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Even for a team hot on big run chases, it shapes as a daunting prospect to avoid going 2-0 down in series

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-2023A day which began with the second Test evenly balanced ended with Australia holding a firm grip on this contest, and perhaps with it the Ashes. England folded during the morning session to a myriad of wild shots, conceding a lead of 91, before Usman Khawaja led a determined effort from the visitors’ top order under grey skies which made batting tricky.By the close, which came 27 overs early due to drizzle, Australia’s lead stood at 221 and even for a team that began this Bazball era with a series of big run chases, it shaped as a daunting prospect to avoid going 2-0 down.England had resumed on 278 for 4 after yesterday’s dramatic final session which saw three wickets surrendered to hook shots and Nathan Lyon limp out of the match and most probably the series with a calf strain termed “significant”. But they completely missed the chance to stretch Australia’s bowling resources, losing their last six wickets for 47, and from 188 for 1 their last nine for 137. Harry Brook’s carve into the off side summed up a batting approach that has surely lurched too far, even for this team.They needed early inroads in response, but for the second time in the match Khawaja and David Warner battled through favourable bowling conditions, this time for an opening stand of 63. It was the first time Australia had put together two half-century first-wicket partnerships since 2018, when Khawaja was also part of them alongside Aaron Finch in Dubai.The day had started poorly for England and never got better. The frenetic tempo of the previous evening had been slowed somewhat by Ben Stokes but the captain fell to the second ball of the day when he was squared up by Mitchell Starc and got an outside edge to Cameron Green at gully who held another sharp chance.Brook, who had been dropped on 25, brought up an unconvincing half-century from 63 balls before becoming the latest England batter to fall to the short ball, backing away to the leg side and slicing into the covers. It is the type of stroke that has brought him thrilling runs, but given the state of the game it was another wicket donated especially as it meant Australia were into England’s lengthy tail.Starc, who won the final selection call ahead of Scott Boland having missed out at Edgbaston, was impressive with a spell of 5-0-13-2. Having claimed Joe Root the day before, he showed his wicket-taking value.Jonny Bairstow played within himself before bunting Josh Hazlewood to mid-on and there wasn’t much on offer from the bowlers. Ollie Robinson edged a charge against Travis Head, who will need to shoulder the spin bowling in Lyon’s absence, and Stuart Broad was lbw sweeping.Warner and Khawaja were tested by the new ball with the bat beaten on numerous occasions, especially Warner’s. England did not bowl poorly and could easily have made early inroads, but such is the way a game often goes when a side has not taken previous opportunities that have been presented.They reviewed for an lbw against Warner when he had 5 but replays showed a thin inside edge against James Anderson. On 19, Khawaja was given a life when he pulled to Anderson at midwicket but the chance burst through the hands. Again, dropped chances hurt England.For the second time in the game it was Josh Tongue who made the breakthrough when he trapped Warner lbw from round the wicket to continue his encouraging return to the side. He thought he had claimed Marnus Labuschagne, too, on 3 but the DRS showed he had been struck outside the line to add to umpire Ahsan Raza’s list of overturned decisions.Either side of tea there was another flurry of shouts involving Labuschagne, all of which Broad thought were out as he completed full-length celebrappeals. Stokes made the correct call not to review either of them off the last two balls of the afternoon session – for caught behind and then lbw – but he erred after the break when Labuschagne would have been lbw on 16 to a Broad inswinger. England coach Brendon McCullum relayed the bad news from the balcony and Broad did not hide his frustrations.Labuschagne, who has been skittish throughout the first part of this series, never settled and carved a short, wide delivery from James Anderson to backward point although Anderson could not conjure much of a celebration.By then Khawaja had moved to fifty with a delightful off drive and had visions of ticking off another career highlight with a place on the honours board. As he moved beyond 700 deliveries faced for the series in just four innings it was difficult to escape the feeling that you were watching one of the decisive differences between the teams.

Litton Das’ assured half-century ensured the hosts were never really under pressure in a small chase

Mohammad Isam11-Jul-2023
Shoriful Islam’s career-best figures of 4 for 21 fired Bangladesh to a seven-wicket consolation win in the third ODI in Chattogram. Taskin Ahmed and Taijul Islam were the support act, taking two wickets each, while Shakib Al Hasan was at his miserly best, taking 1 for 13 from his ten overs to keep Afghanistan to 126 – their lowest total against Bangladesh.Bangladesh completed the chase in 23.3 overs, with a clinical approach that was missing in the first two ODIs. The bowling attack bounced back after conceding 331 for 9 in the previous game. Shakib’s thrifty spell was a key feature of this, and only the third completed ODI spell for Bangladesh where 13 or fewer runs were conceded – tellingly, Shakib has been the bowler on all three occasions.Only Azmatullah Omarzai’s maiden ODI fifty kept the visitors from stumbling to an even smaller score. He made 56 off 71 balls at No. 7, an innings that showed up the rest of the Afghanistan batting line-up for being rather lethargic against Bangladesh’s accurate bowling.Their rot began in the third over when Ibrahim Zadran, one of the centurions from the previous game, edged a Shoriful delivery that was going away from him. Rahmat Shah followed him later in the over when he edged another delivery that was angling away, but was slightly shorter in length. Rahmat’s duck took his tally for the series to just ten.Taskin got into the act next, when he removed the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who made 145 in the previous game, for six. Gurbaz swung his bat at a bouncer, Mushfiqur intercepting that edge with a fine leaping catch over his head. When Shoriful had Mohammad Nabi trapped lbw in the ninth over, it was only the third time Bangladesh had taken the first four wickets with 15 or fewer runs on the board.Shakib struck next, when he came around the wicket to Najibullah Zadran, trapping him lbw as the left-hander missed a sweep shot. Hashmatullah Shahidi was bolwed by Taijul on the attempted reverse-sweep and by then Afghanistan were reeling at 53 for 6 and going nowhere with close to half their innings completed.Shoriful completed his four-wicket haul when debutant Abdul Rahman pulled one to Taijul at fine leg. Incidentally, he has taken his three four-fours all in the month of July – in 2021 against Zimbabwe, in 2022 against West Indies, and now in 2023 against Afghanistan.Omarzai looked like the only batter capable of mounting a recovery for the visitors. His 56 off 71 balls included a four and three sixes. He added 36 runs for the ninth wicket with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, over 9.4 overs. He was the last batter out, miscuing a slog off Taskin, with Mohammad Naim taking a good catch in the deep.With the bat, Naim did himself no favours, falling for an eight-ball duck. The swinging and seaming Fazalhaq Farooqi delivery he fell to was headed way outside the off stump but dragged back on to the stumps by Naim’s attempted cut. It was similar to how he chopped on in the second ODI, although that was a shorter delivery.Farooqi then removed Najmul Hossain Shanto with a ball that took his off stump – Shanto had made a bit of room to drive, but missed. The two were involved in a bit of back-and-forth earlier in the innings, so the send-off was quite loud.Shakib and Litton calmed things with a 61-run partnership for the third wicket. Shakib struck five fours in his run-a-ball 39, while Litton played a mostly supporting role at the other end. After Shakib departed, he got the job done, completing the chase with Towhid Hridoy who finished unbeaten on 23.

“If you haven’t done it much in your first-class career, it’s going to be very difficult to come up the order”

Alex Malcolm26-Dec-2023Former Australia batter Michael Hussey has cautioned the Australian selectors on picking a makeshift opener as David Warner’s replacement, saying he would prefer a specialist opener who has dominated Sheffield Shield cricket to be rewarded. Hussey, however, stopped short of naming a candidate.Hussey was speaking ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG after he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame alongside former Australia women’s captain Lyn Larsen.Hussey started his Test career as an opener and made a century opening the batting in his second Test match in 2005 as a replacement for the injured Justin Langer, having made his name as an opener in first-class cricket plundering 15313 first-class runs predominantly for Western Australia and Northamptonshire prior to making his Test debut at 30.Related

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The left-hander only opened in one innings in Test cricket after his first two Tests as he was shuffled down the order when Langer returned and played the rest of his 79 Tests as a middle-order batter, scoring 6235 runs at 51.52 in total with 18 of his 19 Test centuries coming at Nos.4-6.But despite being one of Australia’s most adaptable all-format players in the three-format era, Hussey was adamant that Australia’s selectors should pick a specialist opener for the first Test against West Indies in January after Warner retires at the end of the Pakistan series.”Opening is one of the toughest jobs in the game,” Hussey said. “So for me personally, if I was selecting, I’d be going for a traditional, proper opener. Someone who has done it for a long period of time. Because if you haven’t done it much in your first-class career, it’s going to be very difficult to come up the order.”I’m not saying you can’t do it, and maybe someone could evolve into doing that role. But I think it would be difficult for a player like Mitch Marsh or someone – I know there’s been talk about him going up the order – I think he’s probably more suited, much like Travis Head, to be in the middle-order.”I think that’d be the best for the balance of the Australian team.”The debate on who should replace Warner continues to bubble away in the background as Australia’s side remains incredibly settled. Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw are the three main specialist candidates in line for the role. However, Australia coach and selector Andrew McDonald raised some eyebrows prior to the Pakistan series when he raised the possibility of picking Marsh and Cameron Green in the same XI and shuffling the order to have Marnus Labuschagne move up to open.Usman Khawaja said his preference was to have a specialist opener join him at the top and believed that Labuschagne wouldn’t be comfortable filling the role. Both Head and Marsh have publicly said they would prefer not to open the batting.Mike Hussey was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Harris did no harm to his case for the role with a century for the Victoria XI against Pakistan in the two-day tour match during the week, although he continues to dominate at the batting-friendly Junction Oval while being less prolific at Australia’s main Test venues in Shield cricket. Renshaw has made the most runs for Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI in recent years, including a century against Pakistan batting at No.3 in Canberra earlier this month, while Bancroft has been the dominant opener in Shield cricket scoring 10 centuries since the start of 2021, twice as many as Harris and six more than Renshaw in that time.Hussey stopped short of naming his preferred candidate but said Shield form should be rewarded.”I like whoever’s dominating the level below, who’s been dominating in Sheffield Shield cricket over a period of time, and to be fair, they all have at various stages,” Hussey said.”So it’s a tough job for the selectors. I don’t want to stand here and say it should be this guy or this guy.”I hope that they reward the guy that’s been performing very well at Sheffield Shield cricket. I think that sends a great message to the competition. And it’s great for our pathways that we’re going to reward the guys that are doing well.”Hussey spent two days working with the Australian team in the lead-up to the Perth Test as a coaching consultant while assistant coach Andre Borovec rested at home in Geelong after standing in as interim coach for the five-match T20 series in India following the World Cup.”I really enjoyed it,” Hussey said. “Just watching how they prepared and slowly starting some little conversations to get to know them and their games a little bit more.”It was fun. I really, really enjoyed it. My shoulder is still just recovering.”Hussey has a strong relationship with McDonald having played Test cricket and BBL cricket with him at Sydney Thunder. Hussey worked with England at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year under Matthew Mott when England won the title but he is keen to work with Australia again in the future after his brief stint in Perth.”It just depends on how the schedule sort of line up at this stage but I’ve got a good relationship with Andrew McDonald,” Hussey said. “We played with each other at the Thunder and our paths crossed many times. So I’ve got a good relationship there. I’ve got a good relationship with some of the players as well. So if I can [do more] I’d love to.”

Allrounder helped win T20 Blast in 2016 but was disappointed to lose captaincy last season

Matt Roller05-Jan-2024Josh Cobb has left Northamptonshire with a year remaining on his contract after he was removed as T20 captain without prior consultation by coach John Sadler last summer.Cobb said he was “blindsided” by Sadler’s decision to name David Willey captain two weeks before the start of the Blast season, after spending four years in charge. “I am both shocked and disappointed to be relieved of my captaincy duties so close to the Blast starting,” he wrote on social media at the time.His form suffered in the Blast, making 76 runs in seven innings and he was deemed surplus to requirements throughout the Royal London Cup and the second half of the County Championship season. His final first-team game of the summer came on June 9.Cobb, 33, intends to continue his professional career elsewhere in 2024. “Cobb has left the club by mutual agreement ahead of the final year of his existing contract, allowing him to pursue cricketing opportunities elsewhere,” Northamptonshire said in a club statement.The high point of Cobb’s nine seasons with Northants came in 2016, when he hit 80 off 48 balls against Durham in the final of the Blast to help them win the competition for the second time in four years. It was the second time in his career that he was named player of the match in the Blast final, after taking 4 for 22 in Leicestershire’s 2011 victory over SomersetNorthants signed Cobb ahead of the 2015 season as part of a data-driven recruitment strategy which underpinned their extraordinary T20 success during a period of financial adversity. He leaves as their second-highest run-scorer in the Blast’s history behind only Alex Wakely, his predecessor as T20 captain.”I have loved my time at the club,” Cobb said. “Winning the T20 Blast in 2016 is one of the highlights of my career so far and I hope the club can return to those glory days in the future. I’d like to thank the club, staff, my teammates and of course the fans for all their support over the years.””On behalf of everyone at the club I’d like to wish Josh all the best for the future,” Ray Payne, Northants’ chief executive, said. “We’re grateful for his service as both a player and a leader as our white-ball captain during his eight years at the club”.Visa pending, Northamptonshire are hopeful of securing the services of Rory Kleinveldt, the former South Africa seamer, as their bowling coach for the 2024 season. Kleinveldt, 40, played for the club for four seasons between 2015 and 2018, including the 2016 Blast final, and was recently part of South Africa’s limited-overs set-up.

Willey plays allround role on return to Headingley to seal emphatic victory

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2023Former Yorkshire T20 captain David Willey made a winning return to Headingley as his Northamptonshire side dented the Vikings’ Vitality Blast quarter-final hopes by comfortably defending a 181 target thanks to fellow pacer Tom Taylor’s stunning career best five for 28 from four overs.Willey hit a breezy 28 and claimed two wickets with left-arm swing as the Steelbacks posted 180 for six and bowled Yorkshire out for just 102 inside 16 overs. But 28-year-old Taylor was the main man in a 78-run win.This came after the Vikings had slumped to a record low 68 all out in defeat to Derbyshire at Chesterfield on Sunday.Willey’s former team dropped out of the top four quarter-final qualifying places following their fifth defeat in 11 North Group games, while his current charges won for the fifth time to keep their hopes alive with three games remaining.After Willey elected to bat, Germany international Justin Broad’s inventive unbeaten 47 off 32 balls with six fours was the best of a quartet of useful contributions in a Northamptonshire innings which stopped and started.Fledgling leg-spinner Jafer Chohan shone with a career best one for 13 from four overs for the Vikings, who then slumped to 22 for four in reply and couldn’t recover.Ricardo Vasconcelos underpinned an excellent visiting powerplay at 55 for one with 37, though he was the only man to fall when Dawid Malan took a well judged catch at cover off Jordan Thompson.And his wicket with the penultimate ball of the sixth over started a Steelbacks’ stumble.Chohan, 20-years-old and in his 11th T20 game, was at the heart of things having not bowled at Chesterfield when Yorkshire conceded 212 for four against Derbyshire in that aforementioned Sunday loss.He removed Chris Lynn for three off a top-edged sweep, with Adam Lyth taking a well judged catch like Malan’s running around from short fine-leg – 70 for two in the ninth.And more damage followed as Emilio Gay miscued a high catch off Thompson to mid-off for 40 and Saif Zaib was run out by a striker’s end direct hit from Shan Masood at short third – 94 for four in the 13th.That was the first of three run outs in an innings revived by South African-born Broad, aged 22 and in only his third county appearance, and Willey.They shared 60 inside five overs before Willey was run out at the striker’s end coming for a third for 28 off 18 balls following good work at deep midwicket by Bess and thrower Mike.AJ Tye hit two sixes in 12 before falling short thanks to a direct hit from Thompson in his follow through.Northamptonshire’s good end to their innings, including Broad hitting two of the last three balls to the boundary, was then carried forwards with the ball as they reduced the Vikings to seven for two inside 15 balls.Ben Sanderson had Lyth skying to short third, where Zaib took a good catch on the run over his shoulder, and then Willey had James Wharton caught behind.This was not the pitch for a 200 plus total as is the norm at Headingley, and Yorkshire already looked in trouble.Any doubt surrounding that theory was soon removed.Willey bowled Masood as he gave himself room to play through the off-side before Matthew Revis was bowled by Sanderson, another ex-Tyke, in the next over as the score fell to 22 for four in the sixth.Not even in-form Malan’s presence at the crease could revive Yorkshire.Seamer Taylor struck twice in two balls in the ninth over, with Jonny Tattersall caught at third and David Wiese bowled for a golden duck as the score fell to 49 for six.Taylor later returned to bowl Mike and Malan, for 34, and get Thompson caught at wide mid-off. Australian Tye finished things off by bowling Chohan.

Game against Worcestershire in the balance heading into day two

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024Ben Stokes top-scored with his first half-century of the season as 23 wickets fell on a day full of drama in the Vitality County Championship match between Durham and Worcestershire at Seat Unique Riverside.Stokes made 56 in a welcome return to form for the home side in their innings of 190, but Nathan Smith impressed for the visitors by claiming figures of 4 for 36, while Ben Allison and Matthew Waite notched three and two wickets apiece.Worcestershire looked to be making steady inroads in their reply at 71 for 2 but lost their final eight wickets for 41 runs as Matthew Potts claimed 4 for 29 to bolster his credentials for selection in the first Test of the summer.Durham entered their second innings with a 78-run lead, but lost three quick wickets, only extending their lead to 111 at the close.Worcestershire made the most out of advantageous conditions after winning the toss at a gloomy Chester-le-Street. Smith found his line and length immediately to pin Durham captain Scott Borthwick lbw with the fifth ball of the innings. Tom Taylor followed suit with a full length to find Colin Ackermann’s outside edge as Gareth Roderick claimed a fine diving catch in front of first slip.Division One’s form player David Bedingham responded with a flurry of crunching boundaries, highlighting his pristine touch at the crease. The South Africa international reached 21 before making a rare lapse of judgement, leaving a hooping Ben Allison delivery that crashed into his off-stump. Alex Lees took the attack to Matthew Waite’s first over, scoring two boundaries, but the bowler won the duel as the Durham opener became the fourth wicket of the session.Ollie Robinson and Stokes stemmed the tide of wickets with a stand worth 46. After being overlooked for the England Test squad, Robinson produced another classy innings, finding the off-side boundary with ease. He made his way to 35 and looked well set to add another score of fifty-plus to his tally, only to fall to a cracking inswinger from the returning Smith before lunch.Stokes upped the ante after lunch, chancing his arm with booming drives down the wicket. The England skipper did have the odd element of fortune, but still worked his way to a timely half-century from 73 balls ahead of the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. However, Allison returned with a short ball that Stokes’ gloved behind on an attempted hook to fall for 56.Durham’s innings unravelled after his departure courtesy of Smith and Allison to dismiss the hosts 10 shy of 200.Potts made early inroads into the Worcestershire line-up by removing Roderick for nine, but the visitors made quick runs against the new ball to put Durham’s bowlers under pressure.Borthwick turned to Stokes for inspiration and his introduction into the attack should have brought a wicket from his first ball, but Libby was dropped by Bas de Leede at point. Undeterred Stokes found Libby’s outside edge from the following delivery and Lees claimed a routine catch at third slip.Kashif Ali defied Stokes and Peter Siddle in difficult conditions as the bad light halted play for 30 minutes. The break favoured the home side as the Worcestershire batting ranks collapsed from 71 for 2 to 112 all out.Siddle started the rout by dismissing Rob Jones and Adam Hose before Ben Raine pinned Ethan Brookes lbw. Potts then took centre stage in his second spell, tearing through the lower order, including Taylor and Smith in successive deliveries.Amir Virdi survived the hat-trick ball and his resistance allowed Kashif Ali to bring up his fifty with six over the leg-side boundary before the he was final wicket to fall to Raine.Batting didn’t get any easier in the sunny twilight as Lees, Borthwick and Clark all fell for the hosts with Smith and Taylor amongst the wickets once more with the game very much in the balance heading into day two.

England captain empathises with footballers amid public pressure for results

Andrew Miller09-Jul-2024Ben Stokes says that England’s evolution as a Test team has to begin in this summer’s home series against West Indies, because he wants to be able to lead a team into the 2025-26 Ashes tour in 18 months’ time that can “not just compete with Australia, but beat them”.Speaking at Lord’s on the eve of the first Test, Stokes admitted it had been a hard decision to tell James Anderson that his 188-match career has to come to an end this week. However, he acknowledged that the shortcomings exposed in England’s recent 4-1 series loss in India had forced them to redouble their efforts to be ready for their next big overseas challenge Down Under – arguably the one by which the success of Stokes’ era as captain will be judged.”I’m not going to lie: I want us to be able to take a squad out there that I know is going to go at Australia,” Stokes said. “I’ll be nearly four years as captain when we go out there. I want to be able to go out there knowing we’ve done everything possibly right over this 18-month period, to go out there with a strong enough squad to not just compete with Australia, but to beat them.”Ben Stokes has half an eye on Australia as England prepare to learn from their setback in India•Getty Images

As Stokes himself admitted, the throw-forward nature of his comments was rather at odds with the ‘live in the moment’ message that had been a bedrock of the so-called Bazball era. But, with Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow already gone from that original genre-bending team, and with Anderson soon to follow, England’s focus has undergone a subtle shift in the four months since the disappointments of the India tour.”It’s probably the first time you’ve heard me speak like that about something so far away, but again it goes back to our progression as a side,” Stokes added. “I want this team to progress over the 18 months, so I’m focusing on that, because I want us to go out to Australia and win the Ashes back.”That ambition, in turn, pointed to an underlying flaw in England’s recent record. For all the excitement that Bazball has stirred up among the cricket-watching public, Stokes bridled when it was put to him that – despite providing some exhilarating entertainment along the way – England have not actually won any of their three full series in the preceding 18 months, including last summer’s compelling home Ashes campaign.Aside from a ten-wicket win in a one-off Test against Ireland, their last outright series win was an unprecedented 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan in December 2022.”Let’s just take that in,” he said. “Before the last four Tests in India, we won [the first Test] in New Zealand [in February 2022], then lost the second Test by one run. We came back from 2-0 down against Australia, had a drawn match [at Old Trafford] because of weather. [Saying that] we haven’t won a series in that time, I think is going into it a bit too much.”I won’t lie, those last four matches in India were incredibly disappointing, but going at it like that is a bit uncalled for. There’s so much that goes into winning a Test match. We go out there to win, but we put a focus on the way we play our cricket, knowing that we have found a way that brings the best out of us as individuals and a team.”Ollie Pope acknowledges the crowd after his 196 at Hyderabad, in England’s only win of the India tour•Getty Images

England’s India series did feature one extraordinary high point, as Ollie Pope’s second-innings 196 helped overturned a 190-run deficit in the first Test at Hyderabad, before Tom Hartley capped his debut with matchwinning figures of 7 for 62. Thereafter, England had their moments but ultimately were forced to blink at the key moments of the campaign, a fact that Stokes both acknowledged and vowed to learn from.”We know if we play to our capabilities, we will have given ourselves the best chance of winning that game,” he said. “[Since India], what we probably have a better understanding of now is, when the opposition might be on top, how do we handle that pressure? How do we get through that, and put it back onto them?”Sometimes it takes a hiccup to say, ‘if this is going to happen again, how do we handle that?’ But it’s also knowing that we need to put pressure back onto the opposition, rather than taking a backward step and letting them dictate terms. When we are putting pressure back on opposition, that is when we feel as individuals and as a team [that] our mindset is so much clearer.”Stokes added that he empathised with England’s footballers at the European Championship in Germany. They face the Netherlands on Wednesday evening having reached an unprecedented third semi-final in the space of four competitions, yet still come under immense criticism from a demanding public that expects even more.Related

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“It’s not surprising, is it?” Stokes said. “I want all English teams to do well, whatever sport it may be, so as a professional sportsman myself I find it quite tough to see the backlash that the footballers have gotten and they always seem to get.”They’re in the semi-finals of the Euros, they’ve done what they needed to do to get to where they are now. Something that me and Brendon have tried to do is to just relax everyone and keep that noise out. The dressing room is the most important thing.”When you’re an outsider, like I am from the England football team, it’s tough to see that kind of stuff, because I know that all that scrutiny and added pressure isn’t going to help that team go out there and perform as well as they would like to.”I know the public wants to see English sports teams do really well, but I find it tough sometimes when people are quick to hammer down on them. But I understand it, because I know how passionate this country is about seeing their teams do well.”

Seamers do the needful against Warwickshire, as Surrey collapse opens door to points victory

ECB Reporters Network24-Sep-2025Warwickshire 258 (Mousley 74, Barnard 48, Young 48, Hutton 4-46, Abbas 3-33) vs Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire are within 300 runs of securing the Rothesay County Championship crown after bowling out Warwickshire for 258 on day one at Trent Bridge.Needing to secure a maximum of 10 points from the final round of matches to lift the title for the first time since 2010 after their victory over holders Surrey last week, Nottinghamshire fulfilled their first requirement by taking all three bowling bonus points, led by Brett Hutton’s four for 46 and Mohammad Abbas’s three for 33.And Surrey’s failure to take any of the five batting bonus points potentially up for grabs in their match against Hampshire at Southampton, means they require just two more in this match to be certain of becoming champions.Put simply, if they can muster anything above 300 with the bat within 110 overs in their first innings, the title will be theirs even were they to lose this match and Surrey win theirs.They might have been on the field in pursuit of those runs already if Dan Mousley had not defied difficult batting conditions by scoring 74 after driving Warwickshire recovery from 127 for five.Mousley shared a 117-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ed Barnard, who exactly matched Will Young earlier in making 48 from 104 deliveries. Warwickshire, who began the day in fourth place, are keen at least to overtake Somerset and finish third.After choosing not to bat first, Nottinghamshire presumably would have hoped to send Warwickshire to lunch in a more precarious position than 70 for one. As it was, in an opening session limited to 25 overs after a wholly unforecast stoppage for rain, the visitors lost only Alex Davies, who was leg before to the 10th ball of the match as Hutton found some early movement through the air.Not that it was for want of trying by the Nottinghamshire attack. Abbas, returning from a minor back issue, bowled seven overs that on another day might have generated two or three wickets. Young and Rob Yates played and missed several times and edged other deliveries past the slips. Both executed some good shots, to be fair to them.More rain delayed the afternoon session by 50 minutes. It began with another early wicket, Yates well held at second slip by Freddie McCann in Abbas’s second over.Abbas has taken the place vacated by Josh Tongue, ordered to rest up by England after his match-winning performance against Surrey last week, which illustrates the depth of Nottinghamshire’s bowling resources. Their other centrally-contracted fast bowler, Olly Stone, though he missed the first tranche of matches through injury, will complete the season having not appeared in the Championship side.Though the sky cleared, batting remained a challenge, although patience and some nifty footwork appeared to be paying off for Young. Having saved himself on 35, managing to kick the ball away a delivery from Dillon Pennington squirmed under his bat towards the stumps, he was nearing a half-century against his former county.But then he unexpectedly wafted at a ball from Hutton outside off stump and paid the price. With Surrey already dismissed by Hampshire for just 147, a first bowling point for Nottinghamshire was enthusiastically applauded by the home crowd, fully aware that the requirement to take the title was already down to just four more points.Two more wickets before tea reduced Warwickshire to 127 for five. Sam Hain, pushing forward, and Zen Malik were caught behind in consecutive overs, the latter off a ball from Lyndon James that moved late to find the edge of his defensive bat.The middle session thus belonged to Nottinghamshire, yet Mousley and Barnard resisted and then fought back in the final session, Mousley becoming more confident and aggressive as the partnership grew, accelerating to a half-century from 62 balls, which he celebrated by going down the pitch to hit James back over his head for six.In the final half-hour, though, the pendulum swung back to Nottinghamshire, left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White claiming the second bowling point with a caught-and-bowled to remove Barnard before Abbas, bowling fast and straight with second new ball in hand, dismissed Michael Booth and Ethan Bamber in consecutive deliveries.Hutton wrapped things up by bowling Tazeem Ali before Mousley holed out to long off, leaving Nottinghamshire within touching distance of the prize.

Fast bowler’s five-for followed by batting grind as Foakes back spasm adds to visitors’ woes

ECB Reporters Network24-May-2024Kyle Abbott became Utilita Bowl’s greatest-ever wicket-taker as Hampshire showed a chink in champions Surrey’s quest for a third straight Vitality County Championship crown.Fast bowler Abbott overtook Dimi Mascarenhas’ 186 scalps at the ground as his predatory post-lunch spell of five for 25 put him on 188 home wickets since initially arriving in 2014.The South African was supplemented by Liam Dawson’s three for 21 as Surrey were rolled for 127 – although with the warning that they recovered from 15 for four to beat Worcestershire last week.To add to Surrey, and potentially England’s, woes, wicket-keeper Ben Foakes didn’t keep wicket due to a back spasm, as Hampshire ground out a glacial 102 for one.A relatively even morning session was headlined by Dawson picking off Surrey’s distinguished top-order, after the visitors had chosen to bat first on a used pitch.The left-arm spinner entered the attack in the 10th over and stuck after just four deliveries, as Dom Sibley returned a simple caught and bowled.After a missed chance to stump Rory Burns, Ollie Pope attempted to pump Dawson over long-on but mistimed to Keith Barker at mid-on to hand the all-rounder his 300th first-class wicket for Hampshire.His 301st came soon after when Burns turned to short leg, before Jamie Smith ended the morning session by having his stumps rearranged by debutant Michael Neser – the Australian coming in for Mohammed Abbas, who has returned home.The interval score of 89 for four slightly flattered the hosts, but when they returned, Abbott got his tail up and demolished the middle and lower order.Abbott became a father for the first time over the winter and also went on a fitness regime that returned him to a similar physique to the one he had as a Test bowler.The primary reason for the latter was to have the same energy and strength at the end of a long session or day with which he had started.It was really Felix Organ who got things rolling, as he snatched a wonderful diving catch at square-leg to dismiss Dan Lawrence. But from then on it was peak Abbott and his skilful bowling.He nipped in to displace Foakes’ middle stump, before another in-ducker found Jordan Clark’s outside edge for a duck. At that point, Abbott had taken three wickets without conceding a run after lunch.Abbott overtook Mascarenhas by getting a ball to lift on Sean Abbott, and then completed his 38th five-wicket haul of his career by cleaning up Gus Atkinson. All five wickets had come in a 34-ball burst.Neser rounded off the innings by pegging back Cam Steel’s off stump to end a Surrey collapse which had seen seven wickets fall for 38 runs. It was their lowest total since the last innings of last season – which came on this ground having secured the title the day before.The grey skies that had partnered Surrey’s innings were replaced by blue ones as Fletcha Middleton and Toby Albert – in for another back spasm victim Ali Orr – built a 51-run stand for the first wicket.The duo took little risk, with dot balls comprising of 85 per cent of their partnership, but were split when Middleton tickled a sweep shot behind to Smith – who had replaced Foakes behind the stumps.For Albert it was a contrast from the 51 off 33 balls and 86 off 31 balls he had scored earlier this week in T20 matches for the Second XI. In his first 100 balls he only scored 19 runs, and ended the day with a barely quicker 34 off 139 – having put on 51 with Nick Gubbins.

Australia were able to field an unchanged frontline Test attack last season and Cameron Green could be key to them doing it again

Andrew McGlashan19-Aug-20241:12

Cummins: ‘I’ve been off bowling for close to two months’

Pat Cummins expects Cameron Green to have a greater workload with the ball against India this summer with Australia’s allrounders set to play a key role in ensuring the first-choice pace attack can sustain through five Tests in little more than seven weeks.Australia were able to field an unchanged frontline attack through the seven Tests they played last season against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand. None of the matches went into a fifth day and in only three of the innings did Australia need to bowl more than 78 overs which aided in keeping Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood fresh.Related

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Green gave Australia an additional bowling option when he returned to the side against West Indies following David Warner’s retirement but was only needed for 42 overs across four Tests.”It’s been huge [having the allrounders],” Cummins said. “In some ways we haven’t had to use them as much as we thought we would. Which is a great thing. The last couple of summers have been pretty light [with] quick Test matches.”I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time. We’ll be drawing on Cam Green and Mitch Marsh a bit more. Even someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more.”Pat Cummins gives out some bowling tips•Getty Images

Green, who has taken 35 wickets at 35.31 in Tests, slotted back into the side at No. 4 earlier this year and scored a magnificent 174 not out against New Zealand in Wellington. There remains some uncertainty over the structure of Australia’s top six against India with Steven Smith’s opening role set to be an ongoing debate over the next few months. Still, barring injury it is all-but certain Green will be joined by Mitchell Marsh in the top six.”The first point is they both absolutely make the top six on their batting alone which is a luxury,” Cummins said at the launch of Play Cricket week. “We’re really lucky that Nathan Lyon bowls plenty of overs, so you don’t necessarily have to have an allrounder, but it makes a big difference to have that fifth bowling option. And with someone like Cam and Mitch we have six bowling options. It’s a really nice thing to have. Top six should always make the team on their batting.”Cummins’ fellow bowlers have also said that having a bowling captain has helped manage their workloads. “It’s nice of them to say that, they’d never say it to my face,” Cummins joked. “When I’m at the top of their mark asking them to do something, they know I’m also doing it down the other end and wouldn’t ask for something I can’t do myself. Maybe there’s a bit of built-up trust over the last decade or so.”Cummins is currently early in a two-month stretch without bowling having been left out of the limited-overs tour of the UK. He is focusing on fitness work to ensure he can get through another condensed period of Test cricket – Australia fly to Sri Lanka a couple of weeks after the India series finishes – although is keen to play the ODI series against Pakistan in early November alongside potentially one Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales. He confirmed it’s unlikely he will feature for Sydney Thunder in the BBL.Should Australia need additional fast-bowling resources, they have a healthy stockpile behind the big three led by Scott Boland. Michael Neser toured New Zealand while Western Australia quick Lance Morris featured in squads last summer although is currently working his way back from a stress reaction in his back. Xavier Bartlett was handed a central contract earlier this year after bursting onto the scene in white-ball cricket while the selectors retain hope that Jhye Richardson can overcome his injury problems.