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Yorkshire claim fourth win in a row despite sliding to 78 for 7 batting first

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2023Beaten in their opening three North Group fixtures, Yorkshire Vikings extended the turnaround in their Vitality Blast campaign to four wins from four, defeating Leicestershire Foxes by 30 runs after the home side were bowled out for 126 at a chilly Uptonsteel County Ground.Having opted to bat first, the Vikings recovered from a perilous 78 for 7 on a green-tinged pitch to post 156 from their 20 overs, allrounder David Wiese finishing on 50 not out from 32 balls and former Leicestershire allrounder Ben Mike 30 from 17 after the pair set a Vikings record by adding 78 for the eighth wicket.Jordan Thompson was the most effective bowler for the Vikings, taking a career-best 5 for 21, with 20-year-old legspinner Jafer Chohan impressing with 1 for 16 from four overs.Wiaan Mulder – playing solely as a batter after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury – top-scored for the Foxes with 46 but although Rishi Patel, with 36 from 25 balls, proved effective in the powerplay, the home side could not build sustained partnerships, dismissed with three balls left of the 20th over.England’s young legspinner Rehan Ahmed took 3 for 21 and left-arm seamer Josh Hull took 2 for 30 – both just 18 years old – as the best of the Foxes bowlers, but strike bowlers Mikey Finan and Naveen-ul-Haq took some punishment as the home attack leaked 69 runs in the last five overs.Dawid Malan’s hot streak ended in the second over as a leading edge to a ball from left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson saw him caught at short third man for 2 following his run of 95 not out, 83 and 81 not out in three innings. James Wharton cashed in on a couple of balls wide of off stump by Hull but there was another success for the Foxes as Naveen beat Adam Lyth’s swinging bat and the Vikings were 42 for 2 from their batting powerplay.Wharton and Shan Masood added 36 in 29 balls but three more wickets before the halfway point had the visitors on the back foot at 65 for 5.Rehan, among the contenders for an England Ashes spot following the injury to Jack Leach, did his prospects no harm by bowling Wharton with one that skidded through before holding an easy return catch next ball as Jonathan Tattersall chipped one back.The Vikings were in more trouble as Masood under-edged a catch behind off the tall Hull before Rehan claimed his third scalp via a catch in the deep on the leg side, well taken by Finan.Yorkshire had no momentum at all at this point and were six overs without a boundary at 75 for 6 when Rehan finished his spell in the 13th over, suffering a further setback in the next over as Matthew Revis nicked one off Hull.But a loose over from Finan gave Wiese a helping hand as he lofted a free hit over long-off for the first six of the Vikings innings and hammered a full toss for four, setting off a strong finish for Yorkshire side and a poor one for Leicestershire, who up to that point had given little away.Wiese and Mike hit eight fours and three sixes from 38 balls after the fall of the seventh wicket, Mike clearing the rope off former team-mates Naveen and Finan to give his old county a tougher chase than they had anticipated.On a roll, Wiese began the home side’s batting powerplay with a maiden and when Nick Welch was grabbed behind the stumps at the second attempt off spinner Dom Bess, the Foxes were 1 for 1. They recovered to put 44 on the board in the opening six but also lost Lewis Hill, who skewed Thompson to third man.At the halfway point, the outcome looked in the balance after a couple of tight overs from Chohan, with 93 needed from 60 balls at 64 for 2. When Patel – hit on the helmet by Revis on 31 – was leg before to Thompson for 36 from 24 balls, and Louis Kimber was bowled by Chohan sweeping, the Vikings looked favourites, an assessment quickly confirmed as Rehan thumped a short delivery from Revis in the air to Wharton at mid-off.Mike held a steepling return catch to remove Arron Lilley, after which a flurry of boundaries by Mulder raised hopes that the Foxes could still make a game of it until Thompson dismissed him and Naveen with consecutive deliveries, both via catches in the deep. Parkinson departed in similar fashion off Mike and Thompson kept steady under another soaring return catch put up by Finan to complete his maiden five-for.

Mott wants Australia to be aggressive, but will fall back on “Plan Bs and Cs that we’ve got” if India get on top

Annesha Ghosh18-Mar-2022What does it tell you about a team when they post their highest total in an ODI World Cup in one game and their lowest in the tournament in 17 years in the next? “There’s no explanation,” according to Smriti Mandhana, but it’s clear that India’s batting is inconsistent, an issue that troubled them in the past World Cup cycle too.”Well, if I had an explanation, I would have definitely discussed in the team dressing room, but I wouldn’t say there’s any explanation because you cannot really… there’s no explanation we can give for something like that,” Mandhana said ahead of Saturday’s big contest against Australia.Related

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Going from 317 in a 144-run win over West Indies to 134 in a four-wicket loss to England was bad enough, but made worse by the fact that the defeat has pushed India towards a league-stage elimination.”In the series [against New Zealand last month], our batters were really doing well. We were getting a good total on board,” Mandhana, who scored 123 against West Indies and 35 against England, said. “But, yeah, in the last four matches, our batting unit together hasn’t clicked and that’s something which we all really want to work on, and I’m sure there will be a perfect game for the batters.”Of course, our bowlers are doing [an] amazing job. They just need a little more support from the batters to get the ‘W’ on the board.”In all of India’s four outings so far at this World Cup, two of which they have won, wickets falling in clusters has been a feature. Mandhana stressed the need for set batters, including herself, to show more judiciousness with their approach, something Mithali Raj, too, had underlined ahead of the start of the tournament.”We have been losing wickets back to back and that’s something which we, as a batting unit, want to address,” Mandhana said. “Fifty-overs [cricket] is all about partnerships, good partnerships, so we definitely want to work on it. As set batters, it’s more responsibility on that batter to take the game forward from that time when you know you’re able to time the ball well.”That’s something I’ll be really conscious about, that we don’t lose wickets back to back and develop a partnership from there, because one or two good partnerships [and] we’ll be able to post a total which will be a good one to defend.”Mandhana, like Jhulan Goswami, backed allrounder Deepti Sharma to make bigger contributions with the bat than her returns of 5, 15, and 0 that have followed her 40 in India’s tournament opener.”See, when you come to a tournament or go to [bilateral] series, not all batters are going to be able to bat in a certain way,” Mandhana said. “She [Deepti] scored a good 40 runs in the first match. But yeah, in last three matches, she was not able to contribute. But I’m sure that she’s just one game away from getting a good score.”As a batting unit, we are just there to back everyone because it’s not that every day all the seven batters are going to click. So our thing is, whoever two or three [batters] are getting to time the ball well, it’s their responsibility to play the 50 overs and get to a respectable total.”The Australia vs India game will be the first at Auckland’s Eden Park at this World Cup. Rain is forecast for Saturday, and Mandhana said India have that “at the back of our mind”.1:48

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Only a win for India can delay Australia’s entry into the semi-finals, while a loss would further dent, though not entirely wipe out, India’s chances of qualifying. A no-result will leave Australia at the top of the table, while India will remain in fourth place.According to Australia head coach Matthew Mott, it will be a “fast bouncy wicket”, which will mean that the teams will rely heavily on their quicks, especially in the powerplay.”We will certainly be encouraging everyone to be aggressive at the start. We want to take early wickets, which we’ve done pretty well throughout the tournament,” Mott said. “But if they do get on top, there’s some Plan Bs and Cs that we’ve got up our sleeve – whether it’s wide, wide lines or change in pace.”Every bowler in our squad is very different. So when Meg [Lanning, the captain] asks them to bowl, [it’s about] making sure they’re really clear on what their job is at the time. And that’s really important for our structure. So, with a number of bowling options, it does give Meg plenty of opportunity to be flexible – shorter spells, if there’s a wind up, certain bowlers might bowl into it.”Having come in from Wellington in the last couple of days, where the conditions have been quite disruptive at times with big winds and gusts, I think our bowling group are pretty good to adapt to these conditions as well.”

Handy 42 not out from Eoin Morgan as well, to get KKR off the mark in IPL 2020

Sreshth Shah26-Sep-20201:12

Manjrekar: Shubman Gill completely dominated Rashid Khan

Kolkata Knight Riders 145 for 3 (Gill 70*, Morgan 42*) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 142 for 4 (Pandey 51, Russell 1-16, Cummins 1-19, Chakravarthy 1-25) by seven wicketsThe Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back from their comprehensive defeat to the Mumbai Indians to ease past the Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets on the back of an impressive performance from their varied bowling attack, which restricted the Sunrisers to 142 for 4. That was followed by a knock of 70 from Shubman Gill to anchor the chase, and there was also a valuable contribution of 42 from Eoin Morgan, in an unbeaten 92-run partnership with Gill.After eight matches in the tournament, it was only the second time that a chasing side clinched victory. The Sunrisers, however, had won the toss and opted to bat first – the first side so far to do that. However, that also meant that it was the seventh game in a row where the team winning the toss lost the match. The Sunrisers are now the only team to remain winless in IPL 2020.Cummins, Chakravarthy show the way with the ballWith the Sunrisers’ best batsmen at the top of the order, the Knight Riders captain opted for an experienced new-ball pair, unlike in the game against Mumbai. Sunil Narine and Pat Cummins – who conceded 49 runs in three overs in his first match – bowled tight lines against David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, not allowing the two batsmen to assert their dominance.Bairstow survived on the review in the fourth over after umpire Chris Gaffaney thought he had edged an attempted paddle off Cummins into the hands of Dinesh Karthik. The next ball, though, he was bowled trying drive a good-length ball that was coming in, out for 5 off 10.Warner and Manish Pandey then consolidated, seeing out the rest of the powerplay, before Warner, then on 36, was caught and bowled in the tenth over, chipping one that went straight on from mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy – playing his first game for the Knight Riders – back to the bowler.Wriddhiman Saha, also playing his first game of the season, joined Pandey at No. 4, and although they batted for the next eight overs, the boundaries were few and far in between. Pandey looked to accelerate and struck three fours and two sixes in his innings of 51, but was caught and bowled by Andre Russell in the 18th over after getting into a bit of a tangle with a full toss – he seemed to be shaping to ramp, then seemingly tried to adjust to the line and flick it on to the leg side, but only managed to lob it back to the bowler – ending a 62-run stand that came in 51 legal balls.Mohammad Nabi hit two fours in the death overs and Saha was then run-out in the 20th for a 31-ball 30, but having conceded just 24 runs in their final three overs, the Knight Riders restricted the to 142 for 4, the third-lowest IPL total for any team that has lost four or fewer wickets in the last six seasons. Cummins conceded just 19 runs in his four overs as the Knight Riders used seven different bowlers – their premier wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav delivered just two overs.Gill, Morgan ease KKR’s nerves after early stutterThe Sunrisers’ left-arm pacers Khaleel Ahmed and T Natarajan struck early in the chase, dismissing Sunil Narine for a duck and then Nitish Rana (for a 13-ball 26) to reduce the Knight Riders to 43 for 2 in the fifth over. That soon became 53 for 3 when Dinesh Karthik was lbw to Rashid Khan.But, at the other end, Gill was comfortable in the middle, standing tall to cut the balls from the left-armers that angled across, or punch ones that were under his eyes. He saw off the inswingers that Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled and held his own as three wickets fell at the other end.ALSO SEE: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad live score 26th September 2020 When Morgan came in at No. 5, the England captain took to sweeping Rashid, surviving a few lbw counts but seemed to grow in confidence thereafter. Gill and Morgan rotated the strike in the middle overs, and Gill got his first fifty of the season by slicing a cut past point for four in the 13th over. Together the pair saw off the rest of Rashid’s spell, and then a tricky few overs from allrounder Mohammad Nabi, but as the Knight Riders inched closer to the target, Morgan produced some big shots.He ended the 15th over by hitting Bhuvneshwar over cover for a six, then finished Rashid’s spell with a crunch through deep midwicket and, with eight to win, sealed the game by clattering Natarajan for a six over long-on and then a four past the bowler. He finished on 42 off 29 balls, while Player-of-the-Match Gill was unbeaten on a 62-ball 70.

One has been dropped as captain and both have missed out on the World Cup but this was a display of them at their best

Shashank Kishore in Jaipur23-Apr-20192:45

Agarkar: Rahane looked a lot freer today

He was cramping. The left forearm was losing strength on an incredibly hot evening. Thirty-six degrees, dry heat, at 9.30pm. But Ajinkya Rahane wasn’t in the mood to give up. Twice the substitute fielder tried to run in with a drink, twice the umpire objected and twice Rahane was lost in his own routines.He was fixated on adjusting his helmet and ensuring the right thumb sat properly inside the right glove compartment. Then he examined his bat grip and looked suspiciously at the toe-end as he looked to accelerate. He was in his batting zone. You could’ve displayed the Game of Thrones finale spoiler on the giant screen and he wouldn’t have noticed. He was losing fluids, but replenishing his thirst with runs.The fatigue wasn’t going to stop him from making a statement though. When he got to his century, the determination was writ large. He pointed to the dressing room, not once but twice, and quietly pumped his fists. The typical Rahane smile was missing though. Few in his position would have.ALSO READ: Talking points: Rahane’s dream T20 inningsIn the past week he’s been dealt a few blows. He’s been told ‘sorry, but you’re not in our World Cup plans’, given a message that his captaincy wasn’t working for Rajasthan Royals and that he had to hand the job back to his predecessor.This could’ve been upsetting and possibly a huge dent on the ego. But then, Rahane isn’t Virat Kohli, whose batting has somewhat covered up for a string of ordinary results. The only way Rahane could have escaped the ignominy of being left out was if he scored runs. That could’ve happened only if he rid himself of all the self-doubts and brought the fun back into his batting.In his first outing after losing the job, he failed. On Monday, he ran Sanju Samson out for a diamond duck, a batsman who could’ve eased the pressure on Rahane with his silken touch. Now, Rahane was properly under the pump and yet he came out and stuck to an old cliché of his: “follow the process”, which essentially in Rahane’s book means relying on his timing and not trying to bat like Chris Gayle. His first boundary on the up through extra cover off Ishant Sharma was signature Rahane. It set the tone.Ajinkya Rahane shapes to scoop the ball over the keeper•BCCI

Up until then, each time he’d started well, he’d invariably lose rhythm trying to hoick and heave his way in as the ball got softer. Here, he sustained momentum right through. He raised the half-century off 32 balls and then reached his second T20 hundred off the next 26 balls. It had come at the same pace as Kohli’s earlier in the season, much quicker than KL Rahul’s or Sanju Samson, the other three Indian centurions.He was lucky, too, when Ishant put down a sitter at short fine leg early in his innings, but after that he was batting with the freedom and authority he’s rarely displayed in recent times. He flat-batted the tournament’s best bowler Kagiso Rabada over his head, laced cover drives on the up for fun, as if he was taking his Audi out for a spin in Mumbai’s Eastern Express Highway, and even made the scoops and paddles off the fast bowlers look ridiculously easy.For a neutral in Jaipur, this was just a teaser, because the thrill was yet to come. Where Rahane had shown an extra gear to his batting and the ability to innovate at times, Rishabh Pant was finishing the game off for his team, fighting his way back into form after a brief lull where his shot selection earned a fair bit of criticism.Playing on two-paced Feroz Shah Kotla pitches had frustrated the Delhi Capitals batsmen no end. Here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, on a surface that played far better than it looked, Pant was like a kid who had ditched the homework for his Playstation the moment his parents left the house.Relying on his muscle, the hand-eye coordination, playing without the fear of the ball holding up and doing those little tricks, he brought up a brutal half-century, like he did in a winning cause at the Wankhede, where anything he hit kept sailing away. As a fielder, you had to sit and pray that he didn’t hit it towards you, because he hit them so hard.The message was clear. Pant was looking to throw the bowlers off gear, making a mockery of tight situations by bringing out his audacity. Yet, as the game veered towards the close, his astute awareness about whom to target and when to back off stood out.Jofra Archer was bowling the 19th. He likes to hit the hard lengths or go for the yorkers. Pant waited patiently for five deliveries and then, with one ball left, decided to show his muscle and connected cleanly over long-on, with Capitals needing 13 off 7 balls.He wasn’t second-guessing, he was instinctively reacting to the ball. Seeing it, hitting it. Here he had paced his innings well, picking his spots, picking which bowler to target and then clinically bringing the target down, much like the man who he idolises – MS Dhoni – had done a day earlier in Bengaluru.You couldn’t help but think of what could’ve been had these two special knocks come a fortnight earlier.

England and New Zealand played out an entertaining series, although the decider was one-sided. What stood out over the five matches?

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton11-Mar-2018England’s batting can adaptThere was little doubt about England’s prowess on true batting pitches, but questions remained how willing they were to curb their natural instincts with the Champions Trophy semi-final against Pakistan and two startling collapses against the swinging ball, at Lord’s and in Adelaide, as examples. The victory in Wellington on a grubby, uneven drop-in pitch was, therefore, significant with them having to assess that it wasn’t even a 270 wicket and dig their way to a defendable score. In fact, the major collapse which came in this series was a new variety: losing 8 for 46 in Dunedin having been 267 for 1. But to knock off the runs in Christchurch in such domineering fashion meant that the batting bandwagon continued to role.Liam Plunkett plays a vital roleLed by Man of the Series Chris Woakes, England were outstanding with the new ball – never letting New Zealand get off to a flyer and twice keeping them to under three-an-over in the first 10. In three of the matches that was backed up very effectively by the spin pair of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. However, the contrast between spin and pace in the middle overs was stark: between overs 11 and 40, the spinners took 11 wickets and conceded 4.50 per over, the quicks took three wickets and conceded 5.96. Partly, that can be attributed to the spinners bowling extensively in that period, but it also highlighted the crucial role that Liam Plunkett has played in extracting life when the two new balls have become a little softer and before ‘death’ skills take over. In 2017, Plunkett was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in ODIs. He is in that World Cup starting XI, fitness permitting.New Zealand have a problem at the topNew Zealand’s opening partnership had a shocker. The highest stand between Martin Guptill and Colin Munro in five matches was 12. It meant, in the four matches he played, Kane Williamson was exposed early. He is good enough to overcome that, but it’s an added pressure on the captain. Barring his 49 in Wellington – a worthy if lucky innings – Munro was batting in single digits. It appeared to have a knock-on effect on Guptill who, even in his two more substantial innings, could not break the shackles. Munro had showed some promise when pushed up to the opening role but against high-quality seam and swing he is vulnerable. With the 2019 World Cup in the first part of the English season, that could be a problem.Ross Taylor brings out the trademark hundred celebration•Getty Images

Ben Stokes can keep his focusThe start of the series marked the big comeback. Five months after the incident in Bristol that led to a not-guilty plea to a charge of affray, Ben Stokes returned to international cricket. In truth it was a soft landing, a world away from the reception and scrutiny he would have received in Australia. Still, Stokes has had a lot on his plate so it wasn’t a given how seamlessly he would slot back in. Parking the debate about whether he should have been on the tour, it was a successful series for him. He almost turned the opening match with two wickets and was Man of the Match in Mount Maunganui. He was never used for his full 10 overs – and his Test workload will be interesting to watch – but he hit good pace, looked in decent nick with the bat (his determination in Wellington was impressive) and was a livewire in the field.Ish Sodhi makes his caseAt the beginning of the series, Ish Sodhi was effectively included in the squad as cover for fellow legspinner Todd Astle who was carrying a niggle. He quickly became the first-choice. Hamilton was Sodhi’s first ODI since last May, when New Zealand took a second-string side to Ireland, but was preferred throughout when the XI wanted two spinners and his career-best 4 for 58 helped turn the match in Dunedin. There was some severe tap for him in Christchurch courtesy of Jonny Bairstow and there remained plenty of loose stuff thrown in, but he is a wicket-taker. Continuing to work on his batting and fielding could be key to whether he makes the 2019 World Cup squad.Ross Taylor on one leg is better than some on twoIt’s a decent pub debate: was New Zealand’s greatest ODI innings played by Ross Taylor in Dunedin? He is batting on another level at the moment, the unbeaten 181 followed another matchwinning hundred in Hamilton, and New Zealand will be desperate that his body stands up for at least another 18 months. Alongside Williamson he is irreplaceable in this current New Zealand era. The match he was run out in and the two he missed, New Zealand lost. Though Tom Latham showed development in the middle-order role – combining with Taylor for stands of 178 and 187 – the loss of either Taylor or Williamson is too great a burden for the team to cover.

ICC chairman has asked cricket’s administrators to be ready to embrace change as the governing body starts to “reverse” the vast changes implemented by the Big Three

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Feb-2017Shashank Manohar, the ICC chairman, has asked cricket’s administrators to be ready to embrace change as the governing body starts to “reverse” the vast changes implemented by the Big Three in 2014.In an unusual move, the ICC’s new website – relaunched today – carried a column by its chairman ostensibly looking ahead to 2017, but published on the eve of a key round of quarterly ICC meetings in Dubai from Thursday. The most significant items on the agenda will be, in Manohar’s words, “a complete review of the 2014 resolutions and constitutional changes.”That will include potentially replacing the revenue distribution model devised in 2014 by the BCCI, ECB and Cricket Australia, which pushed a considerable percentage of ICC revenue to those three boards, as well as greater governing power.Manohar, who took over from N Srinivasan as ICC chairman in November 2015, has repeatedly objected to such an unequal distribution and power structure, and has made it his priority as chairman to revoke previous resolutions. “I don’t agree with the three major countries bullying the ICC,” Manohar had said.He has since remained true to those intentions. In his column Manohar said he was optimistic about the board adopting the new changes proposed by a working group constituted last year to review the Big Three’s reforms. “As Chairman of the ICC, I feel optimistic for our sport for a number of reasons away from the field of play,” Manohar wrote. “Sport governance is under the spotlight more than ever before and it is no secret that in our recent past the ICC has taken decisions that were in retrospect not always in the best interests of the game as a whole. I believe 2017 is the year when we start to reverse that and provide a genuine opportunity for our sport to grow.”Outlining a broader vision, Manohar wrote that he wanted all ICC members “from the largest nation to the smallest” to benefit from decisions taken by the board. “The ICC constitution, our governance and financial distributions will all be discussed as we navigate our way towards a better sport that enables all of our members to grow and flourish and for the ICC to grow the game in new markets.”Also on the agenda will be debate about the future of Test and one-day cricket, facing a rising challenge from the growing success of domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world. Cricket’s administrators have been trying to find an appropriate model that provides context to international bilateral cricket as well as keep their finances healthy.Manohar wrote that it was important to “protect and promote the three vibrant formats” of the game, providing them with context and meaning while at the same time creating “an event pathway that is open to every member.”But he also highlighted the challenge that his organisation in particular faces, one that has been repeatedly highlighted by ICC heads and officials over the years. The ICC, Manohar wrote, could only play the role of facilitator because it did not “own” international cricket. “[T]he rights to bilateral international cricket are not owned by the ICC. These rights vest in the respective boards. Thus it is not for us to impose a structure on the members. We need to work in partnership with them, facilitating discussion around the future structure and providing the resource to work through and test ideas.”This takes time and we must be comfortable with that. Making ill-thought out and hasty change, or change for change sake, will not have the transformative effect we’re all focused on. I believe there is a genuine will from across our membership to deliver a structure for each of the three formats of the game and I am confident that collectively we will achieve that in 2017.”In concluding, Manohar said, change was imperative. “Change is not always easy to champion nor is it easy to digest, but we must think of the global game when taking decisions and only then will history judge us kindly.”

A record partnership between Brad Hodge and Alex Ross powered Adelaide Strikers’ 19-run win over Melbourne Stars

The Report by Tristan Lavalette18-Dec-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlex Ross crunched seven fours and three sixes•Getty Images

A record partnership between Brad Hodge and Alex Ross ensured Adelaide Strikers’ coach Jason Gillespie enjoyed a fairy-tale homecoming. The pair complemented each other perfectly during a record BBL fifth-wicket stand of 115 to punctuate Striker’s 19-run win over the fancied Melbourne Stars at the Adelaide Oval.Defending 187, Strikers overcame a nervous start in the field to restrict the power-packed Stars batting line-up to 7 for 168. Assisted by a pitch offering turn, English import Adil Rashid menaced with figures of 2 for 27, including the prized scalp of Glenn Maxwell who threatened to seal the deal for the Stars.Strikers fluffed as many as five chances early in the chase, most notably Craig Simmons’ dropped sitter at first slip when Marcus Stoinis was on 2, but they recovered to grasp the initiative. The bowling attack stepped up to curb Stars’ batting line-up with discipline highlighted by the visitor’s inability to hit a six until the 14th over.Stars seemed on track to overhaul the target when they reached 1 for 90 after 11 overs, but Ben Laughlin changed the complexion of the match, taking the key wickets of Stoinis and Kevin Pietersen in the next over. Apart from a brief whirlwind partnership between Maxwell and captain David Hussey, the total appeared beyond Stars.Amid sweltering conditions where temperatures hovered at 38 degrees when the match started, Hodge and Ross starred and rescued Strikers from early trouble, after being sent in by Hussey.When Travis Head (16) fell to a questionable caught-behind decision, despite replays showing the ball appearing to land in front of wicketkeeper Peter Handscomb, Strikers slumped to 4 for 64 in the 10th over, and were in serious peril of posting a competitive total on a flat pitch.Hodge, the Strikers’ new captain, showcased his experience and composure during a stabilising period of batting where he was content in rotating the strike with clever singles. Juxtaposing this was Ross’ audacious batting complete with a plethora of bold sweep shots, which accounted for two of his three sixes in the innings.Fittingly, Ross notched his maiden BBL half century, off just 25 balls, when he swept pacer Scott Boland for a massive six. Boland then got his revenge by trapping Ross lbw in the last over of the innings, but the damage had been done.Showcasing his class, Hodge timed his innings to perfection scoring 29 off as many balls before accelerating towards the end to finish unbeaten on 56 from 41 deliveries. The Strikers plundered 67 runs in the final four overs.The Hodge and Ross brilliance came after Strikers’ top order had failed to fire, despite a tease from openers Craig Simmons and Tim Ludeman, who hit two sixes each. However, they were unable to produce scores of substance. Mahela Jayawardene, a replacement into the Strikers’ squad for the injured Kieron Pollard, seemed likely to try to bat throughout the innings but looked out of touch. Jayawardene was dropped by Handscomb before he had scored, but soon perished attempting a rash slash off James Faulkner, who was the pick of the Stars’ bowlers finishing with 1 for 21.It eventually turned out to be a satisfying start for the Strikers’ new leadership combination of Gillespie and Hodge.

Captain Daryl Mitchell led from the front with his maiden one-day century as Worcestershire began their Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign with an impressive 91-run win over Sussex at Hove.

05-May-2013Worcestershire 245 for 9 (Mitchell 107) beat Sussex 154 (Shantry 3-29) by 91 runs
ScorecardDaryll Mitchell made a century at a run-a-ball•Getty Images

Captain Daryl Mitchell led from the front with his maiden one-day century as Worcestershire began their Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign with an impressive 91-run win over Sussex at Hove. Mitchell made a run-a-ball 107 before departing in the penultimate over and Sussex never threatened to overhaul a target of 246 and were dismissed for 154 in the 32nd over.On a good pitch and in front of a crowd of 6,500, Sussex, beaten semi-finalists in the last two years, would have fancied their chances but their powerful top order never recovered after the top four, including Matt Prior, were dismissed in the first 11 overs of their reply.Mitchell’s day was complete when he picked up two wickets with his medium pace as Worcestershire, who finished bottom of their group last season, secured their first one-day win on Sussex soil for 13 years.They made a bad start when Moeen Ali, who signed a five-year contract extension last week, was bowled in the first over trying to reverse-sweep Michael Yardy’s left-arm spin. Alexei Kervezee looked good until he was stumped giving left-arm chinaman Michael Rippon the charge but Mitchell led a recovery with Sri Lankan overseas player Thilan Samaraweera, putting on 111 in 20 overs for the third wicket.Samaraweera looked untroubled for 41 until a mistimed flick went straight to short fine leg in the 27th over and no one was able to provide Mitchell with much support after that.Chris Jordan pulled off a stunning diving catch at mid-off to remove Neil Pinner and Worcestershire lost four wickets in seven balls after Mitchell reached a chanceless century before he was run out backing up. His 107 came off 106 balls with nine fours.Jordan belatedly found his rhythm to pick up two wickets in the final over but Sussex’s bowling and fielding was well below standard.In contrast, Worcestershire’s fielding was excellent. Luke Wells, in only his seventh List A game for Sussex, spooned a catch to mid-off in the second over of the reply and Chris Nash was held at backward square leg as the Sharks lost both openers for 16.Mitchell dropped Prior’s first ball at slip but it did not prove to be an expensive miss. After Rory Hamilton-Brown was run out by Pinner’s throw from midwicket, responding late to his partner’s call for a single, Prior was stumped giving Ali the charge.Yardy held the innings together with 45 but he was run-out when Mitchell deflected Jordan’s drive onto the stumps as he backed up too far to complete an excellent day for the Royals’ skipper and his side.

Amanda Samaroo, a 19-year old allrounder from Trinidad & Tobago, has been recalled to the West Indies Women squad after an absence of more than two years

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2012Amanda Samaroo, a 19-year old allrounder from Trinidad & Tobago, has been recalled to the West Indies Women squad after an absence of more than two years, for the home series against Sri Lanka Women from April 22 to May 10. Samaroo’s last international was a Twenty20 against England Women in November 2009.Natasha McLean, 17, was the only new face in the 14-player team led by Merissa Aguilleira. McLean, who plays for Jamaica Women, replaced wicketkeeper Kycia Knight, who along with Shaquana Quintyne was unavailable for the series due to exams. Britney Cooper was also ruled out because of a finger injuryWest Indies Women will play three ODIs and five Twenty20s against Sri Lanka Women. Two T20 matches will in Barbados and the other three in Trinidad. Sri Lanka are ranked seventh in the T20 format, whereas the hosts are fifth. All the one-dayers will be held in Barbados.Squad: Merissa Aguilleira (capt), Stafanie Taylor (vc), Shemaine Campbelle, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Pearl Etienne, Stacy, Ann King, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, Amanda Samaroo, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt

Karl Brown continued his liking for the Sussex attack by top scoring with 88 as Lancashire took control on the first day of the County Championship encounter at Hove

26-Apr-2011
ScorecardPaul Horton helped give Lancashire a solid start against Sussex•Getty Images

Karl Brown continued his liking for the Sussex attack by top scoring with 88 as Lancashire took control on the first day of the County Championship encounter at Hove.Lancashire won their meeting at Liverpool earlier this month by an innings and today moved into a decent position to continue their unbeaten start to the season as Brown, who made his maiden Championship century in that game, helped his side reached 322 for 6 at stumps.It was a tough day for the Sussex bowlers on a sluggish pitch until Rana Naved-ul-Hasan took two wickets in four balls in the penultimate over. A short boundary on the pavilion side gave the hosts little room for error and, although Monty Panesar again bowled accurately, the seam attack often lacked consistency and also gifted Lancashire 36 runs through 18 no balls – including three in successive deliveries from Naved-ul-Hasan.Openers Paul Horton and Stephen Moore justified skipper Glen Chapple’s decision to bat first by posting a stand of 129 in 36.1 overs – Lancashire’s best opening partnership since September 2008. Their progress before lunch was untroubled apart from a ball in his first over by left-armer Naved Arif which Horton slashed just wide of Ben Brown at second slip.Panesar, who has already taken 11 wickets this season, was introduced into the attack after just 75 minutes by acting captain Murray Goodwin and the left-arm spinner at least brought some control to proceedings.The opening stand was finally broken 20 minutes after lunch when Luke Wright, playing for the first time this season following a knee injury, nipped one back off the seam to trap Moore leg before wicket for 49.Horton followed in the 45th over and would have been furious with a soft dismissal. Having batted for nearly three hours and hit 13 fours in his 78 he mis-timed a pull at Naved-ul-Hasan and the ball looped off the top edge to slip where Ed Joyce took a simple catch.Bat was soon dominating ball again, though, and Sussex needed a great bit of fielding by Ben Brown to prise out Mark Chilton for 32 after he and Brown had added 82 in 22 overs for the third wicket. Chilton was sent back by his partner at the non-striker’s end after pushing the ball to Brown and failed to beat his direct hit from mid-wicket.The persevering Panesar was finally rewarded in his 24th over, but first after switching ends, when Steven Croft’s ill-judged reverse sweep was comfortably taken by Brown for four.At 266 for four there was a glimmer of hope for Sussex, who took the new ball straight away, but Brown added 55 with another 20-year-old, Luke Procter, and was on course for another hundred against Sussex when he was well caught low down at slip by Joyce for 88 off 161 balls, including 11 fours.Nightwatchman Gary Keedy was caught behind three balls later without scoring to give Naved-ul-Hasan his third wicket, but it was Lancashire’s day.