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The difficulty of travelling at the moment was a key reason behind the pace bowler’s decision

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-20200:38

Matthew Hayden – RCB too reliant on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

Kane Richardson hopes he gets another chance to appear in the IPL in the future but said he could not risk missing the birth of his first child following his withdrawal from the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for this year’s tournament.The limitations around global travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic was one of the key factors in Richardson’s decision, knowing that it would be difficult to jump on a plane from the UAE to get home to Australia at short notice. He has been replaced at RCB by Australia team-mate Adam Zampa.He will return home after the limited-overs tour of England and undertake the mandatory two-week quarantine before heading back to South Australia.ALSO READ: Key to Australia’s T20I success: Spin twins, and return of David Warner, Steven Smith“It’s always difficult to withdraw from a competition like the IPL, it’s the pinnacle domestic competition in the world but when I really sat down and thought about it’s definitely the right one with all that’s going on in the world at the moment,” he said.”Just the challenge around getting home on time for something as unpredictable as the birth of a child, I couldn’t risk missing that. It’s disappointing to miss the IPL but hopefully there are opportunities ahead for that and don’t think I’d ever be able to live with missing the birth of my first kid.”We’ve had five months of but hopefully cricket will always be there. The main thing for me is to support my wife, as cricketers we are away for a lot of things but there comes a time when you prioritise your family over anything else and at the moment in the world a lot of people are doing that.”Over the next couple of weeks Richardson’s focus is a return to international cricket for the first time in five months. He has been an integral part of Australia’s T20I side, forming the pace attack alongside Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, as they have climbed to No. 1 in the world and hopes to retain that role.Kane Richardson is his delivery stride•Getty Images

“Coming off five months of doing nothing you don’t really know until you start, but if look back over the last 12 months I’ve feel I’ve done the job so it’s been a really nice period for the T20 team,” he said. “You never feel 100% comfortable behind those guys but hopefully my name is called on Friday night.”Given the enlarged nature of the squad for this tour inside a biosecure bubble, Richardson is one of a host of pace-bowling options available including the uncapped Riley Meredith and Daniel Sams.”Everyone brings a little bit of variety and their individual strengths, think that’s what you want in a bowling attack. I feel like we have all bases covered,” Richardson said.Most of Australia’s batsmen have enjoyed time in the middle over the four intersquad warm-up matches played at the Ageas Bowl and Richardson picked out Marnus Labuschagne’s 50-ball century as the standout performance although he will find it tough to break into the T20 side.”T20 probably hasn’t been his format so to get the opportunity in that last game he showed a few people what he could do and probably some surprise in the field with the shots he was playing, was almost batting like a mini AB de Villiers someone said. That’s a fair endorsement.”

Bravo wants to concentrate on playing and enjoying the game, says Venky Mysore

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2020West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard will continue to lead Trinbago Knight Riders for the upcoming CPL season.Pollard had been named Knight Riders’ replacement captain after regular captain Dwayne Bravo was sidelined from the entire CPL 2019 with an injury. After captaining Knight Riders to the playoffs – they were beaten by eventual champions Barbados Tridents in the second qualifier – Pollard took over as the captain of West Indies’ ODI and T20I sides.ALSO READ: Trinbago v Guyana to kick off 2020 seasonIt was Bravo who had led Knight Riders to back-to-back title victories in 2017 and 2018, but, according to Venky Mysore, the CEO of the team as well as Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Bravo wasn’t keen to lead the side earlier too, and instead wanted to focus on his career as a player.”We are happy that Kieron who is the West Indies captain is our leader at TKR,” Mysore was quoted as saying by . “The champion DJ Bravo has been coming to me year after year and asking me to give someone else the captaincy because he wants to just concentrate on playing and enjoying the game. I always told him not until I am ready and that time has come and he is very happy to play under Pollard.”Pollard and Bravo also share a great relationship and when Bravo announced his decision to come out T20I retirement last December, he talked up Pollard’s captaincy.”They are great friends and they will both come together to give us the best chance at the CPL this year,” Mysore said. “Bravo said he has played under Pollard before and this will be the best thing at this time for all parties. Pollard was kind enough to accept the position to lead the team at the tournament. He said if we wanted him to do it he will and we said that we will be delighted to have him as captain again.”During the draft that was held virtually on June 24, Knight Riders snapped up 48-year old Indian legspinner Pravin Tambe, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza and local quick Anderson Phillip. Earlier, Knight Riders retained their core from last season and signed New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert, Australian legspinner Fawad Ahmed and fast bowler Jayden Seales, who had represented West Indies in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.Knight Riders will play five-time finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL 2020 opener on August 18. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire tournament will be held in Trinidad & Tobago this year, with the final scheduled for September 11 at the Brian Lara Stadium.

He’s known for his high speeds and effective bouncers, but in the second Test, he also showed good discipline

Firdose Moonda05-Feb-2021The trick to being a successful fast bowler in the subcontinent is not just express pace and good intent, but also to work with straighter angles. That’s what Anrich Nortje, who made his debut in India and took his first five-for away from home in Rawalpindi in his 10th Test match, has learned.”At home, if you run in hard, bowl fast and get the ball in the right areas, you’ve already sort of taken a wicket a lot of the time. But, particularly in the last while, I try to keep my angles – even where I start running from – as straight as possible. That’s helped me a lot, particularly in the subcontinent,” Nortje said after the second day’s play of the second Test against Pakistan. “Sometimes, when I go a bit wider, because there’s not a lot of bounce here, it’s an easy cut shot most of the time. In South Africa you’re trying to get into that channel. Here you’re trying to hit the stumps most of the time, and you also don’t want to be bowling on leg stump. It’s one thing I’ve focused on a lot.”Nortje has become known for consistently bowling in the upper 140s and for using the bouncer to good effect, but in this innings he also showed his ability not to veer wide outside off or down leg. It helped that he could operate in short spells – he bowled six in total of which only two consisted of five overs each – and could give each delivery his all.”We had a chat about the energy of the fast bowlers and trying to create something in our spells – to not bowl too long and when we do come on try and create something,” Nortje said. “That’s what happened in this game. We didn’t bowl long spells and we tried to dig it in as much as possible and hit the wicket as much as possible. That was the plan, to bowl short spells and try to have as much energy as you can.”That may make it sound like all was nothing but hard work, but Nortje confirmed there is some assistance for the seamers in Rawalpindi, and definitely more than there was in the first Test in Karachi. “With the hard ball there is some bounce,” he said. “I don’t think the fast bowlers will be completely out of it, I think there might be different opportunities and different ways of taking wickets like we saw the ball keeping low, so that might come into it.”Still, to prosper on the subcontinent for a South African quick is something special. For previous bowlers, like Dale Steyn, who took two of his first three five-fors in Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively, it signalled a coming-of-age and an ability to adjust to unfamiliar terrain and still have a decisive say. “Getting a performance in the subcontinent definitely means a lot,” Nortje said. Hopefully I can just grow as a fast bowler.”At 27, Nortje is older than the then-24-year-old Steyn was when he took 5 for 56 to bowl South Africa to victory in Lahore in 2007, and he also occupies a more senior role in the transitioning Test side. After Kagiso Rabada, Nortje is the second-most capped Test bowler in the squad and he has become a go-to for Quinton de Kock when matters are meandering and he needs to make something happen.In Karachi, it didn’t work and Pakistan’s last four-wickets put on 202. In Rawalpindi, it did, and Nortje plucked the last two wickets in three balls to keep Pakistan to under 275, although the last five wickets added 123 between them. Does he think the South African attack lets tails, and the Pakistan one in particular, get too far ahead? “I don’t think it’s become a problem,” he said.”In the previous game they had a lot of partnerships. It’s not something we can really control. Our energy, line and lengths are the controllables and are doing our best when we do get a sniff to try and make an impact. We bowled well and even if we didn’t get the wickets, to control the rate was really good. We’ve restricted them to a good total. It’s manageable for us to exceed their score. By no means do I think they got too much.”

A round-up of all the Plunket Shield matches that ended on October 18, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Mitchell McClenaghan ended with match figures of 7 for 106•Getty Images

Auckland’s fast bowlers Mitchell McClenaghan and Matthew Quinn picked up seven wickets each, setting the tone for Auckland’s nine-wicket victory against Canterbury. Auckland were also buoyed by half-centuries from Colin de Grandhomme, Brad Cachopa and Martin Guptill, as the team opened their Plunket Shield campaign strongly.Canterbury, after being inserted, failed to string together any meaningful partnership, and were bundled out for 149, as McClenaghan (4 for 38) and Quinn (3 for 34) ran through the line-up in 48.1 overs. Auckland found themselves struggling at 50 for 3 in their reply, but three big stands – 82 for the fourth wicket between de Grandhomme (70) and Rob Nicol, 68 for the fifth between Nicol and Cachopa (61), and 68 for the eighth between Tarun Nethul and Michael Bates – ensured the hosts posted a total of 316 to collect a lead of 167.Canterbury fared better in the second innings, thanks mainly to a 109-run partnership between Leo Carter (79) and Ken McClure (50), but once again, regular strikes from McClenaghan and Quinn prevented the visitors from pulling away with a large score. Canterbury were eventually bowled out for 321, meaning that Auckland needed just 155 for victory, a total the hosts chased down in 37 overs thanks to Guptill’s unbeaten 94-ball 84.
ScorecardA maiden double-century from Central Districts’ 24-year-old batsman Ben Smith was the highlight of their drawn game against Otago in Napier. In a game that saw 1267 runs scored, it was Otago, opting to bat, who made the early running. Buoyed by a 157-run stand between Sam Wells and James Neesham, the hosts compiled 352. Neesham went on to make 131 off 152 balls, while Otago were also lifted by handy half-centuries from Hamish Rutherford (79*) and Wells (62). Doug Bracewell was the pick of Central Districts’ bowlers, collecting 5 for 67.Central Districts lost Greg Hay early in their reply, but Smith battled on for more than eight hours, scoring 244 off 368 balls, with 29 fours and a six. He shared a mammoth 234-run stand for the fourth wicket with George Worker, who made 129. Will Young (62) and Tom Bruce (71) also chipped in with half-centuries, as Central Districts eventually declared on 650 for 8.With a lead of 298, Central Districts had nearly 90 overs to bowl Otago out and seal an innings win, and looked well on course to doing that by removing Rutherford and Ryan Duffy early. However, Neil Broom held firm, scoring a patient 131, and put on a 204-run partnership with Brad Wilson to guide his team to safety. Otago were 265 for 3 when stumps were called.
ScorecardTim Southee and Trent Boult took 12 wickets together as Northern Districts drew with Wellington and walked away with seven points in their season opener.Right-arm seamer Dane Hutchinson also picked up a five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick, to clean up the Northern Districts tail but by then the first-innings lead had passed 150.Captain Daniel Flynn and Kane Williamson gave Northern Districts a strong base, adding 148. While Williamson became the first of Jeetan Patel’s three victims, Flynn went on to make 102 off 239 balls. Bharat Popli and BJ Watling also scored fifties to steer their side to 429 before Hutchinson became the first Wellington bowler to take a hat-trick since Stephen Hotter in 1997.However, it could not mask the top-order failure in the first innings. Having been inserted, Wellington were reduced to 47 for 5 inside 18 overs with Southee doing the bulk of the damage. However, a rearguard stand of 108 between Tom Blundell and Luke Ronchi helped the visitors recover to 267. Luke Ronchi was the eighth man dismissed for 115 off 112 balls.The batting line-up fared much better in the second innings with each of their batsmen, with the exception of No.9 reaching double-figures. Boult accounted for Stephen Murdoch (93), Blundell (46), and Ronchi (15) but Wellington nudged past 400 before stumps on the fourth day.

BCB will also seek the opinion of the players for the tour comprising three T20Is and two Tests in January-February

Mohammad Isam14-Dec-2019BCB president Nazmul Hassan is hopeful that the Bangladesh team will get security clearance from the government to tour Pakistan next month for a series comprising three T20Is and two Tests. However, he also said that there remained a couple of more steps that needed to be taken before a final decision could be arrived at.Last week, BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury had said that the board was expecting a decision from the government imminently, but that time was running out. However, Hassan struck a more positive tone on Saturday.”We had written to the government about our security clearance for Pakistan,” Hassan said. “We had sent a women’s team and an Under-16 team previously. We don’t have the clearance for the senior men’s team yet. Security is paramount even if it is for an Under-12 side. It is going to be the same for everyone, which is why I believe that we are likely to get the security clearance.”Bangladeshi sides have toured Pakistan in the recent past, but the men’s team haven’t done so since 2008. Seven years ago they were close to deciding on a tour to Pakistan, only for the AHM Mustafa Kamal-led BCB to pull out shortly after the decision to tour was taken.Hassan has said that after the government announces their decision, it would be up to the BCB to speak to the players who could decide for themselves whether they were keen to tour or not. BCB director Akram Khan has already suggested splitting the tour so that the Tests could be played later.”The government had sent their security team, so once we get the clearance we can tell you our decision. After the security clearance, we also must ask the cricketers, whose opinion is important.”We also have to consider the board’s decision, but we are at the final stages of our decision. I think we will know about it in the next 4-5 days,” said Hassan.The tour comprises of three T20Is, scheduled to be held in Lahore on January 23, 25 and 27, and two Tests, which are slated to be held in Rawalpindi and Karachi.

Three-time champions Leicestershire got their latest NatWest T20 Blast campaign off to a flyer by beating Lancashire at Liverpool, chasing down 174 off the last ball

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2017
ScorecardJos Buttler was one of two big scalps for Callum Parkinson [file picture]•Associated Press

Three-time champions Leicestershire got their latest NatWest T20 Blast campaign off to a flyer by beating Lancashire at Liverpool, chasing down 174 off the last ball.The Foxes have not qualified out of the North Group since their last success in 2011.But they will be more confident of doing so this year having upset Lancashire by three wickets as Colin Ackermann led the way with a measured 62 not out off 41 balls.The South African even hit the last ball of the match for six with two needed.The Lightning, who won their opener at Durham on Friday, posted 173 for 9, having been invited to bat, with Liam Livingstone hitting 48 off 33 balls and Jos Buttler 39 off 21.They shared 72 in 6.1 overs for the fourth wicket, but visiting captain Clint McKay impressed with 3 for 29 as Lancashire struggled in the second half of their innings.Lancashire lost three wickets in the power play, including McKay getting Arron Lilley and Steven Croft in the space of two balls in the fifth to leave the score 40 for three.Pinch-hitter Lilley had hit 30 off 17 balls from number three, but Livingstone and Buttler shared 72 in 6.1 overs for the fourth wicket, both hitting two sixes, to really get things going on a glorious Merseyside day.Buttler hit his third ball over long-on off former Red Rose Academy graduate Callum Parkinson, the left-arm spinning twin of Lancashire’s Matt.Parkinson then got both Buttler and Livingstone, caught at long-off and stumped respectively, to spark the Foxes fightback.All-rounder Danny Lamb pulled Gavin Griffiths for six in the 17th over, but that was the only boundary from midway through the 13th as Lancashire fell from 112 for 3.McKay, an expert when it comes to change of pace, only conceded five off the last over as the Lightning tail failed to regain earlier momentum.The Foxes chase got off to the perfect start as Luke Ronchi lofted the first ball from off-spinner Lilley for a straight six, and he shared 42 inside four overs for the first wicket with Cameron Delport.But the pair fell in the space of three balls at the end of the fourth and start of the fifth. Delport drove Lamb (three for 30) to mid-on for 19 and Ronchi was caught at cover for 17 off left-arm spinner Stephen Parry’s first ball as the score fell to 42 for two.Mark Cosgrove, however, hoisted Parry for six at the start of the ninth over as he and Ackermann settled quickly and put the Lightning back under pressure with a 61-run stand. They helped reach halfway at 99 for two.Not even the loss of Cosgrove for 34 off 21 – caught at wide long-on off Lamb – Ned Eckersley and Lewis Hill could derail the Foxes, who fell to 128 for five in the 15th.With Ackermann still there on 38, they needed 43 off 30 balls. The contest became much closer than expected with some tight bowling at the death, and the visitors made hard work of six needed off the last from Kyle Jarvis.Mat Pilans was run out off the penultimate ball, leaving two needed. But Ackermann hit the last over cover for his second six to clinch a win which had always looked likely throughout the chase.Lancashire’s captain Steven Croft confirmed that overseas all-rounder Ryan McLaren missed the game with a tight hip flexor, while fellow overseas bowler Junaid Khan should arrive from Pakistan in time for Friday’s Roses clash following visa issues.

Kings XI’s defeat to CSK has improved the qualification chances of RCB and Capitals

S Rajesh01-Nov-2020Rajasthan Royals: Played 13, Points 12, NRR -0.377
The Rajasthan Royals’ need to beat the Kolkata Knight Riders to keep their hopes alive. The elimination of the Kings XI has only very marginally simplified their task, in that, if the Sunrisers beat the Mumbai Indians in their last game, then the Royals’ net run rate (NRR) should be above that of the loser of the Capitals-Royal Challengers match.If the Capitals lose by a run, chasing 160, the Royals need to win in around 13.5 overs (also chasing 160). If the Royal Challengers lose by a run, chasing 160, the Royals need to win in around 13.2 overs (also chasing 160).However, given the Royals’ poor NRR, their best bet for qualification will be if the Sunrisers lose their last match. Then, the Royals will progress to the playoffs without NRR coming into play, if they beat the Knight Riders.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kolkata Knight Riders: Played 13, Points 12, NRR -0.467
The Knight Riders are in a similar situation as the Royals, their opponents on Sunday, except that their NRR is a bit poorer. Hence, the best-case scenario for them is exactly what applies to Royals: to hope that the Sunrisers lose their last game. Then, the Knight Riders will qualify as the fourth team if they beat the Royals.If the Sunrisers win their last game, then the Knight Riders will have to win by a big enough margin which lifts their NRR above that of the loser of the Capitals-Royal Challengers match. If the Capitals lose by a run, chasing 160, the Knight Riders need to win by 77 runs. If the Royal Challengers lose by a run, chasing 160, the Knight Riders need to win by 80 runs.Royal Challengers Bangalore: Played 13, Points 14, NRR -0.145
The Kings XI’s defeat has improved the qualification chances of the Royal Challengers, even if they lose to the Capitals on Monday. If they lose on Monday, they can qualify if their NRR stays above that of the winner of the Knight Riders’ game against the Royals. If the Sunrisers lose to the Mumbai Indians, then the Royal Challengers will be through without NRR coming into play, despite a defeat to the Capitals.They will want to beat the Capitals, though, as that will secure them second place on the points table.Delhi Capitals: Played 13, Points 14, NRR -0.159
Not only have the Capitals lost their last four matches, they have also lost three by huge margins, which has shaved off a whopping 0.933 from their NRR.The Capitals are now in a similar situation as the Royal Challengers, their opponents on Monday. If they win, they will finish second; if they lose, their survival will depend on the Sunrisers-Mumbai game, and the margin of the Knight Riders-Royals match.Sunrisers Hyderabad: Played 13, Points 12, NRR 0.555
The Sunrisers have made a late surge and have an excellent NRR, but their last game is against table-toppers Mumbai Indians. However, apart from the NRR, what might work in their favour is the fact that they will play Mumbai in Sharjah, the same venue where they beat the Royal Challengers so emphatically.The equation for the Sunrisers is the simplest: beat Mumbai, and they will be through regardless of other results; lose the match, and they will be out.

The England captain feels Tim Paine’s ‘new Australia’ will be tested in the crucible of an Ashes series

Daniel Brettig in Birmingham31-Jul-2019England captain Joe Root will believe Australia have ceased to be the mouthy, win-at-all-cost combination he had encountered two years ago only when the behaviour of Tim Paine’s men stands up under the extreme pressure of an Ashes series.Numerous members of England’s squad were left bruised if not outright scarred by their experiences on that tour, bullied by Australia’s pacemen and batsmen and also subjected to plenty of hostile and at times outright abusive language. The subsequent Newlands scandal and its fallout pushed Australia in a fresh direction, ruling out premeditated abuse, but it was evident during their Southampton internal trial match that there would still be plenty of chatter on the field.In the lead up to the first Ashes Test, Root admitted he was yet to be convinced that the new, more respectful Australian approach would stand up when they were in the crucible of an Ashes series in England – where they have not won since 2001.”Not sure, to be perfectly honest. We’ll have to wait, obviously we’ll find out,” he said. “Some of the comments that have crept out over the last couple of weeks makes me suggest that maybe not. But we’ll see. Certainly would be different [if quieter].”I’m sure it’ll come up in the preview to the game with the match referees and stuff. We’ve got a way of playing our cricket and we don’t want to get involved in anything that’s unnecessary, or – we just want to play good cricket. We want it to be entertaining; we want the crowds to enjoy themselves at every ground. But we want it to be done in the right way.”At the World Cup, England, the eventual champions, faced Australia twice. In the group-stage game, Root scored 8 in a 64-run defeat at Lord’s, while in the semi-final at Edgbaston, he hit an unbeaten 46-ball 49 in just over an hour to guide England to an eight-wicket win.”The first game I wasn’t out there long enough to find out. The second game… by that time we were in a very commanding position,” Root said. “So it’s very different – and it was hard to hear anything above the noise at this ground. It was an incredible atmosphere, for the English anyway. Yeah, we’ll see.”The comments that Root referred to included Josh Hazlewood’s suggestion that Jason Roy would struggle as a Test match opener, while the inclusion of the highly talkative Matthew Wade should also mean things are seldom quiet when he is in the field.”I saw a few comments, yeah,” Root said of Hazlewood. “You expect those ahead of a big series. So, anyway, it’s always tasty when people have a bit to say. I think with selection, he [Roy] is there to go and play in his own manner at the top of the order. He’s a very talented player, he can take a game away from a number of sides.”People have opinions he might be better suited to No. 4. I think it’s really exciting having him at the top of the order and he deserves the opportunity to go out there first up and have a good crack at the top, and hopefully apply some pressure back onto Australia.”As for the reception expected for Australia’s players from the Edgbaston crowd, particularly Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Root said he was expecting the noise to play a significant part in the series. “I’m certainly not going to be stood there booing, that’s for sure,” Root said. “It must’ve been a really tough time for the three of those guys.”I can’t control how other people are going to react within the ground, and how the crowd go about that. I think the [World Cup] one-dayers gave a small idea of what it probably will be like for them. But we’re not going to get involved in that as a team, we want to play good cricket, and make it a really memorable series. It’s been a great summer for us so far, and it’s an opportunity now, five more Test matches to build on that and hopefully make it a very special year to remember.”

Rohit Sharma scored his fourth T20 international century – the most by anybody – to seal the series win for India

The Report by Sidharth Monga06-Nov-2018
Rohit Sharma scored his fourth T20 international century – the most by anybody – to seal the series win for India. A festive crowd on the eve of Diwali sold out the debuting Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, and were treated to fabulous T20 batting. Rohit had to suss out an unknown pitch, overcome its slowness, and compensate for a scratchy effort from Shikhar Dhawan at the other end. He cleared the massive boundaries – all over 75m – seven times, and contributed 57% of India’s runs even though he faced only 50% of the balls.Missing their best players once again, West Indies made it worse for themselves, dropping two catches, bowling two no-balls, eight wides and conceding overthrows. They made big tactical errors too, bowling two overs of spin inside the Powerplay, thus giving up the advantage of the massive boundaries. Here without any openers in the squad, they were always going to struggle to chase 196.Slow startA sold-out stadium had waited patiently for the 7pm start. What’s one more over to them? For the first time in his T20 career, Rohit played out a maiden at the top of an innings. The crowd got impatient, chanting his name, but he knew what he was doing. Rohit was assessing the conditions, and refusing to play a low percentage shot against West Indies’ form bowler, the quick Oshane Thomas. Despite a no-ball from Keemo Paul in the second over, India didn’t hit a single boundary in the first three overs and had scored only 11.Spin breaks shacklesUsually the second half of Powerplay are pressure overs for bowlers because that’s when batsmen look to cash in after a steady start. On a pitch with no turn, Carlos Brathwaite was putting left-arm spinner Khary Pierre in the line of fire. Rohit lofted him first ball over mid-off. When mid-off went back, he hit Pierre for a six over mid-on. Thomas at the other end bowled a no-ball, and India were up and running. What was shaping up to be a lean Powerplay gave them 49 runs. Then Paul dropped Dhawan, Brathwaite dropped short once too often, and India reached 78 in nine overs.3:50

50,000 turn up as cricket returns to Lucknow

Brief quiet but then explosionFabien Allen and Paul managed to bowl the next four overs for 29 runs, which featured Dhawan struggling to force the pace. The harder he tried to hit, the worse he timed the ball. In the 14th over, though, Rohit took matters in his own hands. He was 59 off 42 when he began to slog-sweep Allen. Until now he had played mostly down the ground, but he had also realised there was no turn that he would be hitting against. Successive sixes put West Indies under pressure, and even with the fall of Dhawan and Rishabh Pant there was no stopping Rohit.Brathwaite and Pierre were treated the worst by Rohit and KL Rahul, who dominated strike early on in their 28-ball partnership. A single off the last ball of the 19th over – with Rohit on 92 – left Rahul frustrated, but Rohit put him at ease and asked him to keep going for it and not worry about the hundred. However, the strike came back to Rohit with five balls to go in the innings. A wide full toss went straight of short third man, and then a straight one was ramped over short fine to bring up the hundred. When Brathwaite managed to get a dot in, he undid it with four overthrows. Rohit then smacked Brathwaite over long-off to take the West Indies captain’s tally past 50.Khaleel causes early damageWith Bhuvneshwar Kumar back, Rohit held back Jasprit Bumrah for the second half of the Powerplay and then the second half of the innings. Khaleel Ahmed got the new ball, and quickly accounted for West Indies’ two best batsmen from the ODI series. Playing out of position, both Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer fell trying to force the pace against accurate bowling. West Indies 39 for 2 in the sixth over.Kuldeep, Bumrah seal the winWest Indies’ familiar nemesis then came back to quell any fight that might have been left. Kuldeep Yadav removed Darren Bravo and Nicholas Pooran in the same over; Bravo off the outside edge and another sensational slip catch by Rohit, and Pooran bowled through the gate with a wrong’un. Bumrah was then brought back to get rid of Kieron Pollard, a short ball accounting for the batsman. From 68 for 5 in the 11th over, the rest of the innings was all about finding out what ends first: West Indies’ wickets or overs. It went close, with No. 11 Thomas nearly run out off the last ball of the innings.

On the day that wooden spoonists Glamorgan announced an external review, their batsmen finally showed signs of life at Sophia Gardens

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2018
ScorecardGlamorgan, still searching for their second victory in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship, responded to the announcement of an external review into their dismal season by reaching 331 for 8 at the close of the first day against Leicestershire at Sophia Gardens.In stark contrast to this season, the Welsh county built a series of solid partnerships to set the foundations of the innings, with five in excess of 50, a rarity for them in Championship cricket this season.Leicestershire initially took control on the first morning, as Glamorgan ended on 109 for 3 at lunch.Their Championship debutant fast bowler Tom Taylor had picked up his first two scalps in the morning, dismissing Nick Selman and Jack Murphy cheaply, as an all too familiar tale of batting woes for Glamorgan had looked set to continue. Taylor struck in successive overs, striking Nick Selman in front, before Jack Murphy holed out to Ben Mike at backward point.On the stroke of lunch, experienced South African Stephen Cook, who was brought in for late-season stability but who had only previously managed a highest score of 20 for the Welsh side, was leg before to Callum Parkinson for 36, as Glamorgan found themselves 96 for 3. Carlson remained at the crease on 48, with seven fours to his name from 67 balls.They secured their first batting point at Sophia Gardens since June during the afternoon session. Kiran Carlson brought up his 70-ball half-century with his eighth boundary in the first over of the afternoon from Dieter Klein, and he raced to 61 with two further fours.The boundaries flowed in the 32nd over, as Carlson drove Taylor either side of the wicket in consecutive deliveries before finding the ropes again two balls later and again in the following over, driving Ben Mike through backward point for the fifteenth boundary of his innings.Carlson’s resistance ended, however, when he was bowled by Mike for 83. Lawlor, off the mark from his nineteenth delivery, soon followed, leg before to Dieter Klein for two, as Glamorgan lost two wickets for no runs.When Craig Meschede and Chris Cooke came together at 148 for 5, another rescue mission was required and they duly obliged with a fifty partnership in 10.1 overs securing Glamorgan’s first batting point since the game against Warwickshire at Colwyn Bay in late August.A sixth wicket fell on 207, however, when Chris Cooke was caught behind off Gavin Griffiths for 27, ending a stand of 59 with Meschede, who was unbeaten on 39 as Glamorgan reached 228 for 6 at tea.Having waited a month since their last batting point, Glamorgan obtained a second as Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede, for the seventh wicket, guided their side beyond 250.Meschede, soon after he had reached his half-century from 107 balls, saw Graham Wagg dismissed lbw to Callum Parkinson for 28, ending a 61 partnership, before he was caught at backward point for 55, attempting a cut shot off Colin Ackermann to leave Glamorgan on 268 for 8.Timm van der Gugten, who scored an unbeaten 60 against Gloucestershire here two weeks ago, and Kieran Bull added an unbroken 63 for the ninth wicket.