All posts by n8rngtd.top

With Mitchell Starc missing and Pat Cummins unwell, Australia’s attack struggled to make an impact having failed to add customary lower-order runs

Daniel Brettig at the MCG27-Dec-2017Tim Paine keeping up to the stumps for Jackson Bird and Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith posting himself as a solitary slip, Nathan Lyon querying the shape and condition of the ball with the umpires. It was that sort of barren day in the field for Australia, as an ill Pat Cummins shared his time between the bowling crease and the change room toilets.If the pitch and the 35C heat contributed to these scenes at the MCG, then so did the absence of Mitchell Starc due to a bruised heel. With Cummins less than 100%, Smith lacked the high pace with which to pressure England in general and Alastair Cook in particular, allowing the erstwhile out of touch opener to reassert his value to Joe Root’s team. Whenever Cummins was off the field, he was replaced by a Thomson; regrettably for Smith it was Blake, rather than Jeff.”I was pretty proud of Pat,” Nathan Lyon said while outlining the extent of the fast bowler’s difficulties. “You go through moments where you don’t feel very well in Test cricket but the way he stuck at it and was able to put in that massive effort for us was quite pleasing to see. He’s a world-class bowler, to see him play the way he’s played, hats off to him. At tea time he slept pretty well the whole 18 minutes of it. Hopefully he’ll see the doctor tonight, get some fluid on board and have a good night’s sleep so he can come back tomorrow morning.”There was a hint of dead-rubber syndrome about things too. Smith dropped Cook on 66 when slightly misjudging the speed of a chance sliced his way off Marsh’s bowling – something it would have been hard to imagine seeing in the first three Tests. Smith’s generosity then extended to taking the final over of the day himself, then serving up a full toss and a couple of short ones to allow Cook to glide to his century with two balls of the day to spare.Australia had to some degree created these problems for themselves with some inattentive batting on the second morning. The slowness of the pitch required the patience and application shown by Cook, but instead the hosts exhibited an eagerness to get after the bowling that resulted in a trio of chop-ons from Smith, Mitchell Marsh and Tim Paine amid the loss of 7 for 67.”Steve’s in some pretty good form, he’s the No. 1 batter in the world,” Lyon said. “To get out the way he got out I think he was pretty disappointed, but cricket’s a funny game and you can find ways to get out. No doubt he’ll go back and look at his game as always and he’ll try to get better each and every day like he does.”But it was a measure of how much Starc’s injury affected the balance of Australia’s bowling attack that by the close a first-innings tally of 327 was looking decidedly inadequate against an England side that had only once gone past that mark all series.”You’ve got two world-class batters on a pretty flat wicket,” Lyon said. “There’s not much spin wise, there’s definitely no seam movement and the ball’s not really swinging that much as well. The favour is in the batter’s corner but you’ve got to give credit where it’s due. I was pretty proud of the bowlers’ effort, the way they stuck at it there, and hopefully we’ll sit back tonight, recover well and make sure we come back fresh in the morning and have a couple of new plans for Joe and Alastair.”Nathan Lyon tosses a beach ball back into the stands•Getty Images

Having been put through a quite unrelenting day in the field, Australia’s bowlers were happy to be blunt in their assessment of the batting display that had led to it. On ABC Radio, Josh Hazlewood agreed that the batting display on the second morning had been “complacent”, and added his own assessment that it had been “lazy”. Lyon, meanwhile, acknowledged that batsmen and bowlers alike had failed to stick to the crease for long enough.”Yeah it’s fair to say that,” Lyon said when asked whether the batsmen had lacked ruthlessness. “But then you’ve got world-class bowlers in James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowling extremely well with a reversing ball, so credit to them as well. This Test match is a roller coaster, it’s an arm wrestle, so I know what we have to do, we have to come back, freshen up in the morning, make sure we’ve got our own plans.”When we get our chance with the bat in the second dig our batters have got to make sure we go big and really set the game up. We missed out in our first innings, especially the tail order, we pride ourselves on our batting and we let the team down today as a batting group and we’ll be better for that experience. But our prep was exceptional leading into Christmas and the first day. There’s never a dead rubber if you ask me.”Had he been fit to play, Starc would have offered Smith speed, reverse swing and a level of variety not available to the six right-arm over bowlers tried. But the fact that this Ashes series is already decided, and that there is a four-Test tour of South Africa looming in February and March, served also to underline why his absence was a necessary evil for Australia.To be at their best, which they so far have not been in Melbourne, they need Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood at their speediest and most hostile. Otherwise there will be more days like this one, where the Australians look just like any other team struggling for inspiration and wickets on a docile Test-match deck.

Pakistan Under-19 needed less than 40 overs to beat Ireland Under-19

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2018
3:43

Can U-19 World Cup success be a springboard to international call-ups?

Pakistan Under-19 scored their first win of the World Cup, a nine-wicket thumping of Ireland Under-19 in 37.4 overs in Whangarei.Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has best innings figures of 8 for 39 in first-class cricket, razed them for 97 by taking 6 for 15 in 8.5 overs. Left-arm spinner and captain Hasan Khan claimed three wickets too, as Ireland were dismissed in 28.5 overs. Joshua Little’s 24 at No. 8 was Ireland’s only score above 20.Pakistan’s top order made short work of the target. Opener Muhammad Zaid Alam smashed 43 off 19 balls, while Hasan made 27 off 21 deliveries at No. 3. The chase was done in 8.5 overs, for the loss of only their wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir, who made 18 off 14 balls.

The openers added 175 to steer the hosts through a breezy chase after a four-wicket haul from Leigh Kasperek had helped them bowl West Indies out for 194

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2018IDI/Getty Images

A 175-run opening partnership between Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine gave New Zealand women an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against West Indies women in Lincoln. Chasing 195, New Zealand romped home with eight wickets in hand and 19.2 overs to spare, with Bates remaining unbeaten on an 86-ball 101, with 13 fours. Afy Fletcher dismissed Devine for 80 (91b, 6×4) and followed up with the wicket of Amy Satterthwaite in her next over, but by then West Indies’ fate had been all but sealed.West Indies had run New Zealand neck-and-neck in a pulsating first ODI, but here their batting failed them. Sent in to bat, they got to a solid 95 for 2, courtesy a third-wicket stand of 54 between Stafanie Taylor and Chedean Nation. But the wicket of Nation in the 25th over sent them sliding, with the offspinner Leigh Kasperek running through their middle order to finish with figures of 4 for 44. Taylor battled on before she was last out for 86 (112b, 4×4, 1×6), but had little support from the middle and lower order, as West Indies lost their last eight wickets for 99 runs. Lea Tahuhu took three wickets, including those of Taylor and Nation.

Kane Williamson’s prognosis remains uncertain, with him requiring further assessment on his hamstring injury, while Ross Taylor still faces a fitness test on Friday

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington01-Mar-2018New Zealand will be crossing their fingers that two of the big guns from their batting order, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, can shake off injury concerns ahead of the third ODI against England in Wellington where they will be trying to bounce back from a heavy defeat in Mount Maunganui.There had been some encouraging news around Taylor after scans did not show any serious damage to the quad he had tweaked while trying to regain his ground in Wednesday’s match but he still faces a fitness test on Friday.Williamson’s prognosis also remains uncertain with him requiring further assessment on his hamstring injury, too, when New Zealand train at the Basin Reserve. Williamson was ruled out of the second ODI after picking up the problem in Hamilton.Mark Chapman, who made his first ODI appearance for New Zealand as Williamson’s replacement on Wednesday, will remain with the squad as cover. The fact that no further reinforcements have been called in suggests New Zealand are hopeful at least one of the duo will be able to play.They put in a largely poor batting display in Mount Maunganui, so will be desperate not to lose both Williamson and Taylor. They bring with them a combined 12,071 runs in ODIs and while Williamson is below his best form, Taylor scored a match-winning century in the opening match of the series and also became the third New Zealander to pass 7000 ODI runs.However, while much of New Zealand’s batting was disappointing in the second match – they have twice started poorly in this series, but were able to recover in Hamilton – the form of Mitchell Santner at No. 8 provided a timely boost. He secured a thrilling victory at Seddon Park and then scored his maiden ODI fifty at Bay Oval.”Of late I have been struggling with the bat. I think the bowling has been coming along a bit better than the batting,” he said. ”So it’s good knowing you can still clear the fence if need be, and yesterday I spent a good time in the middle, something you don’t often do at No. 8. So things I’ve been working on are paying off and it was nice to contribute with the bat.”New Zealand will assess what went wrong as they stumbled to 223 all out – offering five run-out chances, of which four were taken by a superbly sharp England side, will be high on the list – but having strung together nine wins on the bounce, one short of their best ever run, they will remain confident although that would be dented by a depleted batting line-up.In both matches so far, they have lost wickets and been kept quiet in the first 10 overs – 28 for 3 in Hamilton and 34 for 2 in Mount Maunganui – and Santner suggested they may try to put the pressure back on England’s bowlers.”Our aggressive approach has been working, we’ve got to keep that up, and maybe try and take it to them a bit more in the first 10 just to get us a bit of momentum, but you’ve got to give credit where it’s due,” Santner said. “If they bowl good balls we have to try and see out a spell, then try and cash in elsewhere. If the wicket is flat, you probably try to come hard at the top.”Trent Boult, who became the fourth batsman to be run out in New Zealand’s innings when he was found short by Ben Stokes’ throw from the deep in the final over, knew the team had not done themselves justice.”There’s no doubt we were severely outplayed in all facets. They fielded extremely well and put a lot of pressure on us,” he said. “The elephant in the room is the run-outs. They fielded very well but the one-day cricket we’ve been playing, and the way we have been batting, last night wasn’t a very good representation of how we want to do things.”

The National Stadium is set to host its highest-profile game in nearly a decade, with both sides managing to retain most of their best overseas players

The Preview by Umar Farooq in Karachi24-Mar-20184:44

‘I still have 3-4 years of cricket left in me’ – Kamran Akmal

Big Picture

Pakistanis may be divided on various issues within the country, but one thing transcends region, religion, ethnicity, age and political affiliation. That thing is cricket. It’s the most popular sport in the country, with heroes from the game independently going on to inspire generations. It unites the whole nation, and makes you forget about any political differences. That’s the value of cricket to Pakistan.It’s an Eid of cricket in Karachi, a city of over 20 million cricket-mad people that hasn’t played host to a game of this magnitude for over nine years. Peshawar Zalmi are set to take on Islamabad United in a high-voltage PSL final at National Stadium Karachi – a venue set to host its first high-profile game since the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test in February 2009. The game is billed as a homecoming, what with Pakistan’s biggest city having been deprived of major cricket for almost a decade.The focus of the event has been the extraordinary security in the city, but there’s plenty to focus on as far as the cricket is concerned, too. Both teams have one PSL title to their name, with Peshawar being defending champions, while Islamabad won the inaugural edition in 2016. Both are presently at the top of their game and made their way to the final with some brutal displays with the bat. There seems to be no real weak link in either team, as both are laden with experienced batsmen from top to middle, and boast powerful bowling attacks.The stadium has, over the years, largely been isolated, only hosting domestic cricket, but the infrastructure was put back together a few months before the game. The stadium is still under renovation, but the facility was prepared enough to make sure it was able to get going for the important game.

Form Guide

Peshawar Zalmi: WWWWL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Islamabad United: WLWWW

In the spotlight

The final is anticipated for its own merits as a contest, of course, but an absorbing mini-contest revolves around the dazzling form of each side’s wicketkeeper-batsman. Kamran Akmal and Luke Ronchi are both 36, have both been opening the batting, and presently sit at No. 1 and No. 3 on the PSL run charts with 424 and 383 runs respectively. Both are major reasons for their respective teams making the final this season. Both have exhibited extraordinary skill in power-hitting, and are brimming with the confidence, and will be at the forefront of their respective opposition bowling attacks leading into the game.Pitch preparations ahead of the PSL final in Karachi•Associated Press

Team news

Despite safety concerns among foreign players overshadowing the games themselves, both teams have managed to retain the services of most of their best overseas players for the marquee game. This was in stark contrast to last year, when all of Quetta Gladiators’ foreign players pulled out while Peshawar Zalmi fielded a full-strength side.Misbah ul Haq missed the Qualifier with a hairline fracture in his wrist. The 43-year-old has been struggling for fitness, and will miss the final. Islamabad are likely to stick to their combination from the Dubai game where they beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets with 45 balls to spare. One enforced change will be the absence of Alex Hales, who pulled out due to security concerns.Islamabad United (likely): 1 Luke Ronchi (wk), 2 Sahibzada Farhan, 3 JP Duminy (capt), 4 Hussain Talat, 5 Samit Patel, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Chadwick Walton/Samuel Badree, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Faheem Ashraf, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Amad ButtKamran Akmal has been playing despite a stiff neck and a hamstring niggle but with three days of rest before the game should have had enough time to regain his fitness. Peshawar are likely to retain their winning combination.Peshawar Zalmi (likely): 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Saad Nasim, 5 Liam Dawson, 6 Darren Sammy (capt), 7 Chris Jordan, 8 Hasan Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Umaid Asif, 11 Sameen Gul

Stats and trivia

• Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi have the two best PSL win-loss ratios across three years. Islamabad have won 18 matches and lost 12, while Peshawar have won 19 and lost 13.
• Islamabad’s Faheem Ashraf is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, with 17 wickets at a strike rate of 12.7 and an economy rate of 7.72. Peshawar’s Wahab Riaz is breathing down his neck with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 6.86 and a strike rate of 17.2.

Quotes

“Its good to see the logistical work done behind the scenes and we’ve been brought here safely .. I am very grateful for hard work being done behind the scenes and we are excited about tomorrow final.”

Surrey have the look of Championship challengers after an innings victory against a Yorkshire side stocked with England pair Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow

ECB Reporters Network14-May-20181:43

County round-up: Vince makes England case with double century

ScorecardSam Curran was the star of the show as Surrey wrapped up an innings victory over Yorkshire in just 45 minutes on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match at the Kia Oval.The 19-year-old took three of the last five Yorkshire wickets to fall in the space of six balls as he claimed the first ten-wicket match haul of his career a day after receiving his county cap.Rikki Clarke picked up the other two wickets as Yorkshire were dismissed for 168 in their second innings to lose by an innings and 17 runs, their second defeat of the season. Their remaining five wickets fell in 5.2 overs today.Yorkshire’s hope of prolonged resistance had largely rested on Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leaning extending their sixth-wicket stand which stood at 40 overnight.But they added just a further nine runs before Clarke struck in the fourth over of the day. Bairstow fenced at a ball which bounced more than he expected and edged to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, having added four runs to his overnight 25.Curran then struck with successive balls. Tim Bresnan inside edged a good ball and Steve Patterson lost his off stump to the first delivery of Curran’s next over.Josh Shaw defended the hat-trick ball before being bowled by a similar delivery to the one which accounted for Bresnan that knocked back his stump.The end came when Clarke pinned Leaning leg before for 28 as Surrey sealed their first win in this fixture since 2001.Surrey captain Rory Burns praised his team’s work after they claimed their second win of the season.”Apart from a wobble on the first morning when we were 69 for 4 I thought it was a very good performance,” he said. “Some of the individual performances were excellent. Ollie Pope played beautifully and we took the momentum we had into our bowling.”In our last two games we went away from plans a bit but this time we bowled really well as a unit, especially as we lost Conor McKerr to injury too. We stuck to the task and got our rewards. Sam Curran produced a great performance – county cap, 100th first-class wicket and his first ten-for – I don’t think you can ask for much more.”Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale had few complaints. “All credit to Surrey, they outplayed us over the four days but on day one we missed four key chances which allowed them to get away when we could have bowled them out for 260,” he said.”We have spoke at length about our batting. Preparation wasn’t great coming into the season because we’ve had to little match time but we have to make more runs.”Adam Lyth showed what was possible in the second innings but the break for the Royal London One-Day Cup probably comes at a good time for us. It will free the lads up a bit and allow them to just go out and play and get themselves back into form.”

The legspinner was sent home within the first few days of the tour of New Zealand having been diagnosed with a partial stress fracture in his lower back

George Dobell10-Jun-2018Mason Crane is to have a scan on Monday having experienced a recurrence of pain in his back.Crane, the 21-year-old leg-spinner who made his Test debut in the final Test of the Ashes in Sydney, was sent home within the first few days of the tour of New Zealand having been diagnosed with a partial stress fracture in his lower back. The England camp felt they had caught the problem earlyHe made his comeback for Hampshire a couple of weeks ago but, after seven Royal London Cup games, he felt further discomfort in his back and was not included in the side for the Championship match against Surrey which started on Saturday.While it is understood that Hampshire and England are taking a cautious approach with Crane, there will be concern that he has experienced any further discomfort so soon and after a relatively light bowling load.Toby Roland-Jones was also forced to miss a Test tour over the winter – he was ruled out of the Ashes due to a stress fracture – and then aborted his comeback in the early days of this season after a recurrence of the problem. He is not expected to play again this season.

As a wicketkeeper-batsman who is now settling into his captaincy role at Kent, Billings said Dhoni’s input and advice can only improve his game

Andrew Miller06-Jul-20182:07

Buttler pretty much unstoppable – Billings

Sam Billings has said that the chance to learn from MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings during this year’s IPL was an opportunity that made his subsequent struggles for form worthwhile.Billings started his IPL campaign in impressive style with a matchwinning 56 from 23 balls, in partnership with Dhoni, against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he was unable to touch those heights again, as he finished a stop-start stint with 108 runs at 13.50 in ten innings all told.That lack of time in the middle then seemed to spill over into Billings’ sketchy start to his home international summer – he was overlooked for England’s T20 and ODI squads against India after failing in two innings against Scotland and Australia last month.But Billings insists he has few regrets about his time at CSK and says that, as a wicketkeeper-batsman who is now settling into his captaincy role at Kent, Dhoni is a role model whose input and advice can only improve his game.”It was incredible batting with him in the first game, and to get us across the line as well,” Billings told ESPNcricinfo at a Chance to Shine event in Sussex. “What struck me most was his calmness. He’s just so calm the whole time.”I asked him about it, and he said that, through experience and being able to train, he’s got better and better at it towards the latter part of his career. It was amazing to witness – he selects the bowlers that he looks to take down, then executes it as well. It’s pretty special being at the other end and in the same dressing room as someone like that.”The lessons were manifest at the other end of the pitch as well. In light of England’s struggles to pick the variations of India’s mystery spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, in the first T20I, Billings said that exposure to such bowlers on a daily basis was another valuable reason for having a stint in the competition.”You have to adapt very quickly to two high-quality spinners, but that is the benefit of playing in the IPL,” Billings said. “You come up against quality spin every time you play the game. It’s about adapting, having a gameplan and putting the pressure back onto them.”Chahal is a great bowler, he got me out at Bangalore this year, and Kuldeep with his variations is high class as well. The challenge is to adapt as quickly as possible, and certainly the reverse-sweep and sweep are good options, especially if you are not picking them.”Billings returned to form with the bat in the recent Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, although his 75 from 60 balls wasn’t enough to get Kent across the line against Hampshire. Nevertheless, he found himself implementing some of Dhoni’s techniques while marshalling his troops from behind the stumps.Sam Billings will hope to make the most of a rare chance in England’s side•Getty Images

“It was about being conscious of body language, not giving too much away to the batsman but the bowler as well, to be honest,” he said. “People don’t mean to bowl bad balls, but the way Dhoni deals with it and relaxes, ultimately it makes them feel a hell of a lot more comfortable.”Dhoni, however, isn’t the only star batsman from whom Billings has been picking up a few tips in recent months. Jos Buttler’s form, both for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and for England in all formats, has been revelatory – particularly, in T20 cricket, since his move to the top of the order.”He’s one of the best players in the world when he’s playing like he is at the moment,” Billings said. “It’s a pleasure to watch. I’ve known him a long, long time and he’s a great mate of mine, so to see him going so well is brilliant.”To be honest, his game has always been there, it’s just his consistency. Now that he’s putting those consistent scores together, he’s pretty much unstoppable when he gets into full flow.”Consistency for Billings has clearly been lacking of late, although his natural confidence has not been dented by his struggles out in the middle. On the contrary, he sees Buttler’s flowing form as proof that his own good times can roll again.”I’m a similar type of player to Jos, and I’m looking to up my game as well and emulate what he’s done,” Billings said. “To see him go from a middle-order role to excelling at the top of the order is really pleasing. As cricketers now you’ve got to be versatile and he’s doing it as well as anyone now.”It’s tough being in and out of the team and feeling like you have to prove yourself every single time you go out to bat,” Billings said of his stop-start international career. “You play one ODI, then you don’t play another one for nine months. But that’s international sport.”I average over 40 in List A cricket, so my stats are on the board. It’s about reminding myself of what I’ve done with Kent and for the [England] Lions, and focusing on that some more going into the future.”I’m just looking forward to getting another opportunity. It will come at some point, and it’s about taking it, as simple as that. It’s a really hard side to break into at the moment, but there’s plenty of competition around, and when the opportunity arises, hopefully I’ll be ready.”Sam Billings was speaking at an event for National children’s charity Chance to Shine, who are teaming up with ICC and ECB to deliver the Cricket World Cup 2019 Schools’ programme

It is set be a lunch-time fixture leading into the third day of the January day-night men’s Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane

Daniel Brettig16-Jul-2018A first standalone final in the history of the burgeoning Women’s Big Bash League, hosted by the top-ranked team, is set to be scheduled as a lunch-time fixture leading into the third day of the January day-night men’s Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane.With the tournament to have 23 matches jointly broadcast on the Seven and Fox Sports networks – up from 12 on the Ten network in 2017-18 – the timing of the final and two semi-finals at the back end of a crowded summer will require more balance and compromise, even as Cricket Australia tracks towards the WBBL standing on fully self-contained ground from October 2019 onwards.

Number of televised matches by club*

Sydney Thunder 7
Brisbane Heat 6
Sydney Sixers 6
Hobart Hurricanes 5
Melbourne Stars 4
Adelaide Strikers 4
Melbourne Renegades 3
Perth Scorchers 3

*

Seven, with coverage helmed by the head of cricket Dave Barham, is committed to showing the tournament final, forcing its scheduling before the start of play on Australia Day, January 26, at the Gabba if the decider is hosted by one of the seven eastern states teams. Should the Perth Scorchers earn the right to host the decider, then some consideration may be given to an evening start time in Western Australia, following the conclusion of play in Brisbane about 9pm Eastern Daylight time.At a crowded time of the summer sporting calendar, the Saturday final would take place up against the women’s singles final of the Australian Open, set to be broadcast by Nine after the network lost the right to international cricket in Australia for the first time in 40 years. Kim McConnie, CA’s head of the WBBL, said the move to standalone semis and final was a further step in the tournament’s evolution.”For the first time ever we are moving the WBBL finals to standalone fixtures separate to the men’s competition, in a move that is sure to please players, clubs and the fans,” McConnie said. “Both semi finals will be played on Saturday, 19 January, at the same location, hosted by the top-ranked team of the regular season, while the final will be played on Australia Day. Giving the WBBL its own window for finals is an important step for the League as we look ahead to a standalone fixture in the 2019-20 season.”Our new landmark partnership with Fox Sports and Seven West Media has enabled us to almost double the number of broadcast matches to 23, which will help us on our journey to be the leading sport for women and girls in Australia.”We know there is a demand for women’s cricket, with more people than ever before tuning in to watch the sport, so the strong relationship we are forming with our new broadcaster partners will continue to reinforce the WBBL position as a competition that inspires young girls to understand that cricket is a game for girls too, and that they can make a career from the sport – not just at the top level.”In keeping with the theme of expansion, the tournament will begin with three successive carnival weekends. The first will feature four matches over two days at the refurbished Junction Oval in Melbourne on the first weekend of December, the second will include eight matches over two days, including four at North Sydney Oval and two in Burnie in Tasmania, and the third will include four games at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Competing players and teams had been unhappy in the past with the staging of the semis and the final as curtain raisers to the men’s playoffs. In 2018, for instance, this meant that the first-ranked Sydney Sixers and second-placed Sydney Thunder were compelled to play their semi-finals matches at the home grounds of the fourth and third Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers.Elyse Villani, the Scorchers captain, stated ahead of the final in Adelaide that she believed change to a standalone arrangement was due. “I definitely do, heading towards the T20 World Cup in 2020, that’s a standalone competition,” Villani said. “So I think that’s a move Cricket Australia will make pretty soon and we’re definitely ready for it and looking forward to the challenge of continuing to create our own brand.”

The two teams went opposite ways with their bowling attacks but it was seam that held sway with Lancashire’s top-order brittleness again costly

Paul Edwards29-Aug-2018
ScorecardThe last hurrahs of high summer are rarely blazoned more joyfully than this. And seldom are they more frenetic. For the cricketers this was a vital match between two counties scrapping to avoid dismal relegation. For the spectators, some of whom may be watching their only first-class cricket of the season, it was a day on which the importance of the game was matched by a sense of occasion. Many of them welcomed the banishment of the drizzled early morning quite as heartily as they greeted the fall of Worcestershire wickets.The first sun cream was sighted at 12.45; but the first Lancashire collapse took place nearly four hours later and the loss of two prime wickets four overs before the close has left Worcestershire in the ascendant. Nevertheless, you can be assured there will be no shortage of people rolling up on Thursday to watch a game that is unlikely to stretch into Saturday.The day began with the sides in states of mutual astonishment. Having included both Matt Parkinson and Stephen Parry in their squad, Lancashire left out both whereas Worcestershire opted for the slow left-armer Ben Twohig rather than Ross Whiteley. The visitors were taken aback that their opponents had gone into the game relying on only the left-arm spin of Keshav Maharaj, the third slow bowler to join the county in a month, whereas Lancashire were shocked that Worcestershire wanted to toss and then opted to bat when they won it.The day’s cricket suggested that Lancashire’s choice had been wise. Trafalgar Road may be renowned as a spinner’s pitch but Maharaj bowled just 12 wicketless and the conditions throughout the day plainly favoured bowlers like Tom Bailey and Josh Tongue whose high actions extracted plenty of bounce from a responsive but far from impossible surface.The morning was Lancashire’s, too. Having been asked to field, they were more than content to take four wickets with Joe Clarke’s impulsive drive on the stroke of lunch settling the session in Lancashire’s favour. Toby Lester’s most significant contribution to the day was to have Daryl Mitchell caught behind for 9 in the ninth over and it turned out that the best thing Maharaj would do was run out Alex Milton for a duck with a flat throw from deep square leg.Tom Fell batted pleasantly for 31 before he failed to cover a ball from Bailey which nipped back off the seam, but that dismissal was a portent for an afternoon in which the Preston seamer would take three further wickets, the most important of them that of Brett D’Oliveira whose 65 was full of the wristy cuts and the small man’s improvisations.The crowd settled into its cricket and most of them relished every Worcestershire wicket grateful that the summer’s heat had abated sufficiently to allow the game to assume its traditional aspect. For there were weeks when this had not seemed likely. In late June Trafalgar Road was offering its own version of the . Throughout many weeks the outfield resembled an enormous rich-tea biscuit and the ground still bears the scars of its summer scorching. Even by lunchtime on this first day the players’ flannels carried the marks of desperate dives on bare ground.Bailey’s wickets and the support he was given by Lester and Graham Onions saw Worcestershire bundled out for 222 just after tea. Ed Barnard batted nearly two hours for his 24 runs but a single batting bonus point seemed a poor reward for his patience. However, Lancashire supporters have spent their summer watching their side collapse and there was a bleak air of reacquaintance when both Haseeb Hameed and Rob Jones were taken at slip for nought in the second over of the innings.Steven Croft also departed without changing the pattern of the game when he thick-edged Wayne Parnell to Twohig at fourth slip but the counter-attack mounted by Alex Davies and Dane Vilas in a 54-run stand appeared likely to leave Lancashire in a slight ascendancy before Vilas fell victim to the damn-fool bad luck which bedevils teams in trouble.Just as spectators were counting their abundant blessings in preparation for the close, Davies drove the ball straight at Tongue whose boot deflected the ball onto the stumps with Vilas yards out of his ground. Two balls later, Davies played no shot to Tongue and was leg before for 47. And thus even as supporters were enjoying one of their season’s last high days, the teams were struggling to avoid relegation and the gloom that settles on following winters.