All posts by n8rngtd.top

As two opening batsmen under scrutiny for England tour places flopped, Kent’s ageless 42-year-old Darren Stevens put in a bid for the old ‘uns

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-20181:48

Surrey struggle as wickets tumble around the Championship

ScorecardJoe Denly and Nick Gubbins wasted England auditions as more unsung heroes came to the fore on a day when 19 wickets fell in the County Championship clash between Middlesex and Kent at Lord’s.Denly and Gubbins, touted as possible tourists for England’s winter trips to Sri Lanka and West Indies, both missed their cue under the watchful eye of selector James Taylor.Instead it was 42-year-old Darren Stevens who starred with ball (4-44) then bat (64) for the visitors, while James Fuller 37 not out and 3 for 47 underlined his all-round value to the Lord’s tenants. It all meant Kent closed 28 ahead with their last pair at the crease.In the era of the uncontested toss, being stuck in on a sporty September pitch against the country’s leading wicket-taker Matt Henry didn’t look to bode well for a Middlesex team who’d gleaned just nine batting points from 11 games this season – and so it proved.Henry made the initial incision aided by a poor shot from Gubbins (17) who swished one into the hands of Sean Dickson at first slip. Thereafter, it was the evergreen Stevens who took centre-stage, trapping Sam Robson lbw with his first delivery.Middlesex’s next wound was self-inflicted, Max Holden, promoted to No 3, throwing his wicket away setting off for a run which was never there, Henry running out the youngster with a direct hit from point.Stevens was then at it again dismissing Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan in quick succession and there was still time for former Middlesex quick Harry Podmore (3 for 35) to strike two further blows, Stevie Eskinazi and debutant Martin Andersson the men to fall, leaving the hosts 80 for 7 at lunch.On the resumption Middlesex’s tail found the resistance which had eluded their top order, Fuller sharing stands of 39 with Ollie Rayner (19) and 41 with last man Steven Finn (27) allowing them to scramble up to 161 all out.Not for the first time this season Middlesex took the field with too few to defend and without leading wicket-takers, James Harris (groin) and Tim Murtagh (ill).Ethan Bamber made an early breakthrough pinning Dickson in front and Steven Finn, back from injury, cut short Denly’s chance to impress when he too had an LBW shout upheld.Then it was Fuller’s time to shine, the all-rounder emulating Stevens’s feat from earlier in the day trapping Zak Crawley lbw.Dander up the former Gloucestershire man then found the edge of Daniel Bell-Drummond’s bat, wicketkeeper Eskinazi pulling off a stunning one-handed catch away to his right.Skipper Sam Billings soon became Fuller’s third victim and when Anderson scattered Heino Kuhn’s stumps the visitors had crumbled to 53 for 6.Again, though an interval came to the batting side’s rescue as Stevens came out on the offensive producing a spate of boundaries as Middlesex bowled too short.Podmore didn’t last long playing a Finn long hop to Morgan at deep backward point, but Grant Stewart, who scored a maiden first-class century against Middlesex in the reverse fixture back in June, provided strong support.The 50-stand was raised before Steven’s ninth boundary via a top edge over the keeper took him to his half century in 62 balls. The fun ended at 64 when Anderson rearranged his furniture, but Stewart’s third first-class 50 steered Kent to a precious lead.

A selection of what the media are saying following the release of the reviews into Australian cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2018Greg Baum, The AgeThe individual could only dissemble and squirm. Peever said he had taken responsibility, “voluntarily” commissioning two “independent” reports and transparently and fully releasing their contents and findings. As if he had any choice to order up the reports. As if they could credibly have been anything other than independent… And yet still presiding is the man who sat atop the previous dispensation, the one that neglected the spirit of cricket, for which he says he accepts full responsibility while everyone else cleans out their lockers and desks. Even if only as a figurehead, it is an uncomfortable position for him, incongruous in the eyes of the cricket world; in a word, untenable.Tracey Holmes, ABCCricket has become a commodity, a business, where only numbers matter, and the human element — ethics, morals and personal values — has diminished to the point of hardly being recognised. Cricket Australia did not deliberately set out to get to this position but, the Ethics Centre report suggests, it was a foreseeable consequence of the way the governing body has gone about making the success of the men’s team the measure of its reputational standing.Patrick Smith, The AustralianPeever could not middle any delivery aimed at knowing why he is still in charge of the sport when even the most sympathetic interpretation of good governance would demand he step away. The review by The Ethics Centre identified what was essentially a cultural cesspool. Deaf to advice, irrational abhorrence to defeat, crass and offensive behaviour, barely a trace of respect between officials and players. Peever, as chairman, and others within Cricket Australia, had to accept responsibility because they failed hopelessly to show appropriate leadership.Gideon Haigh, The AustralianIn a corporate model, there are external agents, such as regulators, such as institutions, such as government. Chairs resign; boards reconstitute; executives get fired, and even have bonuses clawed back. At Jolimont, somehow, a small elite award themselves promotions, new terms, fat benefits, cheery farewells. Let’s not forget that the only reason we have been afforded this glimpse of the degree of cricket’s organisational dysfunction is because a vigilant cameraman spied a cricketer scratching a cricket ball; otherwise CA would still be stumbling along counting its millions, oblivious to the players’ discomfiture and the public’s discontent.Sam Perry, The GuardianIt is a wicked problem for the governing body. Already under pressure from a sceptical public to enact concrete change following Dr Longstaff’s findings, any decision to uphold the player bans without requisite and tangible leadership accountability would smack of the precise double-standards they stand accused of in the culture review. Should their executive survival instinct remain strong, another route would be to reduce the bans applied to the trio, though it would infer poor original judgment. But it takes special mental gymnastics to at once reform a “win at all costs” attitude, and to simultaneously conclude that Smith and Warner deserve an early return. Australia will of course win more games with these two in the side.Robert Craddock, News CorpAdministrators can pound the pulpit as much as they like but the success of any renewed push for the spirit of cricket rests squarely on the shoulders of the players. Passion tends to be at its strongest at the start of projects. If player commitment is patchy now, how will it be when the battle starts? The most significant part of the review is Australia is now a prisoner of its own improved standards. The bar has been lifted. The standard has been set. Now, can anybody bat?

England ended the longest winless streak in overseas Tests in their history with a crushing victory over Sri Lanka

The Report by George Dobell at Galle09-Nov-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland ended the longest winless streak in overseas Tests in their history with a crushing victory over Sri Lanka. England’s win was not only their largest in terms of runs over Sri Lanka (though there have been innings victories) but their first in Galle. It was their first win in 14 overseas Tests stretching back to the 22-run victory over Bangladesh in Chittagong in October 2016.For all the talk of “risk taking” and “courage” ahead of this Test, the key difference in this game were two old-school innings played by English batsmen. Ben Foakes, in the first innings, and Keaton Jennings, in the second, made patient, disciplined centuries that put a distance between the sides that Sri Lanka never threatened to close.There were other valuable, if less eye-catching performances for England. Moeen Ali finished with match figures of 8 for 137 – his best in an overseas Test – while Jack Leach took three second-innings wickets. Ben Stokes followed his half-century in England’s second innings, a performance which took some pressure of the more sedate Jennings, with some hostile bowling on the fourth day which deserved rather more than the one wicket it gathered. He also took three smart chances in the slips.But Sri Lanka will surely rue an oddly ill-disciplined second innings that included several soft dismissals. While their openers survived the first hour of the day without undue alarm, the drinks break appeared to disturb that concentration. Kaushal Silva attempted to sweep a ball from Leach that pitched on middle stump and was adjudged leg before. To compound the error, Silva squandered a review in his attempt to have the decision overturned.A few minutes later Dimuth Karunaratne, one of the few men in this side with the temperament to bat for several sessions, skipped down the pitch and drilled a return catch to Moeen. Karunaratne’s intention, no doubt, was to push back the mid-on and mid-off fielders and, perhaps, put Moeen off his length. But with Sri Lanka chasing a notional target of 464 – or, more realistically, batting as long as they could in the hope that rain came to their rescue – it appeared an oddly aggressive stroke.Perhaps Moeen had earned the batsman’s lack of composure. He had almost dismissed Karunaratne with his second delivery of the day – a nicely flighted offbreak that demanded a stroke but then turned away to take the outside edge – only to see Stokes, at slip, put down a chance he would expect to take every time. Stokes was, perhaps, distracted by wicketkeeper Foakes making a move for the ball.But perhaps that indiscipline was best typified in the afternoon session when Kusal Mendis sliced to mid-off. Mendis had got away with a mis-hit drive the previous ball: spotting Moeen about 30 yards off the long-off boundary, he skipped down the pitch and drove Leach just over the fielder’s head. But in attempting a repeat to the next delivery, he gifted Moeen a simple catch.Jack Leach made two big breakthroughs in the afternoon•AFP

It was a nice piece of bowling to lure Mendis into the drive and spin the ball away from his stroke and a nice piece of captaincy to place the fielder in a position where the batsman felt he could clear him. But it really was an oddly obliging stroke for a man who should have been batting to save a Test.But if Mendis and co were, to an extent at least, the architects of their own downfall, Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella were the victims of lovely pieces of bowling. Chandimal, perhaps incapacitated by the groin strain that must render him a doubt for the Kandy Test, was drawn forward by a delivery, bowled around the wicket, that drifted towards middle and leg and gripped off the pitch and clipped the top of off stump. Dickwella was dismissed the ball after tea: drawn forward by an offbreak that turned to kiss the outside edge.The frustration for Sri Lanka was that England were, for much of the day, not at their best. Anderson’s dropping of Angelo Mathews, on 17, at midwicket was scant reward for a terrifically sustained spell of hostile short bowling from Stokes that defied the docility of the surface, while Stokes’ drop of Karunaratne was as simple as it was out of character.Adil Rashid and Leach, initially at least, also struggled with their length with Moeen easily the most penetrative of the bowlers.While Mathews resisted to post his second half-century of the match – the first time he had done so since the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch in 2014 – when he was out, turning one that seemed to stop on him to midwicket, Sri Lanka’s last hopes departed with him. As if to rub in the hopelessness of the situation, the sun came out to banish any thought that the rain may come to Sri Lanka’s assistance.Play had began on time despite a torrential overnight downpour. England arrived slightly late at the ground in the expectation of a delay but, so well was the playing surface covered, that no time was lost. Perhaps Sri Lanka could count themselves unfortunate. Hardly a day on England’s tour has been unaffected by rain ahead of this match but not an over in this game was lost.Rangana Herath survived the indignity of being out first ball in his final match – he reviewed Marais Erasmus’ decision – but was soon run out as his legs failed him in attempting a second. He deserved a better ending, no doubt, but his reputation is assured. He leaves Sri Lanka cricket with great memories but, perhaps, some worrying days ahead.

D’Arcy Short is the only player with international experience, while only eight of the twelve named have played first-class cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2018Sam Whiteman, the Western Australia wicketkeeper-batsman, will lead the Cricket Australia XI that will take on India in a four-day tour match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.The match, scheduled from November 28 to December 1, will serve as a warm-up for the Indian team before the first Test in Adelaide that starts from December 6.D’Arcy Short is the only player with international experience in the twelve named, with the squad comprised mostly of younger players, including four members of the Under-19 team that finished runners up in the World Cup earlier this year. Only eight of the players selected have played first-class cricket previously.The team selected could also change, with Cricket Australia adding a rider that “The team is subject to players earning state selection for Round 5 of the JLT Sheffield Shield competition, commencing on 27 November.”Graeme Hick, the batting coach of the senior team, will be the head coach of this side with Sridharan Sriram, the national team’s spin consultant, appointed the assistant coach.Greg Chappell, the chairman of the Youth Selection Panel and the national talent manager, said the squad was one that offered plenty of options.”This is an excellent opportunity for these talented players to test themselves against India, the number one Test team in the world,” Chappell said. “It’s a versatile squad, with a number of players capable of contributing with bat and ball. D’Arcy Short and Param Uppal both offer valuable spin bowling, alongside their batting, with Aaron Hardie and Jonathan Merlo both capable middle-order batsmen who offer a seam-bowling option.”Many of the players in this squad have previously played in a Cricket Australia XI during their career, and eight have played Sheffield Shield cricket. We know this is a chance for our emerging players to display their skills against a world-class opponent, and we look forward to seeing what they can do against India.”Cricket Australia XI squad: Sam Whiteman (capt), Max Bryant, Jake Carder, Jackson Coleman, Harry Conway, Daniel Fallins, David Grant, Aaron Hardie, Jonathan Merlo, Harry Nielsen (wk), D’Arcy Short, Param Uppal

Dean Elgar says opening the batting in South Africa is the toughest job in Test cricket but that is also what makes it the most satisfying

Liam Brickhill28-Dec-2018Given arguably the hardest job in Test cricket – that of opener in South African conditions – Dean Elgar has forged a reputation as a batsman of extremely durable disposition. His fifty against a bristling Pakistan seam attack – albeit missing Mohammad Abbas’ wiles – on a variegated, helpful Centurion track was vital in setting up South Africa’s 1-0 series lead, but Elgar admitted that despite a target of 149, the chase “could have gone either way”.”Fortune was on our side,” he said after a 119-run stand with Hashim Amla that had to endure several moments of alarm. “We mentioned it yesterday, while we were fielding, that we need so much luck in this game actually. The wicket has obviously had a lot of favour for the bowlers, and as a batting unit you just needed something to go your way.Elgar was the recipient of the most opinion-splitting call of the game when he edged Shaheeh Afridi low to Azhar Ali’s right at first slip, only for the on-field umpire’s soft signal of ‘out’ to be overturned by TV umpire Joel Wilson when replays appeared to show the ball in contact with the ground. Or not, depending on your point of view.”You don’t see a lot when you turn around,” he said. “At first glance, you go on the [fielders’] reaction. The umpires obviously have the final say. Well, the third umpire did. It’s out of my hands. I don’t make any decisions. You’ve got to trust the people in power to make the right calls. And you need a bit of luck to go your way. Thankfully it went our way, and now we’re sitting here at 1-0 going to Cape Town.”Elgar eventually found his groove and even added a little adventure to his knock with a loft straight back over the bowler Hasan Ali’s head to move through the 40s. But it was never easy.”They need to triple my salary, and Aiden’s as well, because it’s hard work in South Africa.” he joked “It’s definitely the toughest place in the world to bat, I can vouch for that now. But that’s what makes the job so satisfying once you get through the tough times. You look back at those tough times and you really enjoy them. The beer tastes a lot better, I can tell you that. It’s very rewarding when you get through those tough times.”Faf du Plessis tosses the ball•Associated Press

As well as being tested outside off stump, Elgar was struck several times on the arm and body as he fended at rising deliveries from Pakistan’s quicks. After he was dismissed, he watched the proceedings with an ice-pack on his arm – though he may have swapped that for a cold drink once the game was won.”I might have an armguard for the next game. We’ll just have to see what the wicket’s going to play like. But it’s ok. I’ve been hit there many a time in my career, and it’s never pleasant. I know the guys in the changeroom appreciate the work I do, and that makes it heal a little easier. And it’s always nice to ice it with a nice cold beer knowing that we’ve won the game.”Elgar’s sentiments were echoed by captain Faf du Plessis, who argued that seam-friendly wickets ultimately suit a South African team richly blessed with fast bowlers. “We understand that home conditions are not perfect for batting,” he said. “The wickets that we want to play on are wickets that assist our seam bowling attack. We’ve got the best bowling attack, statistically, in the world, so it would be stupid not to try and make use of that. If that makes life tough for us as batters, and it’s a little harder to score runs, as long as we’re winning games I’ll definitely smile at the end of it.””I think I make it look a lot tougher,” Elgar added. “I think I give the bowlers a lot of false hope, and they’re like ‘I’m in here with Elgar, I can get him out’. Obviously I proved them wrong. But it was tough. Pakistan have really brought some very good seamers. It was hard work. It was right up there as another tough but satisfying and successful day for us. But yeah, it could be a lot easier for us if we go with better batting wickets, which I doubt is going to happen.”Despite his bruises, Elgar also managed a smile during a light-hearted post-match press conference. He has ended the year rather similar to the way he started it against India in January, when he carried his bat on a very testing track at the Wanderers. Elgar suggested that surviving that experience helped him here, but insisted “they’re all tough”, and that the final result made all the difference to him.”Either way, they’re all tough,” he said. “I’d rather bat on this wicket because we won, and that wicket at Wanderers we lost. Different scenarios, but all mightily challenging. But there’s always a rainbow somewhere. The Wanderers experience has potentially helped me through this one.”

Whereas Australia’s bugbear has been their inability to push past the 300-run barrier twice in a row

The Preview by Shashank Kishore17-Jan-20190:49

Agarkar: Would be great if India pick Chahal

Big Picture

Shaun Marsh can’t buy a run in Tests these days, but has four centuries in his last eight ODI innings. MS Dhoni couldn’t score a single ODI half-century in 2018, but has begun 2019 with back-to-back ones, also finishing the second ODI with a six in the final over. Twitterverse thinks this is a roll back to 2009, their version of the #10yearschallenge in action: scoring runs then, scoring runs now.The reality is Marsh needs these runs to stave off competition after losing his Test spot, while Dhoni continues to receive firm backing from his captain, even as the clamour for Rishabh Pant’s inclusion in the shorter formats reaches fever pitch. The concerns for both teams, though, are elsewhere.Australia’s is their inability to push past the 300-run barrier twice in a row. In Adelaide, a clutch of middle-order wickets on the face of superb death bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar denied them a final kick. In Sydney, they had a middle-overs lift courtesy Peter Handscomb, but couldn’t capitalise on it. Can Glenn Maxwell be that man?Justin Langer believes he is best suited at No. 7 presently. This puts the onus equally on Marcus Stoinis to do the heavy lifting. This could be tricky at times, if the top order takes its time to consolidate. In the first two games, Australia made 138 for 3 and 141 for 4 at the 30-over mark. This leaves the lower order little breathing space if they are to push towards 330, quite the norm in ODIs these days – most-certainly will be at the World Cup in England.Another headache that is growing with every passing game is Aaron Finch’s form and his shortcomings against the incoming delivery. His return to form will give the middle order some breathing space.ALSO READ: Finch just ‘needs a few breaks’ to turn form around – LangerIt’s not all hunky-dory for India. They need to find an ideal sixth bowler, and have Vijay Shankar, the seam-bowling allrounder, and Kedar Jadhav’s round-armish offspin to choose from. Desperation forced Virat Kohli to turn to Ambati Rayudu, who was reported for an illegal action in Sydney. In Adelaide, he had to bowl out the expensive Mohammed Siraj for a lack of options.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWLWL
India WLWWL

In the spotlight

One of Yuzvendra Chahal‘s hallmark was his wicket-taking ability, but they’ve dried up in recent times. He has featured just once in India’s last 10 limited-overs matches, when Kuldeep Yadav was rested. In his last 11 ODIs since June 2018, Chahal has managed just 13 wickets at an average of 37.84. MCG’s big boundaries could tempt the team management into bringing him back. That said, from once being touted one half of India’s new wristspinners’ combine, he finds himself on the crossroads.Adam Zampa hasn’t been a limited-overs regular, but he’s spent time in various franchise-based T20 competitions while away. He was Essex’s top T20 wicket-taker in the 2018 season, claiming 12 scalps at an average of 20.75. At the BBL this season, he’s been in steady wicket-taking form, conceding a highest of 32 in his four-overs quota across five games, while going wicketless in only one outing. Friday presents him a big chance to stake a claim as the first-choice tweaker.Aaron Finch’s lean form continued when he fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar•Getty Images

Team news

Jason Behrendorff has pulled up with a sore back and will rest, while Nathan Lyon has been left out after going wicketless in the first two ODIs. Billy Stanlake and legspinner Adam Zampa will slot into the XI. Kane Richardson will join the squad as fast bowling cover.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Alex Carey (wk), 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Jhye Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Billy StanlakeKedar Jadhav or Vijay Shankar could come into the fray at No. 6, with MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik moving up a spot. If India do bring in an allrounder to shore up their sixth-bowler quota, Ambati Rayudu is likely to miss out.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 MS Dhoni (wk) 5 Dinesh Karthik, 6 Kedar Jadhav/Vijay Shankar, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Mohammed Shami

Pitch and conditions

It’s a drop-in surface, as is the norm. That means there will be true bounce and some zip for the fast bowlers. Spinners will come into the picture owing to large boundaries. Weather-wise, it promises to be nowhere near as hot as Adelaide, where it touched 41 degrees. A high of 27 and a low of 16 degrees should make it that much more comfortable to run the extra twos and threes.

Stats and trivia

• Aaron Finch has had a woeful home season across formats. In 15 innings, he’s managed just one half-century, and made 228 runs at an average of 15.20. Eight of these have been single-digit scores, with two ducks.
• India have lost each of their last three ODIs at the MCG against Australia. Overall, India have lost nine of their 14 ODIs at this venue against the hosts. Their last win was in the CB series in 2008, when they won by five wickets, chasing 160.
• Kuldeep Yadav’s strike rate drops to a wicket every 65 balls in final games of bilateral ODI series, a far cry from his career strike rate of roughly 26 balls per wicket. This is an indication that batsmen tend to work him out as a series nears completion.

Quotes

“It’s been a while since we’ve won a series either home or away. Coming up against a really powerful line-up, there’s been some real positives, particularly with the bat in these two games. There’s been a lot of improvement over the last eight to 10 months to be really proud of in these two games.”
Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain“It’s not a worry. They’re young blokes. They just came in and, of course, we back them. That’s how they are going to learn. When they play against a good side, if they go for runs, that’s when they lift up themselves because they think more about the game and strategies and that’s how they will be become more mature players.”

Fast bowler agrees three-year county deal after impressing while at Derbyshire last season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2019Duanne Olivier has taken “possibly the most difficult decision” ever, becoming the latest high-profile South African cricketer to turn his back on international cricket.Olivier, who played in the recent Test series defeat against Sri Lanka at home, has agreed a three-year county deal with Yorkshire – subject to clearance through Kolpak regulations – and will link up with his new team-mates for the first time during their fortnight-long pre-season tour to Potchefstroom early next month.”My decision might be difficult for some to understand but being a professional cricket player is a short-lived career and in order for me to make the most of all my opportunities, I had to consider all my options,” the 26-year-old said in a statement on Instagram.An aggressive fast bowler, Olivier made his Test debut in Johannesburg in January 2017 – ironically as a replacement for Kyle Abbott, who signed a Kolpak deal with Hampshire – and has since taken 48 wickets in ten Tests at an average of 19.25. He featured in two Tests on South Africa’s tour of England in July and August 2017, at Trent Bridge and Old Trafford, and returned to the country in 2018 as an overseas player for Derbyshire.”I came over to the UK last year and thoroughly enjoyed my time playing county cricket,” Olivier told the Yorkshire website. “I have since realised I could happily base myself there for the foreseeable future.”I was originally looking to come back as an overseas player but when I got a long-term offer from Yorkshire as a Kolpak, I knew that signing for the club would be the best option for both myself and my family. I am a bowler that wants to keep pushing myself to see how far I can go and as I enter my prime I want to be in the best possible situation to grow. Another big reason was the longevity of my career.”Nevertheless, the decision was a hard one for Olivier to take, especially given his current international form. In December 2018, he took 24 wickets across three Tests against Pakistan and was named Man of the Series. He backed that up with seven wickets in the 2-0 series defeat against Sri Lanka, after which he rose to No. 19 in the ICC’s Test bowling rankings.”I would say I’ve been in good form for the last few years. It has definitely been my most consistent period and I think my stats could attest to that,” he said. “I have definitely enjoyed playing Test cricket. The Pakistan tour was by far my standout tour. I loved every moment of that tour. It’s definitely one I won’t forget.”I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a difficult decision to make,” he added. “It’s giving up playing for my country with no guarantees of playing international cricket again. But at the end of the day, I needed to be true to myself. I’ve only got this one chance to see where my talent can take me and Yorkshire just felt right to me.”Despite a reputation as a deck-hitting out-and-out quick, Olivier said that he could be a bowler who performs multiple roles for his new team.”I can be whatever type of bowler the team needs me to be. I think there is a lot of stigma around the fact that people think I can only bowl short balls because that is what I’ve done in Test matches. And it couldn’t be further from the truth. If my team has asked me to bowl short, that’s what I’ll do,” he said.”I will fill the enforcer role if needed, and sometimes the team will need me to be a back-up, where my job is to tire out and frustrate the batsmen so that another strike bowler may come and take the wicket. I think my strength lies in my flexibility to fill whatever role is required of me. I do like to be the guy the captain goes to when things get tough. And I prefer bowling longer spells.”Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, said: “We’re delighted that Duanne has agreed to join us. He’s a proven wicket-taker as we’ve seen in the series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka recently. He’s also got genuine pace so he gives us a different dimension within our seam bowling attack. We’re mindful that we’ve got some talented young seamers, but several of them have had injuries so we have to manage them carefully over the next couple of years. It gives us that strength in depth to compete on all fronts.”To get someone of Duanne’s ability is a huge boost and we’re all looking forward to him joining us. He will meet the lads in Potchefstroom for about six days and the plan is for him to get over here in time for the Leeds-Bradford MCCU game.”We hope it’s going to be a long-term signing, it’s for an initial three years but we’re hoping it will be for longer than that. As a person in the dressing room, I think he’ll be really strong for us. I think the fact he’s giving up international cricket for South Africa to play here shows his commitment and I think he’ll be a great asset for us.”He played for Derbyshire and we were impressed with what we saw. We’ve tracked his career in South Africa and obviously he has been selected for the Test team and we’ve seen what he’s capable of in international cricket. He’s an impressive man as well as a cricketer and he’s very ambitious going forwards.”Yorkshire’s first XI coach Andrew Gale said: “Duanne has been on the radar for a while. We’ve kept our eye on him and he’s obviously had a fantastic time over the winter in South Africa. To sign someone of his quality will be a great addition to our squad.”We want the young, Yorkshire bowlers to come through, the likes of Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher, Josh Shaw and Matthew Waite, but at this moment in time I’m not sure they can handle the workload of playing every game. To bring in an experienced bowler like Duanne will take the pressure off them. He’s a proven wicket-taker, a man who is right at the top of his game and in great form at the moment.”To be successful, particularly in championship cricket, you need to have seven or eight front-line seamers. Playing most of our cricket up north at Emerald Headingley, Scarborough and York this year, the pitches are going to offer a bit to seamers. We need strength and depth and we’ve certainly got that now.”We watched him bowl for Derbyshire last year, and he did really well. To sign a guy who is right at the top of his game, in his prime is fantastic, and he will fit in really well.”

England star out of contract at Lancashire at end of season, having left Somerset at the end of 2013

George Dobell14-Apr-2019Jos Buttler is considering a move back to Somerset, the club he supported as a boy and where he developed as a young player.Buttler, who is out of contract at Lancashire at the end of this season, left Somerset at the end of the 2013 season – after he had played
international cricket – as his opportunities to keep wicket were blocked by the presence of Craig Kieswetter.Now, however, with his place in the England side established in all formats of the game, he is understood to be tempted by a move back down south. He retains several close friends in the Somerset side – not least Jack Leach, who has never made any secret of his desire to persuade Buttler back to Taunton – and has family in the area.Buttler has also retained a long-term relationship with Cooper Associates – Somerset’s principal sponsors whose main office is just across the road from the ground – with some at the club very confident the deal will be confirmed before the end of the season.While Somerset supporters shouldn’t expect to see too much of Buttler – he has played 16 first-class games (12 as keeper), 35 T20s and four
List A games for Lancashire in five seasons – there would be delight among them if a local favourite could be brought back into the fold.It might also prove relevant ahead of the launch of The Hundred in 2020. While England players are expected to be available for few games
– perhaps three or four, at best – Buttler, as one of the best short-form players in the world, would have to be considered a major drawcard to the Cardiff-based side which will also represent the teams of Somerset and Gloucestershire.

Batsman Crawley and bowler Brookes show more than a hint of good things to come

George Dobell11-Apr-2019Kent 367 for 5 (Crawley 108, Kuhn 72, Robinson 59*) v Warwickshire
It’s often said – and it’s often said correctly – that these early season Championship games provide little value in the production of Test cricketers.All too often such matches are defined by the seam-friendly surfaces on which they are played and dominated by medium-paced bowlers who exploit those conditions. It can be entertaining, certainly, but it doesn’t bear much comparison with conditions prevalent in Test cricket.But on a fine, straw-coloured surface a young batsman from Kent and a young bowler from Warwickshire not only fought out an enjoyable battle for control of this game, but provided encouragement for the future of England’s Test team.On the day, the battle was won by Zak Crawley. In producing the second first-class century of his career, the 21-year-old provided notice of both his ability and strength of mind in helping his side to a strong position in the match.The first thing you notice about Crawley is his height. Standing at six foot, six inches he clearly has the reach to smother deliveries others cannot and a pleasing ability to deal – usually dismissively – with the short ball. But it is, perhaps, the straightness of his play and judgement over which balls to leave which marks him out as slightly unusual in the day and age of the dasher.He can play, elegantly, off front and back foot and has both a range of stroke and patience that bode well for his future. Those who know him at Kent talk of his ambition and, while it is premature of talk of an England call-up, James Taylor, watching on in his role as an England selector, can only have been impressed.While the figures hardly suggest it, Henry Brookes was almost as encouraging. Aged just 19 and playing the seventh first-class game of his career, he was the quickest of Warwickshire’s attack and, in generating swing and bounce, underlined the huge hopes his club have of him.Given just a little fortune, he would have dismissed Crawley for 46. The ball he produced, demanding a stroke and leaving the batsman late, was pretty much perfect. But Dom Sibley, at second slip, was unable to cling on to a tough, low chance which may not quite have reached him. It may yet prove to be a pivotal moment in the game. Sibley also dropped Darren Stevens, on 14, in the dying moments of the day.That moment apart, the only other time Crawley appeared troubled was as he neared his century. The nerves clearly began to tell as the milestone approach and it wasn’t a complete surprise when, shortly after reaching it (from 165 balls with 17 fours), he was caught behind off the inside edge as Jeetan Patel gained just a little turn to take advantage of an uncharacteristic gate between bat and pad.There were half-centuries, too, from Heino Kuhn and Ollie Robinson. While Kuhn’s was no surprise – he has played international cricket, after all – 20-year-old Robinson lost little by comparison. This was easily his best innings at this level to date and, in timing the ball sweetly, he suggested he could enjoy a long career at this level.Warwickshire may feel they could have bowled tighter. While their bowlers beat the edge on several occasions – once the first new ball went out of shape and was replaced by one that swung, anyway – there were a few too many release deliveries to build any meaningful pressure.There were moments when they seemed to get it all together – not least in a spell when they claimed three for 35 in mid-afternoon – but a stand of 119 for the fifth-wicket between Kuhn and Robinson ensured that Kent could look back on their decision to bat first – something of a rarity at this time of year – with satisfaction.Earlier Sean Dickson poked one to gully, Matt Renshaw was drawn into driving one that left him sharply – Craig Miles’ first Championship wicket for his new team – and Daniel Bell-Drummond edged one that left him slightly. Kent wore black armbands throughout the day in honour of Bell-Drummond’s older brother, Paul, who died on Wednesday after an illness.With Warwickshire suffering from something of an injury epidemic, they recalled Tom Milnes, a seamer they had released in 2015. Milnes subsequently joined Derbyshire but was also released by them in 2017. He had trials at a few counties in 2018 – and played a few games for Sussex seconds – but is now with Warwickshire on a match-by-match basis.He may win more opportunities in the coming weeks. Chris Woakes will play a one-day game for the seconds next week, but is not expected to play any first-class cricket ahead of the World Cup, while Olly Stone has just been cleared to start his rehabilitation after sustaining a stress fracture and is not expected to be available until mid-season. Aaron Thomason, who would have played here but for a pectoral injury, is out for between four to six weeks, with Liam Norwell out for roughly the same amount of time.There were some familiar faces at Edgbaston, too. With a book – The Greatest Season, by Pat Murphy – being launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Warwickshire’s treble-winning season, several of that team’s players were gathered to mark the occasion and hold a Q&A session with supporters. Those involved included the likes of Dermot Reeve, Gladstone Small and Asif Din. Ashley Giles, at the time a junior member of the Warwickshire staff, but now the director of England’s men’s teams, came along to sit quietly at the back and listen.

Despite Australia’s battery of quicks, the legspinner believes the two slower bowlers can play a vital role together in the World Cup

Melinda Farrell20-May-2019Australia’s attention turned to spin in their build-up to the Men’s World Cup, with Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon the focus of the second training session in London. While Australia’s bowling strength in the 50-over format has undoubtedly been pace in the post-Shane Warne era, legspinner Zampa believes spin will play a key role in their upcoming campaign and revealed how he and Lyon – who were both part of Australia’s recent eight-game undefeated streak against India and Pakistan – have worked closely on their partnership.”I think it was a few months ago where we actually spoke to each other and said, ‘I reckon we can play a huge role coming up in the World Cup together so let’s do everything we can to make sure we’re both there’,” Zampa said. “So we’ve communicated really well over the last few months. We speak a lot in the nets, we speak a lot in the field, just about whatever – anything – spin bowling, field settings or how the ball’s going to come out. Just anything. So we communicate a lot and really well.”Zampa, who averages 35.45 at a strike rate of 38.00, has been the first-choice spinner for Australia in ODIs after a string of options were used with varying success while Lyon, who came to prominence in T20 cricket after a breakout season with South Australia, has been preferred in Test cricket and has often been overlooked in white-ball formats. But while Australia rarely opt for two spinners outside the subcontinent, Zampa believes that could change in England.”It’s definitely going to play a role with the smaller grounds,” Zampa said. “I think the way we have been playing lately, we’ve been loading up a little bit towards the back end, so to have those wickets in hand is really important. So I guess stopping the [opposition] spinners from getting wickets in the middle overs is really important and obviously vice versa for us, for me and Nath to bowl well.”I love playing with Nath. We play two different roles. He’s so accurate, beautiful offspinner. Bowls to his field really well, bowls really tight, and it means I can attack from the other end. So I really, really like bowling with ‘Gaz’. I think it’s going to play a huge role for us sometime throughout the World Cup. I don’t know if it will be every game but I definitely see us playing a huge role together.”Nathan Lyon appeals successfully•Getty Images

Zampa was overlooked for Australia’s ODI tour of England in 2018, which they lost 5-0, but picked up a contract playing T20 cricket in The Blast for Essex, an experience he hopes to draw from in the coming months.”I absolutely loved my time there,” he said. “It was really tough and I think the added pressure of being an overseas player, you’ve got to really perform. So I found playing under those conditions and that pressure really good for me. Small ground. Chelmsford is probably the smallest ground in the world if you’ve ever been there, so yeah, that was enjoyable.”As the role of spin has developed in ODI cricket, so has Australia’s use of spinners. Zampa believes he has more licence to be attacking during the middle overs under captain Aaron Finch, even if it means leaking runs. That’s the kind of confidence he admires in the England camp and he views Adil Rashid as something of a role model.”Adil Rashid is someone that, you know, I could almost base my career around his,” Zampa said. “He’s been in and out of the team when he was a lot younger, he’s probably a little bit of a different bowler than I am but England have really backed him in. From looking from afar they’ve almost said to him, ‘you’re playing every game for the next couple of years until the World Cup is over.’ So he goes 1 for 80, 3 for 80, he’s a genuine wicket-taker for England and he’s probably had some ups and downs in his career too, but he’s someone I’ve really enjoyed watching bowl and he’s had a lot of success in England.”Australia’s first World Cup match is against Afghanistan in Bristol, a match that will likely pit Zampa against another player he admires and has observed closely, Rashid Khan. The pair spent time together during the most recent BBL series in a session that Zampa found both informative and humbling.”I had a bowl with Rash after a [Melbourne] Stars versus [Adelaide] Strikers game this year and I was always intrigued with Rash,” Zampa said. “I was like, ‘I love watching this guy so I’m going to pull him aside and have a bowl with him’ and, to his credit, he spent about 45 minutes with me and at the end of it I was so glad I did that because now I know that I would never ever be able to bowl like Rashid Khan.”Perhaps not, but Australia will undoubtedly hope that bowling like Adam Zampa is good enough to help them win a World Cup.