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The visitors looked in trouble after Amar Virdi’s three wickets reduced them to 175 for 5 shortly before tea, still 37 away from an innings defeat

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2019Liam Dawson’s fourth half-century of the season steered Hampshire to the safety of a draw on the final day of their County Championship fixture with Surrey at The Oval.The visitors looked in trouble after Amar Virdi’s three wickets reduced them to 175 for 5 shortly before tea, still 37 away from an innings defeat.But Dawson, who was 65 not out having scored a century against Surrey in the Royal London Cup earlier in the season, proved their nemesis again, batting for two hours to take Hampshire to 253 for 5 in company with debutant Harry Came, who remained not out 23 as they avoided defeat.Earlier, Ollie Pope had completed a maiden County Championship double century to set up the hosts’ morning declaration before hot-footing it to Headingly as England cover should Jason Roy be ruled out of the third Test with possible concussion.Surrey began the day 123 ahead and in need of quick runs. Skipper Ben Foakes was bowled through the gate before the go button could be pressed, but Pope continued serenely onto his double hundred from 323 balls with 19 fours.Rikki Clarke hoisted Dawson for a huge straight six to provide the necessary acceleration before being adjudged lbw to Fidel Edwards, who claimed 5 for 125, though replays suggested the ball would have missed leg-stump.The declaration came soon afterwards at 579 for 7 with Pope 221 not out, which left Hampshire 212 in arrears and with 40 minutes to negotiate before lunch.The hosts spurned a chance when Ryan Patel dropped Felix Organ at third slip after he was on eight, but they made the breakthrough with the last ball before the interval, Virdi having Ian Holland caught down the leg side by Foakes.There was more encouragement soon after the resumption when Clarke pinned England hopeful James Vince in front for just a single to leave Hampshire 39 for 2.It was clear the visitors’ intent was to play positively in a bid to wipe out their arrears and get in front. However, Sam Northeast took that intention to extreme lengths with a string of streaky shots down through third man and ultimately it proved his undoing when he slashed one from Morne Morkel to Scott Borthwick at slip.Organ meanwhile, was making the most of his earlier reprieve, racing to 50 in 55 balls with a six and eight fours, ending up with 77. He looked increasingly confident, but with a second century in as many matches beckoning he, like Northeast, contributed to his own downfall, giving Virdi the charge and missing the ball to be stumped by Foakes.The same combination would account for Rilee Rossouw before the end of the session, though the South African should probably reflect on why he was playing a needless sweep shot so close to an interval.Hampshire were wobbling but Dawson dug in, finding an ally in Came, who showed great composure for a man making his first appearance six days shy of his 21st birthday as a concussion replacement for Aneurin Donald, who was injured in the field on day three.Dawson’s 50 came in 63 balls to wipe out the arrears and the pair shared a half-century stand in the game’s dying embers.

Ed Smith’s first squad as national selector includes a couple of big calls

George Dobell15-May-20183:44

Buttler selection not a snub to county cricket – Smith

Jos Buttler has earned a surprise recall to England’s Test team at the expense of James Vince, while the Somerset spinner, Dominic Bess, was the beneficiary of his team-mate Jack Leach’s misfortune, as the new national selector, Ed Smith, unveiled his squad for next week’s first Test against Pakistan.Buttler, who has not played red-ball cricket for England since the tour of India in November and December 2016, has found a rich vein of form for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL this month, with a tournament-record five consecutive half-centuries, including unbeaten scores of 95 and 94 in his last two innings.”Jos Buttler is an outstanding talent, who is already a central part of England’s white-ball teams,” Smith said. “The selection panel feels that this is the perfect moment to reintroduce Jos to Test cricket, where he has already enjoyed some success, including a stint playing as a specialist batsman at number seven. Jos is playing with great confidence and flair, and he will bring unique qualities to the Test team.”

England squad for first Test v Pakistan

Joe Root (capt), Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

He will return to the middle order, with Jonny Bairstow retaining the wicketkeeper’s role and moving up the order, meaning Vince is fall guy after a winter of false dawns, in spite of a timely Championship double-century for Hampshire against Somerset on Monday. Joe Root will bat at No.3 with Dawid Malan at No. 4.Vince, who was recalled to the Test squad for the Ashes, in spite of a mediocre start to his career against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016, made an attractive 83 in his first Test innings of the winter, at Brisbane in November, and signed off with 76 against New Zealand at Christchurch last month. However, in between whiles, he made just one more score of fifty in nine innings, with a propensity to get himself out when well set costing him dear.Buttler has outperformed the rest of his IPL side in May•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bess, meanwhile, has leapfrogged to the front of England’s spinning options, in the wake of a cruel injury for Leach in the nets at Taunton next week. A fractured left thumb means he will be out of action for both Pakistan Tests, and so will be unable to back up the promise he showed on Test debut in Christchurch last month. Moeen Ali was dropped for the final Test in New Zealand and has played no red-ball cricket since due to his spell at the IPL.”Dom Bess has made an excellent start to his first-class career,” Smith said. “He has impressed everyone with his performances for Somerset and when he has been given opportunities with England representative teams. With Jack Leach missing out due to injury, the selection panel wanted to invest opportunity in a young spin bowler. Dom’s strong form, character and all-round abilities presented a compelling case for selection.Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, who was recalled in Christchurch, will compete for the final fast-bowling spot while Mark Stoneman has retained his place at the top of the order despite a lean start to the season. He had faced pressure from an in-form Nick Gubbins.Meanwhile, Malan and Tom Curran have been awarded incremental contracts based on their performances in the 2017-18 period. Malan was one of the few successes in the Ashes while Curran became a regular part of the one-day side.

The Supreme Court is likely to appoint a committee of administrators to run the BCCI on Tuesday and amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium wants them to be empowered

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Jan-2017The Supreme Court is likely to finalise a committee of administrators to run the BCCI on Tuesday, and amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium has asked for this committee to be given the power to run the IPL, appoint the board’s representative to ICC meetings and take over non-compliant state associations.There has been a leadership vacuum in the BCCI since January 2, when the court removed Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke as president and secretary. The court said that it would appoint a committee of administrators to oversee the board’s operations until fresh elections are conducted and its constitution amended as per the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.Subramanium filed an intervention application in the court last Wednesday, in which he said it was important and urgent to empower the committee “to allay any misgivings that cricketing activities will be affected due to transition in the administrative structure” of BCCI and the state associations.”The reliefs are emergent and necessary to assist and empower the Committee of Administrators to carry out the mandate of this Hon’ble Court and effectively discharge the onerous responsibility placed on them to ensure that the reforms are implemented in its letter and spirit.”Subramanium asked the court to issue “a direction that the Committee of Administrators shall also be in charge of IPL and may appoint advisors as they deem necessary; an injunction restricting any person, groups of persons, association(s), State Cricket Association(s) from interfering in the functions of the Committee of Administrators; a direction empowering the Committee of Administrators to nominate any member to represent BCCI in the forthcoming ICC Conferences.”Additionally, Subramanium wanted the committee of administrators to take control of all state associations that have not complied with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. Some of them are still holding out despite the court’s orders in October limiting their financial freedom. Subramanium added more pressure by asking, “upon the office bearers of State Cricket Associations not filing an undertaking in accordance with the orders dated 7.10.2016 and 21.10.2016, the Committee of the Administrators shall be in charge of such State Cricket Association(s) including its properties until freshly elected bodies are in place.”Another significant plea from Subramanium concerned the reinstatement of the Lodha Committee’s authority.In its January 2 order, the court had agreed to a request by the Lodha Committee to limit their purview to “overall policy and direction”. But a week later, the Lodha Committee answered a list of frequently asked questions on who could become a BCCI office bearer. Kapil Sibal, the senior legal counsel who has been representing BCCI and some of the state associations, asked the court on January 20 whether the Lodha Committee was eligible to reply to those FAQs. The court told Sibal it would address the matter in due course.To counter such doubts, Subramanium wanted the court to restore the Lodha Committee’s powers: “…A direction that the mandate of the Justice Lodha Committee to complete oversight, implementation and issuing directions if necessary in terms of the judgement dated 18.7.2016 shall continue in addition to the administration of BCCI and implementation of the reforms by the Committee of Administrators and, liberty be granted to the Committee of Administrators to seek guidance and directions from the Justice Lodha Committee and if necessary to apply to the Hon’ble Supreme Court for directions through the Amicus Curiae.”

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup matches played on January 27, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2016Group AA half-century from Nazmul Hossain Shanto steered Bangladesh U19 to a total of 240, which their bowlers defended with ease despite a hundred from the South Africa U19 opener Liam Smith. Smith was sedate at the start of his innings, and South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals, with seamer Mohammad Saifuddin firing in pinpoint yorkers and Bangladesh’s impressive assortment of spinners strangling the run rate expertly. Smith picked up the pace as he approached his hundred, but South Africa’s challenge effectively ended when he was caught brilliantly in the covers by the Bangladesh captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz in the 45th over of the innings. Bangladesh eventually won by 43 runs, with Saifuddin and offspinner Mehedi picking up three wickets each.Having opted to bat first, Bangladesh made steady progress, with Pinak Ghosh and Joyraz Sheikh scoring 40s before the left-handed Nazmul guided them through the middle and late overs with an 82-ball 73. South Africa chipped away at the wickets, with seamer Wiaan Mulder picking up three, but there were useful contributions right through the Bangladesh order, ensuring they reached what proved an amply defendable total.Group CDan Lawrence and Jack Burnham’s centuries led England U19 to a massive win over Fiji U19 in their Group C game in Chittagong. After opting to bat, England piled up 371 for 3 and then bowled out Fiji for 72 to complete a 299-run win.Cakacaka Tikoisuva removed Max Holden early, but Lawrence (174 off 150) and Burnham (148 off 137) combined for a 303-run second-wicket stand in 265 balls. Callum Taylor struck a brisk 21 and the last six overs yielded 89 runs as England raced to 371.Fiji were never in the chase from the start, losing five wickets within the first six overs, with Sam Curran and Saqib Mahmood doing much of the damage. Both picked up three wickets apiece, with Mahmood’s figures reading 5-4-2-3. Peni Vuniwaqa provided brief resistance with a 74-ball 36, but it was nowhere near enough. He was the last man out in the 28th over.

A disciplined bowling performance from Scotland helped them to a 35-run win over Kenya in Aberdeen

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA disciplined bowling performance from Scotland helped them defend a middling score of 114 as they bowled out Kenya for 78 in the first T20 of the two-match series in Aberdeen. Scotland won the toss and elected to bat, with the openers putting on 40 for the first wicket. But Kenya fought back with a clump of wickets, two of them in the same over – 14th, bowled by Tanmay Mishra – reducing Scotland to 69 for 5 in the 15th.Preston Mommsen, the Scotland captain, and Moneeb Iqbal briefly resisted with a sixth-wicket partnership of 35. Scotland eventually reached 113 for 6 in their 20 overs, with Mishra returning with his best T20 figures of 3 for 25.Kenya started inauspiciously, losing a flurry of wickets to be reduced to 29 for 5 in the ninth over. Every one of Scotland’s bowlers picked up a wicket as only three Kenyan batsman were able to register double-digit scores. Kenya’s innings was wrapped up off the penultimate delivery of the 19th over to give Scotland a convincing 35-run win. Gordon Goudie was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 22.

Billy Doctrove has announced his retirement from umpiring in international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2012Billy Doctrove, a member of the ICC’s Elite panel of umpires, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Doctrove, who served as an international umpire for 14 years, will not be seeking a renewal of his contract after it expires at the end of this month.Doctrove was due to officiate in the ODI and Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan but had to withdraw and return home to Dominica due to a family bereavement. The second Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton in March this year was his last international assignment.”After much consideration I have informed the selectors of my decision to retire,” Doctrove said. “It has been an incredible 14 years for me as an international umpire and I have enjoyed every moment of it.”It has been a dream journey and to supervise international matches which were played by many great players at iconic venues.”I am also honoured and privileged to have been part of the transformation process in cricket with the introduction of technology which is now considered as an integral component of international cricket and the introduction of the revolutionary twenty20 format which has taken cricket to a completely new level.”Doctrove made his international umpiring debut in 1998, in an ODI between West Indies and England in St Vincent, and stood in his first Test two years later when West Indies took on Pakistan in Antigua. He went on to stand in 38 Tests, 112 ODIs and 17 T20 internationals, including the final of the ICC World Twenty20 between England and Australia in Barbados in 2010. He became part of the ICC’s International Panel of Umpires in 2004 and was promoted to the Elite Panel in 2006.”It was a highlight to umpire in the ICC World Twenty20 final in Barbados,” he said. “That was a special and an unforgettable occasion. I am extremely thankful to my family and friends worldwide, for their support and encouragement that they afforded to me during my career.”I would also like to thank the WICB and the ICC for the many opportunities they provided me to serve this wonderful game.”Doctrove umpired in the controversial Oval Test of 2006 between England and Pakistan. His on-field partner then was Darrell Hair, who was at the centre of the controversy. Accusations of ball-tampering prompted the Pakistan team to refuse to take the field after tea on the fourth day and England were declared victors – the result was changed to a draw in 2008 before being reversed again to an England win in 2009.Doctrove was also Dominica’s first FIFA referee and between 1995 and 1997 he officiated in a number of internationals in the Caribbean, including a World Cup qualifier between Guyana and Grenada in 1996. He quit football in 1997.Vince van der Bijl, the ICC umpires and referees manager, said: “Billy has been an excellent servant of the game and we thank him on behalf of the entire cricket fraternity for his outstanding contribution as an international umpire for 14 years.”To have remained as one of the game’s top officials for that length of time has required Billy to be self-motivated, confident and well respected.”Billy is a very special man, with strong values, firm beliefs yet with an underlying gentleness and humour, and a great family man – a wonderful blend.”

New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins, will retire from international cricket after her team’s quadrangular series in England this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2011New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins will retire from international cricket after her team’s quadrangular series in England this summer. Watkins, whose next assignment is the three-match Rose Bowl series against Australia, said the decision was influenced by her chronic knee injury as well as a desire to do things outside of cricket.”I’ve been playing internationals for ten years, so I’ve had a pretty good run and there are other things I want to do, including getting a full-time job,” Watkins, who has led New Zealand since 2009, told . “So I’m looking forward to finishing up and getting on with the next stage.”The knee [which has troubled Watkins over the past two years] has definitely slowed me down a bit, and I do most of my training on the bike now while trying to prolong my career. I had minor surgery on it a while ago, which didn’t help a lot.”An allrounder who bowls offspin, Watkins debuted for New Zealand in 2002. She has played two Tests, 98 ODIs and 32 Twenty20 internationals since. Watkins took over the captaincy after Haidee Tiffen’s retirement in 2009, and has led New Zealand to the finals of both the women’s World Twenty20s till date – in England in 2009 and in the Caribbean the following year.Coach Gary Stead said that a succession plan was in place but, since New Zealand do not have any other series lined up until February next year after the completion of the England tour, there was “plenty of time to sort things out.” Batsman Amy Satterthwaite has been named vice-captain for the upcoming tour, while allrounder Suzie Bates has also served as deputy in the past.Watkins is on the cusp of making 100 ODI appearances, which she is expected to do during the Rose Bowl series. The tournament’s one-day leg was called off mid-way in February this year following the Christchurch earthquake, which rocked the New Zealand team hotel. It will reconvene with three ODIs in Brisbane from June 12. The series currently stands tied at 2-2 after the four T20s that were played in December last year.

Bangladesh A gained a very slender four-run lead on what was a slow third day where only 176 runs were scored in nearly 80 overs

Cricinfo staff25-May-2010
ScorecardBangladesh A gained a very slender four-run lead on what was a slow third day where only 176 runs were scored in nearly 80 overs. Faisal Hossain’s exact 100 took the hosts to 272, before Omar Phillips led West Indies A to a lead of 105 with seven second-innings wickets in hand.Resuming on 205 for 5, Bangladesh lost their last five wickets for 67 runs, with only Faisal offering resistance. The offspinner Shane Shillingford struck in quick succession to get rid of Saghir Hossain and Suhrawadi Shuvo. Faisal reached his century off 197 balls before he was caught by the wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton off Gavin Tonge. Shillingford and Odean Brown took three wickets apiece to wrap up the innings.The Bangladesh seamers, Syed Rasel and Nazmul Hossain, took two early wickets to set West Indies back, but Phillips and Brendan Nash steadied the innings with an unbeaten stand of 52 for the third wicket.West Indies will look to accelerate on the final day and put up a competitive score, but it remains to be seen if there’s enough time in this match to enforce a result.

Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara combine as England rolled inside 34 overs

Valkerie Baynes08-Sep-2024In a match as changeable as the weather in south London, Sri Lanka took control of the third and final Test against England on the third day at The Oval.After an abject performance on the opening day when their bowlers failed to capitalise in prime conditions upon winning the toss, Sri Lanka had to watch Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett shine through the overhead gloom.Then, two incisive passages of swing bowling – on a dark second day, then under bright skies on the third – had the tourists back in contention, but not before Jamie Smith had bludgeoned England out of dire trouble. Still, by the time bad light stopped play just before quarter to seven on Sunday evening, the match was Sri Lanka’s to lose.But it is the detail around those key moments that tell the story of where this Test sits heading into the final day.Apart from Pope and Duckett, no England batter passed 20 in their first innings, as they were bowled out for an unremarkable 325. Despite Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis and Pathum Nissanka all passing fifty, no one pressed onto a big score that would have taken Sri Lanka past England, who led by 62 runs on first innings.Jamie Smith pulls over square leg for six•Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images

Then a struggling Dan Lawrence looked like top-scoring for England’s second innings with his series-best 35 before Smith’s brutal 67 off 50 balls made them the only home batters to pass 12 on the third day as Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando – with his devastating inswingers – kept them in check.And so, when bad light brought another early close, Sri Lanka were 94 for 1 and needing 125 more for a consolation win. Chris Woakes’ superb return catch removed Dimuth Karunaratne for just 8, but that was the only wicket to fall in Sri Lanka’s free-scoring fourth innings.Nissanka reached his second half-century of the match from just 42 balls by crunching a Josh Hull delivery to the rope wide of mid-off just before the light intervened, leaving him unbeaten on 53 with Kusal Mendis 30 not out.Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Vishwa, were making the ball move in what were by far the brightest conditions of the match so far, despite a couple of short interruptions for what amounted to sun-showers.But then Smith pummelled 52 runs off the last 19 balls he faced, helping himself to 20 runs off one Milan Rathnayake over to lead England’s second-innings recovery from 82 for 7 to 140 for 8.Vishwa Fernando trapped Joe Root lbw in his first over•Andy Kearns/Getty Images

By the time Olly Stone fell to give Kumara his fourth wicket and Asitha Fernando had Shoaib Bashir also caught behind by Nishan Madushka – standing in for the injured Dinesh Chandimal – England had stretched their advantage to 218.Two early strikes had given Sri Lanka hope during a morning session extended because of bad weather over the first two days as Duckett and Pope fell cheaply.Lawrence smashed Asitha for six over long-off and, two balls later, carved deftly through point for four. But, having bettered his previous series best by one run, he was brought undone by a Kumara delivery that moved away late and kissed the edge of the bat before landing in Chandimal’s gloves.Vishwa entered the attack in the 15th over and he struck third ball with a superb inswinging yorker that hit Joe Root on the boot directly in front.Olly Stone had his third when he dismissed Milan Rathnayake•Getty Images

Harry Brook had come under fire for his petulant reaction to Sri Lanka’s successful bid to frustrate him by bowling outside off stump in the first innings. This time, he succumbed to another late inswinger which nailed the front pad with pin-point accuracy on leg stump in Vishwa’s next over.Kumara had Woakes caught behind for a six-ball duck but then Chandimal had to be helped off the field after diving stop a wayward Kumara delivery down the leg side to Gus Atkinson, hurting his lower back in the process. Atkinson was trapped lbw by Rathnayake, having faced 14 balls for his 1 before Smith got stuck in.Earlier, Hull and Stone had preserved England’s advantage after Sri Lanka resumed for the day on 211 for 5, trailing by 114. Hull made amends for dropping Dhananjaya on the second evening when he had the Sri Lanka skipper caught for 69 with his 11th ball of the day, an attempted pull looping off the top edge to deep backward square.That sparked a procession of five wickets for 52 runs in 13.3 overs, Hull, Stone and Woakes sharing four of the five wickets to fall with Atkinson off the field nursing a thigh problem from which he recovered sufficiently to bowl in the fourth innings.

Glamorgan left frustrated, one wicket short of leapfrogging second-placed opponents in table

ECB Reporters Network 28-Jun-2023Sussex’s last pair survived 21.2 overs to save the game, Glamorgan left frustrated as they were one wicket short of leapfrogging their second-placed opponents in the table.Sussex finished on 273 for 9, 85 behind, Oli Carter on 55 not out after being dropped from two difficult chances, and No. 11 Henry Shipley unbeaten on 8.The visitors’ rearguard action kept them second in the table as this game finished in a nail-biting draw, after 15 overs were lost to rain in the morning.Australian legspinner Mitchell Swepson led the way for the hosts with four wickets, Jamie McIlroy and James Harris taking two each, but it was the final wicket that was to prove elusive.Wicketkeeper Carter survived 149 deliveries, Shipley 56, after Nathan McAndrew’s earlier rapid 42 showed brief promise of Sussex chasing down the target, before the wickets started tumbling regularly.Sussex nightwatcher Aristides Karvelas had said his side would go for victory, but he went early and the game slowed down with Tom Clark and Tom Alsop struggling to score runs from Swepson in particular.Alsop was clearly a key wicket for the home side to target as the visitors reached lunch with just two down, but after the break James Harris pinned the skipper lbw from round the wicket.He was replaced by all rounder McAndrew in a clear declaration of intent that Sussex were prepared to have a bit of a dash to try and win the game.Clark survived a big lbw shout from Swepson, but then next ball the same sort of delivery was that little bit closer and he had to depart.The aggression levels went up with McAndrew prepared to take on the bowling and more than happy to take the aerial route to the boundary whenever possible. He hit Swepson out of the attack to see the pace of McIlroy replacing him, but that hurried the Australian into a skied mis-hit off a shorter ball which was comfortably caught at mid on by Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson.That brought the end of an innings which brought 42 runs off 40 deliveries, the sort of rate which would have made things much more interesting if he had carried on.Sussex continued to take a positive approach with James Coles leading the way, until he was impressively caught behind for 35 by wicket keeper Chris Cooke standing up to seamer McIlroy.One of the concerns for Sussex fans was the relative inexperience of the Sussex middle order and teenager Danial Ibrahim was next to go, sweeping a leg side delivery from Swepson but top edging to Zain-ul-Hassan at backward square leg.However the visitors maintained a positive approach, reaching tea with seven wickets down and still needed 154 to win.Their eighth wicket fell after tea, Harris setting three men back on the hook and then yorking Fynn Hudson-Prentice with the middle stump coming out of the ground.Oli Carter was dropped on 37 by Billy Root at square leg off McIlroy, but Root atoned by making no mistake with Jack Carson off the bowling of Timm van der Gugten to leave Glamorgan needing one more wicket for victory with more than 20 overs remaining.They had one difficult chance, Carter slashing van der Gugten high to the right of Zain-ul-Hassan at first slip. Despite the regular appeals in the closing overs, that proved to be it for home hopes.