Tayla Vlaeminck is part of the Australia A group that will tour concurrently in England

Andrew McGlashan28-Mar-2023

Opening batter Phoebe Litchfield has been included in Australia’s squad for the multi-format Women’s Ashes in England later this year alongside Kim Garth while fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck is part of the Australia A group that will tour concurrently.Litchfield, 19, could be in line for a Test debut following the retirement of Rachael Haynes when the Ashes gets underway with a five-day encounter at Trent Bridge from June 22. She will be an option to open the batting depending on where Australia want to use Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy.Litchfield made her international debut against India in December during the T20I series before impressing in her first appearance at ODI level against Pakistan in January with 154 runs in the three-match series.Garth, the former Ireland allrounder who also made her first appearance for Australia in December, could also push for a Test debut as one of the pace options in a bowling attack that does not lack options.Grace Harris is the other player in the squad uncapped at Test level although she is likely to be more in the plans for the ODIs and T20Is which make up the multi-format Ashes.Australia have held the Ashes since 2015 and won by a convincing 12 points to four margin in 2021-22 although the Test produced a gripping contest where England nearly chased down a final-day target before hanging on nine wickets down.”Following the success of the side at the recent T20 World Cup, the focus now turns to the exciting challenge of retaining the Ashes away from home,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “We’ve been fortunate to have a consistent side across all formats over the past couple of years and as a result we have selected a similar group to the squad which won the T20 World Cup in February.”Phoebe Litchfield has taken her game to the next level in the past 12 months, we view her as a long-term player for Australia and it’s pleasing to reward her progress with selection in an Ashes squad.”The inclusion of Vlaeminck in the Australia A squad is significant with her having not played since early 2022 when she suffered another stress fracture of her foot during that season’s Ashes.”Tayla Vlaeminck is progressing in her rehabilitation and is working back towards full bowling fitness,” Flegler said. “She is a highly regarded talent and is certainly part of our plans moving forward.”With the Australia A tour overlapping the first part of the Ashes, there is a chance for players to cross over if form or injuries require reinforcements with the main group. The A tour will include three T20s and three one-day games between June 21 and July 2.”It’s hugely beneficial to have an Australia A component to the tour and provide an opportunity for our developing players to test themselves in conditions they may not experience in Australia,” Flegler said.”The nature of concurrent tours also offers flexibility and allows players to be available for and cross over into both squads, whether it be from a preparation perspective or to provide an opportunity at international level.From the A squad, left-arm seamer Lauren Cheatle, allrounder Heather Graham and legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington have been capped at international level alongside Vlaeminck, while seamer Maitlan Brown has come close. Batter Courtney Webb was the WNCL Player of the Season for 2022-23.Australia Ashes squad: Meg Lanning (capt), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia WarehamAustralia A squad: Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Heather Graham, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Kate Peterson, Courtney Sippel, Tayla Vlaeminck, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Tahlia Wilson

MLS urged to consider a “longer fix” that will help the league to thrive once Inter Miami “kingpin” Lionel Messi has left the United States

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• Messi moved to Florida in summer of 2023
• Argentine GOAT has attracted global interest
• Questions being asked of what future holds

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  For now, U.S. soccer continues to benefit from the presence of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi. Where he goes, stadiums sell out and A-list guests flock to catch a glimpse of the Argentine GOAT in action.

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  Messi inspired Inter Miami to Leagues Cup success within weeks of his arrival in Florida, while the 2024 campaign delivered Supporters’ Shield glory in record-breaking fashion and MVP honours.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Inevitable questions are being asked of what happens when the iconic South American packs his bags and heads elsewhere. Who will become the face of MLS and can interest around the world be retained when Messi is no longer the star attraction?

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• WHAT SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS SAID

  Responding to that poser, former New York Red Bulls winger Shaun Wright-Phillips – speaking to GOAL via , Football Betting – said: “That is the thing with the way that America are doing it.

  “They are getting a lot of big superstars when they are at the back end of their careers. They build a lot of publicity around those players, whoever they may be. At the minute the kingpin is obviously Messi, but [Sergio] Busquets is there as well, [Luis] Suarez, Jordi Alba, they have got a lot of big names over there now.

  “But when they do retire, they do the same thing again – they look for the next batch of players at that age. For a time that does raise the standard and publicity around it, but it’s short lived. They need to find a longer fix and have a player of that calibre come to America and play his career there. They may have to create their own.”

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India’s reputation as an impenetrable fortress at stake as resurgent Australia look to draw level

Alex Malcolm08-Mar-20232:23

Who is India’s best bet against Australia’s spin threat?

Big picture: Huge stadium, huge stakesThe world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad is an apt venue given the large stakes on offer for the final Test of a fascinating Border-Gavaskar series. The pomp and ceremony surrounding the arrival of the respective Prime Ministers might bolster the crowd to record levels, but the cricket should be enough of a draw. India must win not only to seal a series victory but to guarantee their place in the World Test Championship final. An Australia victory would not only open the door for Sri Lanka to steal a place in the WTC final, should they beat New Zealand 2-0 in the adjacent series in New Zealand, but it would also level the series 2-2. Should they pull that off, it could well be regarded as one of the greatest achievements by a visiting team in India in recent memory. Australia in 2004 and England in 2012 claimed series victories against India in India. But both those teams only won two Tests and neither were subjected to the types of extreme surfaces Australia have faced in this series.India suddenly look vulnerable. The ease of the victory in Delhi masked two periods in that Test where Australia had both a clear ascendency and an opportunity to put the game beyond India’s reach. Australia found themselves in a similar position in Indore but despite a staggering collapse in their first innings they managed to maintain their position of strength through the outstanding bowling of Nathan Lyon.India’s made-to-order spinning pitches backfired against their batters who are struggling against the unwavering accuracy and skill of Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara are the only specialist India batters to have made a half-century in the series, with the batting burden falling on Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and R Ashwin at various stages but none could bail India out in Indore. India coach Rahul Dravid has urged fans to be realistic about their expectations of the batters on the challenging pitches.Related

The facade is fraying – for Rohit the captain, Ahmedabad could be the pivotal test

Smith: Can't remember being unsure two days out which pitch I would be playing on

Rahul Dravid: Need to be realistic about batting in these challenging conditions

Record crowd and spinning pitch add to Australia's excitement

Australia’s top order has fared better than their counterparts in the last two matches. Usman Khawaja’s first innings 60 in Indore was arguably the difference between the two sides. Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Peter Handcomb and Cameron Green all made important contributions, with the latter’s addition clearly strengthening Australia’s batting significantly. Travis Head and Labuschagne then iced the game in the second with a nerveless display. Australia’s tail is still a huge concern though having lost 6 for 11 after the Delhi collapse of 8 for 28. If Australia can avoid another collapse in Ahmedabad they will be very hard to beat.There was some confusion around what surface will be presented after talk of a green seamer. But if another dry surface is presented then both sides are likely to shape up with similar XIs, with Smith remaining as Australia’s captain while Pat Cummins remains at home. It will be a question of which team bats the best with the toss becoming irrelevant given how much the ball has spun from day one in each of the three Tests so far.India’s reputation as an impenetrable fortress, and national pride, is at stake. Losing again at their own game in front of their Prime Minister would be a major blow.Form guideIndia LWWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WLLDW5:23

Will Ahmedabad give the best batting pitch of the series?

In the spotlight: Smith and Kohli are dueIt was anticipated that Steven Smith could match his feats of 2017 on this tour but the surfaces, aside from the 2017 Pune pitch, have been far more difficult. Smith has looked very good at times. He batted superbly in both innings in Nagpur but was beaten on the inside in the first innings and remained not out in the second. He was unlucky to nick an unpredictable straight one from Ashwin in the first innings in Delhi but his shot in the second was by his own admission one of the worst of his career.He led the side in Indore magnificently and led with his actions and reactions with the bat. He batted very nicely for an undervalued 26 in a low-scoring game. He got an outside edge to a sharp turner from Jadeja and was happy to accept getting out that way, something he explained to his team in the aftermath as it was within his plans to accept getting beaten that way as opposed to on the inside. That acceptance of the conditions, and the team’s acceptance of what they are facing, shows incredible maturity from Smith. He is due for a score. India will fear giving him a life or even slightly more favourable batting conditions as he could cut loose.The same can be said for Virat Kohli. Like Smith, he has looked as good as any batter in these conditions at various stages throughout this series only for one mistake to bring about his downfall. Much has been made of his century drought but as Dravid noted, centuries in these conditions are near-on impossible. Half-centuries can be match-winning contributions and Kohli on current form is capable of that having gone close in Delhi. But he hasn’t made a Test half-century in his last 15 innings dating back to January 2022.For Kohli, it appears to be decision-making and a touch of luck as much as anything else. Murphy has had an impressive hold on him in this series pinning him down and not allowing him to rotate strike with drives to long on or long off or flicks off the back foot through forward square. He’s been forced to search for both shots and run aground in the process. Patience could well be the key for Kohli. The longer he stays there, the bigger threat he is. He’s had no trouble getting started on these pitches. Like Pujara and Khawaja in Indore, he perhaps just needs to camp out and wait for his opportunities to score.Team news: Mohammed Siraj surplus to requirements?Mohammed Shami was oddly rested in Indore and presuming he is fit, he should return in Ahmedabad. His replacement, Umesh Yadav, bowled a spectacular spell to bring India back into the match in Indore and also produced a batting cameo in the first innings. His wicket-taking and hitting ability with the bat makes him a more attractive asset than Mohammed Siraj at present. Shami could well replace Siraj as the only change for India. Dravid noted playing an extra batter is possible but also noted the second seamer is handy to have, especially with India’s batting depth.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 KS Bharat (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Axar Patel, 1 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh Yadav/Mohammed SirajAustralia look the most settled they have been in terms of selection all series. The batting will likely be unchanged from Indore. The attack in Indore was nicely balanced. It is unlikely they will make any change to that in Ahmedabad if it’s another dry spinning pitch. The only other possibility they could consider is playing an eighth batter instead of Mitchell Starc, if they think the pitch will be another rank turner that won’t last three days. But that would seem unlikely.Australia (possible): 1 Travis Head, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Todd Murphy, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Matthew KuhnemannA groundstaff member waters the Ahmedabad pitch•Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsThere were two pitches prepared at Narendra Modi Stadium two days out. With the series still alive at 2-1, the drier pitch has been preferred after Rohit and Dravid inspected it on Tuesday. It looks likely to spin from day one again although Steven Smith said it could be the best batting surface so far, at least to start with. There were two Tests played here between India and England in 2021. The day-nighter lasted two days while the day game lasted three with spin dominating both. It is expected to be very hot in Ahmedabad as well meaning any moisture on day one will not remain for long.Stats and trivia Spin has taken 48 of the 60 wickets to fall in the last two Tests at Narendra Modi Stadium. Axar Patel has 20 wickets at 9.30 with three five-wicket hauls in four innings at the venue. Virat Kohli has gone 15 Test innings without a half-century. The next longest streak without a fifty of any specialist batter playing in Indore was Marnus Labuschagne with six innings. India’s batters from No.7-11 have contributed 403 runs at an average of 25.18 across the first three Test matches, including three half-centuries. Australia’s batters from No.7-11 have contributed just 140 runs at 6.36.Quotes”Yes, we accept that we didn’t make the right calls in the last game [Making DRS calls can be hard with] especially Jaddu . Every ball he thinks it’s out. I understand, they’re quite animated, it’s just the passion of the game, but that’s where my role comes in, to say , relax a little, it’s okay if it’s at least ending up somewhere near the stumps, but this isn’t even hitting the stumps, and some balls were even pitching outside [leg stump], so that was a silly mistake that we made but we hope to correct that in this game and we’ll have a small chat regarding this as well, and hopefully we can get it right in this game.”
“I think it’d be a huge achievement for this group, or any touring team, that comes here to India and wins two Test matches. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it earlier in the series and give ourselves a chance to win but to draw the series here would be a huge plus and positive.”

Jack Carson unstoppable in final session as visitors run risk of being reduced to a Pulp

Alan Gardner21-Apr-2023

Yorkshire 216 for 7 (Bean 49, Carson 3-34) trail Sussex 361 (Alsop 95, Carter 64, Coad 5-54) by 145 runsIn the commentary box during the afternoon session on day two of this match in Hove, discussion turned to popular music. Matthew Revis, an unused member of the Yorkshire squad taking a turn on the livestream, was asked about his preferences, and he put forward Pulp as his favourite band – an appropriate choice, you might think, given their Sheffield roots.Then again Revis, who grew up nearer to Bradford, may not set much store by where Jarvis Cocker and the gang come from, given he confessed to only really liking “one or two of their songs”. Few would argue, though, that “Common People” and “Disco 2000” – both released in the decade before 21-year-old Revis was born – aren’t a couple of proper bangers, and it might be heartening for some to hear that things held dear by previous generations still have the capacity to captivate the youth of today.Can you see where this is going yet?Others will perhaps argue that Championship cricket sells itself pretty well in the circumstances and by the end of the day it was Sussex who were channelling Britpop exuberance as late wickets put them well on top. For much of Friday, the words of another Sheffield troubadour, Alex Turner, seemed to sum up the occasion: “Now it’s getting dark, and the sky looks sticky, more like black treacle than tar.” Drizzle rather than treacle cut more than an hour out of the morning session and ominous-looking clouds continued to scud through for much of the afternoon.In fact, various weather apps and websites declared that it was actually still raining as the players took the field shortly after midday, but any passing squalls thereafter skirted the ground and, with the floodlights blazing into the evening, 82.3 overs of play were possible.Despite the distractions, Sussex produced another fine ensemble effort, though a patchy forecast for the weekend could yet prevent them from throwing shapes. Ottis Gibson braved the elements to watch from behind the bowler’s arm at the Sea End as Yorkshire made a solid start to their reply, reaching 52 for 0 and 136 for 2 – but with Jack Carson taking three wickets, to go with lower-order runs and a spectacular catch, they finished the day seven-down and facing a scrap to avoid starting the season with a second defeat in three.If anyone in Sussex’s young squad can provide the rock’n’roll stylings it is arguably Ollie Robinson, who was making his first outing of the season after being rested on ECB instruction in the opening round. Robinson declared confidently during pre-season that England would “stick one on” Australia during the Ashes later this summer, and looked primed to be the frontman here as the hosts attempted to capitalise on the nibbly conditions after posting a useful first-innings score of 361.He should have had a wicket in his first over, when Finlay Bean tickled an edge straight into the midriff of Ali Orr at leg slip – only for the chance to go down. Bean survived in similar fashion in Robinson’s next, though Orr could be forgiven for only getting a hand to the ball as he threw himself to his right. Robinson has learned to channel his frustrations but the younger version may have wanted to respond by hurling a TV set out of a hotel window.In his second spell, Robinson suffered the indignity of being taken for three successive fours by Dawid Malan, and figures of 9-2-41-0 suggested he was still some way from being at concert pitch. But there was still time during a lengthy evening session for Robinson to return and nip one through the defences of George Hill, bringing a little strut to proceedings – and Sussex’s mood became more buoyant still as Henry Crocombe added another late wicket thanks to Dom Bess’ impetuous hook, before a low-bouncing delivery from Carson accounted for Shai Hope.The initial breakthrough had been provided by Nathan McAndrew, who trapped Adam Lyth in front with the opener looking to leave; Saud Shakeel, the Pakistan batter making his debut, also fell without playing a shot shortly after tea as Crocombe brought a fine delivery back to hit the top of off. Bean, who could have been caught for a third time by Orr when flapping at a Crocombe bouncer on 31, was eventually dismissed one shy of his fifty when Carson found his outside edge and the offspinner had a second when Malan chopped on.Sussex might have built a more impregnable position for themselves but for a lower-order collapse of 4 for 25 against the second new ball. Ben Coad made up for an indifferent showing first time around but striking with his first delivery, ending a valuable sixth-wicket stand between Oli Carter and Fynn Hudson-Prentice, and he knocked over two more in quick succession to improve Yorkshire’s mood.Matthew Fisher was certainly less than gruntled at being repeatedly coshed through the covers by McAndrew, but he had the final word when inducing a tickle through to the keeper. Coad then had Carter taken at second slip for a nuggety, three-hour 64, before removing Robinson via another catch in the cordon later in the same over. However, Carson and Crocombe clawed back some ground with a sensibly compiled 57-run stand that was eventually ended by Coad – whose figures of 7.3-3-16-4 on day two earned him the tenth five-for of his first-class career.

Karachi Kings’ see-saw ride in this season’s PSL continued, as the pattern of tight finishes and rather one-sided wins alternated for the fourth match in a row. The latest addition in the list was when they thumped Multan Sultans by 66 runs on Sunday, just days after falling short by three runs against the same team.Kings had made three changes against table-toppers Sultans, as Tayyab Tahir, who came in for Haider Ali, scored an impressive half-century on PSL debut to help Kings to 167. Tabraiz Shamsi, replacing Imran Tahir in the side, then claimed three crucial middle-order wickets to help skittle Sultans out for a mere 101.Put in to bat James Vince got off to a rapid start for Kings. First over onwards, he took on Akeal Hosein and Anwar Ali – both of whom had come into Sultans’ XI – and had raced to 27 off 11 deliveries, before skying a catch to mid-on off Anwar in the fourth over.But Tayyab ensured that the wicket did not halt their momentum, flicking the first delivery he faced for a boundary through midwicket. He dominated a 109-run partnership with Matthew Wade, scoring quickly and keeping the pressure off the Australian, who struggled his way to 46 from 47 balls.Tayyab attacked the off side and leg side with equal ease, and hit eight fours as he brought up his half-century off 33 deliveries. With his fifty up in the 14th over, he hit Abbas Afridi for his only six in the next, but slowed down after that as Sultans bowled 31 deliveries without conceding a boundary.Tayyab was finally trapped lbw by Ihsanullah in the 17th over, by which time the runs had dried up for Kings. Ihsanullah also castled Wade in the penultimate over of the innings, but Imad’s finishing kick of 14 from six deliveries helped Kings finish strong.Sultans’ chase started with Shan Masood getting off to a rapid start – he finished with 25 from 16 balls – before an inside edge to wicketkeeper Wade off Akif Javed brought an end to his innings. But Masood’s opening partner Mohammad Rizwan, who had scored a dazzling century in the last meeting between the two teams, soldiered on even as Shoaib Malik and Shamsi dismissed Rilee Rossouw and David Miller, respectively.And soon after in the 11th over, Tayyab’s fantastic day continued when he took a superb diving catch at point off Rizwan’s leading edge to give Malik his second wicket. Shamsi then struck in each of his next two overs, castling Khushdil Shah and getting Usama Mir to hole out at long-off to finish with figures of 3 for 18 that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.Sultans’ innings seemed to head towards a hurried conclusion, as Imad then removed Carlos Brathwaite and Hosein in the 15th over, before Akif Raja also claimed his second wicket when Anwar Ali sliced a catch to deep point.Malik then trapped Afridi lbw to seal victory for Kings, who although they earned two points, sat on the third spot in the points table only due to a better net run rate over both Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, with all three sides on four points each.

AC Milan have confirmed that they have parted ways with Sergio Conceicao — set to agree deal with Massimiliano Allegri to takeover this summer.

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• Conceicao parts ways with AC Milan
• Allegri set to join the Rossoneri
• Will miss AC Milan's first game of the season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  AC Milan had a disappointing 2024-25 season, finishing trophyless and eighth in the Serie A standings, which meant missing out on European football for the upcoming season. As such, the Rossoneri had reportedly been considering sacking head coach Conceicao after just six months in charge. The seven-time European champions have now confirmed the 50-year-old's departure from San Siro.

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  Allegri has been on a hiatus since the summer of 2024, when Juventus sacked him after their disappointing 2023-24 season. The legendary Italian manager was expected to make a move to Napoli this summer with Antonio Conte having been said to be on his way out; however, it appeared that Allegri could stay out of the football scene once more as the former Chelsea manager changed his mind. However, according to Gianluca di Marzio, Allegri is now expected to sign with AC Milan, with the 57-year-old reportedly agreeing to a two-year deal with the Rossoneri.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  AC Milan are set to begin their 2025-26 season earlier than their rivals, as they will be in action against Serie B side Bari in the Coppa Italia. However, Allegri will not be on the touchline for his first game in charge of the Rossoneri because of the 57-year-old having been sent off in his last game with Juventus against Atalanta in the 2024 Coppa Italia final.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ALLEGRI?

  The situation that AC Milan find themselves in could not be any worse as they have failed to win any trophies this season and have also managed to find themselves out of European football, all the while their bitter rivals Inter Milan could very well become European champions this summer, if they manage to beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final this weekend. Allegri will have a massive rebuild job on his hands as he looks to ressurect a fallen giant.

Uncapped Ben White has also earned a spot while Fionn Hand and Stephen Doheny miss out

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2023Ireland recalled Barry McCarthy, who last played an ODI in June 2021, and called up uncapped legspinner Ben White for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 to be played in Zimbabwe in June. McCarthy had missed Ireland’s three-game ODI series against Bangladesh in Chelmsford this month due to a knee injury.Peter Moor is also in line to make his first ODI appearance for Ireland, having played a Test for them earlier this year. Moor, whose last ODI appearance was in July 2019 for Zimbabwe against Ireland, had expressed his desire to represent Ireland in the World Cup.The return of McCarthy further strengthens the bowling attack of the Andy Balbirnie-led 15-member squad, which also has Mark Adair, Josh Little, Craig Young, Graham Hume and Curtis Campher.”With a seam attack of Adair, Little, Young, McCarthy, Hume and Campher, we feel we’re heading towards our best attack once more,” Andrew White, Ireland’s National Men’s Selector said. “PJ Moor’s experience in Zimbabwean conditions and his versatility batting anywhere from Nos. 1 to 7 gives us great cover.””We’re heading into a big few months and it’s looking at what personnel we need from a tactical point of view, who are in form, and a squad composition that suits the conditions we are likely to face. In the latter stages of the tournament, for example, we are likely to be playing on used pitches, so that’s where we see the value of a Ben White coming to the fore.”Allrounder Fionn Hand and opening batter Stephen Doheny, both of whom were in the squad for the series against Bangladesh, were left out. Doheny had a sorry run of form with the bat, scoring just 33 runs in the three games in Chelmsford. He played six of his nine ODIs against Bangladesh this year and crossed 30 only once.”Stephen is a player we admire and want to continue to invest in,” White said. “But we think the time is right for him, just now, to take a step back and work on a few technical aspects of his game at the domestic level.”Ireland are part of Group B in the Qualifiers, alongside Sri Lanka, Scotland, Oman, and UAE, and will begin their campaign against Scotland on June 21.Squad: Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, PJ Moor, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Glamorgan 123 and 499 for 5 (Carlson 187*, Labuschagne 138) lead Sussex 481 (Coles 138, Smith 89, Haines 58) by 141 runsFor the second weekend running, fears about the pre-Ashes fitness of an England fast bowler overshadowed on-field events in the LV= Insurance Championship. Ollie Robinson headed for the dressing room after an hour’s bowling during the morning session at Hove and wasn’t seen again, his absence compounding the pain experienced by his Sussex team-mates as a 288-run stand between Marnus Labuschagne and Kiran Carlson turned the day into an unwelcome endurance test for the hosts.Paul Farbrace, Sussex’s head coach, revealed afterwards that Robinson had been suffering from a sore left ankle, and will be sent for a scan on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. With England’s first Test of the summer against Ireland starting in 12 days’ time, and James Anderson already nursing a “minor groin strain” less than a month out from the Ashes, the news of Robinson’s discomfort will be of concern to Ben Stokes, the Test captain, who had previously stated his desire to have eight fit seamers to take on Australia.”He’s got a sore ankle and he’ll be scanned on Monday to see how bad it is,” Farbrace said. “We knew it was sore yesterday and that’s why we got one spell out of him this morning. Once he was off that was it for the day.”It was precautionary, there was no point in making it worse. We knew that he was sore. It’s walking more than anything, it’s not actually the running part that makes him sore. It’s a joint decision between our medical team and the England medical team, we’ve got a good relationship. It’s the right thing to do, we need to find out and Oliver wants to find out what’s going on with the ankle and why it’s so sore.”Related

• Ajaz Patel claims ten-for as Durham cement table-topping status

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Robinson, who required a cortisone injection in his back before his first appearance of the season, has had his workload carefully managed by the ECB. He has featured in three of Sussex’s six games so far, taking career-best match figures of 14 for 117 against Worcestershire two weeks ago.He began this match with 4 for 29, including the wicket of Labuschagne for 1, as Glamorgan were dismantled in their first innings but on Saturday, after completing an eight-over spell during which he saw Carlson dropped, he walked from the field and did not return. On the Sussex YouTube channel, there remained a poll asking how many wickets Robinson would take in the day, with four options: 2, 3, 4 or 5+.Where there was far greater certainty was in the identity of Glamorgan’s saviours. Carlson, stand-in captain for this match in the absence of the hamstrung David Lloyd, produced a mighty, unbeaten 187 and Labuschagne did Labuschagne things to steer their side away from the jaws of a three-day defeat. At the close, Glamorgan’s lead was 141 with five wickets standing: pushing for a first victory at Hove since 1975 will be a stretch but two more sessions of batting on a pitch that has appeared increasingly moribund would almost certainly secure an unlikely draw.Glamorgan began the day 240 runs in arrears with nine wickets standing, and the loss of two in the space of two balls inside the first half an hour suggested they were facing an uphill task. Perhaps, if James Coles had held a low catch at third slip when Carson was on 3, events would have taken a markedly different course. Glamorgan would have been 136 for 4, Robinson would have had a wicket midway through his spell, and Sussex might have been sufficiently buoyed to keep chipping away and then roll through with the second new ball during the afternoon.Carlson gave a much harder chance when he had made 21, advancing to sting the fingertips of Jack Carson with a lofted drive that flew for four, but was more or less impregnable thereafter as he and Labuschagne spent the afternoon assembling a stand of Brobdingnagian proportions – on the way scrubbing the contributions of Viv Richards and Tony Cottey from the records books, for Glamorgan’s highest fourth-wicket stand against Sussex.After a watchful start, which involved seeing off Robinson, the pair set about transferring the pressure back on to the Sussex attack. Carlson was the more fluent, reaching his fifty with a reverse-sweep from 78 deliveries, and then requiring only 49 more to get to his third century of the summer, secured by a tuck into the leg side for three off Tom Haines. His was the more exuberant celebration, too, the bat whirled like a scimitar before the helmet was removed to reveal a satisfied grin beneath Carlson’s bristling moustache.Labuschagne, quite clearly, was not bothered about being outscored and seemed to have only two things on his mind: salvage the match situation for Glamorgan and face as many balls as possible in his final innings before joining up with Australia for their World Test Championship and Ashes campaign.He was struck a blow on the bottom hand by Ari Karvelas, shortly after clubbing Carson into the Cow Corner hospitality section, but shook it off after a brief visit from the physio, and brought up his own fifty off 121 balls with another swipe for six, this time off Coles. The closest he gave to a chance during an innings that spanned more than five hours was when edging Carson wide of the diving Steven Smith when on 73, as Labuschagne also upped the tempo to bring up his hundred from 185 balls with back-to-back boundaries off Fynn Hudson-Prentice.Almost every noteworthy contribution from Labuschagne was met with increasingly raucous chants of “Oh Glammy, Glammy!” – possibly with an Aussie twang – from a knot of supporters in the Sharks Stand. By the time he missed one that skidded on straight from Coles to be lbw for 138 from 244 balls, the Marnus Fan Club were waving their shirts around their heads as their hero walked back to applause from all four corners of the ground.Expectations for the day had been completely reversed by that stage. Carson struck in his fourth over of the morning, Zain-ul-Hassain’s second tidy innings on debut ending when he dragged his back foot out of the crease attempting to sweep. Sam Northeast came and went like Abe Simpson at the Maison Derrière, trapped by one turning into him, but that was Sussex’s last success for almost 65 footslogging overs as Labuschagne and Carlson turned the screw. Coles’ two wickets in the final session kept Sussex interested – in absolute terms – but Glamorgan will return in the morning looking to complete their great escape.

Theekshana starred with a three-for after Dhananjaya’s 93 dragged them past 200

Madushka Balasuriya30-Jun-2023

Sri Lanka survived an almighty scare as they scraped past Netherlands by 21 runs to kickstart their Super Six campaign on a nervy but winning note. It was a victory built on the back of a career-best 93 from Dhananjaya de Silva and a backs-against-the-wall bowling effort led by the excellent Maheesh Theekshana, who picked 3 for 31.But every inch of this win was contested by a persistent Netherlands outfit, who first restricted Sri Lanka to a subpar 213 and then nearly pulled off a nail-biting chase. Better sides than them have fallen foul of the twin threats of Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, who picked up five wickets between them on the day. Two run-outs, when the required rate throughout was essentially less than four an over, only adds credence to this notion. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards was left stranded on an unbeaten 68-ball 67, as he ran out of partners on a sticky surface that was taking turn and displaying some uneven bounce.The result means Sri Lanka join Zimbabwe on six points at the top of the table, with the winner of their clash on Sunday guaranteed qualification to the World Cup. As for the Netherlands, they can still get up to a maximum of six points but will now need one of Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe to lose both their remaining games.Theekshana also made an impact with the bat, sticking it out in the middle with Dhananjaya during a vital 77-run eighth wicket stand. With the game won by 21, the importance of Theekshana’s gritty 28 cannot be overstated, especially seeing that it came after Sri Lanka had been reduced to 131 for 7.Netherlands did all the running for much of the game. Starting with the very first delivery of the game, when Pathum Nissanka slashed wildly at one outside off stump to be caught at cover.That would be one of three wickets for the excellent Logan van Beek, who would also send Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka packing – all before the end of the first powerplay.Nissanka’s wouldn’t be the only questionable stroke by a Sri Lankan batter, as several were dismissed trying to hit out. This though was down to Netherlands persisting with nagging lines and lengths, allied with Sri Lanka’s inability to find singles and rotate strike consistently. The build up of pressure had batters falling while attempting to break the shackles. And, if not, the odd one that kept low would do the trick.Logan van Beek proved too hot for the Sri Lanka top-order batters to handle•ICC via Getty Images

This was essentially the tale of Sri Lanka’s innings, as Netherlands bowled wicket to wicket and refused to allow for easy runs. It was only Dhananjaya who showed the patience to thrive on this surface.He stitched together successive stands of 33, 29, 35 and 77 with Dimuth Karunaratne, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Theekshana respectively, to drag Sri Lanka to a defendable total.In defence of their target, Sri Lanka knocked over both openers for ducks inside the first two overs. But then the game began to slip away. Wesley Barresi and Bas de Leede – who had grabbed three wickets earlier – put on 77 for the third wicket, in a partnership that was highlighted by its industrious nature. The pair found boundaries frequently, but more than that they scrambled for every run.By the start of the 15th over they were going at a rate beyond six an over. But it would be their exuberance to grab every advantage that would be their downfall, as an ill-advised second would see Barresi run out. Barresi’s wicket would be followed by Teja Nidamanuru five balls later. De Leede and Edwards then put on a 41-ball 36.Theekshana returned to go through a gap between de Leede’s bat and pad to clean him up. He then executed a double-wicket maiden to send Netherlands tumbling to 133 for 7.From that point on it was a lone hand from Edwards, who employed the sweep to great effect and found ones and twos with ease. This would bring the target closer, but Sri Lanka were into the tail and so they chipped away. After an incredible throw to the non-striker’s end by keeper Kusal Mendis saw Shariz Ahmad run out, Hasaranga castled Klein with a googly.Edwards then looked to farm the strike alongside Dutt, but an inswinging yorker from Shanaka dispatched the latter. That Shanaka was even bowling at that stage was only down to the fact that Lahiru Kumara had been able to complete just two overs before being withdrawn with a side strain.

It is a gamble considering the tournament takes place in June and both players may be involved with Australia in the T20 World Cup

Matt Roller14-Feb-2024Surrey have taken a calculated gamble on their overseas signings for the T20 Blast, announcing on Wednesday that Australian seamer Sean Abbott will return to the club in May and June alongside compatriot Aaron Hardie.Both Abbott and Hardie are on the fringes of Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup, which clashes with the first month of Blast group games. Both players made appearances in their recent series win over West Indies, but neither features in Australia’s full-strength squad for their upcoming three-match series in New Zealand, which starts in Wellington next week.Abbott enjoyed success in both the County Championship and the Blast last year, and his contract covers four Championship fixtures and eight T20s from May 10 until June 26. He will miss the end of the Blast’s group stages, and is expected to play Major League Cricket (MLC) instead.”Sean is a highly skilled cricketer, and everyone saw last season what he is capable of in red-ball and white-ball cricket,” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said. “He had an outstanding impact as a cricketer and as a member of the dressing room… Sean is exactly what we look for in an overseas professional at this club.”With Hardie’s deal announced last week, Surrey have filled both overseas spots for the first half of the Blast’s group stages and it appears increasingly unlikely that Sunil Narine will return to the club for the tournament this year. Narine has spent the last two seasons with Surrey but controversially missed Finals Day last year due to a clash with his commitments at MLC.Their squad is certain to be affected by England’s T20 World Cup plans, with Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley highly likely to be involved and Tom Curran, Chris Jordan and Jamie Overton also in contention.