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Glamorgan’s bid to keep in touch with the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C was dashed by the rain at Cardiff

17-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Glamorgan’s bid to keep in touch with the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group C was dashed by the rain at Cardiff. Put into bat by their opponents the Unicorns, Glamorgan had reached 45 for 2 from 11.1 overs when a third rain interruption proved terminal with the umpires – Mark Benson and Neil Mallender – abandoning the match shortly before 5.30pm. Glamorgan and the Unicorns take a point each from the contest.The home side had an early scare when Gareth Rees was trapped lbw to the second ball of the match from Neil Saker. Glamorgan were in further trouble when Jim Allenby played a rash shot which saw him caught behind off Glen Querl for 16. Two short rain breaks reduced the game to 38 overs per side and then 37. But just as captain Alviro Petersen and Stewart Walters seemed to be launching a recovery the rain arrived for a third time.

Zimbabwe continue to offer the likeliest possibility of international cricket returning to Pakistan, with the board indicating its willingness to help victims of the floods that have ravaged Pakistan

Cricinfo staff24-Aug-2010Zimbabwe continue to offer the likeliest possibility of international cricket returning to Pakistan, with the board indicating its willingness to help victims of the floods that have ravaged Pakistan.After New Zealand cricket embarrased the PCB by denying a claim from officials that they were willing to play in Pakistan to help raise funds for flood victims, Peter Chingoka, chairman Zimbabwe Cricket, said his players were ready and willing to play in a country where no international cricket has taken place since March 2009, following the terror attacks on the touring Sri Lanka side.The PCB revealed two days ago that talks were on with Zimbabwe even before the floods to arrange a series to mark the return of international cricket to Pakistan but the natural disaster now means that matches are likely to be played to raise funds. “At this point in time we just have one thing in mind and that is to help people and minimise their suffering for which we are ready to play in Pakistan,” Chingoka told . “We sent the offer following approval from all the players who also want to play a role in helping millions of people in Pakistan.”Pakistan’s packed schedule, however, means that no dates have yet been set. The side is due to play a full Test and ODI series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in October-November, soon after the end of the current tour to England in late September. Then they travel to New Zealand for the second time in two years – this time for the away series as opposed to 2009’s ‘home’ series arrangement – for a series of two Tests, six ODIs and three T20s. That tour ends on February 5 and the World Cup begins exactly two weeks later.”Both boards are working on a plan to finalise the schedule but so far it is undecided,” Chingoka said. “Both boards are trying to hold a series soon and it may take place before the World Cup 2011.”Meanwhile, the Pakistan board didn’t react to denials from NZC about the alleged offer to play a flood relief game in Pakistan. PCB officials continue to maintain privately that such an offer was hinted at in an email from Justin Vaughan, chief executive NZC, though they are unwilling to take it any further now. There was supposed to be an official PCB response on Monday to Vaughan’s comments, but none came eventually.:The Imran Khan Flood Relief Fund: https://ptiuk.org/flood-appeal/The Zindagi Trust: https://zindagitrust.org/donation-flood-disaster-relief.asp: https://www.chowrangi.com/donation-links-and-relief-resources-for-pakistan-flood-victims.html

The fast bowler returns to action for the first time since a side strain in September, and will spearhead Australia’s T20I attack against Pakistan

Tristan Lavalette12-Nov-2024The return of Xavier Bartlett will be a welcome sight for the national hierarchy hoping to shore up fast bowling depth with a gruelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy set to test the fitness of Australia’s frontline quicks.Bartlett has not been sighted in domestic cricket so far this season after a side strain cut short his white-ball tour of the UK in September. He has recently returned to local cricket in Brisbane and is set to play in the T20I series opener between a shorthanded Australia – missing their Test players – and Pakistan at the Gabba on Thursday.Showcasing immaculate upright seam positioning, enabling him to conjure menacing late swing with the new ball, Bartlett was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s BBL and a key in Brisbane Heat’s stunning title triumph.He subsequently claimed four-wicket hauls in his first two ODIs against West Indies and has taken 6 wickets from four T20Is at an average of 17.66.Bartlett has been on the hierarchy’s radar as they strive to build depth behind the big three quicks of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who have been resilient over the years but face the tough challenge of five Tests against India within seven weeks.There have been fitness issues with Australia’s fringe quicks. Michael Neser suffered a hamstring injury in the recent Australia A-India A match at the MCG, while WA speedsters Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson have been working their way back through white-ball cricket. Scott Boland is Australia’s reserve quick for the first Test in Perth starting on November 22.Xavier Bartlett topped the bowling charts in the last BBL•Getty Images

“Those main three [Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood] have been amazing for so long, unbelievable,” Bartlett told reporters in Brisbane. “Going forward there will be opportunities. Personally, the goal is always to try and play Test cricket for Australia.”There’s so much cricket and every time you get a chance to play for Australia it’s a childhood dream. Whether it’s [due to] people who are unavailable or available you just have to try to take your opportunity. And this is a great opportunity.”Everything is good [with my fitness]… champing at the bit to get out there.”Bartlett, 25, will be part of a second-string Australia team aiming to salvage some pride after their surprise ODI series defeat to Pakistan, which included successive thrashings in Adelaide and Perth.Australia’s batters had no answer for Pakistan’s four-pronged pace attack who relished favourable fast and bouncy conditions throughout the series. “They have been amazing, the last two games they only used four bowlers,” Bartlett said.”The 140 [kph] from both ends, been exciting to watch. They bowled some really great lengths and were really attacking. Hopefully we can emulate that. We’ve spoken about just trying to take wickets and try to make early inroads.”Bartlett is set to share the new ball with left-arm quick Spencer Johnson in a return in tandem for the pair who so often ignited Heat during their title run. Much like at Optus Stadium, the Gabba surface tends to be fast and bouncy but runs can flow quickly there in white-ball cricket.There has been stormy weather in Brisbane this week with showers forecast on Thursday. “It’s a really good cricket wicket, so it should make for entertaining cricket,” Bartlett said.While some eye-catching performances across the three-match T20I series could see Bartlett move up the pecking order of fringe Test bowlers, his Heat teammate Nathan McSweeney will make his debut in the first Test after being named as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner.”To see his journey from when we were about 11 or 12 [years of age] to where he is now, making his Test debut, it’s unbelievable – I’m absolutely stoked for him,” Bartlett said of McSweeney, who is from Brisbane but captains South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.”He’s worked so hard. I can’t wait to see him go out there and hopefully go well for Australia.”

London Spirit had earlier made 104 for 5 after the game had been reduced to 85 balls per side due to constant drizzle

Valkerie Baynes08-Aug-2023Maia Bouchier’s classy, unbeaten half-century guided Southern Brave to victory in their Women’s Hundred clash with London Spirit, who finally made it onto the park after two washouts.Dank, gloomy conditions hung over Lord’s in the lead-up to the match, but the light – if fairly constant – drizzle cleared in time for the match to go ahead, only slightly reduced to 85 balls per side and hour later than scheduled at 4pm local time before a crowd of 13,081.Heather Knight, the England and Spirit captain batted like player raring to go but also one who had never been away following the Women’s Ashes, with an excellent 44 off 27 balls. But it was Georgia Adams, a player for whom national duty has proved elusive so far but who has been an influential allrounder on the domestic circuit in recent years, who shone with the ball for Brave.Legspinner Sarah Glenn, playing her first match since having emergency surgery to remove her appendix the night after England’s second Ashes ODI in Southampton last month, wrested back control for the hosts, but Bouchier’s innings kept Brave afloat while some clever late hitting by Australian Maitlan Brown put them firmly back on top.The 29-year-old Adams came into the match with six wickets in the competition so far, one ahead of Manchester Originals’ Fi Morris, who took all five of hers in Monday’s win over Birmingham Phoenix. Adams proceeded to extend her lead at the top of the wicket-takers’ charts with four Spirit scalps for 11 runs from her 20 balls to contain the hosts to 104 for 5.Lauren Bell made use of the conditions from the outset, her inswing accounting for Grace Harris on the fifth delivery of the match. Harris had already been struck by a bouncer which ricocheted off her arm into her helmet grille and, three balls later, missed her attempt to drive at one which came in from outside off and crashed into the top of middle stump.Dani Gibson, pulled and cut Bell for back-to-back fours early on and after the powerplay, reduced to 21 balls, Spirit were 30 for 1, closed out by another boundary carved away between point and cover point by Gibson, who played well for her 29 off 20 balls until she dragged an Adams delivery onto leg stump.Knight was in fine touch, her shot-making and placement sublime as she reverse-swept, reverse-lapped and cut her way to the top score for her side who, besides Gibson, were perhaps a little rusty with the bat, Grace Scrivens the only other Spirit player to reach double-figures with 10 not out.Georgia Adams finished with 4 for 11•Getty Images

When Amelia Kerr gave Adams her second wicket, spooning a catch straight to Smriti Mandhana at mid-off for just 6, and then Richa Ghosh holed out to Bouchier at long-on – also off Adams, Knight stepped on the gas. She dispatched Kalea Moore’s high full toss in front of square leg for the first of three fours in Moore’s set of five, following up with another reverse-sweep then a lofted drive over cover.With England’s Under-19 captain Scrivens batting opposite, her senior counterpart Knight picked out Moore just inside the rope at deep square leg to give Adams her fourth.Gibson’s handy contribution continued when, having seen her on-field lbw dismissal of dangerous Brave opener Mandhana overturned when the ball was found to have pitched outside leg, she had Mandhana out for a three-ball duck with her next delivery, well caught by Kerr at backward square leg.Five boundaries shared between Bouchier and Danni Wyatt in the space of seven balls eased the pressure from Brave and by the end of the powerplay, they were level with Spirit at 30 for 1.Glenn broke a 38-run stand between the two with the last ball of her opening set of five when Wyatt mistimed a pull to Tara Norris at mid-on. But Bouchier forged ahead, moving from 23 off 18 balls to 48 off 32 by the time Glenn struck again, twice in three balls to regain some control for Spirit. Glenn had Adams caught by Harris at long-on then Freya Kemp edging to Ghosh behind the stumps and Brave needed 32 off 26 balls.Gibson was back in the action with a strong catch running in from deep midwicket to remove explosive hitter Chloe Tryon off the bowling of Charlie Dean for just 4. But then Bouchier brought up her half-century with a single off Glenn.It was Brown who chewed through the rest of the run chase, sending an inside edge off Kerr through Ghosh’s legs for four and then scooping over the keeper’s head before a third boundary in a row over short fine leg made it three needed off eight balls. Fittingly, Bouchier finished the job, with one run needed of the last five, she cut Gibson’s second ball of the set to the boundary to seal victory.Bouchier said the rain delay hadn’t proved a distraction before play.”We came on the pitch ready to play and that’s what we did,” she said. “We bowled really well and, and kept them down to fairly decent score and to go out there and play the way we did was really good.”They had a, a little disadvantage not being able to play any games but in this cricket you have to be ready and I don’t think they were as ready as we were. It came down to the batting mainly. I think especially with the ball, we’ve bowled really well in our last couple of games and we’ve come back really well. So for them to come out and they were a little bit rusty with the bat, but we took advantage of that and you need to do that to keep them down to that sort of score.”Glenn admitted there was an element of rustiness in Spirit’s first game of the tournament.”It was the first time we were out there, but we did a real good middle practice yesterday to get us used to it so I thought we actually adapted really well and the communication was really good,” she said, adding that her side chose to ignore the rain during the morning.”It was like, ‘no, no, we’re getting on with it’. I think we were in denial a little bit, which I think helped our mindset because we were just so eager to out there, and luckily we did.”

“Maybe Rahul temperamentally is not suited to take the responsibility where he is the man who has got to get the job done,” says former India batter

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20224:28

Vettori: Coaches need to ‘destigmatise risk’ in KL Rahul’s mind

Lucknow Super Giants captain KL Rahul should bat “quicker rather than longer”, “take the game on”, and have “fun” while batting instead of trying to make his team win on his own, according to ESPNcricinfo’s experts Sanjay Manjrekar and Daniel Vettori.On Wednesday, Rahul scored 79 off 58 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Eliminator of IPL 2022, but failed to take Lucknow Super Giants home in a 208-run chase. Manjrekar said Rahul is “temperamentally not suited” for the responsibility of being the main batter in the side, especially when he is the captain in the IPL.Related

• It's written in the stars, RCB are winning the IPL

• Sparkling Patidar 112 knocks LSG out

• Patidar, Rahul and their different high-wire acts

• Patidar's big-match hundred, Super Giants' poor record vs playoff sides

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s show T20 Time:Out, Manjrekar said: “We’ve seen enough of KL Rahul to now know that when he becomes this player, the captain, the key player of the side… I mean Virat Kohli loves that kind of responsibility. Dhoni loved it. I think Rohit Sharma, barring this season, generally likes that kind of responsibility. Maybe KL Rahul temperamentally is not suited to take this kind of responsibility where he is the man who has got to get the job done. They are just made of different mettle and maybe KL Rahul isn’t.”As a coach, I would drill that into his head to tell him that I’m not expecting you to win the game. You just go and have fun, and funnily enough, you’ll see the results start coming and that’s why I believe he has a much better strike rate at the international level rather than at the IPL level because he’s just one of the many batters. He’s playing alongside Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and the others, so he just goes out there and expresses himself.”Manjrekar called Rahul’s knock a “third-gear innings”. In the last few years at the IPL, Rahul has batted more like an anchor than the aggressor he is when playing for India. His strike rate in the last four IPL seasons has been 134.53 whereas at international level he scores at 142.49 overall.”KL Rahul’s innings is something that we’ve seen before when he was captaining Punjab Kings, for example, [and they] would fall short of a run-chase,” he said. “The scenario would be the same. You’ll have KL Rahul batting right till the very end, they would have lost three or four wickets and people like [Nicholas] Pooran would come in like Evin Lewis came in the last two overs and Krunal [Pandya] in the last, [Marcus] Stoinis in the last three. So [for them], it’s a bit working with the crumbs that are left. You’ve got to come in and try to make up for the lack of pace that the innings had.1:48

KL Rahul: Our fielding let us down really badly in this game

“KL Rahul himself has the ability to do that. You see every time he decided to play the big shot, it came off. He played a couple of terrific shots against [Josh] Hazelwood. He can do it when he wants to but he just has this very deep-rooted belief, or an attitude, or an approach, that he wants to bat longer rather than quicker.”If I was his coach, I would just take that decision out of his hand even if he’s the captain, for we’ve seen a lot of games where the teams would benefit immensely if KL Rahul just batted quicker rather than longer.”This was a strange season for Rahul. When batting first, he scored 425 runs in eight innings at an average of 85.00 and a strike rate of 148.60. But while chasing, those numbers dropped to 191 runs in seven knocks at an average of 27.28 and a strike rate of 113.01.”I did focus on my stats that this season I didn’t score many runs in the second innings,” Rahul said after the match, “but this was a big game and when you come to a big game, you forget whatever you did in the last 14 games. You try to play this game as a fresh game and you try to give your best. I tried the same even today.”Yeah, I didn’t score too many runs in the second innings this season but in other seasons I have really done well, and I enjoy chasing. Sometimes you are not as successful. But it’s a team game and the team really stepped up when we were chasing. We won a few games but generally overall in this season, we didn’t do well while chasing, so it’s something we need to learn from.”1:09

Manjrekar: No point in having depth if one batter bats through

In a match where Rajat Patidar scored 112 not out off just 54 balls, Rahul’s knock was much slower, though both were playing different roles for their respective sides. Vettori, though, was of the opinion that Rahul is good enough to score as quickly without taking as many risks.”If you tell him, ‘You being more aggressive at the top is not risky because you’re such a good player, there’s no reason for you to want to bat this long, there’s no reason for you to want to bat in the style because you’re good enough to bat any way you want.’ And you’re not asking for anything that he can’t do and I think that’s the key to it that.”Like Patidar today took risks. KL Rahul can take half as many risks as Patidar did and still be incredibly successful. So I think it’s just what I said at the start, destigmatising risk. This is not a risky style of play for you. Just take the game on. That will lead to more wins than trying to manage or navigate a way through a chase.”So if you think about this, a couple of more risks through the powerplay and all of a sudden that [becomes] 60 off 42, [which] looks so much better. And it takes so much pressure off the likes of Deepak Hooda because when we got to that back end, it was just like ‘I’ve got to go after every ball.’ That means the bowlers know exactly what you’re doing, whereas early on, the bowlers are still trying to guess your intent, and I think you [Super Giants] let them get away with that at that stage.A lot of times, a weak middle order is cited as the reason behind Rahul’s conservative approach, but Vettori felt Rahul needed to trust his team-mates more.”Quinton de Kock has proved it enough, Deepak Hooda has proved it enough. You’ve got other players that you could give more opportunities to, Stoinis, [Jason] Holder, Evin Lewis. It’s Sanjay’s point around, go out there have some fun. Pretend almost like you’re playing for India and then trust everyone around you. It’s not all on you. Whatever you contribute will be good enough.”

Three T20Is and three ODIs between the two sides were originally scheduled for April

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2021Ireland men’s limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe, originally scheduled for April, has been postponed indefinitely after Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) advised Cricket Ireland against going ahead with the tour.The Irish squad was due to fly to Harare on March 28 and play three T20Is, followed by a three-match ODI series, in April. None of the postponed ODIs were part of the World Cup Super League (WCSL). Ireland are slated to host Zimbabwe for the WCSL fixtures this summer – dates for which haven’t been announced yet – to vie for 30 qualifying points in their bid to book an automatic spot for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.ZC clarified in a statement that the postponement had been due to a squeeze on the schedule, rather than due to any concerns around Covid-19.”Due to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic across the world – not in Zimbabwe in particular – ZC, like other boards elsewhere, has been forced to readjust its domestic and international cricket calendar,” the statement said.”With Zimbabwe scheduled to face Afghanistan men away and Pakistan men at home between March and April, accommodating the Ireland series in between the two aforementioned tours as had been proposed was unfortunately not going to be feasible. To confirm, the postponement of the proposed Ireland tour was due to scheduling challenges and had nothing to do with the ‘ongoing Covid-19 situation in the country.'”Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said the board would be aiming to draw up alternate fixtures to aid the national side’s preparations for the T20 World Cup in India in October-November.”We’re obviously disappointed, but to be honest, it is not an unexpected announcement from our Zimbabwean counterparts,” Holdsworth said. “We appreciate their efforts and willingness to try and make the tour possible, but in the end the health and safety of players and support staff must be of primary consideration.”We’ll now look at whether alternate fixtures can be arranged during that period, which is a crucial window in advance of a busy home season and in a T20 World Cup year.”Ireland recently toured the UAE, where they drew the ODI series against the hosts 1-1 before suffering a 3-0 whitewash in the format against Afghanistan. Aside from the home series against Zimbabwe, they are also due to host South Africa in the summer, in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup. Ireland’s full summer schedule is set to be released in April.Holdsworth also said that the postponement of the home series against Zimbabwe makes the upcoming tour of Bangladesh by Ireland Wolves, the A team, all the more important.”This places even greater importance on the proposed Ireland Wolves tour in February/March given the need to provide many of our players the volume and quality of cricket we need to keep the momentum in player development we have been seeing over the last few years,” Holdsworth said. “We expect to be providing an update on the Wolves situation in coming days.”The Pakistan women’s team is currently touring Zimbabwe for three ODIs, to be played on February 11, 13, and 15, and two T20Is, on February 18 and 20 at the Harare Sports Club. The tour, as per a ZC release, is being conducted in a bio-secure bubble with no spectators allowed at the match venue.This story was updated to include details of ZC’s statement

The 34-year old has made just four Test appearances since January 2017, his last one being the first Test in October 2018 against Australia in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2019Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has decided to take an indefinite break from red-ball cricket in order to focus on limited-overs formats. He has also withdrawn from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, just two days before the start of the tournament, where he was set to represent his domestic side Southern Punjab.Wahab, who made his Test debut for Pakistan in 2010 and has played 27 Tests, also added he wanted to focus on regaining fitness levels required for the longer format. Since January 2018, the 34-year-old has played only five red-ball matches, one Test and four first-class games.Wahab was also absent from Southern Punjab’s camp in Lahore, where the side was preparing for their opening game against Central Punjab.”After reviewing my past couple of years’ performances in red-ball cricket and the upcoming limited-overs cricket, I have decided to take time off from first-class cricket,” Wahab said. “During this period, I will like to focus on 50-over and 20-over cricket, and continue to access my fitness for the longer version of the game. At a stage I feel I cannot only return but also perform with the red-ball, I would make myself available. “The PCB had been trying to convince me to pursue my career with red-ball, but today I met them to convey my decision. I am grateful for their understanding and support.”Wahab was the casualty of former coach Mickey Arthur’s drive towards a high-performance culture within the Pakistan squad, where he was criticised for his work ethic, with Arthur even saying he had not won them a game in two years. After being ignored for the tour of Ireland and England in 2018, Wahab played in the Dubai Test against Australia where he finished wicketless. But just a year after Arthur seemingly signalled the end of his career, Wahab was added to their World Cup squad, nearly two years after his last ODI. He finished 11 wickets in eight games in the tournament.But now, with this break and him missing the first-class season, his Test chances appear slim. Pakistan, in the next 12 months, are scheduled to host two Tests against Sri Lanka, two against Bangladesh, and play away series in Australia and England.Wahab was earlier handed out a category B central contract, but it is understood he is likely to be demoted in due course following this announcement.

Only once has a West Indian bowler struck more than the 13 times he did in a single Test match, and that was back in 1976

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jun-2018He took a few wickets with pace. Then a few more with bounce. Even some with lateral movement. Shannon Gabriel was so good in St Lucia that he vaulted into the record books. Only once has a West Indian bowler struck more than the 13 times he did in a single Test match. And that was back in 1976, when Michael Holding wrapped England up and put them in his pocket.”It’s a great feeling,” Gabriel said after the game. “If someone told me, ‘Shannon, you’ll play Tests and take 100 wickets’, I would’ve told him, ‘you’re crazy!’ I’d like to thank family and friends for supporting me.”I was prepared well for this series, getting myself fit. As long as you get wickets, pains and aches go away. I was supported well by Kemar (Roach), he was unlucky. Miguel Cummins kept coming at the batsmen. (Jason) Holder was also very good. Anything other than a loss is good. We can take plenty of positives from this Test.”There was only one clear star though, at least in captain Holder’s eyes. “Shannon was absolutely outstanding. I don’t think words can describe the spell he bowled in both the first and second innings. He was aggressive. His pace was up. He caused trouble with every spell he came in and bowled and he stood up. He put us in a position to draw this Test match.”West Indies had won the first Test of the series and were fighting to protect their 1-0 lead at the Darren Sammy stadium. Gabriel was a key part of that, picking up 5 for 59 and then bettering it with 8 for 62. Only three times in the last 23 years has a West Indies bowler taken five wickets in each innings. On the back of that, Gabriel has leapt 11 places up to No. 12 on the ICC Test bowlers rankings.The other saviour for West Indies was opener Kraigg Brathwaite. He soldiered on for 60.3 overs even as the top order crumbled – they were 64 for 4 chasing 296 – to shut down Sri Lanka’s hopes of levelling the series. The hosts had a little help from a timely spell of rain as well.”Congrats as well to Kemar [Roach] and Kraigg, both reaching milestones in this Test match,” Holder said. “Three-thousand Test match [runs] as an opening batter is remarkable and obviously Kemar getting 150 wickets. Very very pleasing to see our guys getting some landmarks and hopefully they can keep pressing forward.”The other major talking point from the Test match was a ball-tampering issue that broke out on the third day. The umpires laid a complaint against Sri Lanka’s methods at maintaining the red-ball, following which they refused to take the field for two hours. Eventually, their captain Dinesh Chandimal was charged by the ICC for breaking the code of conduct.Holder would not be drawn into talking about the incident, but he did feel aggrieved that there was little communication between the officials and the West Indies team. “To be honest I wasn’t aware of what was going on early in the morning. Then we got some information of what was going on. Obviously we’ve seen what has transpired and what has come of it. I choose not to get involved with it. The game is in the control of the match referee. Just a bit disappointed with how it was handled. We basically sat around for two hours with not much information.”Holder was far more open in talking about the final Test of the series, starting on Saturday. “Its obviously a special occasion, the first day-night Test in the Caribbean. I guess the people of Barbados – I’m from Barbados as well – will come out and support us. They’re really avid cricket fans and it should be a really good spectacle at the Kensington Oval.”

Gloucestershire have announced that their Australian quick Andrew Tye will not be joining them for this season’s NatWest T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2017Gloucestershire have announced that their Australian quick Andrew Tye will not be joining them for this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.Tye signed to return for a second year but injured his left shoulder playing for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL and his recovery takes him beyond the timetable for the tournament, which starts in early July.Head coach Richard Dawson said “Andrew went home to Australia and had surgery and now he’s got to rehab his shoulder so that he can come back to full fitness. It’s disappointing for us because he performed well last year, and for him because he was doing well in the IPL. We obviously wish him a speedy recovery.”The Champions Trophy and the Caribbean Premier League complicate recruiting a replacement but we’ll get our heads together and put a plan in place. If we go for a bowler to replace Andrew it helps to manage our bowlers through a tough period, and if we register a batsman it changes the balance of the team. We’ll look at all the available options and do what is best for the squad.”Dawson also confirmed David Payne would not feature for the immediate future after having an operation to correct a niggle from a hernia.

James Pattinson summoned a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJames Pattinson’s pace cut deep through New Zealand’s top order•Getty Images

As much as this series has packed into two Test matches, one element missing was high pace. James Pattinson changed all that on the third evening at Hagley Oval, summoning a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand’s batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum’s storied international career.On a day when Neil Wagner’s persistent short-ball attack had already been rewarded with a flurry of wickets after lunch, as New Zealand restricted Australia’s first-innings lead, Pattinson showed how speed can transcend conditions. His hostility and reverse swing left the hosts 14 runs in deficit with only six wickets remaining ahead of day four.Always a rhythm bowler, Pattinson had not quite found his form on day one and also bowled the fateful no-ball that cost Australia McCullum’s wicket. This time his pace and seam position were very much in sync, accounting for Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls before boring in at McCullum.While he did not take the wicket, Pattinson gave McCullum plenty to think about and on 25, the batsman slogged at Josh Hazlewood and was wonderfully caught by David Warner at midwicket. He and Steven Smith shook the departing McCullum’s hand but both know that victory and the world No. 1 Test ranking is now within reach.Adam Voges and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had played serenely in the early part of the day, but Voges’ departure to the pull short, after the fashion of Joe Burns and Smith, heralded the loss of quick wickets. In all, Australia’s last six wickets tallied only 67.Wagner’s energy and commitment to banging the ball into the pitch was not sophisticated, but over time it worked wonders on a surface given to the occasional bout of variable pace. His celebrations grew in exuberance at each wicket, as Australia’s advantage was limited.For Voges, it was another instance of applying the sturdy, calculated approach that has brought him runs at a scarcely believable rate in recent times. Momentarily his Test batting average again cleared 100, the only man to occupy that rarified air above Sir Donald Bradman.There had been more ambitious hopes for New Zealand when play began, following up on last evening’s dual dismissals. Wagner resumed with a similar line of attack, peppering Voges and Lyon with short stuff.Partly through determination and good technique, partly due to the docile character of the pitch, the batsmen were able to stand up to this examination, as Lyon repeatedly covered the bounce and dead-batted it near his feet.Runs flowed a little more freely after those early overs, though neither batsman played with extravagance. Voges offered a neat cut shot here, a checked drive there, while Lyon worked the ball around with the earnest intent of a man who would like to bat further up the order more often.Trent Boult had one concerted lbw appeal and review against Voges, but video evidence had the ball not swinging back enough to hit the stumps. It was telling that McCullum was reduced to bowling himself with the nightwatchman at the crease, and the Hagley Oval crowd raised a cheer when he beat Lyon’s outside edge.At the other end, Williamson would tempt Lyon into following a ball angled across him, and McCullum swooped nicely for the catch. Mitchell Marsh had a 21-ball sighter before the interval, and had the potential to lift the scoring rate dramatically when play resumed.Instead it was Voges who tried to push things along, and departed when Latham timed his leap to catch a flat pull shot at midwicket. Marsh also tried to take on Wagner, and likewise arrowed a catch to the inner field on the leg side.Pattinson broke the sequence with a sliced drive to point, before Peter Nevill’s attempted upper cut settled into BJ Watling’s gloves. Josh Hazlewood offered a simple catch to McCullum at slip to hand Wagner his sixth wicket, a deserved analysis.It was immediately apparent that Pattinson was bowling with good pace and a hint of movement, and the ball was still new when he found Guptill’s outside edge. Latham and Kane Williamson endured for a while, and Australia briefly pondered a review when Jackson Bird hit the No. 3 on the back pad.Smith brought Pattinson back and he soon had Latham’s wicket when some extra bounce resulted in a glove down the leg side. Nicholls was tightened up by a disciplined line and some pronounced reverse swing, before Pattinson angled one wider and was rewarded with a waft, an edge and a catch for Smith.McCullum’s arrival was warmly received, and for a while he seemed to be building something. He eschewed the extravagance of day one, instead mixing defence with calculated attack, but Pattinson did not give him a moment’s peace as Smith allowed the spell to stretch into a seventh over.There was one raucous lbw appeal denied, and one catch turned down after replays showed the ball had gone from bat to ground to boot – shades of Marsh’s ODI dismissal in Hamilton. Eventually Pattinson was spelled, and when McCullum hoisted Hazlewood over the midwicket fence New Zealand still dreamed.Next ball, however, Warner swooped, ending a glittering career and putting the prize of top spot well and truly within Australia’s sights.