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Ross Taylor has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Wellington due to his calf injury

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin11-Mar-20171:33

‘Losing Taylor a big loss’ – Williamson

Neil Broom is in line for his Test debut after being called up to replace Ross Taylor who was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Wellington due to his calf strain. Taylor will be reassessed ahead of the final match of the series in Hamilton.Kane Williamson and Mike Hesson said that Broom, who returned to the New Zealand limited-overs teams at the start of the season, jumped to the top of the queue because of his domestic experience and an injury to Dean Brownlie which meant he was not considered. Their other injury concern, Trent Boult, will be assessed in the three days leading into the Wellington Test after being unable to bowl after tea on the fourth day in Dunedin due to a hip problem.Taylor, New Zealand’s joint second-highest Test century-maker alongside Williamson, suffered a low grade tear of the right calf while batting on the second day and retired hurt on 8. He returned to complete his innings at the fall of the ninth wicket although he was restricted in his movements.Broom gave up a deal with Derbyshire in English county cricket to resume his international career after a gap of nearly seven years when he was recalled to face Bangladesh. He scored his maiden international century in his second match back which was followed by a 97 and then hit 73 against Australia in Auckland. However, in the one-day series against South Africa he made 2,2 and 0 before being dropped.”Neil has been around the one-day group for a period of time and been very successful,” Williamson said. “He has played a lot of domestic cricket and been around for a long period of time.”Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said: “We’ve got an inexperienced batting line up so we were keen to have somebody with plenty of playing experience, someone who can play pace well and Neil has seen a little bit of South Africa before. We are going to miss Ross and that calming influence in the middle order, but it does provide an opportunity for Neil to step up and show us that he is ready for Test cricket.”Ross Taylor retired hurt for 8 in New Zealand’s first innings•AFP

Faf du Plessis, South Africa’s captain, noted Broom’s poor return in the one-day matches. “I haven’t played against him with the red ball. Seen a bit on him in the one-dayers. We were quite successful in getting rid of him so hopefully that will continue. It’s the experience they are going to miss with Ross. They can’t replace that straight away.”Another name suggested for a call-up as Taylor’s replacement was Colin Munro who is the only current player to average over 50 in New Zealand first-class cricket. He recently hit twin hundreds in a Plunket Shield match against Central Districts after losing his place in the ODI side and suffering a lean run in T20 cricket since his century against Bangladesh. Munro has one previous Test cap, earned against South Africa in early 2013.”We are after an experienced middle-order player who can provide some solidity,” Hesson said. “Colin is a different sort of player to that. Obviously very destructive on his day.”Meanwhile, Boult will travel with the squad to Wellington and will be monitored due to a sore hip which prevented him from bowling on the fourth afternoon. Boult bowled 15 overs in South Africa’s second innings, after delivering 32.4 in the first, before being forced off the field.”Boult is better today than yesterday. Yesterday he was in discomfort and we decided it wasn’t a good idea for him to bowl. We will monitor him over the next couple of days,” Hesson said.New Zealand have reinforcements in the form of Tim Southee, who was dropped for the first Test, and have also brought Matt Henry into the squad although Williamson said that would have happened even without Boult’s injury.The final day of the first Test was washed out without a ball bowled.

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup games played on February 5, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2016A splendid 113-run fifth-wicket stand between captain Mehedi Hasan and Zakir Hasan steered Bangladesh Under-19s to the semi-finals after completing a six-wicket win against Nepal Under-19s in Dhaka. The pressure steadily built on the pair after Joyraz Sheikh was dismissed for a patient 38. However, they found the boundary, rotated the strike and compiled fifties in the process as Bangladesh reached the target with 10 balls to spare.Earlier in the chase, Nepal had chipped away at the wickets and gained a slight edge despite contributions from Joyraz and Pinak Ghosh (32). Offspinner Sunil Dhamala was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 33 from his 10 overs.Raju Rijal had set up Nepal’s score of 211 with a fluent 80-ball 72, which featured eight fours and a six. He strung handy stands of 44, 51 and 32 with Dhamala (25), Arif Sheikh (21) and Rajbir Singh. Some useful cameos lower down the order helped eke out 51 from the last 10 overs. Fast bowler Mohammad Saifuddin picked up 2 for 38.Karim Janat smashed a 132-ball 156 to propel Afghanistan Under-19s to a massive 226-run victory against Fiji Under-19s in the ninth-place playoff in Cox’s Bazar. After being inserted to bat, Afghanistan piled on 340 for 9 and then bowled out Fiji for 114 in the 32nd over. Perwez Malakzai (74 off 69) combined with Janat to add 130 in a fourth-wicket stand to rescue Afghanistan from 47 for 3.The middle and lower order all contributed with handy cameos to help add 73 in the last 44 balls. Peni Wuniwaqa picked up three 3 for 41 and T Veitacini claimed two scalps.Fiji were never really in the chase after losing Delaimatuku Maraiwai off the first ball of the innings. They were soon reduced to 18 for 5 before Malakai Cokovaki (25) and Josaia Baleicikoibia (29) shared a 50-run stand. Another clump of wickets soon fell and Fiji were bundled out. Nijat Masood returned figures of 6-1-6-3, while Rashid Khan claimed 3 for 16.A collective bowling effort, led by Jeremy Ives, followed by a fifty from opener Shaun Snyder helped Zimbabwe Under-19s seal a comfortable win against Canada Under-19s in the ninth pace play-off quarter-final.After having opted to bat, Canada were quickly reduced to 21 for 2 and then 56 for 3. Harsh Thaker (23), Amish Taploo (37), Abraash Khan (32), Arslan Khan (31) all got starts in the middle order, but gave it away. Slow left-arm spinning allrounder Ives was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe with figures of 3 for 30. The lower order also struggled for momentum as Canada crawled to 186 for 8.Ives starred with the bat as well, making an unbeaten 43 off 55 balls to steer his side home. It came after a strong opening partnership of 89 between Snyder and Wesley Madhevere. While Madhevere was dismissed for 31, Snyder went onto stroke his second successive half-century. Ives and William Mashinge added 46 together to ensure that the chase was completed in 31.4 overs with six wickets in hand.

Darren Lehmann has launched an extraordinary outburst against Stuart Broad, underlining his anger over Broad’s decision to not walk at a crucial juncture of the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2013Australia coach Darren Lehmann has, in an extraordinary outburst against England allrounder Stuart Broad, underlined his anger over Broad’s decision to not walk at a crucial juncture of the first Test by calling for Australian crowds to get at Broad in the return Ashes series later this year.”Certainly our players haven’t forgotten, they’re calling him everything under the sun as they go past,” Lehmann said in an interview to the TripleM station. “I hope the Australian public are the same because that was just blatant cheating. I don’t advocate walking but when you hit it to first slip it’s pretty hard.”Lehmann’s comments come a day ahead of the final Test at the Oval, with Australia striving to avoid an unprecedented fourth Test defeat in a Ashes series. It might have turned out to be a closer contest had Broad walked after edging into the keeper’s leg, with the ball then carrying to slip, in a tightly fought first Test. Instead, he stood his ground and was involved in a match-changing 138-run stand with Ian Bell for the seventh wicket.”From my point of view I just hope the Australian public give it to him right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home,” Lehmann said. “I just hope everyone gets stuck into him because the way he’s carried on and the way he’s commented in public about it is ridiculous.”He knew he hit it to slip. The biggest problem there is the poor umpire cops all the crap that he gets in paper and Stuart Broad makes him look like a fool. From my point of view it’s poor, so I hope the public actually get stuck into him.”Broad had re-opened debate about the incident by speaking unrepentantly and brazenly about it earlier in the week. “Yes, I knew I’d hit it,” he said. “But if you go through the series and look at the Australian players who have nicked it and not walked you could name several — Warner, Rogers, Khawaja, Smith, Clarke, Agar. I mean it’s quite a lot of players for it to be a big issue. Why are people picking on me? Well, it’s the way our media works I suppose.”It’s a bit silly when people say I edged to slip because it was actually an edge to the keeper that went off his gloves to slip. I went down the other end and Ian Bell said, “What’s happened there? I didn’t hear anything”. And Agar asked me if I’d nicked it because he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t as clear-cut as everybody thought.”By deciding to stand his ground, Broad said he had demonstrated the hard-edged attitude that Australia had used to great effect against England in previous years. “Australian cricket has a win-at-all-costs mentality whereas in England it can be ‘let’s shake hands and have a beer’,” he said. “Maybe that’s why they won non-stop for 20 years against us but there’s one thing for sure about this England team and that is we’re tough.”We’ve come through tricky times and have stood up to be counted. We do have a win-at-all-costs mentality. We’ve been accused of all sorts of things this summer, like the tripe about tape on our bats, but that’s not what the series will be remembered for. It’s winning that will be remembered.”

Graeme Smith is focused on South Africa’s second Test against England despite having left the squad to attend the birth of his first child

Firdose Moonda01-Aug-2012With his eight-day old daughter and wife more than 11,000 miles away, Graeme Smith could be forgiven for having other things on his mind ahead of the second Test against England. That he does not, is nothing short of admirable.”I am very focused on what lies ahead,” Smith said at Headingley. “I was lucky enough to have a lengthy plane trip to put everything into perspective. Spending 14 hours alone gave me time to think about what I’d been through.”Smith returned home to Cape Town last Monday, shortly after South Africa sealed their first-ever win at The Oval, to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. The baby, named Cadence Christine, was born on Wednesday by planned caesarean section and Smith was able to spend four days with her before flying in to Leeds via Amsterdam on Sunday night.Although he is not the only player to have taken a paternity break mid-tour – Shaun Pollock did it on the 2003 tour to England and Andrew Strauss did it on England’s 2005 tour to Pakistan, to name a few – he is likely the only captain to have done it and his absence was felt. AB de Villiers described the preparation ahead of the second Test as “disjointed”, while Vernon Philander said it would be good to “have our leader back”.Smith also noticed that the team was happy to have him back but did not think his trip home affected their build-up. “The guys were glad to see me so I think that’s a bonus,” he said. “Gary Kirsten is a very solid character in the group and keeps good perspective of where we are. His management team wouldn’t have backed off on the players over the last few days so maybe I missed out on a few good fitness sessions.”Not one to ever let time off affect his game – Smith’s century at The Oval came in his first Test innings since recovering from ankle surgery in April – he nonetheless said he had made an effort to “get myself technically ready” for the game. Smith had two days of training ahead of the match, which will be significant in more ways than one.Victory would see South Africa take the No.1 ranking in Test cricket but, regardless of the result, Smith will equal Allan Border’s record for most Tests as captain, a feather in the cap of his nine-year stint in charge of the team.His commitment to building South Africa to a position where they can claim the No. 1 ranking is something he said his family had backed him in. “My family understand the space I am in and what we are trying to achieve as a team. Having the support from them is a crucial factor moving forward,” he said.He also has a much larger fanbase, with the South African public enjoying strong performances from their athletes in the United Kingdom over the past two weeks. Golfer Ernie Els won The Open on the Sunday of the Oval Test, his first major in a decade, while South African swimmers Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos have won gold medals at the Olympics.With the fans back home wanting a Test series win to cap it off, Smith said his men will do all they can to deliver. “It’s just great to be a part of. As a South African, the last few weeks of sport have been incredible,” he said. “You can feel the buzz back home and all the messages we have been receiving. The fans are right behind us and that motivation is a crucial factor for us.”

When Ravi Bopara was overlooked for the England team ahead of the first Test of the summer, it precipitated a sharp decline in his contributions for Essex

George Dobell at Southend-on-Sea28-Jul-2011
ScorecardWhen Ravi Bopara was overlooked for the England team ahead of the first Test of the summer, it precipitated a sharp decline in his contributions for Essex. Some said it was disappointment; others said that he lacked the stomach for the fight at this level. Either way, with younger men – the likes of Taylor and Stokes – vying for England selection, it seems quite possible that Bopara will never add to those ten Test caps.On the evidence of this performance, that would be a shame. And a waste. Garon Park may be many miles – both geographically and figuratively – from the glamour and intensity of the international arena but, with his team under pressure and on a pitch that remains helpful to bowlers of all types, Bopara responded with a deeply impressive innings.True, the Leicestershire attack – worthy though it is – could not claim to be Test class. But this isn’t a Test pitch, either, and Bopara, for the second time in the match, has demonstrated a strong temperament and technique to withstand everything that has been thrown at him on a surface where no-one has flourished. He’s also shown discipline, patience and and, most importantly, earned his side a chance to win a game that had seemed to be sliding inexorably the way of their opponents.Beginning their second innings with a deficit of 58 runs, Essex had lost two men even before achieving parity. A third-wicket stand of 104 – easily the highest of the match – has given them hope, however, and suggests that Bopara, captaining Essex for the first time in the
Championship, may be the sort of character who thrives on responsibility. It was, tellingly, his highest score in his last ten first-class innings.There were few opportunities to demonstrate that easy timing that tends to enlighten any Bopara innings. Instead, he showed the virtues of placement, watchfulness and excellent judgement of which balls to play and which to leave. It was, in short, a mature performance.It wasn’t all about Bopara, though. Billy Godleman also impressed in compiling a patient 77. Watchful initially, Godleman developed from a period of quiet accumulation and finally unveiled a couple of pleasing drives and, when Henderson dropped short, pulled him over mid wicket
for six. To put his contribution in perspective, his was the highest score on this ground in the last nine first-class innings stretching back to 2009.Not all the Essex players showed such dedication to the cause. No-one in the English game can claim to have more talent than Owais Shah. Not Bell, not Pietersen and not Bopara. But talent is just one of the ingredients required for success and Shah doesn’t always show he has
the requisite application.Here, after unveiling an outrageously good paddle for four off Henderson, he skipped down the wicket, attempted to play against the spin and was stumped. It would, I suppose, have
looked good had he connected but, in the circumstances, it was simply reckless. Indeed, at such moments, it’s not hard to see why Middlesex and the England selectors lost patience with him.Earlier 22-year-old legspinner Tom Craddock delivered a spell of 4 for 14 to wrap-up the Leicestershire first innings. Craddock is a talented cricketer who may well have a bright future in the game but, in truth, he was a bit flattered by those figures. Nathan Buck was caught at silly point after he hit a full toss onto his boot, while Henderson dragged a long hop to mid wicket.A better test of Craddock’s will surely come in the fourth innings of this game. As Essex’s only specialist spinner, he’ll be expected to play a significant role in winning his side the game. It’s a large responsibility for a fellow playing just his fourth first-class game.Leicestershire may come to rue not making more of their opportunity to establish a first innings lead. While batting was never easy, it was as if they couldn’t decide which method would serve them best: all out attack or dogged defence. In the end, they did a bit of both and a lot
of neither.Crucially, James Taylor fell early. Unable to build on his reprieves the previous night, Taylor was caught at short leg as he squeezed one into the air off bat and pad. Though Wayne White and Josh Cobb made starts, they were both undone by a bit of seam movement from Essex’s
band of medium-pacers, before Tom New, playing-on and Jigar Naik, playing down the wrong line, were dismissed by good Craddock deliveries.Leicestershire are not out of this game, however. The wicket of Godleman, chipping to mid on and Jaik Mickleburgh, bowled by the last delivery of the day from the deserving Nadeem Malik, has offered them hope and, if they can dismiss Bopara early on day three, they may yet
face a chase of little more than 150.

It was another day of toil for the Indian bowlers as Sri Lanka reached a seemingly invincible position in the second Test

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya27-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene piled on the agony as the Indian attack wilted•AFP

Sri Lanka reached a seemingly invincible position in the second Test on another day of toil for the Indian bowlers with their two batting mainstays, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, achieving individual landmarks on a placid track against a spineless attack that has left India’s batsmen with another Test to save.Sangakkara maintained his aggressive approach in the morning session, equally ruthless against the seamers and the spinners, while Jayawardene was more sedate to begin with, offering his partner much of the strike. The start was almost perfect for the home side: Sangakkara, whose confidence was evident in his standing well outside the crease, drove Abhimanyu Mithun through either side of the pitch for fours off the first two deliveries.The Indian seamers had erred in length on the first day by bowling consistently short and they tried to make amends on the second, getting the batsmen to play forward. Both Mithun and Ishant Sharma pitched the ball fuller but, with no assistance from the conditions, they had little hope of making inroads. Too often they strayed on to the pads, to be flicked and driven through the on side; Sangakkara, especially, was unforgiving of any half-volley that came his way. He did drop his guard on occasion, though, edging one just after second slip had been removed by MS Dhoni – one of three consecutive boundaries off Mithun that helped him reach 150.Jayawardene, who continued his prolific run at the SSC, opened up against Ishant, who served some juicy deliveries on the pads to be taken for three fours – through fine leg, midwicket and over mid-on. While there was a bit more bounce on offer for the spinners, who targeted a couple of rough patches on the track and attacked with more close-in fielders, the pair used their feet to ensure there weren’t many quiet periods. Sangakkara employed the sweep and kept piercing the off-side field with cuts and dabs, and both batsmen charged the spinners to clear mid-on and midwicket.

Smart stats

• Mahela Jayawardene’s century is his tenth at the SSC, which is the most by any batsman at a single venue. Don Bradman has nine at the MCG. Jayawardene’s tally of 2641 here is a record for most runs at a venue.

• Kumar Sangakkara has become only the fourth batsman to score seven or more double-hundreds in Tests. Bradman leads with 12, while Brian Lara has nine.

• Sri Lanka’s total of 642 for 4 declared is their third-highest against India, and their fifth score of 600 or more against them.

• It’s the ninth instance of three or more Sri Lankan batsmen scoring hundreds in the same innings. Five of those have come against India.

• In nine first innings at the SSC since 2000, Sri Lanka average 49.81, with 11 centuries. Other teams have batted first 11 times during this period, and average 25.92, with two hundreds.

• Jayawardene and Sangakkara have added 4798 partnership runs, which is second only to the Tendulkar-Dravid combination among non-openers.

As he approached his third double-century at the SSC, Sangakkara went after Ojha, heaving him from outside off over midwicket and sweeping him twice to collect four fours in five balls. He reached the milestone streakily, edging Harbhajan just past slip, but found Rahul Dravid soon after lunch off Virender Sehwag to ease India’s agony.Jayawardene’s knock lacked the imperious demeanour of his captain’s. It was built – especially after Sangakkara’s dismissal – on steady accumulation and calculated strokeplay. With Thilan Samaraweera capitalising on the width provided by the spinners to find boundaries frequently through the off side, he tempered his approach, opting to nudge the ball around for singles and reserve his strength for the bad balls. When Harbhajan bowled short and wide, he forced him through the covers and when gifted with full delivery on the pads, he swept it past fine leg.A punch through the covers brought up his tenth century at the SSC – the most by a player at a venue, surpassing Don Bradman’s nine tons in ten matches at the MCG. Once that landmark was achieved, he stepped up with a couple of delightful inside-out drives over extra cover and a huge six wide of midwicket while Samaraweera eased to another half-century.Such was India’s helplessness that their most experienced bowler, Harbhajan, had to resort to bowling down the leg side to contain the batsmen. Ojha followed suit but with their expertise playing the sweep and the ease with which they made room to execute the cuts, the batsmen were in complete control. In the end, it was Jayawardene’s tired chip to midwicket that prompted a declaration, and gave Harbhajan his first wicket in the series, after conceding 245 runs and bowling 449 deliveries.On the two previous occasions the teams played at the SSC, Sri Lanka amassed a 600-plus score each time and won by an innings. But forcing a win in these conditions will be an arduous task. An indication of the challenge that lay ahead came from the smooth start by India’s openers Sehwag and M Vijay against a line-up missing the match-winners from Galle. There were a couple of moments of discomfort caused by the extra pace and bounce of the Sri Lankan seamers but the boundaries flowed from Sehwag’s blade, allowing the visitors to enjoy a rare phase of dominance on a so-far disappointing tour.

Matthew Waite stars with bat and ball as opponents’ survival hopes dwindle

ECB Reporters Network28-Sep-2024Lancashire’s relegation from Division One of the Vitality County Championship was confirmed on the third day of their final match of the 2024 campaign against Worcestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.After bowling out the home side for 180, Lancashire were themselves then dismissed for 177 in 55.1 overs.Their fate was sealed as relegation rivals Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire picked up sufficient points from their meeting at Trent Bridge to both guarantee their own safety.Lancashire’s fall from grace has been rapid after finishing runners-up in 2022, when they came so close to winning the title, and then fourth 12 months ago.The make-up of their side has altered from two years ago with players leaving, call-ups to franchise cricket and injuries.The Red Rose county have suffered four innings defeats in a season for the first time in their history, including three in succession.It was their fourth relegation from the top flight since last winning the title in 2011 – in 2012, 2014, 2018 and now 2024.Worcestershire had already guaranteed their own safety with a game to spare and now have their sights on trying to secure a top six finish.They resumed on 119 for 7 and Matthew Waite completed an excellent half-century off just 37 balls with four sixes and two fours.He was given staunch support by Logan van Beek during a free-flowing partnership of 84 from 15 overs.Waite (60) eventually fell to Anderson Phillip when he went for a pull through midwicket but gloved the ball to Keaton Jennings at second slip.Joe Leach, in his final match before retiring, received a standing ovation from supporters on his way to the wicket but made only two before he was bowled off the inside edge to give Phillip his fifth wicket.Van Beek and Jack Home added 26 useful runs for the final wicket before the former on 48 from 70 balls chopped on to George BaldersonPhillip finished with figures of 13-2-65-5 and Tom Bailey 15-5-22-3.Lancashire were left 35 minutes batting before lunch and they suffered an early setback.Skipper Jennings drove at a widish delivery from Waite and the ball flew to Rob Jones who held onto a head high chance at second slip.Josh Bohannon had an escape in the same over before he had scored when Waite failed to hold onto a sharp one-handed return catch away to his rightBut there was another breakthrough when Harry Singh pushed forward to Leach and was caught behind.The wickets continued to tumble after lunch when Bohannon attempted to work Leach to leg and was lbw.It became 30 for 4 when Rocky Flintoff attempted a straight drive and was also leg before.Keeper Matty Hurst and George Bell tried to repair the damage and added 43.But Hurst gave his wicket away when he tamely clipped Waite to Home at mid wicket.Home came into the attack and accounted for Luke Wells (38) who lost his middle stump working to leg.Waite picked up a third scalp when George Bell missed a straight ball and was lbw.Ethan Brookes added to Lancashire’s woes in his first over after tea as Bailey became another lbw victim to a delivery which cut back.Determined resistance came from Phillip and Balderson who added 56 for the ninth wicket.But the innings was wrapped up with Balderson (38) caught low down by Waite at mid-on off Brookes and then Phillip (30) was collected at cover by Brookes off van Beek.Bad light halted play at 5.10pm after one over of Worcestershire’s second innings.

James Anderson to play amid speculation about future after low-key returns so far

Matt Roller26-Jul-2023England have named an unchanged team for the fifth and final men’s Ashes Test at The Kia Oval, which starts on Thursday, with veteran seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad both retaining their places.The final day of the drawn fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford was wiped out by the Manchester rain, effectively giving England’s bowlers an extra day to recover. “Everyone’s pulled up well,” Ben Stokes, their captain, said. “Everyone is fit from the last game.”It’s been a tough four games. One little, tiny positive we could maybe take from the rain is that the bowlers got a bit more rest. It’s a strange one to look at from that point of view. But with the quick turnaround and the game we have here, knowing what we need to do, you could see that as a tiny, tiny little positive – although it’s very hard to say it’s a positive.”Anderson turns 41 on the fourth day of the fifth Test but said in his newspaper column this week that he has had “no thoughts about retirement”. Stokes was unequivocal when asked about Anderson’s future in the England team: “He’s quality, man. It’s very hard for you guys to sit here and say he’s not.”Although he’s not had the impact or the wickets he would have liked to in this series, he’s a quality bowler and quality performer. Jimmy’s come under a bit of flack for that but if Joe [Root] hadn’t scored the runs he would have liked, you wouldn’t be questioning him staying in the team as a batter.”James Anderson is the greatest fast bowler to play the game and he’s still looking as good as he was two years ago, although he hasn’t had the impact that he would have liked in this series.”Related

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Broad’s retention means that he will be the only England seamer to play all five Ashes Tests at the age of 37. “It was always going to be hard for one bowler to play every game this series but he’s been incredible for us,” Stokes said.”He’s put in some incredible performances throughout the Test matches, but also been very good at coming on with the ball and changing the game numerous times, which is something he’s done throughout his whole career.”He’s the leading wicket-taker and it’s very hard to look past someone like that. At 37 years old that’s testament to how much work he puts in off the field to keep turning out for England on the field.”Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have also been declared fit and will play their third consecutive Tests, having come into the side for England’s win at Headingley.Stokes felt “pretty flat” at the end of the fourth Test•Getty Images

Stokes admitted to feeling “pretty flat” after the washout in Manchester. “I’ve never left a field, a game, pretty emotionless,” he said. “It was a bizarre feeling. The game petered out the way it did because of the weather. You look back and think, ‘Do you wish we’d got beat?’ or we had played and Australia pulled a draw off.”We leave the ground when you can’t do anything. It’s a strange place to be. It makes you feel very odd. Shaking hands at the end, you could feel it from both sides, emotionless. Australia retained the Ashes, we couldn’t win it back but it was very bizarre… it was a pretty flat feeling but we’ve got rid of those emotions and we’re ready for this week.”But he believes England will have to “start all over again” at The Oval, despite their dominance at Old Trafford. “It’s a new game and things can play out differently,” Stokes said. “We just need to go out there and put the same amount of pressure onto Australia as we’ve been trying to throughout this series.”I thought the way we did that at Old Trafford, Australia didn’t have an answer, particularly when we had the bat in hand. It was great viewing, watching the lads go about their business with the bat. But [it’s the] same old things: completely different game, and we’ll just have to start all over again.”

England white-ball captain leaves field and does not bat as Middlesex extend unbeaten start to summer

Cameron Ponsonby29-May-2022Further doubts were cast over the fitness of England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan who left the field of play during Middlesex’s four-wicket win over Glamorgan with a “twinge in his groin” and did not bat.At 35, Morgan’s career is in its twilight period. A reputation built on the basis of being a world-class batter as well as a ruthless and inspirational leader has given him the power to write his own script as to how he wishes his career to end. The problem, however, has been whether he still has the ability to do so as he wishes.Morgan is without a T20 half-century since November 2020, which even by his own feast-or-famine standards of form is a particularly lean run, and Sunday’s game was just his second in four months after tweaking his quad in Barbados in January and going unselected in the IPL auction.For years Morgan was a banker for England on the pitch and an ever-present in the world’s premier T20 tournament. Now, he is neither, with the added salt in the wound being that as Morgan walked off the field at Radlett CC in front of not many more than a thousand people, his likely successor as white-ball captain Jos Buttler was walking out in front of a 100 times that figure in the IPL final in Ahmedabad. Radlett may be the hometown of Hollywood staple Simon Cowell, but the glitz and glamour of this English village does ultimately end there.Earlier this week, in an interview with the , Morgan said that he would not be playing in back-to-back matches in this Blast campaign in the hope of avoiding injury. With England’s ODI series against the Netherlands likely to see him miss a handful of games in mid-June, he has also handed over the Middlesex T20 captaincy to Stephen Eskinazi.But even after missing Middlesex’s match against Hampshire two days ago, he was unable to complete 20 overs in the field with the time he spent off then preventing him from being able to bat any higher than No. 7 during the home side’s successful chase of 168. With the side then almost home when the fifth wicket was lost, Middlesex decided against taking any undue risk though confirmed he would have batted if needed.Morgan also explained in the interview how “there’s nothing specific [injury wise]” that is troubling him, adding: “I’m just old, I think.” While honest, that further highlights the concern for England that their captain might not be fit enough to lead them through the summer and to the T20 World Cup in Australia this winter. Not being able to play back-to-back games is all well and good if the second of the two games is in the group stage of the Blast; less so if it’s the World Cup final.This was a comfortable victory for Middlesex after restricting Glamorgan to a total of 168 that never looked enough. Against Gloucestershire at this ground on Thursday, Middlesex scored 229 and even then there was some feeling that they were a dozen or so short after they had been 122 for 2 after 8.5 overs.To one side, this is a very small ground where boundaries fly; to the other it is a vast expanse where threes are available regularly if the ball hasn’t already crashed into the advertising hoardings. The result is runs aplenty, a fact exemplified by the first ball of both innings being dispatched for six.Labuschagne top scored for Glamorgan with 38 off 24, an innings of two halves where only nine runs came from his first 12 deliveries while 29 came from the second. The problem for Glamorgan was that the moments where their innings was showing the potential of what could be, was in actual fact, what had to be.Much of the credit for Glamorgan’s restriction to 168 was thanks to a fine bowling performance from slow left-armer Thilan Walallawita who recorded career best figures of 3 for 18 off his four overs. Walallawita spoke after the game of playing with a sense of freedom, and how he knew the ground, where Middlesex often play second XI fixtures, like the back of his hand.Comfortable in his surroundings, the young spinner shone. From his fledgling T20 career, he has a career economy rate of 6.33 and has taken six wickets at an average of 12.67. Meanwhile, Toby Roland-Jones’ fine start to the season continued as he picked up 4 for 22, three of which arrived in the final over.In reply, Middlesex flew out of the blocks, the powerplay coming to an end with the side on 62 for no loss – Eskinazi on 25 off 16 and Max Holden racing to 37 off 20.Continuing the recent tradition of English cricket, the opening stand broke the back of the chase and despite a middle-over wobble arriving thanks to the spin of Prem Sisodiya – who bowled with control to return figures of 2 for 26 – Middlesex eased their way home with an over to spare thanks to a Joe Cracknell flourish, the 22-year-old finishing with 47 off 28 balls.A four-wicket win extended Middlesex’s perfect start to the Blast after wins against Gloucestershire and Hampshire, and they are still unbeaten this season; as with England, they are showing that Morgan’s personal fortunes are not the only determining factor in their results.

“I think the way we batted allowed them to look more potent than they were in the morning to be honest”

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2020A lack of intent with the bat on day three and dropped catches on day two cost India the Adelaide Test, Virat Kohli has said. This was the first time India had lost a Test after winning the toss under Kohli’s captaincy, but for a large part of the match the record looked like it would remain intact. India bowled Australia out for 191 to take a significant lead of 53, but were bowled out for their lowest Test total of 36 in the second innings to set Australia only 90 to win.Kohli felt that India should have batted more positively in the second innings to take the game forward, and also rued missed opportunities in the field – Marnus Labuschagne was dropped three times in his 47 and Tim Paine added 47 after he was dropped on 26 – which allowed Australia to cut down the lead and give themselves a chance.Kohli said the team plan had always been positive and to take the game forward, but individual batsmen got stuck out in the middle. “Whenever we have performed well, especially overseas… see you can make all the team plans you want, it is more important what the mindset of the individuals taking the field is,” Kohli said in his post-match press conference. “At an individual level, you have to be clear when you step on the field as to how you want to play, whether you want to take the game forward or you want to play absolutely solid. That you are very sound defensively and are feeling comfortable. Historically, I can tell you whenever I have batted well in these situations my plan has been to go and get quick 30-40 runs and take the game forward. This is very significant.”As much as you plan on the team level, individuals need to have the right mindset in these critical moments and take the game forward. That is how you move towards winning. If your mindset is not right, like ours wasn’t today, when we lacked in intent, the opposition can sense it and put you under extreme pressure. That is exactly what happened. The individuals will have to see how they can have the mindset to take the game forward given the team’s situation.”Kohli said “a bit of a lead” can be tricky in the third innings and can make the batsmen extra cautious because the game hasn’t yet been taken out of the opposition’s reach. “They were bowling similar lengths in the first innings as well,” Kohli said when asked if there was something in the bowling that caused the collapse. “We were just better at playing those and having a plan around it and how we wanted to go about things.”A bit of lead can always be tricky because as a batting unit you can go into a headspace where you feel like we are just 50 or 60 ahead and you don’t want to lose early wickets and allow opposition back into the game. So you always have to be positive and you can’t think like that. Hence I said we lacked intent because we should have just seen where the game has to go rather than where it has come to till now and move the game forward, which we were not able to do. I think the way we batted allowed them to look more potent than they were in the morning to be honest. They bowled similarly in the first innings and we batted way, way better.”2:12

Virat Kohli: I’m ‘very, very confident’ India will bounce back strongly at MCG

That it was only “a bit of a lead” – although 53 is a huge number in the context of such a low-scoring encounter – was down to India’s fielding, Kohli said. “I think it was seven down for 110 [111 for 7] if I am not wrong when Tim Paine offered a chance and then he got 70-odd from there on. Then Marnus Labuschagne. A couple of chances off him as well.”So Test cricket, you have to take your chances when they come your way. They can be very very costly, something that we realised in a very harsh way today. What the repercussions of not taking those chances can be, and will be in Test cricket. Teams will not offer you opportunities again and again. You have to take them when they come your way and try and capitalise on that momentum. That definitely would have been a boost for us if we had a lead of a few runs more. Then we are already over 100, and with a decent start, the opposition starts panicking.”Kohli was asked if this collapse could be the result of tired minds put in a biosecure bubble for such a long time and playing a lot of limited-overs international cricket. “I don’t think so,” Kohli said. “We have played enough cricket to understand what needs to be done at different stages of a Test match, and it is just lack of execution. It is just lack of executing a plan that is apt for the situation, and it is to move the game. Day three is called moving day and you drive home the advantage. Lead of 62 runs with nine wickets in hand, should have definitely put in a better batting performance. I don’t think any mental fatigue was involved, it was only the first Test of the series.”Kohli will take no further part in the series as he takes leave for the birth of his first child, but he said he was confident the team will bounce back in his absence. “I would have definitely loved to win this game, because leaving with a victory would have been great,” Kohli said. “Having said that this is Test cricket, and anything can happen at any stage. I’m pretty confident that the team will bounce back strongly in Melbourne.”A few of the guys are going to realise their true characters and how they can step up for the side. I’m very confident that we will learn from this. I don’t think we have ever had a worse batting collapse than this, and it can only go up from here and understand as a team we can do special things when there is a partnership. I’m sure we will bounce back strongly in the next Test and there is no doubt about that.”