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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

Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya has stepped down as director of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL), which runs the Royals Challengers Bangalore IPL franchise

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Mar-2016Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya has stepped down as director of Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL), which runs the Royals Challengers Bangalore IPL franchise.Amrit Thomas, newly appointed chairman of the RCSPL, will be the man in charge of the franchise and the main point of contact with the BCCI.RCSPL is a fully owned subsidiary of United Spirits, which in turn is part of the Diageo Plc, a UK-based business group. Thomas will continue to perform his original role as the president and chief marketing officer of United Spirits.Mallya, who is currently in the UK, is the subject of several investigations by federal authorities in India following the collapse of some of his business interests and the seizure of several of his assets. On February 25, he announced he was stepping down from his positions as non-executive director and chairman at United Spirits. As for his association with RCB, which he bought in 2008 for $111.6 million, Mallya said he would become the franchise’s “chief mentor”.”I have been passionate about this team since inception and am determined to do whatever I can to win the IPL trophy. I am glad that my son, Siddharth, will remain as a director [of Royal Challengers Bangalore] as he is equally passionate about RCB,” Mallya had said in a media release.Notifying the BCCI about the change of guard at Royal Challengers, RCSPL, in a letter sent on March 7, said Mallya will carry out a “limited” role in his role as the chief mentor.”Dr Mallya will have the honorary title of chief mentor for as long as his son Siddharth Mallya remains on the RCSPL board. This is the limited role which enables the various members of the RCSPL board should they wish to consult him. In light of the above, this letter is to confirm to you that following this change, Dr Mallya has no longer authority to represent or bind RCSPL or RCB team and its operations. Dr Mallya’s resignation has not resulted in any change of ownership or control of RCSPL or USL, or any transfer of any part of the business of RCSPL,” the letter stated, according to the . The letter was marked to BCCI president Shashank Manohar, board secretary Anurag Thakur and IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla.

England women orchestrated two mini-collapses – one at the start and one in the middle-overs – to secure victory over Australia women in the second ODI at Hove and draw level

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2013
ScorecardKatherine Brunt picked up two wickets, including that of top-scorer Jess Cameron•Getty Images

England’s bowlers orchestrated two mini-collapses – one at the start and one in the middle-overs – to secure victory over Australia in the second ODI at Hove and draw level in the Ashes. Jess Cameron tried her best to keep Australia in the lead, but her lone stand of 81 was in vain.England’s defence of a 257-run target was near perfect as they dismissed Meg Lanning and Rachel Haynes for nought each. Cameron, coming in at No. 3, held one end steady and her 63-run partnership with Jodie Fields looked to put Australia back on the right track, but a spell of three wickets in five overs, beginning in the 29th with Jenny Gunn’s sharp return catch to remove Alex Blackwell, brought England back into the ascendancy.Jess Jonassen herded the tail during a run-a-ball 34 but she ran out of partners and Australia were bundled out in the 49th over. Seamer Kathrine Brunt and left-arm spinner Holly Colvin picked up two wickets each for England.Having won the toss, England put in a solid batting performance led by Charlotte Edwards, who scored her second fifty of the series, this time a match-winning effort.A 70-run stand between Edwards and Sarah Taylor was followed by a 77-run fourth-wicket partnership between Lydia Greenway and Arran Brindle that laid the foundation for the charge at the death as England made 41 runs off the last five overs. Left-arm spinner Jonassen continued her form with the ball, picking up 2 for 29 to go with the four wickets she took in the first game.Both teams have four points each heading into the third ODI on Sunday.

After meandering along for nearly four months, the CB40 is finally nearing the semi-finals. Lancashire are the one county assured of qualification. Hampshire, Kent and either Sussex or Warwickshire are likeliest to join them

Tim Wigmore20-Aug-2012After meandering along for nearly four months, the CB40 is finally nearing the semi-finals. Only the top side of the three seven-team groups is guaranteed to qualify, while the best runner-up also progresses.Lancashire are the one county assured of qualification. The most likely scenario is that Hampshire, Kent and either Sussex or Warwickshire will also consist the semi-finals, although there is much still to be decided.Here is how the groups are shaping up:Group ALancashire are the only side who have already qualified for the semi-final stage, having won eight of their ten games. If they win at either Chelmsford or New Road, they will be guaranteed a home semi-final.Their success has been built around their bowling attack. Gary Keedy and Ajmal Shazhad have claimed 17 wickets each, while Stephen Moore’s six half-centuries have underpinned their batting.No other side can qualify, even as a best runner-up: Middlesex are second but they cannot match Warwickshire’s number of victories in Group C, because victories are used as the tie-breaker between runners-up.Netherlands’s initial success – they won five of their first six matches – caught attention, but their form has since subsided.Group BThis is the most complicated group, with three sides retaining hopes of qualification as winners. Hampshire, with Michael Carberry and James Vince consistent run-scorers, lead with 15 points, but face a tricky final game at Chester-le-Street, where Phil Mustard has smashed centuries in his last two CB40 games. If Hampshire lose, they will need neither Warwickshire nor Kent to gain any more points.Despite grim form with the bat – top run-scorer Steven Davies averages under 28 – Surrey also retain an outside chance of qualification, owing to the quality of their spin attack. But they must win both their final two games, at home to Glamorgan in tomorrow’s Tom Maynard Celebration game and then at Taunton.Somerset, led by Peter Trego’s all-round contribution, also have unconvincing qualification hopes – which is remarkable considering they picked up only one point (from a washout with Glamorgan) from their first five games.If Hampshire win their final game, the task for Somerset and Surrey becomes harder. They would then require Kent to lose both their remaining games and Warwickshire to lose their final one to have a chance of qualification.Group CThree sides can still claim top spot in this group, which is by far the most likely to be the source of the best runner-up.Sussex, for whom seamers Chris Liddle and Amjad Khan have been outstanding, are currently top with 16 points, despite the frustration of four washouts.They face a crunch match at Canterbury, the winner of whom is certain to progress to the semi-finals. But if Sussex lose, then would be out unless Warwickshire also lost.Kent’s mix of youth (Matt Coles and Sam Bilings) and experience (Darren Stevens and James Tredwell) has been formidable, with six wins and only one defeat (to the Unicorns) so far.One more victory – either against Yorkshire on Wednesday or Sussex on Monday, both of which are at Canterbury – will almost guarantee them qualification, because their run rate is by far the best of all sides who could end up on 17 points.Should Kent win both games they are guaranteed to be top, and with a home semi-final; if they lose both they are certainly out.If Warwickshire, whose seven wins have been built on a powerful seam attack, win their final game, against Yorkshire at Scarborough, they will qualify – unless Kent beat Yorkshire and Sussex beat Kent, because no other second-placed side would be able to get up to 17 points.Should they lose, they would probably be out – they would need Kent to suffer two heavy defeats, and also for runners-up in other groups to suffer dips in their run-rate.ConclusionIt could not be simpler.

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
Scorecard
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.

Scorecard
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.

Adelaide, meanwhile, has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test

Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2024Australia and England will play a one-off Test at the MCG in March 2027 to mark 150 years of the format. The confirmation of the anniversary fixture in Melbourne came as Cricket Australia [CA] and state governments announced that the MCG, SCG and Adelaide Oval had locked in seven-year staging agreements for their regular Tests.The Test in 2027 will replicate the Centenary Test of 1977 which Australia won by 45 runs, matching the margin of the first Test played in 1877. In 1977, Rod Marsh and Derek Randall struck centuries while Dennis Lillee claimed 11 wickets.The annual Boxing Day (Melbourne) and New Year’s Tests (Sydney) have been guaranteed in until 2030-31 while Adelaide has secured a seven-year commitment to a pre-Christmas slot for their Test after the South Australia government made a pitch for the New Year’s Test.Although the current Future Tours Programme (FTP) is only inked up to early 2027, England and India have confirmed tours in the four years after that.Related

• Gabba to be demolished after 2032 Olympics, cricket to get new home in Brisbane

• Australia-England 150th anniversary Test in 2027 will be a pink-ball day-night match

• Australia-England Test to mark 150 years of Tests scheduled for March 11 in 2027

• Ashes 2025-26: CA schedules Brisbane day-night Test after Perth opener

• Is this the end for the Gabba?

Meanwhile, Optus Stadium in Perth will host the opening Test of the season for the next three seasons. Mike Baird, the Cricket Australia chair, said that it was the Western Australian government’s decision not to seek a longer deal. That means next year’s Ashes will start in the west rather than the traditional Gabba in Brisbane. They will then host New Zealand at the start of the 2026-27 season.The future of Gabba has been left clouded amid uncertainty over the redevelopment plans for the stadium ahead of the 2032 Olympics and only the next two seasons – matches against India and England – have been confirmed with a chance the Gabba doesn’t host a Test for a considerable time after that. The 2026-27 season will be the first time in 50 years that the Gabba won’t host a Test.”In Brisbane it is harder [to plan] because of the infrastructure,” Baird said. “There is just uncertainty, so we’re not sure of the long-term solution. What we do know is the Gabba has a use for life that ends in 2030. We need a solution, and are working with the AFL as well on a long-term solution.”We want a great venue in Brisbane, that can support Queensland Cricket and Australian cricket for years to come.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Adelaide is the traditional home of day-night Test cricket having hosted seven of the 12 matches held in Australia although the new agreement does not guarantee that all future Tests there will be pink-ball encounters and the 2025-26 Ashes Test will be a red-ball game with Brisbane hosting the day-nighter. Adelaide Oval will also host a New Year’s Eve BBL game for the next seven years.England will tour for a five-match Ashes series in 2025-26 and New Zealand will be the visitors in 2026-27. The latter series will be extended to four Tests from the original three on the FTP and be played in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Australia are then due to tour India for five Tests in January and February 2027.With the additional anniversary Test, there is a potential squeeze on the calendar in March 2027 with Australia due to host Bangladesh in two matches which are part of the World Test Championship. There is a chance those games will be moved although under the current WTC structure would need to be played ahead of the June 2027 final.Although rival states made attempts to take the marquee Christmas and New Year Tests off Melbourne and Sydney it was always an unlikely outcome. Beyond 2026-27 there could be an opportunity for other venues to compete for a Test should the Gabba be unavailable which would bring Hobart and Canberra into the mix. Tasmania has ambitions to host indoor Test cricket at their proposed new multipurpose stadium although that won’t be available until at least 2028.The staging agreements confirmed on Sunday are one of the final big projects completed by outgoing CA CEO Nick Hockley who announced earlier this month that he would be stepping down next March.A future schedule for women’s internationals will be confirmed in the coming months when the next FTP is complete but Adelaide has been guaranteed an ODI or T20I every season.

Cricket Australia match allocations

New South WalesSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s New Year’s Test each summerQueenslandTwo seasons (2024/25 & 2025/26)
Confirmed matches: 1 Men’s Test to be played prior to 30 December each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summerSouth AustraliaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Day/Night Test vs India (2024/25), Men’s Christmas Test (2025/26 to 2030/31), 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer, 1 Women’s T20/ODI each summer and BBL match on New Year’s Eve each summerVictoriaSeven seasons (2024/25 to 2030/31)
Confirmed matches: Men’s Boxing Day Test each summer, Women’s 90th Anniversary Day/Night Test vs England in 2024/25 and Men’s 150th Anniversary Test vs England in 2026/27Western AustraliaThree seasons (2024/25 to 2026/27)
Confirmed matches: First Men’s Test each summer and 1 Men’s ODI/T20I each summer

Rohit Sharma says they will only take a call after seeing The Oval pitch on day one

Osman Samiuddin06-Jun-20231:50

Have India finalised their combination? Nagraj Gollapudi reports from The Oval

India will take a decision on R Ashwin’s selection on the morning of the World Test Championship final against Australia once they have assessed conditions as they stand.While some rain is forecast from Saturday (fourth day) during the game, there has also been considerable interest in the nature of The Oval surface for the final, mostly because no Test cricket has ever been played at the ground as early as June. Traditionally, The Oval has been known to aid spin, as well as being conducive to reverse swing but that has been the case for Tests mostly towards the end of the summer. The pitch for the final isn’t exactly a fresh one. It has been used before, but not in a while.Ashwin’s selection has been a consistent theme through India’s recent Tests in England, or more accurately the fact that he has not been picked. He missed out entirely on the last Test series in England, of which four Tests were played in 2021 and one last summer. In India’s last Test at The Oval, in September 2021, they picked Ravindra Jadeja as the sole spinner, relying on a three-man pace attack and Shardul Thakur as the all-round option.Related

• Sage-like Rohit Sharma can cement his Test legacy at The Oval

• Two golden generations to have their last shot at a Test world title

• Shastri: Bharat vs Kishan could hinge on bowling combination

• All you need to know about the WTC final

• India's selection puzzles: Three quicks or four? Bharat or Kishan?

The last Test Ashwin did play in England was the last WTC final, against New Zealand in Southampton in 2021. Asked on the eve of this final how difficult it is to leave out a player such as Ashwin, the India captain Rohit Sharma made sure to point out that a decision had not yet been made.”I’m not saying that Ashwin is not going to play,” Rohit said. “We’ll wait until tomorrow because one thing I have seen here, the pitch actually changes quite a bit day to day. Today it’s looking this way, tomorrow it might be slightly different, who knows? So, the message to the boys has been very clear. All 15 must be ready to play at any point in time.”There has been, as Rohit said, county cricket played at The Oval this year, three rounds of it, with the last game ending on May 20.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“We’ve been hearing not much of cricket is played here in June,” Rohit said. “The County season has been played here. We saw there was a game played a couple of weeks back here. It’s not like it’s the first game of the season happening on this ground. We are quite aware of what the conditions are, what is going to happen in the next five days. Weather forecast looks alright.”Going by the data from those county matches, some behavioural traits are clear, the clearest one that spin has barely had a role to play.Spinners have only bowled 32 overs in those games (average: 158), compared to 745 from pace bowlers. No spinner on either side has bowled more than seven overs in an innings. Surrey have not deployed a specialist spinner, relying instead on Will Jacks’ part-time offbreaks. That has been a deliberate ploy, the team playing to its strengths of a good crop of fast bowlers. The locals say that is why surfaces have been geared for both good pace and bounce with minimal help for spin as the game progresses.Bounce is likely at the WTC final too, at least going by the Surrey curator Lee Fortis’ – admittedly light-hearted – exchange on Ashwin’s YouTube channel: “It will be bouncy, that’s one thing, it will be bouncy.”First-innings scores at The Oval this season have not been big. Surrey have bowled first in every game, twice after winning the toss, bowling sides out for 278, 254 and 209, with some early swing and seam on offer. They have won each of those games, ultimately chasing down targets of 243, 70 and 58 for the total loss of two wickets.Bowling first may not be a bad option based on those numbers, but no side has crossed 400 in their first innings, the highest score Surrey’s 380 after Middlesex had been bowled out for 209.Over a bigger sample size of the last five years, across the 16 county matches played in or before June at The Oval, spin has played a bigger role, with around 58 overs per game. And Ashwin did make a fairly strong impression playing here in July 2021, picking up a six-for that helped bowl Somerset out for 69. The ground has been the joint-fastest scoring venue in those five seasons (in or before June), with runs at 3.41 per over.