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Jos Buttler’s international career finally came alive at Edgbaston and in an instant his stock has rocketed

David Hopps16-Sep-2012Even in the instant world of Twenty20, it takes some believing that a single over can change the mindset of a team, never mind the player involved. But the 32 runs that Jos Buttler took off one over from Wayne Parnell in the final dregs of the English summer has become emblematic for an England squad seeking proof that they have the capacity to win the World Twenty20.Before his Edgbaston escapade, Buttler was just another skilful young player seeking to justify the faith shown in him. After one brief but violent assault he has instantly become one of the most talked-about players in town. “Which one is Jos Buttler?” is now a contender for the top ten questions in the hotel lobby, proudly ranked alongside other essentials like “is my room ready yet?” and “can you give me some change for the tuk-tuk driver”.For more than a year, Buttler’s T20 career was stillborn. He had 10 caps, but in six innings had reached double figures only once. Those who had watched him at Somerset yearned for his ability to overflow. But he got out twice in Dubai to his signature ramp shot and as well as enquiring of the batting coach, he even asked the team psychologist, Mark Bawden, if he should keep playing it. Bawden told him to trust his instincts as sports psychologists tend to do.Buttler, as he did in the aftermath of Edgbaston, spoke in Colombo of the confidence this has brought him, that he “feels calmer, more myself, more relaxed,” that his ability to repay the faith has given him a greater sense of belonging. A few days before the biggest tournament of his life it could not be better timed.”After the first one I hit, I thought ‘this is good fun, I can enjoy this’,” he said. “It was just one of those overs: he bowled it where I guessed and it just came off. I’m excited about gaining a bit of recognition or getting noticed. That can only be a good thing; it means you must have done something right for sides to know who you are.”But it is the positive impact that Buttler’s innings has made upon the England team that is so striking. England admittedly are defending champions, but they do not play much T20 and have little involvement in IPL. As one of the last sides to arrive in Sri Lanka, they could easily feel like visitors rather than contenders.Eoin Morgan, who in the absence of Kevin Pietersen is the batsman with IPL-cred, enthused about the wider impact of Buttler’s innings. “It was absolutely brilliant,” he said. “It gives everyone else around them belief that he can perform at any given time especially when it is to that extremity.”I’ve been watching Jos train for nearly a year now, and he’s phenomenal. We’ve all been waiting for this to evolve. The fact it has now is awesome for his own confidence, knowing that he can pull out a performance like that, and it is also great for the team.”It wasn’t easy for him in Dubai where it was reverse swinging, and it was among his first couple of innings. There were a lot of contributing factors to why he didn’t have a chance to go out and play the way he could. It is very timely he has now. Like anything, until you go out there and prove to yourself and you know inside you can perform, all the reassuring words run off your shoulders really.”The value of Buttler’s assault is even more important if you accept Morgan’s assertion that T20 is evolving so quickly that experience is often passed in the reverse manner, from young to old, rather like teenage sons showing fathers how to download an App. Morgan might pass on advice in team meetings about how to keep things simple, but he gets a lot back in return.”Everyone that comes through, you learn a hell of a lot more from,” he said. “You’re always a generation behind when you’re passing on experience. The way the game’s going, people are always bringing in new things.”England play the first of two warm-up games against Australia in Colombo tomorrow, at Nondescripts CC, a club with a name that Buttler need no longer fear sums up his international career. Pakistan follow on Wednesday before Group A matches against Afghanistan on Friday and India two days later.”I’ve played Afghanistan before, when I played for Ireland, and have been on a losing side against them, so I won’t be taking them for granted at all,” Morgan said. “They have a lot of up-and-coming players, and it’s a potential banana skin for us. If we don’t perform, there’s a chance they could sneak over the line.”But survive that and England move to Pallakele for the Super Eights, to face – barring shocks – West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand and with the October monsoon approaching a little unsettled weather might help their cause, if not assist the batsman-friendly tournament for which the ICC must yearn.”Pallekele is similar to English conditions – it does do a bit,” Morgan said. “Research suggests it nips around which I’m not sure will be the most attractive Twenty20 cricket. But there’s every chance of these conditions, especially with the rain around – which we’re more used to after the summer we’ve had.”As for Pietersen-watch, he is about to arrive in Sri Lanka as an expert pundit for ESPN Star Sports. “I’d no idea he was coming,” Morgan said. “I look forward to seeing it. It could be quite funny.”The Pietersen imbroglio, he said, was not a dressing room obsession, but neither was it a banned topic of conversation. “No, it’s not like Voldemort, it’s alright,” he said.As Stuart Broad, England’s T20 captain, has occasionally been compared to Malfoy, this raises interesting possibilities. Harry Potter fans will tell you that Voldemort gives Malfoy a hug – an awkward, unfeely hug, but a hug nevertheless – in the final edition of Harry Potter. The first time he bumps into Stuart Broad, England’s T20 captain, in the hotel lobby could be quite touching.

Somerset have been fined, and captain Marcus Trescothick handed a suspended two-match ban, for repeated player disciplinary breaches

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2011Somerset have paid a heavy price for player indiscipline after an ECB disciplinary commission fined them fined £5,000, £1000 of which was suspended for 12 months, and handed captain Marcus Trescothick a two-match suspension, itself suspended for a period of 12 months. An “embarrassed and apologetic” club were also asked to pay £500 towards the cost of the hearing itself.It could well have been worse for them, however, as in recent weeks both Sussex and Essex have suffered enforced player suspensions, with Murray Goodwin and James Foster the players found to have breached the disciplinary codes and subsequently banned.A Cricket Discipline Commission Panel made up of Mike Smith, Alan Wadey and Peter Jewell convened to hear charges brought by the ECB against both the county, in respect of five separate occasions when cricketers registered with them were found guilty of fixed penalty offences in a 12-month period, and Marcus Trescothick, who was captain when all the offences took place.The panel took into consideration both Somerset’s own internal disciplinary procedures and the fact that Trescothick himself had not been directly involved in any of the offences, had an exemplary disciplinary record over a period of 19 years and had attempted to instil good discipline within his team.The panel decided, however, that ultimately the number of separate incidents was unacceptable and that the regulations place a high responsibility on the captain in respect of the conduct of his players, a statement from them adding that Trescothick “had been let down by his team”.This most recent example of punishments handed out over player indiscipline comes in the week when the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the ECB umpires’ manager and senior English umpires met in an attempt to quell the recent spate of poor behaviour in county cricket which had already led to two leading players – Goodwin and Foster – being suspended.

A round-up of the second round of games from the Women’s European Championship in Ireland

Cricinfo staff11-Aug-2010
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Ireland had a major scare before getting home by three wickets against Netherlands in Stirling. Facing a Dutch total of just 125, they collapsed to 85 for 7 before an eighth-wicket partnership of 37 between Isobel Joyce and Louise McCarthy saw them home to victory in the 40th over.The damp, cloudy, conditions at the start meant the Irish had no hesitation in asking Netherlands to bat first. The Dutch went off at a fast pace but in doing so lost both openers, Violet Wattenberg and Carlijn De Groot. A third wicket soon followed with the score on 38. Three wickets then fell in the sixties to leave the Dutch innings tottering at 66 for 6, as McCarthy claimed two victims in a spell of five overs in which she conceded just six runs.However, the seventh-wicket partnership of Denise Hannema and Esther Lanser added 31 before another pair of wickets fell in quick succession. It was left to the last wicket pair of Marloes Braat and Mandy Kornet to bat out the remaining overs to enable their side to post a final total of 125.Given that Ireland had chased down 161 against Scotland on Monday, it didn’t appear that this would be a target that might test the Irish batting line-up. But once again an opener was run out, Laura Delany beaten by Helmien Rambaldo’s throw. She was soon followed back by Eimear Richardson and Jill Whelan as Ireland faltered at 29 for 3.However, Emma Beamish and Melissa Scott-Hayward steadied the innings and took the score to 74 before another wicket fell. But, when Scott-Hayward was caught by Esther Lanser a mini-collapse took place as Kim Garth went for a duck and then Emma Beamish (18) was caught by Rambaldo. With the score at 76 for 6 the Dutch were back in the game. When Heather Whelan was run out nine runs later, they appeared to be favourites to win.The experience of Isobel Joyce was to prove to be the difference between the two sides as she, with excellent support from McCarthy, kept out the good deliveries and took advantage of anything loose. The two kept their composure to steer their side home – the winning runs coming from two wide deliveries. Indeed, the Dutch bowlers gave away 26 wides, which was undoubtedly a major factor in their inability to defend their own total.Joyce’s 36 had seen the Irish home to a victory that sealed their progress to the next stage of the World Cup qualification process and leaves the Dutch needing to defeat Scotland.

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ECB Development XI bounced back from their defeat against Netherlands on Monday with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Scotland. Chasing a meagre target of 116, they cruised home in just under 20 overs as Kathryn Doherty and Fran Wilson put together a rapid, unbeaten, partnership of 114.After winning the toss, Jo Cook put Scotland in to bat favouring her bowlers on a damp wicket in dull and cool conditions. They struck immediately as Scottish opener Lynne Dickson was run out before she had faced a single delivery. Another run out soon ensued when Kari Anderson failed to beat a throw from Isabelle Westbury. The next nine overs produced just nine runs until Leigh Kasperek was caught off Alice MacLeod to reduce Scotland to 28 for 3.The next partnership was to prove to be the most successful of the innings as Kathryn White and Catherine Smaill put on 41. White fell lbw for 23 to become the first of three victims for Kathryn Doherty, and after her dismissal wickets continued to tumble as Scotland ended up on just 115 in the 48th over. Doherty finished with 3 for 15 while Alice MacLeod bowled her ten over quota conceding just 19 runs.The ECB innings began in identical fashion to the Scottish one as MacLeod was run out by Leigh Kasperek without having taken strike. But that was to be Scotland’s only success as Kathryn Doherty and Fran Wilson took complete control. Wilson completed her second successive half century in 54 balls while Doherty was on 49 when the winning runs were hit.”I found the wicket had dried out quite a bit when I got out there which made batting conditions slightly easier for us,” said Doherty. “Fran and I built a strong partnership by punishing the bad balls and running well together. I really enjoyed it out there””Today was a great opportunity for us to get back on track and perform to our potential,” added Wilson. “It was satisfying to have a positive contribution to the team’s win.”The ECB Development XI will meet Ireland tomorrow in a match which will decide the destination of the European Championship title, while Scotland will meet Netherlands to determine who takes the second World Cup Qualifying place.

England decline to enforce follow-on after remarkable maiden hundred sets up 231-run lead

Andrew Miller30-Aug-2024Gus Atkinson’s magnificent maiden Test century set the tone for another dominant England performance at Lord’s.By the end of a second day that had begun with England sitting pretty on 358 for 7 in their first innings, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were back out there in their second, nudging the lead along to an already imposing 256. Pope, in need of a score after 13 runs in his first three innings as captain, endured a handful of jitters but endured to the close unscathed, after Dan Lawrence had been given out on review for 7, England’s only truly duff note of the day.In between whiles, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 196 in 55.3 overs, a first-innings deficit of 231, having relied once more on the indomitable skills of Kamindu Mendis to haul them out of a familiar top-order tail-spin.By the time he was last man out for a punchy 74 from 120 balls, Kamindu had rescued his side from a nadir of 118 for 7 – and briefly lifted his remarkable Test average back above 100 – with his sixth fifty-plus score in only eight Test innings. However, none of his colleagues could manage more than Dinesh Chandimal’s 23 and, with more than three days remaining on a pitch that is already showing signs of turn, England never gave the follow-on any serious consideration.While it lasted though, Kamindu’s latest onslaught was proof of the spirit that still courses through this Sri Lanka team, even in the midst of another desperate display. On his watch, a previously dominant England attack were given the run-around by an innings containing eight fours and three sixes, one which flew through the window of the MCC Committee Room, and another which left a spectator by the pavilion steps needing treatment for a painful, but thankfully non-serious, blow to the head.Olly Stone dismissed two of Sri Lanka’s top-three on Test return•AFP/Getty Images

Until his intervention, Sri Lanka’s performance had been every bit as off-colour as their dreadful display on the third day of the first Test at Old Trafford. Then, as now, their foothold in the contest came loose during a muddled morning with the ball, with Atkinson the prime beneficiary as he converted his overnight 74 not out into a sublime 103-ball hundred. It was the first of his professional career, and the first by a designated England No.8 or lower since Stuart Broad’s 169 on this same ground against Pakistan in 2010.Despite having had the chance, overnight, to overthink his opportunity, Atkinson’s cool head proved to be almost as remarkable as the feat itself. Just as had been the case on his debut against West Indies in July, when Atkinson had earned himself a total of three honours-board entries with five-fors in each innings and 12 wickets in the match – the prospect of another remarkable slice of Lord’s history could not faze him in the slightest.Facing up to a ball that was only eight overs old, Atkinson launched his day with back-to-back boundaries as Kumara strayed either side of the wicket, and though he was then given out lbw by Paul Reiffel third-ball, the collective groan of the Lord’s crowd quickly turned to cheers as Atkinson’s review showed the ball to be missing leg.From then on, there was no stopping him. Milan Rathnayake offered him another leg-stump freebie, tickled through fine leg, and having powered through to 99 with another pull and a drive off the erratic Kumara, Atkinson needed just three more balls – compared to Joe Root’s 12 on day one – before another firm and focussed push through long-off landed him his milestone from just 103 balls, the sixth-fastest century in a Lord’s Test.Kamindu Mendis was at the centre of Sri Lanka’s resistance again•Getty Images

Atkinson’s disbelieving smile as he saluted all four corners of the ground was the only slight hint that this was no ordinary day out. Matthew Potts, who had played a key role in an 85-run stand for the eighth wicket, fell soon afterwards as Asitha was belatedly called into the attack to strike with a third-ball outswinger.Sri Lanka soon reverted to a short-ball tactic, which initially suited Atkinson fine as he thrashed two more fours behind square off Asitha. But, in his attempt to dump the same bowler into the Grandstand, he finally came a cropper, courtesy of a wonderfully timed leap from Rathnayake at deep midwicket, who dived towards the rope – feet in the air – to cling on over his shoulder and end a mighty innings.And though the bumper ploy wasn’t the best use of Asitha’s merits, he did at least land a deserved moment of personal glory when Stone swung through another short ball to pick out deep fine leg for 15. With figures of 5 for 102, that made him the first Sri Lanka bowler to claim five wickets at Lord’s since Rumesh Ratnayake in 1991.That left Sri Lanka with a tricky 45 minutes to negotiate before the break, and for the third innings in a row, Nishan Madushka wasn’t up to the task. He should have fallen for a duck in Woakes’ second over when Jamie Smith failed to react to a snick that Root couldn’t reach at first slip, but he had made just 7 – his highest score of the series – when Woakes instead found an inside-edge onto his stumps.Then, in the final over of the session, Stone capped his return to the side with his first Test wicket in three long years, by inducing another inside-edge, this time off Dimuth Karunaratne, who wrecked his own stumps as his poor series continued with 7 from 26 balls.Forty minutes and five balls later, Stone had his second. Pathum Nissanka, who could have been run out on 3 by Dan Lawrence’s instinctive shy from short leg, instead fell for 12 as he aimed a gullible flick off the toes and picked out Potts, stationed for that precise shot at leg slip.Angelo Mathews and Chandimal, two of the mainstays of Sri Lanka’s fightback at Old Trafford, picked up the pieces in a fourth-wicket stand of 48. But into the attack came Potts, who was excellent if under-rewarded in the second innings of that first Test.With a relentless stump-to-stump line, allied to a hint of each-way movement, Potts duly struck with the first ball of his fourth over, as Mathews was turned inside-out by one that nipped round his edge and into the top of off. Then, three balls later, Dhananjaya de Silva was caught for a duck, off the splice at second slip by another ball that straightened off the pitch, and Kamindu’s innings had barely begun when Chandimal, looking tentative after another blow to his injured thumb, flicked weakly off his toes to Lawrence at leg gully to leave the innings in tatters on 87 for 6.Thereafter, however, England didn’t find the going quite so easy. Rathnayake, like Atkinson, is flushed with confidence after his unlikely batting heroics at Old Trafford, and he launched his own innings with 14 runs from four balls before Woakes returned to the attack to snick him off for 19, with Smith completing a fine diving take.England then turned to spin, with Shoaib Bashir – finally given a spell at Lord’s after going unused in the West Indies Test – settling into an excellent rhythm before prising out Jayasuriya for a previously resolute 8 from 46 balls, as he finally lost patience to be bowled through the gate on the charge.Kamindu then got a life on 62 at Root, at deep square leg, made a hash of a top-edged pull off Stone and, with sturdy support from Kumara, whose 22-ball duck ended with a direct-hit run-out from Pope, he set about restoring a veneer of respectability. Atkinson, however, lured him into one too many liberties to finish his day on the high it had deserved. By the close, and even allowing for Lawrence’s latest disappointment as a makeshift opener, it didn’t look like changing the destiny of this match, or this series.

Alex Davies, Rob Yates fire chase of 147 before Ben Raine gives Durham a glimmer

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2023Jacob Bethell held his nerve under pressure in the final over to guide Birmingham Bears to a two-wicket victory over Durham in a thriller at Seat Unique Riverside, keeping the visitors on top of the Vitality Blast North Group.The Bears were miserly with the ball after winning the toss. Hasan Ali was excellent at the top of the order and collected figures of 2-15 from his four overs, while Danny Briggs also claimed two strikes. Ollie Robinson and Ashton Turner notched fifties, but Durham’s total of 146 for 5 looked short of par at the interval.Alex Davies and Rob Yates led an explosive start to the Bears’ chase, sharing an opening stand of 80 to put the visitors ahead of the rate. But, Nathan Sowter continued his impressive campaign with two wickets to halt the Birmingham charge. Ben Raine then set nerves jangling with two in two in the 17th over and he performed heroics again with the same feat in the 19th.The game turned again when Bethell held his composure from the final over to smash a six and a four in back-to-back balls to steer Birmingham over the one with three balls to spare, edging them closer to a quarter-final berth.After Graham Clark scored three early boundaries, Durham’s momentum was halted by losing both openers within three balls. Chris Woakes made the breakthrough on his return as Alex Lees was undone by a slower delivery before Clark was bowled by Hasan.Hasan produced a brilliant spell with the new ball, bowling three overs for the cost of just seven runs, limiting the hosts to 29 from the powerplay.The Bears continued to restrict the Durham batting ranks as the run rate hovered at just below six an over. The pressure to score allowed Briggs to strike in successive deliveries. Michael Jones was caught on the fence by Jake Lintott, who produced a clever catch on the rope to prevent a maximum, while Brydon Carse fell first ball.At 60 for 4, the hosts could ill afford to lose further wickets. Robinson and Turner duly responded with an excellent partnership worth 86 to allow Durham to post a competitive total. Turner found his timing against the Birmingham spinners and raced to his half-century from only 29 balls with seven fours and slog-sweep six against Lintott.Robinson was more sedate compared to his team-mate, but still brought up his fourth fifty of the season with a massive strike over the rope against Woakes. He tried to add another off the final ball from Hasan, only to be caught on the relay by Lintott and Ed Barnard.Birmingham had no difficulty adjusting to the pitch in the powerplay and made the chase seem straightforward. Davies and Yates found the boundary with ease without taking risks, racing to fifty after 4.2 overs. The Bears were a staggering 37 runs ahead of the home side at the end of the powerplay, ending the opening six overs 66 without loss.Davies and Yates both fell for 40 as Liam Trevaskis and Wayne Parnell prevented the visitors from racing away with the chase. On his 400th T20 appearance, Glenn Maxwell’s attempt to reverse-sweep Sowter to the rope ended his knock for 14 and the legspinner sent Dan Mousley on his way to put the pressure on.Raine set up a tense finale by matching Briggs’ exploits removing Chris Benjamin and Ed Barnard in successive deliveries. The right-armer then performed similar heroics to dismiss Woakes and Hasan with two in two in the 19th. But, Bethell dispatched Trevaskis for a six and four to guide his team to victory in the final over.

Ben Compton, Jordan Cox score half-centuries but Kent fail to get out of jail on final day

ECB Reporters Network24-Apr-2022Hampshire routed Kent by an innings and 51 runs in their LV= Insurance County Championship match at Canterbury, after dismissing the hosts for 296 in their second innings on day four. Kyle Abbott took 5 for 29, mopping up Kent’s tail with three wickets from four balls, while Felix Organ spun his way to 3 for 63 as the visitors secured a maximum 24 points, while Kent managed just four.Ben Compton and Jordan Cox had given Kent hope of a draw after batting through the morning session on day four, but they were out for 89 and 64 respectively after lunch. Cox’s dismissal was particularly contentious as he was given caught off a delivery that seemed to hit his thigh, but having been outplayed for most of the match Kent could have few complaints about the final result.Home hopes of avoiding a second consecutive defeat seemed to hinge largely on Division One’s leading run scorer Compton, who had come within maybe 40 minutes of getting them out of a far tighter situation against Lancashire the previous Sunday.He had scored 37 of the hosts’ overnight tally of 78 for 3, but they were still 269 behind when play resumed. Mohammad Abbas found his edge when he was on 49, but the chance didn’t carry and he took a single from the next ball to reach his half-century.Cox, on 3 overnight, played and missed at Barker when on 13 and a googly from Mason Crane somehow eluded his stumps and went for four byes, but otherwise he offered few chances and at lunch Kent were 161 for 3, with the visiting bowlers getting increasingly frustrated.Keith Barker broke through 15 minutes into the afternoon session when Compton was given out caught behind to a leg side delivery. Whether it was out of disappointment or anger, Compton was shaking his head as he trudged back to the pavilion and Ollie Robinson was out for 9 in the next over. The skipper hit Organ for boundaries off the first two balls but edged the third to Ben Brown.By now Organ was extracting some serious turn, but Darren Stevens brought up 200 for Kent when he swiped him for six and Cox hit Abbas through cow corner to pass fifty for the second time in the match.Stevens should have been out when he hit a rank full toss from Mason Crane straight to Liam Dawson, but the fielder spilled the catch. The game’s most controversial moment came when Cox was given out, caught at short leg by Joe Weatherley off Organ, to a ball that replays showed had initially hit him halfway up the thigh. Abbas then accounted for Matt Milnes, who misjudged a pull shot and was caught by Weatherley for 13.Hamid Qadri joined Stevens and survived till tea, at which point Kent were 287 for 7, but he fell to the third ball after the restart, edging Abbott behind for 11. Abbott’s next ball removed Nathan Gilchrist for a golden duck, caught by Weatherley at short leg. Jackson Bird hit Abbott’s hat-trick ball for four but he was lbw to the next delivery, leaving Stevens unbeaten on 41 as Hampshire celebrated raucously on the pitch.

Queensland’s decision to bat again gave Burns another innings but he fell for 11

Alex Malcolm10-Nov-2020Australia Test opener Joe Burns faces a nervous wait to see whether he retains his place for the series against India, after his lean start to the summer continued with another low score against South Australia, as calls for Will Pucovski’s inclusion in the Test team grow louder.Burns was out for 11, bringing his season’s Sheffield Shield tally to just 57 runs from five innings, while Pucovski has scored 457 runs in two innings and has only been dismissed once.Queensland opted not to enforce the follow on after South Australia were bowled out 342 runs behind on the first innings early on day three at Glenelg Oval.The decision allowed Burns another chance to get some valuable time in the middle, albeit with the Bulls looking to accelerate to set up a declaration and leave enough time to take another 10 wickets for a victory.ALSO READ: Australia Test squad: who has staked their claim for a call-up?Burns started brightly but got a thin edge attempting to pull a bouncer from Chadd Sayers that was above his head and wide of his off stump. It was the second time he has fallen attempting to pull or hook from outside off stump in two games after he got a top edge off Sean Abbott against New South Wales.It has been a tough start to the season for Joe Burns•Getty Images

Two of his other dismissals also have commonality. He was bowled through the gate attempting to drive Tasmania’s Peter Siddle on the up in the first game of the season while he was given out caught behind off the inside edge attempting a similar shot to Daniel Worrall in the first innings at Glenelg.Burns, 31, was recalled to Australia’s Test side last summer and played all five Tests after missing out on the Ashes tour completely, despite making 180 in the last Test prior to the tour. He started last season with a bang making 97 against Pakistan at the Gabba in a 222-run stand with David Warner.He made 53 in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand but acknowledged he had an underwhelming summer overall while Warner and Marnus Labuschagne plundered six centuries between them at the top of Australia’s order, including a triple and a double.Burns has scored four Test centuries and averages 38.30, a record that has oddly seen him dropped from the Test side on five separate occasions.Pucovski, 22, has made an almost irresistible case to be elevated to Test level as soon as possible after successive double-centuries in his first two innings of the Shield season – his first two innings opening the batting in first-class cricket – have left little doubt as to his credentials.Fellow Victoria opener Marcus Harris, 28, is also making a case after losing his spot to Burns last year, having made 239 and 71 in his only two innings of the summer so far.The Australia Test squad is due to be announced at the conclusion of this round of Sheffield Shield matches after which the competition will break until after the BBL in February with the latter part of the domestic calendar still be confirmed.

Derbyshire recovered from 95 for 7 but could still only muster 200 as Ryan Higgins and Josh Shaw shared eight wickets

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2019A five wicket haul from Ryan Higgins gave promotion contenders Gloucestershire the edge on the opening day of the match against Derbyshire at Derby. Higgins bowled superbly to take 5 for 54 from 22 overs as Derbyshire were bowled out for 200 with Josh Shaw finishing with 3 for 50.Alex Hughes top scored with 39 on his return to the Championship side but Gloucestershire’s batsmen also struggled in bowler-friendly conditions as they closed on 46 for 2.Gloucestershire’s decision to make first use of a grassy pitch brought immediate rewards as Derbyshire lost both openers with only 5 on the board. David Payne found bounce and movement to have Billy Godleman caught behind without scoring before Higgins began his impressive pre-lunch shift by finding Luis Reece’s outside edge.Higgins was rewarded for maintaining a full length and repeatedly making the batsmen play to leave the field with outstanding figures of 3 for 13 from nine overs, six of them maidens. Wayne Madsen, who came into the match averaging nearly 50 against Gloucestershire, was bowled by one that swung in late to knock out middle stump and a similar ball trapped Tom Lace in front two overs before the interval.In between, Leus du Plooy had edged a loose drive at Shaw to second slip and Gloucestershire’s domination continued after lunch as Harvey Hosein edged Higgins to first slip. When Matt Critchley was struck in front by Ben Allison making his first-class debut on loan from Essex, Derbyshire were 95 for 7 but Hughes and the lower order carried the home side to an unlikely batting point.Hughes faced 138 balls and batted for nearly three hours until he was beaten by another full length ball from Higgins that moved late to end a stand of 55 in 16 overs with Fynn Hudson-Prentice.Shaw tempted Hudson-Prentice into fishing at a wide one but some muscular blows from Logan van Beek, including a straight six off Payne, frustrated Gloucestershire until a smart slip catch removed Ravi Rampaul.The visitors had 19 overs to negotiate and after beating the bat several times, Reece had James Bracey caught behind for 5 in the 12th. Rampaul then struck in the next over when Gareth Roderick could only edge a ball that left him late low to third slip where Critchley took a smart catch.

It would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended for 12 months

Peter Della Penna24-May-2018Suspended former Australia captain Steven Smith has been named as one of ten marquee players for the proposed Global T20 Canada league set to start at the end of June in Toronto.If the competition takes place as planned, it would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended from international, state and Big Bash action for 12 months.
The other players punished after the Cape Town incident – Cameron Bancroft and David Warner – had previously confirmed their comeback plans. Bancroft was given dispensation to play in Western Australia’s Premier Cricket league while Warner is set to turn out for his Sydney club side Randwick Petersham.Along with Smith, the other marquee names announced include fellow Australian Chris Lynn, Pakistani allrounder Shahid Afridi, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, South African batsman David Miller and five West Indians: Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo. In addition, several marquee coaches were also announced including Phil Simmons, Tom Moody and Heath Streak.The marquee names will be taken in the first two rounds of the 16-round player draft scheduled for May 26 with a total of 80 players chosen. ESPNcricinfo sources have stated that pre-assigned draft salary slots will start at USD100,000 for the first round marquee names and bottom out at USD3,000 in the final round.Global T20 Canada tournament director and former Barbados Tridents chief executive Jason Harper announced at the league’s media launch event in Toronto on Thursday that over 1,500 players have signed up to be in the draft pool for later this month. Conflicting information provided by Global T20 Canada’s web site and press releases have mentioned one of three possible dates for the draft: May 26, 30 or 31. Sources have told ESPNcricinfo that players who signed up had to set a reserve price for the draft, similar to the CPL and they cannot be drafted in a lower priced round than their reserve price.Even though the league has announced six teams, only five franchises will take part of the draft: Toronto Nationals, who hold the first pick in the draft; Vancouver Knights, Winnipeg Hawks, Montreal Tigers and the Edmonton Royals, who were originally named the Ottawa Royals in previous information posted on the Global T20 Canada website. The sixth team will be a Caribbean All-Stars side consisting of West Indian domestic players but none of the marquee West Indies players in the draft will be part of that squad.The entire tournament will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club located in King City, Ontario, a small rural village 25 miles north of downtown Toronto.Maple Leaf CC has no permanent seats or television facilities, meaning a temporary structures will need to be installed over the next five weeks to create the 7000 seat stadium structure that has been advertised on the league website in time for the first match scheduled for June 28. The tournament final is set for July 15, the same day as the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow.

Sri Lanka’s selectors are confident that the fast bowler will be fit enough to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs by the time of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Lasith Malinga, who last played an ODI in November 2015, has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy in June. Long-standing injuries had put his availability in doubt, but Sri Lanka’s selectors have been satisfied he can be fit enough to deliver 10 overs and field for 50 by the time the tournament starts on June 1.Also in the squad are batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who has not played ODIs since January 2016, and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has been only a sporadic presence in Sri Lanka’s ODI squads over the past year. Omitted, however, are batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Milinda Siriwardana, and quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.The team will be led by Angelo Mathews, who returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh.Malinga made his return to T20 internationals in February, following a 12-month layoff from all competitive cricket due to a knee injury. Though his form has been somewhat indifferent in the IPL, he has been largely impressive in his international matches this year, even picking up a first T20I hat-trick in his most recent game, against Bangladesh.”Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage, because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”This is the third successive ICC tournament in which Sri Lanka are sweating over Malinga’s fitness, however. He had missed last year’s World T20, from which he withdrew in the week before Sri Lanka departed for the tournament. He had also been injured in the approach to the 2015 World Cup.”Match fitness is what he’s lacking now – his physical fitness is superb,” Sumathipala said of Malinga. “We are looking for Malinga to be fit to play the practice games before the tournament – it’s very important for him to play those games.”Elsewhere on the seam-bowling front, Mathews himself is expected to be fit to bowl at the Champions Trophy – he has begun bowling in the IPL. Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and Pradeep are the other seam options in the squad. Peculiarly, Sri Lanka have not picked a specialist finger spinner – legbreak bowler Seekkuge Prasanna, and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have been chosen instead.Upul Tharanga – who led the team in Mathews’ absence – is one of three potential openers in the squad, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera there as well. Kapugedera’s inclusion is likely thanks to good performances in the ongoing provincial one-day tournament, in which he has scored two hundreds in four innings.Among the standby players for the tournament are Gunathilaka and offspinner Dilruwan Perera – both of whom will be traveling with the squad – and Siriwardana, Kumara and seam bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who SLC said would be undergoing “continuous training” in Colombo.The Sri Lanka squad – including Malinga – is expected to assemble in Sri Lanka on around the 10th of May, before they leave to Kandy for a six-day training camp. Sumathipala said the board chose the Pallekele Stadium for the camp, in order to better replicate conditions Sri Lanka may face in England. The team leaves the island on May 18, and has two ODIs against Scotland scheduled before they are due to play further practice matches – against Australia and New Zealand.On-tour standbys: Dilruwan Perera, Dhanushka Gunathilaka; Standbys on training in Colombo: Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Sachith Pathirana, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya