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Vidarbha have beaten the odds on several occasions already this season, but can their dream streak extend for one more match?

Vishal Dikshit in Indore28-Dec-2017The last time Faiz Fazal played a tournament final, he scored a century, took the Man-of-the-Match trophy and finished on the winning team when he represented India A in the Deodhar Trophy last year. With hardly any experience of playing finals until then, Fazal put his hand up at the crucial juncture, much like how his team Vidarbha has done in the Ranji Trophy this season.Vidarbha were the underdogs when they qualified for the quarter-finals, they were the underdogs against heavyweights Karnataka in the semi-finals, and now, eight matches later, they are still unbeaten after six wins this season. Are they the underdogs heading into the final against Delhi?”I don’t know actually,” captain Faiz Fazal said on the eve of the match. “We have six-seven outright wins so … but we don’t mind. In our minds we have to think that we don’t care even if we are called the underdogs. We don’t mind anything because ultimately winning this game is important for us.”Vidarbha’s spirit, courage and attitude have shown that they may not be the underdogs anymore. They are up against Delhi who last played a Ranji final in 2007-08, under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy. Delhi hardly have an edge because they have only one player left from that Ranji win 10 years ago. If Delhi won three of their six league matches, Vidarbha earned four wins and topped their group. If Delhi won the quarter-final by beating Madhya Pradesh by seven wickets and the semi-final by an innings and 26 runs against Bengal, Vidarbha hammered Kerala by 412 runs – the biggest margin by runs in Ranji history – and beat all odds to edge out Karnataka in a thriller in the semi-finals.Fazal believes apart from veteran Wasim Jaffer’s wisdom and acumen in the dressing room and new coach Chandrakant Pandit’s philosophy, it is the discipline in the team that brought the best out of them.”The way we played the semi-final as a whole unit, it showed our character,” Fazal said. “We all believed we could win this game and we always thought that this is our game, we can’t lose this game. Even when they needed nine runs and we needed two wickets, we never thought that we are going to lose the game. We were really positive and focused because we needed only two good balls to get them out.PTI

“The discipline in the team, the way the routines and preparations we had before coming into the Ranji Trophy,” Fazal said in response to what changed their fortunes this season. “Except the nets, the match simulations we did, and one more thing is that we are a really happy unit. We all are really happy and we are enjoying our cricket very much. We always used to enjoy but I don’t know why we all believe that this season the trophy is ours. As I mentioned earlier, after quarter-final or the semi-final, that I want to have the feel of the trophy in my hands. I want to have that bite of success so let’s see.”Fazal exudes conviction and clarity when he talks. Unlike the 20-year-old Delhi captain Rishabh Pant, who was succinct and not too revealing in the pre-match press conference, Fazal was at ease, with the experience of 14 years of domestic cricket behind him.When asked about Vidarbha’s memorable season, Fazal went all the way back to their first match – against Punjab in Mohali, where the hosts were bundled out for 161. Vidarbha kicked off their season with an innings win and carried that form and confidence into the subsequent matches, to beat Services, Bengal and Goa in the group stage.It spilled over in the knockouts too, when they had already taken a first-innings lead against Kerala and were placed on a solid 431 for 6 in their second innings, with a massive lead of 501, with a day left in the game. Instead of batting on and on, they declared on the last day and then rolled over Kerala in just over 52 overs, led by left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate’s 6 for 41, to take home another six points.”The way we won against Punjab, they had all the stars in the team and we got seven points in that game,” Fazal said. “That start was really important for us. The way we’ve been playing the whole season, we always want to win the game, not only take the first-innings lead…like we played in the quarter-finals.”We could have batted the whole day and we could have just walked away. But we thought that let’s make a game out of this. We already had plans to declare after lunch and then give two sessions to them and the way we played then for the outright win, this is the way we’ve been planning to play this season and hopefully we’ll continue like this.”Starting on Friday, Fazal will now hope the team’s dream streak stretches for one more match, the players don’t buckle under the pressure of the big occasion and the law of averages doesn’t catch up with them so that he can actually taste success like never before.

After conceding 180, Karachi put up a listless batting performance to go down by 67 runs –
the heaviest margin of defeat in PSL history

The Report by Danyal Rasool08-Mar-2018In a nutshellQuetta Gladiators turned in a performance that would have been well-suited to their form in the first two seasons, crushing Karachi Kings by 67 runs. Riding the high from Wednesday’s pulsating finish, they played their best match of this year’s tournament by far, dominating Karachi from the first ball to last. They amassed 180, thanks to major contributions from their two biggest stars. Shane Watson scored an unbeaten 58-ball 90, while Kevin Pietersen belted 52 off 34 balls to subdue a Karachi bowling attack that had more weak links than an Anne Robinson game show. Afridi and Imad Wasim were off colour, while Imran Khan and David Wiese bore the brunt of the punishment Pietersen and Watson dished out. By the end of the innings, it seemed a small win for Karachi that Sarfraz Ahmed’s men didn’t get closer to 200.Karachi experimented by sending Afridi to open the batting with Joe Denly, in the process reminding everyone why he hasn’t been opening the batting for the last decade or so. He looked particularly wobbly, and was dismissed for 1 off 5 balls. The rest of the Karachi top order was no better, as Mohammad Nawaz bossed proceedings in the first Powerplay with an excellent spell. By 10 overs, Karachi were 55 for 5, and the game was already over, with both sides going through the motions for the last hour or so. Before long, Quetta had clinched a big win, boosting their net run rate and sending a message to the rest of the league.Where the match was wonOpening with Afridi, Karachi would have hoped to get off to an aggressive start in the Powerplay, and keep in touch with the asking rate. It’s safe to say that idea didn’t work, but it’s worth looking at the scale of the disaster in the early overs. Four of their top five batsmen fell for a combined six runs, with Denly, Afridi, Ingram and Bopara scoring 1, 1, 5 and 0 respectively. Nawaz, Rahat Ali and Hasan Khan were without blemish early on, all of them taking wickets and not conceding runs. That was in marked contrast to Quetta’s top order, which, thanks to Watson and Pietersen, had taken the game away from Wasim’s men before the second innings had even begun.The men that won itThursday was a good day to shut up everyone who wrote Quetta off this year due to their lack of star power. With a lineup including two of the biggest names of this generation, it was only a matter of time before someone found themselves on the wrong end of a Quetta hammering. In the twilight of their careers, Pietersen and Watson tore into Karachi with an enthralling partnership, walloping 86 runs in 58 balls. Crucially, that was in the middle overs, a time when most teams’ scoring rates go down. That meant Quetta’s innings never really decelerated, resulting in an imposing total. Watson even returned for a stellar bowling spell, conceding 18 runs in three overs and taking the wicket of Babar Azam.The (big) numbers gameWatson’s unbeaten 90 superseded Sohaib Maqsood’s 85 that until today had been the highest individual score in PSL 3. Moreover, Quetta’s 67-run win is the biggest in terms of runs in the history of the league. At one stage, Quetta looked like they were on course to beat Multan Sultans’ 183 and claim the highest team total this year too, before a late part-rally by Karachi’s bowlers deprived them of that record.Where they standQuetta surge to second in the table after Thursday’s big win, their eight points behind only Multan Sultan, who have nine. Karachi, with seven points, drop down to fourth.

The Australia women captain has said her team will respond better to pressure against a resurgent Indian side ahead of the first ODI in Baroda

Annesha Ghosh in Baroda11-Mar-2018While they have never lost an ODI series against them, it’s unlikely Australia will have forgotten recent reversals at the hands of India. In January 2016, an emergent Indian side picked up their maiden T20I series win over Australia. Eighteen months later, Harmanpreet Kaur ran amok in Derby to turn Australia’s World Cup campaign “to custard”.As she prepares to resume captaincy duties, a fit-again Meg Lanning insisted that Australia have long buried ghosts of the past, and are a more “evolved” unit that is raring to outdo a “tough opposition” on their home turf.”India are definitely up against a team that will respond better to the pressure they put on us in the semi,” Lanning said on the eve of the three-match ODI series-opener in Baroda, where she’ll be making her first international appearance since Australia’s exit from the World Cup.”There’s no doubt that that loss [in the World Cup semifinal] hurt us, and we learned a lot from that and we do feel like we are in a better space now as a team. We’ve improved on some things, we have to come out here and play really well. We’re looking forward to testing our skills in tough environment.”Acknowledging team changes during the multi-format Ashes as a rectification of fielding a batting-heavy XI at the cost of a frontline bowler at the World Cup, Lanning exuded confidence in how the side has shaped up since landing in India on March 3. Besides their emphatic warm-up victories over India A, Lanning pinned her optimism on the uncapped talents – allrounder Nicola Carey and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux – roped in via the WBBL.”We’re blessed with a number of all-round options now,” Lanning said. “We knew going into that World Cup, it was one way or the other, team balance wasn’t right. Best teams evolve and learn from their mistakes. That’s something we have done really well. Opportunities for some of us to step up in this series. We’ve picked a number of players in good form from our WBBL competition.”Lanning also sounded confident about the team’s ability to cope with two new balls on their first assignment in the subcontinent, given the swing the Australian bowlers enjoyed during the practice matches. Echoing Lanning’s thoughts, head coach Matthew Mott said: “Agree, we’re blessed with having a bit more of a crack at it domestically. I think our players have got their head around it, how to respond in the field.”Mott acknowledged the progress made by the Indian side, and said the series would boil down to winning clutch moments. “I think they have been a strong side for a long time. It’s been great to see the profile of some of the Indian players expand. Unfortunately, we were on the back end of the victory. I think for the world game, it’s been very exciting to see some household names there, and India’s woken up to what women’s cricket can bring to the sport. There’s going to be no quarter given in those couple of games. Whoever takes those critical moments will end up on top.”As confident as India would be following their successful South African tour, Harmanpreet Kaur, the vice-captain, was wary of the impact Lanning’s return would have on the visitors. “She’s got this knack of scoring big, so the team is greatly dependent on her,” she said. “That’s her plus point. So, it’s a big advantage for them. Lanning and [Ellyse] Perry have done really well against us in the past. Our main focus would be on these two. And there’s [Elyse] Villani, too. Theirs is a strong side, so we need to keep an eye on pretty much everyone.”Even more, India would be wary of their fielding, which has been up and down. The South Africa tour featured a spectacular Jemimah Rodrigues catch and an airborne Smriti Mandhana stop in the deep, but also missed stumpings and seven dropped catches. Besides, their lower order has tended to cave in under pressure, when the top four have been dismissed early.”I know we have not been consistent in the [South Africa] series with our fielding,” Tushar Arothe, the India head coach, said. “But Biju [George] sir is working really hard at it, and we’ve made plans – assigning different positions to different fielders to give them confidence – and I’m expecting positive results from them.”Our lower-order batting is pretty weak. Given our top order has been getting the job done, our lower order hasn’t quite got enough opportunity. But it’s an important aspect we’re focused on. Since I’ve taken over, every member in the squad has been getting time to bat [in the nets]. In South Africa, too, we created match situations, where all the team members batted. This is a concern we are well aware of, and hopefully, in the coming years, things will get a lot better.”Arothe expected the batting-friendly pitch at the Reliance Cricket Stadium, with scant grass cover, to assist the quicks only in the first 30-45 minutes, but the absence of the injured Jhulan Goswami may give Australia a chance to test the hosts’ pace contingent.”All these years, Jhulan has been doing extremely well, but at the same time, Shikha and [Pooja Vastrakar] need to carry the weight, especially Shikha Pandey. We have always played with 2-3 fast bowlers, like you must have seen in South Africa, we went in with three fast bowlers. That’s a bit unusual for the Indian side. But this is what we did and we were successful. So we’ll take a look at the wicket tomorrow and take a call as to whether or not we should go in with two or three fast bowlers.”

Bangladesh coach reflects on his attempts to give younger players greater responsibility after a year in the job

Mohammad Isam in Taunton13-Jun-2019A year on from joining as Bangladesh’s head coach, Steve Rhodes has made quiet contributions to the team’s progress. He has now overseen 15 wins in 25 ODIs, as well as a Test series win over West Indies. Now well into their World Cup campaign, Bangladesh are a team rated as one of the more dangerous sides in the tournament.The BCB chose Rhodes after Paul Farbrace, Andy Flower, Tom Moody and a host of other coaches had said no to the Bangladesh job between November 2017 and May 2018. Rhodes had a tough mandate to not just follow up on Chandika Hathurusingha’s success, but also to chaperone the side through a World Cup in his home country.Bangladesh have made progress on the back of consistency from their top five players – Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim – but in the World Cup’s lead-up, the refreshing factor has been the performance of someone like Soumya Sarkar who has looked in good form.Rhodes said that in the past 12 months, he has tried to give Bangladesh’s newer crop of players like Soumya, who made his debut in 2014, more liberty, along with responsibilities so that they develop the strength of character to take decisions for themselves. He said that Soumya, Mehidy Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Saifuddin had earned their places in the playing XI through not just performance, but improved consistency.”It is my plan as a coach to try and give these guys some responsibilities on the field and in training,” Rhodes told ESPNcricinfo. “So that they can make some decisions for themselves and grow and learn. It is a little bit different to the way it has been run, but I think that’s the way we get the younger players performing. Everyone then says it is a better squad.”Soumya is finding his feet. Liton [Das] is in good form, although he is not playing. Sabbir [Rahman] with that hundred in New Zealand, and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz has been bowling in the last two or three years. Nobody mentions [Mustafizur Rahman] Fizz, and Saifuddin has come through. So I do think we are starting to get a little bit more depth.”Rhodes said that some of these players had improved enough to ensure that Bangladesh’s squad has a bit more depth than before.Their World Cup campaign so far has seen them beat South Africa, go close against New Zealand but then fizzle out against England. They would have also expected to beat Sri Lanka if not for the washout in Bristol, while they have beaten West Indies, their next opponent, quite regularly in the past 12 months. Rhodes said that Bangladesh should consider themselves as a major competitor against bigger teams.”I think if you look at all the teams in this competition, we have a right to be on those fields competing against some of these big teams. But we are still well short of the depth and quality of some of these teams as well. But I’d say that we do have some wholehearted, trying cricketers. We also have some great ability. Shakib has been absolutely amazing. We are starting to get a little bit more depth in the players that, you might say, are less experienced.”At the time of Rhodes took over in June last year, Bangladesh were going through a bit of a confidence crisis, following heavy losses in South Africa and at home against Sri Lanka, as well as getting blanked by Afghanistan in a T20 series. The confidence, at least in ODIs, was regained when they beat West Indies 2-1 away, before getting one back at them in the Test series at home in November.Rhodes was also expected to deal with BCB chief Nazmul Hassan regularly and quite directly, and so far those exchanges have hardly made the news – which is a good thing. There is however a lot left for Rhodes to do, when it comes to the Test side that was battered by New Zealand earlier this year, as well as a better plan for the T20 side.Seen as a positive presence in the dressing room, Rhodes has understood how and where not to coach certain cricketers, and areas where he has to put his foot down. Albeit quietly.

West Indies chased down a paltry target of 123 with 46 balls to spare, and avoided a whitewash

Ekanth30-Sep-2025Nepal came into Sharjah eyeing a historic whitewash but ran into a revived West Indies side that put on the perfect game. However, that shouldn’t take away too much from their impressive feat of completing their first series win against a Full Member nation.Ramon Simmonds, one of the two changes they made, took a match-winning three-for after West Indies made the right call of bowling first on a pitch that was slow and offered regular sideways movement. Openers Amir Jangoo and Ackeem Auguste capitalised under easing conditions to take West Indies to their first ever ten-wicket win.Nepal’s start was sedate but secure with Kushal Malla and Bhurtel often in control of their shots. Bhurtel even whacked Mayers on the roof in the third over. The first sign of danger was Hosein getting turn and bounce in the third over to beat Bhurtel’s sweep, and the shot did connect the next ball for a six over square leg. Nonetheless, free-flowing strokeplay wasn’t to be seen.The effect of Nepal facing 20 dots in their 37-run powerplay was slightly mitigated by three fours and two sixes.Holder found success right after the powerplay using his high release and bounce. Malla was nearly caught behind trying to drive on the up through cover, Fabian Allen ran back from cover and dropped a tough chance off Bhurtel, and Malla’s edge was found the last ball.The spinners capitalised on the slowness and the sideways movement on offer. Hosein spun the ball away from around the wicket to beat the bat twice in the eighth over.Bhurtel and Paudel tried to break free after two quiet overs. After a first-ball six, both batters could’ve been out. Paudel survived an lbw as Hosein overstepped, but Bhurtel was caught at slip playing the reverse sweep. He wasn’t happy as the ball may have gone off just his forearm.Simmonds had a late introduction with Nepal needing to play within themselves. His lengths were often short or full and he bagged the wickets of Paudel – gloved pull to the keeper – and Aarif Sheikh – upper cut to deep third – in his first two overs. In between, Gulsan Jha was run out after taking a head start too far before running back. Nepal made 62 for 5 in the middle overs despite West Indies dropping two chances.Simmons and Blades took two wickets each in the death overs. A couple of boundaries from Lokesh Bam and Sundeep Jora took Nepal to 122.West Indies’ chase got off to a flier. In the first over, Auguste ensured that West Indies, too, hit a six on the roof. Karan KC was punished upon offering pace and missing his line. The openers peppered the leg-side boundary. With a four in each of the next four overs, West Indies bossed the 47-run powerplay.Paudel dropped a simple chance off Auguste, on 29, at cover. There were no further chances of a Nepal comeback, certainly not after Mohammad Aadil Alam was taken down for 18 in the ninth over. Jangoo losing his bottom hand but still driving over long-off showed just how well he timed the ball.Jangoo then went into top gear, smacking five sixes in his last nine balls. The back-to-back sixes off Paudel, that started the carnage, brought up his 38-ball fifty. Auguste played second fiddle as West Indies reached home with 46 balls to spare.

Northants overcame a top-order wobble to build on their 127-run lead on first innings

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2019Rob Keogh ensured Northamptonshire will enter the final day against Lancashire with a chance to press for victory at Wantage Road. Keogh made 74 from a tricky position to help Northants close day three on 210 for 6 in their second innings with a lead of 341.Keogh’s half-century, just his second of the season, was a vital innings after Northants slumped to 14 for 3 as they looked to build on a first-innings lead of 127. But Keogh, after a typically jittery start, settled well to flick and drive with good purpose.He struck seven boundaries in passing fifty in 97 balls and was helping his side make serene progress after tea before being run out, called through for a single by Adam Rossington that Keogh was hesitant to accept after nudging Stephen Parry to the right of short-midwicket. Haseeb Hameed dived to his right to field, throw at the non-striker’s end and Parry had the bails off before Keogh’s dive arrived.The dismissal stalled Northants, who with Keogh and Rossington had added 54 in 8.3 overs. Rossington was intent on scoring quickly and pulled Richard Gleeson over deep square for six in reaching 33 from 30 balls before losing his off stump to a beauty from Parry that gripped past his outside edge.Luke Procter and Brett Hutton made far more sedate progress to the close but swelled the lead with the help of a seven – Hutton’s edge to third man for three followed four overthrows.It left Northants pondering an overnight declaration – which would give them use of a second new ball if needed late on the final day.Initially, Lancashire mounted a fightback after lunch taking three wickets at the start of the Northants second innings inside five overs. Graham Onions and Gleeson tore in with the new ball. Onions swung one into the left-handed Ricardo Vasconcelos and nipped one back to the right-handed Richard Levi to win to lbws before Temba Bavuma drove Gleeson to point.Lancashire sensed a way back into the game but with Saqib Mahmood not taking the field, the change bowling posed a significantly less threat and Keogh set out making a smart recovery with Rob Newton, sharing a calming stand of 96 for the fourth wicket before Newton fell for 48 after tea, edging a cut at Gleeson to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas.Aside from the wobble, it was a fine day for Northamptonshire who, after a frustrating first hour, dismantled the Lancashire lower order, taking 5 for 25 with the second new ball. Alex Davies and Steven Croft extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 135 and Davies went past his previous first-class best of 140 but, to the final ball of the 80th over, miscued a pull against Keogh’s offspin and was held at short midwicket by Temba Bavuma for 147.An end was opened and Northants sensed an opportunity with a new ball in their hands. Steven Croft quickly fell, pinned lbw on the back foot by Ben Sanderson for a season’s best 78 before Hutton took the middle and off stumps of Parry out of the ground.Hutton struck again, having Mahmood caught at first slip for just 1 before Sanderson nipped one back to take an inside edge from Onions who made just 4. Gleeson then drove Hutton to provide Rossington with a second catch of the morning to hand Northants a 127-run lead and control of the match.

England’s senior bowler says he relishes the responsibility of being vice-captain, but wants whole team to chip in

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton13-Mar-2018
James Anderson wants some of England’s younger players to be more vocal when it comes to sharing ideas and contributing to the leadership of the Test team.Anderson was confirmed as Joe Root’s vice-captain for the New Zealand Test series on Tuesday, having taken the position in Ben Stokes’ absence in the Ashes, but believes there is an important collective role for the players to have below the captain.”Most teams I’ve played in, the vice-captaincy didn’t mean people talking any more or other people talking less,” Anderson said. “It’s a group effort, a team, we need everybody’s input – Alastair Cook’s input, Stuart Broad, and we need the younger guys to start chirping up a bit more to be honest and having some more input. That’s what we want to do as a team – get to a point where everyone has their say. We’ve got an open and honest dressing-room, all we’re trying to do is improve this team.”Anderson (134 Tests) is England’s second-most capped player of all time, behind former captain Alastair Cook (152) while Stuart Broad (114) is in the top ten. Root has 65 caps and is part of the senior core alongside Stokes (39), Jonny Bairstow (50) and Moeen Ali (49). Among the less experienced players is the batting trio of Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan – the first two of which will be playing for their Test futures in New Zealand. Chris Woakes sits somewhere in the middle, having played only 22 Tests and needing to re-establish his Test credentials after a poor Ashes.The team was constantly under pressure during the 4-0 Ashes defeat, but Anderson hoped that that experience would help some players find their voice.”It probably is one of the quieter [teams],” he said. “I think the Ashes would’ve have helped in that respect because that’s as pressurised an environment as you can get and we came through that pretty strong as a group and hopefully we can kick on from there – not just in the dressing-room but on the field as well. We’ve got areas we need to improve and we know that. Hopefully that Ashes series helps us do that.”James Anderson and Stuart Broad during training at Hamilton•Getty Images

Keeping the vice-captaincy means that Anderson is just injury or illness to Root away from leading England in a Test match – “Yep, I’ll cross that bridge if and when that happens,” he said – and on the final day of the Ashes was left to dissect the 4-0 margin when Root was struck down with a bug that meant he was asleep in the dressing-room when the match ended.”I enjoyed that last day [in Sydney], I know I can play it down a bit and say I didn’t like it but that responsibility I like – it’s the same as taking the new ball. I enjoy trying to help the team, whether that’s defending the lads in front of the cameras, you guys, trying to fend off Geoffrey Boycott, whatever it might be, I enjoy each challenge that comes my way.”Anderson’s bowling output is showing no signs of diminishing – he took 17 wickets at 27.82 and conceded barely more than two an over against Australia – but he won’t keep going forever. The next milestone on the horizon is to become the leading pace bowler in Test history, with Glenn McGrath’s 563 wickets now 40 away, but Anderson wants to ensure he helps rejuvenate England’s Test side.”I think we’ve got some really special players and I want to see this team doing well. I just try and do everything I can to help the guys come through, whether that’s the bowlers or talking to the young guys, help them settle into Test cricket as quickly as possible, or even the batsmen – chatting to them in a net session. I think it’s an important job, certainly for the more senior guys, to do.”England now have four days, weather permitting, of action in Hamilton to prepare for the two Tests against New Zealand – it will be glorified middle practice given the hotchpotch scenario of pink and red balls over two two-day matches – and there is little room for error in a short series. They were fortunate to escape with a 0-0 draw five years ago and lost the first Test of a three-match series 2008 before winning 2-1.”We have recognised the areas that we came up short in the Ashes. It’s going to be just as tough in New Zealand,” Anderson said. “Maybe the attention around it is not going to be as big, that sort of pressure might not be as big, but we’re still playing a team that is really settled at home. They’ve got a really good formula when they play here, they’ve got a really good bowling attack who know how to take 20 wickets on these pitches here so we’ve got to really use this next week as best we can.”

Captain needed treatment on the field after apparently experiencing discomfort to his groin

Valkerie Baynes10-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes receives treatment from the physio•Getty Images

England face an anxious wait on the fitness of their captain, Ben Stokes, after he pulled up sore while batting on the first day of the third Test against India at Lord’s.Stokes was unbeaten on 39 at the close, having faced 102 balls on a slow day in which the hosts ended on 251 for 4 with Joe Root on 99 overnight.On 32, Stokes took a step forward before leaving a Nitish Kumar Reddy delivery outside off and immediately winced in pain, clutching at his right groin.Related

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He called for the physio and after some on-field treatment returned to his crease. But he was still in visible discomfort, hobbling as he set off for a single and sitting on his haunches trying to loosen up between deliveries. Stokes was stretching again as the second new ball was brought out and Root eyed a century.Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah got the ball swinging again immediately – as it had at the start of the day, making the going tough.Root thought he could reach his milestone with a glance behind point on 98 but he only managed a single as Ravindra Jadeja swooped, then beckoned for Root to come back for a second as he held onto the ball, grinning. But there was no way he was risking it, especially with Stokes’ running a concern.Ollie Pope – who faced 104 balls for his 44 before falling to Jadeja on the first ball after tea – was hoping the as-yet-undiagnosed problem would improve overnight.”Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong,” Pope said. “I’ve not seen him since, so fingers crossed there’s nothing too serious. But clearly we’ve got a big Test over the next four days and we’ve got a big two [at Old Trafford and The Oval] coming up as well, so it is important to try and manage him.”As vice-captain, Pope acknowledged he had a part to play in ensuring that Stokes didn’t push himself too hard in spite of the problem.”We’ll see how he pulls up tomorrow, but for me, that is partially one of my roles, to make sure that he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he’s dealing with at the moment,” Pope said. “I’m sure the physios, the medics will work with him to lay out a plan and then I’ll help push him in the right direction.”2:23

Pope: We’re constantly trying to get batting balance right

Stokes was England’s most effective bowler when they won the opening Test at Headingley, having finally been able to increase his bowling workload after two bouts of surgery to repair tears in his right hamstring in the space of six months.He bowled 19 overs in India’s first innings at Edgbaston and seven at an economy rate of 3.71 in their second before the tourists won by a massive 336 runs, levelling the five-match series 1-1.Stokes’ resurgence as a bowler follows painstaking work after he underwent knee surgery in late 2023. That threw a spotlight on his penchant for exerting himself through any discomfort for the good of the team.With plenty more runs needed before any thoughts turn to his bowling in this match, England will be carefully weighing up what is good for both heading into the second day.

Spinner is stand-out name in 15-player squad for event in Malaysia in January-February

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2024Tilly Corteen-Coleman, the 17-year-old spinner who made a strong impression in this year’s Women’s Hundred, has been named in a 15-player squad for the Women’s Under-19 World Cup, which is due to take place in Malaysia early next year.Corteen-Coleman was still 16 when she made an instant impression on her Hundred debut for Southern Brave in July, catching Australia’s Meg Lanning off her own bowling for a notable maiden wicket. Domestically, she also impressed for South East Stars, claiming 5 for 19 against Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, including four wickets in five balls, before helping her team reach the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Davina Perrin is also included, having been a part of the England squad that lost to India in the inaugural Under-19 tournament in South Africa in January 2023. A captain is set to be named nearer the time.Sixteen teams will feature in the 41-match event, across 15 days of competition from January 18 to February 2, 2025, including the hosts Malaysia who will be making their maiden tournament appearance, as will Samoa.England have been drawn in Group B, alongside Ireland, Pakistan and USA, with all their group-stage matches set to take place in Johor.Chris Guest, who was last week appointed as Performance Lead for the women’s Under-19 set-up, oversaw that 2023 campaign as head coach, and looked forward to guiding another group of young players through their maiden global event.”What excites me most about working with the under-19 age group is the constant cycle of new talent and new groups coming through,” Guest said. “We’ve named a squad which features some players who have been involved at this age group before and some who haven’t.”This World Cup is a part of these players’ journey, not the end or the start and our message to them is to embrace the challenge, evolve ourselves and enjoy the ride. Naturally we want to do well but the programme is about developing these players in the future and for the long-term.”It was really exciting to see Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Hannah Baker, Seren Smale and Charis Pavely feature for the senior team in Ireland after representing the U19s in the first edition of this World Cup in 2023 and this acts as real inspiration for this group and demonstrates how important this tournament can be for a player’s development.”Guest will be joined by two assistant coaches, Dan Helesfay and Beth Morgan, the former batter who played a key role in England’s two World Cup wins in 2009, across the 50- and 20-over formats respectively. Morgan currently works as a Regional Talent Manager for Southern Vipers, while Helesfay is an assistant coach at South East Stars and Welsh FireRichard Bedbrook, Head of England Women Performance Pathways, said: “It is always an exciting time to be able to name an U19 World Cup squad and all those chosen, including the non-travelling reserve group, can be very proud of this achievement.”The quality in the group highlights the work of each of the regional teams across both their senior and Academy environments and I, plus colleagues, are indebted to them on the development work they continue to put in.”We hope each individual takes a huge amount from the experience they are about to have and uses it to continue developing themselves as a person and player.”This also goes for the staff group, a number of whom across various roles are also employees of the Regional teams and who will hopefully take huge amounts of experience and enjoyment from being a part of the programme.”Five non-travelling reserves have also been selected. The reserves won’t travel but will take a full part throughout the preparation phase and act as stand-by players should a replacement player be required:England Women U19 squad: Phoebe Brett (Central Sparks), Olivia Brinsden (Thunder), Tilly Corteen-Coleman (South East Stars), Trudy Johnson (Northern Diamonds), Katie Jones (Western Storm), Charlotte Lambert (South East Stars), Abi Norgrove (Southern Vipers), Eve O’Neill (Southern Vipers), Davina Perrin (Central Sparks), Jemima Spence (South East Stars), Charlotte Stubbs (South East Stars), Amuruthaa Surenkumar (Sunrisers), Prisha Thanawala (The Blaze), Erin Thomas (Northern Diamonds), Grace Thompson (Northern Diamonds)Non-travelling reserves: Maria Andrews (The Blaze), Sophie Beech (Central Sparks), Daisy Gibb (Southern Vipers), Poppy Tulloch (Southern Vipers), Annie Williams (The Blaze).

Kuhnemann bowled, batted and fielded in Brisbane and said his surgically repaired fractured thumb is almost pain-free

Alex Malcolm23-Jan-20251:01

Clarke: Kuhnemann should tell everyone he’s fully fit

Matthew Kuhnemann says his surgically repaired right thumb is almost pain-free after bowling, batting and fielding in Brisbane on Thursday. He now awaits official clearance to fly to Sri Lanka to join Australia’s Test squad just a week after suffering a compound dislocation and fracture while playing in the BBL.The left-arm orthodox spinner is a key part of Australia’s plans for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka, with both Tests in Galle, but his tour looked in severe jeopardy when he was struck on the thumb during Brisbane Heat’s five-wicket loss to Hobart Hurricanes last Thursday.Kuhnemann, 28, was driven to the hospital that night by Heat team-mate Daniel Drew where he had the dislocation put back into place before having surgery the following morning to put a pin in the fracture.Related

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Kuhnemann’s recovery, though, has been rapid and he is hopeful he can fly to Sri Lanka after bowling eight overs at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday. Kuhnemann also batted, facing throw downs from Heat and Queensland bowling coach Andy Bichel. He also took a few catches during the session that was overseen by Heat’s team physio Adam Smith.Speaking to reporters, Kuhnemann said he was feeling good but needed to consult Australia’s medical staff in Dubai via a conference call on Thursday evening, where the squad are holding a pre-tour training camp, before being cleared to join them when they fly to Sri Lanka in the next few days.”Nothing’s official yet,” Kuhnemann said. “I think it was more about just ticking off the boxes each day this week, and so far it’s gone to plan. I’m hoping so, but nothing’s come out yet. I’ll probably speak to the medical team this afternoon. My bowling, batting and fielding has gone excellent so far. So I’ll just relay that message. There’s a bit of a time zone difference and hopefully, I can get on the plane over there.”I’m feeling really good, really grateful with how it sort of progressed in the last week. It’s healed really well, and the surgery went excellent. Very fortunate and lucky so far that I’m sort of in a position to be able to bowl and bat and catch a few balls. Everything’s gone to plan so far. There’s not much pain at all any more, and no pain bowling and batting.”Kuhnemann has had a plastic thumb splint made to protect his right thumb and can wear it in games without needing to remove it as it is on his non-bowling hand. He has worn a similar splint in the past having previously broken the same thumb. He is confident that if a ball is hit back at him with power again, his thumb will withstand any blow.Matt Kuhnemann could yet feature in the Sri Lanka Tests•BCCI

“This is a conversation I had with the surgeons and doctors and it’s really stable now,” Kuhnemann said. “It’s probably more stable than it was beforehand. I’ve broken that thumb before and now I’ve got surgery on it, it’s probably in a better state.”I’ve played cricket with splints on and I’m very confident, it doesn’t affect my bowling or batting and fielding. If anything, I’m probably more confident in the field, because you’ve got something on your finger.”He said he would have no fear if a ball came at him in the field. “No, not at all,” Kuhnemann said. “That’s cricket in general. Balls have been hit back at me a lot harder, and I’ve been fine. So this is one of those freak incidents that it’s hit probably the exact spot it had to for it to cause some damage. I’ve already caught some balls. Andy Bichel’s already thrown some balls back at me straight away, so there’s no problem with that.”Kuhnemann was a very strong chance of playing in the first Test in Galle prior to the injury. He played three Tests in India in 2023 as part of a three-man spin attack alongside offspinners Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy. But the selectors have been clear in their desire to have a left-arm orthodox in the attack to complement Lyon, which meant Kuhnemann was in line to play if only two spinners were selected in the XI.Even if he is cleared to join the squad, a decision will still need to be made about his fitness to play. “I think everyone will have a bit of a say,” Kuhnemann said. “I think it’d be a good discussion.”I’ll just be honest with them, I think. So far, it’s tracking really well, so I’m confident. But there’s obviously protocols you’ve got to go through.”