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Starc fiery but expensive, while Hazlewood gives nothing away, after Travis Head warms up for Lord’s with ton

Daniel Brettig at New Road07-Aug-2019Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood made contrasting entries to the Ashes tour under the gaze of Worcester Cathedral at New Road, the former’s ability to take wickets but also go for runs neatly encapsulated in a spell reading 4-1-27-1 after the tourists had declared at 266 for 5 on the opening day.Taking the new ball, Starc got his line right in the opening over to pin Tom Fell lbw for a duck and with 1 for 0 after a single over would have been happy with his start. However, with the captain Tim Paine looking on from mid off – Matthew Wade taking the gloves in this game – Starc’s next three overs went for 27, most of them finding the middle of the talented teenager Jack Haynes’ bat, to the delight of a largely sedate crowd.Hazlewood, meanwhile, gave virtually nothing away while returning 2 for 2 from four overs, bowling Josh Dell off his glove with some prancing bounce and then getting Haynes lbw in his final over before the close. The combination of wickets and economy would have been of interest to Paine and the watching selection chairman Trevor Hohns, as all assess their options ahead of the second Test at Lord’s next week.Sent in to bat by Worcestershire on a fine if cloudy morning, Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft had opened for the Australians but neither would have been entirely happy with their stays. Harris was only able to survive for 58 minutes before he was bowled trying to leave one from the otherwise-expensive Adam Finch, and Bancroft made a determined start before also losing his stumps in trying to drive at Josh Tongue.More comfortable were Usman Khawaja, gliding to an attractive 57 before touching a good one from Tongue behind the stumps, and Travis Head, who made the most of his return to a ground where he played county cricket last year by carving out a third hundred in six matches on this tour, having also contributed a useful 35 and 51 at Edgbaston.There was time too for Wade to punch 20 from 16 balls before Paine declared, giving Starc and Hazlewood 45 minutes of bowling before the 6pm close. Wade kept wicket in order to prepare himself for the event of Paine being sidelined from one of the remaining four Tests and forcing a change in gloveman, while also granting the captain a mental break from the task of keeping wicket.

Sixteen years after he steered India to the historic tri-series final win at Lord’s, the former India batsman called time on his playing career

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2018Mohammad Kaif, 37, retired from all forms of cricket on Friday, 16 years after he steered India to one of their most memorable victories in ODI history – beating England by chasing down 325 at Lord’s in the NatWest Series final.Kaif ended a two-decade long first-class career that began in 1997-98. He played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs in an international career that spanned six years (2000-2006), his last game for India coming more than 12 years ago, during the tour of South Africa in 2006. He also captained India to their first Under-19 World Cup win, in 2000.”I am retiring today as it’s been 16 years since the historic Natwest Trophy win in which I was glad to play my part, and I’d like to remember that as I bow out,” he wrote in a letter to the BCCI. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worn the India cap, and to have gone on to play 125 ODIs and 13 Tests for India, and for several other moments.”A domestic stalwart who played for three sides, Kaif’s association with his home state Uttar Pradesh was the most prominent, having led them to a maiden Ranji Trophy title by beating Bengal in 2005-06. Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif finished with 10,229 runs in 186 first-class matches at an average of 38.60.Kaif quit Uttar Pradesh in 2014-15 and moved to Andhra as a professional for two seasons. In 2016-17, he led new entrants Chhattisgarh in their maiden Ranji Trophy season. He continued to play a key role as a member of their support staff the following season, even though his appearances as a player were sporadic.Post-retirement, Kaif hoped to be involved in a coaching or mentoring role. He was assistant coach of the now erstwhile Gujarat Lions in the IPL and wants to play a similar role in domestic cricket. Apart from short-term coaching assignments, Kaif is also keen to pursue media interests and hindi cricket commentary.

Delhi Daredevils stand-in captain Karun Nair lauded the team’s fearless approach that reaped dividends as they gunned down a target of 186 with five balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2017Delhi Daredevils came into the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on the back of a five-match losing streak. The scars from their ten-wicket drubbing at the hands of Kings XI Punjab, when they were bowled out for 67, would have been fresh as well. But, like their mentor Rahul Dravid had said after that game, the only direction Daredevils could go was up.

‘Plan was to play till the 16th over and then attack’

Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Yuvraj Singh rued how expensive the team’s bowlers were in the Powerplay and said the lack of wickets in the middle overs cost them. “I think the dropped catch [of Karun Nair by Bhuvneshwar Kumar] was important,” he said. “All of their guys got 30-40 runs, so you need to pick up wickets in the middle, otherwise it becomes hard. Especially when the dew came in later, the ball was coming on nicely on to the bat.”
Yuvraj praised young seamers Mohammed Siraj and Siddarth Kaul, who picked up three wickets between them, and said the bowling would acquire greater menace once Ashish Nehra recovered from his injury. “I think we really rely on Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] and Rashid. Hopefully when Ashish is fully fit, we will have a stronger unit [with] more confidence in the bowling. Siraj is a young guy, he’s got good pace, so he’s learning. It’s a good learning curve for Siddarth Kaul as well.”
Yuvraj had a productive outing with an unbeaten 71 off 41 balls, the first instance of him facing more than 20 balls since the opening game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. “It was important for me to get some runs. Last three-four innings, I didn’t get enough time in the middle. The wicket was a bit tougher in the first innings, the ball was gripping a little and I just thought that I will just try and play till the 16th over and then attack in the last four. [I] was lucky I got dropped [by Sanju Samson on 29] and I was able to cash in in the last four overs.”

One way of doing that, according to Daredevils’ stand-in captain Karun Nair, was to play the way a young team would – fearlessly. The approach paid off as all of their top five batsmen – with Corey Anderson the oldest at 26 – made useful contributions to gun down a target of 186 with five balls to spare.”I think it was a great win,” Nair told . “All we talked about is we, being a young team, should play like one. So, we just went out there and played fearlessly.”Nair, who was leading the team in the absence of the injured Zaheer Khan, had made only 89 runs from seven innings before this game. But his 20-ball 39 – with a little help from Bhuvneshwar Kumar who dropped him on 20 – set the tone for Daredevils’ pursuit.”It was just the intent and we just wanted to go out there and go after the bowling,” Nair said. “With the four of us being youngsters at the top of the order, [the idea was to] just go out there and smash the ball.”When Bhuvneshwar dismissed Shreyas Iyer off the last ball of the 16th over, Daredevils still needed 38 runs. However, Anderson blazed away to an unbeaten 24-ball 41 and closed out the match with Chris Morris.”Having Corey Anderson on the other side smacking the ball off the middle [of the bat] was quite nice,” Morris told . “We were confident and were saying that if it’s in your arc and if it was in your area, smack it. And that’s the way we like to play cricket – confidence and smack a cricket ball. So, yeah, I think Corey Anderson [came up with a] masterclass in how to chase that score.”It was far from a perfect performance, however, as shabby fielding could have cost Daredevils the game. While there were a few misfields, the costliest error came from Sanju Samson, who dropped Yuvraj Singh on 29. Yuvraj went on to smash 70 not out off 41 balls, as Sunrisers ransacked 59 runs in the last four overs. Legspinner Amit Mishra had no illusions about the fact that Daredevils needed to improve further.”We clicked today in batting and bowling. Fielding wasn’t up to the mark but we are doing a lot of things. We have all areas covered, but we have to be positive from here,” Mishra said. “You have very little time to think in this format. Even if you falter in one small aspect, you end up falling way behind. In T20s, especially, you will have to execute everything to perfection.”

India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2016India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after Kohli’s unbeaten 55 off 37 balls took India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan at Eden Gardens on Saturday.Kohli arrived in the third over with the score on 14 for 1 and had only faced two deliveries by the time India fell to 23 for 3 in the fifth over in pursuit of Pakistan’s 118, but Dhoni said Kohli thrived in such situations by not depending on boundaries to get himself and the team out of trouble. Up until the ninth over, Kohli had only struck one boundary but had taken nine singles in his first 13 deliveries in partnership with Yuvraj Singh to add the first 31 runs in a 61-run stand that took India within striking distance of victory. In all, Kohli scored off 28 of his 37 deliveries, including 19 singles.”It’s very simple. What an innings is all about is how you convert it, when you’re under pressure,” Dhoni said after the win. “There are a few ways to handle pressure. At times we have seen, in Test cricket, or ODI and T20 format, when there is a lot of pressure, often they go for the big shot. It seems at that point of time that that’s the best option, but when you’re under a lot of pressure, the best way to deal with it is to take a single, go to the other end, because that calms you down, and at the same time you have that positive intent because you’re looking for that single. And you know your areas.”Everybody knows what their strength is – for some it’s a flick, for some it’s the cut. So if it’s in your area, you have to play your shot. If not, try to take a single, go to the other end. And if you see his batting, that’s what he really does. And where he has an edge over the others is, you have to push hard. That’s why he loves batting with individuals who can run hard with him. Because running hard is the easiest way to score runs. You hit it in the middle, between long-on and deep midwicket, if you have two good runners, you can convert that one into two, or one-and-a-half runs into two, and that puts a lot of pressure on the bowler and the fielders.”The other ingredient to success that Dhoni attributed to Kohli is his “hunger to perform”. Dhoni said Kohli’s preparation habits enabled him to consistently score runs rather than going through dips in form.”He takes everything as a challenge,” Dhoni said. “He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in each and every game, and that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score runs, he prepares well, he takes care of his fitness. He knows, he understands now, in different wickets how he’s supposed to bat and score runs. And we all know, once he gets going, once he gets a start, he always converts it into a big innings, which I feel is one of the most important things for any youngster coming into the game.”MS Dhoni attributes Kohli’s ability to thrive under pressure to his eagerness for taking singles•IDI/Getty Images

Kohli’s success helped shield the problems faced by other batsmen on the day, in particular Suresh Raina who was out first ball to Mohammad Sami. The left-hander has struggled recently, scoring 1 in two of his previous three T20I innings. However, Dhoni deflected questions about Raina’s form and said the team still had confidence in him.”People don’t score runs in one or two games, that question will be asked,” Dhoni said. “If Shikhar doesn’t score in one more game that question will be asked, why not Jinks to open and Shikhar left out. I feel it is important to back players and at the same time, if you see there are too many people who need to bat at that No. 3 slot.”If you compare the stats, especially when it’s happening in India, you’ll see there are lot of individuals who should bat at three, but Virat gets an edge, and in the same way I think [Raina] deserves that No. 4 position more than anyone else, and it’s important to back him. Yes, there might be tactical changes when he won’t get that slot, but overall I think he’s the best option.”Dhoni also gave credit to his spinners for exploiting conditions after winning the toss and inserting Pakistan to bat first. The India captain said the amount of time the pitch spent covered due to rain throughout of the day was a strong factor in his decision-making, though he was surprised at the amount of turn so early in the match. At the same time, he also explained his reasoning for not bowling out R Ashwin despite the trouble caused by Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja early in the match.”Initially we never thought it would turn so much. Reading the wicket, I thought there was a bit of moisture because they had watered the wicket yesterday and I don’t think they got enough sun today. The last time when I saw the wicket was before the start of the game, and then it was quite damp. And even when you roll the wicket, the top surface may look a bit good, but it’s more a cosmetic thing, because underneath there was a lot of moisture.”I feel it was because of the moisture that the spinners were getting a lot of turn. Even the ones that were bowling it quite hard, if you hit the seam you can turn the ball, and that’s what Jadeja and Ashwin did. The Pakistan batsmen, they are good players of spin bowling, and later on I felt, there was a chance, if I had given it to Ashwin they could have gone after him. I’m not saying he can’t deal with it, but I went for the safer option.”While Dhoni said he is proud of India’s historic unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups and World T20s, he said it’s not something they take for granted.”There is also a reality that one day we will lose – whether it is today or in ten years or 20 years or 50 years. There is no such thing that you will always keep winning. Also, our team has evolved a lot, and somehow in ICC events our performances have been good of late, whether it’s the last Champions Trophy or the World Cup. We have given pretty good performances, so that also plays a role. I feel we have played good cricket, and that’s the reason.”

Mohammad Asif, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has had a meeting with the PCB’s vigilance and anti-corruption department to share information related to the spot-fixing saga

Umar Farooq19-Aug-2013Mohammad Asif, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has had a meeting with the PCB’s vigilance and anti-corruption department to share information related to the spot-fixing saga. His first meeting with the PCB was the second major step towards his rehabilitation programme following his public confession last week to his part in spot-fixing during the Lords Test in 2010, vowing to make amends in order to revive his international career.”I had my first session and will do more,” Asif told reporters in Lahore after a two-and-half-hour meeting with the PCB. “Although it’s a beginning, I am following the ICC directives for rehabilitation and will work further with the PCB. I have already apologised in public and today had given a formal written apology too.”Asif, who was found guilty of bowling a deliberate no-ball, will be 33 by the time the minimum of five years from his ban are complete and will work through the final two years under suspension, on the condition that he commits no further breach of the Code of Conduct throughout that period and participates in an anti-corruption education programme under the PCB. The apology is not expected to have any immediate implications but Asif will have to undergo rehabilitation and present the whole truth to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) and PCB.”I am following the ICC programme and will share all sufficient information with the ICC,” Asif said.Asif was among three players involved in the spot-fixing scandal, along with the former captain Salman Butt and the fast bowler Mohammad Amir. Amir was given a five-year ban and Butt was slapped a 10-year (five year suspended) ban from any involvement in cricketing activities. The trio have apologised for their part with Amir having already completed his rehabilitation programme while Butt and Asif are set to go through the programme.The PCB will substantiate the information shared by Asif during the meeting before chalking out a rehabilitation programme for him. “He met with the PCB chairman and the vigilance and anti-corruption unit,” a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “It was a basic meeting after he voluntarily made a public apology and was here to share information ahead of his rehabilitation programme.”

An unfit pitch forced the postponement of the first one-dayer between New Zealand A and India A at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2012An unfit pitch forced the postponement of the first one-dayer between New Zealand A and India A at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval. Only six overs were possible before umpires Phil Jones and Wayne Knights decided to abandon the game. The match has been postponed by New Zealand Cricket and will be played on Wednesday at the same venue but on a different strip.New Zealand managed to score eight runs in the period as they struggled to play deliveries rising alarmingly off the pitch and some staying too low. They lost their openers Hamish Rutherford and George Worker for no score to deliveries that lifted sharply. Daniel Flynn, who scored seven, was the only batsman to get runs.NZC Head of Cricket Operations Lindsay Crocker expressed surprise at the substandard pitch. “Other pitches which have been played on this season, including practice ones, have played well and historically been of a high standard.”We’ll be looking into the issue and will be closely analysing the structure and surface to see what went wrong on this particular pitch and how to avoid a repeat,” he told the website.The two subsequent one-dayers have both been pushed behind for a day due to the rescheduling of this game: the second match will now be played on Thursday and the final on Sunday. NZC have also included a four-day match to the program, to be played from September 26 to September 29, with the final four-dayer to be played four days later as planned.

Paul Nixon is aiming for a career finale in India after confirming that he will be available for the Champions League should Leicestershire qualify

Andrew McGlashan24-Aug-2011Paul Nixon is aiming for a career finale in India after confirming that he will be available for the Champions League should Leicestershire qualify, by winning their Friends Life t20 semi-final against Lancashire on Saturday.Nixon will end his 23-year professional career this season, but Finals Day at Edgbaston will not be his last appearance for Leicestershire if they reach the final. The winners of each semi-final will head to Hyderabad in September for the qualifying phase of the Champions League to try to earn a place in the full competition.”I would definitely go, I would love to play in the Champions League and reach the final,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “That’s what the fairytale is all about. You’ve got to think, why can’t it happen?”Leicestershire earned their place at Finals Day with a memorable run-chase against Kent where Nixon played the match-winning hand with 31 off 17 balls in his last appearance at Grace Road. He was then hoisted onto the shoulders of jubilant supporters and carried around the outfield as he drank a pint in celebration and is aiming for similar scenes at Edgbaston.”It’s all about a mindset and a belief and we have that at Grace Road at the moment,” he said. “We’ve started planning for the day and we are using all of our experience. Abdul Razzaq is with us now, so along with myself and Claude Henderson we have all won big tournaments before. I think we have a better balance this year especially in terms of our batsmen who can clear the ropes.”Nixon was one of the first players to scotch the notion that Twenty20 was a young man’s game and was part of the Leicestershire team that led the way in the format by reaching the first four Final Days, winning the title in 2004 and 2006. “I love the game and Twenty20 is a new facet you have to adapt to,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed and embraced the format and maybe it’s helped my game as well.”Even if Nixon’s dream finish doesn’t materialise at Edgbaston and in India he isn’t short of memories from a long career. He has also played for Kent and, at the age of 36, earned England recognition when he was called up for the CB Series in Australia following the 2006-07 Ashes whitewash and helped the team win the tournament.”Winning any trophy is a pinnacle,” he said. “Winning the first Championship title [in 1996] was amazing and very special. But getting picked for England is a dream and getting my cap off Michael Vaughan was probably the real high of my life.”Nixon lives for cricket so it is no surprise that he will remain heavily involved as a batting coach for Leicestershire – in the last couple of years he has already worked with the county’s youngsters including James Taylor – and has ambitions to further his coaching career in the future.”I’d love a role with England, but you have to grow into that,” he said. “I’ve been very lucky to be around some world-class coaches and players. I started under Bobby Simpson who was immense and have also had Jack Birkenshaw, Tim Boon and John Wright. I’ve had some world-class knowledge, I just wish I’d put that to use earlier in my career.”

Middlesex’s bowlers hit back after their batsmen collapsed in spectacular fashion on a day when 21 wickets fell at Derby and only one player scored fifty

27-Aug-2010
ScorecardMiddlesex’s bowlers hit back after their batsmen collapsed in spectacular fashion on a day when 21 wickets fell at Derby and only one player scored fifty.The visitors lost their last seven wickets for 22 to be bowled out for 263 but Derbyshire were then skittled for 182 with Pedro Collins and Shaun Udal each taking four wickets.That gave Middlesex a first innings lead of 81 but they then lost Scott Newman for the second time in the day and Mark Footitt struck twice in successive overs to reduce them to 71 for 4 at the close, a lead of 152.There was certainly nothing in the pitch or the overhead conditions to blame for the dramatic clatter of wickets which began when Newman pulled Robin Peterson to deep midwicket after adding only seven to his first day 119. The rest of the Middlesex innings was a procession with five batsmen failing to register double figures as the Derbyshire bowlers preyed on poor shot selection.Three wickets fell with the total on 245 and Collins’ wild carve to third man to bring the innings to a close summed up what had been a lamentable display by the visitors. Derbyshire fared no better despite Chris Rogers making 75, his highest Championship score since early June, and they were two wickets down by lunch with Collins bowling Chesney Hughes with the penultimate ball of the session.The home side lost their last six wickets for 60 runs with at least four batsmen contributing to their downfall as the game advanced rapidly despite the loss of four sessions to rain. Derbyshire’s hopes of getting close to Middlesex’s total disappeared when Rogers was bowled by Udal for 75 and only some lusty blows from Steffan Jones, who hit the veteran spinner for two sixes in an over, gave them a measure of respectability.Udal had the last word when Jones was stumped giving him the charge but Middlesex were soon back in familiar territory as Tim Groenewald and Graham Wagg trapped both openers lbw in the first eight overs of their second innings.Owais Shah and Dawid Malan brought up the fifty before Footitt tempted them into rash strokes to leave both teams with a chance of winning a game that had looked destined for a draw after the loss of so much time to bad weather.

Former Young Lions head coach takes over after sudden departure of Grant Bradburn

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2025Glamorgan have appointed Richard Dawson as their interim head coach, following the sudden departure of Grant Bradburn last month over allegations of discriminatory behaviour.Dawson had most recently been part of the England Men’s white-ball coaching team, having previously overseen England Under-19s. He spent six years coaching Gloucestershire, securing promotion from Division One in 2019 and a T20 Finals Day appearance in 2020, before moving on to work with the ECB’s performance pathway in 2021.”I’m delighted to be joining Glamorgan as head coach for the coming season,” Dawson said. “I’ve got a good idea of how the club works having spent time with Welsh Fire over the years. I’m looking forward to getting involved with the players and coaches at the club and building on the success achieved in the 50 over competition last season.”Dawson, who was capped seven times in Tests, spent most of his playing career with Yorkshire, before short stints at Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire.He is currently working with the England Lions on their tour of Australia, and will then be involved at the Women’s Premier League before taking up his role with Glamorgan from March. He will also continue as Welsh Fire assistant coach during the Hundred, with a replacement for the One-Day Cup, which Glamorgan won last year, to be announced in due course.Mark Wallace, Glamorgan’s director of cricket, said: “It’s great news for the club that we have been able to appoint a coach of Richard Dawson’s standing and quality as interim head coach until the end of the season. We were keen to move quickly and get someone in place for the 2025 season and we see Richard as the perfect fit to develop the squad and continue to move us forward this season.”

David Payne, Roelof van der Merwe and Haris Rauf contain hosts to sub-par total at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network10-Aug-2023Welsh Fire asserted their authority on the 2023 Men’s Hundred by thrashing Birmingham Phoenix by six wickets at Edgbaston.There is a real feeling around the Fire camp that, for the first time, they can mount a challenge in this year’s tournament and their dismantling of Phoenix certainly backed up that view.Phoenix chose to bat but mustered only 112 for 7, never shedding the shackles of a focused and fired up Fire attack. David Payne led the way with excellent sets early and late on to finish with 2 for 11 while strong support was lent by Roelof van der Merwe with 2 for 16 and Haris Rauf’s 2 for 20.Phoenix’s limp effort with the bat left them needing something dynamic with the ball but Fire blazed to 116 for 4 from 85 balls after Stephen Eskinazi launched their reply with a ferocious 18-ball 43. They charged to 50 without loss in 21 balls and never looked back.Phoenix found their early batting progress impeded by the skills of van der Merwe. The left-arm spinner removed Will Smeed, who sent up a skier, and Ben Duckett, caught at short fine leg.After Jamie Smith was bowled by an express yorker from Rauf, van der Merwe found himself under a top-edged hoik from Moeen Ali and held on at the third attempt.Roelof van der Merwe juggles a catch off Moeen Ali•ECB via Getty Images

Fire bowled with pace and purpose, encapsulated by the rapid, full-length delivery which eluded a crude attempt by Liam Livingstone to land one among the spectators in the Hollies Stand. That usually raucous throng was as subdued as could be and a cadaverous haul of just six runs from the last ten balls, skilfully delivered by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Payne, did nothing to lift the noise levels.Blaze took their momentum emphatically into the batting as Eskinazi improvised magnificently. He smashed, scooped, skewered and squeezed the ball to all areas on the way to 43 in an opening stand of 67 in 32 balls with Joe Clarke.A crumb of hope came the home side’s way when Benny Howell removed both openers in five balls. When Luke Wells fell lbw, reverse sweeping Moeen Ali, three wickets had fallen for six runs in ten balls, but Fire’s fine work in the field had earned them the luxury of withstanding a wobble.Tom Abell’s 23 not out from 18 balls saw the visitors home at a canter leaving the Hollies Stand as flat as a pancake and a distinguished, sombrero-wearing, first-time visitor to the usually ebullient venue reflecting that the highlight of her day was a nap in the sunshine during the first innings.