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The Australia keeper equalled the world record and set an Australia List A record with eight catches while Buckingham took 6 for 41

AAP14-Feb-2024Alex Carey took a world record-equalling eight catches in an innings for South Australia in their Marsh Cup win over Queensland.It was the 32-year-old Test wicketkeeper’s first 50-over game since being dropped from the Australian side at last year’s World Cup in India and he had a day to remember. Five of Carey’s catches were taken off the bowling of player of the match Jordan Buckingham, who finished with a career-best 6 for 41 in the Bulls’ total of 218 at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Wednesday.The Redbacks won by five wickets in the 45th over with Thomas Kelly blasting 81 off 66 deliveries and captain Nathan McSweeney making 52.Carey had earlier equalled the List A world record when he caught a skier to dismiss last man Matt Kuhnemann. Carey finished the innings equal with two previous world record holders who achieved the feat in English domestic cricket. The first to claim eight catches in an innings was Somerset wicketkeeper Derek Taylor in 1982. The feat was then achieved by Worcestershire gloveman James Pipe in 2001.Carey’s new mark is an Australian List A record on its own. Former Australia wicketkeeper Peter Nevill had eight dismissals in an innings for NSW against a Cricket Australia XI in 2017, but two of them were stumpings.Carey made the difficult look easy with his best catch a stunning diving effort down the leg side to dismiss Jack Wildermuth first ball off Buckingham.Wildermuth got a good piece of a glance that seemed certain to be going to the boundary. Carey dived full length and with his left arm on the ground somehow managed to glove the ball cleanly.He also took a well-judged running catch towards fine leg to get rid of Queensland stand-in skipper Marnus Labuschagne for 74 off 99 deliveries.Carey’s heroics came amidst an incredible spell of fast bowling by Henry Thornton. Thornton had 2 for 7 off his first six overs, beating Labuschagne at least six times with deliveries that cut both ways. Thornton dropped a tough caught and bowled chance off Labuschagne when he was yet to reach double figures.It took all of the Test No.3’s skill to negotiate a spell that Glenn McGrath in his pomp would have been proud of.The win was South Australia’s first in the competition this season, though they and the Bulls were already out of contention to play in the final.

Chloe Kelly was bizarrely labelled "cocky" by the Spanish media for a supposedly "unnecessary gesture" after firing England to Euro 2025 glory.

Absorbing contest finished 1-1 after extra-timeEngland held their nerve to prevail on penaltiesKelly sparked wild celebrations for the LionessesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal forward held her nerve to convert the decisive penalty in a final shootout that saw the Lionesses make history by becoming the first England team to win a major international title on foreign soil.

They have gone back-to-back on the European Championship front, with Kelly having also been the hero when netting an extra-time winner against Germany at Wembley Stadium back in 2022.

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After firing home against Spain, Kelly made a point of heading towards the England fans housed behind the net that she just hit. She had to make her way past La Roja goalkeeper Cata Coll, with the pair briefly coming face to face.

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Despite Kelly’s eyes being locked firmly on celebrating supporters, Spanish outlet claims that the Lionesses star "unnecessarily" diverted her path towards her rival. They said: “This is unnecessary, my friend: Kelly’s cocky gesture to Cata Coll after scoring the decisive penalty. The England specialist changed her run during her penalty celebration to get past the goalkeeper she had just beaten.”

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went on to suggest that World Cup winners Spain were “robbed” by the Lionesses after dominating much of the 120 minutes prior to an epic shootout. They added: “The dream ends in a nightmare. Spain lost the European Championship on penalties. England tied a match that Spain largely dominated.

“History is made by victories, and also by defeats. Spain fell in the Euro Cup final but left its name sealed in gold. England robbed them of their dream; the world champions couldn’t close the circle they began to write two years ago in Sydney. They couldn’t have been crueler in the penalty shootout, tossing a few dice in the air.”

The allrounder had an impressive tour of Bangladesh having returned from lengthy injury layoffs earlier in the year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2024Sophie Molineux has returned to Cricket Australia’s central contract list following her successful comeback across formats.Molineux, who was dropped from the list two years ago, has played Tests, ODIs and T20Is over the last two months after an extended period on the sidelines due to a variety of injuries, most recently an ACL. Those appearances had been enough for her to earn an upgrade to a contract before confirmation of the 17 names in 2024-25 group.Related

Molineux stars on her ODI comeback as Australia take 2-0 ODI series lead

How injury forced Sophie Molineux to 'start from the start again'

Healy thrilled with Bangladesh gains ahead of T20 World Cup

Molineux made her comeback in the Test against South Africa in Perth. She was named Player of the Series in the T20Is against Bangladesh which concluded last week having taken six wickets at 8.33. Earlier in the tour she took 3 for 10 on her return to the ODI side.She has recently forced the experienced Jess Jonassen out of the squad but Jonassen, who has not featured since the tour of India last December, has retained her contract.The retired Meg Lanning is the only player to drop off the list from last year. The MoU between CA and the Australia Cricketers’ Association allows for between 15 and 18 contracts.”We’re really pleased to be able to offer Soph a contract after her successful return to the side this summer,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “She’s shown a great deal of resilience to get back to full fitness and she’ll play an important role next summer.”Players not awarded contracts as part of the initial squad can earn upgrades throughout the year by accruing 12 upgrade points. Players receive five points for a Test match, two for an ODI and two for a T20I.Australia face another busy season of action in 2024-25 including the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and the multiformat Ashes next January. They will host New Zealand for T20Is before the World Cup followed by a return series in December while they also host India for three ODIs.Australia women’s contract list 2024-25Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

Cricket in Bombay was, and still is, a studied art

Jamie Alter27-Nov-2005

Vijay Merchant ‘s heroics in the ’30s and ’40s set the stage for the age of dominance © Getty Images
Cricket in Bombay was, and still is, a studied art. Highly introspective, the style of batting that emerged from the streets and maidans of the booming, bustling city eked out its own methodical mannerisms, and its batsmen their own comfort zones. The norm for years was that, even in times of imminent defeat, a Bombay batsman would give his all to the team. There used to be two words synonymous with Bombay batsmanship: orthodoxy and composure. Not for the stalwart Bombay batsman was slogging, innovativeness, or superfluous strokeplay. The archetypical repertoire of a Bombay batsman included a mix of assured negotiability yet sustained greatness.Bombay’s legacy of conservative, middle-class batsmanship dates back to the 1930s, but Bombay cricket aficionados and fans alike will tell you that the city’s `glory years’ were between the late 1950s, when the team stunned Bengal in the Ranji finals, to the early 1970s, during which the metropolis’ dashing cricketers were undefeated for 18 long seasons. In fact, they went through the 1960s without conceding the title, a feat still unmatched by any other state or city team.Bombay owed its dominance not only to a fine brand of cricketers, but to a structured inter-school competition. The Harris and Giles Shields have played more than a vital role in turning out talent, and the universities and colleges of this great city helped supply a steady stream of batsman. And, critically, Bombay turned out Test cricketers, and Test captains. There were those who played with classical composure – Vijay Merchant, Dilip Sardesai, Sunil Gavaskar – and those who added a dab of flair – Polly Umrigar, Farokh Engineer, Ravi Shastri — and then there were the likes of Sandeep Patil – ruthless destroyers of the cricket ball – who ushered to the crease a much-needed brutality that occasionally made way for reckless abandon. But ask any of those who lined up along Marine Drive to hear Patil smack ball after ball into the Arabian Sea and they will tell you that there may be no greater sound. Or perhaps you could look up one Bob Willis.For many Bombayites or Mumbaikars, however you dub them, the genuine, substantial memories of growing up with the sport are at the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums. It used to be a treat to sit in the Bombay Gymkhana section of the Wankhede, to take in a Bombay vs. Baroda encounter. Proud fathers will tell you of the time they took their first- born to watch Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar put on 344, with a tiffin of sandwiches and wafers as company. Shopkeepers and bankers alike will gladly recall the day they `bunked’ class at Hindu College and endured the cruel, April heat to watch Ghulam Parkar and Gavaskar’s mammoth stand against Bengal in 1982. A few more may tell you that they met their wives outside the North Stand gates as they waited in line to purchase a pass to Bombay vs. Railways. But none of them will hesitate to tell you of the batting feats on the days they spent at the Wankhede, how many runs Gavaskar scored or the shot that Sanjay Manjrekar played to get to his hundred against Delhi.Bombay, the city, the empire, the conglomerate even, bears cricket’s stamp on so many of its citizens, and cricket has transcended mere match summaries and runs to become part of people’s personas. How many aspiring cricketers, batting at one of the many gymkhana grounds along Marine Drive, have batted for their clubs while aspiring to some day emulate the feats of Gavaskar and Vengsarkar? How many fans have alighted at Churchgate and headed straight to D Road to catch a Test, one-day, domestic game or just to pause at the gates to catch a glimpse of the hallowed ground where Merchant and Sardesai batted for hours and gave people a reason to cheer ?Even today, quiet, subdued and stark in its solitude though it may be, the 1930s art-deco style of the Brabourne is a sight to behold, and while Test cricket hung up its boots there in 1974, the stadium evokes memories of a bygone era. Musty scorebooks, resting in the head office at the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums, will tell you the story, the final results, and who was in the runs, but the truth can only be found in the stands and pillars that guard both fortresses, beacons of a bygone era where pride was played for with grit and determination.Each flick off the pads by Manjrekar Sr., each cover drive unfurled by Merchant, and each glance off the hips by Gavaskar tells a story of a style of cricket that was both priceless and unmatched for many, many years.

Cricinfo takes a look at Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh’s prospects, and some of the names to look out for

06-Oct-2006

Chris Gayle can endure long periods of lull before breaking away © Getty Images
Brian Lara’s third stint as captain has seen a transformation in West Indies’ outlook. Home series wins against Zimbabwe and India, when they stopped a rollicking juggernaut on its tracks, set the tone before an impressive performance in the recent DLF Cup in Kuala Lumpur proved that their graph was going upwards. Their Champions Trophy record has veered between extremes – finalists in 1998 and champions in 2004 in contrast to early elimination in 2000 and 2002 – and it comes as no surprise that they start this series, once again, as the dark horses. They boast a batting firepower that can match any, but their penchant for the collapse always leaves them vulnerable, while bowling strengths are built around nagging accuracy. The fielding often toggles between electric and pathetic and, as it’s often the case, only one side is capable of causing their undoing, West Indies themselves.One to watchHe averages 45.35 in the last 15 games, including four fifties and a hundred, hurries through vital overs in the middle stages and pouches catches in the slips. When Chris Gayle strikes, West Indies usually run away with the contest. Unlike earlier, when he used to try to whack every ball into the car park, he’s developed a more tempered side now and can endure long periods of lull before breaking away. The two gears in which he bats have confused several teams and very often he’s picked up the rate when least expected, and that too at breakneck speed.New kid on the blockWhen Lara gushes about a young prospect, you have no option but to take him seriously. Jerome Taylor may not have the intimidating frame of his famed fast-bowling predecessors but he certainly possesses the pace and bounce to hustle top-quality batsmen. A return of 25 wickets in 16 one-day games may not sound great shakes but there is no doubt that he can summon up lethal spells even on dead tracks. Just ask the Indian batsmen, who ran into an energised Taylor on their recent Caribbean tour. His pacy burst on the lifeless surface in St Kitts showed his class and his deadly five-wicket haul at Kingston underlined his worth.Current formWest Indies will have fond memories of their last tour to India, in 2002, when their rampaging top-order tore through the bowling. Two batsmen stood out: Gayle at the top of the order and Sarwan a little lower down. While Gayle ransacked 455 runs in seven games, including three centuries, Sarwan picked off 436. The fact that Sarwan finished off several games meant that he ended with a sensational average of 109. Both have performed creditably off late and could be the key to West Indies’ fortunes in this tournament.
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

The fact that Sri Lanka and Jayawardene have hit a purple patch together is not a coincidence © Getty Images
One of the grandest ironies of this ironical tournament is that Sri Lanka will be playing qualifying matches to just find a place in the main draw of Champions Trophy. A terrible showing in India last year cost them a place in the starting eight. While that series proved to be only a blip (they edged South Africa en route to the VB Series finals and they cleaned up England in England), the damage had already been done.What is interesting is that there is no drastic change in the personnel from their previous Indian tour, a disaster from most angles. Yet, they arrive this time far more upbeat. Their batting has started showing shades of the dangerous line-up of the mid-90s, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan are still a dangerous combination and their fielding continues to be better than most. The closest they came to a Champions Trophy crown was at home in 2002 – when they shared the trophy with India due to a rain-disrupted final – but they could well upset several calculations in this one.One to watchThere was a time not long ago when, given the amount of talent, Mahela Jayawardene was considered an under-achiever. But, like it’s done to a few others, captaincy changed the man. With Marvan Atapattu was injured, Jayawardene took over a team in tatters and lifted them from the morass. As a captain he averages 49.76, as opposed to his career average of 32.33. The fact that Sri Lanka and Jayawardene have hit a purple patch together is not a coincidence. As a captain, he has won 14 one-day internationals, and lost only four. The pitches in India will be to his liking – he likes to play on the up, loves to hit inside out, and is fantastic against spinners.
New kid on the blockLast last year – with Romesh Kaluwitharana gone, Marvan Atapattu injured, and Sanath Jayasuriya out of form – Sri Lanka’s opening woes got compounded. But in England, Jayasuriya solved half the problem and Upul Tharanga put his hand up and completed it. It was Tharanga who starred with a century at Lord’s and began Sri Lanka’s rampaging run. Tharanga is strong through the covers and backward point but is vulnerable against the short ball. Through the Champions Trophy, Tharanga would like to carry forward the transformation that started in England: from a cautious batsman unsure of his place in international cricket to an attacking one who began resembling his more illustrious team-mates. With Jayasuriya by his side, the pair looks good enough to carry Sri Lanka through to the World Cup.Current formThe key to winning any tournament in the subcontinent remains the team’s batting and a comparison of Sri Lanka’s performance on the tour of India in the 2006 season, and their form thereafter gives an indication of their improvement. Jayasuriya, their most important one-day batsman over the years, averaged 14.16 in the dismal series in India; since the start of 2006, he’s averaged 79.83. It’s similar for the rest of the top order – corresponding numbers for Jayawardene are 27.66 and 72.40; for Tillakaratne Dilshan they’re 37 and 53; and for Tharanga they’re 17.25 and 62.42.Sidharth Monga

Shahriar Nafees: can be counted on to chip in at the top © Getty Images
Bangladesh play Sri Lanka in the first qualifying match ahead of the Champions Trophy with a record of 0-5 in the tournament. They didn’t take part in 1998, and were brushed aside by the five teams they’ve faced since; they’ve been bowled out for 77, 93, 129 and 131. The three veterans, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique and Habibul Bashar, are not getting any younger and Mohammad Ashraful continues to baffle more than satisfy. Bangladesh can take heart, however, from the young guns: Shahriar Nafees, a candidate for the ICC’s Emerging Player of the Year, Aftab Ahmed, Mashrafe Mortaza, and Shahadat Hossain, all of whom are capable of matchwinning performances.One to watch
Hands down, Nafees, who is genuinely one of international cricket’s top prospects. Appointed vice-captain for the Champions Trophy after just one year at the top, he also recently won Bangladesh’s cricketer-of-the-year award. Upon being nominated for the ICC’s Emerging Player, award Nafees quickly pointed out that his nomination was not just based on his sublime maiden Test hundred against Australia, “but rather for the whole season where I showed adequate consistency”. Nafees has a strike-rate of 66.52 in one-day matches and has scored four half-centuries, three of them away from home. He had a good series against Zimbabwe in July-August this year, averaging 62 in five one-day matches played in Harare.New kid on the block
Farhad Reza, a middle-order batsman who bowls useful medium-pace, was called up to the national squad for the tour of Zimbabwe in July 2006 after scoring the most runs in the previous year’s domestic league. In his first appearance in national colours he became the only Bangladeshi to hit a fifty on debut. An unbeaten 34 and 41 against Kenya followed – he steered Bangladesh home on both occasions – and backed with his bowling and fielding he looks to be a good prospect.Current form
It’s been a good enough year for Bangladesh so far, statistically at least, with ten of 18 matches ending in wins. They won a match against Sri Lanka, buried Kenya 4-0 at home, fought well against Australia in a 0-3 loss, fell to Zimbabwe 3-2 and beat Kenya 3-0 again. There have been gritty innings from the youngsters, a record bowling performance (Mortaza, 6 for 26), a hat-trick (Shahadat), and an improved display in the field. If the likes of Nafees, Aftab and Ashraful all come together, Bangladesh have the necessary firepower to push Sri Lanka and West Indies.
Jamie Alter

Prosper Utseya leads a bunch of greenhorns well capable of causing a flutter or two © Getty Images
Zimbabwe have yet to open their ICC Champions Trophy account, with a total of six matches yielding six losses. They did come close in their very first outing, way back in 1998 when the tournament debuted as the Wills International Cup in Bangladesh, but were nipped to the quarter-finals by New Zealand – rather, Chris Harris, who smashed the last ball for four – in a Dhaka thriller. It was the nearest thing to a win Zimbabwe have seen in the tournament since. The current crop of pace bowlers are inexperienced and the batting order has a tendency to get bogged down when the pressure is turned up the slightest. Prosper Utseya has led the side admirably, but his inexperience in the subcontinent may go against them.One to watch
There haven’t been many positives for Zimbabwe since the exodus of many of their senior players, but a few have shone now and then. Statistically and aesthetically speaking, it’s been Vusi Sibanda who has looked good over the last few series, with a maiden hundred, two fifties, and a 46. For a batsman who has been given a long run in the side, he has largely disappointed – as an average of 16.12 from 32 innings before his 116 against Bermuda in in May – but since then he has averaged 33.33. He has looked the best of Zimbabwe’s top order batsman against the new ball, and has by and large curbed a front-foot penchant to produce an improved allround game. Zimbabwe will once again look to him for stability up the order.New kid on the block
Chamu Chibhabha lasted just three deliveries on his ODI debut in August 2005, but in the 11 matches that have followed he has looked a good prospect. Two fine half-centuries and a 40 against West Indies, during which he was particularly impressive in playing their quick bowlers, easily made him the success story of the series before he was sidelined with a hamstring injury. On the evidence of those innings and his returns against Bangladesh and South Africa recently, he appears to possess the temperament and the ability to succeed in international cricket and is one of Zimbabwe’s brightest prospects.Current form
Their recent run of form shows Zimbabwe have six wins from 11 matches, but there’s a lot to be desired against top-class opposition. Expectedly, they lifted the ICC Tri-Nation series in the West Indies in May, featuring such heavyweights as Bermuda and Canada, followed that up with a 3-2 series win over Bangladesh at home, and were trounced 3-0 when they visited South Africa. That’s not including a nine-wicket loss to the Eagles in a Twenty20 warm-up. The series win over Bangladesh was Zimbabwe’s 12th since their entry into the international fold in 1983 and their fourth in a bilateral series against that opposition. Zimbabwe outperformed Bangladesh in all departments to win the series with a match to spare, and that did plenty to their confidence. No one expected them to win in South Africa, and the manner in which the bowlers were brought to their knees by Mark Boucher and Co. in the final match was disheartening. The contest effectively ended right there, after South Africa racked up 418 for 5, though to their credit, Zimbabwe batted solidly to complete 50 overs and reach a healthy 247 for 7.
Jamie Alter

With Irish cricket at a crossroads, Cricinfo talks the CEO Warren Deutrom about the next steps for the game

Andrew McGlashan25-May-2007

Warren Deutrom: ‘There’s a golden chance for us capitalise’ © Martin Williamson
Irish cricket is at a crossroads. Their trouncing of Canada in the Intercontinental Cup final brings the curtain down on the most successful period of international cricket in the country’s history. In the last three months they have beaten two Test nations and tied with another at the World Cup and retained the Associate four-day crown. But the hard work starts now.The Irish Cricket Union certainly can’t be accused of a lack of ambition. It realises that if the game is to grow and become a serious contender in the country – and the national side to become a consistent performer on the world stage – it has to grab this opportunity. The initial post-World Cup excitement has already started to dissipate and the challenge is to keep cricket in the headlines.Since returning from the Caribbean there have been indications of the difficulties which lie ahead. Three of the leading players – Eoin Morgan, Boyd Rankin and Niall O’Brien – have county contracts and haven’t been available for Friends Provident Trophy matches, although Morgan was released for the Intercontinental final. Another, Ed Joyce, was lost to England last year. Currently there is no way for a player to earn a living by playing cricket in Ireland. However, plans are being developed to bring a professional structure to the game, soon enough for the country’s current generation of leading players to be enticed back to their homeland.”There’s a golden chance for us to capitalise and make sure the team continues to perform at the highest level,” Warren Deutrom, the ICU’s chief executive, told Cricinfo during the Intercontinental Cup final. “The best way to do that is by making sure we have some form of keeping them loyal to us. We need to look at whether the plan is to have a great team per se or are we aiming at the World Cup in 2011 which means we need to target the qualifiers in 2009.” If we believe central contracts are the best way forward, which I believe most people in Irish cricket do, then we need to work out how we’ll pay for it and the best model to use “If those are our objectives what are the best ways to achieve that. If we believe central contracts are the best way forward, which I believe most people in Irish cricket do, then we need to work out how we’ll pay for it and the best model to use. What may be right for Boyd Rankin, Niall O’Brien and Eoin Morgan who have country contracts may not be right for the other players who won’t have other careers to look forward to.”For a country like Ireland to move from amateur to professional cricket is a massive undertaking and Deutrom is aware decisions can’t be made lightly. “What we don’t want to do is rush into it, get it wrong and waste money that has been provided to us by commercial outlets, the ICC or Irish Sports Council,” he said. “But conversely we can’t take too long over it because it’s a World Cup year, and what better time to take advantage. Also, the likes of Boyd, Eoin and Niall won’t be making decisions about their contracts in March or April but in the middle of this year.”Sadly for the ICU money doesn’t grow on trees, so the major challenge will be find funding. This is one of the main reasons behind the decision to host the India-South Africa series in June, which has upset the ECB and means Ireland are likely to discontinue their participation in the Friends Provident Trophy. The three-match series, however, will provide vital revenue and allow the national team ODIs against both teams. In July they will also play West Indies during a quadrangular event including Netherlands and Scotland .

Somehow Ireland need to keep hold of the likes of Boyd Rankin © Getty Images
“As a full member of ICC we have the right to raise our own revenues and this is way we can see it in the short term,” Deutrom said on the decision to stage the ODIs. “We have brought on board a professional TV sales person to help sell the rights on our behalf and are keen for some sort of broadcast into the UK and Ireland . But we are also keen to make as much money as possible, not just for the sake of it, but to invest in the players. There hasn’t been any formal notice from ECB as yet but from the ICU point of view we would need a lengthy discussion about whether we’d want to continue in the FP Trophy in any event.”This is a clear sign that the health of Ireland’s future lies in playing international and top-level Associate cricket. Already this year they have played 23 ODIs, but it is vital that they can continue playing a high volume of matches outside of World Cup years.”The key thing is, if we were to have a professional structure, would there be enough cricket for them [the players]?” said Deutrom. “We’d be looking to move into an arena where we could participate in overseas tours to other Full Member countries. Whether we play their A teams or the full side for a couple of full ODIs is yet to be seen. Then there’s the domestic programme. We want to have as many ODIs as possible and a situation where we continue to play as many of the top Associates as possible.”Deutrom concedes that he has a tough task ahead of him to enable Ireland to build on their recent success. “At the moment the Irish Sports Council, who are an enormously generous supporter of the game, are our biggest source of funding and commercial revenues very small. We need to reverse that trend and it is one of my key jobs to enable us to stand on our own two feet through sponsorship and broadcasting.”Given what has been achieved in the last few months you wouldn’t say it’s beyond Ireland, but the next challenge is greater than anything before.

Children at Bellerive Oval pleaded for the mystery ball snatcher to return it to Adam Gilchrist

Cricinfo staff22-Nov-2007

Children at Bellerive Oval pleaded for the mystery ball snatcher to return it to Adam Gilchrist after he re-entered the ground with the prize possession.Gilchrist slog-swept Muttiah Muralitharan on Saturday to become the first to 100 Test sixes, but his call for the treasure to be given back has been ignored. The spectator Anandan Reddy captured this image of the man, dressed in the fluro red jacket, who collected the ball after it rolled down Church Street.The man did not respond to calls from the children at the fence and did not throw it back on the field when he came into the oval. Gilchrist does not expect to see the ball again, but would really like to get his hands on the memento.Let us know via the feedback link if you have any idea where it is.

This wasn’t merely the culmination of a domestic tournament but the dawn of unprecedented riches for English cricket

Will Luke at The Rose Bowl26-Jul-2008
Tyron Henderson launches another crowd-pleasing six © Getty Images
This wasn’t merely the culmination of a domestic tournament but the dawn of unprecedented riches for English cricket. For a competition which appeared out of nowhere six years ago, jutting out uncomfortably between the dusty but familiar Championship, today’s thrilling Twenty20 final between Kent and Middlesex was something of a landmark.A landmark for Middlesex, of course, who ended 15 years of back-room squabbling to lift their first trophy since the 1993 County Championship. But it was equally momentous for the format itself which, in spite of all money thrown at its feet, is maturing before our eyes. It has changed out of all recognition from the “hit and giggle” fest which made its debut here, at The Rose Bowl, six years ago. Then, it was lacking identity. Nobody knew how long it would endure, and most didn’t really care. The cricket itself was at times shambolic, with batsmen choosing the unconventional route when, in fact, convention would have done just fine.That is much less so the case these days, and today’s standout innings were each models in orthodoxy. Ravi Bopara’s 29 in Essex’s losing semi-final contained deft glances down to third man and audacious flicks through midwicket, all with a straight bat. Owais Shah, a model of Asian-influenced wristiness but who is mostly a mainstream batsman, threaded the gaps in the field with unerring accuracy time and again. When he hit over the top, as he did five times, they were clean and savage blows that belied the timing he found. And Rob Key was at his uncomplicated best, cover-driving and back-cutting in his breathless 52. England are often chastised for not nurturing the next Ajantha Mendis or Muttiah Muralitharn But they do do orthodoxy rather well, and as Shah’s exquisite 75 demonstrated, that’s no bad thing at all.There was a danger that Lalit Modi and Allen Stanford’s interest in the English game might sway the players’ focus or detract from their performance in this year’s Twenty20 Cup. In reaching the final, both Middlesex and Kent can play in October’s Champions League – if a date is ever agreed upon – while the victors, Middlesex, head to Antigua in October to take on England at the invitation of Stanford. Cricket has pined for financial investment, all the while resembling an impoverished cousin in the shadow of football. To judge by each of today’s fascinating duels – culminating in a final that surpassed any in its six-year history – Twenty20 is no longer a sideshow or a frivolous, passing shower. It deserves these riches thrown at it. The players certainly do.”Twenty20 is getting bigger and bigger, and today would’ve done it no harm,” Key, the disconsolate Kent captain, said after play. “It might harm a few other forms of the game, because for me that must have been brilliant to watch.”It was undoubtedly memorable. With Kent chasing 188, Justin Kemp had plinked his way to a typically muscular (but, oddly, all too rare) 24 before cracking one straight into Ed Joyce’s midriff, only for Middlesex’s captain to fluff it. It appeared to be the defining moment, leaving Kent a very gettable 16 from the final over from Tyron Henderson. Dawid Malan’s embarrassingly panicky throw from third man gave them four runs, reducing the equation to an easy six from three balls. After a clubbed two, a dot ball punctured the atmosphere before Henderson found a last-ball yorker to end Kent’s hopes, and realise Middlesex’s dream. On a perfect June evening, only a handful of the 20,000 capacity crowd had fled following the semi-finals. Key was right. This was the perfect advert for the game.It is quite a tale for Middlesex. So long the hapless bystanders in Twenty20, they have stormed through this year’s competition with their blend of youth, Irishmen and South Africans. There are more talented sides in the tournament – Durham possess seven internationals – but it was their belief that saw Middlesex through.”Today, we sat down and just tried to play fearless cricket,” said Joyce, Middlesex’s vice-captain who led the side in the absence of the injured Ed Smith. “If we thought of taking a shot on, or bowling a certain ball, we were just going to do it and have no regrets. And that showed in the way we played in both games. Owais Shah and Tyron Henderson both played fantastic knocks, and everyone chipped in around them. We bowled and fielded very well as well.”Although Kent are through to the Champions League, there is still the possibility they won’t be allowed to play, since some of their squad have represented the unofficial Indian Cricket League. Middlesex, however, have no such concerns, and Joyce was understandably bullish about their chances.”I think we have a great template, and we have two of the best spinners in Twenty20 [Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal]. These guys just don’t get hit that much,” he said. “When you look at our batting, we have a lot of young guys like Morgan and Malan who are unorthodox, and then we have Henderson and Shah to back them up. I think we have a good formula, and whoever we potentially play against in the future, we should [be competitive].”With each year, Twenty20 is growing and maturing. Few would have given Middlesex much hope of reaching Finals Day before the season began, yet it is a testament to their own confidence that they could shine when the pressure was at its greatest. And the drama seen today is tribute to the scrawny little format which was born six years ago, one that has given cricket an identity to be proud of.

Australia’s former World Cup-winning captain will keep an eye on the next generation during the tournament

Peter English07-Mar-2009
Belinda Clark enjoys her prize from 2005 © Getty Images
In her playing days Belinda Clark spent years as the world’s best batsman and the captain of the strongest side, but she had the misfortune of never appearing in a home World Cup. Clark led her side to victory in the 2005 tournament in South Africa, the second time she was in charge of a global triumph, and by the end of that year had retired as one of the most celebrated figures in women’s cricket.The tournament began today in her home state of New South Wales, and though Clark won’t have an on-field role she will be busy. “I remember watching the 1988 World Cup final on the TV, but it’s been a while since then,” she says. “I managed to squeeze my career in between the two home World Cups. On the one hand I will miss not being on the field, but on the other hand I’ll be involved in other ways. This tournament is going to be fantastic.”Clark, who played 15 Tests and 118 ODIs, is the manager of Australia’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the Academy) and runs a close eye over the men’s and women’s squads as part of her administrative duties at the complex in Brisbane. So even though the outfit is no longer her side, she has tracked it since planning began for March 2009 shortly after Australia beat India by 98 runs in Centurion four years ago. She was involved in the early re-setting of goals for the team, then part of the exit of senior players, before watching the regeneration of the side.Over the past 12 months the team has increased its matchplay, including series against New Zealand and India in the Australian summer, and during the off-season five representatives spent extended periods at the Centre of Excellence to fine-tune for the World Cup. Clark was there when Karen Rolton, the captain and experienced batsman, spent 11 weeks at the facility. The stints of Ellyse Perry, Kate Blackwell, Emma Sampson and Shelley Nitschke varied between a fortnight and a month.”Karen’s 11 weeks were to get her physically ready to embark on the season and we did that for a specific reason,” Clark says. “We were really pleased to have had them here.” All of it was geared towards the World Cup, which kicks off an A-list winter that includes the World Twenty20 and the Ashes in England.The entire squad also goes to Brisbane a few times a year under the direction of the head coach, Richard McInnes. While the men’s Centre of Excellence intake gets months to focus on positioning front elbows and back legs, the women don’t have the luxury of a major overhaul in the few days they spend at Allan Border Field.Clark, who played 15 Tests and 118 ODIs, is the manager of Australia’s Centre of Excellence and runs a close eye over the men’s and women’s squads as part of her administrative duties at the complex in Brisbane. Even though the outfit is no longer her side, she has tracked it since planning began for March 2009, four years ago “The work they do here has to be quite specific and it has to be tangible because there’s no point trying to change the world in five minutes when you have them for three or four days,” Clark says. “Then they go back to their states for three or four months, then you have them back for three or four days again. Because of the difference in attendance time, you have to hit the mark pretty quickly, so the girls have been doing a lot of that type of work for the past 12 months.”McInnes, who was the Australian men’s team’s performance analyst until the 2008 tour of the West Indies, has relied heavily on being games-focussed when the squad is together, developing the players’ ability to perform their skills under the highest pressure. That way they know that if they are needed in the final on March 22 to strike a last-ball four over point, or deliver an off-stump yorker, they are ready.During a Centre of Excellence camp the attendees will also undergo series of tests to measure their bodies and performances. There will be medical and physiotherapy examinations along with fitness and skill analysis. Batsmen will learn how many places they can hit the same sort of delivery, while fast bowlers will discover their speed and accuracy. Spinners will see to the centimetre how much they turn the ball.”We get in all the experts from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra,” Clark says. “All the high-speed cameras come up here and we go from there. It’s part of the picture, not the full picture. We also do psychological profiling. We gather information and find ways to determine whether they are moving forward, as well as identifying strengths and weaknesses.” Those attributes will be tested over the next three weeks.Clark, who will be doing television commentary and radio stints during the World Cup, will remain involved throughout the tournament. “I’ll be working closely with the coach,” she says, “and overseeing the strategies we have in place for high-performance cricket.”

A journey through the World Twenty20 champions’ win against the odds

24-Jun-2009