The only optimistic note on a grey day at Old Trafford was that Tom Smith’s back operation had been a success. Smith, appointed Lancashire captain in February, has led them in just one championship game

Paul Edwards06-Jul-2015Lancashire 96 for 4 v Essex
ScorecardNews that Tom Smith’s back operation promised to be a success lifted a grey Manchester day•Getty Images

As the clans gathered at Cardiff and Yorkshire ran through Warwickshire quicker than stomach trouble on a campsite, one did not have to be a cricketing paranoid to think that the main action was taking place many miles away from Emirates Old Trafford this damp Monday.The only optimistic note of the grey afternoon was struck when it was reported that Tom Smith ‘s back operation had been a success. Smith was appointed Lancashire captain in February but has been able to lead his team in just one championship game this season.Yet the 25.4 overs that were possible on the first day of Lancashire’s Division Two match against Essex were important to players in both teams. By common agreement Lancashire produced their worst championship cricket of the season in last week’s grimy draw against Northamptonshire. Glamorgan, third, may trail by 50 points but they have a couple of games in hand and still have to play Lancashire twice. Ashley Giles will be on the lookout for the least speck of complacency among his players.And as Glamorgan fought their own battle against the weather in the urban pastoral of Queen’s Park, Chesterfield, they may have been heartened to hear of Lancashire’s struggle to a very moderate 96 for 4 against Essex on a day when James Porter added Paul Horton and Karl Brown to the 15 opening batsmen he had already sent packing this season.Porter bowls with a commendably high action and he is not scared to pitch the ball up. Those qualities may have led to him being milked for a few boundaries as the openers added 48 in 8.2 overs on the first morning but they also helped him achieve his successes.The first of these came when Horton pushed forward at a ball which moved enough off the seam to catch the outside edge and fly to the safe hands of Jesse Ryder at first slip; the second arrived just two balls later as Porter’s bounce surprised Karl Brown with the resulting nick being safely cupped by second slip Liam Dawson.If that catch helped Dawson feel that he belonged in the first game of his one-month loan from Hampshire, what happened over the next 15 overs may have turned him into an adopted son of Southend. Summoned into the attack by James Foster in the 16th over of Lancashire’s innings, the slow left-armer’s third ball had Alviro Petersen leg before for 14 when he played back to a delivery to which he might have gone forward.Having lunched on a moderate 92 for 3, the home side’s innings trespassed into outright mediocrity when Ashwell Prince tried to pull the first ball of the afternoon session to the boundary but only bottom-edged it onto his stumps. That gave Dawson his second wicket of a day which was soon to be cut short by the weather. A typically pugnacious clout over mid-on by the new batsman, Alex Davies, was the last scoring shot before a shower sent the players back to the pavilion just before two o’clock.

Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery but he was run out off the last delivery

George Dobell26-Jun-2015
ScorecardRecordo Gordon took career-best figures to help Birmingham win a low-scoring contest•PA Photos

It was the sort of night where it paid to take it slowly.After an accident on M6 stretched Birmingham’s journey time above six hours – this game started half-an-hour late as a result – the teams found themselves playing this match on a dry, used pitch that rewarded spinners, cutters and bowlers who take pace off the ball.Perhaps it rewarded patience, too. A game that, by T20 standards, dragged for long portions – Birmingham hit only five fours after the first 37 balls of their innings – eventually rose to an exciting conclusion with Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery. A mis-hit drive straight to mid-off resulted in a run-out as the batsmen attempted an almost impossible second to secure the tie.Victory, their 12th in 14 completed T20 games, takes Birmingham top of the table, though only three points separate the top four. Lancashire have now lost five of their nine T20 games this season. Only Middlesex and Derbyshire have lost more.But it seems a shame that a high-profile game – these sides were last year’s finalists and this game was televised – should be played on a pitch that did so little to encourage attacking strokeplay.Not that there is not a certain value – and charm – to these low-scoring contests. There will be times, in Asia in particular, when England teams play on such surfaces and the next World T20 is in India. Perhaps such matches offer perfect preparation.But was it the sort of surface to attract new spectators to the game? And isn’t that the point of T20 cricket? After an ODI series drenched in boundaries appeared to have revived interest in the sport, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that this was another own-goal by domestic cricket.It is not necessarily the groundsman’s fault. The huge amount of cricket required from their squares renders it almost inevitable that pitches will be reused and reduces the amount of preparation time for each track. Television coverage might also have been relevant here: cameras set-up for the ODI – played on the same pitch – would not have to have been moved by using the same surface. Perhaps there is something to be said for playing more games at out grounds?Bearing in mind the surface, it was particularly impressive that a young fast bowler should scoop his second Man-of-the-Match award in succession. Like all fast bowlers, 23-year-old Recordo Gordon loves to bowl with pace. But here, realising that such a tactic would be self-defeating, he unveiled a range of cutters and slowers balls – including a particularly good slower ball bouncer – that left batsmen struggling to pick up his length or settle against him. A haul of 4 for 20 was reward for an admirably mature, calm and skilful performance.Gordon also hit the only six of the Birmingham innings. Bearing in mind the margin of victory, it proved an important contribution.Winning the toss helped Birmingham. By the time Lancashire realised what sort of surface they were playing on, Birmingham had plundered 49 from the Powerplay with Brendon McCullum, on debut, thumping three successive boundaries and helping contribute to the highest partnership of the match. Varun Chopra’s 40 and Willaim Porterfield’s 36 were the highest individual scores of the game.But once Lancashire’s three spinners came into play, run-scoring became far more difficult. They delivered 12 of the next 14 overs and Birmingham never again scored more than eight from an over and added only 50 in their final eight overs. Stephen Parry, England’s seemingly forgotten left-arm spinner, was particularly impressive in conceding just 19 from his four overs; reward for his control and his excellent variations.While the target appeared modest, Lancashire rarely looked as if they would overhaul it. Paul Horton was run out after a hesitation, Ashwell Prince carved straight to the fielder and Steven Croft slog-swept to deep backward square. Although James Faulkner, who added 39 with Jordan Clark, looked as if he might power Lancashire to victory, his drive to mid-off made life extremely tough.Birmingham, confidence soaring from their run of success, have become expert at applying pressure in the field, with the young legspinner, Josh Poysden, complementing the reliable Jeetan Patel.Lancashire might reflect that their fielding cost them, by comparison to Birmingham, half-a-dozen runs. It was a fault highlighted by their coach, Ashley Giles, early in the tournament and, while it has improved, it remains some way below the current T20 champions. In games decided by such small margins, it is a crucial factor.

India fast bowler Sreesanth broke down with relief after hearing of his acquittal, and vowed to get back to cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2015On hearing of his acquittal in the IPL spot-fixing case by a trial court in Delhi, India fast bowler Sreesanth broke down with relief. He is still facing a BCCI life ban but has vowed to get back to cricket.”I was just thinking when I took the World Cup catch [that clinched the 2007 World T20], I never thought, ‘Why me’,” he said. “But today honestly I thought, ‘Why me, for two years’ but maybe there is a reason. I just couldn’t control my tears, now I’m really happy, I love this.”Sreesanth last played official cricket during the 2013 IPL before being arrested by the Delhi Police for the alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers. “I will try to start training properly as soon as possible,” he said. “I wasn’t allowed anything… Hopefully I can get permission from BCCI to use their facilities so that I can get fit and come into the selection process.”But the BCCI said in a release that their decisions were “independent to any criminal proceeding” and “based on its independent disciplinary action, shall remain unaltered.”Sreesanth spoke of the pain of being sidelined for the last two years. “The worst thing to happen as a cricketer, living just behind international stadium, and you are not allowed there. Even an Under-14 kid who respects you goes to the stadium and I was not allowed. I went through a lot of things but that’s past…I would love to go tomorrow and run there.”With the charges against him dropped, Sreesanth said cricket would take centre stage in his life again. “I want to play cricket. I know I have been in the news for movies and all that, but everybody knows that I am a cricketer first. I was just waiting, I was just making sure I don’t get bogged down in life, I want to play cricket.”He promised that his trademark delivery will soon make an appearance: “I will make sure I am fully fit and bowl those outswingers.”

Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah has challenged his suspension from official cricket by the BCCI in the Bombay High Court

Amol Karhadkar08-Aug-2015Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah has challenged his suspension from official cricket by the BCCI in the Bombay High Court. The board had suspended Shah with immediate effect in mid July after he was found guilty of having “approached” a Mumbai team-mate.On behalf of Shah, advocate Som Sinha filed a writ petition in the court last week. A two-judge bench of Justice VM Kanade and Justice BP Colabawalla heard the matter on August 4. The judges didn’t grant any immediate relief to the petitioner but have asked the BCCI to file a written reply to the objections raised by Shah’s counsel. The case will next be heard again on August 11.ESPNcricinfo understands that Shah’s petition is based on the fact that he has been suspended without providing any details in writing about his alleged breaches. Shah is also understood to have noted in his plea that he had been granted permission to travel to the UK to play for the minor counties.While announcing Shah’s suspension, the BCCI release had noted: “Hiken Shah made a corrupt approach to one of his colleagues from first-class cricket, who is also a member of one of the IPL teams. The approached player immediately informed the incident to his franchise team. The franchise team followed the process of informing the incident to the Anti-Corruption Unit of the BCCI. Based on the information, BCCI President, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, instructed ACU to conduct an immediate inquiry into the matter.”After a detailed inquiry into the reported incident, the inquiry commissioner found Hiken Shah guilty of committing breach of Articles 2.1.1; 2.1.2; and 2.1.4 of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code for participants and recommended their provisions to the BCCI President.”Shah, meanwhile, had stressed he was innocent. “All I will say is I am innocent and I will fight to prove it,” he had told ESPNcricinfo.

Worcestershire may be heading back to Division Two, but they do so in the knowledge that they have a crop of young players who promise better times around the corner

George Dobell at New Road23-Sep-2015
ScorecardTom Fell passed 1,000 runs for the season in the course of his unbeaten 167•Getty Images

Rarely has relegation tasted so sweet. Worcestershire may be heading back to Division Two, but they do so in the knowledge that they have a crop of young players who promise better times around the corner.It was a sense underlined on day two of this game when two men aged 21 dominated against an attack that proved too good for Yorkshire last week and a side that has been beaten just once this season. Really, if you had arrived at the ground not knowing which side was relegated and which was fighting for second place, you would have done well to guess Worcestershire were the stragglers.The two Toms – Kohler-Cadmore and Fell – have so far added 219 for the fourth wicket. It is by far Worcestershire’s highest stand of the season and takes their lead over Middlesex to 231. It is a fine effort from men who were born two years after Glen Chapple made his first-class debut.Fell, with his third century of the campaign, became the tenth man this season to 1,000 runs in Division One and the youngest by some distance. He didn’t give a chance until he had reached 158 – and even then his sliced drive off Tim Murtagh may not have carried to Nick Compton running in from the cover boundary – though, perhaps, had Murtagh been on the rope rather than a few yards in, his pull for six off James Harris when he had 76, might have been taken. It is the second time this year he has recorded a career-best score against Middlesex.Especially strong on the drive – some of his front-foot strokes through cover were a delight – he also showed some nice strokes on the back foot, with the cut and late cut deployed effectively. And, if he may have to develop his leg-side play – 111 of his runs have been scored on the off side – it bodes well for his future that he deals with deliveries on or just outside off stump so capably.Kohler-Cadmore, who only came back into the team when Alex Gidman broke his finger the day before the Durham match last week, was three short of his maiden first-class century when bad light ended play with 29.5 overs unbowled. It may result in a nervous night in a flat these two young batsmen share. Kohler-Cadmore has been close to the landmark before but, having reached 99 two years ago against Leicestershire, was bowled by the part-time spin of Dan Redfern.Not unlike a right-handed Graeme Smith, Kohler-Cadmore joined the Worcestershire academy from Malvern College. But, before that, he represented Yorkshire in age-group cricket, where he broke the U15 record for most runs in a season. It was a record previously held by Michael Vaughan. He generally plays admirably straight, but has the ability to whip anything back of length through the leg side. He did not give a chance, but reached his fifty with an edge through vacant third slip off Toby Roland-Jones and saw another edge fall just short of the cordon.In other circumstances, Worcestershire might worry about retaining such players. But both these two are signed up for the long-term, with Moeen Ali having spoken to them, and other promising players, and convinced them that they were part of something special developing at New Road. As his own career illustrates, it is quite possible to achieve international ambitions while remaining with the club.Shaaiq Choudhry and Gareth Andrew, however, have been released by Worcestershire; the latter largely due to his injury issues, though he hopes to continue his career elsewhere. Some doubt remains about the future of Richard Oliver, too. He has been offered a contract but on the condition he remains in England this winter to work on his game. For a man with a long and happy association with Geelong City CC in Victoria, that may prove a sacrifice too far.Perhaps, had Middlesex had a bowler of extreme pace available – as Worcestershire do in Shannon Gabriel – it may have been different. This pitch is now slow and, while there remains some movement available, the edges are not carrying and there was little to prevent the batsmen waiting on the front foot and putting away the over-pitched ball. Gabriel may prove more adept at exploiting any assistance that remains.Middlesex’s three main seamers will reflect that they did not maintain the tight line and length that they managed against Yorkshire, however. Murtagh has already conceded more than 100, while Harris has gone for in excess of five an over. By 4pm, the early wickets of Brett D’Oliveira, who mis-hit a long-hop to mid-on, and Joe Clarke, outstandingly well caught by Ollie Rayner diving low to his right at second slip, seemed a long time ago.It leaves Middlesex uncomfortably placed as they fight to retain second place in the table; a difference of £81,000 in prize money over the third-placed team. They were unfortunate with the toss, for sure, with conditions now more favourable for batting and their bowlers drawn into chasing the game. But with only 16.5 overs left in which to gain bowling bonus points, they have so far gained just one point from the match and, well behind on their over-rate (-3 at present) and facing the possibility they will not have an opportunity to make it up in the second innings, they may come to look back on this match as an expensive end to the season.

An ICC security assessment team, led by CEO David Richardson, has arrived in Dhaka to assess arrangements for the Under-19 World Cup in January next year

Mohammad Isam04-Nov-2015An ICC security assessment team, led by CEO David Richardson, has arrived in Dhaka to assess arrangements for the Under-19 World Cup in January next year. The team includes ICC’s head of events, Chris Tetley, and security consultants Sean Norris and Reg Dickason.On Thursday, the team will meet the High Commissioners of UK and Australia before the BCB presents its event security plan. They will leave for Cox’s Bazar on Friday and upon returning to Dhaka, they will meet two security agencies, the country’s home minister and have a final wrap-up meet with the BCB.During their October meeting, the ICC ratified Bangladesh as the Under-19 World Cup host. BCB media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said the board is confident the ICC delegation will leave Bangladesh satisfied with the arrangements.”This is a regulation inspection,” Jalal told ESPNcricinfo. “These take place before every big event. They also came before the ICC World T20 last year. It is quite obvious to require a security assessment. We are very much confident that they will be satisfied with our preparation. I am also confident that the event will be held properly in Bangladesh.”The Richardson-led security assessment team is scheduled to leave on November 7.

Shahadat Hossain was sent back to jail after completing a three-day remand in Dhaka on Tuesday

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-2015Bangladesh fast bowler Shahadat Hossain was sent back to jail after completing a three-day remand in Dhaka on Tuesday. Dhaka Metropolitan magistrate Kazi Kamrul Islam denied him bail after the probe officer Shafiqur Rahman, the officer-in-charge (investigation) of Mirpur model police station, appealed for the cricketer’s confinement during investigation of a case filed against him for allegedly torturing a housemaid.He was arrested on October 5 after he surrendered before a Dhaka court and had sought bail. His wife was arrested the day before from her father’s house.On September 6, the case had been filed against the couple under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The 11-year old girl was found by a journalist in Mirpur and was taken to the police station where the case was filed, and she was sent to the Dhaka Medical College for treatment.

Neville Madziva was pumped up after taking 18 runs off the final over to seal a much-needed Zimbabwe victory, and he animatedly expressed how that felt

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Nov-2015You could see the excitement in his big eyes. Neville Madziva was pumped up – and rightly so – after taking 18 runs off the final over to seal a much-needed Zimbabwe victory, against Bangladesh, and he animatedly expressed how that felt.”Whoa! Whoa!” he said, and took a deep breath, when asked whether he could put in words how he felt after his penultimate-ball six clinched a three-wicket win. “Before the game, as a team we wanted to win this game. Right from the hotel to warm-ups, our first innings bowling… everyone was pumped up for a win. I am still chuffed that we won.”With Malcolm Waller, Zimbabwe’s highest scorer of the innings and the best batsmen from the previous game, caught at long-on off the first ball of the final over, you would not have been blamed had you thought things would go differently. But Madziva relished the sight of spinner Nasir Hossain, and what followed next was spectacular: six over cover, two to long-off, four over backward point and then a mighty high hit over long-on. The ball hadn’t dropped beyond the advertising board before Madziva started to jump in celebration.”When I saw Nasir bowling, I told myself to get on strike. I had that self-belief that we will win this game,” Madziva said. “I enjoy facing spinners more. I said to myself, this is it. I will go back to my country with a win.Madziva believed the chase first changed course in the 19th over, when he was caught behind off Mustafizur Rahman but the TV umpire declared a no-ball after watching five replays. “I think that’s where we won this match. I don’t have much to say about it. It happened, we won.”He admitted that had Mustafizur bowled the final over, things might have been different, as he had trouble reading him. “If you see the 19th over, when I was facing Mustafizur, I was struggling to read his slower balls. I had that belief in me against all the other bowlers though.”His captain Elton Chigumbura wasn’t as bubbly, perhaps weighed down by the other losses on the tour to Bangladesh. But he was happy nonetheless, especially at the way they finished off the game. “We were looking for this win when we came here. It is a good feeling to finally win again in Bangladesh. We did well in all departments. The guys worked hard.”Chigumbura said he had asked Madziva to target the slow bowlers. “We thought maybe Nasir will bowl the second-last over. Before he [Madziva] went in, I told him that one spinner will bowl in the last three overs. We had to take as many as we could from that spinner.”Chigumbura had praise for his bowlers too, for keeping Bangladesh to 135 for 9. “The good thing today was that we kept getting wickets. I think the way we bowled in the last three overs, it was a bit easier. We didn’t go for many and this made a big difference as well.”To draw a series is a big positive for Zimbabwe. It was disappointing to lose the ODI series. This win will give us confidence and hopefully we can carry on from here.”

James Anderson has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Durban due to a calf strain

George Dobell24-Dec-2015James Anderson has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa in Durban due to a calf strain.Anderson reported tightness in his right calf muscle on Monday evening and underwent a scan on Tuesday morning. The strain was confirmed on Thursday, following the ECB medical team’s evaluation of the scan.It is not thought to be a serious injury and England remain hopeful that he will be fit for the second Test, which starts in Cape Town on January 2, although there are only two days between the Tests which puts time at a premium.Anderson joined his team-mates on the outfield on Thursday morning but did not join in a jogging session at the start of the session. Instead, he glumly kicked a football around with the bowling coach Ottis Gibson.The rest of the squad, including Steven Finn, were declared fit for the Test match though Joe Root missed training on Thursday due to an upset stomach.”If you talk to Jimmy, he feels he could have played here,” Stuart Broad said. “It’s just a slight niggle, but the management decided it really wasn’t worth the risk in the first Test. There’s a feeling he’ll be okay for Cape Town.’We do know this is a four-Test series and we want him to play a part in it. We’ve got such depth in the squad there’s not the need to take a risk. He’s disappointed but with the strength in depth we’ve got in this group it’s not a hammer blow to us.”It seems the beneficiary of Anderson’s injury is likely to be Chris Woakes. Woakes, who played the last of his four Tests in August 2014, trained with the likely team on Thursday, while Mark Footitt, Chris Jordan and Gary Ballance trained in a separate group for part of the session.Head coach Trevor Bayliss said that much onus now rested with Broad to lead the attack. “From Stuart’s point of view we’ve got an obvious replacement as leader of the attack there and I’m sure he would show that he could handle that as he did
against Australia in the fourth Test,” Bayliss said. “It’s always a concern if your leading bowler or leading batter misses a game, but the last time Jimmy missed one we did pretty well.”James Anderson has his sights set on Cape Town•Getty Images

The last game Anderson missed – and he will now have missed three of England’s last six Tests – was at The Oval where Australia won.But Broad was encouraged by a look at the Durban wicket, which he feels might add seam movement and reverse swing.”I’m useless at judging a cricket wicket,” Broad said. “I wanted to bat at Trent Bridge.”But there is patchiness and that’s interesting as a bowler because when it doesn’t look completely smooth you know there could be some different bounce off the different parts of the wicket. From six years ago, I remember the cracks offered a bit in second innings.”All the talk is about dryness and I remember reverse swing last time. So it’s important we take on the lessons from the UAE because our seamers over there bowled really nicely. If we get any chance to reverse it, then we must throw ourselves into it as a team, because the ball moving sideways means you’re in the game.”Talk from the groundstaff also suggested a hard pitch full of runs, but with some concern that a continuation of the very hot weather could possibly see it break up later. For all the talk about Anderson, the spinners may have a significant say in the outcome of the match.Anderson, even if fit for Cape Town, may be underprepared. He has bowled only five overs in match situations on the tour so far and he would need some flat-out training sessions around the New Year to offset his lack of bowling.It seems Anderson had been aware of a tightness in his calf throughout the tour, but felt the situation deteriorate after attempting to bowl flat out in training on Monday afternoon.Anderson, now aged 33 and a veteran of 110 Tests, was also forced out of the Ashes series at the halfway point due to a side strain. He missed the final two Tests having been forced off the pitch mid-over during the third Test at Edgbaston.While his long-term fitness record remains outstanding – since the start of 2012, only the spinner Rangana Herath has bowled more overs in international cricket – there will be a concern that his heavy workload is starting to catch up with him.Anderson’s status as leader of England’s attack remains unquestioned, however. Although Stuart Broad performed brilliantly in his absence in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, Anderson was immaculate during the recent tour of the UAE. In conditions offering him little, he conceded fewer than two runs an over and claimed his 13 wickets – more than any seamer on either side – at just 15.61 apiece.Woakes, the likely replacement, was pencilled in to the side anyway before Finn proved his fitness somewhat ahead of schedule during the tour match at Pietermaritzburg.England’s preparation for the Test series against South Africa had appeared to be progressing remarkably smoothly. They crushed the South Africa A side by an innings in their final warm-up game and, as well as Finn proving his fitness, there have been runs for all the top six and wickets for the spinner, Moeen Ali. Anderson’s absence has taken the gloss off such promising beginnings.Ben Stokes was probably the most impressive batsman in the nets on Thursday. One of the net bowlers was forced to seek medical assistance when struck by an especially fearsome straight drive, while Footitt, bowling at sharp pace, made a late bid for inclusion. Alex Hales, on the brink of his Test debut, looked nervous and was dismissed on a couple of occasions.

The second ODI, in Napier, was abandoned without a ball being bowled, after heavy rain persisted until mid afternoon, and left the ground too sodden for play to begin

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Jan-2016Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe rain left the outfield too wet for play at McLean Park•AFP

The second ODI, in Napier, was abandoned without a ball being bowled, after heavy rain persisted until mid afternoon, and left the ground too sodden for play to begin. The skies had begun to clear well ahead of the game’s cut-off time of 7:19 pm, but with the outfield having received more than 24 hours of persistent rain, umpires Billy Bowden and Bruce Oxenford decided not to risk player safety.The game was called off just before 6:30pm. At that time, portions of the field still appeared waterlogged despite hours of drying with
super soppers. Pakistan can now only draw the series at best, as the action moves to Auckland, for the final match of the tour, on Sunday.