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Freya Davies and Amelia Kerr chip away to set up straightforward run chase

ECB Reporters Network24-Aug-2022Freya Davies and Amelia Kerr starred with the ball as London Spirit broke their duck at the fourth attempt in this year’s Hundred with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over still-winless Welsh Fire.England quick Davies struck twice in two balls on her way to figures of 3 for 25, while New Zealand legspinner Kerr took the crucial wickets of Sarah Bryce and Nicola Carey in a miserly spell of 2 for 14 to restrict Fire to a below-par 119.Australian legend Beth Mooney made light of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 61 after sharing an opening stand of 66 with pinch-hitter Danielle Gibson as Spirit got home with 14 balls to spare.Having failed to chase down a score in their three previous matches Fire understandably chose to bat on winning the toss, but their innings followed a familiar pattern.Bryce, promoted to fill the shoes of Hayley Matthews, who had departed to the Caribbean Premier League, gave early impetus, latching onto some short pitch bowling from Spirit to score boundaries either side of the wicket and despatching a full toss from the otherwise impressive Kerr over the ropes for the only six off the innings.Freya Davies removed Tammy Beaumont and Annabel Sutherland off successive deliveries•ECB/Getty Images

Skipper Tammy Beaumont too flourished briefly in an opening stand of 46 before missing a straight one from Davies which flattened her middle stump. Davies then made it two in two with a peach of an inswinger which castled Annabel Sutherland.Spinners Grace Scrivens and Kerr tightened Spirit’s grip by attacking the stumps and pressure told when Bryce lofted the latter to long-on to end an enterprising knock. Thereafter only Carey broke the shackles, taking three fours off one set from Gibson, but Kerr returned to have her stumped by Mooney.Their total of 119 looked light and Gibson, opening for the first time in the tournament, set about the chase with relish with some brutal hitting, including hoisting Carey for a glorious straight six.Related

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An ugly tennis shot to a short ball from Sutherland looked to have ended the fun on 24, but Fire’s luck was out as a no-ball was called. Gibson celebrated the reprieve by thrashing one from Alex Hartley to the long-off boundary to raise the 50 stand.Mooney had played second fiddle to this juncture, but joined in the fun with a lofted drive over cover, before a cut shot bisected two fielders to the fence at third. By the time a repeat of the tennis shot proved Gibson’s undoing, Spirit had 66 on the board and needed just a run a ball.Sophie Luff, who might have been run out for nought, didn’t stay long, but Mooney reached 50 with her ninth four as the hosts cantered home.

England captain expects to offer more opportunities to fringe selections to expand player pool

Andrew Miller22-Mar-2021Eoin Morgan says his eyes are set firmly on the bigger picture after England’s 3-2 series defeat in the T20Is against India, with the opportunity to develop consistency and grow his team’s pool of available players being his primary motivation going into the three-match ODI leg of the tour in Pune on Tuesday.Despite their crowning glory at Lord’s in 2019, Morgan acknowledged that England’s record in ODIs since the World Cup final has been “average”, but insists that this week’s series is not merely a “consolation prize” for the tourists after their losses in both the T20Is and the Tests that preceded it.In September, Australia condemned Morgan’s 50-over team to their first bilateral series loss since their last tour of India in 2016-17, and in August, Ireland chased a record 329 to seal a memorable seven-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl. In all, England have won four and lost four of their completed ODIs since 2019, and had their most recent series, in South Africa before Christmas, cancelled without a ball being bowled.In mitigation, England have not been able to call upon their first-choice XI in ODIs since the World Cup, with the constraints of Covid on the one hand and the prioritisation of the forthcoming T20 World Cup on the other leaving the 50-over team as more of a developmental squad. Ben Stokes, for example, has not featured in an ODI since his Player-of-the-Match performance in the World Cup final.This week’s squad will be weakened by the absence of Jofra Archer, whose troublesome right elbow is undergoing further treatment, while neither Joe Root nor Chris Woakes – two other integral members of the World Cup-winning XI – are currently involved in the 50-over squad due to the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy.And as consequence, Morgan called on the fringe members of his squad, in particular, to embrace the learning opportunities in “alien conditions”, both to push their names forward for the T20 World Cup in October, but also for England’s long-term goal of defending the 50-over crown in India in 2023.”We’ll see guys given opportunities, more so than the T20 series,” Morgan said. “It’s going to be exciting, three games at the same ground against a very strong Indian side is a huge opportunity for everyone to get back out there, in the frame of mind and the pace of 50-over cricket, and for guys who want to make their case in both formats.”With a World Cup around the corner, playing any cricket is a huge opportunity for guys who have been here on the fringes and not made selection so far. When you score runs or take wickets away from home, there is always a huge incentive to try and push your case forward.”The one player in England’s set-up with the most to prove in the coming days is arguably Moeen Ali. He sat out the entire T20I series, despite having missed the final two Tests last month to prepare for the white-ball campaign, and has taken a solitary wicket in ODI appearances since losing his place in the starting XI during the 2019 World Cup.Eoin Morgan wants England to learn from their defeats, every bit as much as he is targetting outright victory in India•Getty Images

Though Morgan was unable to confirm whether he would be a guaranteed starter in Tuesday’s first match, he insisted that Moeen remains an integral member of England’s white-ball set-up, and that the set-backs that he has endured this winter – including a positive Covid diagnosis in January that undermined his comeback to the Test team in Sri Lanka – had not reduced his importance to the team.”He takes them in his stride,” Morgan said. “The little period Mo spent at home before this series has done him the world of good. He has come back refreshed and with plenty of energy. He is a very relaxed guy who always has a reasonable perspective on life and sport and the role that it plays within society. So he is travelling really well.”Anybody who is an all-rounder and makes the squad is extremely valuable to our side,” he added. “I know he has not played but that’s been circumstantial. The pitches we played on just haven’t turned and that obviously limits the contribution a finger-spinner might make in the game.”Reece Topley, who made his ODI comeback against Ireland last summer, is another player who may be able to advance his case for October, having also been a non-playing member of the T20 squad this week, while Liam Livingstone – with his versatility as a spin-bowling allrounder – could come into contention for a middle-order berth, four years after his last England appearances.”We see the 50-over format between the two T20 World Cups as a building block for our squad,” Morgan said. “And that’s not compromising performance at all. We feel we have an extremely strong squad outside of our final XI regardless of format, so it will present opportunities for guys like that.”Trying to envisage where 50-over cricket will be in three years ‘time is quite difficult,” he added, of the challenge of planning ahead to 2023. “So the challenge for us is always trying to explore and push the limits as much as we can, given the conditions.Related

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“In conditions that are a little bit alien to us, like India, it’s nice to get out of your comfort zone and learn more about your team and your players, to make mistakes and learn from them.”Reflecting on the disappointing end to England’s T20I campaign – in which India overturned a 2-1 deficit with back-to-back victories in the final two games – Morgan said that the experience had still been invaluable for his side’s development, and that the urge to avenge that loss was not really a motivation for his team in the coming days.”Even though we didn’t pick up the trophy, we learned a huge amount,” Morgan said. “It has been an extremely productive tour so far in white-ball cricket, the biggest picture always being the World Cup in both white-ball formats. You don’t always have to win every series in order to win a World Cup. You continuously need to get better, need to be tested as a side, need to fail in order to learn. That involves losing, which isn’t fun but it is part of the journey.”

The defending champions are still winless after six games this season

The Report by Alagappan Muthu24-Nov-2019A Chris Gayle fifty. An AB de Villiers fifty. Thirty-five boundaries in total. But none during the last five overs of a simple enough chase.Rarely is a low-scoring T20 packed so full of batting highlights – and lowlights – but that’s how Jozi Stars and Tshwane Spartans rolled at the Bull Ring with the hosts falling utterly and inexplicably short. Moreover, this was the defending champions’ sixth defeat in as many games this season.A(B) throwbackThe Spartans finished the powerplay at 30 for 2 but somehow it didn’t seem to affect de Villiers. Though it is now over a year since he retired from international cricket, his instincts are as sharp as ever. They told him that his team’s best chance of winning was if he lasted the full 20 overs. So after starting his innings with a ridiculously cool cut for four, he throttled down, content to enter the 17th over with a score of 24 and a strike rate of 114.Then came a slower ball. The Stars indulged in a lot of them as the innings wore on, hitting the deck to make them hold up on the batsman. No doubt that was Duanne Olivier’s intention here as well but de Villiers held his shape that extra second longer and nearly took out the umpire with a pull shot straight down the ground. He reached his fifty with a strike-rate of 166.Throwback Part IIGayle was still on 10 when he had already survived two run-out chances and a caught-and-bowled attempt. Now you know it’s your day if Morne Morkel’s hands aren’t long enough to reach the ball and it proved to be just so.The Spartans tried their best to limit the damage, bowling at the left-hander’s body and trying to beat him for pace. But the same reason that plan works – Gayle is 40 and his reflexes aren’t what they used to be – contributed to its downfall as well. Gayle knew what was coming – you learn these kinds of things playing 400 T20 games – and soon set up expecting the bouncer. Lungi Ngidi was pulled to the boundary twice in the same over. He was also clattered for six down the ground when he tried to hit a fuller length. Gayle had found his rhythm; no other batsman goes from 11 off 13 to 50 off 25 quite like him.Stars ended their Powerplay 65 for 2 and should have cruised the rest of the way to victory.The spanner in the worksTom Curran is a bank in T20s and he didn’t take too long to show it. Opening the bowling for the Spartans, he produced a back of the hand slower ball that was just unreal. It deceived opener Reeza Hendricks, slipping through the gap between his bat and pad, and for a tiny moment seemed to have bounced over the stumps. Curran certainly thought so, his hands going up to his head, but a split second later they unfurled in triumph. The bail over the off stump was on the ground. It didn’t seem like the ball made any contact with it, but it had been disturbed. Perhaps mere proximity was enough like how a rowdy classroom goes quiet seeing the teacher coming closer.The England allrounder took 3 for 30 and his success inspired the rest of his team to trust in taking pace off the ball. Heinrich Klaasen, the Spartans captain, actually turned to a left-arm spinner in the final five overs and it paid off as Roelof van der Merwe helped create three wickets.The Stars needed 33 runs from 36 balls with six wickets in hand to win this game. That they didn’t is unbelievable. That they were bowled out is bonkers.

The PSL franchise said the former Pakistan captain had agreed to be a mentor for the 2019 season, but then changed his mind and wanted to play in the league

Umar Farooq19-Nov-2018Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has backtracked on his agreement to be a mentor with Islamabad United in the PSL, because he wants to play in the 2019 season, according to the franchise. Misbah, it is understood, is likely to be picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Gold category.Islamabad said it had reached an agreement with Misbah, 44, in the lead up to the PSL player draft on November 20, but he had changed his mind and did not want to be just a mentor. Before changing his decision, Misbah reportedly offered Islamabad – his former franchise – his services as a player but the franchise was not keen.Misbah played eight matches for Islamabad in the 2018 PSL and batted only four times – making 57 runs at a strike-rate of 75. He has not played T20 cricket since March this year.”Islamabad United, the winners of the inaugural HBL PSL and the defending PSL champions, would like to update our fans that Misbah-ul-Haq might not be a part of the franchise in the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League, due to a late change of decision,” the franchise said. “In the weeks leading up to the draft, Islamabad United had reached an agreement with Misbah-ul-Haq regarding his appointment as the mentor of the franchise for PSL 4 and the editions going forward. This is in line with ISLU’s ethos of developing and nurturing not only emerging players but also senior players as they move to the next phase of their careers. ISLU was hence delighted to receive the written confirmation to this affect.””Despite having reached that agreement the franchise was informed yesterday that Misbah wished to stay in the player draft for PSL4 for consideration as an active player. As Islamabad United has already announced its retentions and has a specific strategy for the draft, picking Misbah as a player may not be possible for the franchise.”While this is an unexpected turn of events, we respect Misbah’s decision and would like to thank him for invaluable contribution to the rise of ISLU, and would like to wish him the best in his future endeavours.”On November 20, the six PSL franchises will gather in Islamabad to pick players and complete their squads ahead of the 2019 season, which is scheduled to begin on February 14 in Dubai. Last week, the teams had finalised which players had been retained from the 2018 squads and which players had been let go.

Peter Trego and Johann Myburgh crashed stylish half-centuries to earn Somerset a quarter-final place as they thrashed Hampshire by 98 runs

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2017Peter Trego was in blistering form for Somerset•Getty Images

Peter Trego and Johann Myburgh crashed stylish half-centuries to earn Somerset a quarter-final place as they thrashed Hampshire by 98 runs.The visitors, who were part of a cluster of sides on 12 points in the South Group ahead of the game, needed to win and wait to see how the net run-rates settled.And after Somerset bowled Hampshire out for 91 with eight balls to spare they were forced to wait until Glamorgan’s clash with Middlesex finished to have their place confirmed.Hampshire were already through to the knockout stage and also avoided their previous worst T20 total of 85, but the defeat was their heaviest defeat in the format while batting second.Somerset won the toss and batted on a quicker and flatter than usual pitch at the Ageas Bowl.Liam Dawson took a wicket in his first over for the third game in a row when he had Steven Davies caught behind to the fourth ball of the innings.Jim Allenby then skied to Gareth Berg on the midwicket boundary to hand Hampshire their second power-play wicket as the visitors reached 54 for 2 in the first six overs. But from that point Somerset clattered runs with increasing ease.Myburgh smacked Dawson for a pair of maximums over mid-wicket before carting Kyle Abbott over long-off.He reached a 22-ball half-century, his third of the campaign, but prodded debutant Jake Lintott to point – the left-arm unorthodox bowler striking with his second ball in professional cricket.Peter Trego and James Hildreth then batted Hampshire out the game with a well-paced 105-run partnership, missing out their all-time T20 best stand for the fourth wicket by a run.Neither batsman appeared in discomfort at any point nor did they demean themselves to slogging, instead they ran hard on a large boundary.Trego, who reached his fifty in a more sedate 38-balls, did pick the gaps well as his 84 bore nine fours and two sixes, while Hildreth only scored a pair of fours in his 39. But the partnership raised Somerset to 189, before Hampshire’s reply never got going.Calvin Dickinson failed to repeat his lusty blows against Kent last week, where he crashed a quick fire fifty, as he was bowled while backing away by Max Waller in the first over.Skipper James Vince and George Bailey then departed in the next over – the former caught at cover, the latter at mid-off – as the hosts were left on 10 for 3.Dawson was bowled before Tom Alsop, who had been ticking along nicely for 36, was well caught by Roelof van der Merwe on the long off rope.Sean Ervine quickly followed back to the dug-out when he also holed out to long-on, Gareth Berg was stumped and Abbott was lbw.Shahid Afridi offered a simple caught and bowled back to van der Merwe and Lintott edged behind ended Hampshire’s sorry chase.

The blow Suhrawardi Shuvo took on the neck during a DPL game on Saturday has raised concerns about Bangladesh players’ attitude towards safety

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2016The blow Suhrawadi Shuvo took on the neck during a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) game on Saturday has raised concerns about Bangladesh players’ attitude towards safety. The BCB had, last year, circulated the ICC’s latest memo on safety, but several of the country’s professional players have failed to upgrade to helmets with stem guards due to various reasons, mostly related to comfort levels.The stem guard is made of a material called impact-modified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a rubbery plastic. It is a clip-on that attaches to the side of the grille. Shuvo wasn’t wearing a helmet with a stem guard which, while not mandatory as per safety standards, would have softened the blow to his neck.Batsman Marshall Ayub, who played for Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in the DPL this season, said Shuvo’s injury would push many players to review their helmets. “I have ordered one [helmet with a stem guard] from Melbourne recently,” Marshall told ESPNcricinfo. “I should have got one sooner. I think now everyone will be keen on getting these helmets given how Shuvo got injured. It is an eye-opener.”This type of helmet is not available commercially in Bangladesh, but the BCB provided it to those playing for representative sides like the national team and Bangladesh A.Soumya Sarkar, one of those using the stem guard, said players often did not want to compromise on comfort. “Using the helmet with the stem guard depends on the person,” Soumya told . “I felt comfortable with it, so I started using the type. It is very rare to find a batsman who compromises the comfort of his helmet. Then again, it has only been some time that this guard has been in the market. I do think the cricketers are much more aware now when it comes to safety.”Soumya also said the conditions in Bangladesh, with the tracks’ relative lack of bounce and pace, might have contributed to the casual attitude towards upgrading helmets. “The types of wickets we play on in our domestic cricket can be one good reason behind the cricketers not using the stem guard. Also, not all the teams have good pacers in their side. But because we had an accident today, I hope the cricketers will take note of it and start to ensure safety.”Stem guard aside, the professional players’ helmets in Bangladesh meet safety standards. But that does little to protect the back of the head and the neck, and many of the recent cases where a batsman had got hit on the head have featured blows to the neck region that can be protected using the stem guard.Some cricketers have said the unavailability of stem-guard helmets in the local market is a reason for not being interested in getting one. The counter to this would be that some of these same cricketers order top-quality cricket gear from abroad, but have not sought out these helmets.During the Bangladesh Premier League in 2015, several of the six teams in the tournament had provided the guard to their players, only to see it not being used. Again, players pointed to the comfort factor being a reason for that.Perhaps, after Shuvo’s injury, most cricketers will attach as much importance to safety as comfort.

Glamorgan’s bowlers made rapid inroads on an abbreviated second day’s play in their Championship Division Two clash with Northamptonshire

ECB/PA01-Jun-2015
ScorecardCraig Meschede added two wickets to his first day century•Getty Images

Glamorgan’s bowlers made rapid inroads on an abbreviated second day’s play in their Championship Division Two clash with Northamptonshire.Play was only possible before lunch at the Swalec Stadium but, after those 28 overs, the visitors were left struggling at 79 for 5. Even that came after a recovery of sorts, with Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington adding an unbroken 46 before rain stopped play.The weather threatened all morning and Glamorgan’s seamers took full advantage of cloudy skies and a green pitch to trouble the batsmen. Resuming with no score after nightwatchman Azharullah played out a maiden on Sunday evening, he and Stephen Peters progressed to 28 before Northants collapsed to 33 for 5, with five wickets falling for five runs in six overs.The opening partnership featured five penalty runs, awarded when wicketkeeper Mark Wallace chased the ball to fine leg and returned to Colin Ingram, who had illegally put on Wallace’s discarded glove to field the ball.Michael Hogan made the initial breakthrough when he uprooted Peters’ off stump with a ball that nipped back off the pitch, and he was quickly followed by Kyle Coetzer who chipped Hogan to midwicket.There was no respite from the other Glamorgan seamers, with Craig Meschede inducing Azharullah to edge one to Jacques Rudolph at slip. Rob Newton became Meschede’s second victim when he was caught by Wallace, before Rudolph then took his second catch in Ruaidhri Smith’s first over to dismiss Rob Keogh.Northants could have been in further trouble had Ben Wright, at midwicket, managed to hold on to a sharp chance offered by Cobb before he had scored. Cobb and Rossington then counterattacked effectively, sharing eight boundaries in what remained of the action and leaving Northants 143 runs away from the follow-on target of 222.Hogan believes Glamorgan are “in a position of control”, adding: “If we can all bowl well again tomorrow morning, then we will be in total control. It’s a good pitch, with enough in it to encourage the quicker bowlers, especially with the new ball, but if the batsmen can get over the first hour or so there are runs there. We saw that in the first innings, when we were 92 for four and then recovered well.”