now their third victory in five matches since their defeat at Old Trafford, as they continue on a run that has them nipping at the heels of second-placed Northamptonshire, with three games left to play.The match was capped by a stellar performance of a sensational 11 for 85 from their young precocious left-arm seamer Reece Topley, who finished the Worcestershire second innings with 5 for 56 to give himself his maiden ten-wicket haul. Those figures represent the best match return by an Essex bowler since Maurice Chambers took 10 for 123 here against Nottinghamshire in June 2010.While his bowling in the short-form has garnered praise, a small number – to his surprise – have flippantly questioned his approach to four-day cricket. In this match he focussed his efforts on maintaining a steady line and swinging the ball, even sighting Tim Murtagh exploits at Malahide against England as an example of why bowling is not all about pushing the 90mph mark. “Sometimes it’s all about control, not raw firepower,” Topley said.Having set himself the goal of 50 first-class wickets at the beginning of the season, Topley looks on course for that target, with three games still to play. Today’s haul puts him out in front as the club’s leading wicket-taker in the competition, and seven away from his target.”I’ve had some critics say I haven’t proved myself with my red ball bowling,” he began. “But that 50 milestone is well in sight. Then again, I wouldn’t want to get 50 wickets at the expense of the team. If I don’t get any wickets for the rest of the season and we still get promotion then I’ll settle for that any day.”Results still need the go Essex’s way, whether Topley takes wickets or not. With rain forecast around the country tomorrow, a draw seems the most likely result for Northants away to Hampshire. Should Northants’ pick up only three more points, Essex will be 29 points off the second promotion spot with a game in hand; next week’s fixture away to Kent.You won’t find many associated with Essex on the terraces and in the changing room that have given up on promotion. Paul Grayson this morning knew his side had to concentrate on their own game before worrying about slip-ups elsewhere. When the prospect of an extra day off was put to him, as the prospect of an early finish to this match loomed large with early morning wickets, his response was short and sharp: “I’ll be back here – working.”Faced with a poor Worcestershire side, the hosts were clinical. The 51 runs for victory were knocked off with an air of nuisance that they had been asked to bat again, despite the two wickets lost – Jaik Mickleburgh and Greg Smith cutting Shaaiq Choudry to Moeen Ali at gully and second slip, respectively.Topley had created such a slim target. He nabbed two wickets in his first over, as he trapped nightwatchman David Lucas in front, before tempting Joe Leach into an expansive and unnecessary drive, which he edged through to James Foster, giving Topley, only 19-years-old, his third of the innings and eight in the game – beating his previous best of 7 for 114.Graham Napier’s absence this morning because of a stomach bug meant Ryan ten Doeschate had the ball for the first time in the match, and struck with the valuable wicket of opener Matthew Pardoe, who was starting to play some shots. Known as “golden arm” in these parts, ten Doeschate started with a long-hop and then a ridiculous wide, before finding a good length and decking the ball across Pardoe, a left-hander, who fended the ball to Mickleburgh in the slips.Michael Johnson then gifted Topley his wicket with yet another loose drive, bringing Ross Whiteley and Shaaiq Choudry together. The pair put on a handy 67 to take Worcestershire into the lead – a partnership that coincided with the introduction of Monty Panesar to the attack.With England spin bowling coach Peter Such watching on, Panesar started with two maidens, before serving up a four-ball in each of his last five overs, before being replaced at the River End. He cut a forlorn figure in his final over, kicking the ground in front of him when a ball was worked around the corner.Choudry and Whiteley were then both removed in consecutive balls, either side of lunch, before Topley took the final wicket – Jack Shantry edging behind – to give him an eleventh success.

The Mumbai police have outlined how Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf was allegedly given gifts by bookies, passed on match-related information to them, and placed bets on matches while officiating in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2013The Mumbai police have outlined how Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf, who was listed as a “wanted accused” in the chargesheet on the IPL betting scandal, was allegedly given gifts by bookies, passed on match-related information to them, and placed bets on matches himself while officiating in the tournament.The police made their case on the evidence of transcripts of recorded phone conversations that Rauf allegedly had with other people accused in the chargesheet, and a large portion of it concerns the period before and after the Delhi police arrested three Rajasthan Royals players following their match against Mumbai Indians, which Rauf umpired, at the Wankhede on May 15.The chargesheet also brought out an alleged link between actor-punter Vindoo Dara Singh, one of the accused, and Rauf through recorded phone conversations. Vindoo was also alleged to have close links with former Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan, who was charged by Mumbai police on Saturday with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy – including passing on information that compromised the team.”A telephonic conversation between Randhawa [Vindoo Dara Singh] and Rauf at 08:55.14 on May 14 is available. It has a mention of a gold chain gifted to Rauf by wanted accused Sanjay Chhabra alias Sanjay Jaipur and Sandeep Chhabra alias Pawan Jaipur,” the chargesheet said. “Two witnesses have provided additional details in this regard.”At 13:29.44 on May 15, Rauf is heard telling Randhawa in a conversation, ” [Tonight you can make or break your life]”. Immediately after the call, Randhawa called Sandeep Chhabra alias Pawan Jaipur and is heard telling him Rauf has asked him to place huge bets on the said match and all the gifts they have awarded to Rauf will pay off in tonight’s game. This is available in the conversation that took place at 15:41.31 on May 15. Rauf was appointed as umpire for the match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals on the said day and he is heard telling others to place bets on the match.”At 17:30 on May 15, a conversation is available about Sanjay Chhabra alias Sanjay Jaipur calling Asad Rauf and saying, ” [In the evening, we will do exactly as you have told us].”Following the player arrests in Delhi, wanted accused Sanjay Chhabra alias Sanjay Jaipur called Rauf from the number of witness Mahesh Mishra at 19:56.52 on May 16 and asked him to destroy the sim card that was given to him. Later, even the conversation of Randhawa instructing the same to Rauf is also available. The conversation about wanted accused Asad Rauf placing bets on cricket matches at 22:00.03 is available with Randhawa. The said conversation also mentions the detailed amount and the teams that Rauf has placed bets on.”The chargesheet also contains details of alleged gifts Rauf may have received from bookies and evidence indicating he met with others accused in the case. “As per information provided by accused Prem Taneja, two bags that were to be delivered to Asad Rauf were taken into custody from Air India cargo department at the Mumbai airport. The bags included gifted apparels, shoes and other accessories, shopping bills at Diesel showroom, Asad Rauf’s pass and bills in the name of Asad Rauf Malik.”The footage of Asad Rauf shopping with Prem Taneja at a Diesel showroom has been acquired on May 26. Witnesses Samira Suresh Avdhun, Mushir Rashid Khan have admitted in their statement that for the shopping on April 25 and 26 that Rauf did, Taneja paid the bill while the May 14 bill was paid by Rauf.”The Mumbai police had not been able to question Rauf in relation to the case because he had left India during IPL 2013. Rauf had returned to Pakistan where he held a press conference and stressed that he had not engaged in any corrupt activities, a stance he reiterated on Saturday after the chargesheet was filed.When news had emerged that Rauf was wanted for questioning by police, the ICC issued a release saying that the umpire had been stood down from his duties in the Champions Trophy in England. Rauf was later dropped from the Elite Panel of Umpires </abut the ICC clarified that the situation was not a factor in his exclusion.

Ajmal Shahzad claimed his best first-class figures and what was, remarkably, only the fourth five-for of his career as Sussex rounded up Worcestershire on the final day

Tim Wigmore at Hove22-Apr-2015
ScorecardAjmal Shahzad’s celebration could become a common sight at Hove•Getty Images

It is not hard to imagine Ajmal Shahzad playing in England’s Test series in the West Indies. When he was thrust into international cricket five years ago, Shahzad bowled with zest, displaying pace, a potent yorker and a penchant for reverse swing. He also marked himself out as a cricketer of audacity: with England needing 11 from four balls against India in the 2011 World Cup, Shahzad promptly harrumphed his first ball for a straight six.Few would have envisaged the troubles that have befallen Shahzad since. Age and experience have only seemed to make him more inconsistent. Last year he mustered only the 18 Championship wickets at 40.55 for Nottinghamshire, and spent vast swathes of the season languishing in second-team cricket. At 29, he was shaping up as a squandered talent.Sussex is Shahzad’s fourth county in four seasons: his search for reinvigoration has taken him from Yorkshire to Lancashire on loan and then through two unfulfilling seasons at Trent Bridge. Perhaps all he needed – like Chris Jordan, James Anyon and Mushtaq Ahmed before him – was the sea breeze at Hove.”If I could have turned back time I would have loved to have just stayed at one club,” Shahzad said. “It comes down to TLC really.”Tender loving care is something Sussex certainly know how to provide. Shahzad’s exuberant celebration – jabbing the air like a boxer shaping up for a fight – could become a familiar sight at Hove this season. On this occasion it was spotted five times as Shahzad claimed his best first-class figures and what was, remarkably, only the fourth five-for of his career, and the first since 2011.

Latest PCA MVP rankings

Ajmal Shahzad (Sussex) 37.7
Jack Brooks (Yorks) 32.41
Alex Hales (Notts) 27.85
Gareth Andrew (Worcs) 26.74
James Tomlinson (Hants) 26.50

If that statistic attests to how far he has lost his way, Shahzad showed that his raw talent remains undimmed. After Steve Magoffin had snared Daryl Mitchell lbw to end Worcestershire’s opening stand of 57, Shahzad produced a compelling display of fast-bowling quality. Exploding into the crease after a deceptively languid run-up, he moved the ball at pace with conventional and then reverse swing, throwing in yorkers for shock effect: one removed Richard Oliver for a carefully compiled 27; another left Gareth Andrew with only his leg stump for company.Not bad for someone who spent most of the first two days ill, which limited Shahzad to 13 overs in the first innings. “I looked at myself in the mirror and thought ‘I have a special feeling about today’. I felt as if I owed it to the lads,” he said. But it was not as if Shahzad had begun the season badly when he wasn’t unwell: he took six wickets and scored crucial runs in the victory over Hampshire last week.He has made quite an impression on Ed Joyce, his captain. With the metronomic Steve Magoffin for company, Joyce has resolved to let Shahzad loose. “Whenever he’s tried something it tends to come off,” Joyce said. “He’s a massive extrovert in a quiet changing room which has been great for us.”Add in his counter-punching batting at No. 8 – he has made at least 28 in all four innings so far – and Shahzad has underpinned Sussex’s magnificent start. They are on top of the table with two victories, albeit against both promoted sides. “We can win the Championship but there are probably a couple of stronger squads out there,” Joyce said.Worcestershire have very different ambitions, desperate to avoid being relegated for the fifth time since the creation of two divisions. The side has displayed tenacity in the first two games, earning first-innings leads on both occasions, before second-innings collapses have consigned them to defeat.”We did say all the time that we thought they might have a dodgy session,” Joyce said. It did not come until the fourth day but the effect was to undo all Worcestershire’s sterling work over the preceding three.Worcestershire’s opening stand brought the runs required below 200 and they had strong reason to consider themselves favourites, with Mitchell and Oliver both batting assuredly. A couple of batsmen, chiefly Alex Gidman, might reflect on unfortunate lbw decisions but others were complicit in their own downfall: Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s aberrant second-ball waft outside off stump was particularly regrettable.That Ben Cox and Charles Morries managed a 51-run stand for the final wicket only made defeat more galling. Worcestershire encountered a high-quality pace display from Sussex – but that is the norm in Division One.Still, if Worcestershire are in need of inspiration they need only look at the identity of their main destroyer. Shahzad is rapidly shaping up as Sussex’s latest comeback kid.

Con de Lange struck with his first ball as a Scotland player and took three wickets to help reduce Afghanistan to 96 for 8 on the third day in Stirling

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2015
ScorecardAlasdair Evans struck twice with the new ball to reduce Afghanistan to 9 for 3•Donald MacLeod/Cricket Scotland

Con de Lange struck with his first ball as a Scotland player and took three wickets to help reduce Afghanistan to 96 for 8 on the third day in Stirling. Replying to Scotland’s 233, Afghanistan ended the day trailing by 137 with Samiullah Shenwari batting on a 103-ball 29.Playing his first first-class match since August 2012, the left-arm spinner de Lange had Rahmat Shah lbw as soon as he was brought on as Scotland’s second-change bowler. He struck two more blows late in the day, off successive deliveries, to send back Mirwais Ashraf and Yamin Ahmadzai.De Lange’s strikes came on top of some excellent work from Scotland’s new-ball bowlers, Alasdair Evans and Safyaan Sharif, who reduced Afghanistan to 9 for 3 within the fifth over of their innings. Rahmat helped Afghanistan recover to some extent, with partnerships of 31 with Asghar Stanikzai for the fourth wicket and 33 with Shenwari for the fifth, but his dismissal triggered another slump, four wickets falling for the addition of 21 runs.Rahmat and Shenwari were Afghanistan’s most successful bowlers as well, the two legspinners picking up three wickets apiece in Scotland’s first-innings total of 233. The hosts added only six runs to their overnight total, with Rahmat picking up both their remaining wickets.

The New Zealand line-up stumbled again, but scrambled to a nervous three-wicket win and leveled the series with the help of a crucial fifth-wicket stand between Sophie Devine and Katie Perkins

The Report by Vishal Dikshit in Bangalore01-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:39

Important for top order to click – Thirush Kamini

The New Zealand line-up stumbled again but scrambled to a nervous three-wicket win with the help of a fifth-wicket stand between Sophie Devine and Katie Perkins to level the series 1-1 in Bangalore. Chasing 164 after bowling India out again, New Zealand were 68 for 4, and then 132 for 7, before allrounder Leigh Kasperek played another unbeaten knock, only to take them through this time.New Zealand’s bowling led the way again, after India opted to bat, with another disciplined performance from Lea Tahuhu, Kasperek and three wickets from captain Suzie Bates. Had it not been for Thirush Kamini’s 61, India would have put up an even smaller total. New Zealand’s chase began smoothly when Rachel Priest and Amy Satterthwaite almost took them to 50, but it soon went off track. The India spinners did trouble them, picking up four of the seven wickets, but New Zealand survived all of that, and a lethal final spell fraught with yorkers from Jhulan Goswami to come back in the series.Satterthwaite joined Priest after Bates went for a leg-side heave and missed completely. The top order hardly scored early on as they were 13 for 1 after five overs, with ten of them coming in extras. While Satterthwaite continued to defend, Priest showed her intent with two smashing fours in the eighth over. However, left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, in her first over, struck twice in successive deliveries to have Priest caught at cover and Maddie Green lbw first ball, to dent the chase.Satterthwaite blocked the other end, and just when Devine had eased some nerves with a six, a direct hit from Mithali Raj resulted in Satterthwaite’s run out, to push them on the back foot again. Perkins and Devine then tackled several bowling changes with nudges, jabs and drives to settle in. India also paid the price of dropping Perkins on 20 in the 31st over with Ekta Bisht putting down an easy catch at mid-on.Bisht got rid of Perkins two overs later but the batsman had already scored 30, with three fours. New Zealand needed another 47 and Devine would have taken them through but some quick work from R Kalpana had her stumped, off Bisht again in her next over. Raj now resorted to her best bowler – Goswami – who deceived Kate Broadmore with a cutter to bring the equation to 32 required with three wickets in hand.Anna Peterson finally allayed all fears of Kasperek being left stranded again. As she was dropped by Kalpana three balls later, she made sure Kasperek, who never looked like playing only her second ODI, didn’t have to look elsewhere. In the 42nd over she unleashed a cover drive, a lofted-heave for six and a four to third man to collect 14 from Sneh Rana’s over to get the required runs to six, that virtually ended the chase.India’s top order fared much better today, led by left-handed opener Kamini, who came in for Veda Krishnamurthy. But middle and lower-order woes continued as they struggled to put on substantial partnerships. Despite 11 boundaries from Kamini, India were all out for the fourth time in a row batting first. Later, it was only Harmanpreet Kaur’s 31 that hauled them past 150.Kamini was not as comfortable initially, unable to rotate the strike. She gave two chances off Tahuhu in the fifth over, when one fell short of slips and the other went through Devine at second slip. Both of them fetched her fours, and probably some confidence.She got brief support from Raj after offspinner Kasperek accounted for Mandhana and Bates’ move of welcoming her counterpart with a short leg, short cover and slip eventually worked as she trapped her lbw for 13. But Kamini had settled in by now, looking at ease against the spinners. After two fours off Broadmore, she unsettled left-arm spinner Morna Nielsen with two fours in an over and a six over over wide long-on later on.Bates’ offcutters aimed at the stumps and Satterthwaite’s accurate line outside off then stalled the flow of runs; conceding only 14 runs in seven overs before Kamini brought up her second ODI fifty. But the innings never recovered when she suffered cramps and walked off after the 32nd over, with the score on 95 for 3. She did come back in the 42nd over, only to be caught behind after facing four more balls.Only Harmanpreet’s innings held the tail together briefly. She started cautiously, only to switch gears in the Powerplay. And once wickets started falling, she collected singles and scored 14 runs off her last 10 balls before being dismissed by Devine. Kasperek fearlessly tossed the ball up and was rewarded with Shikha Pandey’s wicket while Tahuhu trapped Poonam Raut and Goswami with offcutters. Once Harmanpreet was caught at cover in the 46th over, India could add only 13 more with Gayakwad’s run out ending the innings on 163.

After a crushing defeat at Lord’s, Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach

George Dobell20-Jul-20154:07

Five things we learned at Lord’s

The honeymoon was beautiful, brief and spent in Cardiff. But it is over. Trevor Bayliss must now understand the extent of the challenge facing him in his new role as England coach.Seeing his batsmen dismissed for 103 on a surface on which Australia looked as if they could have batted into October, seeing his bowlers rendered impotent where Mitchell Johnson looked ferocious and watching his slip fielders catch as if they flippers rather than hands, he now knows why England have slumped to No. 6 in the Test rankings and what a task he has to drag them back towards the top.His initial reaction to defeat was to suggest the Lord’s pitch “played into the hands of Australia” and to hint that changes of selection are “on the mind”. Both of which are fairly natural responses. He will understand, too, that such fluctuations of performance are the hallmark of a young side in development. He knew there would be days like these.

Trevor Bayliss on…

Team changes: “It wouldn’t be a surprise to any player in the team that, when you play badly, positions are going to be looked at and discussed. All I’ll say is two Tests ago they were selected because they were considered the best players in the country. That doesn’t necessarily change after only four innings. But it’s a concern that we are three or four for 40 and they know that.”
Adil Rashid: “When Rash turned up, he had problems with a finger. He couldn’t spin it hard. But Moeen Ali was fine. I would think we would probably take two spinners to Edgbaston. I would like to play two spinners somewhere and he is currently thought of as one of the top two spinners in the country.”
Ben Stokes’ run-out: “Stokesy was filthy. He’s only got to look at the replay and I think he’ll realise all he had to do was slide the bat and he would have been home. That’s a lesson for a young player I suppose.”

But it is, perhaps, his ability to look beyond the immediate and suggest underlying issues that might prove most valuable to England. It is his ability to hint at long-term reform that will render him so valuable.Bayliss has only been in England a few weeks. He hasn’t had the opportunity to watch county cricket and work out which players can feature in England’s future. He cannot play much of a role in selection.But he has noticed that England has a problem with pitch preparation. He has noticed that the talk of aggression, an agenda that was largely led by Shane Warne’s repetition on the subject (truly, if they turned the volume up to max on Warne’s commentary and played it to prisoners of war, the UN would ban it), has led to a generation of batsmen who react to adversity by trying to thrash their way out of it. And he knows such an approach is entertaining but has the logic of driving home quickly in fog so as to spend less time in it.”Speaking to a few of the county coaches,” Bayliss said as he reflected on defeat in the second Investec Ashes Test, “are the pitches the county players are playing on away from Tests so different to what we’re actually playing on out there?””There are always a lot of low scores in first-class cricket here. Is that preparing our batters to actually bat for a long time? Possibly not.”It is not that county pitches are inherently bad – though some certainly are – it is that they increasingly bear no comparison with international surfaces. And not just international pitches around the world, but international pitches in England.While England will struggle to disprove the myth that they asked for such surfaces to negate the pace of Mitchell Johnson and co, the truth is that the groundsmen at Test grounds are generally instructed by their employers – the counties – to prepare surfaces that last for five days. Like just about every decision in modern cricket, it is predicated on the principle: what will earn most money in the short term?So while quite a few county surfaces encourage medium-pace bowlers who nibble the ball around in helpful conditions – it remains unhelpful that bowlers such as Darren Stevens and Jesse Ryder claim so many first-class wickets in England – batsmen learn that, sooner or later, they will receive an unplayable delivery and play positively to combat it. The solution to such problems – centrally contracted groundstaff – has long been discussed but has never been implemented.”Ordering a flat wicket is to our detriment,” Bayliss said. “I’d like to see a typical English seaming wicket against the Australians. That would suit our bowlers. I think the flatter and slower the wicket is actually plays in to the Australians’ hands. Their big, tall fast bowlers can get good bounce and variations out of the wicket because they hit the deck hard.”Meanwhile, rules have been changed to render it more difficult for experienced players to remain in the game – counties are given incentives for fielding young, England-qualified players – and it is ever more difficult to register overseas player or Kolpak-qualified cricketers. As a result, the quality of the domestic game has been diluted and gap between it and the international game has grown.The situation will only worsen. At the end of the season, the ECB will announce a new domestic structure – it will claim it is in a consultation period, but the decision has been made – which will see the number of Championship matches reduced from 16 to 12 per side and ever-more emphasis on white-ball cricket in peak season. It will do nothing to help produce wicket-taking spinners, fast bowlers or batsmen prepared to graft for a living. The emphasis, ever more, is on limited-overs skills.Bayliss picked up on this issue when he reflected on England’s shot-selection against Johnson. “Probably the one shot we didn’t employ against him today was the leave,” he said.It’s a comment that goes to the heart of much of the recent talk that suggests that anything defensive is bad and anything aggressive is good. For what England have missed most in recent months is a pair of opening batsmen who can see off the new ball and shield the attacking middle-order from the conditions at their most difficult.Yet when they meet to pick the side for the third Test on Tuesday, it seems most likely they will select another aggressive middle-order batsman in Jonny Bairstow. He is a fine player in supreme form. But that is like installing a new fire alarm to combat a flood. He is the answer to a different question.There are other options from within the current squad. Joe Root could move back to the top three – a move that weakens a strength but may be the less of several evils – while Moeen Ali could make the same journey. It is where he bats in county cricket and ODIs, after all. The way he was dismissed by a Johnson bouncer in the second innings at Lord’s did not instil a huge amount of confidence in him facing a newer ball and fresher bowlers, though.But those are short-term solutions to a longer-term issue. When Alastair Cook complains of batsmen not facing bowling of Test pace at county level and Bayliss complains of poor pitches, they are talking of longer-term fixes. If England want to enjoy more than fleeting success, it may pay to listen to them.

David Willey, Northamptonshire’s England allrounder, is likely to be one of the most sought-after close season signings after the county agreed in principle to him leaving

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2015David Willey, Northamptonshire’s England allrounder, is likely to be one of the most sought-after close season signings after the county agreed in principle to him leaving with a year of his contract still to run. There will be a price, though, for his suitors, with reporting that the club want £50,000 compensation for his early departure.Northants have honoured a verbal agreement with Willey, 25, that he could move this winter, provided the move clearly represented an advancement for his career and that they were suitably compensated.ESPNcricinfo reported last month that Willey was likely to be on the move after England’s exciting new look in one-day cricket had caught the eye.Willey made his ODI debut in May during a 3-2 series win over New Zealand and also played in the subsequent Twenty20 victory. He has taken 11 wickets in five appearances over 50 overs. But he is regarded as a long way from Test selection and he has concluded that only First Division championship cricket will further his career.Warwickshire are in the running, and want him to open the batting in limited-overs cricket, and Yorkshire, who have serious limited-overs issues to address but who have stiff competition for Championship places, Middlesex and Durham have also been touted. The list is not likely to end there.Willey first came to prominence when he won the man-of-the-match award in the 2013 Twenty20 final, combining 60 from 27 balls with a hat-trick as Northants saw off Surrey, but he wants to win opportunities in all forms of the game.Ben Duckett has been another player on Northants’ mind. He was banned from driving for 12 months by Northampton Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to a charge of drink-driving.Northants Cricket said it was very disappointed in the player, who had made “a huge mistake and he will now have to deal with the consequences”.The club statement added: “This is a judicial matter and we completely respect the decision and authority of the court and, therefore, we will not be applying further punishment ourselves. We expect the highest level of behaviour from our players and impress on them regularly the social responsibility that they carry.”Duckett was said to be “extremely remorseful” and would be starting a programme of education. He said: “I made a stupid decision that night and I deeply regret my actions and wish to apologise to my family and to the club for letting, not just myself, but, them down too. I am extremely grateful that my actions didn’t lead to anyone getting hurt.”Duckett is the second professional cricketer in England to flout drink-drive regulations this summer. James Faulkner will not be considered for Australia’s one-day squad in England after being charged with drink-driving. He is due to appear in court in Manchester on July 21.

Marcus Trescothick and Tom Abell put on an unbroken stand of 147 in reply to Hampshire’s first innings of 240, helping to ease relegation fears at Taunton

Paul Edwards at Taunton09-Sep-2015
ScorecardJim Allenby took three wickets in six balls to tip the first day towards Somerset•Getty Images

A pall of worry is unbecoming to the County Ground in September. For all the passion of Somerset’s supporters, this is a gentle, tolerant home where recent summers have drifted to their conclusions like yachts to safe harbour. Only rarely since Justin Langer skippered the team to promotion in 2007, has the side been threatened with relegation.This, though, is not a typical season. Instead of aspiring to the title – Somerset were runners-up in 2010 and 2012 – Marcus Trescothick’s team has been battling to stay out of the bottom places and they have been joined in that battle by Hampshire, whose tendency to have bad sessions was gleefully exploited by stronger sides earlier in the season.And so the cricket on the first day of this game was often freighted with apprehension and what seemed a debilitating concern for consequences. In the morning session, Somerset, having won the toss, bowled too full and too wide. In the second, Hampshire, their earlier weakness still evident, played fretful, tentative shots against far better bowling by Jim Allenby and they collapsed absolutely. One thought of Norman Nicholson’s poem, “Old Man at a Cricket Match” and its line, “Strands of anxiety ravelled like old rope”.Thus it was pleasant for all but the travelling Hampshire supporters to watch Somerset’s openers, Trescothick and Tom Abell, bat with such certainty and control in the evening session. Replying to the visitors’ 240, the pair had added an unbroken 147 in 33 overs by the close. This was the county’s highest opening stand of the season and it left them in a dominant position, albeit that there is still plenty of hard toil ahead. From the moment Abell clipped his first ball from Fidel Edwards to the backward square leg boundary, the home openers exhibited a command greater than Hampshire had shown at almost any stage of their innings.It was announced in the morning that Trescothick had signed a new one-year contract with the club. As supporters watched him pull Edwards dismissively to the square leg boundary, they were surely grateful the 39-year-old was staying on a while. Abell recently signed a four-year deal and the back-foot drives off Ryan McLaren that took him to his fifty reinforced his importance to Somerset’s future. He looks a young batsman to whom good footwork and careful placement come quite naturally.Of course nothing can be decided this week. But should either of these teams win this match, they will take a major step towards confirming their survival in an increasingly select top division. On the day it was confirmed that Andrew Gale will have a trophy and pennant to show for his side’s efforts in 2015, Trescothick and James Vince will be content with the invisible reward of safety. Who can be sure which of these is the more valuable prize? If the counties are to be divided into two divisions of eight and ten at the end of next season, it may be necessary to win the second division in 2016 in order to be promoted. This could be a particularly perilous year in which to be relegated.At the beginning of the day’s cricket it had also seemed a tricky morning on which to be asked to bat first. The pitch looked green and helpful to the seamers, although batsmen have swollen their averages on such Taunton wickets in previous seasons. Indeed, some took the view that rather than being keen to bowl, Trescothick simply did not wish to bat.Whatever the truth, it certainly makes no difference if your bowling is as awry as Somerset’s was in the first two hours. Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry added 49 in 12.3 overs before Adams was run out for 7 by Jamie Overton’s direct hit from deep extra cover. Still Somerset offered the predatory Carberry fare that was either too wide or too full; the ball thudded regularly into the advertising boards on the square leg and point boundaries. Having made 59, Carberry therefore had no great need to chase one from Jamie Overton ten minutes before lunch and give wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi the first of his seven catches, a tally which equalled Rob Turner’s Somerset record.That dismissal had seemed something of a consolation for Somerset towards the end of a morning which ended with Hampshire on 132 for 2. Instead it was the pivotal moment of the day. Ten minutes after the resumption, Vince, who had batted very pleasantly for his 60 runs, attempted a drive off Lewis Gregory but merely edged a catch to Allenby at first slip. Half an hour later Allenby took the wickets of Will Smith, Sean Ervine and Adam Wheater in the space of six balls. Smith and Wheater pushed forward just outside the off stump while Ervine was rather squared up. Ronchi collected the snicks and Hampshire were 176 for 6.As so often in cricket, a team in trouble was ill served by fortune. Both Ryan McLaren and Gareth Berg fell to leg-side strangles, one to each of the Overton twins. Then Jamie removed both Mason Crane for a second-ball duck and Liam Dawson, who played on for a 48 which was accumulated when the bullets were flying. The younger Overton finished with 4 for 37 and will work harder to take only a couple of wickets.At tea, Somerset’s supporters strolled on the outfield, perhaps scarcely crediting their luck. By the end of the day a similar emotion may have been felt by the county’s chief-executive, Guy Lavender, and the director of cricket, Matthew Maynard, who had called a members’ forum for the first evening of this match. The questions may have still been probing and astute but they were also likely to have been a trifle less urgent now that Marcus and Tom had done them proud.

Adam Lyth has vowed to come back stronger after missing out on England’s tour of the UAE, as well as an ECB central contract

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2015Adam Lyth has spoken of his disappointment at missing out on England’s upcoming tour of the UAE but has vowed to come back stronger next season.Lyth, who was also overlooked for an ECB central contract, plans to take a break from cricket until January, and reflect on a year in which he played seven Tests, scored a maiden Test century against New Zealand on his home ground at Headingley, helped Yorkshire to retain their County Championship title, but averaged 12.77 as Alastair Cook’s opening partner during the Ashes.”Winning the Ashes is fantastic and winning the County Championship is great, but on a personal note my [lack of] runs has been disappointing and something I can learn from next season and beyond,” Lyth told Sky Sports.”The highs were getting my cap and getting a hundred, that will stay with me forever. The latter part of the season has been tough but that’s international cricket. Hopefully I’ll come back stronger.”I’m massively disappointed, I wanted to play for England as long as possible, and I still believe I am good enough to come back and do well in international cricket. Everyone here at Yorkshire has given me a lot of confidence going forward.”Adam Lyth’s Test century at Headingley was followed by a poor Ashes series•Getty Images

Despite his lack of runs for England, Lyth has been praised for his attitude and application during the Ashes by his England team-mate Stuart Broad.”I think Adam Lyth’s got something,” Broad told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s a guy whose temperament didn’t change throughout the series whether he was doing well, whether he’d scored runs or not. He was desperate for the team to win and was always pushing the team forward. That’s a huge pat on the back and a characteristic for him to have.”It’s probably not been a settled opening partnership since Straussy retired, but it’s a tough place to bat,” Broad added. “I thought Adam Lyth got a fantastic hundred at Headingley earlier in the year and he’s faced some fantastic bowling. [Mitchell] Starc, [Mitchell] Johnson, [Tim] Southee, [Trent] Boult, they are tough competitors with that new ball.””I enjoy playing with Adam Lyth, he’s a fantastic prospect who’s scored a lot of Championship runs to get in the position he has.”

Jason Holder marked out the West Indies top order’s Test-match temperament as an area much in need of improvement

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo26-Oct-20151:35

Holder calls for batsmen to be more ‘selective’

Jason Holder laid the blame for West Indies’ series loss largely at the feet of his batsmen, and marked out the top order’s Test-match temperament as an area much in need of improvement. West Indies’ highest score of the series was 251, and they fell well short of 200 in both innings at the P Sara Oval.The visitors did make regular breakthroughs in the second Test, restricting Sri Lanka to 200 and 206, and conceding only one opposition half-century. But they only produced one half-century themselves in this match, and only three in the whole series.”It’s clear that the batting let us down,” Holder said. “I think we need to work on our temperament. At times we need to be a lot more patient and know which phases of the game to hang in and in which phases of the game we can attack. Sometimes we may look a little rash and sometimes we may look a little defensive. We just need to curb aggression with some defence.”Holder did not believe technical flaws against spin were prevalent in his side, however. Of the 40 West Indies wickets that fell in the series, 27 went to Sri Lanka’s spinners, with Rangana Herath claiming 15 scalps.”I wouldn’t say we have a difficulty playing spin,” Holder said. “The nature of our wickets at home is not too far apart from here in Sri Lanka. It’s just a case of not being patient enough and trusting our defence.”If you look at the top orders, Sri Lanka’s top order batted well and our top order didn’t. We were always struggling for an opening partnership and never really got it. And in our middle partnerships we struggled again, whereas Sri Lanka got some runs in the middle. Going forward we need to look at our top order and hopefully they can put the onus upon themselves to score the bulk of the runs for the team.”Darren Bravo’s second-wicket stand with Shai Hope in the final innings of the series was also West Indies’ only 50-plus partnership across the two Tests. They made 60 together, raising hopes West Indies could chase 244, but the remainder of the batting order entered a familiar collapse after that partnership was broken. Marlon Samuels concluded a particularly woeful tour, in which his action was also reported, by collecting 13 and 6 in this match, to go with his 11 and 0 in Galle. West Indies lost their last nine wickets for 91 runs.”At 80 for 1 we were pretty much in control, but we lost wickets. Shai’s stumping at that time – that was a turning moment in the game,” Holder said. “He and Bravo had a good partnership going and when it was broken, we never really recovered from there. Marlon came in under a bit of pressure and couldn’t take us out of the situation. We didn’t rebuild when we had to rebuild. Sri Lanka got on top of us with some very good bowling. They worked with their strengths and put some pressure on us, and we gave in to that pressure at that stage.”Holder was full of praise for his attack, however. Jerome Taylor was particularly impressive on a dry deck, claiming two wickets in each innings and posing difficult questions of the Sri Lanka top order.”Our bowlers have come up trumps for us, and did a very, very good job in the series,” Holder said. “We got 10 wickets in the first Test match in Galle where we only got one chance to bowl. And we got 20 wickets here, which is what we asked of the bowlers. It’s not easy conditions to play for fast bowlers, but every time I called on a fast bowler, he came up and he gave a good effort. In this Test match Jerome led us again. He came in with a little bit of a niggle, but he showed his maturity. He’s well-supported by myself and Kemar Roach. And then the spinners came into play and did a job.”Kraigg Brathwaite – the part-time offspinner – took an unexpected six wickets in the second innings at the P Sara, while debutant Jomel Warrican impressed with figures of 6 for 129 from the match. Warrican had been picked on an excellent record in first-class cricket, in which he had taken 66 wickets at 16.44 heading into the Test.”Jomel’s first-class stats speak for themselves,” Holder said. “He’s a guy who I’ve played cricket with my entire life, from youth cricket straight to now. He’s always been a wicket-taker – a guy who can come and do a job for you. He can also hold down an end (and) in the second innings (showed) that he can bat. He was a bit of a livewire in the field. I think it was a good start for him. It’s important he builds on it and doesn’t fall back.”