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Questions over whether Marsh will retain his place in Adelaide or perhaps play as a specialist batter only have been floating around after he pulled up sore following the Perth Test

Andrew McGlashan04-Dec-20241:31

Lyon: ‘I’m very clear about my role within the team’

Nathan Lyon is confident Mitchell Marsh will be able to play a role with the ball in Adelaide but is ready to take up any extra workload that comes his way should that not be the case.Marsh’s fitness has been one of the key watching briefs around the Australia side after he pulled up sore following Perth. Uncapped allrounder Beau Webster is part of the squad but it appears likely that Marsh will retain his place regardless of how much he can bowl. Since returning to the side in last year’s Ashes, Marsh is the only incumbent batter to average over 40 which appears set to keep him in the side.”I honestly think we’ll see Mitch Marsh bowl,” Lyon said on Wednesday. “I’m not concerned about Bison’s fitness if I’m being honest. He’s been brilliant for us since he’s come back in. He came [back] in that game in Leeds during the Ashes and [has] really dominated so got full confidence in Bison. Happy to bowl his overs.”Related

• Cummins hopes for more proactive Labuschagne in pink-ball Test

• Marsh 'hopefully right and ready to go' but questions over bowling

• Webster bolsters Australia squad amid Marsh concerns

• Hazlewood ruled out of second Test; Abbott, Doggett in

• Perth report: India hand Australia 295-run thrashing

While in recent times Lyon has been part of an Australia attack that has featured either Marsh, Cameron Green or sometimes both, he has also featured in a considerable number of sides that have not had a genuine allrounder, instead using the four frontline bowlers with some part-time overs from members of the top order.Lyon’s ability to be both an attacking and defensive bowler means he can play a key role in balancing the bowling unit in the absence of a genuine fifth bowler where, if needed, he can look to control the run rate in the first innings before searching more for wickets as the game develops.”I’m very clear on my role within the team,” Lyon said. “Nothing really changes with me…if I can get the opportunity to bowl more overs, I’ll jump at it.”Lyon expects the Adelaide pitch – which will start with 6mm of grass – will take turn as the game develops. In day-night Tests at the ground, spinners average 24.72 on the third day and 22.91 on the fourth, compared to 113.25 on the first and 60.60 on the second.Lyon was economical in India’s hefty second innings in Perth although was largely nullified by the top order before having Rishabh Pant stumped when the lead was already considerable. This Test brings Lyon back to the ground where he has had most success in Test cricket with 63 wickets at 25.26 from 13 matches, seven of which have been day-night encounters.2:13

Clarke: Mitch Marsh needs to be bowling

“We understand that we didn’t play our best cricket in Perth and India totally outplayed us,” he said. “But with all the other stuff, it’s been quite humorous in a way looking at how much has been said and the reactions of so many different people after one loss.”The beauty of a five-match Test series…is you get the opportunity to turn that around and that’s the challenge of what we face right now. We are coming up against a world-class India side that played an exceptional game of cricket over in Perth but that’s been nine days or so ago now, so come Friday we go again which I’m excited about.”We are humans, we are going to make mistakes, but if we can go out there and try and learn along the journey then we are going to put ourselves in a better position come our next fixture. We’ve got a great record here, playing at one of the best venues in the world on a great wicket, so looking forward to that.”He expressed surprised that both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were left out in Perth with India preferring Washington Sundar. “[It] more than surprises me,” he said. “That’s the quality of Indian cricketers they have in that squad. You’ve got Ashwin with 530-odd wickets [536] and then Jadeja over 300 wickets [319]. It’s pretty remarkable to see the quality of players sitting on the bench.”In an encouraging sign for Australia, Josh Hazlewood was doing some gentle run throughs of his action alongside the other bowlers during the evening training session on Wednesday after he was ruled out of the second Test with a mild side strain. Scott Boland is expected to be his replacement for this Test.

Australia fall eight runs short after a defiant 91 not out from Steven Smith

Tristan Lavalette28-Jan-2024
Shamar Joseph defied his injured toe and sprinted around the Gabba in jubilation after his remarkable seven-wicket haul powered West Indies to a monumental upset of Australia in a pulsating eight-run victory in the second Test.Shortly after dinner, Joseph knocked over Josh Hazlewod to cap his heroic performance and end West Indies’ two-decade Test drought against Australia.Steven Smith was the only batter who was able to thwart Joseph and struck his first half-century as an opener to finish unbeaten on 91 not out. He had a riveting battle with Joseph, who summoned speeds around 150kmh and bowled 11.5 overs straight before and after dinner.Australia resumed after dinner at 187 for 8 and still 29 runs short. In the first over after the resumption, Alzarri Joseph dropped Nathan Lyon in his follow through only to produce a thin edge off the next delivery to put West Indies on the brink of a famous victory.Related

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• Shamar Joseph: 'I wasn't even coming out to the ground today'

• Cummins: Shamar was right up for it and we weren't good enough

• Australia's fielding passes the endurance test at the Gabba

• Technique is the greatest weapon against the short-pitched delivery

With the field spread, a nerveless Smith unfurled an outrageous scoop for six that was more reminiscent of T20 cricket and reduced Australia’s target to 14 runs. But Joseph proved unstoppable as he finished his all-time great performance in style and with the figures of 7 for 68.It meant the series finished 1-1 and brought the curtains down on the Australian Test summer with the hosts surprisingly challenged by inexperienced Pakistan and West Indies teams on tough surfaces with none of the five matches going into the fifth day.Australia tasted defeat on home soil for the first time since losing to India at the Gabba in January 2021.Like Pakistan earlier in the summer, a youthful West Indies became a crowd favourite through their entertaining style of play and vivaciousness led by Joseph, who single-handedly hauled his team back in the contest.Australia appeared to be cruising towards the target of 216 at 113 for 2 until Joseph turned the match on its head with the wickets of Cameron Green and Travis Head in consecutive balls. He then dismissed Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey as Australia lost 4 for 23 and were still 80 runs short of victory.Joseph claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches by dismissing Mitchell Starc, who had briefly counterattacked, just before dinner as he sunk to his knees with his head on the ground.But he pushed through the pain barrier and exhaustion to nick off Pat Cummins.Shamar Joseph led the celebrations for West Indies•Getty Images

There had been grave doubt over whether Joseph could bowl after he was struck on the toe by an inswinging delivery by Starc late on day three that forced him to retire hurt.But he was cleared of a fracture and produced a spell in overcast and humid conditions that rocked Australia and set up a grandstand finish after dinner.There were fears of the day’s play being majorly interrupted after heavy showers lashed Brisbane overnight and in the morning. But the bad weather cleared and play resumed on schedule with Australia resuming at 60 for 2 and needing a further 156 runs.After starting aggressively late on day three, with his driving a standout, Smith focused on picking off the bowling for singles. But Green was anchored to the crease and intent on survival as Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph bowled on a dangerous length outside off stump.Green scored just 13 off his first 54 deliveries before he pounced on a rare Roach delivery that strayed on the pads to notch his first boundary. He was gifted three runs in the next over after a hash of a fielding attempt at mid-off from skipepr Kraigg Brathwaite.Smith looked comfortable until being squared up by a menacing delivery from Alzarri Joseph that flew through the vacant third slip to bring up the 50-run partnership.West Indies needed a spark and Shamar Joseph made an immediate impact when he came into the attack by producing a thick edge from Green that flew over the slips.Green started to settle until Joseph produced a rearing delivery that hit his back elbow and fell onto the stumps. He then on the next delivery delivered a scintillating yorker that clean bowled Head and left Australia stunned.It completed a king pair for Head, who suffered his third golden duck in his last six innings. Joseph was unable to complete a hat-trick, but soon had Marsh edging to second slip and clean bowled Alex Carey with another gem of a yorker.Starc decided to take on the bowling and it proved effective until he holed out. Play was extended by 20 minutes after Joseph dismissed Cummins, but he could not get through Smith and Lyon.But Joseph was not to be denied as he finished with one last epic celebration to wrap an astonishing debut series.

CSA will use her WPL campaign to facilitate her return to the national side after she previously failed the board’s fitness test

Firdose Moonda13-Feb-2023ESPNcricinfo understands that Cricket South Africa is willing to give Dané van Niekerk a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the inaugural WPL after she was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Van Niekerk was sold for her base price of 30 lakh (approx. US$37,000) and told ESPNcricinfo that she was “[in] a bit in shock but absolutely thrilled” to get a deal.She was left out of South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad after failing to pass the two-kilometre trial and is currently at the tournament in the capacity of a commentator.Even though CSA’s policy is to only grant NOCs to players who meet the minimum fitness requirements, a source told ESPNcricinfo that it is unlikely that the board will stand in van Niekerk’s way. Instead, the board would use the WPL to facilitate her return to the national side. An insider said that it would be “churlish” for CSA to stand in the way of her playing in the WPL. A final decision on the NOC will be taken after a meeting with CSA’s director of cricket Enoch Nkwe and the CSA medical team.Related

• Van Niekerk in women's T20 World Cup commentary panel

• Dane van Niekerk left out of T20 World Cup squad, Luus to captain

• Lizelle Lee retired over fears of being dropped, denied NOC for overseas leagues because of poor fitness

The decision is likely to cause some controversy after now-retired opener Lizelle Lee revealed last year that CSA threatened to deny her an NOC to play at the Hundred after she failed to meet their weight requirement. Lee was going to be dropped on the tour of England but chose to step away from international cricket and has since relocated to Australia. She put her name for the WPL but was not called up at the auction on Monday.The source described the difference in Lee and van Niekerk’s case as being that Lee “fabricated test results, and when that came up for discussion, she walked away.” On BBC’s , Lee admitted she self recorded her weight instead of letting the CSA biokineticist take her measurements.Van Niekerk’s case is similar to that of men’s fast bowler Anrich Nortje. Nortje was granted an NOC to play in the IPL after he suffered a hip and back injury at the 2021 T20 World Cup which kept him out of the tournament. Because Nortje was close to full fitness at the time of the 2022 IPL, he was permitted to complete his return-to-play program at the Delhi Capitals. He has since also made a return to the national side. Van Niekerk is likely to be given the same concession.She is currently 18 seconds off South Africa’s requirement of 9 minutes, 30 seconds for the two-kilometre run, and will not need to take the test again before the WPL. She will need to pass the test to play for the national team, though, who do not have any confirmed fixtures after the T20 World Cup. According to the FTP, South Africa are scheduled to tour Pakistan in August.Van Niekerk remains a centrally contracted player and there were concerns that, like Lee, she would walk away from South Africa if her WPL deal proved more lucrative than a national contract. Her deal of approx. US$37,000 is understood to be near, in terms of value, to her CSA contract but with endorsements and match fees, she can expect to earn more than double of that from South Africa. In contrast, van Niekerk’s wife, Marizanne Kapp, was bought for US$ 183,000 which is worth over R3.2 million and is significantly more than any domestic deal.The other South Africans to get picked up at the auction were Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon. Stand-in captain Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka and Nonkululeko Mlaba went unsold. Former captain Mignon du Preez, who retired from international cricket last year did not even have her name come up.

Avishek Dalmiya, the current CAB president, will be joining the IPL governing council

ESPNcricinfo staff and PTI15-Oct-2022Sourav Ganguly, the outgoing BCCI president, will contest the upcoming elections at Cricket Association of Bengal with the aim of returning as the president of the body, a post he had held for four years between 2015 to 2019.”Yes, I will be contesting the CAB polls,” Ganguly told PTI. “I plan to file my nomination on October 22. I have been in CAB for five years and as per Lodha rules, I can continue for another four years.”I will finalise my panel on October 20.”The PTI report said, “There was a strong buzz that Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish would contest in place of Avishek Dalmiya for the top post, but the former India player’s nomination changes a lot of equations.”Ganguly became the president of the BCCI in October 2019, and is set to be replaced by former India allrounder Roger Binny from October 18, when the BCCI’s annual general meeting will be held in Mumbai.Jay Shah will continue as BCCI secretary, the most influential position in the board. Rajiv Shukla will also stay on as the board’s vice-president.Along with Binny, there will be two first-timers in the new administration: Ashish Shelar, who served as Mumbai Cricket Association president between 2017 and 2019, will be the treasurer, and Devajit Saikia, currently secretary at Assam Cricket Association, will be the joint secretary.Another key appointment is that of Arun Dhumal, who is set to take over as the new IPL chairman, a post held since 2019 by Brijesh Patel, the former India batter, who will be forced to vacate the seat as he turns 70 on November 24. That is the upper age limit for an office bearer or administrator in the BCCI’s constitution.As a requirement, Dhumal, though, will initially need to contest for the position of an IPL governing council member. Also joining the governing council will be Dalmiya. He will replace Khairul Majumdar, who will be nominated as the BCCI’s general body representative on the board’s Apex Council.

These are the first engagements for Australia side since the departure of head coach Matthew Mott

Andrew McGlashan19-May-2022Ellyse Perry suffered a stress fracture of her back at the ODI World Cup earlier this year and is only likely to be available as a batter for the upcoming T20I tri-series in Ireland and Commonwealth Games should she be able to regain her place in the line-up.Perry picked up the injury towards the latter part of the group stage, missing the last round-robin match and the semi-final against South Africa. She returned for the final against England as a batter where she made 17 off 10 balls having not been needed until No. 7, and ESPNcricinfo understands that on returning home to Australia, the full extent of the injury was diagnosed.”Her availability to bowl will be dependent on her progress in the coming weeks and on the medical advice.” Australian physiotherapist Kate Beerworth said.Perry remained hopeful that the progress she is making means there is an outside chance of her being available with the ball in a couple of months, but won’t be rushing her return to the bowling crease.”It’s tracking really well, which is nice. It’s really dependent, I think, on the next couple of weeks,” she said. “I’m having some progressing scans…and each time, they will give a clearer indication of how it’s healing and where I’m at in terms of bowling again.”I have to wait until it’s completely healed before I can start bowling. It could be soon, but it might be delayed – just depending on the progress.”Perry is part of a 15-player squad that is unchanged from that which secured the ODI World Cup in New Zealand and marks the start of a new chapter for Australia following the departure of head coach Matthew Mott. However, it remains to be seen whether there is a place for Perry in the final XI after she was dropped for the T20Is that made up the multi-format Ashes series earlier this year.Mott, who was confirmed as the white-ball coach of the England men’s team earlier this week, was part of the panel that selected this squad with those deliberations having taken place before his new job was inked in. Shelley Nitschke, an assistant coach under Mott since 2018, has been named interim head coach for these two campaigns.Legspinner Georgia Wareham and fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck remained unavailable as they continue their recovery from long-term knee and foot injuries respectively. Wareham, who has undergone ACL reconstruction, is aiming for a return in early 2023 which cuts it fine to be available for next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.Vlaeminck has been ruled out of next season’s WBBL which indicates she also faces a race against time. As when she suffered a very similar stress fracture that kept her out of the 2020 T20 World Cup, she has been using ballet as part of her recovery.”She’s been working with The Australian Ballet over the past few months and will continue to progress her rehab using a collaborative approach with Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia and Australian Ballet staff,” Beerworth said. “Tayla’s injury is long-term and she remains unavailable for the Tri-Series, Commonwealth Games and the WBBL, with no date set for her return at this stage.”Last year Beerworth explained the theory behind the collaboration with ballet as part of Vlaeminck’s programme. “Ballet dancers don’t have the benefit of cushioned footwear, so they have to really be very strong through their feet, and have to be exceptional in their ability to be able to accept force through jumping and landing, which they do a lot,” she told .Having built towards reclaiming the ODI World Cup, which they did with an unbeaten run in New Zealand, there will now be a T20 focus with the target of defending their world title in South Africa early next year.”The team’s style of play has been fairly consistent over the past couple of years, in both T20 and 50-over formats, and so we’ve been focusing on developing players who can play across formats,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “It’s great that we’ve been able to retain the same group of players that competed so well at the World Cup.””It’s exciting to see the women’s game feature at the Commonwealth Games for the first time, it’s going to be a historic occasion and one we’re all looking forward to.”The two series also present Shelley Nitschke with a great opportunity to lead the side having stepped into the interim role of head coach. We’re in a fortunate position to have some world-class coaches in our system, with both Shelley and assistant coach, Ben Sawyer contributing to the team’s success over the last few years.”The tri-series in Ireland – which also features Pakistan – starts on July 16 with the Commonwealth Games beginning on July 29. Australia are grouped with India, Barbados and Pakistan.Australia squad for Ireland tri-series and Commonwealth Games Meg Lanning (capt), Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

The season was curtailed last month after an outbreak of Covid-19 among a number of players

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2021The PCB will outsource the management of its bio-security protocols to an international firm when the sixth season of the PSL resumes in June. The dates for the resumption have now been finalised, with the league restarting on June 1 and the final scheduled for June 20. Twenty matches remain, with all of them to be played in Karachi.The season was curtailed last month after an outbreak of Covid-19 among a number of players made its continuation untenable. That came after a number of incidents raised questions about the security and implementation of the protocols put in place for the tournament; those were protocols that were in turn devised and put in place by the board’s medical panel.Dr Sohail Saleem, the head of that panel, is being released after his resignation, which he had submitted in the wake of the curtailment, was accepted. An independent two-person fact-finding commission has since compiled a report and made a series of recommendations that the PCB’s board of governors discussed in detail in a meeting on Saturday.Related

• PCB accepts Dr Sohail Saleem's resignation, looks to revamp medical department

• A timeline of how Covid-19 forced PSL 2021 to be suspended

• PSL blame game begins with investigation on the horizon

• Independent team of doctors to investigate PSL safety measures

The board of governors (BoG) “expressed their disappointment at the failures that were highlighted in the report and advised remedial actions needed to be taken”, a PCB release said.”The BoG endorsed all recommendations of the fact-finding panel, including robust and stringent implementation of the protocols, as well as maintaining a zero-tolerance approach towards all those who breach the Covid-19 SOPs, which are put in place for safeguarding the health and safety of all participants,” it said.The PCB is now close to appointing an international firm that, the release said, “specialises in providing Covid-safe technology solutions, bio-secure monitoring & management, as well as response and reaction to positive tests”.A mandatory seven-day quarantine period will be in place for all players and staff that will begin from May 22. Teams will have three days of training before the season resumes on June 1 with the Lahore Qalandars taking on the Islamabad United. All matches will be played at the National Stadium, with two match days of double-headers.Revised schedule
1 June: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United (N)

2 June: Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings (N)

3 June: Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators (N)

4 June: Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars (N)

5 June: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings (D); Multan Sultans vs Quetta Gladiators (N)

6 June: Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings (N)

7 June: Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars (N)

8 June 8: Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi (N)

9 June: Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars (N)

10 June: Quetta Gladiators vs Karachi Kings (N)

11 June: Multan Sultans vs Islamabad United (N)

12 June: Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi (D); Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars (N)

13 June: Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi (N)

14 June: Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars (N)

16 June: Qualifier (1 vs 2) (N)

17 June: Eliminator 1 (3 vs 4) (N)

18 June: Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier vs winner Eliminator 1) (N)

20 June: Final (N)

Fast bowler Rayad Emrit also earned a maiden call-up to a full-strength T20 squad that also included Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2017Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller has been called-up to West Indies’ ODI squad for their three-match series against New Zealand later this month. Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who were part of West Indies’ ODI team against England in September, kept their places, while uncapped fast bowler Ronsford Beaton also earned a spot in the 15-man squad.

Ins and outs

ODI squad
In: Shannon Gabriel, Ronsford Beaton, Nikita Miller
Out: Jerome Taylor, Miguel Cummins, Devendra Bishoo
T20 squad
In: Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher
Out: Ashley Nurse

Miller, who has played 46 ODIs and 9 T20s, last played for West Indies in the 2015 World Cup, against Zimbabwe. In the 2016-17 Regional Super50 – West Indies’ domestic 50-overs tournament – Miller picked up nine wickets in nine games, at an average of 32, but also had an economy rate of 3.67.Beaton, who was included in the West Indies A squad for a home series against Sri Lanka A, impressed in this year’s Caribbean Premier League, taking 11 wickets in 10 games.Fast bowler Rayad Emrit earned a maiden call-up to a full-strength T20 squad that also included Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine. Samuel Badree, who was unavailable for West Indies’ previous T20 assignment in England, also made a return.Emrit finished the 2017 Caribbean Premier League as the third-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 12 matches, at an average of 21.20.Wicketkeepers Andre Fletcher and Chadwick Walton were also rewarded for a stellar CPL 2017. Walton was the highest-run scorer in the tournament with 458 runs in 12 games at an average of 41.63 and a strike rate of 145.85, while Fletcher managed 286 runs in 10 matches.Courtney Browne, Cricket West Indies’ selection chairman, said Miller’s inclusion was done with one eye on preparing an experienced team for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in March next year.”Miller has played ODI cricket previously. Along with his vast experience in our domestic competitions, we felt that he is the right fit to form a part of our ODI bowling unit at this time,” Browne said. “With the World Cup qualifiers fast approaching, we felt that this is not the right time to introduce an inexperienced slow bowler. This series against New Zealand and our CWI Regional Super50 Cup next year are the only chances we will have for preparation prior to the World Cup qualifiers, which are scheduled to be played next March in Zimbabwe.”So these matches will be used to help us identify the players that will play during the qualifiers, and this is why we have also taken the opportunity to introduce Ronsford Beaton. Though, he is more known for his pace and variations in T20I cricket, we believe he can add value within our ODI bowling unit.”Emrit, Browne said, was picked to fill in an allrounder’s slot in the T20I side. “The selection of Emrit is to fill one of the all-rounder roles. He has always been on the fringes of selection and now gets his opportunity. He is a whole-hearted player, and has been a consistent performer in our domestic competitions and so the opportunity has now presented itself for him to join our T20I squad.”West Indies’ limited-overs leg of the New Zealand tour begins on December 20, with the first ODI in Nelson. The T20s will begin from December 29.ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt.), Jason Mohammed, Sunil Ambris, Ronsford Beaton, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Kyle Hope, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick WilliamsT20 squad: Carlos Brathwaite (capt.), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams

Graham Hardcastle at Headingley07-Apr-2012Jonny Bairstow, one of England’s exciting crop of future stars, enjoyed a memorable day as his Yorkshire side battle hard to secure an opening round draw against Kent. After scoring his third first-class century, the wicketkeeper-batsman found out about his inclusion in England’s Performance squad ahead of their summer schedule.Bairstow, who played one-day and Twenty20 internationals against India and Pakistan during the winter, is enhancing his reputation at a rate of knots and this knock of 107, off 147 balls and including 13 fours and two sixes, can only do him good as he looks to secure a place in England’s Test match middle order.Confirmation of his place in the 26-strong national party came through from the ECB shortly after he had secured his half-century in the midst of an important fifth-wicket stand of 115 with Gary Ballance. It was a prime reason why Yorkshire closed on 316-6, still 71 short of avoiding the follow-on with a day remaining.”I didn’t actually know about that,” said Bairstow. “I was told when I get off the pitch. I’ve been pleased with how my winter’s gone out in the sub-continent and coming back here and getting a century in the first game of the season hopefully stands me in good stead for the rest of the summer.”Yorkshire had been in early trouble thanks to an impressive opening spell from Kent’s debutant Mark Davies, formerly of Durham, who claimed the wickets of Joe Sayers and Anthony McGrath with his first two balls of the day after a maiden half-century with the bat on Thursday as the visitors posted 537-9 declared.Sayers was caught at third slip and McGrath trapped lbw for a golden duck to leave the score at 37-2, with Joe Root later falling to Matt Coles to bring Bairstow to the crease with the score on 79. He began with diligence before dominating from the moment Adam Riley, Kent’s left-arm spinner, was brought into the attack. It was all much to the dismay of Ben Harmison, who dropped a simple chance at second slip off Davies’ bowling with Bairstow on 24.Bairstow wasted no time in putting Riley on the back foot with three fours in an over and later eased a six wide of long-on to move into the nineties before exacting further punishment on the young spinner by launching him over midwicket and high into the East Stand to move to 99. He reached his first championship hundred at Headingley from his next ball.Darren Stevens ended Bairstow’s innings in the early evening when he forced him to feather behind to Geraint Jones, leaving the score at 290-6. With the second new ball due, Kent sniffed another opportunity with Yorkshire still 98 runs away from avoiding the follow-on. But Adil Rashid dug in before bad light and rain wiped out the last 18 overs to give Yorkshire an easier night’s sleep ahead of the final day.It must have gone some way to softening the blow after Richard Pyrah was told to expect a six-week lay-off with a broken left hand following a fielding accident on the midwicket boundary on Thursday.

On the Mohammad Ali selection, the Pakistan captain said they “wanted someone to bowl like Aamer Jamal”

Mohammad Isam20-Aug-2024Pakistan have picked Saim Ayub as an opener for the first Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi for continuity, according to Shan Masood. The Pakistan captain also said that Pakistan were considering Muhammad Hurraira for selection but he will have to wait for his international debut.Hurraira, 22, has been a heavy scorer in domestic cricket and last month he scored 218 against a Bangladesh High Performance XI in a four-day game in Darwin. Earlier in his debut season in 2021-22, he racked up 986 runs at an average of 58, including a triple-hundred. As for Ayub, he scored 0 and 33 in his only Test so far, against Australia in January in Sydney.”We have plenty of riches in our opening batting,” Masood said. “Imam-ul-Haq isn’t in this series. We don’t limit ourselves to 17 players. We have 20-25 players who are part of our squad. We initially felt that it was our ideal chance to check Muhammad Hurraira – what he could offer the Pakistan team after doing so well in domestic cricket in the last three or four years. We rested Imam in this series. Saim, who is in good touch now, showed potential in the second innings against Australia. As a team, you have to send a message of continuity. So we will try to back the players. We want to give him a fair chance.”Related

• Bangladesh pacers vs Pakistan batters: a song of ice and fire

• Naseem back in Test squad, Shakeel named vice-captain

• Masood, Gillespie want more Test cricket for Pakistan

• Aamer Jamal's back issues rule him out of Bangladesh Test series

• Pakistan set to play all-pace attack in a home Test for the second time in 28 years

Pakistan will also go into the series opener against Bangladesh with an all-pace attack, a rarity in their selection policy. Masood explained that the conditions in Rawalpindi influenced the combination of their side. He said they wanted Mohammad Ali in the line-up to do a similar job to Aamer Jamal who had excelled in Australia earlier this year. Ali’s 19 wickets in PSL 2024 propelled him into the limelight but he has also been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. He has 150 wickets in 41 first-class games at an average of 25.72.”Firstly, you have to look at a few factors,” Masood said. “You have to take into account Pakistan’s position in the WTC. We at least have to win the home matches. Secondly, you have to look at the ground conditions. Thirdly, we have to look at our team combination.”We considered Aamer Jamal as a weapon in Australia. When the other three fast bowlers showed discipline, Aamer Jamal used to attack. He got crucial wickets in the middle overs. He used to eliminate Australia’s tail, which usually makes the difference by scoring 80-90 runs. As Shaheen [Shah Afridi] and Naseem [Shah] will take the new ball, we wanted someone to bowl like Aamer Jamal. I think Mohammad Ali gave us the surprise element in the PSL but we have been seeing it for a long time. He hits the deck hard. He has the quality to move the ball with the seam and in the air. He has extra pace too.”Having not made the finals of the last two WTC cycles, Pakistan are hoping to buck the trend and bring cheer to their fans.”I think you want your fans and media to write good things about the team,” Masood said. “We want to play cricket that everyone enjoys watching. Obviously, it is a result-oriented business so you need to have results in mind. We were sixth and seventh before [in the WTC], but we would like to play in the final this time. We want to play finals. We have to win our home Tests. Our challenge is to play consistently and play an exciting brand of cricket.”The first Test against Bangladesh will also be Pakistan’s first under coach Jason Gillespie. Masood wanted the new staff’s approach to align with Pakistan’s strengths. “We have a different coaching staff,” he said. “They bring a different mindset and culture but we also have to look at where we have to go as a side. I think fast bowling has been Pakistan’s strength. We have six quality fast bowlers. You need 20 wickets to win a Test. That’s a non-negotiable. Our goal is to get those 20 wickets and then batters can back up the bowlers. That’s how we went into the Australia series, and that’s how we will go into this series.”

Former England seamer to hang up boots after 19 years in domestic game

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network11-Jun-2023Former England seamer and World Cup winner Anya Shrubsole has confirmed her impending retirement from professional cricket after claiming the Player of the Match award in Southern Vipers’ Charlotte Edwards Cup success.Shrubsole, 31, called time with England at the start of the 2022 summer and has now decided that this will be her final season in the domestic game, citing the pain of bowling as one of the reasons for her decision.At New Road on Saturday, she set the tone for the defending champions by removing both Blaze openers in a key opening spell, and although rain took the game into a reserve day Vipers eased to their target of 115. Shrubsole will play in the Hundred for Southern Brave before bringing the curtain down on a career that began in 2004.”It’s hard to put an exact date on when I made the decision, to be honest with you,” Shrubsole said. “I think through the course of this tournament it just became clear to me that my time was up.Related

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“I carried on playing because I really enjoy playing, but I guess the pain element of it – if I’m being totally honest – made it not particularly enjoyable at times, so in lots of ways it was a pretty easy decision to call it a day at the end of this year.”I told my team-mates on Friday night. I didn’t see it playing out like this, I told the girls because I wanted them to know but I didn’t think they’d make it really obvious, if I’m being honest with you! I feel very lucky to have played the last few seasons with this group, because they’re an exceptional team and an exceptional bunch of people.”Shrubsole attributed Vipers’ win, in part, to their know-how, having triumphed in the competition before. Blaze were limited to 114 for 8 in their 20 overs, with Charlie Dean and Georgia Adams also taking two-fors.”I think our experience was a factor in the final. We were in a really strong position before it absolutely launched it down yesterday, having got them to 50 for 4, and it’s always tricky to come back as a batting team and start again.”What we did really well today was be on it straight away. Those first three balls, then Deano, myself, Lins [Linsey Smith] and Gads – that’s four pretty experienced bowlers to set us up today so that definitely worked in our favour.”A victory for Blaze would have seen a new name on the Charlotte Edwards Cup, but Shrubsole was keen to praise their progress and the competition’s growth.”Blaze have come on a lot this year, without a shadow of doubt, and I think we’ve seen improvement across all the teams – both in this competition and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.”It seems to be a much more even competition and without a doubt the standard has gone up. It’s no surprise that all those players who’ve had a winter as a professional cricketer have been able to improve. There’s no secret with that one, and it’s been a really enjoyable competition to be a part of.”For Blaze captain Kirstie Gordon, there was immense disappointment at not being able to replicate her team’s group stage form in the final, but pride at the progression they’ve demonstrated.”There’s a lot of disappointment at the minute,” she said. “To have had such a good campaign, to finish top of the league, and not give a true showing of ourselves today was disappointing. But we hope there’s more finals to come, and we’ll have gained great experience from today and take that into the future.”The England left-arm spinner believed Vipers deserved to win, but hoped the loss could act as a learning curve for her team: “Vipers are experienced, they are still the team to beat. Lottie and Gads have got a fantastic unit there. That bit of composure and experience they showed today has helped them. And for us a bit of naïveté, especially through that first 14 overs with the bat, we went into our shells.”Ultimately we’re hugely proud of where we’ve come from and this is the benchmark that we’ve set for future competitions and future seasons – we want to be in every final there is.”